Listing Fees

[sanfran876]

Hi everyone! 

So ive been a seller on eBay for 12 years BUT...I haven't sold anything for more than half of those years. I just didn't have anything to sell. 

My parents have HUNDREDS of Disney snow globes that they want me to list so it looks like I'll be very active on eBay again. I just have a few questions:

1) 50 free listings a month: are there any restrictions and does that include pictures? Again just selling snow globes aka collectibles so i know the category qualifies. But it didn't mention what features were included and which cost extra. 

2) Do you suggest buying a few things first to have more current feedback? My rating is 100% but it's old. These aren't cheap snow globes either. I'm sure I'd get more with my account than a new one but am worried my inactivity could hurt the sale price of her snow globes. Any suggestions?

thanks in advance for any help!

[18704d]

If you're aiming for Christmas sales,

you might be starting a bit too late.

And are these new in box? Or?

Lynn

[vw]

1st (12) pictures are free.

If I were in your shoes I would list 5-10 of them at auction and mention you have many more to list next week.

Get the buyers on board with your auctions.

DON'T take any off line offers! ! !

The 2nd week I would double up and list 10-20 of them and again mention that next week you are going to list more of them. . .

eBay will probably limit you to 250 items and $2500 a month in sales, it can be raised to 500 items and $5000 with a simple phone call to customer service.

DIsney Snow Globes are a popular item, you should have no problem selling them at auction this time of year.

[siayan]

I know you are a little late for the holidays but I would work on a few low priced ones to get back in the groove. Maybe one a day for 5 days. Things are a little different now but the basics are the same. Come back and let us know how it's going.

Note to self, Disney Snow Globes, who da thunk.

[vw]

If you do decide to go the auction route have your listings end around 8 pm ET on a Sunday.

That's 5 pm for us here on the West Coast.

Good Luck, I think you'll do very good if you list them soon, most people are just starting to buy Christmas decorations. . .

[partial*eclipse · Accepted solution]

You should get at least one feedback for buying before you start trying to sell again.  Feedback percentage is based on the past 12 months, so you're currently showing 0%.  With just one feedback, you'll be back up at 100%.

A LOT has changed for sellers over the past few years.  Nowadays, you get 50 free basic insertions per month (auction or fixed price).  Many features that used to have a fee are free now including  12 pictures; adding  a "Buy it now" option on your auction; and using the Scheduler option.

Final value fees are 10% of the buyer's total payment including shipping, so it's a good idea to set up your listing with calculated shipping that is based on the weight and dimensions of your actual package.

Start your auctions at the minimum price you'd be willing to sell for, in case you get just one bidder.  That happens a lot more now than it used to. Research completed listings.  If you get a pretty good idea of what your item will sell for, then it's better to list in fixed price format, and use the Advanced version of the listing form so you can check off "Immediate payment required," which prevents  a lot of headaches, especially for time-sensitive items.

 Don't invest in optional listing upgrades like subtitles, bold, or reserves.   Fees for sellers who don't have a Store:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/fees.html

[vw]

"Advanced version of the listing form so you can check off "Immediate payment required," which prevents  a lot of headaches, especially for time-sensitive items."

I disagree with this!

If you have immediate payment you cannot combine orders for shipping.

I've NEVER had "immediate payment" on my listings, but that's just me. . .

[partial*eclipse]

Combined shipping is sometimes a great selling tool.  But in this case, the seller isn't going to want to ship more than one snow globe in a box, so avoiding combined purchases is actually a good thing.  

[labs118]

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@partial*eclipse wrote:

Combined shipping is sometimes a great selling tool.  But in this case, the seller isn't going to want to ship more than one snow globe in a box, so avoiding combined purchases is actually a good thing.  

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Agree 100% , I would never ever combine shipping on a snow globe.
Factor in many are very big
So much glass 
Winter and cold weather coming which is sometimes not great for glass shipments.
I think it would  spell disaster 

[sanfran876]

No they're my moms collection. Yes we were aiming too late. I sold one, packed it so well that you could continually flip the box and nothing moved inside (I did it several times to be sure) and UPS DESTROYED AND DISCARDED it! I'm FURIOUS and no longer have the money.

[sanfran876]

Thank you for the tips! I'll continue to use them even though the holiday is over 🙂

[sanfran876]

This was invaluable advice, thank you so much! I DID make a purchase and it led to a sale!

[chrysylys]

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@sanfran876 wrote:
I sold one, packed it so well that you could continually flip the box and nothing moved inside (I did it several times to be sure) and UPS DESTROYED AND DISCARDED it! I'm FURIOUS and no longer have the money.

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I'm not sure I see a way to safely package that for shipping.  At over 10" tall, the box would have to be at LEAST 20" tall, if not more.  If you had the original packaging which probably had a ridgid styrofoam formed clamshell, it may be more safe.

[siayan]

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@sanfran876 wrote:
No they're my moms collection. Yes we were aiming too late. I sold one, packed it so well that you could continually flip the box and nothing moved inside (I did it several times to be sure) and UPS DESTROYED AND DISCARDED it! I'm FURIOUS and no longer have the money.

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@sanfran876

One thing I do with large or odd shaped expensive items is I buy a 4' X 8' X 1" piece of white styrofoam at Menards for $10. I line the box with it then cut the odd shape in pieces to make it snug and tight. It can be cut with a large bread knife or scored and snapped. Then I fill the voids with bubble wrap. Adds a little expense but makes a nice tight package.