NOT Another Slow Sales Thread

[copper.boom]

Anybody else here tired of reading about slow sales? Since we can't control eBay's systems or their search engine, let's post about what we CAN do as sellers to have a better and more profitable sales experience. Even if they are things we all know about and incorporate into our regular business model, a little reminder never hurt anyone. Maybe in the process some of us can pick up new tips.

- Do regular research on your category(ies) to see if there are any new trends in price, shipping or demand.

- Do regular research on competitive pricing based on item condition and availability. Look at solds, not just actives, and do research across the 'net, not solely on eBay.

- If you are stuck with your category then add some variety to your inventory. You may even discover a new category you love & do well with in the process!

- If you have old, stale inventory that's just not moving experiment with different listing types (auction vs BIN), utilize markdown and promotional tools if you have a store subscription, and bundle things into lots. If you have to, sell at a break-even price just to move old items and use the funds towards fresh inventory (that you have hopefully researched before acquiring).

- Do a refresh of your listings from photos to description to keywords in your title.

Your turn! Share a tip if you've got one and let's encourage and motivate each other. What can I say? I'm having a Polyanna moment.

[keziak]

I second much of what you said.  On a recommendation of a friend I got around to trying MM again, made a sale. I am lotting up stuff and pushing auctions. If they do not sell they are already created and can go to the Store; on a regular basis I move store stuff to auction. 

I'm a pretty firm believer in list more/sell more and have a problem with being a slow lister.  It's hard to keep pumping in fresh stock. Also I need to keep a jaundiced eye on my inventory and remove stuff that has been lowballed or get few hits (not desirable).

Some people here think ebay is "throttling" them but if that happens it's basically out of my control. So I agree with your attitude of doing what we can do ourselves to boost sales.

[tunicaslot]

I'll add list or revise a few listings everyday - so that you have at least a few items that have visibility and then you may find buyers who find something else they like in your store.

[siayan]

The thing that helps me sell is to change what I sell. While everyone is in the ring fighting for the antiques and collectibles I have learned to move over to the household ring and look for NOS. Also the garage ring has done me well. Try to have about 10 categories in your head to look for and when one is too hot move to another. I concentrate on antiques and collectible but the last sale was too hot. I headed over to the household and made a killing on cloths and shoes. One pair for $350. No one was bidding. 

So I go

1. Antiques and Collectibles

2. NOS cloths and shoes

3. American made tools

4. Primitives and primitive junk

5. Knives

6. Auto parts

7. Toys

8. Books

9. Art

10. Lamps

and a few others I can't think of off the top of my head.

The crowd often gravitates to the popular items. Get an edge.

[siayan]

Another tip that takes a long time to learn. Only buy what you know sells. No matter how tempting or how cheap keep away from the junk. Walk away if it feels like a trap, if you are not sure. Cash is king, wait for the next one.

If you do that when you list it, it sells. There are certain items that will sell on Christmas day and others wouldn't sell if you put 99 cents and free shipping. Buy what sells.

Now I admit I am a sucker for big lots, not the store. But usually, there is an item that I want and know sells. The rest I try to push out or I throw it out.  I also like to take a gamble on some stuff. It it works it good if not, throw it out.

[mr_lincoln]

@siayan

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siayan wrote:  So I go

1. Antiques and Collectibles

2. NOS cloths and shoes

3. American made tools

4. Primitives and primitive junk

5. Knives

6. Auto parts

7. Toys

8. Books

9. Art

10. Lamps

and a few others I can't think of off the top of my head.  The crowd often gravitates to the popular items. Get an edge. 

---

We tap in to local online Estate Auctions for 75% of what we sell, occasionally take in a live auction as this is part time ... let me add a few categories to your list that have been beneficial

-Cast Iron pots - skillets

-Vintage model kits planes and cars

-Silverplate flatware - Sterling if you can get it cheap OR, like I've found a few times, several pieces of Sterling mixed in with Silvperlate once they get cleaned up is a real bonus

-Cereal premiums (toys)

-Vintage games if complete (these are pay the light bill type sales but move consistently over time)

[castlemagicmemories]

Hi @copper.boom

Nothing wrong with a Pollyanna moment!

[siayan]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

@siayan

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siayan wrote:  So I go

1. Antiques and Collectibles

2. NOS cloths and shoes

3. American made tools

4. Primitives and primitive junk

5. Knives

6. Auto parts

7. Toys

8. Books

9. Art

10. Lamps

and a few others I can't think of off the top of my head.  The crowd often gravitates to the popular items. Get an edge. 

---

We tap in to local online Estate Auctions for 75% of what we sell, occasionally take in a live auction as this is part time ... let me add a few categories to your list that have been beneficial

-Cast Iron pots - skillets

-Vintage model kits planes and cars

-Silverplate flatware - Sterling if you can get it cheap OR, like I've found a few times, several pieces of Sterling mixed in with Silvperlate once they get cleaned up is a real bonus

-Cereal premiums (toys)

-Vintage games if complete (these are pay the light bill type sales but move consistently over time)

---

Good ones. Cast Iron has gone crazy the last few months. I did well with models I purchased, esp. the high end ones. The idea is to know different things so there is more of a chance of  not having competition when buying. I usually do well at auctions but the last Estate sales did me right. If they have all good stuff the 50% day is best for me. This is a change from the past where I only went to estate sales to waste time. 

[siayan]

Also knives are like gold. Case, winchester and remington are the popular ones but off brands made in USA sell as well. Just try to buy in excellent never been sharpened condition, box is better. 

Old toys are easy to sell. Sometimes you can get old toys that are really beat up and they sell. Quality is better but sometimes no one will want the rough ones at sales.

[copper.boom]

Back on topic, thanks tunica, siayan and mr lincoln for some great selling tips!

[timemachine777]

We've done that. The board archives are littered with them. The reason your sick of seeing slow sales threads are because they tend to get posted a lot by sellers that don't hang out on the boards. So you end up seeing daily clusters of them. I see sellers that are doing 100 sales a week post slow sale threads. That's just the way it is.

[dhbookds]

I echo those that say listing more/or at least making more listings is sooner or later going to make more sales.  If you are having "trouble" getting started.........set a timer for 15 minutes and "make" yourself work that long...  Usually that gets me "into" it and have no trouble continuing.........  I always try to have something ready to do....a box of stuff to remove price tags/clean up/take pictures of/pictures in the computer........etc. 

There are good reasons, in some threads, to call out a poster's credibility.......but on a thread about trying to increase sales?  I think not........in my opinion. 

[goodluckselling]

Start with a single category of items you have for sale and edit each listing individually and double check the item specifics.  eBay is always adding and changing sub cats for item specifics.  This happens because the buyers actions change all the time so eBay works hard to direct buyers/ and sellers to the correct categories for search terms.

eBay will now give you suggestions to new or changes to the item specifics for your item and you can either accept the suggestions or not.

If there is one thing that is going to be very important come this fall and into the holiday selling season it is being shown in the correct categories that buyers will buy your items from.

This is the best suggestion I could give all sellers across the board.

Good Luck Selling!

[siayan]

---

@dhbookds wrote:

I echo those that say listing more/or at least making more listings is sooner or later going to make more sales.  If you are having "trouble" getting started.........set a timer for 15 minutes and "make" yourself work that long...  Usually that gets me "into" it and have no trouble continuing.........  I always try to have something ready to do....a box of stuff to remove price tags/clean up/take pictures of/pictures in the computer........etc. 

There are good reasons, in some threads, to call out a poster's credibility.......but on a thread about trying to increase sales?  I think not........in my opinion. 

---

I always try to get listing up when I get a sale. It seems that the search likes action. Listings, sales, quick shipping, any action seems to breed more action. At least that is what I convinced myself.

[retrose1]

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@goodluckselling wrote:

Start with a single category of items you have for sale and edit each listing individually and double check the item specifics.  eBay is always adding and changing sub cats for item specifics.  This happens because the buyers actions change all the time so eBay works hard to direct buyers/ and sellers to the correct categories for search terms.

eBay will now give you suggestions to new or changes to the item specifics for your item and you can either accept the suggestions or not.

If there is one thing that is going to be very important come this fall and into the holiday selling season it is being shown in the correct categories that buyers will buy your items from.

This is the best suggestion I could give all sellers across the board.

Good Luck Selling!

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Maybe in the cats you sell in, but ebay dinked around with item specifics in the clothing categories and they are almost worthless in some areas.  Like having over a hundred choices for brand name that run only through B and most are dead brands and sellers.

ebay is so far behind the times when it comes to real life instead of trending data of the hour, they are just now realizing that Beanie Babies are no longer hot sellers.

And correct ebay category isn't always the way to go.  I had a load of vintage stickers of a character that had it's own selling category under entertainment - couldn't sell a one in it's own category.  Then I switched and listed them under scrapbooking and sold them all within a month.

I found scrapbooking by doing a search and checking completeds and then seeing where the highest percentage of them sold.  You'd be surprised that their main category isn't where a lot of stuff sell.  But since ebay is obsessed with forcing everything into presetablished molds, they are soon going to sacrifice sales for their new policies.