eBay

nowthatsjustducky · ‎03-14-2015

Ever since I responded to a post earlier tonight recommending a new seller go ahead and start with a dedicated selling account and try to attract buyers with professional looking listings instead of trying to rely on feedback received as a buyer to boost credibility, I have been mulling over a challenge I suggested in said post.

That said, I am now announcing Nowthatsjustducky's Rags to Riches Challenge for 2015.

The objective is to see how participants manage to build up a new selling account from scratch. Rules and procedures for this challenge? Hmmm. Let's see here.

1: Create a brand spanking new selling account.
2: Log into the forums here on the new account and post in this thread: give its i.d., the types of items that you will be dealing with on that account, the selling formats you will use, and other little policies you may implement (shipping, international or not, etc)
3: Use that account only for selling so that there will not be any buyer feedback on it.
4: Keep a tight record of the account's gross and net earnings.
5: Check in regularly on this thread to give updates for various milestones such as: your first sale on the account, first feedback received, achieving TRS, and anything else one may feel relevant.
6: Once per month, perhaps around the 1st or so, give a status update with your current feedback and your gross and net earnings on this account thus far.
7: At the end of the year, a final update to compare how the account fared throughout 2015.

Sound like an interesting experiment? If so, I look forward to seeing a bunch of new selling i.d.s posting here. Now to go finish setting up my new selling account and picking out the stuff to be listed this month.

If it works, sell it. If it works well, sell it for more. If it doesn't work, quadruple the price and sell it as an antique.

-- Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #80

nowthatsjustducky · ‎03-31-2016

@prefontained wrote:
@pantlandia wrote:
@savanna.dance wrote:
@pantlandia I see the mug. I am accessing eBay on a mobile device, Chrome browser, eBay mobile (not the app). It's showing $6.99 + $16.65 shipping. I am on the far east coast in Savannah, GA.
Thank you. Looks like it's indexed again on the main site too. Shipping sucks for mugs. They are heavier than they should be, especially this one 😞

@yme - That's what I wanted to know, but apparently it could be seen on mobile devices? LOL who knows.
@pantlandia That shipping is quite high for a mug, even to the East Coast. Assuming your package exceeds 2lbs? You can add a second shipping option of medium flat rate box which would cost a few dollars less to east coast... or if mug will fit you can offer reg rate a box (calculated at 2lb rate) to anywhere in US as primary shipping option...

Actually at 2 pounds or higher, it is often less expensive to use FedEx Smart Post. It's the equivalent level of service that USPS Parcel Select gives, and still ultimately ends up in the USPS mail system. Just sent a 4 pound 10 ounce package across the country yesterday, and Smart Post saved me about $4 or $6 or something like that.

If it works, sell it. If it works well, sell it for more. If it doesn't work, quadruple the price and sell it as an antique.

-- Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #80

pantlandia · ‎03-31-2016

@prefontained wrote:
@pantlandia wrote:
@savanna.dance wrote:
@pantlandia I see the mug. I am accessing eBay on a mobile device, Chrome browser, eBay mobile (not the app). It's showing $6.99 + $16.65 shipping. I am on the far east coast in Savannah, GA.
Thank you. Looks like it's indexed again on the main site too. Shipping sucks for mugs. They are heavier than they should be, especially this one 😞

@yme - That's what I wanted to know, but apparently it could be seen on mobile devices? LOL who knows.
@pantlandia That shipping is quite high for a mug, even to the East Coast. Assuming your package exceeds 2lbs? You can add a second shipping option of medium flat rate box which would cost a few dollars less to east coast... or if mug will fit you can offer reg rate a box (calculated at 2lb rate) to anywhere in US as primary shipping option...

I know, unfortunately, there is no middle ground. The mug after being packed is just over 2lbs. I wish eBay offered a regional rate box in their calculated shipping, but they do not. So my choices are Medium Flat Rate (cheaper for opposite coast, way more expensive for same coast) or Priority (cheaper for same coast, way expensive for far coast), or pack it to withstand a herd of elephants and use the flat rate padded envelope (which I'm not comfortable doing).

FedEx SmartPost I hadn't thought of, but where do you mail from? FedEx drop off? I think there is one up the street but my work hours don't make it easy to drop off during business hours.

The cost to me isn't the issue, it's the shipping that it shows the buyers that is frustrating. I would absolutely mail in Reg Rate A box, I have a thousand of them, but eBay doesn't play nice with that option...

pantlandia · ‎03-31-2016

I changed it to 1-2 lbs since I'll probably ship in Reg Rate A if it's too much....12.40 to the far coast now. Still a little bit more than what it will actually cost, but better than what it was.

nowthatsjustducky · ‎03-31-2016

@pantlandia wrote:
@prefontained wrote:
@pantlandia wrote:
@savanna.dance wrote:
@pantlandia I see the mug. I am accessing eBay on a mobile device, Chrome browser, eBay mobile (not the app). It's showing $6.99 + $16.65 shipping. I am on the far east coast in Savannah, GA.
Thank you. Looks like it's indexed again on the main site too. Shipping sucks for mugs. They are heavier than they should be, especially this one 😞

@yme - That's what I wanted to know, but apparently it could be seen on mobile devices? LOL who knows.
@pantlandia That shipping is quite high for a mug, even to the East Coast. Assuming your package exceeds 2lbs? You can add a second shipping option of medium flat rate box which would cost a few dollars less to east coast... or if mug will fit you can offer reg rate a box (calculated at 2lb rate) to anywhere in US as primary shipping option...
I know, unfortunately, there is no middle ground. The mug after being packed is just over 2lbs. I wish eBay offered a regional rate box in their calculated shipping, but they do not. So my choices are Medium Flat Rate (cheaper for opposite coast, way more expensive for same coast) or Priority (cheaper for same coast, way expensive for far coast), or pack it to withstand a herd of elephants and use the flat rate padded envelope (which I'm not comfortable doing).

FedEx SmartPost I hadn't thought of, but where do you mail from? FedEx drop off? I think there is one up the street but my work hours don't make it easy to drop off during business hours.

The easiest way to find a Smart Post drop off location is to start the process of buying a label on eBay. They should show where the nearest location to you is at.

If it works, sell it. If it works well, sell it for more. If it doesn't work, quadruple the price and sell it as an antique.

-- Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #80

pantlandia · ‎03-31-2016

@nowthatsjustducky wrote:
The easiest way to find a Smart Post drop off location is to start the process of buying a label on eBay. They should show where the nearest location to you is at.

I will try that next time I get a chance. Thank you.

ymeagainlord · ‎03-31-2016

If it will fit in a RRA and it's over 2 lbs, I just list the shipping as PM 2lbs.

I've heard some bad things about FedEx SmartPost ducky. That's it way slow plus if you ever have an issue making a claim is a nightmare as neither FedEx nor USPS will take responsibility.

Crusader Cat is watching

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - L Tolstoy

"You are entitled to your own opinion, you are not however, entitled to your own facts."

pantlandia · ‎04-01-2016

@ymeagainlord wrote:
If it will fit in a RRA and it's over 2 lbs, I just list the shipping as PM 2lbs.

I've heard some bad things about FedEx SmartPost ducky. That's it way slow plus if you ever have an issue making a claim is a nightmare as neither FedEx nor USPS will take responsibility.

Well, remarkably, it just sold 🙂

If it's a boardie, thank you! If it's not, thank you too!

bridgetown247 · ‎04-09-2016

Checking in with updates:

I listed 10 items yesterday and sold another today. I've sold 2 items out of 13 listed, so not too shabby. I'm going to list a few more items (try to get up to 20 active listings) tomorrow.

I am in the hole money-wise, because I spent money for these items, but it's not too bad actually.

nowthatsjustducky · ‎04-09-2016

So far, no sales on the Raven account. But then again, it is only about 2 weeks old. At least it and the clever-crow account are both getting fresh material (often even items that have not yet gone up on any of the other accounts).

If it works, sell it. If it works well, sell it for more. If it doesn't work, quadruple the price and sell it as an antique.

-- Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #80

copper.boom · ‎04-09-2016

@copper.boom wrote:
After just 2 weeks I JUST sold my first item on this account! Hooray! I was actually surprised when it garnered 5 watchers since I listed the item yesterday. I priced it towards the higher end of what others had sold at, too.

Sold my second item about a week ago and also received first buyer FB on this account a few days ago.

The rest of my items don't have much activity. I am going to try and put up more inventory over the next week.