Posted an item for 1¢ and Free US Shipping and guess what...

[sinoue96xd]

Hi eBay'rs,

Put my toe back into the world of eBay selling. I created a handmade product that is basically a knife bar for holding men's grooming tools in their bathroom or closet. 

My biggest costs are time and a few dollars for the magnets and grooming tools. I looked up pricing strategies and several folks recommended the 1¢ and free US shipping as a good way of determining your product's true market value.

Do any of you do this? If my item sells for 1¢ should my take away be that there really isn't much of a market for simple male grooming tools? On Etsy I list it for $30 and it doesn't sell either. I suck at online marketing, but I'm not convinced paying for Google or Facebook ads would be any more profitable if there is no real demand. Thought about doing a local Arts & Crafts fair, but the fee is $300 and I'd have to create a lot of inventory just to find out that it might do just as poorly.

A friend recommended that I do a YouTube star product placement for a large fee, but that seems too fake to me. I'd rather get real user feedback and organic growth.

I love making stuff, but my current take away is that there isn't much of a market for hand made male grooming items other than as gifts to friends!

Thoughts?

Thanks for reading - Stephen

[tunicaslot]

OP - you've had some great suggestions and I agree - get new pics - jazz it up abit and show it's versatility. Also put in measurements so people know how much room it takes up.

Items like these will sell  best - fixed price - and your biggest selling months will be Sept - Dec - when people are trying to find unique and different gifts for people they don't know what to buy for. I could see something like this in my back hall for holding spare sets of keys - the dog leashes ect.. 

As someone else said - stain a few and take them in a setting using the items you'd find there.

[mg152]

I'm OCD & having that on a wall would drive me crazy! That's not an insult. You asked for opinions so don't be insulted. It's a nice item though.

[pingpong517]

i'm just wondering the cost of all the items and wood , magnets...

seems you have to at least double the costs to call it a reasonable sale price... with free shipping that would give you manybe a little... not to mention ebay /paypal fees...

so what is the cost to actually make ONE, complete and mail it?...  then you will know what "profit' you can/need/want to make.

[omgitlightsup]

It costs between $5000 and $10,000 to patent something, and even then you have no assurance you'll get a patent. The process takes years, and once you get a patent, you're obligated to police eBay and the rest of the internet for people who are infringing, or you could lose it.

Patents are really only viable for large corporations for whom the cost of a getting and maintaining a patent is pocket change.

For "the rest of us," the best approach is to use "guerilla IP tactics"; just build it and sell it. Change the name when you get a C&D. Dissolve your LLC and form a new one if you get sued. There's no way you can get ahead selling razor magnets for a few dollars each when you need to dump tens of thousands into costs that have nothing to do with making them. And then of course there's eBay's fees.

[sinoue96xd]

You are right that it is just a strip of wood with magnets in it!

Getting a good bathroom shot is a great suggestion. Our bathroom is dated, but I'll see if I can get friends and buyers to help me out with a good photo.

Thanks for your service and appreciation of outdoor grooming!

[sinoue96xd]

Nothing like the realities of the market place to educate, but the insights from everyone's postings have been most helpful. Thanks!

[sinoue96xd]

Not losing money is what will separates hobbyists from folks making a living! If it looks like there is demand above my costs then setting the buy it now price is a good idea.

As for the metal comb - Took my barber to help me find a supplier. Only thing that holds up to that blue barbicide they use.

I'm not completely happy with it. It works great on short hair, but it is real rough on long hair (as my daughter showed me). I named it crybaby because I figure if folks return the ManBar over not liking the comb they couldn't claim I didn't warn them!

I looked at plastic and aluminum, but they aren't magnetic and gluing magnets to those items looked goofy! So stainless steel was the runner up - but it isn't nice and chrome like the other items!

[fortys-tech-n-stuff]

Somebody was afraid of losing this item, they went back and bid 3 times on it...

[sinoue96xd]

Your true calling is marketing - I'm going to use your idea on taming "overgrown manliness!" I was toying with calling the comb hacksaw since it is rugged enough to be used as one. The TechShop here has a laser that would be great for adding patterns to the front so your idea of putting some marks or customization on it is cool.

As for the name - I took the inspiration from a magnetic Knife Bar and was dealing with trying to my wife laughing at me trying to find my "man" tools so the name stuck. It does sound sexier than the actual product's function. It doesn't do well in search results unless you remove the space and search on just "ManBar" so another name might work better.

As for patents and cheap Chinese knock offs. Other than registering the name ManBar or finding a better name I'm not sure there is anything to patent (prior inventions being knife bars) and if I can make it profitable under $5 I'm sure the Chinese can do it for 1/2 that (the super magnets that were invented by GM use rare neodymium and boron mined in China). If I can find a profitable niche and have fun with it than I'm definitely ahead of the game. Thanks for all the good ideas!

[sinoue96xd]

Crybaby is the sound you make as the comb rips out your hair! Good for those of use with short hair, but long hair just it doesn't slide through it all that easily.

[sinoue96xd]

I'm still wrestling with the amount of time it takes to add stain and two coats of polyurethane. If I had to pay someone else to do the work at minimum wage I don't think it would work, but for getting me out of the house and my wife's hair it is cheaper than therapy!

I tried the Gillette and Schick razors but they have too much plastic. Looked into sourcing a stainless steel razor handle but it was pricey.

I really like your idea of a metal tin of mustache wax. Definitely will consider it for this year's Movember

[sinoue96xd]

Mancake photos aren't my thing! but then again if it makes the ManBar sell I'm sure I could ask my Water Polo son. He only uses the ManBar's fingernail clippers for passing the nail checks before competition games.

Good insight on using different finishes as separate listings.

[sinoue96xd]

I had no real idea what others would pay for it so losing money on one to find out is okay with me, but you are right, selling more at a money losing proposition isn't good business!

Life is a cruel teacher. She loves to give you the test first and the lesson later.

[sinoue96xd]

I had to look up those words and there is some truth to the fact I was feeling bad for no bids, when I had put so much work into it! I was impressed that the first bidder could even find the listing and was going to get it for 1 penny! Tried to figure out how I could search for the 1 penny free shipping listings but couldn't find any other fool listings than mine!

As far as I can tell the recent bid up to $6.50 isn't from any bidders listed in this thread. I'm really not looking for any pity bids. I'm proud of being able to create a product from a mishmash of other items and ideas. I'm curious if there is a market for the ManBar and if it is at a price point that makes it worthwhile spending my time on.

This forum is definitely filled with grown ups running a real business on eBay and I hope I convey my gratitude for all the great insights you have all shared!

- Better photos
- Photo of ManBar actually in the bathroom
- Product Rename
- Rethink CryBaby Comb
- Mustache Wax Tin
- Competition from knockoffs
- Pricing above cost

I would love to hear more about your Etsy shop. I originally posted there because it seemed a better fit for handmade items. I used there pricing model with a 2X markup but either the price, the item or the fact that new products with no ratings are buried it has failed. No tears, no games, just trying to figure out if there is a market for the ManBar.

And yes I did see you what you did there! Thanks for making me reflect on that.

[sinoue96xd]

Pet Rock was brilliant! He used the $ to open a bar a few miles from where I live. Might be worth stopping in for a beer and conversation! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_Rock

Fidget Spinner is my new current favorite. Whoever posted the 3D model online that used skateboard bearings didn't make a dime on it, but wow, what a market craze!