06-20-2024 10:30 AM
Hello!
During the summer, I take some time to list a few books and DVDs that I have around on my shelves (Currently I have about 44 listed and another 16 I am working on, so about 60 listings in total). I used to be able to price my books somewhat higher, but now that media mail rates are at $4.19 - I charge the buyer shipping - I am not sure if I can price my items at anything higher than $5, with a few exceptions. I know that I am in a super-saturated market and there is a lot of competition, especially with those sellers who list books for super cheap and with free shipping.
Right now, most of my books are listed at $4.10, and most of my DVDs are listed at $5, with an additional $4.19 shipping charge.
Here are my questions:
You are welcome to look at my listings and provide feedback. I am open to constructive criticism and any suggestions you might have.
Thank you in advance for your help!
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06-20-2024 10:53 AM
While I have found books sales to have dropped drastically since I started selling in 1998 (I now sell primarily sewing patterns on that account), my price has consistently been $9.99 with Free Shipping.
Heavy or big books are the only ones I use Calculated Shipping for.
Take a look at Addall.com to see current asking prices (not sold prices) for your titles. They also match to the edition.
06-20-2024 10:53 AM
While I have found books sales to have dropped drastically since I started selling in 1998 (I now sell primarily sewing patterns on that account), my price has consistently been $9.99 with Free Shipping.
Heavy or big books are the only ones I use Calculated Shipping for.
Take a look at Addall.com to see current asking prices (not sold prices) for your titles. They also match to the edition.
06-20-2024 11:17 AM
Thank you! Do you ship through Media Mail?
06-20-2024 11:28 AM
Every single item has a price it sells at and a price it will never sell at.
You can't guess. You can't mostly list your books or dvds at this price or that price, that is a guaranteed path to being wrong almost all of the time.
The prices on books and most media are continually in decline as more and more people unload their collections and people buy fewer books and media each year.
99 percent of books and DVD cannot be sold at a price that will leave you anything after shipping and fees. The charity media sellers with almost no fees and presort media mail accounts can make $2 on an item you lose 50 cents on, so every common book and DVD starts heading towards that price range eventually and once it gets there it stays there forever.
If anyone has the book or DVD listed for $6 or less shipped, buy it now, then forget about it, you will never sell yours at a profit, the price will never get higher.
I unloaded my entire DVD inventory in bulk for 25 cents each to a single buyer and was thrilled to get that price. All had gone to worthless and were essentially worthless even in lots.
I looked at your listings and I price checked half of them. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you don't have a single item listed that can be sold profitably. Every item I checked the charity sellers had from $3.50-$4.50 SHIPPED, the only exception was the minions blu ray, where the competition starts at $4.99 shipped, a price you would still lose money after shipping and fees.
06-20-2024 11:37 AM
Thank you for your feedback and comments. I really appreciate that you took the time to go over my listings. Should I keep listing my books and DVDs or is it not worth the effort and time at this point?
06-20-2024 11:37 AM
I sell books and use media mail which, like most other USPS products, has gone way up. Also sell magazines but they have to go ground advantage.
06-20-2024 11:50 AM
@selling.stuff.8 wrote:Thank you for your feedback and comments. I really appreciate that you took the time to go over my listings. Should I keep listing my books and DVDs or is it not worth the effort and time at this point?
I would at a bare minimum switch to making large lots of related items instead of selling one at a time. My DVD lots were not selling at $1 per movie plus actual shipping. Book lots however are much better because books are not in the middle of a complete format collapse the way DVDs are.
Here is the thing about books and particularly movies. The higher quality the book or movie the more likely it sold very well and thus has little to no value now. Like basically every popular movie from the last 30 years is worthless. Every best selling book, worthless, except for Stephen King, Harry Potter (in complete sets or first prints) and a few other exceptions.
It is the weird stuff and downright bad stuff that often has the actual value.
06-20-2024 12:08 PM
Thank you. I will reconsider my listing strategy. Once again I appreciate your help.
06-20-2024 02:37 PM
I am in Canada and Canada Post does not offer Media Mail.
Shipping a paperback domestically as LetterMail can cost about $5.50 without tracking. To the USA we have to use package rates which start around $7.00Cdn.
I use Free Shipping, including my shipping cost in the asking price for the book.
Your buyer is paying ~$8.29 for their book purchase.
Mine is paying ~$9.99.
Fees are 15%, and I have about 25% of my listings on PL at 2%.
06-20-2024 09:23 PM
And don't forget that USPS Media rates will jump 9.9% on July 14, 2024 -- from $4.13 to $4.54.
So another cut in any potential profit.