Pricing?

[lovelyli5]

I’m not sure if I’ve seen this question, but I’m going to ask you guys for advice. I’m pretty familiar with eBay, Just because I’ve had a cousin selling on it for 20+ years. She no longer sells stuff anymore, so I don’t wanna bother asking her.  But as far as selling on it, I’m fairly new. My question is, how are people selling the same item I’m posting, and some new without tags, for practically double the price? And they’re flying off the chain! I’ll be more Specific. I’ve posted a woman’s The North Face Osito Fleece jacket for $55, I think I went as low as $48 + free shipping. How are some sellers selling over 100 of these for $79.99 posting NWOT and I can’t even sell mine? I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t have any bad reviews and I make sure to post  good pictures because obviously pictures go a long way. I mean, I’m not going to practically give my items out for free. And I’m sure a lot most likely has to deal with how long the person has been selling on eBay, obviously I’m assuming that’s a huge factor. But I also offer free returns. That jacket was 110 bucks. The stuff I posted and sold, I’ve priced under the median just because I want to get rid of the stuff. But I’m not going to practically give away my stuff for free like I said. anyways, so I don’t know any input would help. Thanks everyone and have a safe Memorial Day weekend! 

[12345jamesstamps]

I see your photos which are from I don't know who...I can remember buying items such as photos like these and when I receive similar items they do not look anything like what is for sale.

I suggest using your own photos and not from other stores or outlets. I saw maybe a couple of items that might be your own photos. And you need to list a few hundred or more to get some lookers.

It kinda cheapin' the item

[cardxcraft]

I checked a seller that has sold 4795 of these specific fleece jackets at the $75 price point: they have 18,000 followers and are perpetually running what's known as a Brazilian Black Friday Sale: you mark up the items 50% and then have a 40% off sale.

Using your search terms, you were number 5 on Android Ebay app.

I used abbreviated search terms and found you at number 45.

Using very general search terms I couldn't find you out of thousands of identical items.

Many of the sellers with large followings and years selling on the platform, have a loyal set of exclusive buyers.  The only way to match that is to build a strong foundation.

[orangehound]

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@lovelyli5 wrote:

I’ve posted a woman’s The North Face Osito Fleece jacket for $55, I think I went as low as $48 + free shipping. How are some sellers selling over 100 of these for $79.99 posting NWOT and I can’t even sell mine?

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Let me give you three reasons:

1. Not all products are found through eBay searches.  On any given day 1/10 to 1/4 of my page views are coming from off site, like through Google searches.  The more "name brand" a product, the more likely a buyer might connect with it off site.
2. If you price a name brand item, particularly new, at a heavily discounted price ... it smells like a counterfeit product.  It is like the roll of 100 USPS first class stamps that are selling for $15 on eBay ... yet these have a value of $68 ... clearly counterfeit.
3. Visibility on eBay searches is like a lava lamp.  Some days your product rises to the top, and other days someone else's product rises to the top.  At any given time, a buyer may not be seeing the full inventory of a product that is listed in the eBay marketplace.

I  don't always price according to what I see others listing on eBay.  I price based on what I see on sites like Amazon, and from my own experience and intuition.  For example, I recently listed and sold a product for $40 that another seller has been regularly selling for $22 here on eBay ... but, I know that this seller's $22 products are counterfeit (they are shipping from China, even though the product is made in the USA).  I assume there are savvy buyers that realize this, and they will choose to buy from a reputable seller.

[ittybitnot]

@lovelyli5 

Have you compared your listings to the ones that SOLD for more to determine the differences like in the presentation  photos, descriptions, etc?  

I looked at just a few of your  listings, and I can only offer you my OPIONION as a BUYER.  

First, you have only nine feedback as a seller.  There is nothing wrong with that, but perhaps buyers would choose a more experienced seller over you.  It won't last forever, and keep up the good work! 

You also extensively use stock photos.  Though not all of your pictures are lifted from someplace else, that sort of thing does not inspire confidence that you actually have the item and are not drop shipping.  Do you have permission to use those photos?   Though eBay has not been enforcing it lately,  did you know that text is not allowed in photos? 

Lastly, you may wish to 'lighten up' a bit on those AI descriptions.  They are not a buyer's favorite, and it makes your listing sound just like all the others that say "a great addition to your collection" or a "must have" or "great for any occasion" instead of sticking to the facts.  I would much rather know the sleeve length than how 'stylish' something is.  (I am old, not really good looking, and green workout under ware is not going to help my confidence...LOL...can I return it if my confidence level is not lifted?) 

You are off to a good start!  Again, go look at why the buyer chose the other one at a higher price.  Some things you can change, others will just take some time.  Good luck to you! 

[m60driver]

You are a new seller and you must have patience.  Your feedback is good and it will slowly grow and begin to get more traction with buyers.  Perhaps raise your price to about 20% below the competition and then send offers  Also, doing the old hanger over the door is a tad amaturist, and I made that very mistake for many, many years.  Cheapest alternative I found was to get four of those white foam board sheets to lay down the garment and buy a cheap step ladder to take photos.  It is still rather amateurish but it has worked for me over the years although I don't list much clothing these days.

[adamcartwright]

I would work on some of your photos. I can't tell if the Adidas hoodie is red or maroon. And the North Face jacket looks like charcoal gray or black in your photos.

It will take awhile to find your groove. Don't give up.

And don't be shy to ask your cousin. If she's a good cousin, she'll offer some wisdom.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Gosh, @lovelyli5 yes, 

i remember those days as a new seller, (quite a number of years ago) trying to figure out why someone would buy a competitor’s higher priced item compared to mine. Very frustrating. Some things don’t change, i guess.

Shoppers do not just make purchase decisions based on price. Multiple factors come into play. You mentioned an important one—free returns. Others are quality of listing, choice of photos, free shipping, handling time, number of years on the platform (experience), feedback scores, customer service and attitude (how a seller handles issues with unhappy buyers), to name a few.

Pricing is definitely an art. For everyday commodity items (like toilet paper, tissues, and other mass produced goods)  having the lowest price would likely serve a seller well.  But fashion items, no. Psychology weighs in. Lowest price starts to cheapen the items. Luxury  brands evoke quality, performance, status, longevity. Consumers have higher expectations. 

New sellers today have to cultivate patience and discipline in this selling climate. Inflation, global unrest, contentious politics, dwindling discretionary income, postage cost increases, the changing face of retail and eCommerce, can all effect buying trends.

Or expressed another way—uncertainty does not inspire sales of collectibles.

Wish you much continued success!!

[dhbookds]

I would put measurements in the listing..........

[lovelyli5]

Thank you! God bless 🙏

[lovelyli5]

Thank you! I don’t have a lot of stuff posted, because I previously sold a ton of kitchenware. So excuse my profile listings 🙈 Thank you tho! God bless. 

[fm2000]

Put measurements in the listing, this will help buyers know the item will fit them and will help prevent returns for "doesn't fit" (a win-win.) Remember, sizes are literally meaningless. When buying or selling clothes, go by measurements, not size.

And don't use those awful cringy AI descriptions. Those turn some people off and they move onto other listings. Just explain what the item is in your own words and with measurements.