Selling baseball cards for $.01

[jay71719782]

I've posted a few baseball cards on auction with a starting price of $.01 per recommended by ebay. It only got one bid for $.01 right at the end of the auction time. My question is why would anyone in their right mind sell anything nevermind a baseball card for $.01, when you very well know is worth of said baseball card is way more then $.01? 

[chapeau-noir]

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@jay71719782 wrote:

I've posted a few baseball cards on auction with a starting price of $.01 per recommended by ebay. It only got one bid for $.01 right at the end of the auction time. My question is why would anyone in their right mind sell anything nevermind a baseball card for $.01, when you very well know is worth of said baseball card is way more then $.01? 

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@jay71719782  Pro Tip:  NEVER pay attention to eBay's 'recommendations' - they don't know your products like you do.  If you want to use auctions, start your cards at the amount you are willing to take with one bid.

[coffeebean832]

We should be asking you that since you're the one who did it. 🙃

As you've learned- eBay recommendations are only relevant a very small percentage of the time. Most of the time it's better to ignore them.

Unless it's a desirable card that's going to start a bidding frenzy, run-of-the-mill baseball cards are better sold using the fixed price format.  Most buyers don't want to wait for an auction to end when they can buy instantly from the many other sellers selling the same card.

[chapeau-noir]

I'd give eBay the benefit of the doubt and say that their recommendations are based on careful statistical analysis of ASP, categories, percentage of outliers, time points, etc., but I've been selling here for too long.  They've been giving this same barmy advice year after year, despite it being wholly outdated.  New sellers naturally expect a major ecommerce platform to offer knowledgeable advice on these things, and find out the hard way that, well, not so much.

[coffeebean832]

Part of the problem with eBay's statistical data is that they don't separate the $1 stuff from China from the $30 stuff from the US. This heavily skews their recommendations in many areas.

[chapeau-noir]

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@coffeebean832 wrote:

Part of the problem with eBay's statistical data is that they don't separate the $1 stuff from China from the $30 stuff from the US. This heavily skews their recommendations in many areas.

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Definitely - they did the same thing with the old shipping restrictions back in around 2009-2010 when they were trying to regulate shipping - in my category (sports equipment) they were calculating nuts and bolts sets along with actual finished builds and coming up with 'averages' that applied to really nothing.

[dbfolks166mt]

     Why did you even consider following eBay's recommendation? Do your own market research on the value of the card and set your starting price at or below what the market average is not what eBay's research says it is. You have a lot of cards listed at $.99 is that really what you are expecting those cards to sell for? Remember eBay is going to take their fees out of that along with the fees on your shipping and the fees on the state sales tax if there is any. 

      There are thousands of bargain hunters out there that look for just this type of opportunity. I am not sure what the average selling price of the card you sold is but if it has any type of value there is a good possibility that the buyer will be reposting it once he/she has received it. 

     I also took a look at the shipping cost on a couple of your cards which is $4.15 for first class package. I can get a first class package from my zip code area to yours in Georgia for $3.06 using Pirate Ship. 

[femmefan1946]

per recommended by ebay.

This is a stupid recommendation.

Don't take any of eBay's recommendations.

They are good for eBay not for you.

EBay is your landlord, not your friend.

[chapeau-noir]

OP hasn't sold a ton here - it takes a while to know the ins and outs of this place. 

@jay71719782  There's a shipping level for small flats like cards that is a lot cheaper than first class but is still tracked:  https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/shipping/ebay-standard-envelope.html

I've never used it as I don't sell sports cards, but you may want to look into that.

[coffeebean832]

@jay71719782- As a seller of sports cards, you may or may not be interested in this-

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/shipping/ebay-standard-envelope.html

[maxine*j]

My two cents:

About the only time to consider using the auction format is when you have an item enough out of the ordinary that it is difficult to price, but you're confident it does have value and will generate a fair amount of interest.

For everything else, use fixed price listings with immediate payment required.

=

[shado-x]

My question is why would anyone in their right mind sell anything never-mind a baseball card for $.01, when you very well know is worth of said baseball card is way more then $.01?

The first thing you have to understand is that no one has a mind in that recommendation, this is a machine that made that call, ignore the bolts---there is no emotion in the rust.

[ittybitnot]

 My question is why would anyone in their right mind sell anything nevermind a baseball card for $.01, when you very well know is worth of said baseball card is way more then $.01? 

@jay71719782 

Most people that have been here a long time KNOW that if eBay says something is a "good idea" it is most likely NOT a good idea.   To list something at a low price point successfully  in an auction requires that you have a following.  No newbie has a following. 

Case in point all the years we got those messages with the lead in of "good news for sellers"....that had everyone running for cover.  They also have programs occasionally to entice newbies to sell the latest cell phones.  "take a picture, describe, list...so easy".....LOL.  They left out the important post sale events that are real likely to occur. 

[eunster1313]

@jay71719782 

I also noticed that you have 30 day free returns.

If a buyer returns a card that money for the return shipping will be

coming out of your pocket.

Due to the recent changes in the eBay Money Back Guarantee you

might want to change that to no returns on your trading cards.

I wonder how many buyers are going to be blindsided by that change?

eBay Money Back Guarantee policy

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy... 

[ittybitnot]

Due to the recent changes in the eBay Money Back Guarantee you.....

@eunster1313 

Thanks for that.....