Selling hand tools - some questions about listings with different items, open a store?

[antarit]

I've got a bunch of hand tools - wrenches and sockets mostly - that I want to list on ebay.

Some listings I've seen let you pick a size / have pulldowns for selecting specific things.  Is that only a feature you get when you have a store?

And stores cost $8 / month minimum if you pay monthly?  And you could cancel after a month?

I've started listing a bunch of wrenches of different sizes (1 of each size), each in their own listing and mentioning that if you buy more than 1 item from me at the same time, I'll refund some of the shipping price because there'd be a lower shipping cost to send 2 or more items together.

Again, without a store, this manual refund method is the only way to deal with shipping savings  across a couple listings / wanting the buyer to pay a lower shipping fee if they buy more than 1 item at the same time?

Now, I have about 30 sockets of different sizes I need to list.  I want to sell them individually so people can get only the ones they need to complete their sets.  And price them at a fair price that will sell and accommodate both people that want to buy 1 along with others that might buy a bunch. 

THANK YOU!

[chevymontecarlo88]

You get 250 per month for free. If you think you will list around 500 a month with good sales, the store may save you some money as well as get you a bunch of free listings.

If not, you can set up shipping through your business policies where you can solve your problem and you don't need a store to accomplish that.

Buy 1 socket with $4.99 shipping and each extra socket would be .50 cents to ship. (on top of the 4.99) Example

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@antarit wrote:

.... Some listings I've seen let you pick a size / have pulldowns for selecting specific things.  Is that only a feature you get when you have a store?

And stores cost $8 / month minimum if you pay monthly?  And you could cancel after a month?

...

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That format is called 'Variations" and it is available to all sellers, including those who don't have a Store subscription.  The "Variations" option isn't available in every category:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/multiquantity-listings-listing... l
https://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/multiplevariationslist.html

That said, yes if you sign up for a Starter-level Store at the month-to -month rate, it's about $8 per month.  There's a minimum commitment of one full calendar month.  For instance, if you signed up today you'd be committed through the end of November. However, a Starter store still gets only 250 free insertions per month and isn't needed for accessing the "Variations" option so there's probably no need for you to think about signing up at all.

http://pages.ebay.com/stores/subscriptionterms.html

[bashort]

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@antarit wrote:

I've got a bunch of hand tools - wrenches and sockets mostly - that I want to list on ebay.

Some listings I've seen let you pick a size / have pulldowns for selecting specific things.  Is that only a feature you get when you have a store?

And stores cost $8 / month minimum if you pay monthly?  And you could cancel after a month?

I've started listing a bunch of wrenches of different sizes (1 of each size), each in their own listing and mentioning that if you buy more than 1 item from me at the same time, I'll refund some of the shipping price because there'd be a lower shipping cost to send 2 or more items together.

Again, without a store, this manual refund method is the only way to deal with shipping savings  across a couple listings / wanting the buyer to pay a lower shipping fee if they buy more than 1 item at the same time?

Now, I have about 30 sockets of different sizes I need to list.  I want to sell them individually so people can get only the ones they need to complete their sets.  And price them at a fair price that will sell and accommodate both people that want to buy 1 along with others that might buy a bunch. 

THANK YOU!

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I know this is not your question but FYI when you sell a single wrench for $2.88 with a $4.99 shipping charge if the shipping actually costs you $4.99 you will make $1.56 on the transaction. 

[onefootflipper1]

Customers hate variation listings and rarely click on them. 

[dbfolks166mt]

     As  nobody*s_perfect mentioned the variations feature is available to any seller with certain limits on the categories you can list in. I too list and sell a lot of tools on both eBay and other venues but I do not list them individually for a couple of reasons. First as a seller as  bashort mentioned there is little profit in selling low dollar items by the time you factor in the shipping cost, sales tax, packing materials, supplies............. You may want to consider listing as a set of wrenches or sockets or a bundle of wrenches and sockets. 

     As a buyer I am probably not going to purchase an individual socket or wrench unless it is a particular vintage one that I need to complete a set. The cost of the individual item may be reasonable but when you add in the shipping I can pickup the wrench or socket at a local Home Depot or Lowes for about the same price potentially less. As an example the following item I can get at Lowes for $9.48 or $8.99 at Ace Hardware, I can get a six piece set for $21.98. 

[antarit]

@bashort 

thanks.  Yes, I realize that.  I appreciate you Taking the time to reply and offer info!! And typing doesn’t give the inflection of my reply-ii mean it as only a question, no intention to offend you!!

What were you pointing out? that I’m not gonna get the full 288 because of eBay 

yes! eBay takes their fee even on the shipping.

But actually with my luck, the actual shipping cost will be more than $499 because I’m in New Jersey and my buyers seem to always be in California.

So I might even lose money overall and question why I even bother!

but I DO appreciate your info

[antarit]

!Thanks!Totally on point.

I’m always boxing up these little things watching the time and thinking how This is not the best use of my time

At the same time, these aren’t complete sets. Somebody doesn’t read the description close enough, buys it and then is disgruntled because they thought it was more complete.. Somebody doesn’t read the description close enough buys it and then is disgruntled because they thought it was more complete.

Or I’m competing against other selling sets of tools.

Yeah, the market for individual wrenches or sockets probably isn’t that big

and personally, I hate that math of one thing cost X but a dozen  of those things cost 4X

I’m always falling for the well. ‘It’s cheaper per piece’ thinking,  even if I don’t need the other 11 of them ; 

[aeparts1]

I'd try selling all the Craftsman you want to sell in one lot. Or all the wrenches in one lot, sockets in another.

[antarit]

I'm sorting these - I've got about 40 sockets...  a mix of  metric and SAE, 6 point and 12 point, 1/4" and 3/8", from 5/23 to 13/16.  most are short.  2 are spark plug sockets.  and one short 3/8 extension.

Still think All 1 lot?  It WOULD be a lot easier : ) 

I know I can look at sold items for this... but any recommendation on average cost per socket for vintage craftsman sockets?

[aeparts1]

Do an advanced search for sold Craftsman sockets lot. There isn't a lot of money in them.  You can beat some of the sellers by shipping them in a Priority small flat rate box or envelope.

I go to a lot of car part swap meets, Craftsman sockets are usually $.25 to $.50 each. Smaller wrenches are $1. 1" & up wrenches are $3-$5, depending on the size.

Some things just are not worth selling.

[antarit]

Some things just are not worth selling.

Bane of my existence!