Selling

[kimd6346]

I have sold on eBay for years!  Is it really worth selling on eBay. I sold some earring for .99 shipping was 4.36. eBay took 1.19 so I made .13 cents. I can’t figure out. Now I’m working for eBay. I understand they have to make something. Is it not worth selling anything under $5.00. I don’t know please advise

[ebooksdiva]

You need to price your items better.  I incorporate eBay selling fees into the price of my items as well as shipping so my buyers pay. 
Final value fees for most categories is 13.25% plus $0.30 per transaction for purchases $10.00 or less, $0.40 per transaction for purchases over $10.00.

[isaiah53-57]

I think you answered your own question...

By our experience, the problem, though different, still remains - If you start selling higher priced / more valuable items, buyer fraud and the financial pain you cope with because of it, start to ratchet up... And the push to get you to give them 30%, 40%, 50% or more of your selling price in fees is ever present and growing...

Oh the conundrum... or not

[pickapaper]

It would be better if you were to list your items as "buy it now" for the price you want, instead of doing auctions.  Nowadays, auctions are basically only useful for rare, unique, or highly collectable, highly competitive items.  For common items, you're lucky if you get one bid, if even that.

And no, it usually isn't worth selling anything under $5.00 unless you have humongous quantities to sell. 

[ckimodog]

@kimd6346

If you're going to run auctions, you should post the least price you would take for your item and not list it for 99 cents to start. Perhaps consider a buy it now price too with immediate payment required.  That would also get you the price you want for your item

Happy Selling

[tsme35]

You pretty much figured it out, its not worth selling anything under $5. Thanks to the higher fee's and shipping plus paying a fee on taxes collected I've stop buying and selling anything under that. I buy 50% less inventory then I did 5 yrs ago, just not worth it.

[caldreamer]

You should combine several items together to get your sale price up to $20.    EBAY selling fees based on (purchase price + shipping + sales tax) plus 30 cent handling charge.

[isaiah53-57]

Great advise - incorporate selling fees to infinity and beyond...

If you have an Audiobook listed for $25 that has $5 in ebay fees integrated into the price, but competitors have it listed at $15, what have you done, other than take yourself out of the market and add another item to ebays collection of over-priced wares that will eventually run the site and everyone counting on it aground...

But Wait - We've learned from the best how short term gain should always be put before long term growth here, so just Promote your item at another 13% of the entire sale and there's a chance you will be able to sell your item to some poor unwary buyer at the inflated price during the time the site is still somewhat viable...

[luckythewinner]

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I can’t figure out.

It's just addition, multiplication, and subtraction. Here is what a 99 cent jewelry sale (15% FV fee) would look like for me using your shipping number:

+ item price $0.99

+ shipping charge $4.36

+ estimated sales tax (10%)  $0.54

------------------------

= total payment of $5.89

- shipping label $4.36

- fixed fee $0.30

- FV fee $0.88 (15% of $5.89)

- sales tax (eBay handles this) $0.54

------------------------

= net loss before item cost of $0.19

There is no way i would do the work to photograph, list, pack and ship an item if all I got for the effort was the loss of my item and a bill from eBay.

Now I’m working for eBay

Smart sellers calculate what their potential profit would be before they choose their inventory or price their items. How much were you honestly expecting to make by selling an item for 99 cents? 

please advise

We cannot advise you because we do not know what your values, needs, goals, and desires are. Since you agreed to sell an item for 99 cents, even if you kept the entire selling price you would be working for about 50 cents an hour.

[kimd6346]

I understand it was only 99 cents.  It doesn't matter how you slice it.  Ebay always comes out making all the money.  It's not like years ago.  I understand they have to make something.  BUT NOT ALL THE Profit.  I usually like to start pricing out low to encourage bidding activity.  They should have some provision for small ticket items.  Ebay must be making millions just on the shipping and fees every day.     Ebay must remember without our products they have nothing to offer.  Forcing people to sell other avenues.

Happy Selling!

[kimd6346]

The break down is .99 

Shipping $4.36

Tax is .09

Total for buyer  $5.44

Total for Order $5.44

Ebay collected tax .09

selling cost    $1.19

shipping $4.36

Just to let you know!  I don't do this for a LIVING!  If you can't sell and item for what ebay recommends like $10.00.  I started $5.00 no bids for 1 month.  So I started at .99 to get some bids.  No loss for me.  Ebay will just lose Sellers unless you do it for a living!  Right?

Total earnings   13 cents

[monroe67]

"It doesn't matter how you slice it.  Ebay always comes out making all the money.  . . . .   I understand they have to make something.  BUT NOT ALL THE Profit."

That's not true.  
I am sure you will make more than 13 cents profit if you sell that little table clock.  
Just wondering why the postage for that clock is so high, more than $90.00 to me on the west coast.  Is it very heavy? 
I would hate to think you have listed an artificially high shipping cost.  

[chariot_badges]

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@kimd6346 wrote:

I have sold on eBay for years!  Is it really worth selling on eBay. I sold some earring for .99 shipping was 4.36. eBay took 1.19 so I made .13 cents. I can’t figure out. Now I’m working for eBay. I understand they have to make something. Is it not worth selling anything under $5.00. I don’t know please advise

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OK.

1)  Sell something that people want to buy.  If there's no demand, you're done.  Not much market for 'buggy whips' ... do a search.  Then do a search for 'earbuds'.  See the difference?

2)  Price your inventory.  Add all your costs together.  Don't miss acquisition cost.  Mark up to your needed profit margin.

3)  Market your wares.  Key word SEO in the description, using key words in appropriate fields, constructing title properly, take good pix.

The above would be a good start, but be aware that there are four year college degrees in EACH of the three items above.  By doing the above we are doing Quantitative Analysis, Micro and Managerial Economics, Accounting, and Marketing.  

Nobody here can pour that knowledge into your head.  It took us years to learn these skills, and some (like me) learn something new every day.  AND, something changes every day. 

Nothing is easy.

[kimd6346]

The clock we boxed it up.  Double Boxed because of quality of clock.  Figured shipping by box size and weight!  Then it probably didn't sell because of the shipping.  Then lowered the price of the clock, which was in very very good condition.  Can't figure it out!  I have been selling since 2006.  Bought and sold thousands (like 100,000)  Can't keep up with all the changes.  

[susanb1872]

I was just wondering if you looked at the sold listings for the jade earrings. I saw a previous sale for your exact earring that sold for $2.14. That should have been a warning that this item would not sell very well. I agree with the others that BIN listings might work better for you.