Someone wants to hire me to list. What should I charge?

[qualitycustomercare]

Someone selling antiques wants to hire me just to list the items. They will send me photos, all I have to do is research the item and create a listing.  He's asking for my rate. I'm thinking 30% but I really have no idea.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Just charge an hourly rate that's commensurate with the skills required.  I absolutely would not do this on a commission basis.

[soh.maryl]

And what would you charge for those items where there is no "net profit" as in the item doesn't sell? 

[tools*]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

And what would you charge for those items where there is no "net profit" as in the item doesn't sell? 

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A flat listing fee.

[southern*sweet*tea]

IF this were me and I decided to to it, I would charge by the hour and work only from THEIR location. I would not want my account linked in any way, even only through a shared IP address. 

You can spend hours and hours researching and listing and nothing sell. When that happens you're working for free.   30% of nothing = nothing.

[wastingtime101]

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

IF this were me and I decided to to it, I would charge by the hour and work only from THEIR location. I would not want my account linked in any way, even only through a shared IP address. 

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Create listings as drafts, making the owner of the product review them before they go live for any errors in measurements, undisclosed flaws, etc. Let them hit the publish button. Push the liability on them for SNADs and shipping. Get paid for the research and filling out the listing form.

And have a contract in writing.

[ckimodog]

Charge them an hourly rate.  If they don't sell anything, you don't make anything. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

Did you notice that the OP would be doing  research on antiques? 

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If the owner of these items is an antiques business, then they'd be better-off doing their own research. But more likely this is an individual who wants to sell personal items, which might be worth a lot less than they think if they haven't even done their own research. Some "antiques" are worth very little.

[maxine*j]

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@qualitycustomercare wrote:

Someone selling antiques wants to hire me just to list the items. They will send me photos, all I have to do is research the item and create a listing.  He's asking for my rate. I'm thinking 30% but I really have no idea.

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Do you have any idea what that can entail with antiques?   Even if you are already knowldegeable, it can still take days or weeks to research a single item to be sure it is positively identifed and properly described.  (And that's assuming it can  be positvely identified.)  If he's asking you to research the items, that means he also needs you to find legitimate-source comparables for pricing them, too.  (And that's assuming you can  find comparables.)    

Look long and hard before you leap into this one.  I see a lot of dangers ahead.

=

[wastingtime101]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

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If the owner of these items is an antiques business, then they'd be better-off doing their own research. But more likely this is an individual who wants to sell personal items, which might be worth a lot less than they think if they haven't even done their own research. Some "antiques" are worth very little.

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Ding ding ding!

The expectations in these situations are often the set up for an unpleasant outcome if all the details aren't planned in advance - and usually once those details are discussed, the deal falls apart before it even begins.

[soh.maryl]

Speaking of unpleasant outcomes, there will, of course, be the matter of that 1099 form at the end of the year.

[divwido]

I vote 100%, but 50% is my minimum if I have to do pictures and shipping.  And that's just not enough.

[divwido]

This is the correct answer .  And it's very very true.  You could get so cheated.

[divwido]

Sorry, one more.

NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER LIST WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE IN YOUR POSSESSION.   

THEY WILL SEND ME PICTURES MEANS THEY ARE NOT GIVING THE ITEM-

HOW LOUD CAN I SAY

SAY NO.

[dhbookds]

The expectations in these situations are often the set up for an unpleasant outcome if all the details aren't planned in advance - and usually once those details are discussed, the deal falls apart before it even begins.

Agree with this........don't jump in without all the parameters agreed to in writing....at the first sign of "I'll pay you next wk".......stop listing.

On the pictures......I'd be afraid they wouldn't be as detailed as is necessary and that minor chips/flaws wouldn't be pinpointed.  I think I'd want the item in hand. 

[albertabrightalberta]

DON'T do it! 

Unless you're selling items with which you're very familiar, the back and forth questions, forwarding those questions to the owner of the items, waiting for answers and responding to the buyer questions can take days. 

I did this years ago when a very close friend was selling his Dunkin Donuts baking equipment. The items included commercial refrigerators, industrial deep fryers, baking racks, ovens, etc.

They were listed as local pickup yet questions came from every corner of the country and from people who wanted items shipped. 

I knew less-than-nothing about the items, couldn't answer more than the physical measurements of the units and had to forward questions to our friends.  

It was a nightmare and with all the time, back and forth messages, answering 3rd hand questions, going back to the donut shop to take more pictures of specific areas when requested, I think I netted about $1/hour. 

It wasn't worth it even if I'd been able to keep all the money! 

In another case, a terminally ill woman with a shopping problem (a stranger who only knew me from the boards) requested that I sell her designer handbags. That was a category I knew and was totally comfortable with. 

They were shipped from the opposite coast in 2-50 lb. cartons.

In that case, I deducted all fees and shipping and retained an additional $20 per bag. (There were over 100 bags.) I knew I could have charged more but to me, this was like "free" money and I felt like I was helping her family.

Although it took a long time to sell and she passed away in the interim, I was okay with it because I knew what I was selling.

Unless you're very experienced, you want to think about this very carefully.