how to get good sales without auctions?

[keziak]

I took myself off "vacation" here and on Amazon because I feel up to it after surgery.  I have help to get the packages to the P.O. Due to weight restrictions unless I can find light items, auctions are off the table for the next few weeks. Books/AV = heavy boxes.  In a way it's a preview of retirement when I expect to end auctions to a large degree. I don't really sell a whole lot of single books from my store.

If you don't run auctions how do you make much here? Large inventory in your store? Items in lots in your store, just not at auction? I see zillions of lots sold at Fixed Price and I always wonder if the sellers have a warehouse to store the stuff until it sells.

[hohoan-0]

Any good ideas pickup?

[keziak]

Our basement is loaded with bookshelves not to mention packing materials and packing area.

[keziak]

I'm glad that we get Collectibles (use that for graphic novels) and Toys (roleplaying game manuals)>

[keziak]

I have a table in one room where I stash my boxes of lots at auction. They either sell or get removed. I do have some such lots in my store but can only stash those here and there in the basement. If I wanted to get serious about using Fixed Price for lots I'd need a climate-controlled storage unit. But I"m getting older and is dealing in many more lots really a great idea? I tend to think not but if I get out of lots I'll have to leave Ebay which is sad. My single-title sales are too small. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

I don't get what auctions have to do with any of your problems, but I haven't run an auction in probably a decade & don't intend to ever run one again.   As @chapeau-noir  said, I make money by NOT running auctions, which are a total waste of time in my category.  

Also, you can order package pick up, provided the service is available to you for FC items.  Have been able to do so for years.  IDK about Media Mail though.  

[keziak]

In a nutshell I run auctions to move heavy stuff (mostly lots) because I do not have space to store hundreds of them in my store.  I make most of my income here from these lots, very little from single-title books in my store. I'm not hearing from many people selling books that they make a good income selling single titles at Fixed Price so the answer to my question is probably that such a model doesn't work. So I guess for me the future is Amazon sales augmented by limited auctions here until I can't handle the weight anymore. It makes me sad to think of ending on here after decades.

And pick up is not for Media Mail as others have pointed out.

[tree*fern]

"And pick up is not for Media Mail as others have pointed out."

As I said, if you schedule at least one Priority or First Class Package, then you can include Media Mail packages in the same pickup. Select the "Other" option for Media Mail.

Screen shot from the USPS website scheduling page:
https://tools.usps.com/schedule-pickup-steps.htm

[keziak]

I stand corrected, thanks.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

This is SO CONFUSING.   What does heavy has to do with auctions?  You can do heavy on FP too.  Or light.  Weight & listing type are unrelated constructs.  

You asked how we make money here without running auctions.  I make money here by doing all FP.   What am I missing?   I don't sell lots, never have.  Yes, I have a lot of inventory & yes, I need a lot of stg space.   Auctions have nothing to do with making money or not, as several of us have said.  I'd be starving if I ran auctions.  

@tree*fern  Thank you, I was pretty darn sure I'd had MM picked up before.  But couldn't remember the details, since I don't sell media much. 

[mam98031]

I did auctions up until about 2014 when they died out for me.  I tried them every now and again after that without much success, so I've been doing just fine for the last 8 years doing BINs.  It works fine for me.

I personally do not use Make an offer.  Just my personal preference.  

I sell mostly craft type items.  Here is a little tip for you and you can save some money on your FVFs.  Anytime you have a craft book like crocheting, knitting, cross stitch, quilting etc.  Don't list in the Books category where your fees are really high.  Go to the Arts and crafts stuff.  Take a look at my listings.  There is a category for these books and it will save you money.

[chapeau-noir]

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@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:

This is SO CONFUSING.   What does heavy has to do with auctions?  You can do heavy on FP too.  Or light.  Weight & listing type are unrelated constructs.  

You asked how we make money here without running auctions.  I make money here by doing all FP.   What am I missing?   I don't sell lots, never have.  Yes, I have a lot of inventory & yes, I need a lot of stg space.   Auctions have nothing to do with making money or not, as several of us have said.  I'd be starving if I ran auctions.  

@tree*fern  Thank you, I was pretty darn sure I'd had MM picked up before.  But couldn't remember the details, since I don't sell media much. 

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Thanks - I wanted to say that I couldn't make sense out of this but kept thinking I was missing something.

If OP is shipping out exclusively media mail, I don't think they'll pick it up, is what I meant - in discussing the weight of book lots and selling costs, I guess I assume she would be using only media mail, so probably bad assumption.

[katzrul15]

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@mam98031 wrote:

I did auctions up until about 2014 when they died out for me.  I tried them every now and again after that without much success, so I've been doing just fine for the last 8 years doing BINs.  It works fine for me.

I personally do not use Make an offer.  Just my personal preference.  

I sell mostly craft type items.  Here is a little tip for you and you can save some money on your FVFs.  Anytime you have a craft book like crocheting, knitting, cross stitch, quilting etc.  Don't list in the Books category where your fees are really high.  Go to the Arts and crafts stuff.  Take a look at my listings.  There is a category for these books and it will save you money.

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I do the same thing.  Nice of you to share your tip!

[keziak]

Sorry to be confusing. I have tried several times to clarify my situation and thought process but I can't seem to get it across so I give  up due to annoying so many people .

However you DID answer my question. You do fine without running auctions, you  have a lot listed, and use a lot of storage space.  You don't appear to sell books though. Many people have said books are dead. More and more and I am finding that to be true here. I can't make much money on listing single books. I make it on auctions and without those I apparently will be off ebay which is sad. Fortunately Amazon is still going strong.

[mam98031]

Books are not dead in general.  It would depend on what kind of books you are trying to sell.  Some simply do better than others.