GM8

Just another reason to love ebay!  Seller FVF discount will be reduced from 20% to 10% starting in May.  That and now you have to have 95% on-time shipping to still qualify for Top Rated Plus.  It just keeps getting better!

http://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/seller-updates/2017spring/index.html

The discussion board, which they are going to close is exactly what you would expect:

http://community.ebay.com/t5/2017-Spring-Seller-Update/TRS-discount-going-from-20-to-10-on-May-1st/m-p/26678326#U26678326

It's probably been mentioned but the big long "+ Quote" white boxes in each message end are really distracting and too large.  This looks like its geared towards mobile phones and not a desktop viewer.  

What I can't understand is when I see a book that's insanely priced with other, higher graded copies sitting right there for a buyer to choose from. I was browsing through MCS listings last night, and I saw an ASM #361 raw listed on consignment as a VF/NM 9.0 raw and priced at $295.00! A quick look at MCS's site shows that they have no fewer than 54 copies on consignment at that grade or higher (not counting SS books), and that is the 4th highest priced copy of the bunch. If one wanted a copy, there are CGC 9.8 copies there for the same price (and that doesn't obviously include any copies MCS might have for sale themselves, or any other online dealer, or eBay, etc, etc.

 

I saw that and cannot for the life of me figure out what the owner of that book could possibly be thinking asking for that price, other than he or she must want to be buried with it someday, and they're making sure they don't accidentally sell it somehow.

What you are describing is exactly how the marketplace works. Some buyers and sellers are not aware of what a good trades for. Maybe they aren't motivated to sell it or are just not good at researching or interpreting what they research.

Frankly the fact that not everyone pays attention is exactly what makes trading goods fun. It's fun to find a bargain as a buyer and its fun to soak someone when you're a seller. Seriously though in this day and age everyone has access to plenty of information about price, all is fair.

Basically that's 90% of Mile High's listings then.

Seriously though, you can ask whatever you want for something. If there's 50 people selling it for far less though - what's the point?

Does anyone keep track of these things as far as when they tend to occur? It seems that the ebay bucks and $15 off $75 deals, which are better, occur on Tuesdays-Thursdays. Is this accurate? It would fit in with the fact that Fri-Mon are the busiest days.

I like how his listings say in the title "Boxed media or priority shipped"....which means you're getting media mail (which is fine btw in my opinion but don't say priority when you're just going to ship the cheap option anyways. That guy was always a clown.

^He means the ebay fee is not fair up to around the first $4 for shipping.

 

A decade ago when sellers got clever and added, say, $20 shipping to avoid the ebay final value fees (which astoundingly back then were far less than half today's rate), it was a reasonable reaction by ebay to close that loophole by combining AUCTION HAMMER PRICE plus SHIPPING CHARGES.

 

Unfortunately, it also had effect to unfairly punish the honest sellers.

Oh ok, I see what he meant. Yes, there really is no free lunch and to play the bay you gotta pay! People still have high shipping rates but now the object is to fool unwitting bidders who may not notice. I always skip listings that have, say, $9 shipping on a 0.99 book. Those just me off.

What I am not understanding is the relevance... why should I care? I don't mean this in a standoffish way either. I'm not understanding.

 

If I sell an item for $15

Buyer pays $5 to ship

I receive $20

eBay takes around $2

PayPal take 3% so say 60 cents...

Actual cost to ship is $3.75

I take home $13.65

 

 

After that I honestly don't see the importance of the other stats.

 

To someone selling a few items a month its probably not important. But I'm a nerd and sell a lot on ebay so to me the breakdown of who's taking my money is important. Maybe my fees are higher than the next guy or like in FN-2199's case he uses scheduled auctions not included in the store price so his ebay fees are a bit higher.

 

Well... if people are paying for shipping, ebay isn't really "taking your money" on that part, except for the dang fee they're taking out of it! (which really ticks me off, but i know why they're doing it...it's just so irritating that they're doing it for the first $4 of a shipment)

What do you mean the first $4 of a shipment? Ebay takes a percentage, 10% most of the time on final value and shipping charged to buyer. A store with top rated and that meets 1-day shipping and 30 day returns can get a discount and bring that to about 9% (for me it is worth it since that 1% pays for the store most every month.)

What I am not understanding is the relevance... why should I care? I don't mean this in a standoffish way either. I'm not understanding.

 

If I sell an item for $15

Buyer pays $5 to ship

I receive $20

eBay takes around $2

PayPal take 3% so say 60 cents...

Actual cost to ship is $3.75

I take home $13.65

 

 

After that I honestly don't see the importance of the other stats.

To someone selling a few items a month its probably not important. But I'm a nerd and sell a lot on ebay so to me the breakdown of who's taking my money is important. Maybe my fees are higher than the next guy or like in FN-2199's case he uses scheduled auctions not included in the store price so his ebay fees are a bit higher.

Ok ebayer sellers with a store, question for you: what are your selling costs as a percentage? You can find this by clicking on Performace --> Summary. Mine are 25% of my sales, and that includes ebay fees, shipping labels and paypal fees. What are yours? Higher? Lower? Discuss.

 

Basic Store (250 fixed price + 250 auctions per month)

Ebay Fees - 11%

Shipping labels - 14%

PayPal - 2%

 

That is 27%. Looks like we are about the same.

 

I do pay to schedule auctions so that may cost me more than you.

 

How are these number meaningful if buyers are paying shipping compared to free shipping?

I'm a similar number to him about 25% selling costs. It doesn't matter whether buyer pays shipping or you give free shipping, you still pay for shipping even if passed through thus selling costs. If buyer pays then you net more. Seems obvious but maybe I misread your ?

Ok ebayer sellers with a store, question for you: what are your selling costs as a percentage? You can find this by clicking on Performace --> Summary. Mine are 25% of my sales, and that includes ebay fees, shipping labels and paypal fees. What are yours? Higher? Lower? Discuss.

 

Basic Store (250 fixed price + 250 auctions per month)

Ebay Fees - 11%

Shipping labels - 14%

PayPal - 2%

 

That is 27%. Looks like we are about the same.

 

I do pay to schedule auctions so that may cost me more than you.

Ok. Yes, a bit higher but you're scheduled auctions would be the difference. Thanks!

Ok ebayer sellers with a store, question for you: what are your selling costs as a percentage? You can find this by clicking on Performace --> Summary. Mine are 25% of my sales, and that includes ebay fees, shipping labels and paypal fees. What are yours? Higher? Lower? Discuss.

 

I can't seem to find this stat (I do have a store). Able to provide slightly better details on this.

Go to my ebay ---> selling. This will bring up your seller hub, click on performance. It will be one of the charts below.

Ok ebayer sellers with a store, question for you: what are your selling costs as a percentage? You can find this by clicking on Performace --> Summary. Mine are 25% of my sales, and that includes ebay fees, shipping labels and paypal fees. What are yours? Higher? Lower? Discuss.

Is that net shipping fees? (seller total ship cost - buyer paid ship cost)

 

Just curious. I don't have a store, but for last year I calculated it was at about 23% of my sales including net shipping fees.

 

 

 

The shipping costs they include are total spent on shipping labels. Revenue is total paid by buyer, so the final calculation revenue - 25% roughly gives net income.

Only useful if you ship 100% through them I suppose but with it being so easy and USPS so cheap why not?

Ok ebayer sellers with a store, question for you: what are your selling costs as a percentage? You can find this by clicking on Performace --> Summary. Mine are 25% of my sales, and that includes ebay fees, shipping labels and paypal fees. What are yours? Higher? Lower? Discuss.

My rating is over 700 and at 100% with five stars. I figure that's good enough for any buyer. If 50% or so leave feedback I'm good, I don't need every buyer to leave it.

This. It's a nice problem to have but I sell enough on ebay that I don't care if every person leaves feedback.

Actually I read it elsewhere that the contents of safe deposit boxes are not insured by the FDIC:

https://www.fdic.gov/deposit/covered/notinsured.html

 

Yeah, but they're in the bank safe deposit box. When have you heard of anyone's comics getting stolen from a bank deposit box? Unless by some act of god and the building is destroyed/burns down you are probably ok.

 

items in Bank Safe Deposit are not insured.

 

The safe deposit box I have is climate controlled

 

Believe it or not, theft from Bank Safe Deposit boxes do occur. I'll try to link the latest theft that happen in California

Ok, I'm sure its happened but the likelihood of it happening is probably the same as getting struck by lightning twice in the same place. The safe deposit box is your insurance is my point.

Actually I read it elsewhere that the contents of safe deposit boxes are not insured by the FDIC:

https://www.fdic.gov/deposit/covered/notinsured.html

Yeah, but they're in the bank safe deposit box. When have you heard of anyone's comics getting stolen from a bank deposit box? Unless by some act of god and the building is destroyed/burns down you are probably ok.

Brick and mortar retail is a dying industry, no question about it. Only retail that will survive has the x-factor that people feel they need to do in person. The only way a comic shop would work out in my opinion is if it 1) wasn't solely a comic shop 2) the comics it has are primarily new issues and TPB's 3) any back issues are only key issues that you also sell online and most importantly, 4) had a cafe or something social to it that you can't buy online and drives revenue.

I'm in real estate and just went to a conference this morning and the "retail dying" sentiment was echoed loud and clear.

Artists may be hot for the moment but the only thing that has lasting impact on value are the storylines and characters.

... Two caveats. First, what you say is here practically forever between CGC's server retention and Google's cache. It may never go away. Second, you don't know everyone reading your post. ...

This.

A high percentage of people are decent and have relative empathy, but those numbers skew worse on the web. Even in "structured" places like this board you never know who lurks here. And even the best people can be drawn into bad behavior.

The internet is forever and all it takes is one turn of luck and your name can be trashed. Keep your personal information and any links to finding it to yourself.

Did Ebay just, as in today, reduce the shipping discount (on first class?). I just printed a bunch of 13 oz lables yesterday and they cost me $3.50 each. today it was $3.88. or did i get some crummy user ratings (I have no negatives) and now I'm getting less as a result? for 13 oz i get a 10% discount. i cannot remember what it was yesterday.

I think it's across the board too, Priority, media mail, etc.

 

8oz First Class USPS used to be $2.60, today it's $2.77

 

 

 

It's not Ebay discount that changed, it's USPS shipping charges that increased: Postal Service Announces 2017 Shipping Prices

 

The tiers changed also. Everything up to 5 ounces is like $2.61 now (the old price for up to 8 oz), and 8 oz is now around $2.77.

I'm going to start a company that grades each CVA sticker placed on CGC slabs. The placement and eye appeal of said labels is important to the discriminating comic collector.

There truly is a business for everything.

OMG now her emails are getting nasty rude..

 

she says by the position of the doll they have been collecting these for years and it is obviously repackaged..I said I could take it back

 

and she isn't sure if she will send it back or not...okay..

 

I explained I purchased these as old store stock and couldn't see any defects to my eye.the pictures are pretty self explanatory..

 

I was like.... well I can refund your money

 

but am I wrong to expect the item back??or pictures to show the obvious stuff she is talking about that I do not see??

 

I am not saying it this way to her I am trying to be nice like cookies and milk..

 

She says "Don't worry I will leave appropriate feedback for a seller like you"

 

This buyer is trying to get money back and keep the item. It's a very common game unfortunately. Sometimes its appropriate when an item is damaged or isn't as it was described in the listing. However, like you did already, when a seller offers a full refund you are covering your bases. This person knows how to exploit ebay's buyer bias and is just part of doing business there. Offer full refund and just say you never do partial refunds. Say how sorry you are and are 100% customer service and want to refund her money entirely and blah blah blah. Get your stuff back and sell to other buyers who are honest.

Can anyone tell me the GPA on TMNT #1 1st print 9.0 and 9.2. Hate to ask

 

9.2:

 

Sep-03-2016 $4,099

Jan-09-2016 $4,000

 

9.0:

 

Aug-29-2016 $4,200

Jun-28-2016 $4,500

May-13-2016 $4,063

are those mixed up?

Random tidbit.

 

I was contacting the seller of an auction. Wrote two sentences about item description. To close the message I started typing "Cheers" and at that point C h e --->> noticed the box outline changed from a purple/blue to an orange/yellow and it said "sharing contact info is not allowed"

 

So I deleted cheers, color change went back, sharing contact info blurb went away, and message question sent no prob.

 

Don't know what that is about but I know they have contact information on lockdown. If I want to e-mail a buyer/seller, I attach a screengrab of my e-mail address. I had named the attachment "contact info" and I couldn't send until I renamed the attachment.

I believe the ebay app messaging doesn't filter the way the desktop site does.