Copper's Heating/Selling Well on Ebay 33 33

[Kevin76]

It's all luck.

 

It's also not just comics. Action figures, video games, etc. It's happened a LOT this year, so I don't get upset at it anymore. I just sigh and move on to the next batch of auctions.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

It's called marketing, not luck.

 

I agree completely. You can't just list books in the basic auction format and expect them to yield high sales prices. It may work on occasion, but generally not. Detail the book in the description, put emphasis on the positives, put up large scans both in ebay and in the ad, set your starting bid at what you yourself would buy the book for and set your BIN 30% higher. Yes, it's not going to sell right away, but be patient. Unless you're paying your mortgage or feeding your family on the returns, then you're in no rush - it's called a "collection".

 

I tried telling people on here that but people on here seem to think it's that cut and dry and it's not. The biggest ebay businesses weren't built "on luck" If you want to make a living off of ebay, you have to treat it like a business. That comes with marketing, cost of goods, customer service ect..

 

 

I charge customers on ebay $3.95 to mail a raw book, I buy comic boxes for a little less than $1.00 and mail it USPS First Class. package weighs less than 10 ounces. Books arrive with no damage because of the way the box is designed for comics. Gets there in 2- 5 days.

[Lazyboy]

It's all luck.

 

It's also not just comics. Action figures, video games, etc. It's happened a LOT this year, so I don't get upset at it anymore. I just sigh and move on to the next batch of auctions.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

It's called marketing, not luck.

 

I agree completely. You can't just list books in the basic auction format and expect them to yield high sales prices. It may work on occasion, but generally not. Detail the book in the description, put emphasis on the positives, put up large scans both in ebay and in the ad, set your starting bid at what you yourself would buy the book for and set your BIN 30% higher. Yes, it's not going to sell right away, but be patient. Unless you're paying your mortgage or feeding your family on the returns, then you're in no rush - it's called a "collection".

The discussion is about eBay sellers, not eBay patiently-fishing-for-a-suckers.

[FlyingDonut]

It's not my first time at the eBay rodeo.

 

Here's the listing.

 

Curious as to how I messed it up.

 

 

$5.90 for shipping a raw book???

 

Your title could have been better as well as your description.

 

Seeing as the price for shipping a single book via USPS Priority Mail is $5.75 before discounts, that's just fine.

[Kevin76]

It's not my first time at the eBay rodeo.

 

Here's the listing.

 

Curious as to how I messed it up.

 

 

$5.90 for shipping a raw book???

 

Your title could have been better as well as your description.

 

Seeing as the price for shipping a single book via USPS Priority Mail is $5.75 before discounts, that's just fine.

 

Why does it need to go priority? Parcel and First Class is much cheaper, the buyer can wait an extra day for the $5.00 raw book he bought, Never had a complaint about shipping time.

[Aweandlorder]

For the sake of keeping this on topic, lets move this convo elsewhere.. Say...

 

HERE

[Kevin76]

For the sake of keeping this on topic, lets move this convo elsewhere.. Say...

 

HERE

 

You must be new here

[spreads]

Anybody that doesn't think there is significance randomness to auction prices is retarded.

[Red_Hood]

It's all luck.

 

It's also not just comics. Action figures, video games, etc. It's happened a LOT this year, so I don't get upset at it anymore. I just sigh and move on to the next batch of auctions.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

It's called marketing, not luck.

 

I agree completely. You can't just list books in the basic auction format and expect them to yield high sales prices. It may work on occasion, but generally not. Detail the book in the description, put emphasis on the positives, put up large scans both in ebay and in the ad, set your starting bid at what you yourself would buy the book for and set your BIN 30% higher. Yes, it's not going to sell right away, but be patient. Unless you're paying your mortgage or feeding your family on the returns, then you're in no rush - it's called a "collection".

The discussion is about eBay sellers, not eBay patiently-fishing-for-a-suckers.

 

Maybe it's the fact that prices change so quickly on these books that a smart seller placing the higher price helps hedge for unexpected increases. Thus, someone with significant inventory doesn't have to waste time constantly checking on price fluctuations. Therefore, a patient seller will always do better then the OCD collector willing to sell at a lose so they can simply have some money to buy the next shiny object that interests them for the month. If you don't like the price, make an offer or move on to another seller. I love the buyers who waste time explaining why they should get a "collector discount".

[divad]

It's all luck.

 

It's also not just comics. Action figures, video games, etc. It's happened a LOT this year, so I don't get upset at it anymore. I just sigh and move on to the next batch of auctions.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

It's called marketing, not luck.

 

I agree completely. You can't just list books in the basic auction format and expect them to yield high sales prices. It may work on occasion, but generally not. Detail the book in the description, put emphasis on the positives, put up large scans both in ebay and in the ad, set your starting bid at what you yourself would buy the book for and set your BIN 30% higher. Yes, it's not going to sell right away, but be patient. Unless you're paying your mortgage or feeding your family on the returns, then you're in no rush - it's called a "collection".

The discussion is about eBay sellers, not eBay patiently-fishing-for-a-suckers.

 

Maybe it's the fact that prices change so quickly on these books that a smart seller placing the higher price helps hedge for unexpected increases. Thus, someone with significant inventory doesn't have to waste time constantly checking on price fluctuations. Therefore, a patient seller will always do better then the OCD collector willing to sell at a lose so they can simply have some money to buy the next shiny object that interests them for the month. If you don't like the price, make an offer or move on to another seller. I love the buyers who waste time explaining why they should get a "collector discount".

 

Agreed. Lazyboy appears to be just that.

[Flatliner1313]

It's humorous watching someone try to promote one rule of good business and sales, but then totally debase another.

 

[fastballspecial]

The auction vs BIN argument has been here a long time. Ive seen it work both ways it just depends on how the seller structures's their sales.

 

[Hey Kids, Comics!]

I'm not new and I really do wish that there was a "discuss specific ebay listings/sellers" thread. Nothing better than looking through 4 pages of people arguing over who is a better ebay seller.

Edited December 15, 2014 by TAFKADixie

[FlyingDonut]

It's not my first time at the eBay rodeo.

 

Here's the listing.

 

Curious as to how I messed it up.

 

 

$5.90 for shipping a raw book???

 

Your title could have been better as well as your description.

 

Seeing as the price for shipping a single book via USPS Priority Mail is $5.75 before discounts, that's just fine.

 

Why does it need to go priority? Parcel and First Class is much cheaper, the buyer can wait an extra day for the $5.00 raw book he bought, Never had a complaint about shipping time.

 

But it isn't if you factor everything in. Shipping supplies cost money, weighing comics costs money, my time costs money. With USPS Priority Mail all of that is a fixed cost and the buyer gets faster shipping.

[Kevin76]

It's not my first time at the eBay rodeo.

 

Here's the listing.

 

Curious as to how I messed it up.

 

 

$5.90 for shipping a raw book???

 

Your title could have been better as well as your description.

 

Seeing as the price for shipping a single book via USPS Priority Mail is $5.75 before discounts, that's just fine.

 

Why does it need to go priority? Parcel and First Class is much cheaper, the buyer can wait an extra day for the $5.00 raw book he bought, Never had a complaint about shipping time.

 

But it isn't if you factor everything in. Shipping supplies cost money, weighing comics costs money, my time costs money. With USPS Priority Mail all of that is a fixed cost and the buyer gets faster shipping.

 

FD,

 

Buy these http://affinitycollectibles.com/comic-flash-mailers.html you don't even need bubble wrap or foam peanuts, and cost less than $1 and holds up to a half dozen books at a time. Then print out a shipping label first class if it's just 1 comic sold, costs $2.73 through ebay for up to 13 ounces, then drop it in the mailbox on the street. Sellers need to learn how to mail as cheap as possible. Priority isn't the only method that can be used.

[kimik]

I'm not new and I really do wish that there was a "discuss specific ebay listings/sellers" thread. Nothing better than looking through 4 pages of people arguing over who is a better ebay seller.

 

Especially since they are not as good as me.......

 

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2014 by kimik

[darkstar]

 

FD,

 

Buy these http://affinitycollectibles.com/comic-flash-mailers.html you don't even need bubble wrap or foam peanuts, and cost less than $1 and holds up to a half dozen books at a time. Then print out a shipping label first class if it's just 1 comic sold, costs $2.73 through ebay for up to 13 ounces, then drop it in the mailbox on the street. Sellers need to learn how to mail as cheap as possible. Priority isn't the only method that can be used.

 

Some sellers use priority because the less time a book spends in transit under the control of the USPS the better. Also with priority your buyer gets the book anywhere from the next day to 3 days later at most. Buyers really appreciate getting a book only a few days after ordering it and sellers like knowing that they are free and clear of a transaction just a couple of days after they've gotten payment.

 

Since you seem to be so knowledgeable about marketing on eBay, one would think you would understand the benefit of superior customer service. Said service coming at what any regular comic book buyer would view as a negligible difference in price between first class and priority. A buyer will quickly forget about the 2 extra dollars they paid for shipping when the book they bought on Tuesday ends up in their mailbox on Thursday.

 

[Silverdream]

 

FD,

 

Buy these http://affinitycollectibles.com/comic-flash-mailers.html you don't even need bubble wrap or foam peanuts, and cost less than $1 and holds up to a half dozen books at a time. Then print out a shipping label first class if it's just 1 comic sold, costs $2.73 through ebay for up to 13 ounces, then drop it in the mailbox on the street. Sellers need to learn how to mail as cheap as possible. Priority isn't the only method that can be used.

 

Some sellers use priority because the less time a book spends in transit under the control of the USPS the better. Also with priority your buyer gets the book anywhere from the next day to 3 days later at most. Buyers really appreciate getting a book only a few days after ordering it and sellers like knowing that they are free and clear of a transaction just a couple of days after they've gotten payment.

 

Since you seem to be so knowledgeable about marketing on eBay, one would think you would understand the benefit of superior customer service. Said service coming at what any regular comic book buyer would view as a negligible difference in price between first class and priority. A buyer will quickly forget about the 2 extra dollars they paid for shipping when the book they bought on Tuesday ends up in their mailbox on Thursday.

 

Just popping my head in here for a second. Isn't there an option for the seller to create multiple shipping options for the buyer to chose from? When selling on ebay I always gave the option for 1st class up to 2 books. I'm sorry, but when buying a $5 book the difference between paying $2.75 for first class or doubling the shipping to nearly $6.00 for priority, which is more than the cost of the book, is significant.

 

Great customer service, in my mind, is giving the buyer as many options as reasonably possible.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Silverdream

[fastballspecial]

 

FD,

 

Buy these http://affinitycollectibles.com/comic-flash-mailers.html you don't even need bubble wrap or foam peanuts, and cost less than $1 and holds up to a half dozen books at a time. Then print out a shipping label first class if it's just 1 comic sold, costs $2.73 through ebay for up to 13 ounces, then drop it in the mailbox on the street. Sellers need to learn how to mail as cheap as possible. Priority isn't the only method that can be used.

 

Some sellers use priority because the less time a book spends in transit under the control of the USPS the better. Also with priority your buyer gets the book anywhere from the next day to 3 days later at most. Buyers really appreciate getting a book only a few days after ordering it and sellers like knowing that they are free and clear of a transaction just a couple of days after they've gotten payment.

 

Since you seem to be so knowledgeable about marketing on eBay, one would think you would understand the benefit of superior customer service. Said service coming at what any regular comic book buyer would view as a negligible difference in price between first class and priority. A buyer will quickly forget about the 2 extra dollars they paid for shipping when the book they bought on Tuesday ends up in their mailbox on Thursday.

 

Offer both options for a few months. Then chart the data. I can tell you from my experience if you offer both options buyers will choose the cheaper option 90% of the time. The other 10% choose the option because they want it faster for all types of reasons including less handling time.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2014 by Fastballspecial

[slym2none]

A buyer will quickly forget about the 2 extra dollars they paid for shipping when the book they bought on Tuesday ends up in their mailbox on Thursday.

 

To play devil's advocate, I ship 1-2 comics all the time via First Class. I have sent a parcel to California (I am in NC) and it got there in 2 days. More than one, as a matter of fact - my last two shipments to CA were like that.

 

# 9449009699939384619869

 

# 9449009699937015554039

 

& this one to Utah

 

# 9400109699938863220945

 

(BTW - the Devil's advocate is actually named Becky, and she's a really good person at heart, just got caught up in a nasty job.)

 

 

 

-slym

[slym2none]

I can tell you from my experience if you offer both options buyers will choose the cheaper option 90% of the time. The other 10% choose the option because they want it faster for all types of reasons including less handling time.

 

 

My experience would concur with yours.

 

 

 

-slym