Are Summer months a bad time to sell comics on eBay?

[Inhuman Fiend]

For all you more experienced eBay sellers out there...have you noticed that the Summer months are not the best time to list books on eBay? I started selling my surplus books on eBay back in November with pretty good results (mostly mid to mid-high grade Marvel and DC hero books from Silver, Bronze and Copper ages).

However, my last batch of auctions in early June really bombed. This was my first attempt at "Summer Selling" on eBay and I was wondering if that was typical of the Summer doldrums or if I just had a bad week? I have a bunch more stuff to sell and but I've been gun-shy since my last batch of dud auctions and have been holding off. I'm wondering if I should wait until the Fall to list them or go ahead and give August a try?

Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks...

[HouseofComics.Com]

I think you've hit upon it. Sales are softer in the summer. It also could be that you sold better books at first. Or not.

 

For our online sales (non-ebay) June is easily the worst month. Things really pick up in July and August. U.S. holidays are also slow with a lot of our business on those times coming from overseas.

 

Cheers,

Marc

[ft88]

It is only slightly softer IMO, I know that the 70's X-men have really softened in price just in general and I wouldn't blame that on summer ebay. I think all bronze marvels have taken a hit with some high grade CGC exceptions. Batman has been on fire though I haven't sold any.

 

A generic long box did rather poorly for me going for only $25 plus $20 postage but it was a bunch of Dazzlers etc. so I didn't care. I can't give X-Force X-men moderns away but the early 80's Uncanny 144-212 keys up to 300 have done OK at $5 apiece. Usually by now I get someone who wants to buy the lot for a discount but so far no takers.

 

Go on vacation and come back in September.

[ComicSupply]

I think you've hit upon it. Sales are softer in the summer. It also could be that you sold better books at first. Or not.

 

For our online sales (non-ebay) June is easily the worst month. Things really pick up in July and August. U.S. holidays are also slow with a lot of our business on those times coming from overseas.

 

Cheers,

Marc

 

At least for me June is good, but July is terrible and starts picking up in August.

 

Summer stinks...

[nik]

... yeah but its a good time to buy

[Inhuman Fiend]

nikos...true, and that kind of adds to the supporting evidence of my theory. When I'm winning a bunch of auctions with lowball bids, a little bird is telling me I probably shouldn't be a seller right now...!

[divad]

nikos...true, and that kind of adds to the supporting evidence of my theory. When I'm winning a bunch of auctions with lowball bids, a little bird is telling me I probably shouldn't be a seller right now...!

 

Tweet-Tweet - sell only what you need to . . . Tweet-Tweet

[Kramerica]

Actually the last couple of months have been really good for me. I usually post 100-200 auctions per week and in the last 2 months I have had some of my best weekends as a seller in 5 years on Ebay. Just make sure you ship worldwide. A lot of money is coming from the UK and Australia lately.

[divad]

Actually the last couple of months have been really good for me. I usually post 100-200 auctions per week and in the last 2 months I have had some of my best weekends as a seller in 5 years on Ebay. Just make sure you ship worldwide. A lot of money is coming from the UK and Australia lately.

 

May and the 1st half of June were actually good for me too - but only because I hustled my butt off, AND did a lot of cross-marketing with private clients. Then the bottom fell out during the end of June and through July

 

[Inhuman Fiend]

Thanks for your input! I've got two short boxes full of stuff I need to move in order to fund my new purchases AND make room for them...but I may try and hold out until September. I had hoped to move them in the Summer since my weekends are pretty much dedicated to football worship in the Fall, but I guess I'll just have to stay up later at night.

[the blob]

yeah, not so hot for auctions i've noticed. it won't stop me from listing, but i wouldn't put anything worthwhile up for 99 cents hoping that the market will result in it getting bid up to its true "value"

[nik]

Just open an Ebay store, stick them in there if you are not in any hurry with a BIN price for books you dont want to give away fo peanuts. Easy to maintain, and stuff does sell eventually.

[Jeffreykli]

Just open an Ebay store, stick them in there if you are not in any hurry with a BIN price for books you dont want to give away for peanuts. Easy to maintain, and stuff does sell eventually.

 

That's what I've done, and it seems to work relatively well. A couple of items will sell every week, but I also try to keep a couple of auctions running to maintain a presence and to drive traffic to my store.

[Comicdey]

ACK,

 

What was I thinking about when I listed books starting at .99 cents this week?

 

I'm cancelling all bidders and waiting for a few months.

 

What are the general monthly costs to run an online ebay store? Say if you listed 200 books at any given time?

[Jeffreykli]

ACK,

 

What was I thinking about when I listed books starting at .99 cents this week?

 

I'm cancelling all bidders and waiting for a few months.

 

What are the general monthly costs to run an online ebay store? Say if you listed 200 books at any given time?

 

I have a standard store...first month free, something like $15 or $16 per month thereafter.

 

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

Good news:

Listing fees: $.02 per listing per month (I just go with the Good Til Cancelled option so I don't have to relist if it doesn't sell).

 

Also, a good tip is to use the gallery option for another $.01 per month.

 

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

Bad news:

eBay takes 8% of the final price.

 

Another tip: Accept best offers...you'll have to wade through a lot of ridiculously low offers, but especially if you have some room to negotiate in your price, it can help.

[Comicdey]

Thanks,

 

What kind of sales do you feel that you need to generate to make it a viable effort?

[Jeffreykli]

I think that depends on what you have and why you want to sell.

 

For me, I have too many comics, and have been trying to pare down my collection. So, I started doing local shows around the SF Bay Area, especially with fellow board members Sckao and Jimm94. Since the shows are only once every couple of months, the books just kinda sit around.

 

So, I figured that having an eBay store would be a good way to sell them. I list the books at the same price as I would at a con, and depending on the book, might be willing to take less.

 

Also, for $.03 a month, it's a decent way to showcase under $10 books that are still cool and people might want. The eBay fees can cut into the profits a great deal...I sold a $8 CD today, with $2 shipping. The buyer paid by paypal, so all told, my eBay/Paypal fees were something like $1.25. So really, I'm only netting $7.00 on the sale. But the question is, would I have been able to sell that CD in a 7 day auction for the same amount or at all?

 

I'm pretty happy with moving 5 items from my store a week. I figure even with the example above, that's netting $35 a week or $140 a month, less the $15 monthly store fee, that's $125. Not great, but that that bad, either.

 

And, as you start listing more stuff, people will come back and check out your stuff. I currently have a little less than 200 items (6-8 auctions), but I also have a stack of comics that I need to scan and list.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Jeff

[Comicdey]

I'd only be selling to pare the collection down, or to consolidate into nicer books.

 

I'm a collector, not a dealer Jim

 

(analogy to bones from star trek for those under 30)

 

Thanks for the information.

 

Collin