Storage Auctions
The Marketplace => Selling Venues => eBay => Topic started by: HomeGrownPromos on September 03, 2013, 04:33:49 PM
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I'm having a debate with myself while it's slow in my store.. Is it better to start an auction off with a low price and charge or shipping, or higher price and free shipping?
The past few days I've listed stuff with free shipping, but setting my starting price higher thinking I'd get good results, not so much..
I know it's all about what you're putting up there, but I see similar items sell daily and mine get glossed over..
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I'm having a debate with myself while it's slow in my store.. Is it better to start an auction off with a low price and charge or shipping, or higher price and free shipping?
The past few days I've listed stuff with free shipping, but setting my starting price higher thinking I'd get good results, not so much..
I know it's all about what you're putting up there, but I see similar items sell daily and mine get glossed over..
Who's winning the debate?
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Back in the day when eBay charged a different fee for different levels of starting prices we placed I had a friend to always started EVERYTHING at $.99. He just had to save that extra $.50 to $1.00 he would have to have paid to start an item at a higher rate. One time I bought something from him for $.99 that was worth $15 to me and I would have gone that high had anyone else bid on it, but no one did and I got it for $1.00 (I gave him the extra penny for delivering it to me at the flea market the next time he came.)
This was all OK since we were friends but he learned a bit of a lesson. He had another set that he hadn't adverstised and I bought it from him for $5.00...again we were both happy.
Anyway, I start an item at the price I want it to bring (for the most part). If I paid $5 and I have seen them sell for $50 I might start it at $35 or $40, but sometimes I'll start it at what the last one on eBay sold for. Has worked pretty well for me.
Also, I have had things NOT SELL (say at $45) and I will relist it at $55 and it will sell. Sometimes (maybe more often than not) it's just a matter of who is online.
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As to free shipping, I usually only do that when it's something light (like a patch) sent first class, and even then I might build that $.46 into the asking price !
Glossed over? Sometimes it's something you'll never know... why they took person "B" instead of you.
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The great thing about debating yourself is you always win!
I think I may change my listing philosophy. I like listing for what the last one sold for. May give that a try!
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I'm having a debate with myself while it's slow in my store.. Is it better to start an auction off with a low price and charge or shipping, or higher price and free shipping?
I never offer free shipping in my listings. Many people see the listed price without checking the shipping charges. This can make it seems like your item is going for less than others.
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I never offer free shipping in my listings. Many people see the listed price without checking the shipping charges. This can make it seems like your item is going for less than others.
Good Point!
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I rarely do free shipping. If it's a light item I'll still stick a couple bucks on there to cover my costs. As far as start low or start high, I don't know what it best but I just can not list an item for $.99 I will usually list it at the least amount of money I am comfortable with selling it at. Mostly don't list anything at less then 10 bucks. If it's only going to sell for $4 or $5 bucks I either won't sell it on Ebay or I will make it part of a larger lot. Just not worth the time to list, pack and ship.
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IMHO your almost always better off offering free shipping and roll the cost into the product price. First off when you offer free shipping you rank higher in the search rankings and if people don't see your product it's not gonna sell. So if someone searches by best match your most likely gonna pop up first. If someoen searches cost low to high it doesn't matter if shpping is rolled into cost or not if you got the lowest cost product your still gonna come out on top.
One other thing to consider, if someone offers flat rate shipping and I can see from the search function the price I may buy,however if it's calculated and I have to go into the listing put in my zipcode, etc I'moften to lazy and will look at other listings.
As someoen else commented ebay now charges final value fees for shipping so there's really no benefit ot rolling costs into shipping. one other thing I would bring up is that free shipping automaticlaly gets you 5 stars for dsr scores as well buyer cant leave anything lower.
The only benefit to charging for shipping is it kind of deters refunds if you set it up so the buyer gets refunded product cost but not shipping cost but that's really the only advantage to not offering free shipping and rolling product cost into cost.
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I do flat rate shipping, and still have quite a few free shipping options. What I've noticed is that when I relist an item, ebay wants me to drop the price, and that puts me under my shipping cost, nevermind product cost. I have Hot Wheels cars up for $4.49, which is basically $4 for shipping and packaging and .49 for the car (free shipping).. eBay wants me to drop the price to "get more views".. which would cause me to lose money.
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I have Hot Wheels cars up for $4.49, which is basically $4 for shipping and packaging and .49 for the car
Huh, $4? I ship items up to 13 ounces USPS 1st class just about anywhere in the country for about $1.65 and the shipping box costs 20 cents.
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Where do you get boxes for .20??? That would be a HUGE help!
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Just do a search on eBay for: "250 White Corrugated Shipping Mailer".
You can buy less than 250 at a time (or more) but the lower the quantity the higher the per box price. For example you can get 250 for under .20 each but the same boxes at 100 count is more like .33 per box. You can also get 500 at a time and drop the per box price down around .16 each. These prices include the shipping too. Of course these prices can vary depending on the size box you need, but I figure a matchbox doesn't need a very big box.
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Oh and another money saving tip regarding packing materials. There are of course certain delicate things that demand bubble wrap or air pillows, but for most other items I run all scrap paper and junk mail through my shredder and use the shredded paper for packing material. Nothing beats free. :)
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I didn't think to check ebay for boxes.. I just placed an order with uline, which isn't bad pricing, but they charge shipping which puts the cost of each box around $.80 ea. for a 12x8x6 adjustable height
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I didn't think to check ebay for boxes.. I just placed an order with uline, which isn't bad pricing, but they charge shipping which puts the cost of each box around $.80 ea. for a 12x8x6 adjustable height
Check this one out; they have a variety of sizes and quanties to choose from and the shipping is free.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2053587.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0&_nkw=250+White+Corrugated+Shipping+Mailer&_sacat=0&_from=R40
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for a 12x8x6 adjustable height
Why such a big box for a matchbox car?
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I bought the bigger boxes in adjustable for other stuff I have up there. I'm also going to post hot wheels cars in lots rather than piece it out. Still probably a big box for that, but I like the versatility for that size box.
MM, I checked out the link, exactly what I'm looking for! Thanks!
You guys just cut my shipping in half in some cases. Thanks! But I feel like an idiot for not checking ebay for boxes.
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I do flat rate shipping, and still have quite a few free shipping options. What I've noticed is that when I relist an item, ebay wants me to drop the price, and that puts me under my shipping cost, nevermind product cost. I have Hot Wheels cars up for $4.49, which is basically $4 for shipping and packaging and .49 for the car (free shipping).. eBay wants me to drop the price to "get more views".. which would cause me to lose money.
Unless weere talking like Tonka trucks a hotwheel car should be 3 ounces or less, even with bubblewrap and a manilla envelope. You shouldn't be paying anymore than $1.69 to ship first class. How are you paying $4?
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Unless weere talking like Tonka trucks a hotwheel car should be 3 ounces or less, even with bubblewrap and a manilla envelope. You shouldn't be paying anymore than $1.69 to ship first class. How are you paying $4?
I wouldn't be a happy buyer if a hot wheel showed up in a manila envelope. I think a small cardboard box would be
better and how happy would the seller be if he got a negative feedback?
Also I think the seller would be better off doing what he said selling 3 or 4 in a bundle then they all go in a box and all are protected.
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Just do a search on eBay for: "250 White Corrugated Shipping Mailer".
You can buy less than 250 at a time (or more) but the lower the quantity the higher the per box price. For example you can get 250 for under .20 each but the same boxes at 100 count is more like .33 per box. You can also get 500 at a time and drop the per box price down around .16 each. These prices include the shipping too. Of course these prices can vary depending on the size box you need, but I figure a matchbox doesn't need a very big box.
great tip on actually spending some money and geting proper packing materails. its a more professional presentation, will protect your items nad it can actually be really affordable if you buy in bulk. i tend to stay off ebay for buying this stuff though, ebayers are just getting them from wholesalers and marking up the price to cover 9% ebay fees plus turn a profit. may as well go directly to the companies who sell packaging materials. the one thing i have found at bargain prices on amazon however are those ebay shipping labels. those things save so much time. i know people myself included are cheap and dont wanna shell out money for this stuff but its a more professional presentation, protects your stuff and often ships for cheaper and saves you money in the long run, when you rusing recycled boxes you have lying around the house your probably using stuff thats not the correct size you need and costing you due to added bulk and weight.
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Oh and another money saving tip regarding packing materials. There are of course certain delicate things that demand bubble wrap or air pillows, but for most other items I run all scrap paper and junk mail through my shredder and use the shredded paper for packing material. Nothing beats free. :)
this is a great tip for flat rate boxes however if your paying by weight packing peanuts are not only going to protect better but are also much lighter meaning cheaper shipping
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Why such a big box for a matchbox car?
personally for a matchbox car I'd probably throw it in a sandwhich bag and drop it in a bubble envelope
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I wouldn't be a happy buyer if a hot wheel showed up in a manila envelope. I think a small cardboard box would be
better and how happy would the seller be if he got a negative feedback?
Also I think the seller would be better off doing what he said selling 3 or 4 in a bundle then they all go in a box and all are protected.
i was talking bubble wrapped within a manlla but even better would be a bubble envelope. this is cheap and will protect it adaquetly. almost everything is shipped in bags these days thats not fragile, they are cheap and light. also if you offer free shpping you get a 5 star dsr score automatically
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The way I was buying shipping materials was way too expensive. I was running to the local Walgreens and picking up a manila bubble wrap envelope ($1.29) or a small box ($1.99).. combine that with the actual postage, I was around $4.00 for the most expensive option. I do credit back any overages on my shipping, but it was pretty close at $4. I wasn't shipping very often because I just didn't put stuff up on ebay. But now that I'm in a store, and I need to generate income from my smalls during the week, ebay is a necessity.
Also, my hot wheels that are currently listed is in packaging, not loose. Takes more than just a drop in an envelope and out the door to preserve the cardboard package.
I went ahead and bought several smaller boxes through ebay to accommodate the hot wheels that I have up now, should work well for other smalls as well!
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The way I was buying shipping materials was way too expensive. I was running to the local Walgreens and picking up a manila bubble wrap envelope ($1.29) or a small box ($1.99).. combine that with the actual postage, I was around $4.00 for the most expensive option. I do credit back any overages on my shipping, but it was pretty close at $4. I wasn't shipping very often because I just didn't put stuff up on ebay. But now that I'm in a store, and I need to generate income from my smalls during the week, ebay is a necessity.
Also, my hot wheels that are currently listed is in packaging, not loose. Takes more than just a drop in an envelope and out the door to preserve the cardboard package.
I went ahead and bought several smaller boxes through ebay to accommodate the hot wheels that I have up now, should work well for other smalls as well!
crediting back shipping is a nice gesture but really probably not necessary. give yourself some credit, you deserve to be paid for the time packing, materials you use and also gas and time in driving to the post office. as long as your charging fair shipping prices people wont care. as for packaging materials walgreens charges a fortune for crappy packing tape and envelopes. heck even staples your gonna pay like 99 cents or more just for a bubble wrapped maila. i find really cheap packaging materials at the flea market. another good place is online envelope and packaging material stores. oddly enough big names like uline tend to charge more than some of the smaller lesser known online shops
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The way I was buying shipping materials was way too expensive. I was running to the local Walgreens and picking up a manila bubble wrap envelope ($1.29)
Oh boy, here we go again. :)
Click it...: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=250+bubble+mailer+-labels&LH_BIN=1&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313&_nkw=250+bubble+mailer+-labels+-label&_sacat=0
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Yeah, definitely learned my lesson. Good thing I wasn't 1000 failed listings in!