posted on July 3, 2003 10:08:57 PM new
Also, I may not be as smart as the rest of you (but at least I am not condesending about what I THINK works)because seems to me, different things work for different people at different times and although there are stratagies, this internet market is static and unreliable. I do feel most buyers do not browse by Catagory (unless they are very well versed in doing so and know exactly what they are looking for and in - and what percentage is that?) so what you get in the Title is way more important.
Any thoughts, anybody?
(I am bored of listing. Will probably miss the holiday stay-at-homers by not doing so right now. Maybe I'll stay on this thang all nite.)
posted on July 3, 2003 10:27:36 PM new
I don't think I have ever done a catagory search in all my years on ebay. I search for the specific thigs I search for.
If I had a huge inventory of items I wanted to sell I would divide them among popular sclosing times and days, not among catagories.
Mario Andretti - “If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.”
posted on July 3, 2003 10:33:42 PM new
I don't do catagory search either. I do a word search. It seems more practical to do that. But when I list and I have several items that can fit in many of the same catagories I list each one in a different catagory hoping that if they see something they like they will check my other auctions.
posted on July 3, 2003 11:25:45 PM new
Hey there krafty - LTNS - hows trix in the meatless north?
Mario Andretti - “If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.”
posted on July 3, 2003 11:27:17 PM new
Why is it that so many seem to think that every Power Seller is making tons of money? Almost anyone can be a Power Seller these days.
posted on July 4, 2003 03:22:02 AM newI do feel most buyers do not browse by Catagory
I am glad you have that feeling and I am glad you do searches but as seller that thinks they keep on top of things I can tell you that it is not wise to put all you eggs in one basket.
I am sure you have seen this many times also doing your searches. Say you find a seller selling the same thing 5 times. One of the things has a high bid on it and in some cases it may be higher than a Buy It Now price on the same item that no one is touching.
That is a clear sign of category looking. Commonly the person is newer to ebay. Additionally some of the people that have been around for a while (like myself) look at categories many times instead of searching. Why? Well if you were looking for something vogue. Say a doll. Search on vogue doll and you get quite a few hits. Bid away.
No go to the category Home > All Categories > Dolls & Bears > Dolls > By Brands, Manufacturers > Vogue > Ginny > and see how many you have missed cause you did a search instead of looking at the category. Alot of listings do not have vogue in the title cause it is in the correct category. You probably paid too much for the one you might bid on cause everyone else does that too. Additionally the same doll is found in Home > All Categories > Dolls & Bears > Dolls > By Material > Hard Plastic. That is the one you might have found cause it has the vogue in the title.
So you see it works both ways. A smart seller covers their bases.
If I had a huge inventory of items I wanted to sell I would divide them among popular sclosing times and days, not among categories
That is just one approach to take. It may work well or like I have shown above it could loose you money if you did not have the right keyword in the title or had it in the wrong place.
Why is it that so many seem to think that every Power Seller is making tons of money? Almost anyone can be a Power Seller these days.
That is a true statement. When ebay lowered the standards a while back it (on purpose) doubled the number of power sellers. Because of this even I have multiple power seller accounts. I know of person that has 5+ of them. It is really not that hard. A good weekend worrier that did nothing but resell a few flea market finds can be a power seller.
in my opinion that also causes problems. Back a few years ago when I got my first PowerSeller account you had to work at it a bit. You could not sell coupons and 1.99 patterns and make it in. With the lowering of the standards to $1,000 per month in sales it lets a lot of people in. That in and of itself is not the problem, these people have no experience. There are powersellers now that barley have 100 sales behind them. That is the problem. Their think because they a power sellers they will know when the next free listing day is and ask about it and assorted other questions that even a lot of non power sellers know if they have just been around a while.
Sorry Kiara long winded but I do agree with you if you could not tell.
posted on July 4, 2003 06:43:53 AM new
$1k a month in sales for 3 consecutive months may be easy for the guy that makes a living doing ebay selling but for the occassional seller it is a lot of listing.
Did anyone ever take ebay up on their Power Seller insurance gambit? Mighty few mentions of that these days.
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Sargent Stadanko
Senior Investigating Officer, Internet Fraud Unit, International Web Police.
posted on July 4, 2003 08:42:02 AM new$1k a month in sales for 3 consecutive months may be easy for the guy that makes a living doing ebay selling but for the occassional seller it is a lot of listing.
What are you selling? I have maintained that status again for about 1/2 the year now but won't list much again until fall because of the busy season in my shop. I do this each year. While selling on ebay I also work daily at my store and manage all aspects of it and I maintain my website and expand it. And I still have time to do many other things including spending lots of time here. In fact, at times I consider myself to be a tad lazy.
You only have to sell about $35 daily to maintain that status. I know some that only have to sell a couple of items a month to be a bronze Power Seller. It would be a lot of listing if each of your items sells for a dollar or so.
Those that come here and knock Power Sellers are suffering from PS envy.
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Not affiliated with the International Web Police.
posted on July 4, 2003 09:33:14 AM new
I realy get the impression that the posters on this boards are split about 50/50 between sellers of $50+ items and sellers of $5 to $25 items. There's a world of difference between the two types of sellers and they often can not understand each other's selling tactics, styles, etc.
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Sargent Stadanko
Senior Investigating Officer, Internet Fraud Unit, International Web Police.
posted on July 4, 2003 09:52:02 AM newI realy get the impression that the posters on this boards are split about 50/50 between sellers of $50+ items and sellers of $5 to $25 items. There's a world of difference between the two types of sellers and they often can not understand each other's selling tactics, styles, etc.
I agree, those people that sell stuff above $25.00 have got it easy. I need to get into something like that.
posted on July 4, 2003 10:04:38 AM new
I am mainly a small seller but there is a few times I have sold items that were high. The only thing I know about powersellers is that they are the only ones that have stolen my images, descriptions. They are the only ones that I have never heard from after I have won their auction and paid immediately for it. Then waited over a week or more to get my merchandise. I buy from a lot other sellers also but I find the regular non power sellers a little better to buy from. I get immediate response and product. I don't know if I have bought from anyone here because I don't know user names of these kind people. I really don't care what perks powersellers get I will never become one. eBay is a place to come and sell and have fun. I can't have fun it I am working 24/7 and that's what I would have to do to become one. I did that in my real job. I worked 45 years (started very young) in the same profession and of those 45 years I was on 24 hour call 30 of them and many times worked that. I would rather come in here and discuss and search than list..But I need the money
[ edited by Libra63 on Jul 4, 2003 10:06 AM ]
posted on July 4, 2003 10:08:25 AM new
Part of the problem with being a selling only as a hobby is acquiring inventory. There are garage sales, flea markets, thrift shops and live auctions but there are a lot of other ebay sellers at those same places looking for the same types of ebayable goods.
Selling $1,000 per month gets to be a real challenge.
Yet some of the sellers that remark how easy it is to sell $1,000 a month on ebay often refer to their brick & mortar store?
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Sargent Stadanko
Senior Investigating Officer, Internet Fraud Unit, International Web Police.
[ edited by AuctionAce on Jul 4, 2003 10:09 AM ]
posted on July 4, 2003 10:29:51 AM new
Sargent Stadanko
Senior Investigating Officer, Internet Fraud Unit, International Web Police, I agree with you. We have many eBay sellers in our community so therefore I try never to go to garage sales or estate sales early. You take your life in your hands if you do that. Pushing, shoving and even pulling things out of your hands. At least in a thrift shop or sometimes antique malls it is a little more peaceful. We have a big time seller here that if he is back in line he will pay you to be first or if he isn't first after he gets in he pushes and shoves you. I have seen him knock people down. I don't need that. I would like to buy lots and try that but first I have to get my bank account up. My eBay merchandise comes only out of my bank account, for my beading hobby. I never touch our household account.
posted on July 4, 2003 11:01:08 AM new
The secret of selling (making money)on e bay, have a least 10 things that are ALL the same. Have 100's of them available. Take the picture, write the story, have pre shipping rate in the auction. relist, relist , relist, relist. click! that's it!
It needs to have a value of at min. $20.00 but it could less. I have a few times had as many as 5 deals like that. 200 pairs of size 12 mens work boots ALL the same. relist, relist , relist. 3 days, boom , boom, boom! sell , sell, sell.
And by the way I am still searching to get up to at least ten. Good goal. I am back down to one relister but it's a killer money maker. Over and over and over.
posted on July 4, 2003 11:15:45 AM new
I seldom sell merchandise on ebay that I buy for resale in my B&M store because other sellers can buy it for less than me or the manufacturers are selling it themselves.
Many of my items are things I've accumulated over the years and some are things that I buy on ebay because the seller didn't know what it was or they didn't know how to market it. Almost every item I sell is unique.
Things are scarce where I live and I have to be at work so miss most sales. Everyone that buys to resell is a dealer and the old ladies here are the worst grabbers. Then they mark things up and have yard sales of their own several times a year.
Even selling items at $26 each it only takes about 40 items a month to be a Power Seller. Most Power Sellers I know are great people and seldom have problems on ebay and neither do I so I think it's a complete myth that they are all bad.
posted on July 4, 2003 03:05:48 PM new
It's very difficult to sell on ebay. The competition is very fierce and the buyers usually have a large range of similar items to choose from.
You find that rare item and pay $10 for it and get home and find it's not so rare and there are 4 others just like it already listed and the are going for about $18 and the average item like it recently sold for $20. All that work for an $8 to $10 profit if you're lucky and sell it.
I disagree with Jack and think the more unique an auction item the better. If you buy a box of tools and they are all the same the only advantage is the auction ads can all be very similar and share the same photo(s). I always do good with the first few identcle widgets then the demand seems to slow then stop as I've flooded the market with the widget. You need an ebay store to slowly sell the rest of the items.
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Sargent Stadanko
Senior Investigating Officer, Internet Fraud Unit, International Web Police.
posted on July 4, 2003 08:43:13 PM new
I'm a power seller for one reason, the few times I've had a problem or issue, there is someone almost immediately to address such and solve it - no form e-mails, but resolutions to problems. I don't post 500 widgets, but I have been at this for 7 years, and found it an advantage to be a power seller, with both eBay and with buyers.
No, I don't use one of those huge power seller seals, personally I think that a bit ostentatious, but that is just my opinion; I’m more in to unobtrusive elegance!
posted on July 4, 2003 09:08:13 PM new
JWPC. I agree with NOT flying that banner and I am going to find where to turn it OFF myself. I just wanna look like the hick seller I really am.....
I can't help it if they want to bid my stuff to the moon......and it's really no ones business how much I make on e bay.....
That is like saying well I make at least $2000.00 a month. Kinda like Marine Corps rank on your sleeve er' collar,,,, I am bustin' myself down to,,,,,,,,just a regular guy,,,,no banner,,,,,a Private! being a PS is gonna be just that with me,,,Private. Thanks for convincing me.......Ebay knows it and that's ALL that's necessary.
Once I had a deal that did not go just perfect it was soooooo funny to me,,,he said in the future he would not deal with BIG Companies on e bay any more......just private people.....that emblem made him think I,,,,,,,,was a BIG Company, hahahaha,,,I wish!
posted on July 4, 2003 11:53:36 PM new
eBay is no different than any other venue. Where is there no competition. Whether you sell at fairs, in a store, the flea market, through print media (mailorder)..whatever. Competition is what it's all about. If you can sell you can sell. If you can't you can't. All the competition could stay home and you'd still bomb.
posted on July 5, 2003 02:17:27 AM new
I dont know how much it has to do with the art of selling as much as if you have a good product or not. A good product or a "hot" item will basically sell itself.
posted on July 5, 2003 08:20:05 AM new
I know one thing for sure..becoming a Power Seller selling postcards one by one can be attributed to one thing only..HARD WORK!!! Do you have any idea how many postcards it takes to equal one computer???
