posted on November 9, 2001 03:08:55 PM new
Hello
I have sold stamps and related material on eBay, Amazon, and Yahoo for some time but always at an auction. I am considering eBay and/or Auction Watch stores. I would like to rest my unsold items there until I need them and hopefully sell some as well. My question(s) are; Do store sell items that an auction did not? Is the labor vice the sales worth it? Can an unsold item go from auction to store without a lot of hassle?
Any guidance would be appreciated…..Dave
posted on November 9, 2001 03:21:27 PM new
The stores Are Ok, But one thing to remember is that they are unlike Auctions in that they are not self promoteing.
They take Lots of advertiseing and more Book keeping and a good inventory system.
Auctions are mainly promoted by the auction site stores are promoted by you, you will only get out what you put in in the end and there is no instant pool of buyer even on ebay stores.
posted on November 9, 2001 04:12:14 PM new
YourDesigns
Actually 50% of the seller I talk and deal with are telling me at this time most of there sales are comeing from there Web stores when auction sales dropped off after 9/11..
auction site and personal webstores setup at there own domain that are advertised all over includeing paypal shop , SOme say as well AW, TIA and several others are doing fairly good as well..
I have as much if not more contact with online sellers on these boards in email and around the area where I live as anyone, The word is AUction still work great but Fixed price sales are riseing and is the next wave in online person to person sales its being estimated that fixed priced selling should reach 2.6 billion per year within the next 2 or 3 years thats as much as online auction and it took the auction over 6 years to get that far..
For those who are into online selling and want to grow there business most would rather be on the recieveing end of the newest wave a a part of any new 2.6 billion dollar market then on the end that just said forget it not worht your time.
I don't think online stores are for hobbiest but today many many auction sellers are not hobbiest and fixed priced selling also gives these people even more freedom from policies of the big corporate Auction services..
posted on November 9, 2001 07:07:40 PM new
Are ebay stores worth the effort? As a store, not really. As a merchandising "gallery", I think they help create multiple sales.
I have yet to see anyone post a rave review of how well they are doing with an ebay store, and that is in hundreds of threads I have read while looking for ideas.
I went through the effort myself, and put together two dozen special store items that I do not offer on auction, and promoted the dickins out of them in appropriate auctions with very poor results.
I am winding the "store only" items and the last few will close this weekend. Meantime, I am continuing the store as a sort of auction showcase since I think there is some benefit there.
But unless ebay does some improvements, I will likely drop the stores come January 1 when the 9.95 monthly fee kicks in.
One other detail, I am paying for the gallery feature for all my auctions at 25 cents a pop, since a store looks better if you can see even a teeny tiny picture with each listing. Making the layout of the store better is one more thing ebay needs to get on the ball about.
posted on November 9, 2001 07:30:55 PM new
Ebay Stores right now are definatly a kick in the butt right now.
They are kind of like less then half finished job, Just as they started the Grand opening along came Sept 11 and they turned there foucus from the stores to AFA.
This is just another Reason that over then next few month the new Yahoo structureing will be hurting Ebay not only have they opened the yahoo warehouse changed there auction fees But they have also restructed the fee you pay for Yahoo stores.
and yahoo stores have been around and been sucessfull for many for years.
SO while Ebay has put its whol business on the back burner to tick off its seller with AFA and checkout yahoo is sweeting the pot for ebays largest sellers and ebay has even upset the corporate sellers some have pulled there sales other are complaining and talking about pulling out some are even looking to move to yahoo.. http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
Email [email protected]
posted on November 9, 2001 07:41:16 PM new
I read about some huge sellers leaving ebay, and it seems like ebay doesnt care. I sent a email to yahoo asking them to make their site like ebay was before they became dictators. No doubt that meg whitman is a power freak, and I hope she and ebay crumbles with the attitude they have.
posted on November 9, 2001 08:49:49 PM new
I cancelled all items in me AW store. I have never had a sale out of there. I did have a(I don't know what you call it)sale, but it turned out that the person who "bought" my item was only trying out a storefron to see how it worked. He said that he didn't realize that it was an instant purchase. He even had a chance to email me before I went through all the motions but he didn't even do that. When I received the notice that someone had purchased an item, I sent him a letter stating the terms of service and he had the nerve to write back he didn't intend to buy it. He said AW would refund the selling %. If you go down to the storefront discussion group, his emails are there as I wrote to find out if there was a refund. AW says no I lose the fees, so I wrote back to this "dumb" person
and he said in no certain terms was he paying. He better never bid on one of my auctions. I have no idea why he picked my storefront. I only had 5 items in it now I have none. Answer to your question. NO storefront for me.
posted on November 9, 2001 09:20:40 PM new
I would not waste the time unless you are going to pay for advertising for it. on the relist yes to answer your question very easy to change it to auctions..i see instead of a nickel it is now free to list in ebay stores..knowing them that should answer the question. i used counters on my last 2 items i finally just let close, i had about 5 viewings on each in a few weeks..
be sure to check your billing..stores were supposed to be free till jan 1st..they tried to bill me twice 9.95 & if i hadn't caught it i would have actually paid almost 20 bucks for nothing.(after a few emails & a phone call they finally did credit it..gee they also double billed people this month on auction fees they need a new system or meg has thought of a new way to bill DOUBLE LOL)
i think many will close their stores on new years..no way it's worth 9.95 a month list & end fees.
i had an auctionwatch store,sold one thing,,must have been an accident LOL
Yahoo stores are the only ones i have ever heard of that are successful.better layout etc.
With mass exodus over to their auctions i imagine their stores will benefit from it also. I believe Yahoo now has their stores & auctions in the main search this will make a huge difference.
I don't believe ebay stores are integrated into the general ebay search at all.good luck
if you try it,be sure & use a counter..you will be shocked how little hits..compared to auctions..
[ edited by timetravelers on Nov 9, 2001 09:23 PM ]
posted on November 10, 2001 05:05:07 PM new
Well even though my checkout for the stores don't work at all. I guess I'd have to say I'm doing well with it.All buyers have to e-mail to complete the transaction with the store. But I like to be able to display alot of different items I wouldn't run auctions for every week.
posted on November 10, 2001 05:20:13 PM new
ebay store is a 30 days listing with buy it now option.
this is not a store,in the real world,store owner controls what and how long he will keep items in the store and what kind of payment he accepts.
i think ebay is getting carried away that it is the only game in town,ebay is less likely to offer concession as it is now publicly held and must report higher sales,higher earnings to its shareholders and assholes who work on wall street,some of course are now 6 feet under.
posted on November 10, 2001 09:53:33 PM new
I had an Ebay Store, I think I sold about 4 items out of it, It is not worth the $9.95.
If were a free store, then I possibly would consider it. But I would consider it more of a seller gallery, than a store. I just closed my store a couple of days ago, I got tired of looking at non selling items. I think the only time people look at your store is if you have auctions running. I think it makes a good Gallery.
Kimberly
