posted on August 28, 2002 08:47:40 PM new
Hi, everyone: I tend to list in more than one category and am wondering if I'm wasting my money on some items.
Let's say I have a topsy-turvy doll from Jamaica. I would tend to list in Dolls & Bears. . . . cloth and also Dolls/By Type/International/Other.
Is it more likely that anyone looking for a topsy-turvy doll will search specifically for that and find it anyway? Same for someone looking for Jamaica items? Am I wasting my money in this case?
A small booklet of basketball hints from 1952: Cross-collectible: coach's name, U. of Minnesota, advertiser (Hood Rubber Co.), and basketball stuff (4 different areas of interest). Will a collector search for these specific areas and find my item even if only listed in one place?
Or should I count on the habit folks have of just looking in a category at what ends soon and deciding if they want to bid on something they have NOT searched for specifically?
posted on August 28, 2002 09:01:48 PM new
Roadsmith-Who is the basketball coach from U of Minnesota in your booklet? Is it George Hansen?
Title: Topsy-Turvy (Jamica)Doll
Something on that order and do it in dolls because people collecting that kind of doll will search Topsy-Turvy. Also with Jamica in the title and if someone searches Jamica won't they get this also? and then doll will get it into the doll catagory.
The book is rather difficult. Look and see if there are any players that are collectible, and insert them in your description of course with all the other pertant history. Be sure and mention Minnesota in the description. When I search I put in a town in minnesota. I name the town and then Minnesota and I get a lot of things not related to my town but to Minnesota. Good Luck
posted on August 28, 2002 09:16:01 PM newRoadsmith, this is a tough one, and one that I struggle with - and probably others do too. Frequently items could be reasonably listed in more than one category; but whether to or not....?
I rarely list in 2 categories, then only if the item might appeal to two very distinct and separate groups of collectors.
One of the things I do when in doubt is look at the completed auctions for the same item and see how they were categorized, and if there is any overall tendency for the item to do better in one category than another.
I don't think I would ever list a doll in two different doll categories. But if it were a cloth doll advertising Campbell Soup (and I don't know that there are any), I would only list it under 'advertising', and forego the doll category altogether.
But a (hypothetical) Vernon Kilns plate for the Masonic Lodge, I might list in both categories.
I really believe (and I don't know this for a fact) that people search more by key words than categories.
So I'm very, very careful not to waste title space ("wow", "LQQK", or even "depression glass" ), but prefer to get as many key words in my title as I can, like:
"Vernon Kilns New York Mason Masonic Plate"
I can tell them in my description that it is in mint condition, or what year it was made, and how rare it is, etc.
But it really all comes down to a judgment call on your part though; trust your instincts.
And no (unless it's changed), a search doesn't search descriptions unless the user tells it to 'search titles and descriptions'.
posted on August 29, 2002 07:27:51 AM new
Thanks, gc2! Your suggestion to switch categories during the auction is an interesting one--I've done it once, and perhaps I'll do it more often. ~Adele
posted on August 30, 2002 09:23:26 AM new
Another thing to consider with double category listing; I used the gallery for the first time this month (that might be a topic for another discussion) and ran over 100 10 day auctions with many listed in double catagories as well. I was aware of the double listing charge but they also charge double for the gallery and the 10 day fee. Another way to get my money. If I had realized that I do not think I would have used the double category.
So how does one evaluate weather or not the double category is effective? How do I know from which search my buyer came from?
posted on August 30, 2002 01:48:59 PM new
I read that 40% of hits to your auction listing come from keyword searches. Thus, if your auction gets 100 hits, 40 of them are from keyword searches and 60 from folks checking the listings through catagory.
Would it stand to reason that this auction would expect about 160 hits instead of 100 if listed in 2 catagories?
If selling a dutch item or an item I have mulitples of I think it would be better to list 2 seperate auctions and get 200 or so hits (for example) than pay double fees for one auction and get 160 hits.
If selling a single unique item that may be inspire competitive bidding, you want to get more hits to the single auction to increase the competition. In this case I would consider double catagories. However, your money may be better spent on BOLD or HIGHLIGHT features. Anyone who knows for sure, feel free to expand on that.
posted on August 30, 2002 02:10:52 PM new
"Thanks for your thoughts. First, it's my understanding that words in the description show up in searches just as words in the titles do?" Not really only if the option is clicked and many do not as get way to many listings to wade through. Title is the Key..
