posted on June 7, 2003 07:53:45 AM new
When many people first consider placing items on ebay for sale they look at the listing fee and say that is not so bad. 30 cents to list seems cheap. But when some people list many items, sometimes into the 100's, these listing fee mount up and when you look at the sell thru rate, which usually is low, the listing fees are usually higher than the final value fee. Now if I was just going to sell away my collectables at prices I paid less I could have a higher sell thru rate and my listing fee would be lower. Ebay's fee structure is deceptive and is too high. Free listing day is very profitable for sellers like me because it is the difference between make it or break it.
posted on June 7, 2003 12:09:13 PM new
I'm curious as to who it was that told you you have a god given right to succeed on ebay?
If the final sale price on your collectibles does not cover fees and cost the answer is not to have ebay reduse its fees, it for you to find a better product or a better distibutor.
The only people whose profits Ebay is responsible for are their stockholders.
As a seller it is your responsibility to find the right products and market in which to make a profit. Perhaps you should be putting more energy into that area and less into trying to get something for nothing.
posted on June 7, 2003 12:20:01 PM new
If you think ebays fees are to high just quit using ebay. I think the fees are very cheap. If your items are not selling get rid of them and find something else to sell.
posted on June 7, 2003 12:54:30 PM new
IMHO,the listing fees on ebay are very cheap, those sellers who are listing 100's of items at a time for 99 cent or 1.00 starting fee and have poor sell through rates deserve to lose.
if my sell through rate is less than 75-80%, then i am worried and look closer at the items i am listing. which, the way things are this week, I may be doing by Monday.
posted on June 7, 2003 12:57:50 PM newFree listing day is very profitable for sellers like me because it is the difference between make it or break it.
If the occasional free listing day is the difference between making it or breaking it, you should find another line of work.
I sell inexpensive items (about 98% of my items sell for less than $10) and while I love FLDs I don't need them to make a profit.
posted on June 7, 2003 04:22:19 PM newFree listing day is very profitable for sellers like me because it is the difference between make it or break it.
I somewhat disagree. I use FLD to list my slow moving items and that is the difference of make it or break it. But on normal days, I may mix a slow item or two a week, but will stick with the decent selling items. I put the slower items an Yahoo where the risk is much less and chances for profits are still decent.
posted on June 9, 2003 07:21:39 AM new
If what I list in a month minus all the fees = a good profit, I am happy. I don't cry over every item that don't sell.
posted on June 9, 2003 07:42:45 AM new
Hey Guys...
I know what you are all saying, but please please please be careful. Ebay reads these boards too.
Yes, it may be a good deal compared to other selling venues, but you are all sounding as though the fees are extrememly low...you don't mind paying them...and therefore...you wouldn't mind an increase.
Sounds like you all think the fees are almost too low. Don't go giving Ebay any ideas.
My Ebay and Paypal fees run 30% of revenue collected. OK, I can live with that, but I certainly don't need it to go any higher. And, for some of us who are not selling new items and do not want to be considered a "store" then changing products isn't an option. I sell what I love and what I have collected all my life. That won't change. I have thousands of items and if Ebay becomes to expensive then I will just have to go back to the flea market circuit. Which I will do if I have to so I am not complaining about the fees.
But, if they went higher it just wouldn't be worth it so just because you disagree with dbest and his/her continuous negative Ebay posts, please don't give Ebay the idea we are all getting a great bargain.
You express my sentiment precisely. The things which I sell, collectables, have become unprofitable as a whole on ebay and that is because of the fees, mainly the listing fees, has exceeded my profitability. Now this was not the case a few years ago, when I could have a nearly 100% sell thru rate and fees was also lower. For me ebay and its fee structure is not profitable, but it is if there was no Listing fee. Good luck to you
posted on June 9, 2003 09:15:03 AM new
Dbest - if your profit margin is on your items is 30 cents you need to get off ebay until you find a new line of products to sell.
posted on June 9, 2003 09:34:26 AM new
Neon: Most of us do make money on Ebay. But, the point is it costs more to list today than it did 4 years ago.
4 years ago sell through was 100% with items going up 10 times what the starting bid was or more.
Today, sell through rates are only about 30%.
So, listing fees are toooooo high for the sell through rates (of most of us).
You few wonderfully lucky people who sell 95% of your items and use Ebay just as a store venue can be happy. But, I don't know why you want to blast people who still use it to sell things they treasure and love. The things are just as valuable, it is just that today there are millions of ads. Millions of ads make more money for Ebay but less for us. So, the natural thought there is as sell through rates decline listing fees could as well.
I know they won't. I know Ebay deserves to make every dime they can. What if the oil companies did that. You want to pay $10 or $20 a gallon? No, and the government won't let them. But, Ebay is a monopoly and they do overcharge considering we no longer get what we used to.
Do I make a profit? Yes! Will I continue to list? Yes as long as I do make a profit. But, I have to spend more and more every month to make that profit. It is not a complaint, it is an observation. And, FLD's are appreciated by most. You who sell new items I am sure hate them! But us collectible sellers love them. If they don't want to offer FLD's why not have 10cent lising days? or even 20 cent ones? Gallery is a joke and so is FP and Stores! Lots of items, few sales, lots of wasted energy! Why don't they offer us something those of us who built the success Ebay is today can really use!
Edited to add: You sellers of new items may think us collector sellers are just a thing of the past. But, we both know that when Ebay started out that was all there was! That was what people came for and that was what people wanted. New items wouldn't have sold at all. Today, the market is changing. But, there is still a niche for the collectibles seller and if they were to all leave I truly believe Ebay would become another Amazon and wouldn't have nearly the success they do today. Just because I sell on Ebay, I buy most of my items here as well. That leads to success for other sellers. Everytime a seller leaves the rest of you lose a buyer as well!
[ edited by LINDAJEAN on Jun 9, 2003 09:45 AM ]
posted on June 9, 2003 09:47:42 AM new
Wow Stanley! Hope you brought in $10,000 or more for all that expense. And, I hope the items you sell are pretty inexpensive for you to purchase.
When my bill reaches $500 I start to panic and just quit listing until the next month.
If you accept Paypal that expense was probably equal or greater than your Ebay bill. I figure Paypal in when coming up with my 30% cost figure.
posted on June 27, 2003 06:38:19 PM new
To LindaJean
You wrote "You sellers of new items may think us collector sellers are just a thing of the past. But, we both know that when Ebay started out that was all there was! That was what people came for and that was what people wanted. New items wouldn't have sold at all. Today, the market is changing. But, there is still a niche for the collectibles seller and if they were to all leave I truly believe Ebay would become another Amazon and wouldn't have nearly the success they do today. Just because I sell on Ebay, I buy most of my items here as well. That leads to success for other sellers. Everytime a seller leaves the rest of you lose a buyer as well!"
Linda jean you exactly my sentiment. I am basically a buyer on ebay although I did sell some back in 1999 most of my dealings with ebay has been on the buy side. As of late I have been unable to buy much on ebay because the quality of collectable items are not present as it once was. I have found it more profitable to buy on ebay and sell on my web page and other areas. Although I do not sell as quickly as some yet my profitability is greater. My web page cost nearly nothing while the fees on ebay are tremendous when considering the sell through rate. It appears that many of the big time sellers have left and the stuff nobody wants are flooded on ebay. I believe the reason for this is these sellers can not get the prices they once did so consequently they have pulled their nice inventory waiting for better times or lowere fees.
In deflationary times it pays to hold nice collectables because they increase in price when coming out of deflation, this may take years. I have many friends that call me regularly for nice items which are not available, they use to go to ebay to find them but not any more. I conplain about high ebay fees not because I am a seller but because I am mainly a buyer. The high fees are running the good sellers away.
Ebay refuses to see this because of their bottom line, but one day this downward spiral will catch up with them.
posted on June 27, 2003 06:49:28 PM new
******you said,
In deflationary times it pays to hold nice collectables because they increase in price when coming out of deflation#########,
time to hold antiques and collectibles in in time of inflation,not deflation.in time of deflation,best thing to hold is cash as it will buy you more!!!!!!!
i know it is hard to fathom at first,but think of it,despite the low interest rate,cash is king
posted on June 27, 2003 06:59:49 PM new
you will find me flipping burger at burger king on ebay free listing day.
on fld,you have more listings but the same number of buyers,what for??
posted on June 27, 2003 08:20:09 PM new
Well, I am not a high volume seller & never will be. I kist from 12 to 20 auctions a week. I don't care it there is a FLD or not. Most of my auctions are over $50.00 & many are in the 100.00's. I sell mostly china I silver with some collectibles thrown in. In almost all cases, the FVF is greater than the listing fees because I start my auctions low. Right now I have 3 widgets that I listed for $4.95 my listing fee is 30 cents. I just put them on last night & already 2 of them are over the starting price. I paid $3.00 for all of them. I can't lose on them so what do I care what the commissions etc. are?
posted on June 28, 2003 09:59:10 AM new
Stonecold: I never ever ever listed anything less than $3 on Ebay! And that was for 1970 TV guides. Everyone of them sold each and every week, and most for over $10 back then.
25 cent 99 cent why bother? It's not my thing so stop assuming that is what we mean.
I could list anything at all...really could... like any old lp and start it at $5 by the next morning it would be 7 or 8 dollars and 95% of them would sell.
That was before the used record stores got into Ebay. No one cared if mine were gently used. Now, you can buy new and sealed for $1.
Please stop assuming you know how everyone does business. You don't have a clue what the good old days were like.
I would list 10 skeins of yard (half used ones) for $5 and have them end for $18 when they could go to the local walmart and buy them new for $10 for the batch.
Ebay was a novelty and everyone bid. And they bid early so bidding wars were an everyday and every item occurance. No one wanted to lose. Many customers were lonely people who just wanted the communication.
It was great back then. And those who missed it will never understand. I had used Atari games go for $100. And, those were not the uncommon ones!
My mistake was in stopping selling when Ebay items reached 1,000,000 and sales dropped to 65%. Still bidding wars but not as many so I still have tons of leftover items I have collected. Some aren't even worth my effort to list now, but boy do I wish I had those two years back when I waited for other sellers to "give it up"
I have been selling steadily now for the past 3 years and my sell through rate is 30% and that has been pretty stable. I rarely list anything singly any more though and always toss in enough of the item to warrant a decent return. Like now instead of one lp I list 10 for $9.99.
I'm not about to list 10 for $1.00 each like lots or some even start them at a penny and sell many of them for a quarter. I don't lose money when I sell but I don't make nearly what I did back when Ebay was new!
posted on June 29, 2003 01:17:44 AM new
I'm glad you don't have to waste your time with these tiny little amounts of money.
The point is I could list them at starting bids of $3 back then because they would triple before they closed. Now I start my postcards at $5 to $8 and my lps at 9 for $9.99.
I know those amounts are probably beneath you also, but for me it works out very well! Why are you so negative? Why the chip on your shoulder?
BTW there are still tons of Ebayers who sell postcards at $.99 and even $.01 and they end at that very often! Same with record sellers. Again, I would never do that and I was just missing the good old days. You still don't have a clue what it was like back then. It was more fun than anyone who wasn't around then can even imagine. Bids on 99% of the items within hours of listing and they only went up from there!
posted on June 29, 2003 04:47:01 PM new
Well Linda,
I have been around that long and longer. I was just smart enough to change with the times. If you are wasting your time with low quality items and are expecting to make good money, then the pipe dream is much better than I thought. You should investigate other avenues for products to sell.
JMHO
posted on June 29, 2003 05:36:03 PM new
No, I am not following a pipe dream. I love old postcards so I sell them. I love old lp's so I buy them, record what I want, and then resell them. I bought 2100 for $100 so you can see I don't have a lot invested in them.
Time, yes that is valuable, but I am doing what I love. Complain about low sales? Not really. Just making an observation.
Change with the times? Never! If I wanted to sell today's new junk or take 30 minutes packaging fine collectibles I could make more. But, I sell what I love and only what I love. Most of what I sell is from my own personal collections and I am clearing my home as well.
I have enjoyed the money I made off Ebay. It let's me buy more things! But, I am fortunate enough to not have to make a living off it. Thank God for that! Those who do definitely have my sympathy as it is toooooo unpredictable!
