posted on June 30, 2003 04:37:40 PM new
Havent posted in a REALLy long while but reading a few posts recently along with what Im looking at on ebay makes me want to comment on a few things.
I sell in collectibles and have seen the number of sellers go up dramatically, as newbies sign on to take advantage of 'gullible' buyers. The number of gullible buyers on Ebay has dwindled to nearly zero! So instead of listing their items at reasonable prices, these sellers are relisting week after week with no bids.
Secondly: Veteran sellers such as one of my competitors (lets call him Mr. Highprice), emails me no and then about sellers listing for TOO low in the category he lists in (same widgets). Now keep in mind Mr. Highprice lists at around double of what everyone else does, and though he makes a sale every now and then, if you add up listing fees, youll find out his proft margin was half that of people selling for low with high turnovers.
Then there are what I call Rule Breakers. These are people who are selling what we are selling, ONLY that these are the very people who myself and others buy wholesale from! For crying out loud, if you sell on Ebay YOURSELF and compete with those you supply, eventually those who you supply will have to quit, since they cant compete with your prices!
People like these are going to make sellers go the way of the Dinosaur. Personally our company has no choice but no follow their lead and to become wholesalers on ebay, selling more for low margins than to sell less for reasonable ones.
Slowly and gradually there will be so many DEALS available on Ebay in our category that websites selling our line of products will suffer and Ebay will prosper even more.
Its a vicous cycle with no end. Profit margins zero---Ebay one.
