micmic66
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posted on August 10, 2003 06:11:18 PM new
Call me spoiled but anymore I do not want to list an item unless I KNOW it will get me $20 (profit) or more. I just threw out about 40 board games that are one or two bid games, say $8 - $12 games. I guess I dont mind chucking them because I only spent 50 cents to a dollar for each one. My brother raised a point when he noted that 10 $10 auctions is $100. Simple math but I never really gave it much thaught. I guess the reason I dont want to play with $10 auctions is because I have had so many outstanding auctions lately ranging up to $403 (box of slot car stuff for $5) We all have had those weeks/months. I realize there is lots of folks who rely on many low dollar auctions instead of the heavy hitters. I realize there is many effective ways to turn your profit. What do ya think? Ebay is strictly a hobby for me but I am addicted and consider myself well trained in my areas. Packing and shipping 30-50 items a week for just a few bucks just dosent seem worth it....or is it?
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Twelvepole
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posted on August 10, 2003 06:14:36 PM new
Do what makes you happy...
AIN'T LIFE GRAND... 
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max40
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posted on August 10, 2003 06:23:14 PM new
I'm in the same situation that you are in. I sometimes wonder if the $10.00 items are worth the time and effort. Then I stumble across a $10.00 - $15.00 item at a sale for $.50. I can't pass it up, so I end up listing it. A few big ticket items can spoil you for a while, making you think that everything should bring big bucks. That's just not the way the business works.
If you're doing this for a hobby, and don't have access to strictly big ticket items, what choice do you have. Either don't list or list less expensive items. If you're like me, you'll list.
There is a fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
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neroter12
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posted on August 10, 2003 06:44:12 PM new
Micmic,
I've often thought if I had to pay myself as a worker even minimum wage for the time spent all along the way from buying to researching, listing, pictures, to answering emails, to then of course packing, and ride to the po - financially its probably not worth it on small items.
But i LIKE doing it for the most part, so the profitability is a plus vs the major motivation factor for me.
Everybody is different on what they deem "worth it" is for them, ya know?
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MAH645
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posted on August 10, 2003 07:29:59 PM new
Most of my auctions sell for $10 and under which is the same price I sell it for at the flea market.I mainly sell on E-Bay as a hobby and it doesn't take that long to do the auctions so its no big deal to me. I sold $1,500 worth at the 127 yardsale this week,alot of people wouldn't have done all the work we did there for that amount of money either,but I'll take what I can get at least I don't have to work for the other man and I only work when I want to.That means alot to me.
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bigpeepa
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posted on August 10, 2003 07:56:01 PM new
I have sold thousands of antiques and collectibles on eby. The only problems I have had with buyers are the bottom feeders that buy low cost items. I never had a problem with a high roller that spent a few hundred or a few thousand with me.
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Roadsmith
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posted on August 10, 2003 08:04:47 PM new
I think some of us are still in the gambling end of ebay. I sell collectibles, and while some I am sure won't bring more than $10-$20, the game part of this for me is wondering if that next little item will be a sleeper--and watching my auctions move along during the week.
I confess though to having recently donated to a thrift shop some of the low-end older books I have here because I have too much other stuff I want to sell. Maybe I"m slipping over into your way of thinking! After all, it must be true that selling an item for $100 takes (usually) no more time to prepare for auction than one $10 item. I can definitely see your point.
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sparkz
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posted on August 10, 2003 08:24:31 PM new
I'm inclined to agree with your line of thinking. I start a lot of auctions at $9.99 and a lot end up selling at that or not at all. I'm always tempted to eliminate those and move toward the high end stuff until a sleeper that I paid $1.00 for and start at $4.99 closes at $275.00. It happens just often enough to keep me suckered in on the low end stuff. Kind of like the California lottery. Hit a two dollar winner ever once in a while and you'll keep buying those tickets hoping to hit the big one.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
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ahc3
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posted on August 10, 2003 08:29:31 PM new
I'll take a quick $5 or $10 profit. I guess it depends on what you sell. If you are talking about a 30 pound item that will take 45 minutes to pack it carefully, and then an extra trip to UPS, then it is not worth the work. I sell a lot of items that go via media mail and I have a good eye for picking up better things cheaply from garage sales and flea markets, and then sell them online. Listing is easy, not much description needed for the items I generally sell, and packing them is a snap too, just put them in a bubble envelope and some stamps. I don't even need to stand in line at the post office.
It all depends on what you sell, and how much work is involved in selling the items.
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AuctionAce
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posted on August 10, 2003 09:19:14 PM new
There was a lady selling books for 99 cents on another board and when they asked her why she did it she said that she got the books for a dime and made enough extra on the s/h to cover all ebay fees. She said most books sold at the 99 cents and a few went for more and a few didn't sell. She said that was a 10 times profit and she would cart 30 books to the post office every day and was happy making $30 a day for Christmas spending money and such.
Sellers rationalize the things they do on ebay in a number of ways. Are that many $20 profit items out there with 16 million ebay items? ( a recent article quoted that figure so there must 6 million ebay stores items )
-------------- sig file ----------- He who angers you controls you
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toasted36
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posted on August 10, 2003 10:02:54 PM new
I look at the 10.00 auctions like your brother ...they keep me going in between the hot items.Yeah I might be working for a little of nothing sometimes but it's money I didn't have yesterday 
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AuctionAce
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posted on August 10, 2003 10:07:01 PM new
I'd love to see the price breakdown of items that actually sell on ebay, the lucky 30% that do sell. I bet it'd be a surprising price breakdown. I bet there are a LOT of items that sell under $10 maybe even as much as half of all ebay sales.
-------------- sig file ----------- He who angers you controls you
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dejapooh
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posted on August 10, 2003 10:13:43 PM new
you never know which $10 item will be the next $20,000 beer can.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. B. Franklin
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sapington
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posted on August 10, 2003 10:19:43 PM new
Why didn't you just put them in one lot and do a real short description?
If they are worth $8-$10 each and you just got half that bid on them, it would have been about $180.
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micmic66
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posted on August 11, 2003 04:56:29 AM new
neroter12,
I think you have hit it right on the head of the issue. Your example raises an important point......a comparision to minimum wage makes the whole thing quite clear, treading water is all your doing when it is all added up....
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Damariscotta
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posted on August 11, 2003 05:44:32 AM new
No one here can decide what your time and effort are worth to you (and I suspect you really weren't looking for an answer). But as someone pointed out, if you can spare the time, it's money you didn't have yesterday.
Whether doing so will pay you minimum wage or 50 per hour is not really an issue unless eBaying is keeping you from working these paid hours. If you were just sitting around or watching television, you were making nothing. If you were watching a rental video, you were spending money.
If you have a ready supply of low cost/high profit items you would certainly be foolish to ignore them to sell low end items. But if the former are just occasional finds, why not pick up the gravy (providing your operation is well organized and efficient).
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neglus
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posted on August 11, 2003 06:33:35 AM new
I think it depends on the time you have to put into listing & shipping an item. I start most of my postcards at under $10 (heck a $10 postcard is a good sale!)- but then again it's all I sell. My listing templates take a couple of minutes to complete, add another couple of minutes for the scan and upload of images..packing is a cinch...so for me, listing items @ $10 or less makes sense. It would be another matter altogether if each item were unique and time consuming to ship.
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alldings
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posted on August 11, 2003 07:08:06 AM new
There are no foolish Q's. I'm a part-time hobby seller. As eBay, Vendio, PayPal and others continue to raise listing fees, (Which they will) 10 buck or less items might become a thing of the past. We would all like to find one widget a week that makes a 3 figured profit! Until then I'm happy picking up a few bucks now and then selling the cheap stuff.
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Japerton
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posted on August 11, 2003 08:32:59 AM new
Sometimes I just don't know what an item will go for.
Sometimes I know I am not going to get out of the ballpark of $10, ever. I think there are a number of sellers who know their items are not going to be over the "magic" number, but it works.
I do feel the love/hate gamut when you are sure an item will do fine, and then it doesn't sell. My learning curve is to sell it at the first auction, cut the relists, because it just eats into the sub-$10 item's profit when you do....then there are repeat items of identical things.
hmmmm
J
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All the monkeys aren't in the zoo,
Every day you meet quite a few,
So you see it's all up to you.
You can be better than you are,
You could be swingin' on a star
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mezuzas
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posted on August 13, 2003 03:59:49 PM new
Why don't you just list the smaller ends in big lots? Will bring more money with less listing fees.
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glassgrl
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posted on August 13, 2003 04:21:14 PM new
I've gotten a lot pickier about what I will buy and list also. I'd rather buy and list ONE $100.00 item than 10 $10.00 items. Because the 10 items take up a LOT of room.
Try convincing my husband of it though, he's the one that's addicted to yard sales and buying things.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on August 13, 2003 10:11:47 PM new
I love $10 auctions. This month I will sell 1800 items for $10 or less.
Bread and butter.
I am not a bathtub full of brightly-colored machine tools on Vendio.
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tomwiii
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posted on August 13, 2003 10:14:19 PM new
I thought you sold jewelry??
Ralphie loves Mr Blonde:
"Are you gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?"
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/vidrat/
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