posted on November 5, 2003 04:38:02 PM new
Hi everyone,
I am an eBay seller (shamoy) and had been doing a good business there for a while. This summer I had been ill for several months and due to this illness I slowed down on listing auctions (needed my rest). I did slow down considerably but I did not stop entirely. Now I am trying to get back into the swing of things but my sales have been very low. If you have the time would some of you have a look at my auctions and possibly offer some suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong? I know some of my pics aren't the best due to my indoor lighting but the weather has been really icky out lately for outdoor pics. I try to keep my prices reasonable and I also try to keep my shipping charges as low as possible....but I have noticed that other sellers who start their auctions out at $17.95+ for the same items as me are making a killing. PLEASE...I am open for suggestions......but be gentle with me. *Laughing*
posted on November 5, 2003 04:53:30 PM new
They Looked fine to me Shamoy....It could just be that time of year when people are looking for brand new with tags to give as gifts.The Pictures look great so it can't be them.Shipping was more than fair and you give plenty of time to pay.Feedback is stunning ! I don't think it's you.Edited to add ....Glad your feeling better and Welcome back to full time selling
[ edited by toasted36 on Nov 5, 2003 04:54 PM ]
posted on November 5, 2003 05:01:31 PM new
I thought I could maybe help, so I checked your auctions-----I know zip about womens clothes. No help there. The pictures and descriptions look great.
Life is not a dress rehearsal
posted on November 5, 2003 05:06:26 PM new
your auctions look great to me also, and your pictures are very nice!
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it." - A Few Good Men
posted on November 5, 2003 05:29:06 PM new
Your auctions look good. Discription very good. Prices and Shipping Good. I see you have had a 25% sell thru in the past 30 days.
That seems Like that is the way eBay is going these Days.
posted on November 5, 2003 06:07:01 PM new
It's tough selling used women's clothing now, unless it is very high-end ultra-desirable designer. That still gets a lot of interest.
My personal preference is that I would also buy new with tags, especially if I were shopping for the kind of togs you're selling. They're just not that expensive at retail. This is the clothing you can pick up at Ross for a song.
This may sound harsh, but I don't understand how you can make any money selling 25% of these things that start at $10 or less...and combining shipping on top of that. Seems like that wouldn't even pay for the time to take the pictures.
Pulling the pictures from the closed auctions is annoying. I wanted to see what some of the costumes looked like.
--
The beauty of the California political process is that "Recall Gray Davis" can now have a question mark on the end.
posted on November 5, 2003 06:30:17 PM new
I think they look great. I'd be awfully tempted if I had to wear dress clothes to work. We're casual so jeans do for me. Good luck.
posted on November 6, 2003 04:04:47 AM new
Good Morning
Your ads are friendly & Good looking, pictures are good, feedback is good, I would buy from you.
As far as increasing sales I have a few suggestions that might work for you
1. if you have room I would add a word like .....
RARE, SEXY, RUNWAY,JAWDROPPING, LOVELY,
STUNNING,GORGEOUS, FABULOUS, WONDERFUL,CHIC,
CLASSIC, SOPHISTICATED, KILLER, DROP DEAD 4,
EXCELLENT
to my title, you may want to play with the title a little for example
KILLER Blue/Black JACKET 6 Wool GROSSMAN
that is just a thought not really my category, maybe something you could experiment with.
2.this is what I do when I have something to get rid of and there tons for sale and the price is low. determine that absolute lowest you would find acceptable, add a few bucks add $ amount for shipping to the farthest
location and list with "FREE SHIPPING WITH BUY IT NOW"
lets face it something is better then nothing and how long do you want to look at...Blow it out and replace with something you can make some $$ with
example could be
Killer Blue/Black Jacket 6 Free Shipping
or just Free Ship!
inside the ad you add Free shipping with buy it now
3. Combine items and create a Giant lot I noticed that lots seemed to do well in your category.
posted on November 6, 2003 05:20:32 AM new
how do you make money on these clothes,many are under 10,if you offer free shipping after ebay and paypal fees??
-sig file -------The thrill is gone!!
posted on November 6, 2003 06:32:41 AM new
I would suggest perking up your title line. I would do away with all caps this intimidates some folks. Fit in some "selling words" in the title line NIB, mint, never worn, worn twice, date bait outfit, kill'em at the office, high quality, low price. I never thought offering discounts for multiple items was a big selling point, I do it any way. I didn't read your description or TOS. For me at least the black letters on dark blue background are hard to read. I would suggest more upbeat brighter back ground colors, yellows, pinks, pale green, light blue, with contrasting lettering that is easy to see. Your pictures are ok, but they lack "life" stick in some flowers, plants, people, art, etc.
posted on November 6, 2003 07:33:02 AM newI would do away with all caps this intimidates some folks
The one thing I was told a few years ago and it has stuck with me is that typing in all caps is the equivalent of yelling at someone over the Internet. Good catch, alldings.
posted on November 6, 2003 08:12:57 AM new
I would have to agree about all CAPS. I think the titles are actually harder to read if they are in all caps. I think it's okay to put a few key words in caps to make them stand out, but to put the entire title in caps is not always a good idea.
I would also agree that things on eBay just aren't what they used to be. Sales on certain items like clothing or items that are not scarce or hard to find are a tougher sell on eBay. Used to be when I first started selling on eBay in beginning of 1998, "everything" sold. I had almost a 100% sell through rate. Now, lucky if it's 50%. Just has to be something really special or you have to think about marketing and have the ability to catch someones eye better than the other sellers who are selling similar or exactly the same items. Nothing that really detracts the eye from the item being sold, just something to add interest to it.
You may also want to consider getting a mannequin to display your clothes. It gives people a better idea of what they look like on - just a thought. I never like seeing clothing being displayed on "real" people though. I realize it's been worn before, but I just don't want to see it "being" worn. Just a silly pet peeve of mine.
Good luck and hope things pick up for you. Maybe in the next few weeks when the holidays are a bit closer things will get better.
posted on November 6, 2003 09:51:13 AM new
Hello Shamoy:
since several people have helped me in the past;; so i took the time to offer my thoughts[idont want to call it advice]...so, here goes --- first, your last 68 auctions show 18 sales for approx $200] -- nobody can say you dont work hard! i read other threads and then expanded their thoughts...so dont think all this is necessarily original...i searched the following: victorias secret[of 150 auctions; 55 have bids], fredericks[150; 51 have bids], aigner[150auctions; 57 have bids],, liz claiborne[150 auctions,36 have bids],, hermes[150 auctions, 115 have bids], rlauren[150 auctions, 78 have bids]...i could only use your base of 68 because that is all the basic search shows...i used first 3 pages of all other auctions...AND BEFORE I GO FURTHER, LET ME DIGRESS... to the threads that told you to "jazz" up your marketing - to streamline your time consuming, and costly long descriptions...THEY ARE RIGHT ON!! -- just search a couple of the above categories.... i think, you could be far far more successful if you do what the others have suggested...and market more in the markets that show activity - that seem to be in demand... let me try to prove my thoughts and their advice...i decided not to stay in the microcosm of the above lists-even tho victoria and frederick's auction activity prove that "sex sells." i instead went to the "macro," i.e., what i thought would be diametrically opposed to the usual philosophy we hear every day...."dem models are boney, skinny, no b...bs, etc., etc." PLEASE I DONT MEAN THIS IN ANY WAY DEMEANING... i searched plus sizes...and oh my gosh...look at this...one of the largest categories[IN NUMBER AUCTIONS],, and of 150 auctions, 93 had bids on them...to me that was simply amazing..but now remember, i am a man encroaching on a woman's arena - so i may be misguided in being amazed or surprised....but if you think activity is significant; look at this::: i then really took microscope to the category...get this::: i found an auction with 22 bids from 11 different bidders, another of 17bids with 6 different bidders, another with 29 bids from 12 different bidders....and even more importantly, the images arent necessarily as good - or as many, as yours....but the auctions have been "jazzed." AND TO THOSE OF YOUR WHOM I MAY HAVE OFFENDED - i am presenting this info only because it is a most active[in sales, bids, and HITS-just look at the some counters] ...again, i am providing this info just in the event it may help you find the correct and even more, a more profitable mix...and by the way, you might want to search "hermes." this category has always proved dynamite for me...however, the "115 with bids" is somewhat of an abberation, because a hong kong dealer is selling ties, and every item has a bid on his offering...that is because the dealer is blowing them out on price...i add this, because we as sellers, have differing problems to contend with every day...in closing, i had the time this morning; people have given me genuinely good advise, and i sincerely hope something i said[typed] helps....not that i think you need much....sam, myoldtoy
posted on November 6, 2003 07:57:26 PM newbut I have noticed that other sellers who start their auctions out at $17.95+ for the same items as me are making a killing
Maybe you should follow what they are doing. As with many others here, clothing is not my thing, but I know with many of the items I sell, if I start them out too cheap, it will shy bidders away giving them the impression that you are selling junk instead of what appears to me to be good quality items. The advice I tell friends of mine is to see what others are selling the items for and basically do the same thing.
Good luck
posted on November 6, 2003 10:44:34 PM new
Hi, Shamoy!
First of all, you came to the right place for some good insight and suggestions! Your fellow forum folk are generous and generally very on-the-mark.
I'm a buyer, not seller, so my perspective may be a little different. I did not look at all of your listings, closed and open, but I did notice you had a lot of ‘Spring/Summer' colors listed. Could that have an effect on your sales?
Perhaps I date myself — but I still pack away the pinks, mint greens, light blues, flowers, etc., at the end of the season and switch my wardrobe to fall/winter shades.
Your listings are certainly clean and sharp and get right to the point. Something most of us buyers really appreciate!
Good luck on your transition, and do hope you are on the road to a rapid and strong recovery.
posted on November 6, 2003 11:36:10 PM new
Hi Shamoy, Just a quick tip on something I noticed: Usually people are looking for ONE particular size. Noticed you have combined sizes 12/14/16 in your alfred dunner auction.
You might do better to seperate the pieces, start low and try to make some money on the shipping. Non-new clothing doesn't go for a whole lot on ebay, unless its as Fluffy said the ultra designer or vintage.
posted on November 7, 2003 06:25:59 AM new
as women asses get bigger and broader,extra size panties do sell well on ebay.
some men claim they like women with big fat ass!!
but not all ebay bidders are looking for panties,your clothes are nice and conservative,and the pictures are good.
your description gives me the impression you are a honest seller .
but i just wonder are these office worker clothes??and if so,do office workers want to wear other people's clothes as they make enough money to buy new ones>?
just a question from inquring mind.
-sig file -------The thrill is gone!!
posted on November 7, 2003 12:45:30 PM new
Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions, I have printed them out and will make some changes in the future. While reading thru eBay's forums I noticed that a lot of sellers are experiencing low sales at this time so I guess it's not just me. Of course it doesn't help us much when the media is out there screaming about the scams, the ripoffs and bad sellers that some people have experienced.....that kind of media attention hurts us good & honest sellers too.
Fortunately for me I am able to find good quality clothing at very reduced prices so that is how I can make money off of the sale of these items. To be honest, most people are anxious to clean their closets and be rid of their clothing to make way for more so they just give most items away or tell me $5.00 for a bag full....just get them out of here!
pat1959, I appreciate your comments as a buyer. (Your listings are certainly clean and sharp and get right to the point. Something most of us buyers really appreciate!) That is what I aim to do but don't ever hear any feedback from my customers. It's nice to hear it once in a while! THANKS!
Well....now on to my changes...thanks again for all of the comments. You don't learn unless you ask questions. Have a good day and happy selling....and bidding!
Shamoy
