posted on January 7, 2004 01:26:36 PM new
Not sure if this has been discussed before, but does anyone have any opinions on this?
I got the recent AuctionBytes newsletter that was talking about a couple companies that have real stores that offer this service. One even offered francise opportunity (i-soldit.com), though it seems like doing that on your own would not be hard.
Anyone have opinions on the Trading Assistant program?
Seth
posted on January 9, 2004 03:05:45 PM new
I too have been thinking about opening a store front here in Southern California. It seems rather simple and since I could use the extra room to do my auctions I would not mind moving into a store front. However the cost of opening a store is not as inexpensive as I thought. I am still working towards the store front and am looking to have one opened in time for Xmas next year.
Other than that you can always do this from home. I just think that a retail front would be better to attract clients.
posted on January 9, 2004 03:17:26 PM new
I have done it on several occasions with mixed success. Once tried to sell a Lear Jet that was in Lithuania. Had a bid of $460,000.00, but the seller wanted $550,000.00 & wouldn't budge.
posted on January 9, 2004 03:21:21 PM new
I signed up to be a trading assistant about a year or two ago. Got a flaky call from a lady 40 miles away; when I returned her message, she'd already decided to do something different. I canceled my TA information and decided to forget the whole thing. Then two months ago a lady in our town called me; she has stuff, can I look, etc. I said sure, just call me when you know what time I should come by. Never heard from her again. Called her a month later, and she'd be delayed, not up to it right now, etc. etc. I asked her how she'd heard of me and she had written my number down when I was still registered as a TA, lost the number, went to look for it again and my name wasn't registered anymore in that program but then she found the number she'd written down--etc. etc. yadda yadda yadda. I threw away her phone number because I'm sure I"ll never hear from seriously.
I'll bet there are people who are doing gangbusters on this, putting up notices on bulletin boards, etc. I still have a room full of Ebay stuff to sell so I'm not as gung ho as some may be.
___________________________________
"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
posted on January 9, 2004 03:52:19 PM new
ninerfanzz: Yes, that's a tempting thought, isn't it? I don't know if the retail space in SoCal is as cheap as it is here at the moment...probably less as our prices tend to be about 20% higher.
I concluded I really didn't want to deal with someone else's stuff, I just wanted the extra room.
There is a local company that is opening new stores all the time: Auction Drop. They'll sell your stuff but they charge a hefty commission. They've had to revamp their fee schedule a couple of times now so I wonder how well they are really doing. They started with a big chunk of seed capital and I think that to date that is what is fueling their growth, not their eBay revenues.
posted on January 9, 2004 03:56:44 PM new
Auctiondrop appears to be doing rather well as far as I can see. Apparently they have about 75 employees at the moment and have a 20,000 sq ft facility. I read that even Meg Whitman herself went to Auctiondrop and had them sell a few items for her.
I know they are coming to the LA area and I am just hoping not into my area of LA. Anyone know if and how would you pay for taxes if youre selling someone elses items?
posted on January 9, 2004 03:59:03 PM new
The one plus that I see in becoming a full time TA is that you dont have to constantly look for products and the investment is 0 as far as product goes. People are bringing YOU the items and you make money if it sells. If it doesnt you can just give them back their item and charge them the fees that you were charged. No risk involved. You gotta love that.
posted on January 9, 2004 04:51:53 PM newYou gotta love that.
Well, if you're having trouble sourcing merchandise, selling other people's would be easier, I guess.
they have about 75 employees at the moment and have a 20,000 sq ft facility.
Heh-heh. I've been there, if it's the original San Carlos location they're talking about. Hear that hollow echo? It looked to be 98% empty. They were only running a couple hundred auctions a week. Even now they only have 446 auctions up. That's nothing; little old one-employee me has 354 open auctions under one id now. And I'm not running full-page ads in local newspapers exhorting potential consignees.
Industrial space is dirt cheap here right now. Whole office towers are standing vacant.
posted on January 9, 2004 08:22:16 PM new
I am currently selling for two people. One guy hits the garage sales, estate sales and then the thrift stores everyday. He brings things he finds and even writes the descriptions most of the time, which I refine somewhat. I get 20% off the ending price and he pays all fees. He is easy to deal with and brings fair priced items with some larger $200-$300 at times. He buys what he knows will sell so that really helps.
A woman I just recently started selling for is very sweet but can't understand why her items won't sell for book price. I have tried to explain that but she won't budge on prices. She doesn't need the money apparently so I just sell what she will turn lose of. I charge her 15% plus fees.
So far both have turned a profit but in a way I think it almost isn't worth it, with the woman anyway. By the time I do the research and discover what it will sell, or not sell for, I have wasted at least 20 mins. or more.
I am think about running an ad in the local paper for selling items but haven't decided yet. If you could find a people with items that would sell for at least $50 and up it would be a breeze for the most part.
ninerfanzz````````
On the tax thing you just show the profit, or %, you made from the sale. When you get into the other expenses that is a little more complicated. I won't bother breaking down the Vendio fees and ebay fees (theirs vs. mine)for tax. If I ever get audited again then I'll worry about it. Which by the way when I was audited years ago all the IRS guy looked at in my big pile of papers were the deposits and what I claimed on taxes. I have to explain why they were different.
posted on January 9, 2004 11:11:56 PM new
I sometimes think it might be worthwhile to set up a storefront that helps people sell their own stuff on eBay.
You know, have a couple of rows of computers, some scanners, a digital camera set up on a stand, a couple of printers. Prices would be a la carte.
That way you could stay out of the pricing business.
