posted on February 14, 2004 08:58:07 AM new
goooood morning;
i acquired a lot of two unused postcards...they are all 1c stamped railway express drayage cards..used to notify consignee of goods on hand at the depot..i surfed postcard category and found 14k+ auctions! rather competitive..however, what really came into focus is the "shipping/handling" gig..it cost 37c to put card in an envelope and mail..i found s/h from actual[rarely] to 1.75 for 2 cards..even found one auction, 19 cards with s/h 2.50...none of these auctions had bids either - but with same parameters, did have bids..
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i know some of your sell postcards..so, in asking the following questions, i hope i dont antagonize any1....[1] what is best minimm bid range, [2] does this s/h "sail" okay with bidders-ever get questioned?..[3]if my "put it in an envelope" attitude is facetious, i didnt mean it to sound so; how else do you mail them? ANNNNND,if i am asking too much about your marketing, i apologize!!!
posted on February 14, 2004 10:54:28 AM new
Hello
I occasionally sell cards. If they are cheapies, I put them in a stiffener within an envelope and ship either 37 or 60 cents (depends on weight). I charge $1.00 Worldwide. A light item rarly goes over .80 cents anywhere. Flat postal rates to customers is a customer convince that most prefer. Use usps.com to insure you don't LOOSE money on mailing lots. David
posted on February 14, 2004 11:09:05 AM new
I charge $1.50 s/h for postcards (unlimited combinations of orders). I rarely (Maybe three times in the 7000+ I have sold) get complaints about the s/h.
You don't want to just place the cards in envelopes!! Collectors are willing to spend the money to make sure they are protected properly. Ironic since they were made to go through the mail unprotected! LOL
When I started selling, I cut up corrugated cardboard and placed the pc between two layers and wrapped in saran wrap to protect from elements and leaky mailboxes. Postage was 60 cents and the mailer another 25 cents and my time expended to cut up all that cardboard, as they say in the commercial, PRICELESS.
I then decided to place the cards in soft plastic sleeves and pack in cardboard photo mailers. My cost for the mailer was 40 cents (not sure about that- don't quite remember)..postage was 60 cents.
Then I started thinking about what a shame it was to spend so much for a mailer that would be ripped open and thrown away. I decided to ship the cards in rigid plastic sleeves - cost was about the same.
I now buy materials in quantity and my costs are usually less than they were (depending on the number of cards shipped).
I am losing my shirt on shipping foreign cards for $2.00 (buyers usually combine orders) I think I have to raise s/h to $2.50 or limit combinations on foreign orders.
If you are just selling a couple of cards, the cut up cardboard & saran wrap works swell.
posted on February 14, 2004 11:17:11 AM new
I also sell postcards and charge $1.50. Sometimes I have bidders ask if they can just send me a stamp. I tell them no because I would never just put a postcard in an envelope and mail.
With the rigid holder I put the postcards in and the invoice I send, postage is 60 cents. The envelope and holder adds another 25 cents. I have to admit the rest is handling.
But, I have never had a complaint and my feedback is filled with glowing remarks on "the best shipping yet" "wonderful packaging" "loved the postcard holder" etc.
Foreign is another matter. I will only ship air and it does cost almost $2.50 to ship so I actually don't even cover my expenses on them. Luckily, once I put the $2.50 in my listing for foreign I haven't had another foreign bidder Before that, I would have one or two a week even after I stated I didn't ship internationally.
posted on February 14, 2004 11:26:06 AM new
tanx for the input
i listed one for 1.30 s/h..with .99 start...then i estimatd my possible cost.
insert, 30c, vendio, 20c, comisn, 12c, usps, 37c, thats a buck..that doesnt include paypal...
which leads me to my next question???...i've never tried to delete paypal from my auction, but can it be removed from your auction? i know how to shortcut vendio..
while this may be a small item sell, it appears to me, to require a lot of work..i accessed some auctions with multiple ebay images, etc. i know first is free, but after that it "shore aint free."
again, tanx for the input...
myoldtoy
[ edited by myoldtoy on Feb 14, 2004 11:27 AM ]
posted on February 14, 2004 11:38:48 AM new
Hardly seems worth it does it? The 99 cents starting price usually doesn't work so well with postcards BTW..you very well may sell it for that price and chances are postage (if the item is protected as it should be) will be 60 cents and not 37 cents. I would make certain that you state in your description, in BIG letters, that you do not accept paypal on this item if the paypal box is checked. I should add that I don't know anything about the type of card you are selling so can't say what a good starting listing price would be.
posted on February 14, 2004 12:49:56 PM new
You are right, you can't make any money selling anything for a dollar these days unless you charge extremely high shipping as some do to make up the difference.
And, for bulk lots. It does cost over $2.00 to ship 19 if they are the older heavier stock. I put these in bubble mailers protected by two pieces of cardboard and I charge $2.50 to $3.00 for the larger bulk listings. $2.00 for 5 to 10.
The minimum I start my postcards at is $3.99 and many I ask $6.99 for. I may not have as high a sell through rate as some who start theirs at $2.00 but think about it. I only have to sell half or a third as many to make as much
For some reason, I am getting many more people contacting me with "offers". This morning someone sent an email and stated:
Hi, I would like to offer you $2 for the card:
XXXXXXXXXX
Item number: XXXXXXX
I have a high rating. Please let me know. Thank you, ~XXXXX
Since I had a starting bid of $5.95 on this one I don't know why they thought I would sell it for $2? But, this is the third such "offer" I have received this week
I thanked them for their interest and then stated that would not even cover my expenses in purchasing and listing the postcard so I would be relisting it at some future date.
[ edited by lindajean on Feb 14, 2004 12:55 PM ]
posted on February 14, 2004 03:20:56 PM new
hi ljean:
..thanks for reply..i know it wont make me no money..especially one a sole card..i have a ton of them; so if it turns out to be a bummer auction, i am gonna dump in an auction somewhere..
..NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO agree about the "offers." this is the "changing face of ebay," that i often allude to..the new breed..ex: i had a set of berkey/gay louis xiv style chairs on ebay for $1200..you right! i got an offer,
"i am willing to pay $750, if you will pay the shipping." "please let me know."
and a ps: i am a serious bidder. i am gonna snipe $750 at the last minute.
..i dont mind telling you, i had a lot of trouble, keeping my passions in check..even on the keyboard...
posted on February 14, 2004 05:09:33 PM new
The thing about postcards is that you usually only get 1 bidder. That's because they appeal to one indivdiual person who wants that card for a specific reason. Very very few are true "collectible" cards.
So, if you start it at 99 cents, that is what that person will pay. But, if you start it at $4.95 or even $5.95 if it is one with some sentimental value or an older card, the same person will pay that for it as well.
And, people who list their postcards at $1.00 and $2.00 have only a slightly higher sell through rate than I do.
posted on February 14, 2004 07:49:16 PM new
One thing you might want to consider is setting up a second seller's account just for situations such as this. You could leave Paypal out of it and get a pay as you go account with Vendio. It would be a great place to experiment with items you're not familiar with and the low dollar items. It makes it a lot easier to track your p/l than to mix it in with your regular account. Just a thought.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
Before that, I would have one or two a week even after I stated I didn't ship internationally.