What I've Learned about eBay

Well, after wasting $7 to list some shit on eBay, I've come to the conclusion that if you actually want to sell anything on eBay, unless it's a highly sought after item, you have to be willing to take it up the ass on the price.

I listed some shit on eBay (I had a thread in the selling forum linking to my shit), just because I needed some money and it was shit I didn't need anymore (I say shit, but it was all in great condition). I listed it for generally $2 less than retail, EVEN after shipping that's on the books, and quite a bit under retail on the DVDs I listed (minus Witch Hunter Robin, I actually thought I could sell it at the same cost, after shipping, that I paid for it, boy was I fucking wrong).

The only thing that sold at a price I wanted? My old Nomad Jukebox was sold for $50. How did it get sold for $50? Because my $50 BIN was at LEAST $30 under what other people wanted. I originally paid $250 for it, the HDD crashed, I replaced it, it crashed again and I replaced it with a used one just to get rid of it. Had I asked what the normal going rate for one on eBay, I'm sure it would have still been in my pile of shit to be sold.

I had between 15-50 views on my shit, yet no one bid.

So basically if you want to be a successful seller (I'm talking about people who just want to sell stuff, not people who have connections to wholesale prices and shit on stuff, like most power sellers, I'm talking "normal" people), you need to start your auction at like $.50 and not expect much more than $1 on the shit you sell, even if it's worth 10X+ that.

So, after reading all that bullshit, anyone know where I can successfully sell some Manga and some DVDs? I'd like to make my money back on the WHR disc, but don't mind losing $2 or so on my Manga (that is basically brand new, never opened shit)?

i'd like to know also.
getting tired of all the b.s. from using Ebay.

I know,I just finished selling some cd's in sets of 2,and only one finished more than the $1 that I placed them at,and that was $3.50.I basically sold 6 cds for $5.50!
I could have sold them for more than that at the local used cd store.

YOu've gotta start your auctions out like at an eighth of what you'd expect them to go for. Do you have pictures? You've gotta make the title totally searchable.

People get passionate about their bidding, you've gotta get them involved. If they originally think they're getting a huge deal, they fight to keep it, even if it becomes not so much of a deal anymore. No one will start out like that.

For example, one time I listed a Final Fantasy Tactics original, started it out at 49.99 (i saw many going for around 60 or 70). I thought I'd just cut through the BS. NO BIDDERS, NOT ONE. I then relisted as $4.99 Sold for 70 bucks. Go figure.

AnechoicJinx said:

For example, one time I listed a Final Fantasy Tactics original, started it out at 49.99 (i saw many going for around 60 or 70). I thought I'd just cut through the BS. NO BIDDERS, NOT ONE. I then relisted as $4.99 Sold for 70 bucks. Go figure.

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Why doesn't that surprise me at all? It's the same mentality I see everywhere though. Generally though people are just some cheap bastids is the case. Even if you try and make it as affordable or as reasonable as possible (your product) people always go the "Hook me up dawg" route. I have stayed away from EBAY as a seller simply for the reasons Slerch666 stated and that you have also further elaborated on. It's a good place to buy but I wouldn't sell there, though my wife wants to. It's better to just make a website sort of like what Matt Boehland has here @ Wolf Games or how Carlson (16-Bits) used to have Mad-Gear.Com set up before the website just directed you to his EBAY area. *The hard part is just getting people to know that you're there. Right now I'm just trying to liquidate my MEGADRIVE stuff in "Everything Else" and more or less priced stuff a hell of a lot cheaper than what I bought them at from stores or on EBAY... still it's a slow process though.

I guess this is the nature of business though... it can't be avoided. What I don't sell on the boards in my threads will eventually find it's way to the official Depot M99 website in the near future where everything from video games, to knives, military memrobilia, guns, posters, toys you name it will be up for grabs via Money Order or PAYPAL. *To bad there really isn't a "Great" alternative to EBAY though.

MERCENARY X99

Ebay is pretty dumb. If you're selling something common, be prepared to not get any cash for it. If you're selling something uncommon or rare, expect to get an assload of money for it. The catch is, don't have a BIN. I recently listed my DC SF3:TS and thought about putting a $50 BIN, but decided against it and just put it at $1 with no reserve and it shot all the way up to $86. I mean, a sealed one went for $78 a few weeks before I put mine up so I had no idea it would go that high. All it takes is 2 people interested in your auction to take part in a bid war to get the price up high. I think it's luck on that though.

On the flipside, I sold off a lot of my Dragonball card doubles/triples/etc on ebay about 2 years ago. I had a BIN of $50 on each set that was the same (didn't post at the same time though, but 3 identical sets). First one I post had the BIN used within a few hours. Second one somebody placed a bid, and it went all the way up to $115. Third one I relisted 2 times before it ended at $90, but the guy didn't pay, so I offered it to the next highest bidder for $75, but he talked me down to the $50 BIN price. I was tired of relisting and having so much trouble so I went ahead and agreed.

It's all about timing, and getting the right idiots, I guess.

Just do what everyone else does, scam on the shipping.

Syxx573 said:

Just do what everyone else does, scam on the shipping.

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I resent that bro. I ship UPS GROUND w. Confirmation Number in almost every case. And the S&H charges I ask are usually about 3 to 4 dollars less than what I end up paying to send it. Personally I'm interested in the "Bulk" of a sell meaning I want to get rid of something and charge say 25 bucks for a game and ask 6 bucks S&H, that comes out to = $31.00. When I go to my Mail Center USA and have them package it up and send it UPS Ground, it'll come out to $8.50 or so in S&H, but since I got the "Bulk" of what I wanted off the game and got money in my wallet already... I don't mind paying $2.50 out my pocket to make sure the parcel gets where it needs to go and that the customer is satisified. For me it's more of a hobby, I collect stuff and when I get bored with it (since the world is a sham anyhow and all this is is distractions until the next World War or Revolution, which can't come fast enough IMO)... as long as I've got a cycle of money coming in, I don't mind a buck or two here actually helping make sure the package is getting where it's going. And when you look at it. Say I paid $250.00 for a game before shipping on EBAY... now a year later I don't play it anymore then decide to sell it. I don't want to rip anyone off like that, and I just want some CASH now! ...So I sell it for $65.00 + $6.00 S&H = $71.00 Shipped... I pay in actuality $8.50 at best S&H meaning I made me a quick $63 or 62 something. That's fast money. Both sides are happy, and I know that unless someone is a freggin' die-hard collector of something they wouldn't buy at no starting price of $120 so I don't even bother.

...so all I'm saying is that not everyone in this world is out to rip someone off man. If it would happen once in awhile that the shipping was less than I asked it would be just "justice" in the sense that more often than not I pay the difference on the S&H charges to make sure the customer gets their shit, and by UPS someone has to sign for it so there's no bullshit down the road saying they didn't get it. I live in the moment and wheeler deal... I'm not in it for some life long business.

MERCENARY X99

Haha, I'm just kidding, but it's true that some people overdo it, don't you think? Like back when I was selling my Saturn stuff, I didn't charge a dime for shipping, the end price was the shipped price because I can afford some change for an envelope and a dollar or so to send it.

I do what Wes said. I start the bidding really low, and don't put a BIN on it. I set a reserve for this auction, but it was low and it was met by the 3rd bid! I'm really happy with how high it is already, and it still has over 5 hours to go.

I think that if people can start out low, they will be willing to go higher. That is how I am. If an auction starts at 40 bucks, I will pass. However, if that same item starts at 1 dollar, I will bid for sure. Then someone else will bid, and we will eventually drive it up to at least 40 anyway People want to see a potential deal to begin with!

Anyway, sorry about your auctions slerch, I know you could have used the cash. Better luck next time if you re-list.

Q-

That is why it is an auction site.

not that it contributes much to the discussion, but i only "ebay"
if I see bin auctions.
I myself dislike waiting on end of auctions and getting snipped.
sorry to hear you didn't get much though.
I'm surprised that stuff (anime) could even sell really with
all the bootleg vcd and dvds out there.

Or you could sit at the feet of the master...


Kenny Boy!

See, I do what people are "supposed" to do when they buy off eBay, I bid what I am willing to pay. If it's $60 and the price only goes to $10, I feel I made a good deal. If I bid $60 and it goes to $60, I paid what I wanted for it. If it goes above $60, then I didn't need it anyway. On a RARE few occasions, I will put what I am willing to pay, but at the end of the auction, if it looks like it's only going $2-$5 more than what I wanted to pay, I'll put a bid in within the last 10 minutes (assuming I'm awake for it anyway). That's a VERY rare occassion and it has to be something I REALLY want though.

The problem, after talking to one of the guys at work, he'll only bid on something if he thinks he's getting a good deal on it. Meaning if he's bidding on something that's going for $100 at retail, he won't pay more than $70 for it on eBay because he thinks that's the way it's supposed to be. That's his impression, and the same impression a lot of people have with eBay. I, on the other hand, looked at my auctions as if I were bidding, as long as it wasn't more than I would have pay for it on a BIN, then I thought it was good.

So is it worth relisting without a BIN but with a reserve? Does eBay wave the fees if you relist but put a reserve up? If they don't wave the fees when it sells the second time and you've already paid the original listing fees, then fuck them. I'll hold my shit or throw it in the trash or treat it like freebies for people when I DO sell something (I'm sure someone would LOVE to get the WHR 1 LE for free sometime...)

"Supply and demand" is a bitch.

If you're not happy with the lack of action on your goods, why not try selling them on an anime-related message board (ie: greater demand).

This is pretty funny.

The only item I decided to relist was Witch Hunter Robon LE.

Here's the auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3387743397&category=41524&sspagename=STRK%3AMESSE%3AIT&rd=1

I put the original bid at $30, no reserve and no BIN option. Some mother fucker bid within the first 12 hours, unheard of in ANY auction I've ever done. (minus that cheap ass Nomad Jukebox) Because the starting bid was so fucking low, I've also had a SHITLOAD of people looking at the auction.

Now, because someone thought they were getting as deal, the bid price has gone above what I had set as the starting bid the last time ($40). Had someone had 1/2 a fucking brain, they could have had it, by bidding the last time, for $40. Now the person who wins is paying at least $41 for it.

Totally illogical.

So, I guess I have to thank you guys for your recommendations.