Need some Ebay advice

[Todd Luck]

Hey guys looking for some advise for selling on ebay:

1. What's the best day and time to end an auction?

2. It's best to put an item on for 7 days, right?

3. I have maybe 5 or 6 feedbacks (I have both buying and selling). It's a hundred percent positive, but will the low feedback hurt the amount of bidders I get?

4. Are their any other tricks to getting the most money possible on selling?

Thanks for any help.

[magnusr]

Hey guys looking for some advise for selling on ebay:

1. What's the best day and time to end an auction?

Most auction seem to end Sunday evening US time. For us europeans that's however a bad time. Sniping should in the future make this less of an issue.

2. It's best to put an item on for 7 days, right?

Right. Or possibly 5.

3. I have maybe 5 or 6 feedbacks (I have both buying and selling). It's a hundred percent positive, but will the low feedback hurt the amount of bidders I get?

Yes.

4. Are their any other tricks to getting the most money possible on selling?

Thanks for any help.

Be knowledgable and service-minded. Make a clear and understandable item description without too much clutter. Accept foreign bidders and multiple payment methods. Plus some hype, without exagerating.

Good luck.

/Magnus

[k_c_collectibles]

Magnusr hit it right on the head with his answers to all your questions. As long as you make your customers happy your feedback will grow as well as your repeat customer base. I have customers who have bought from me for a LONG time now because I do what it takes to make them happy.

Remember - happy customers are REPEAT customers...
Chris

[Todd Luck]

3. I have maybe 5 or 6 feedbacks (I have both buying and selling). It's a hundred percent positive, but will the low feedback hurt the amount of bidders I get?

Yes.

Is their any way around that? Or do i just have to accept that i'm not going be able to get the max amount of money out of my items until I've built up feedback?

What's a good level of feedback?

[k_c_collectibles]

Personally, I don't USUALLY buy from someone who has less than 50. That is unless they have something I REALLY need. They I hem and haw about it for a while.

Just my $.02,
Chris

[Sect]

also try to not be unreasonable as far as shipping goes.

offer the appropriate amount of shipping.

[davidb]

also try to not be unreasonable as far as shipping goes.

offer the appropriate amount of shipping.

Also, don't try and trick people with your shipping prices. Found some later books I needed all from the same seller. $.01 buy it now. Okay... I checked the shipping - $5.99. Then I notice it's media mail. Still, I'm thinking that I'll buy several and make up the difference. Then I read their shipping description - "NO shipping discount for multiple items purchased." That killed the deal for me. I'd rather have the holes in my collection then get ripped off like that.

Basically, it's like everybody's been saying - if you treat people fair, word will get out and you'll do well. Just always remember - if you don't treat people fairly, well, that word gets out, too.

David B.

[x-omatic]

I would add the following:

1) Try to provide good images with your auction. (don't use someone elses image)

2) Try to describe any damage that affects the grade of the book.

3) State shipping up front.

[KO2003]

To me the number one thing is to auction off items that people want. You might want to do research on an item before you place it up for auction. Not everything will sell on ebay not matter how great your feedback is or how much you hype up your item. If the supply is high then the demand will be low. You know, basic economics. The worst thing is ebay gets paid regardless. :x

[daydreamscomics]

also try to not be unreasonable as far as shipping goes.

offer the appropriate amount of shipping.

Also, don't try and trick people with your shipping prices. Found some later books I needed all from the same seller. $.01 buy it now. Okay... I checked the shipping - $5.99. Then I notice it's media mail. Still, I'm thinking that I'll buy several and make up the difference. Then I read their shipping description - "NO shipping discount for multiple items purchased." That killed the deal for me. I'd rather have the holes in my collection then get ripped off like that.

Basically, it's like everybody's been saying - if you treat people fair, word will get out and you'll do well. Just always remember - if you don't treat people fairly, well, that word gets out, too.

David B.

people do that so:

1) their listing fee is lower
2) the final ebay comission % is lower, since they don't take shipping costs into effect.

so yeah, basically that guy is a dried up stinky d!ck licker

[depluto]

Personally, I don't USUALLY buy from someone who has less than 50. That is unless they have something I REALLY need. They I hem and haw about it for a while.

Just my $.02,
Chris

Nice use of "hem and haw."

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Personally, I don't USUALLY buy from someone who has less than 50. That is unless they have something I REALLY need. They I hem and haw about it for a while.

Just my $.02,
Chris

Nice use of "hem and haw."

Next thing you know, he's gonna be a'fussin' an a'fuedin'....

[dickybendy]

Definately shipping cost. I dont see the use in getting an extra buck or 2. I look at an auction and if the shipping is too high , I usually wont bid. Not that the $1 would make a difference, but its the principle. I also look for people who combine shipping. K_C_collectibles does this and its like a shopping spree. Since Im already getting that book , might as well but that one .......and that one......ooooooh I need that one.

And I keep going back

thats what you want. Squeezing an extra dollar out of someone and having them not feel great about the purchase will lose you a repeat customer.

Another thing to look for is other similar auctions. check the prices , see if there are bids already. I always laugh when I see someone selling something for 30-40% higher than everyone else. A little research goes a long way.

get your feedback number up too, It takes some time but it is a nice security blanket for people.

finally dont be dissappointed if something sells for less than you thought, it happens .......and it works the other way too.

[Peter Parker]

Todd,

here is ol' Peter's thoughts, and opinions for you regarding a sellers life on Ebay!

The math of life should tell you that sheer numbers will eventually make a bad experience, and a negative response from those that feel "cheated" by you in some way, for whatever personal reasons they do following whatever the engagment (its not always legitimate, nor logical)

With that said, feedback on Ebay is a waste of time, and a scandalous tool of intimidation used by BOTH buyers and sellers. Granted, a higher feedback score is desired (by both buyers and sellers) and is a DECENT reflection of your practice as a member on Ebay. However, feedback is FAR from perfect, is NOT a necessary tool in order to sustain a solid reputation on Ebay, nor is it a COMPLETE reflection of everything a seller is about.

It helps, certainly, but by NO means is it paramount to success, nor acceptence on Ebay. A few examples, one personal the other factual. Take for example....oh, Ebay seller "highgrade60's" (they should PAY me for that free plug ) a "high" volume Ebay dealer. I believe they have a 98.7% feedback score, but when you look at the details, you see something like 90 negative responses, which at first glance looks rather poor. When one looks closer, you then see they have sold 16 THOUSANDS items... literally, on Ebay, and the MATH simply dictates they would have bad experiences sooner or later. I have bought from these guys for YEARS, straight forward professionals, no desire to rip anyone off, they don't have to...but I know people that will say:

"Bry, they have like...100 negs bro' i can't buy from them" oh really? A nice personal experience that I can offer up to play devils advocate to something one of the members wrote about earlier.

I remember about 4 years back (I was 9 months into my Ebay introduction ) when I see a book I needed and WANTED...badly. An X-Men#10 graded by the SELLER as a "raw" 9.2 using Overstreet standards he wrote

Well, I was all ready to drop my dime on this book when I take a gander at the guys feedback score...10 I stop for a minute to cry, then I regain composure, and decide to write the guy. He tells me he JUST joined up on Ebay to sell his 30 years run of Comic books, and that he was sorry if his feeback score made me nervous, but there wasn't anything he could do about that, except to offer me a return of funds if not pleased.

Know what? I jumped...and to this day, I have NO DOUBT I won the book for a paltry $155.00 because MANY people felt they wouldn't/couldn't bid on a seller with such a low feedback score So, got the book, sent it to CGC, it returned a CGC NM 9.4 Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihaaaaaaaaaaaaa

SO, the message here is something ANOTHER member mentioned above, it ultimately boils down to the product you're selling, and how you treat the people you sell to. Also, the way you "market" your auction (that's a must a skill ALL good sellers practice) and a "creative text" to go along with it.

In addition, remember the "reputation" you attain on Ebay doesn't really add up to much to be honest. Just look at "Comic-Keys" on Ebay the guy is a KNOWN FELON (true) gets called out all the time, sent nasty emails, and is insulted, and badmouthed on the CGC boards everyday. Yet, if he's such a bad seller, and unscrupulous person, then why STILL do his auctions get TOP dollar paid? AND still have a 99.2% feedback score?

TWO big reasons, he has the best scans on Ebay (hands down), and still has over 700 happy customers. Add to those, the bottomline is MOST collectors can't grade...PERIOD! So sellers take advantage of that ignorance and sell nicely on Ebay all night long, with nary a complaint.

The MAIN thing as a BUYER I look for on a sellers auction page is ONE thing...100% return policy! I will buy from ANYONE (within reason) that offers such, and has a feedback PROVING such. Because as my X-Men tale shows you, you can miss out on some AWESOME deals taking a chance here and there with LOW feedback sellers.

Lastly, as for the best time to put auctions up I'd say this...if you're willing to spend the xtra 10cents, and can wait a bit longer...try a 10 day auction. On THURSDAY evenings if you do a 10 day, you get two weekends for your auction to list, and we ALL know books sell on the weekends better. Given the schedule, and work of most bidders, weekdays are sometimes more difficult However, if its a 7 day listing, my opinion is it doesn't make a bit of difference when the book is up

[Peter Parker]

WOW!!!

That may have been my longest post ever on ValiantComics.com...no, actually my longest post...anywhere I believe

ZWH style

[Todd Luck]

WOW!!!

That may have been my longest post ever on ValiantComics.com...no, actually my longest post...anywhere I believe

ZWH style

Thanks for the advice . Never even thought about a return policy.

Thanks to everyone else too