Ebayers?

[Lizzie]

I can't give any help because I've never bought or sold on ebay, but I do have some questions for those with experience if you don't mind broadening this thread? Tell me if you do, and I'll open a new one.

I would really like some input from those of you who have sold on ebay. For instance, how do you get a PayPal account? Since I'm a newbie, is it best for me to offer locally only so that people can see the items in person? What I want to sell is some Beatles memorabilia going back to the early 1960's. I have special magazines from their first trip to the US and, I think, one to Scandinavia, plus the very first editions of the Beatles magazine. Do you think anyone would be interested in a ticket stub from a 1963 Beatles concert?

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

For instance, how do you get a PayPal account?

Go to Paypal.com, create a log-in then create an account. They'll walk you through all the steps. You WILL have to give personal information that most people warn you about giving out over the internet, but just make sure the https: is at the beginning of the URL and you should be fine - I've never had any problems. As for getting started on Ebay, they offer a ton of info for newbies. I read through some of it, but I learn from doing so the best thing for me was to just jump in and start an auction! If I were you, I would save my Beatles stuff until you're a little more experienced. Start out with items you really don't care about just to see how it works. Also, if you want to get the most for your items, DON'T only offer them locally. I find most people will ask questions if they're unsure of what they're looking at through pictures, but most don't need to see the item in person. Although, you need to be honest when describing the item. Don't try and gloss over obvious flaws and make the buyer think he is getting a pristine item if it is not. Trust me, if they really want it they will take it, flaws or not.

A few months ago I started selling a ton of stuff on ebay. I started out with only 1 review, and that was a "buy" review so it really wasn't helpful now that I was selling. I didn't find that people were put off by that at all.

One word of advice. Put right in your listing that you will not end listings early so please don't ask. Until I did that, I was getting requests to end auctions early all the time. I started out with a low starting bid to get peoples interest....for example. One item I started bidding at $9.99. Almost immediately someone offered me $75.00 for the item. Thankfully, by that time I had wised up and told him no, even though it sounded like a fantastic price at that time. We ended up getting about $225.00 for the item, which made the $75.00 offer look pretty measly. So stick to your guns and don't end auctions early. There are much more savvy people out there just waiting to prey on the novice - don't be taken in! I could go on and on, but I too, don't want to hijack this thread.

Kim, don't you have a ghost living in your stairwell? I bed he'd bring a boatload of money!

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Kim,

to see if anyone is "Watching" your auction, click on " My eBay". When the page loads you will have menus down the left hand side:

All Buying
All Selling
Want It Now
My Messages etc etc

Click on All Selling, then on the auction listing. There should be info there which tells you if anyone it watching the item. If people are watching it, it usually means:

a) they want a reminder close to the closing of the auction and so may be a serious bidder, or
b) they are selling, or considering selling a similar item and are curious as to the price you will get.

[slick]

I'm very new to ebay and I only buy. I have learned to watch an item closely and right before it ends, I bid and hopefully be the winner among the millions of others doing the same thing.

[auggie]

Your shipping charges are not too high.
Shipping rates are based on weight and distance. (Fuel surcharges are included)
For example: The UPS cost of a package weighing only 1 pound and shipping from TX to PA would be $6.36 and you would have to drop it off at a UPS location.
If you arrange for UPS to pick it up the package the cost would jump to $ 10.51.

Shipping the same 1 pound package just across town would cost me$ 5.52 at to lowest rate.

Btw. Congratulations on your future grandchild!
I guess we can start calling you grandma now.

[Lizzie]

If I were you, I would save my Beatles stuff until you're a little more experienced. Start out with items you really don't care about just to see how it works.

Thank you for your advice, all of it was really helpful, and I've been thinking about what you said above. I have a few signed etchings that a downtown gallery would not take to sell because they are by an East Coast artist that isn't much recognized here. I'll get my feet wet with those. One more question, when you put down a base price, do you have to sell for that price if that's the only offer you get? So, you should put in a lowish but reasonable price to start with? For instance, the etchings cost me $100-$150 when I bought them 20 years ago. I doubt if they are worth much more than that now. If I put, let's say, $40 as a starting price on them, would that look reasonable?

This is a very useful thread, thank you for starting it, Kim ,and good luck with your sale.

[LoudLou]

Re: Shipping Costs---

With our business we ship almost everyday. A lot of times, believe or not, Fed-Ex, DHL, or UPS is better, faster, more secure and sometimes cheaper than US Postal... However- Shippers are now charging a Fuel Surcharge because of the high cost of gas. So anyway you look at it Shipping is always exspensive. Be sure to check the shipping before you bid. Sometimes you get what you pay for. Fed-ex may be a few dollars more but they have a great website and make tracking packages easy.

Case in point: I have 2 HUGE road cases in my living room. I at 5'10" can almost stand up straight in them! We bought them off Ebay for $25.00 each. Great buy. However we also understood that the Freight bill on them would make the total purchase price more like $500.oo... but I wanted them.

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Thank you for your advice, all of it was really helpful, and I've been thinking about what you said above. I have a few signed etchings that a downtown gallery would not take to sell because they are by an East Coast artist that isn't much recognized here. I'll get my feet wet with those. One more question, when you put down a base price, do you have to sell for that price if that's the only offer you get? So, you should put in a lowish but reasonable price to start with? For instance, the etchings cost me $100-$150 when I bought them 20 years ago. I doubt if they are worth much more than that now. If I put, let's say, $40 as a starting price on them, would that look reasonable?

This is a very useful thread, thank you for starting it, Kim ,and good luck with your sale.

You have two options to make sure that you get a minimum price:

Either specify that figure as the Starting Price, or
List the items with a reserve. This is not visible to the bidders, it will just say " reserve not met" until someone bids over that figure. When I do this, I usually say in the text of my ad " Reasonable Reserve" or "Low Reserve" to encourage people to bid.

Placing a reserve DOES affect your listing fees, so add up the costs carefully before deciding how to list your item.


Also, RE EXTORTIONATE SHIPPING FEES as Donna experienced, you can report sellers who are overcharging on shipping and selling the item for a very low price to eBay. It is a way for them to circumvent paying the correct listing fees - when an item sells, you are billed by eBay a percentage of the selling price, EXCLUDING shipping, so dishonest sellers use this trick to circumvent eBay fees.