OT - Buying/Selling on eBay

[jd-tom]

I have a question to pose to anyone out there that buys or sells on ebay. I sell quite a bit of brochures, manuals and the like on ebay during the winter. With all the wet weather preventing me from farming right now, I have been researching what is for sale there right now in the categories I list in. I have always posted my items in the auction-style format, but it is surprising to me how many items are now a fixed-price listing, not near as many auction listings as there used to be. Now my questions - is this because you (the buyer) prefer to purchase an item right away when you find it (as opposed to waiting for an auction to end to see if you won or not)? Or is it because the seller has better luck selling this way? Or is it that ebay's fee structure is such that it is cheaper to post and sell an item this way rather than in the auction format? I know that the base philosophy of ebay has changed radically since its beginnings (and not for the better, IMHO) but after all is said and done it is still the cheapest way for me as a seller to get the items I want to sell out in a global market. I just want to post my items there in the format that the majority of buyers want, while at the same time maximizing my profit margin on the item. Maybe that's not possible anymore?

 

[John B.]

I use to sell movie tapes on ebay. First I sold them auction style then I averaged the price out versus the quanity sold then I started selling them at a fixed price. It made it easier because all I had to do is check my emails instead of logging on to my ebay account. When the items sold you always get an email.

 

[JOCCO]

Ebay is off because of the economy. 2. I do not belive that stores, bin or what ever work as good as an auction. Not sure about selling in lots or volume (like 12 books vice 1).

 

[LAA]

I mostly use buy it now for manuals, if I need the manual I know how much I will pay. I used to look on e-bay first and now last because of all the rules and changes. I bid on some brochures and magazines that I just want to read or collect.

 

[dmiller]

I sell quite a bit on ebay. I use the buy it now feature because it is simpler, more convenient. I'm not sure that the profit is better (ebay taking a smaller cut) or not. It is far less time consuming for me though and since my business is just a hobby/sideline to support my haying habit often time is worth more than another 5-10% profit potential.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I personally like the auction type listings as most buy-it-now items are usually overpriced for the item. With an auction you can bid what you want to pay, which actually sets the value. I usually never get a taker when selling on a buy-it-now, even though I am considerbly lower than other like items. That's my experience for the last 6 years.

 

[Steve in MN]

I've noticed more buy it now's also. I don't purchase a lot on ebay, probably a couple items a month. I personally like the auction style much better and try to avoid the buy it now's. In my opinion many of the fixed listings are overpriced and an auction style sale is a better indicator of fair market value. Not many good deals to be had on those fixed priced listings. But, again I'm a buyer not a seller.

 

[bo]

Can't stand the buy it now feature. I like auction....I can get a good buy there and if I don't, so what. The buy it now is often more expensive than what I can do shopping around on the internet. I've bought stuff on Amazon cheaper than buy it now. I don't even like going on Ebay, the little guy with the one item seems to have disappeared and it is all stores now.
Nope...don't like one bit.

 

[DickL]

I like both. I like the auction for tractor related or other items that I am not in a hurry for but when I am tooling a job on the tool room and I find a used tool that is much cheaper than I can get new from the supply house and I need it quick I go for the (buy it now) if it is there rather than hang around to try to get it cheaper yet thru the auction.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Farmer Brown drives 50 miles to a farm auction.
He looks over the inventory and finds everything from soup to nuts.
Many misc. things of interest on the flatbed wagons.
A number of household items.
Many shop tools, lawn and garden stuff, livestock supplies and equipment from fence posts to a working tub.
Machinery lineup looks pretty interesting too.
Some junk but mostly well cared for iron.
Some of it is antique, some of it is vintage machinery, and some of it is late model stuff, and some of it is nearly new.
So everything from an antique garden tiller to a $200,000 combine. There's for sure something here for everyone.
Now the auction starts and what is going on?
Only every third item is being sold.
1/3 of the items didn't sell because the owner had the auctioneer start the bid at a set price that was too high and nobody bid. (Buy-it-now)
Another 1/3 of the items didn't sell because even though items were bid on by many bidders and the top bidder should have received the item, the owner had a reserve set and made a no sale at the last minute. (Reserve Price).
Now I ask you folks, how many of the guys would want to be Farmer Brown at that sale and how many of you would ever attend an auction from that auctioneer again?
This is what ebay has done to their auctions.
In an effort to extract as much money as possible from the sellers, they have given him the reserve price and the buy it now tools to get him to list every worthless piece of junk from his garage without the risk of giving it away if no one bids on it. This wastes the time of the buyer and does not allow the market to find the price of an item and ruins the whole concept of the auction format as it was intended and therefore turns away more and more buyers as a result.

 

[Kruse]

I am using ebay less and less. Even though I have used it, I really hate the way they push their paypay payment system. Lately they have a little flag that directs your attention to their premium sellers and it"s just another thing that makes me want to stay away even more.

 

[cd1]

then buy don't buy from it or move to another country without a capitalist system. I get aggravated how everyone loves living in capitalism while they are selling but hates it when they are buying. Everyone thinks they are getting the shaft from someone. whatever, complete (and preferably mostly unregulated) capitalism the the best system in the world.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Quit buying on ebay in nov 08 because of paypal and snipe bidders.Ebay hides the snipers ID now.I bought books for my mail order sales list.Test equipment for my repair shop,tractor parts for resale.Bought a lot of stainless welding rod at very reasonable prices.I had about 135 buys when I quit.

 

[MarkB_MI]

For certain items, "buy it now" makes perfect sense. I buy replacement cell phones on eBay, and when I do I don't have time to wait for an auction to win. For a commodity item (that is, one that's just like a hundred other listings) it just makes sense to list it at the price you're willing to take.

 

[Greenday]

I myself like the buy it now if it is a fair price so If it is something I need quickly I dont have to wait for the auction to end

 

[Coloken]

Auction is for fun.
Buy it now is when I want something, know what I want and need it now. Usually its buy it now.
As for PayPal, that most of you seem to hate..It just last week saved me 165 dollars from a guy that would not ship my item, did not answer 3 E-mail from me. Pay Pal got his attention quick. I will not buy anything any more unless it is PayPal
KennyP

 

[Coloken]

Auction is for fun.
Buy it now is when I want something, know what I want and need it now. Usually its buy it now.
As for PayPal, that most of you seem to hate..It just last week saved me 165 dollars from a guy that would not ship my item, did not answer 3 E-mail from me. Pay Pal got his attention quick. I will not buy anything any more unless it is PayPal
KennyP

 

[Coloken]

The only reason you loose an item to a sniper is because you bid too low, did not want it as bad as he did, or try to steal it cheap. .

 

[Anonymous-0]

as a buyer and seller, I have found that selling in a store format but accepting best offers on everything allows a few things. You Usually get the going rate-as in top auction value for your items. I price them all according to my competition. What they price is my price. Usually much higher than the auction value. Sometimes I get more, sometimes i get less, but make the sale. The difference is an insurance for me. I can't list everything every week and risk taking the loss because there are in fact less bidders now on ebay. If the one person that wants what I have doesn't check ebay that week, I could be out 50-75% of my item value. Had that happen before and it doesn't make ebay worth my time to sell. However by running everything in the store 365 days a year, when that one person does find what they want when they want it, I can strike a deal, get fair auction value, and it seems like both sides win. Now Buying on the other hand, It is all a waiting game now. Very Very good deals are to be had, but patience is key. Less bidders and the isoldit stores are the gift to ebay. I've gotten better deals from the isoldit stores than anywhere else. They do Horrible listings, Can't properly identify anything they sell, and they like to do big lots. That translates for me into big big value. Now unfortunately the person who consigned those items is getting ROBBED. However they made the choice to use those clowns to sell their things. They could've done any number of things differently but thats the risk of selling on ebay. Myself I don't do any shady last minute bidding. I simply identify the value of what is listed to me. Then I bid that value once. If I get it, it's worth it, If not then that's ok, I didn't overbid. The same can be said for the buy it nows also. There are bad sellers out there that cannot properly identify what they are selling. They do the generic $25.00 listing price even though the item is valued to me as a seller at $150.00. Most of what I sell I buy on Ebay. Thats the game i guess. Some are just better players.

 

[Blueclawz]

I sell extensively on EBay - and honestly until something better comes along its worth the hassle!
1- you are showing your item to an international audience - the local farm sale or newspaper ad will never cover the ground that an effective Ebay listing can.
1.5- Shill bidders are also at farm sales - so don"t paint with too wide a brush on that one.
2- its REAL WORLD pricing...for those of you who do not understand -that is when something is worth what a buyer is willing to pay. I see more and more people using EBay like a virtual appraisal system...and honestly its pretty damn accurate!
3- Paypal although people cry up and down about it ,it works...as a seller I can contact my buyers to pay up..I get free insurance on shipping and the fees are part of the cost of business.
4 - EBay fees..its a cost of business. If you ever intend to sell something you need to account for the fact it costs money..even if you list in the local paper...take it to the farm sale or consignment.

The biggest push against EBay/PayPal started when the firearms parts and acces. were no longer allowed to be listed. Then Paypal started locking down accounts for utilizing the service to Xfer money for gun related transactions...well to that I say if you are stupid enough to list the contraband on the invoice you deserve to be shutdown. They are giving you the rules...now figure out a way to play by them...or around them!
If you think EBay/PayPal and now Craigslist are evil...then fine but at an average cost of 12% its worth it to weed out the tire kickers and time wasters...besides when the auction ends you have the buyers name..do some research call his house...

 

[S.Crum]

I have what I call a love/hate like of e-bay. I use it primarily to kick up interest in the slower months and to help launch new offerings from my shop. I often take a hosing on the profit margin but the parts get displayed to the public. I offer the BUY-IT-NOW option at the perceived price that I can make a decent buck on. I also list the part in the auction format starting at the break even price. I recently sold a stainless Cub muffler in this fashion. The starting price was $50.00 The buy it now price was $85.00. Listing this way if somebody really wants it they can jump on it. If they are just kicking tires they can bid on it competitively like anyone else. That muffler finally ended at $62.00. This also gives me a venue to show case my products in contrast to the "fitzall" China made products that are offered. Granted most people jump on the China made stuff at 1/3 the price, but there's always somebody who won't settle for anything less than the best. E-Bay is very good for this. But unless you are selling a container load of China junk that is in demand, or you have that one of a kind piece that is 'RARE', don't expect to make much money selling on Fleabay.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Move to another country?
Thats a little dramatic don't you think?
The man asked for our opinions on ebay selling from the buyers perspective and I gave mine which is what he asked for.
You on the other hand contributed nothing constructive to the subject.
My point is that the auction system of ebay is going to the dogs.
If ebay wants buyers to loose interest and drift away because everything is turning into classified ads with set prices and no possibility of a bargin, then they have the right to fail as an auction web sight. No skin off my nose what they do but who's in a hurry to go to a sale where you know the prices are set and you'll pay top dollar? Buy it now has its place but its sure taken a toll on the auction side of the business and on the web site overall.

 

[bill mart]

been to lots of auctions,cant say that I ever saw a set starting price.Most auctioneers start the bidding high and then drop down to where the bidders want to start.I have seen reserve prices set before.Bill m.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Not so,I always pay more for the Lincoln Farm Welding books.The snipers take pleasure in wasting other bidders time.I buy most of my stock from book dealers.I gave up on Ebay.

 

[Mike (WA)]

Auction feature would be more popular (and I'd still be buying) if it was really an auction. At an auction, you keep taking bids until no one else will; on eBay, you bid with each other until the last second, when someone with a sniping program snatches it. I'd finally enjoyed about as much of it as I could stand, and do more Craigs list stuff now.