Ebay Seller Help
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strangenova
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Ebay Seller Help
So I've been selling off my collection, but I really need to move it faster. So I'm looking to ebay but I've never sold anything on there. Hell I've only ever bought something on there once. So can anyone offer any tips for a first time seller to save me any trouble on there. And as questions arise I will post them here.
Re: Ebay Seller Help
I like to use the eBay app on my phone to take pictures and post the auction. The app interface is a lot less scary than the full website interface. Make Buy It Now listings with Best Offer enabled when possible. This will require you to do a little research on what each should bring in to set the price appropriately. That will help you move things faster but it is more work.
If you are just looking to offload a bunch of items at once with little effort, traditional auctions aren't a terrible choice. Some items may not bring in what they normally get from a Buy It Now listing though.
You can also take a hybrid approach and sell your big ticket/high demand items via Buy It Now/Best Offer and traditional auction the rest. I've done that in the past and it works fairly well. Just be careful when listing really obscure stuff at a low starting bid. It may not bring in what it is worth because there won't be as much competition for it.
If you are just looking to offload a bunch of items at once with little effort, traditional auctions aren't a terrible choice. Some items may not bring in what they normally get from a Buy It Now listing though.
You can also take a hybrid approach and sell your big ticket/high demand items via Buy It Now/Best Offer and traditional auction the rest. I've done that in the past and it works fairly well. Just be careful when listing really obscure stuff at a low starting bid. It may not bring in what it is worth because there won't be as much competition for it.
Re: Ebay Seller Help
If selling fast is a must, do BIN (Buy It Now) with free shipping.
Of course, you need to factor in eBay/PayPal fees as well as shipping into your BIN price, but at the same time your BIN price has to compete with the other sellers on eBay. You can get away with a higher than average BIN if your item condition is better than average and/or if your eBay feedback score is good compared to others. But you will have to adjust based on those factors. Why buy a $50 game from a seller with no feedback when you can get it for $50 from another seller with feedback in the hundreds or thousands?
If you haven't ever sold and rarely buy off eBay then I'm assuming you have little to no feedback. People will be apprehensive to buy from you when other sellers have feedback scores in the hundreds or thousands. Power sellers will have feedback scores in the tens of thousands. To compete with them you might have to undercut them with a lower BIN price at first. At least until you build a little seller feedback.
I would suggest possibly putting something in the item description explaining who you are to put people's minds at ease that would otherwise be cautious of your lack of feedback. I can tell you that me, personally, don't purchase from sellers with little or no feedback. If their feedback score is only 5 I just find another seller. But keep in mind that people don't like to read. If your item description is a wall of text a lot of people will simply pass to the next seller. I would suggest three concise paragraphs.
Paragraph 1 is the item description. Say all you need to about the condition, don't leave anything out, but be as short as possible. There are certain buzz words that people need to see.
Make the first sentence state outright the working condition. "This game cartridge is in full working condition." Don't just say "This game works fine," be more definitive than that with words like "100%" or "no issues whatsoever." People want to know definitively, beyond a doubt. They're on the look out for something sly. Like, "This game works," they might take as, "Well, it works, technically, but there are some issues I'm not going to tell you about." For disc based games, be sure to specify the condition of the read side of the disc. "Flawless, no scratches." Or, "light scratches, but no problems reading disc." Whatever is appropriate.
I like to make the second sentence about the physical or cosmetic condition of the item. Someone who is serious about the cosmetic condition will scrutinize the pics (which is why it's important to have multiple GOOD pics of the item) but it's good to make a statement as well. "Cosmetically, this item is in near perfect condition" or similar. Use an additional sentence or two if there are any major or noteworthy defects. "The back label is torn, see pictures."
I like to follow up the working and physical condition with a sentence about inquires. "Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions regarding condition, I can respond in X amount of time." A lot of people wont even want to bother with having to message back and forth for a low ticket item, but they certain will for a more expensive one. And try to respond ASAP to inquires. It goes a long way, especially with a lower feedback score.
The second paragraph I like to make about payment, shipping and return details. Again, be as informative but as short as possible. Three sentences, if you can. Although, this paragraph is optional because this info can easily be found by anyone who cares enough to check it. But a brief statement can't hurt. "PayPal is the only accepted form of payment," or, "I accept PayPal or money orders." Any browser likely already noticed free shipping, but if make a state if you're not doing the free shipping thing. Like for a heavier item you might not want to. You can say "Shipping cost is for exact shipping charges only." You can enter the weight and box dimensions when posting the listing, customers can input their zip and get the exact shipping charge. For a more fragile item, make a statement about how well you will pack it. This will go a long way for a Sega CD or Saturn case, or any jewel case for that matter. "This game will be well packaged to ensure that it is not damaged during shipping." Or even be more specific, "I am aware of how fragile Sega Saturn cases are. Rest assured it will be adequately packaged to ensure it arrives without damage." Then state your return policy. Some people don't care since they know eBay can get their money back anyway, but having a guarantee could go a long way with low feedback.
Those two simple paragraphs would normally be enough. Again, people don't like to read, and if the description has too many words then some people wont even begin to read it. But if you have little or no feedback, I think a third paragraph about yourself could go a long way. It can be static in all of your listings. Make it your own, but for example: All of my listings are from my own personal video game collection. I have been collecting video games for X years. They have been well cared for in a smoke free home. I am a new seller on eBay and have not yet built up a feedback score, but I am not new to buying and selling video games. Please contact me with any and all questions. If you have any questions or concerns after you have received your item, please don't hesitate to contact me."
And that being said, you'll want to bend over backwards if you have any issues for a while. You can't afford a single negative feedback strike until you build up enough positive feedbacks as a seller.
This is what I look for as a buyer. I'll pass on a seller if the description is "game works" and nothing else. I'll pass on a seller if they have bad grammar or a lack of punctuation and capital letters. Typos is also a no-no. "this gmae wrks scratch on back label see pics" I will instantly pass on. You want to instill confidence. Someone who doesn't care to take an extra 30 seconds to type something correctly or proof read it for obvious errors doesn't get my business. If they're too lazy or inept to do that, then how well can they do anything?
I would suggest listing your lower ticket items to build up feedback so you don't have to take a hit on the higher priced stuff. List your cheapest things first. People are more likely to take a chance on a seller with no feedback for $5, but not so much for something that's $20 or more. Build your positive feedback score up, then start progressively listing more and more expensive items.
Multiple pics are a must. For a game cart, you want a pic of the front and back. For an optical disc, you want a picture of the read side of the disc to show scratches or a lack of. Get close up pics of any condition issues. Make sure your first pic shows off the item prominently, this helps a lot when people are looking through multiple listings. If it's a cart, have a close up shot of the cart. The entire cart in frame, but not a lot of space around the cart and the edge of the pic. If more than the cart is included, have everything visible in the main pain. Like the cart and manual. Again, people don't read. If you have a game that includes the manual, you need it in the pic. You can't rely on people reading the listing title "includes manual." If it's a CIB disc game, make sure your main pic isn't just of the front of the case. Take the manual and disc out, and take a picture that clearly shows the front of the case, the manual, and the top side of the disc. A second picture of the case fully open (front and back visible) with the read side of the disc. Make sure all of your pictures are in focus, and the item is fully in frame but not zoomed way out. A seller that posts a single blurry and not well lit picture gets an automatic pass from me. If it's blurry, try again. If it's too dark, get some better lighting and try again.
Of course, you need to factor in eBay/PayPal fees as well as shipping into your BIN price, but at the same time your BIN price has to compete with the other sellers on eBay. You can get away with a higher than average BIN if your item condition is better than average and/or if your eBay feedback score is good compared to others. But you will have to adjust based on those factors. Why buy a $50 game from a seller with no feedback when you can get it for $50 from another seller with feedback in the hundreds or thousands?
If you haven't ever sold and rarely buy off eBay then I'm assuming you have little to no feedback. People will be apprehensive to buy from you when other sellers have feedback scores in the hundreds or thousands. Power sellers will have feedback scores in the tens of thousands. To compete with them you might have to undercut them with a lower BIN price at first. At least until you build a little seller feedback.
I would suggest possibly putting something in the item description explaining who you are to put people's minds at ease that would otherwise be cautious of your lack of feedback. I can tell you that me, personally, don't purchase from sellers with little or no feedback. If their feedback score is only 5 I just find another seller. But keep in mind that people don't like to read. If your item description is a wall of text a lot of people will simply pass to the next seller. I would suggest three concise paragraphs.
Paragraph 1 is the item description. Say all you need to about the condition, don't leave anything out, but be as short as possible. There are certain buzz words that people need to see.
Make the first sentence state outright the working condition. "This game cartridge is in full working condition." Don't just say "This game works fine," be more definitive than that with words like "100%" or "no issues whatsoever." People want to know definitively, beyond a doubt. They're on the look out for something sly. Like, "This game works," they might take as, "Well, it works, technically, but there are some issues I'm not going to tell you about." For disc based games, be sure to specify the condition of the read side of the disc. "Flawless, no scratches." Or, "light scratches, but no problems reading disc." Whatever is appropriate.
I like to make the second sentence about the physical or cosmetic condition of the item. Someone who is serious about the cosmetic condition will scrutinize the pics (which is why it's important to have multiple GOOD pics of the item) but it's good to make a statement as well. "Cosmetically, this item is in near perfect condition" or similar. Use an additional sentence or two if there are any major or noteworthy defects. "The back label is torn, see pictures."
I like to follow up the working and physical condition with a sentence about inquires. "Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions regarding condition, I can respond in X amount of time." A lot of people wont even want to bother with having to message back and forth for a low ticket item, but they certain will for a more expensive one. And try to respond ASAP to inquires. It goes a long way, especially with a lower feedback score.
The second paragraph I like to make about payment, shipping and return details. Again, be as informative but as short as possible. Three sentences, if you can. Although, this paragraph is optional because this info can easily be found by anyone who cares enough to check it. But a brief statement can't hurt. "PayPal is the only accepted form of payment," or, "I accept PayPal or money orders." Any browser likely already noticed free shipping, but if make a state if you're not doing the free shipping thing. Like for a heavier item you might not want to. You can say "Shipping cost is for exact shipping charges only." You can enter the weight and box dimensions when posting the listing, customers can input their zip and get the exact shipping charge. For a more fragile item, make a statement about how well you will pack it. This will go a long way for a Sega CD or Saturn case, or any jewel case for that matter. "This game will be well packaged to ensure that it is not damaged during shipping." Or even be more specific, "I am aware of how fragile Sega Saturn cases are. Rest assured it will be adequately packaged to ensure it arrives without damage." Then state your return policy. Some people don't care since they know eBay can get their money back anyway, but having a guarantee could go a long way with low feedback.
Those two simple paragraphs would normally be enough. Again, people don't like to read, and if the description has too many words then some people wont even begin to read it. But if you have little or no feedback, I think a third paragraph about yourself could go a long way. It can be static in all of your listings. Make it your own, but for example: All of my listings are from my own personal video game collection. I have been collecting video games for X years. They have been well cared for in a smoke free home. I am a new seller on eBay and have not yet built up a feedback score, but I am not new to buying and selling video games. Please contact me with any and all questions. If you have any questions or concerns after you have received your item, please don't hesitate to contact me."
And that being said, you'll want to bend over backwards if you have any issues for a while. You can't afford a single negative feedback strike until you build up enough positive feedbacks as a seller.
This is what I look for as a buyer. I'll pass on a seller if the description is "game works" and nothing else. I'll pass on a seller if they have bad grammar or a lack of punctuation and capital letters. Typos is also a no-no. "this gmae wrks scratch on back label see pics" I will instantly pass on. You want to instill confidence. Someone who doesn't care to take an extra 30 seconds to type something correctly or proof read it for obvious errors doesn't get my business. If they're too lazy or inept to do that, then how well can they do anything?
I would suggest listing your lower ticket items to build up feedback so you don't have to take a hit on the higher priced stuff. List your cheapest things first. People are more likely to take a chance on a seller with no feedback for $5, but not so much for something that's $20 or more. Build your positive feedback score up, then start progressively listing more and more expensive items.
Multiple pics are a must. For a game cart, you want a pic of the front and back. For an optical disc, you want a picture of the read side of the disc to show scratches or a lack of. Get close up pics of any condition issues. Make sure your first pic shows off the item prominently, this helps a lot when people are looking through multiple listings. If it's a cart, have a close up shot of the cart. The entire cart in frame, but not a lot of space around the cart and the edge of the pic. If more than the cart is included, have everything visible in the main pain. Like the cart and manual. Again, people don't read. If you have a game that includes the manual, you need it in the pic. You can't rely on people reading the listing title "includes manual." If it's a CIB disc game, make sure your main pic isn't just of the front of the case. Take the manual and disc out, and take a picture that clearly shows the front of the case, the manual, and the top side of the disc. A second picture of the case fully open (front and back visible) with the read side of the disc. Make sure all of your pictures are in focus, and the item is fully in frame but not zoomed way out. A seller that posts a single blurry and not well lit picture gets an automatic pass from me. If it's blurry, try again. If it's too dark, get some better lighting and try again.
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ElkinFencer10
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Re: Ebay Seller Help
I suggest r/GameSale on Reddit. I moved shit pretty quick back in February and March when I put some posts up there.
Exhuminator wrote:Ecchi lords must unite for great justice.
Re: Ebay Seller Help
Not a seller, but as a regular buyer;
Agreed with most of above. I only look at Buy It Now, and because of me being in Canada, I sort by price and shipping lowest first, tho I ignore free shipping - it's always from China and only pirate carts with no backup battery. I generally try for good+ condition (and I pay more for complete) so I'm still willing to pay much more than average selling price to buy what I'm looking for immediately, based only on visual. Still, I don't think the Best Offer is a good idea. This is just open to trolls and buyer scammers IMO.
Just having well-lit pictures and posting each at about average price with standard shipping should do it (or would for me at least).
Buy a tripod or prop your phone up with books. Edit the photos to crop and increase the saturation just-over natural colors - the cover art will pop out with about 18-25% oversaturation - not enough that the background can look unnatural. Those pictures are what sell it, so the clearer, brighter and more colorful they are the better.
Agreed with most of above. I only look at Buy It Now, and because of me being in Canada, I sort by price and shipping lowest first, tho I ignore free shipping - it's always from China and only pirate carts with no backup battery. I generally try for good+ condition (and I pay more for complete) so I'm still willing to pay much more than average selling price to buy what I'm looking for immediately, based only on visual. Still, I don't think the Best Offer is a good idea. This is just open to trolls and buyer scammers IMO.
Just having well-lit pictures and posting each at about average price with standard shipping should do it (or would for me at least).
Buy a tripod or prop your phone up with books. Edit the photos to crop and increase the saturation just-over natural colors - the cover art will pop out with about 18-25% oversaturation - not enough that the background can look unnatural. Those pictures are what sell it, so the clearer, brighter and more colorful they are the better.
Re: Ebay Seller Help
Anapan wrote:Still, I don't think the Best Offer is a good idea. This is just open to trolls and buyer scammers IMO.
I only partially agree. I hate that Ebay now seems to add a Best Offer option to auction listings by default--that's just crazy--but there are options to have it auto decline any offers below a certain value. It won't even notify you of those offers that were auto-declined unless you go in to look at the offer history. I tend to find Best Offers to be a bit of a hassle regardless, though, since I usually don't list things like other Ebay users do, where I'm setting the price well above what I would like to get out of it. That said, I have actually accepted Best Offers before, so they can be useful.