Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Ebay PT3 Other Stuff
Thinking about bidding or trying to bid outside of Ebay? It's risky, and prohibited, but it still happens quite a bit. I actually had people email their bids outside of Ebay during an auction. They wanted me to close the auction and sell it to them. All I would lose is the listing fees, and there would be no final value charges. You can do it, but you better be certain that the price is right. Sellers, you have little to lose. The buyer pays you and the record gets shipped. Buyers, you hope the record gets shipped. My suggestion: Unless it is an outrageous deal, don't do it. You could try and add a "Buy It Now" with the proposed price, and have that person use it. That way you stay with Ebay, and no one gets mad. And, do you know what an amazing deal is? Have you done your research to see what that item has sold for?
Listings are a key to success. Do a crappy job, expect like results. Fuzzy pictures and a poor description don't encourage bids. Proclaiming "Rare" on a three dollar record, or "First Press" on a label that is a second press on the second label just entices the prospective buyer to move to the next listing. Actually, if you put those details in the title, we don't even have to waste our time clicking the link. You might trap a few novices, but the rest of us can spend more productive time on legitimate sellers.. The best listings I have seen don't mention "Rare" or any enticing information on why you should buy their record. They stick to the (accurate) facts with a clear photograph and the details you need to make an informed decision. They also seem to have more details about the record then they do about the rules. Sometimes these things need to be spelled out, and it is usually done based on some bad experiences.
How much does it really cost you on Ebay? It's not as cheap as you may think. You have the listing fees, the final value fees, and Paypal charges, if you choose to use that service. And you should. Bid pay is defunct, and electronic payments are the best way to buy and sell. Considering all the different fees for adding your listing, just to make it look good, advertising in a publication can actually be cheaper. But, do you get the same Audience? You might actually get more. Even if you get 100 looks on your Ebay listing, which is 4 times more than many records ever see, you will get many more on a well placed readable add in a magazine. Something to consider. If you need instant gratification, Ebay certainly has the advantage.
Conclusion. Ebay is a great place to sell anything under the sun. You can do it fast, and see results, good or bad, quickly. You need a well written, garbage-less listing, that gets to the point and has a clean picture. Be responsive to inquiries, and be responsible when the deal is done. And be sure to leave feedback!
Next up: Fay Simmons. Even without much information, I will be forging ahead with a web page for her. Any assistance on who she was, would be appreciated! Also, the Ted Newman interview is now available On-Line!
