Why SU so popular on Ebay and not others?
 

I keep thinking I need to invest in a whole pile of SU sets, let them sit and increase in value like wine!! LOL But that got me to thinking, why are SU sets so much more popular on ebay, or is it just my imagination.

I have a theory on ebay that is way too long to post here....but in short....people love the bidding and think they're getting a steal of a deal on ebay sometimes....hehe.

I aaslo have wanted to invest into tons of stamps and list there later.$$$ But I am trying to hold back. I guess...I feel that if I do this...It wont work for me and I won't profit????my 2cents..

I agree with Jesscia people love to be the winner and sometimes they win and sometimes they DON'T!

I agree with Faereygirl! It's the thrill but not always the deal. Hey, I'm a poet!

I have never paid more than original price on a retired set and have never paid more than 25% off the price on a current set. For me it is about getting a deal. In the last 3 months I have gotten 5-6 current sets for under $5 each. Also, probably the very biggest pull for me is that people are willing to sell individual stamps out of sets. I have probably purchased 20 individual stamps this summer and that is the main reason I shop e-bay for SU.

Wow you must be quite lucky with your bidding - I rarely see a current stamp set going for much less than the current price in the catty...I never really understand why people shop e-bay for current sets - especially when they buy multiple current sets on E-bay...by the time you tack on S&H (and many people charge a pretty high S&H (like $6+) for one stamp set that can be mailed in a padded envelope for $2.50 first class or in a Proprity envelope for $4.20) they could have contacted a demo - placed an order for all those current stamp sets - gotten hostess benefits and free hostess merchandise. I would bet probably 85% of the time people buy current sets on E-bay they actually end up paying MORE for the stamp set then if they had contacted a demonstrator and just placed an order.
As far as retired sets - you just never know what is going to be popular - you could have two stamp sets that were orginally $19.95 - one will consistantly sell for more than $20 whereas another you are lucky if you can get $8 for it...the more popular a set was or if a set was a Sellabration set you can usually pick it up for less that what it sold for.

Probably because SU has great stamp sets...

Think about all those auctions that DON'T sell SU stamps but they put Stampin and Up somewhere in their title so it comes up when someone puts in Stampin Up...I feel sorry for the people that bid on those items...because many times the way the auction is worded it makes it sound like they are SU stamps or set when they are not...

I calculate the shipping into my bid. So if a set is listed in the IB&C for $19.95, and it's listed for $9.95 on e-bay with $3.85 shipping, I've gotten a VERY good deal. As for contacting my demo and ordering from her - well, lately she's been kinda hard to get a hold of, it took her almost a week to get us the retired list (I saw it here before she sent it out), I NEVER received the retired accessories list, and I haven't received a mini since LAST fall.... So needless to say, it's MUCH easier to get them on e-bay. Of course, that's also why I'm going to become a demo here shortly (as soon as DH releases the money for me :rolleyes:)

You find some good auctions, Canben! I was wondering, are you becoming a hobby demo or the other kind?

I think its simply because of all the direct sales companies, SU! has been around the longest, has the most stamps, and are the most popular. Supply & demand.

I have sold retired sets (never current sets) for 4 or 5 years now on ebay, and though there are some sets that I definitely lost money on, there are some that I've made a small fortune on as well. I always make a profit when all is said and done.

Slight HJ!!!

Well- congrats to you canben:mrgreen:......I hope you are signing up with someone you are comfortable with- Make sure to sign up to the demo forums- A LOT of great info over there on helping you get started.....okay hijack over-
Joan- I believe it is about education- it people knew how easy it is to buy from a demo, then thery would. Retired is one thing, (as long as they aren't tryig to take an arem and your leg for the set that they paid $20 for)

Another point. I don't know a single demo who takes VISA or PayPal. I am guessing that for many people this may be the single deciding factor. Also internet allows you to buy on the spot without having to call, fill out an order, wait for someone to decided to send the order in, wait for them to call and YOU have to go pick it up (with some demos). Plus on top of that, the savings in sales tax can be huge.

I haven't purchased any sets on ebay, the shipping is OUTRAGEOUS !! I remeber when shipping on ebay was really cheap. I've bought other things from ebay where it's actually only cost them $1. or soo and they've charged me $8.00 for S/H. I guess the handling was $7 lol.... I will only buy from ebayers who use the Priority shipping of $4.05 now... JMHO...

Some shipping is out of line, but don't forget you have to add all the fees you pay when you sell on ebay in somewhere! It's not cheap to sell on ebay! I can run up to several dollars by the time you list, pay the paypal fees and then the final fees for selling the idea to ebay! I know the demo I buy from does take PayPal and it's a really good idea because I think she does get a lot more orders by doing that!
I've bought and sold and sometimes you really do get a bargin. That's the ones I tell my hubby about, not the others!!

Paula

Paypal or Visa is the main reason I buy stamps on ebay. I also like the ordering online convenience of it. If Stampin up were to have online ordering like CTMH does, I am sure I would by more from demos than ebay

I take both!!! I found that most of my customers are like me and NEVER use checks any more. It is FAR easier for them to call me and say "I need....can you please just put it on my card??"

I know A LOT of demos who have both!!

AshleyAnne right here on SCS is my demo and she takes cc and she is fabulous~~~

I think I would do this too and get the masculine type sets... they always seem to get the highest prices!

But it is against ebay policy to recoup fees through shipping charges.

If the shipping is truly outrageous (99 cent BIN, $50 shipping etc) rather than just expensive, you can report it to ebay. Shipping and handling fees are only there to cover shipping and handling.

I buy on ebay, but not stamps- I always use a snipe bid. Bidding before the last few minutes does NOTHING but raise the price. People who get into bidding wars because "they want to win" often do it well before the item is set to end. If you wait and bid your max at the end (or use a snipe service) you are most likely to get the best deal.

Well as for the Paypal and Credit Card thing, ALL my demos take them. And usually it's one and the same (Credit cards thru Paypal) I know I take them for my eBay sales, and when I become a demo, I'm surely going to offer to take them. :D

I agree with the Masculine sets. Also it seems your best bet right now would be to get sets out the Summer mini. I think the Summer mini gets overshadowed by the new catty and people forget to order from it. I know I made that mistake last year. Just look at how much some of those sets sold for before the new catty came out! $77+ for Monkey Business?? And now it's in the catty LOL! Actually I think the mini catty sets are your best bet anyway, since they are limited editions (at least until next July ;) ) Just my theory.

What is a snipe bid?
Thanks, Dina

A snipe bid is one put in at the very last second. I use a snipe service (esnipe.com- I think) and with that you actually give them your ebay password (change it when you have active snipes, and don't use the same password you use for anything else!) and they put a bid in in the last 2-5 seconds, that way no one has a chance to outbid you.

This prevents bidding wars, because if everyone snipes, than the high bid truly wins... you don't loose because you forgot to look, or win at way higher than you wanted to pay because you got caught up in the 'action', you lose because the max you were wanting pay was less than what someone else wanted to pay or you win because you truly were the highest.

When i have an item I want to snipe- I usually put my snipe bid in (through esnipe, not through ebay) a week before the end of the auction- then forget about it.

Some services charge for snipes, others have a certain amount free. Most only charge for ones you win. (I've never personally paid- since I don't use ebay much)

HTH

E-bay
 

Forgive me if I am wrong...but I thought that E-bay sales of current merchandise was not allowed by SU. I have been reading most of the comments on this issue and don't see where anyone mentioned it. As for Demo's accepting Credit cards I know of several demos who do so. Yes, I am an active SU demo...E-bay purchases do affect my sales opportunities which in turns prevents me for offering credit card purchses because my income is too small. So help me out here and exlain why current product is being offered on E-bay.

mbarnett:?:

Only demos can't sell current sets on ebay...customers can sell whatever they want!

HTH! :)

International girls can only buy from ebay as it is against SU policy to sell directly to customers outside of US, Canada and Australia, so for some of us it is the only way to buy! :D

My theory as to why eBay is so popular is due to exposure. One seller on eBay can get an exponential more amount of potential buyers looking at product than I can as a demonstrator. And if you're a demonstrator selling on eBay (illegally, of course) you can earn incentives faster than the gal putting her nose to the grindstone and doing it the honest way.

I think there's a lot of the theory above about the thrill-factor that is also true. Take that, instant availability of the product, exposure of tons of buyers and it makes for a seemingly good market. Unfortunately, it does hurt SU demonstrators. The reasons for that are long and have already been discussed many times.

One thing that eBay buyers do not get is the important customer service by the demonstrator and opportunities for incentives from SU. There are promotions that earn a customer something free after spending X amount which eBay buyers do not get the benefit of. I really valued the relationship I had with my demonstrator before I signed up. That had true value to me and is absent with eBay sales. The bottom line may be that it all depends on what you want from the set. I wanted the set AND a consultant to help me grow as a stamper AND freebies. I think I get the better deal than when a buyer who buys current on eBay.

And now I'm a demonstrator and I see the harm it does to the foundation of the SU business -- personal relationships via home workshops. Maybe that's going to be overshadowed one day and SU will have to change but, for now, that's their way of running their business and we demos have to respect it.

If you want the very most bang for your buck, and in the process gain a stamping friend, call one of the 40,000+ demos. Your experience buying a stamp set will be much richer.

Michelle, Sara's correct...as demos, the agreement we sign with SU forbids us from selling any current merchandise on ebay or any other way outside of an SU event. Customers, of course, can sell whatever and whenever they want, since they are personal property.

Maybe you're thinking of the copyright issues as far as SU angel policy goes? In that case, you would be right...nobody can sell projects made with SU images online or in any retail environment.

As to the OP, I have no clue. I do know that I've never gotten less than what I paid for retired SU sets. In many cases, I got considerably more. And regret it, lol, because now I'd LOVE to have them back!!!

Sheesh...when you decide you want to quit stamping and sell all your stuff, WAIT a couple of years, just in case your muse returns....

Jen, I'm a demo and have accepted credit cards via Pay Pal for 4 years. There ARE demos out there that do take credit cards and you can order from anyone, anywhere that way. I take most of my orders via email. My huge customer base is coast to coast. I'm sure I'm not alone. A demo is always a better source of a new set than eBay.

Also, there's a HINT that we may be able to do online ordering in the future with SU. I would personally do cartwheels.

This is actually against ebay rules. Too many people get away with this though. I know I was trying to sell some athletic clothes and the cut was similiar to Lululemon. I couldn't even state that. Ebay kept taking my listing off. Unfortunately though, I guess they are not really enforcing that too heavily now as I see tonnes of stuff that is stating it is something that it is not.

Everything I have bought off Ebay has always been waaaay cheaper than from the catty. If it is a retired set I will not go more then the original cost. I will not bid unless I know what shipping cost is before hand. (I always add this into my total cost so I still come out cheaper than catty prices). Believe me, I still buy about 90% off of my demo, she is still getting the majority of my business.
I guess you just have to be a smart ebay shopper and know when to stop, and what the prices are to be good at it. Also, like a few of the other girls have stated...Bid at the end!!! That is the true secret!

Not one of your 5 demos take a credit card?

"Think about all those auctions that DON'T sell SU stamps but they put Stampin and Up somewhere in their title so it comes up when someone puts in Stampin Up...I feel sorry for the people that bid on those items...because many times the way the auction is worded it makes it sound like they are SU stamps or set when they are not... "

This is an eBay policy violation called "Keyword Spamming". It causes a buyer who's searching for Stampin Up, for example, to see this NON Stampin Up item in her search list. I report this all the time. I feel it muddies our product to see those items within the list of our legitimate items. It's cheating to get your lesser product in the pack with a better known name. There's a seller on there right now selling small individual stamps by another company and all her auctions say "like Stampin Up". It drives me crazy. She keeps doing it and I keep reporting it.

I am personally addicted to eBay. I usually buy retired SU sets, but I know better then to rush to bid. I'll bookmark a few and see what the average is.

I always run across people who end up paying way WAY more on current stamp sets then they could get them from a Demo. One instance was a Flip Flop wheel that we sell for like 6$ that she bid up to 18$ !! All she needs to do is look at the SU site and she could have gotten three of them for that !!

I think a lot of it has to do with deceptive or incorrect listing information on the listing to confuse the bidder into thinking they are getting something 'better' like adding RARE, or HARD TO FIND.

But since I do a fair amount of surfing, I do a fair share of reporting illegal auctions to eBay >:)

I'm planning on being "the other kind" :) I already have 10 people who said they would hold a party for me and/or order from me :)

As for sniping, I actually do this on my own. I go to the Crafts, Rubber stamping category and search for Stampin up. Then I sort by Ending Soonest, which puts the ones with the least amount of time at the top, then I look for the sets I like and make sure it's below the price I'm willing to spend (shipping included). Once I find one I like, I wait until there's a minute left and put in my bid. Hasn't failed me yet :cool: Oh and ALWAYS research first, that way you don't spend too much....

Suzanne

One lady I talked to said she would rather buy on Ebay than from a demo was because the demos she had met were pushy.

I guess the demos she knew kept pushing her to have workshops in her home and she didn't want to. So she quit buying from them and now only buys on Ebay.

I tried to introduce her to my very non-pushy demo but she wasn't interested.

That sounds great. I was going to say you needed to find a new demo anyway - you really weren't sounding too pleased with the service from the one you have. I hope you sign up under someone who will provide you with good support and training. If you have a good upline, you can do anything as a demo. Best of luck.

Really? Five demos and none of them take visa or paypal?

I take all major credit cards AND paypal......


and if you check out the shipping on eBay, you're actually paying more vs. SU INCLUDING the tax.... ($3.85 + tax with SU is a HECK of a lot less than $5.00 or more per SET to ship...)

Base shipping in the US is $3.95??? In Canada it is $9.99. That's a whole product for me.

Honestly, I buy from Ebay because I do get great deals. I bought the Hodgepodge, shipping and all, for $20.00. I usually grab my Caty when I am looking on Ebay. And no, my demo does not offer any free incentives for buying from her. In fact, she has admitted to adding on to my order so she can get freebies. In the 2 years I have been with her, I have received one mini catalog. When I mention it to her, she says it would cost her $5.00 to get one to me. I still order from her because I care about her as a friend and like that she is only 5 minutes away so I can just drive over when my stuff arrives, but other than that, I have gotten better deals on E-bay. You just have to decide when you see a set, retired or not, how much you are willing to spend and stick to your guns.

I sold about 400 Non-SU stamps to fund buying my SU kit. The non SU stmtaps that sold for the most were PSX ones I think. I had a large ornament stamp that I sold individually for $22 I think. PSX doesn't make it anymore & it was a very nice stamp. I sell my retired stuffon ebay now, but I usually try to wait a couple of years to let it increase in value first.

Base shipping meaning lowest will be 3.95. Once your order goes over 39.50, it then becomes 10%.

Ally brings up a great point- one I have never considered.....I didn't even think about the gals who are international...:(

Me & my husband love eBay. We own stock in it. It's not doing so well right now, which means it may be a good time to buy. :-) He shops for cars and I shop for stamps. HA! I NEVER pay more than retail for anything, including shipping, and normally it's at least 25% off, sometimes more. I bought all the current color craft pads, refills and craft spots on eBay for $250 shipped - retail from SU! would be $600 for all that. Who doesn't like to have a great find like that. A friend of mine sold us a POS old convertible mustang for $500 and we sold it on the Bay for $4K. I got my new great Dyson vaccuum and a new computer after that. The rest went into another car.

I always do my own sniping as well - bidding the last minute, likely the last 20 seconds and keep refreshing. I've lose on some, but not very often. I only bid significantly before an auction ends if it ends in the middle of the night when I won't be there to bid.

CTMH wood stamps don't go very well on eBay, but their acrylic stamps go close to retail most of the time.

Vicki

Sorry to hear this.....not quite how most demos do it, generally speaking.
The minis do cost us to send....but it IS NO WHERE near $5.00.
It is very generous of you to still order from her....any demo can have your order shipped directly to you so that you do not have to pick it up from them.

I usually deliver my customers items to them, making sure they are happy with what they got and we like to oogle the goodies together!!

(sorry for the slight hj!)

I am an Ebay addict probably... :) I order stamps from Demo and from Ebay... I may pay alittle extra for ebay, but its so convenient to just pay and its mailed to me. Demo is very busy with family and it sometimes takes 3-4 months to get products... I HATE waiting... So I am willing to pay extra to have it soon!!!

OMG! Sounds like she is too busy to be anything other than a hobby demo. I would be shopping on eBay too if that is her attitude.

Huh? 3-4 months to get products? You need to find yourself a new demo if she takes that long. I place orders the day I get them...the only one I don't place right away is my mom. I always wait 2 days because she ALWAYS calls me within 24 hours wanting to add something else on. So it's for her benefit. I have customers that order from me long distance and I order it as soon as they make up their minds. For them, I do place the order before I receive funds because they have ordered from me a lot and I always rec. the money in a few days. It only takes a few minutes to enter the order into OEX, and then depending where you live, you should receive your order within 7 days average time. SU! says 10 business days. Depends if it's the end of the month/beginning of month, etc. on how your order is processed.

You can find a new demo if you aren't happy with yours by going here:
http://www2.stampinup.com/scoreweb/C...eng&country=US

They can always ship it to your door and if you order at least $150 you get benefits.

Vicki

It should NEVER take months! At the most if you are back east it should be there within 14 days of when the order was submitted. Find a new demo! There are plenty here or look at the SU website and put in your address and find some that are close to you. Interview them and find someone you will be happy with!

Julie Topham
SU Demo for 10 years!

Paypal for me
 

A strong reason for me to go to Ebay for things is that I can use Paypal. Through Paypal I can use my American Express card - it is all I use. (Plus we get points on the AmEx for purchases and can trade them in for Home Depot gift cards -- always need stuff from the depot.)

And it is the fun of getting a deal. I always consider the S&H into my bid, just like I'd consider it for any other online or catalog purchase.

Lots of demos gladly take credit cards and Paypal. Use the demo locator on the SU website and find one! There are plenty of demos out there who would love to have your business and by calling around and talking to them, you can find one who is a good fit for you.

I'm confused. If you are a demo (you ARE in the dmeo forums) then why aren't you buying frmo yourself?