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I started selling a few retired stamp sets and other things on eBay and did okay with them. I started the auctions low because I wanted them gone out of my house not to get my money back or make a profit from a stamp set which many seem to do. I figure they've had a good life with me but I don't use them anymore and it's time to get some use with someone else.
Have you ever sold anything and what products have you found people want or what strategies have you used to get your items sold?
I usually do a search on the stamp set for closed auctions to see what they sold for recently. Some sets are more sought after than others. If there are a lot of them that didn't sell or sold really cheap, I don't bother listing it.
When I wasn't a demo, I found that offering shipping to other countries helped items sell.
I've had really good success with everything I've ever sold on eBay including Stampin' Up stamp sets I no longer use. One tidbit of advice I could offer is to partially pay for the shipping for the buyer. The cost of shipping has deterred me from buying lots of stamping items. I cannot afford to offer free shipping so I always list the shipping as $2.50 even though it may cost more when I print the USPS mailing label through eBay and PayPal. Another suggestion is to list your item under the correct heading. You would be surprised at the no. of stamp sets listed under Tools and Equipment, Other, Kits, Ink, etc. Do a search under Stampin' Up All Products and you'll be surprised at all the categories. And finally, write a thorough description of the item and take clear photos. Often I have to contact the seller to find out the exact SU colors in the photo because she failed to give that info. thinking the photo was good enough. There's some great buys on retired colors of SU ink pads and paper. I've never bought an ink pad without the ink refill, because even though the description says rarely used or juicy I want to keep myself protected that I'll always get lots of use out of that ink pad. If you place several items up for bid be sure to state you will combine shipping if a buyer buys several of your items. Just some suggestions off the top of my head.................................
I usually do a search on the stamp set for closed auctions to see what they sold for recently. Some sets are more sought after than others. If there are a lot of them that didn't sell or sold really cheap, I don't bother listing it.
When I wasn't a demo, I found that offering shipping to other countries helped items sell.
It would indeed! I buy most of my stuff on eBay if I can't get it here through Buy/Sell/Trade.
I have sold SU items on Ebay and had good luck with them...also have been a buyer and had mostly all good luck (just a few items were not as described). I agree with looking up the CLOSED auctions to see what items actually sold for; some people are crazy with their asking prices. Something that seems to also work well is to include a picture of something made with the item you are selling. It will inspire someone to bid on something they might not be searching for. Also, if you have a stamp set with a matching punch, try to list them together first. If no one bids, then separate them if you are going to relist. In my experience, I have found that lots of items sell better in sets than alone. My biggest pet peeve is people that put "Not Stampin' Up" in the auction! Sometimes I do a search for JUST SU items and it drives me nuts when that comes up in the description! So....yeah....please don't do that
__________________ "For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack" ~Rudyard Kipling my gallery
Hi gals! I'm a Stampin' Up! demo looking for advice on selling on eBay. I've never done it so I'm a bit intimidated by it. I am having a HUGE retired SU!, as well as nearly everything else in my craft room that was non-SU! (I've found I only use SU! now so I might as well get the other stuff out of my craft room and maybe get some money along the way.
I honestly would just love any and all advice you guys have to share! I LOVE the one about the shipping, as well as checking completed listings. I did that on a few of my older SU! punches and found they were selling for around $30 so I held them back off my sale for eBay. I was going to keep last years stocking set and punch, but after seeing it go for $100 on eBay, I decided that I'll part with that too!
Do you guys put reserves on your items? How do you decide what means of shipping you'll use? Again, just any info would help me out a lot.
I have never put a reserve on an item. I also don't bid on items that have a reserve...I just don't like the idea of that. I say if you have to get a certain amount out of something, decide your minimum that you will accept and go from there.
For shipping, I will go flat rate whenever possible and if it's super expensive to ship, I will put the shipping at half. I also add to the listing that if they want to save on shipping costs, I will work with them. I have sold stamps without the clam shell and just put them in a bubble envelope for example. With lots of people unmounting stamps these days, that is a nice option for some.
Edit to clarify: When I say "shipping at half" I mean if it will cost $20 to ship, I will charge $10
__________________ "For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack" ~Rudyard Kipling my gallery
I like to sell my retired items so I can buy new things Remember that you will be paying ebay (9%) and paypal (2.9% plus 30 cents) fees on the final value PLUS your shipping charge. Ugg. I don't undercharge on shipping or I would lose a lot of money. Anything over 13 oz that I send to the west coast will cost me 5-6 $ and over 1# can be 8-9$ and up plus the fees. So I try to estimate a mid range cost. After you have sold a few things, you will get a feel for the shipping costs. Or you can go to www.usps.com and enter in some practice zip codes and weights. You get a slight discount on those prices by shipping right through eBay. Plus free delivery confirmation. I think eBay has an option to charge actual shipping, but people like to see the shipping posted. First class is very reasonable (13 oz or less), but factor in your shipping envelope cost. Priority boxes and envelopes are free - all sorts of sizes can be ordered online that are not available at your local PO.
I don't use a reserve. I just post the starting price at the minimum I want for it. Sometimes I will add a BUy it Now for those instant gratification people if I know the value and it's not a hot item that will get bid up.
Listing charges are in addition to the other fees. Ebay gives you 50 free listings a month. Take advantage of that, because you may have to list things several times before they sell. THey sometimes will announce a free listing day so be sure to be on their announcement email list.
We only get 30 free listings a month :( but our final value fee is 7.9%.
I used them on some stamps last month plus other things around the place (son's Thomas the Tank Engine stuff went well!!)
I was going to do thirty auctions a month until all the stuff is gone. I figure the things aren't getting used and they aren't worth anything to me sitting on the shelf so it's better to get money in the bank for them. I started with a pretty minimal price.
I did offer free postage on second items which I think helped people make bids on subsequent auctions.
I do wonder at some of the proces people start with - used sets at retty much the original value seems to be just grasping at straws.
Another vote for checking the completed listings first. This helps me decide whether to try to sell it on Ebay or not. If there are a bunch of closed auctions on a stamp set but nobody bought it; I check the starting prices and then decide if the sellers were asking too much to begin with or if it's just too old of a set and not something people want right now.
Shipping is what always trips me up. I only sell about once or twice a year on Ebay. Usually SU stamp sets that are retired or I no longer use. I've tried taking everything to the post office in a box or padded envelope and getting it weighed first; then entering the dimensions and weights in the listing in shipping calculator part. That way the bidder has the option to plug in their zip code and see how much it would cost to ship to them. You as the seller can decide what shipping types to offer: such as First Class, Parcel Post or Priority Mail.
I've tried using only flat rate boxes but then I've had bidders complain that they "KNOW" it could be mailed to them for less so why am I charging so much? Am I trying to rip them off? I always manage to get it worked out with a buyer ( I only have "positive" feedback out there ) but it's a hassle and I wish I could figure out one easy way to satisfy potential buyers and not lose money.
As others suggested; always mention in your listing that you will combine items to save on shipping if one buyer wins multiple items. If you decide to go with flat rate boxes I would also mention that in your description portion of the listing even though it will also be mentioned in the Shipping charges section. Can't stress that enough in my opinion. MOST buyers are nice and go with the flow of however you decide to ship your stuff. There are just a few out there who seem to be complainers.
If you can afford to offer free shipping that would really tip the scales in your favor for buyers bidding on your auction versus bidding on someone else's for the same item. I can never afford to offer that so I try to start my bidding at about $2.00 less than I hope to end up getting for it. That leaves some room for bidding up, and the lower starting cost will attract buyers. I no longer put a "reserve" price for that reason. More often than not, my SU stuff will bid up to what I hoped to get for it ( about half of retail ) or higher. I've only "lost out" on that a few times. But still, the item sold so that's money in the craft budget I didn't have before and space freed up for new stuff when the old, no longer used stuff goes out the door.
I have never sold any heavy stuff (more for shipping) so I was always able to offer free shipping. I have watched similar items sold, one with free shipping and one with shipping added on and it seems to me that the free shipping ones often go for more money (more than the other one plus the shipping cost).
As well as 50 free items/month, eBay often has free listing on Tuesdays. At least they did when I was active a year ago. This is a great saving if your starting bid is over 99 cents.
Are buyers able to check the final price on closed listings? If they can, if you could please share with me how to do that, I would be eternally grateful
__________________ "May your mind whirl joyful cartwheels of creativity." - Jonathan Lockwood Huie.
Are buyers able to check the final price on closed listings? If they can, if you could please share with me how to do that, I would be eternally grateful
When you do a search from the top of the page there is an "advanced" button to the right of the search box.
In the advanced search page there is an option to look for completed listings and then they'll all come up.
I think you have to be logged in to use the advanced option.
Hope that works for you.
I have sold lots of stamps and craft items on ebay and have done pretty well. In most cases I start out low, knowing I'll never make my money back anyways, just intending to basically clear out the craft room on things I haven't used in years or crafts I no longer do. It surprises me when there are bidding wars going on for some items and the ending bid is more than double what I paid for it. lol. But that is a rare instance, don't ever count on it. I never do reserve, and I can't afford free shipping. In most cases shipping from here to back east is outrageous and since my items are so low, shipping would exceed the item cost and fees. I always offer combined shipping. I find that stamps can usually fit in a padded bubble wrap envelope so it goes by first class package rate and makes the buyer happier. As for boxes, I only use priority mail boxes (free boxes) so I can get pickup by USPS at my door. Due to my disability I can't get to the post office. I don't do international shipping because of the hassle involved with customs and shipping costs. But if you can do international shipping it may be worth it to you. There are buyers out there. I do check for closed or open listings for the same stamps to see what others are charging, but do keep in mind some of them are outrageous prices. Who is going to pay over $100 for one stamp? That amazes me. One suggestion, if you find you have a few stamps you just can't sell no matter what, try grouping them together as one lot. Set a low price on it and it just may sell. People like what they perceive to be a bargain. The main thing is, have fun with it. Get rid of stuff you don't use and then you'll have a few dollars to buy something new. lol.
Selling stampin Up on eBay. Have you?
