<< <i>Letting others know who are Star Dingers is a complaint? Ok?? Others are appreciative. The silent majority is. Only the trolls complain and moan. You don't have to open the thread you know.
And David....if you are charging $3.99, have you gotten the S&H dingers yet? >>
Nope. I don't sell all of the time like many on here but you get what you pay for. I ship in less then 24 hours of receiving payment and I take great pride in my packaging. It sends a message to buyers that I care about the condition your card is going to come in.
If they are raw they will be shipped in between cardboard in a card saver and wrapped in bubble wrap and if graded they are heavily wrapped in bubble wrap and both ways come inside a DVD bubble mailer. I provide tracking as soon as they are shipped and leave feedback right away.
I also combine shipping for free and in many cases a buyer wins a few items and gets them all shipped for $3.99.
There are a lot of sellers that have terrible shipping supplies and think cutting corners and keeping costs low are a better way. The condition of trading cards is in many cases what differentiates the value so paying extra special attention to the care in which the cards are shipped is paramount. >>
Buyers don't care about shipping costs as long as a) the card arrives undamaged and b) they didn't pay too much more than actual postage to ship it. You can talk about how much care you take in packaging but at the end of the day, buyers really don't care about any of that, and if you charge $4.00 to ship a card, you are going to get dinged if you sell long enough. Personally, I don't find $3.50 exorbitant by any means, but many buyers on ebay are not as reasonable a guy as I am, and those are the ones that are going to ding you noi matter how much love you spend on packaging. >>
Perhaps one day I will sell you a card and you will see why I don't get dinged. It is easy to see I am not making money on the shipping.
Read my feedback and see what the people who have dealt with me think.
By your own admission, though, you sell far fewer cards than many sellers here, so your sample size is limited. I guarantee you that if you sold as many cards as Bobby does and charged $4 a card to ship, you'd encounter the same issue that prompted him to start this thread. It's just a matter of time. (And you have already gotten lower ratings for shippiing charges, as your other 3 star ratings are 5.0 while your shipping rating is 4.9.) Like I said, there are going to be buyers who don't care how much care you take in packaging their card when they ding your star rating. That is just life on ebay. And paying over $1 for a padded envelope is far too much in any case. You can get those same mailers for much less in bulk. Do you think a star-dinging buyer like the ones Bobby posted about in his OP are going to care if you don't sell that many cards and that's why you overpay for your mailers at Office Depot? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no. >>
I have had one person that I am aware of ding my stars because he thought he paid to much for the card and decided to take it out on me. Fine. I have had 456 transactions and that is the only person I am aware of.
I do things first class and it shows. In general I am more of a buyer then a seller and one thing I decided to do early on was make sure when someone got a package from me it showed that I cared about the condition of the cards. Think how many times you have opened up the mail box and saw how something was shipped and you were scared to open it. I want the buyer to see my package and that be the last thing on their mind.
I have given some thought to the concept of cheaper bubble mailers but the ones I have seen that are much cheaper are not even close to as durable as the one's I use. If I sold thousands of items a year on EBAY I would naturally be more concerned about the cost as in many cases I lose money on shipping if there are more then a two graded cards in one shipment due to the increased cost from weight. I am fine if I lose $.30 here or there.
<< <i>all i'm getting out of this is Dpeck is the go-to guy for Pearl Jam cards >>
..and that Telfax1 and Beaner1 are bidders that deserve to be blocked....if you value your Ebay business. >>
i do Bobby. trust me. almost 10 years worth and i'm still self-mutilating.
it's obvious that several folks here appreciate your wisdom and there's no argument for that. maybe my position is that you tend blow that horn too loudly at times. but it's no less important.
your presence here will always be welcomed for a variety of reasons. happy Sunday.
<< <i>I buy my bubble mailer's from Office Depot and they cost over $1 a piece. >>
Holy cow. Are they gold plated? Your buyers will be just as happy with cheap bubble mailers. Mine are, anyway. What matters is what you put in the mailer (cardboard, bubblewrap, etc.)
<< <i>I buy my bubble mailer's from Office Depot and they cost over $1 a piece. >>
Holy cow. Are they gold plated? Your buyers will be just as happy with cheap bubble mailers. Mine are, anyway. What matters is what you put in the mailer (cardboard, bubblewrap, etc.)
I know it takes a pretty big leap of faith, but offering free shipping and one-day turnaround is a pretty darn good method for immediately eliminating star dingers on two of the four categories.
Price your cards with reasonable shipping costs included in the price of the card. In a BIN model (which I've been running for two years now), you'll get the price you want for a card if you have the card priced correctly (with shipping charges built in). Trust me, I don't give away the shipping. It is built in to the price of the card. And here's the kicker -- since you have shipping built in to the price of each card, you don't have to offer shipping discount. I constantly get buyers who buy 10-12 different cards at a time. And I'm essentially getting $25-30 for shipping because I built $2.50 into the price of each card.
Admittedly, this model doesn't work if you are selling really cheap cards. And you absolutely have to know the market for what you are selling so that you can accurately price the cards. But if you are selling mostly really cheap cards on eBay, your business model is flawed anyway.
Thanks coucher. I recently changed my model. I start all cards at $9.99, with free shipping, one day turnaround, and accepting returns. That eliminates 3 of the 4 categories. The only one I can get dinged on is "Item As Described", and if I get dinged on that one, then the problem should be with PSA and not me. Consider me one of the sheep now.
<< <i>I know it takes a pretty big leap of faith, but offering free shipping and one-day turnaround is a pretty darn good method for immediately eliminating star dingers on two of the four categories.
Price your cards with reasonable shipping costs included in the price of the card. In a BIN model (which I've been running for two years now), you'll get the price you want for a card if you have the card priced correctly (with shipping charges built in). Trust me, I don't give away the shipping. It is built in to the price of the card. And here's the kicker -- since you have shipping built in to the price of each card, you don't have to offer shipping discount. I constantly get buyers who buy 10-12 different cards at a time. And I'm essentially getting $25-30 for shipping because I built $2.50 into the price of each card.
Admittedly, this model doesn't work if you are selling really cheap cards. And you absolutely have to know the market for what you are selling so that you can accurately price the cards. But if you are selling mostly really cheap cards on eBay, your business model is flawed anyway. >>
You just saved me a ton of typing, coucher. Give me an avenue for an assured 5 and I'll sign up every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
What, no response to your last post so you had to bump the thread, LOL..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
By the way, if you are ever in a real bind - like if you're traveling on the road and fresh out of bubble mailers - you can get 3M and Scotch brand in multi-packs (usually 2 or 3 per pack) for $1 at Dollar Tree stores. Many supermarkets also carry them but the prices aren't quite as good.
Stars. Feedback. discounts, ebay bucks, etc. etc are all games to get people to forget how much slime actually owns/operates ebay. $3.50 is not unreasonable shipping....it may be to some, but honestly, it never ceases to amaze me how someone buys a $50 card, that would cost $75 or more at a local show, then whines about $3.50 shipping. If the little extra if any someone makes on shipping is too much for you to handle, then perhaps buying baseball cards would be better served by buying some Midol and solving the REAL problem
Saw mentioned in here some are still paying for tracking. Why? It's free if you print postage through eBay - and you get a discount on the postage itself. Plus eBay automatically updates ask the various status and tracking number fields on the item for you.
<< <i>Along time ago on Ebay, sellers would gouge on shipping left and right. Charging $10-$15 when in actually, it cost them $2. Nowadays, sellers value their customers more than that to try and gouge them on shipping. >>
It has nothing to do with sellers valuing their customers. The gouging stopped because eBay started charging fees on shipping. Period. Then they backed it up with not being able to neg buyers on feedback so buyers didn't have to be afraid to trash dishonest sellers. Agree or disagree with either change, that's why things changed.
eBay is buyer biased because they know there will always be more supply than demand (on eBay). Therefore, they do everything they can to attract buyers. They use fees to convince sellers to offer lowers shipping costs. They offer search engine boosts to convince sellers to offer "free shipping" and other gimmicks of similar transparency. Anyone who thinks eBay cares about their sellers is drinking the Kool-Aid.
Comments
<< <i>Geeze, what happened here? I heard this commotion all the way over on the sidelines.
I thought you were sleeping. Sorry Steve.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
<< <i>Like you, I take great pride in my packing. . >>
What a coincidence! I take great pride in my package as well.
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
ON ITS WAY TO NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Letting others know who are Star Dingers is a complaint? Ok?? Others are appreciative. The silent majority is. Only the trolls complain and moan. You don't have to open the thread you know.
And David....if you are charging $3.99, have you gotten the S&H dingers yet? >>
Nope. I don't sell all of the time like many on here but you get what you pay for. I ship in less then 24 hours of receiving payment and I take great pride in my packaging. It sends a message to buyers that I care about the condition your card is going to come in.
If they are raw they will be shipped in between cardboard in a card saver and wrapped in bubble wrap and if graded they are heavily wrapped in bubble wrap and both ways come inside a DVD bubble mailer. I provide tracking as soon as they are shipped and leave feedback right away.
I also combine shipping for free and in many cases a buyer wins a few items and gets them all shipped for $3.99.
There are a lot of sellers that have terrible shipping supplies and think cutting corners and keeping costs low are a better way. The condition of trading cards is in many cases what differentiates the value so paying extra special attention to the care in which the cards are shipped is paramount. >>
Buyers don't care about shipping costs as long as a) the card arrives undamaged and b) they didn't pay too much more than actual postage to ship it. You can talk about how much care you take in packaging but at the end of the day, buyers really don't care about any of that, and if you charge $4.00 to ship a card, you are going to get dinged if you sell long enough. Personally, I don't find $3.50 exorbitant by any means, but many buyers on ebay are not as reasonable a guy as I am, and those are the ones that are going to ding you noi matter how much love you spend on packaging. >>
Perhaps one day I will sell you a card and you will see why I don't get dinged. It is easy to see I am not making money on the shipping.
Read my feedback and see what the people who have dealt with me think.
Feedback. >>
By your own admission, though, you sell far fewer cards than many sellers here, so your sample size is limited. I guarantee you that if you sold as many cards as Bobby does and charged $4 a card to ship, you'd encounter the same issue that prompted him to start this thread. It's just a matter of time. (And you have already gotten lower ratings for shippiing charges, as your other 3 star ratings are 5.0 while your shipping rating is 4.9.) Like I said, there are going to be buyers who don't care how much care you take in packaging their card when they ding your star rating. That is just life on ebay. And paying over $1 for a padded envelope is far too much in any case. You can get those same mailers for much less in bulk. Do you think a star-dinging buyer like the ones Bobby posted about in his OP are going to care if you don't sell that many cards and that's why you overpay for your mailers at Office Depot? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no. >>
I have had one person that I am aware of ding my stars because he thought he paid to much for the card and decided to take it out on me. Fine. I have had 456 transactions and that is the only person I am aware of.
I do things first class and it shows. In general I am more of a buyer then a seller and one thing I decided to do early on was make sure when someone got a package from me it showed that I cared about the condition of the cards. Think how many times you have opened up the mail box and saw how something was shipped and you were scared to open it. I want the buyer to see my package and that be the last thing on their mind.
I have given some thought to the concept of cheaper bubble mailers but the ones I have seen that are much cheaper are not even close to as durable as the one's I use. If I sold thousands of items a year on EBAY I would naturally be more concerned about the cost as in many cases I lose money on shipping if there are more then a two graded cards in one shipment due to the increased cost from weight. I am fine if I lose $.30 here or there.
<< <i>all i'm getting out of this is Dpeck is the go-to guy for Pearl Jam cards. >>
<< <i>all i'm getting out of this is Dpeck is the go-to guy for Pearl Jam cards >>
..and that Telfax1 and Beaner1 are bidders that deserve to be blocked....if you value your Ebay business.
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
Thanks Bobby.
<< <i>
<< <i>all i'm getting out of this is Dpeck is the go-to guy for Pearl Jam cards >>
..and that Telfax1 and Beaner1 are bidders that deserve to be blocked....if you value your Ebay business. >>
i do Bobby. trust me. almost 10 years worth and i'm still self-mutilating.
it's obvious that several folks here appreciate your wisdom and there's no argument for that. maybe my position is that you tend blow that horn too loudly at times. but it's no less important.
your presence here will always be welcomed for a variety of reasons. happy Sunday.
<< <i>I buy my bubble mailer's from Office Depot and they cost over $1 a piece. >>
Holy cow. Are they gold plated? Your buyers will be just as happy with cheap bubble mailers. Mine are, anyway. What matters is what you put in the mailer (cardboard, bubblewrap, etc.)
<< <i>
<< <i>I buy my bubble mailer's from Office Depot and they cost over $1 a piece. >>
Holy cow. Are they gold plated? Your buyers will be just as happy with cheap bubble mailers. Mine are, anyway. What matters is what you put in the mailer (cardboard, bubblewrap, etc.)
These one's
<< <i>quit yelling. i'm trying to take a nap. >>
Love this!
"Live everyday, don't throw it away"
Price your cards with reasonable shipping costs included in the price of the card. In a BIN model (which I've been running for two years now), you'll get the price you want for a card if you have the card priced correctly (with shipping charges built in). Trust me, I don't give away the shipping. It is built in to the price of the card. And here's the kicker -- since you have shipping built in to the price of each card, you don't have to offer shipping discount. I constantly get buyers who buy 10-12 different cards at a time. And I'm essentially getting $25-30 for shipping because I built $2.50 into the price of each card.
Admittedly, this model doesn't work if you are selling really cheap cards. And you absolutely have to know the market for what you are selling so that you can accurately price the cards. But if you are selling mostly really cheap cards on eBay, your business model is flawed anyway.
<< <i>I know it takes a pretty big leap of faith, but offering free shipping and one-day turnaround is a pretty darn good method for immediately eliminating star dingers on two of the four categories.
Price your cards with reasonable shipping costs included in the price of the card. In a BIN model (which I've been running for two years now), you'll get the price you want for a card if you have the card priced correctly (with shipping charges built in). Trust me, I don't give away the shipping. It is built in to the price of the card. And here's the kicker -- since you have shipping built in to the price of each card, you don't have to offer shipping discount. I constantly get buyers who buy 10-12 different cards at a time. And I'm essentially getting $25-30 for shipping because I built $2.50 into the price of each card.
Admittedly, this model doesn't work if you are selling really cheap cards. And you absolutely have to know the market for what you are selling so that you can accurately price the cards. But if you are selling mostly really cheap cards on eBay, your business model is flawed anyway. >>
You just saved me a ton of typing, coucher. Give me an avenue for an assured 5 and I'll sign up every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Bobby, did your package in transit ever surface?
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
<< <i>Bobby, did your package in transit ever surface? >>
No...I am going to refund. The tracking showed nothing whatsoever. No more drop boxes for me.
<< <i>..and that's a fact! >>
What, no response to your last post so you had to bump the thread, LOL..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
By the way, if you are ever in a real bind - like if you're traveling on the road and fresh out of bubble mailers - you can get 3M and Scotch brand in multi-packs (usually 2 or 3 per pack) for $1 at Dollar Tree stores. Many supermarkets also carry them but the prices aren't quite as good.
Amat Colligendo Focum
Top 10 • FOR SALE
Stars. Feedback. discounts, ebay bucks, etc. etc are all games to get people to forget how much slime actually owns/operates ebay. $3.50 is not unreasonable shipping....it may be to some, but honestly, it never ceases to amaze me how someone buys a $50 card, that would cost $75 or more at a local show, then whines about $3.50 shipping. If the little extra if any someone makes on shipping is too much for you to handle, then perhaps buying baseball cards would be better served by buying some Midol and solving the REAL problem
<< <i>Along time ago on Ebay, sellers would gouge on shipping left and right. Charging $10-$15 when in actually, it cost them $2. Nowadays, sellers value their customers more than that to try and gouge them on shipping. >>
It has nothing to do with sellers valuing their customers. The gouging stopped because eBay started charging fees on shipping. Period. Then they backed it up with not being able to neg buyers on feedback so buyers didn't have to be afraid to trash dishonest sellers. Agree or disagree with either change, that's why things changed.
Amat Colligendo Focum
Top 10 • FOR SALE