If you sell on ebay, what's your low end cutoff point?
Bochiman
Posts: 25,556 ✭✭✭✭✭
With the fees, the mailings, the hassle, I was just wondering what others figure as their low end cutoff point.
I was cleaning up some stuff tonight, in preparation for the holidays, and found a roll of unc 1957 and 1957d lincolns.
Looked them up on ebay and, individually, it looks like they sell for ~$1.40ish on ebay. As a roll, maybe ~$11. That's usually with free shipping.
So, the "take", without a store, would be ~$0.40 individually and ~$8 or less, for a roll.
I'm sorry, but not really worth my time.
Also found an unc 1909vdb. Ok, that's better at ~$30 (it's pretty much a solid red and not r/b or bn)
Found an older router. Electronics suck more than low end coins a lot of times. Purchased new for $100+. I "mandatorily" upgraded, due to a shove by Comcast, just a few months ago. Current ebay sales for these.....<$15.00 most of the time.
I have a good handful of Delaware quarters (inherited), and some others. Worth more than just going to a bank, but, again, is it really worth the time on ebay? Same with some unc, common, silver roosevelts.
Just got me to thinking....what is YOUR target to even decide to hassle with selling something on ebay, IF you sell?
If you don't sell on ebay, then it's a mute point 
I'm thinking, for me, at least $30+ before it is really worth it.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
Comments
$100
My experience is that the lower the amount of the invoice, the more annoying and demanding they become. Most people buying more expensive materials have their stuff together.
Package them all together and present them as eclectic mix of items to use as holiday presents.
That way the buyer keeps what s/he wants and can feel less remorse in repackaging as presents to their distant relatives.
If I make $20, I'm happy. I usually ride by the post office and through town most days anyway, so it's just a quick stop. The days I make more are certainly better. If I'm going there anyway and have a big bag of coins, I typically don't mind something cheaper if the person isn't terrible, or if IFU on a purchase and just want it gone.
I'm sure a lot of it depends on circumstance or preferences.
I'm only using eBay nowadays to lower the loss I'd take if I kept unwanted dreck another millisecond.
I'll typically just give non-coin stuff to Goodwill (have a box that when full, off it goes) and save a little bit on the taxes.
The low end coin stuff - sometimes list just for fun to see what it brings - not worth the time but it's a hobby - right? Sometimes a YN will buy it and I feel better about listing it.
Have been selling a few mistakes lately to offset some gains. The lower they go, the more I save on taxes.
I puta lot of coinage back in circulation these days because the low end wheats and modern proofs are not worth selling on Ebay.
WS
A very wise thing to do. Dreck is going nowhere but down in the future.
Bochiman regardless of the hassle it's money figure a way of bundling it and get rid of it. Rolls? Nice? Nice 09vdb? See if Littleton wants that stuff.
99 cents
face value +buyer pays for shipping is my base.
bob
I have been selling on ebay for almost 20 years. Right now, I have 363 listings, ranging from $1000 down to $4. Of the 10 or so items I currently have listed below $10 each, most are bought in quantities of more than one, (2 6 8 ) at a time. and other than pick them out of the box, and ship them, that is all I do. When they run out, I just relist the same item over and over.
Sometimes, it is the $6 that starts the sale, and if nothing else, after ebay and paypal fees of 9.3%, and I net about $5, if nothing else, a couple of those pay for a lunch. I break even or even make a little on shipping.
This is stuff that I effectively have $0 in, so it is all profit.
While selling a $400 item is great, the bread and butter is $25 to $75, and nets me over a very nice income in profits.
All depends on how desperate I am for more money to buy coins. Some of us little guys will spare the time listing 99c items.
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
I usually need my price + S&H to be over $5. Selling common uncirculated coins for $5 probably isn't worth the time, but I feel like if I can appeal to a broader base of collectors I can somehow increase my sales of the higher priced items. Of course, I have absolutely no data to support this feeling, and I am probably just wasting my time.
I lose on many, mainly auctions. I run these to keep my 100/year required for power seller. I try not to have auctions that will close for less than $20, but sometimes I am wrong.
I think many people got what I was asking for, and I appreciate that. We all have our reasons and what we will do. Clearing out things we no longer want to have around, getting some funding back for other purchases, etc.
Some seemed to misunderstand. My post wasn't about starting at 99c or starting the auction around a low amount and letting it go. It was more about knowing what you will sell won't get that much....what is your time/effort worth and, as someone said above, is it worth the possible hassles as the lower sales seem to have more problem buyers.
I've sold for $10 or so before. Bought stuff for a few bucks. Just with shipping and ebay&paypal fees, one doesn't really clear much and then one can spend a lot of time for very little in return.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
The 99 cent people were making a small joke. The generally accepted etiquette on eBay is that most people expect auctions to start at 99 cents.
you could make money selling coins in the 1990's, and the 2000's. if you didn't sell gold and silver in 2009 at the peak, you missed the boat. current selling, you might break even after fees if your lucky, at least your moving stuff
Typically for me it was $50 unless I got a lot of something super cheap that would quickly sell and I could use a stock image...
My YouTube Channel
@Bochiman, you forgot the backstory. You found all these items in the back of your great granddaddy's safe!
It can be argued that sales <$5 likely cost more in labor than worth unless sheer volume is involved. Heavier items like rolls automatically cost more with shipping and packaging so I figured a minimum of $15 w S&H was needed to clear any worthwhile profit. I'm now retired so time/labor is less costly. Most of my statehood quarter rolls ended up in the Coinstar machine and funded my garden needs at Lowes.
SOMEBODY is making money on coins. IF they are selling any. I can't even count the number of coins I see while browsing for fun and then check Coinfacts only to find the items listed at 150-200% of any "guide" or auction prices.
topstuf Posts:
SOMEBODY is making money on coins. IF they are selling any. I can't even count the number of coins I see while browsing for fun and then check Coinfacts only to find the items listed at 150-200% of any "guide" or auction prices.
But, they make for great "comparison" prices for the TV coin salesmen to hype their "deals".
Great question - most times I shoot to bundle up to an ask or expected take of $20+ shipping or so - easier to do selling 90%; smoewhat harder with things like Wheaties.
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
You can't buy stuff with quarters at Lowes?
$20 is the minimum I strive for but usually when I sell items in that range I run a group of auctions ending same day. This minimizes the trips to PO. 7 or 8 auctions ending sunday so I can pack any take all to PO on Monday. (If everyone pays right away).
My Ebay Store
Well, all the little stuff adds up. From time to time I like to list things on eBay no reserve auction and have all of it end at the same time. Then I can package them all at once and send them off at same time.
If I can convert junk into something I really like and clean up a bit, I consider that a job well done.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I'm not going to list, package, ship for $50 I'm annoyed just to Stan in line at the po I have to much to do in a day already. I'd keep the coins and toss the rest
Martin
I do about $15 or higher. Although, I have hundreds of coins I do need to sell in the $5-$10 range and just like you, not sure if its eorth the time. So for years they just been sitting in a box.
CoinBlog.net
You sure those cents aren’t waterlogged?
Not these...these aren't the ones I planned to wrap up for you
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
Used to be $20 now $50 items and higher. Lower material just take some to shows. Currency items easy to stack up in display case at a show.
I did try take some vinyl pages of collector coins to a show $20 and lower but not enough sales activity mess with that for future shows. Their broke or won’t pay the money / bad market conditions.
If I can list a coin for a $25 BIN (with the thought I might get an $18 -$ 21 offer that we can negotiate) it is worth my time since my wife don't pay me a dime for sitting around the house picking my nose or my guitar.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
I compare the money I would receive from the coin on an Ebay sale to money I would receive by wholesaling, i.e. dumping, the coin at a show. It takes me 10 minutes per coin to photograph, edit, and list a coin on Ebay. If I can receive 8.00 more from an Ebay sale, after fees and postage, than wholesaling the coin, I am making 48.00 an hour. If the different is less than 8.00, I may wish to wholesale or auction the coin or to free up my time and money.
Another approach is to group coins in a Ebay sale to reduce the time needed to process the coins.
I do not consider my costs when selling low value coins. They are mistakes I made when grading them or by buying them too high. I want to get rid of my mistakes as soon as possible and move on. The real profit comes from the coins that I was able to grade accurately or graded coins that I am able to flip quickly.
I'm willing to lose a few bucks or even more here and there, especially if it's to a collector. For me the hobby should come first.
10 minutes per listing??? If it's a 1 off maybe if you take a smoke break!
I usually list 20-25 at a time. If I'm doing my job...and doing all I need to do I know I come in well less than an hour!..alias 2-4 minutes per listing!
Edit to add...If it's a group of the same type items I would wager my average could close in on 1 minute per listing!
Photographing and editing is taking most of the time. I am taking high resolution pictures. I would sure like to learn how to do it quicker.
The most time consuming thing is taking the pictures. You have to get in a routine....alias know how to set up your pictures and be able to go,go,go! I'm sure I'm down to less than 1 minute per listing including cropping for my pictures. I just received this question on ebay: "am wondering how u take this nice pictures, Please let me help the tricks. Thanks"
I receive questions like that all the time on ebay! Find a routine and get into it! Once you find what works you will become faster! I'm no professional but my pic's ain't shabby either!
So should I give up my knowledge of taking pictures to the random ebay sellers like this? The knowledge I have is try,try, and try again until you get it right!
Photographing coins suck, my worst chore that I have to do.
Super time consuming because I am a perfectionist.