Question about Ebay fees?
AlbertanDude
Posts: 180 ✭
Well, I am going to be getting a wack load of graded and some raw stuff in the next few weeks and I am dreading the notorious ebay fees.....what I am wondering, if you people have some pointers for me to sell on ebay!
Most of my stuff is high graded Baseball and Hockey from the 50's and mostly 60's and some early 70's.....
First, I am going to offer the stuff here before I put it on ebay....I have sold here before about a year and a half ago and my ebay record is one hundred percent with about 1500 affirmations from my fellow ebayers....
After that, once I put my stuff on ebay, what can I do to lower the costs of there fee's if anything?
One thing I was wondering is if I end auctions early on ebay and sell to someone who has made me a fair offer, will ebay still charge me the full fee or is it scaled back?
In the pass, I would pull a lot of auctions early and make deals on the side but I can't recall if that lowered my ebay fees???
Can you guys help me out here....
My handle on ebay is 'proamericanalbertan'.......
Thanks
Devon in Alberta
Most of my stuff is high graded Baseball and Hockey from the 50's and mostly 60's and some early 70's.....
First, I am going to offer the stuff here before I put it on ebay....I have sold here before about a year and a half ago and my ebay record is one hundred percent with about 1500 affirmations from my fellow ebayers....
After that, once I put my stuff on ebay, what can I do to lower the costs of there fee's if anything?
One thing I was wondering is if I end auctions early on ebay and sell to someone who has made me a fair offer, will ebay still charge me the full fee or is it scaled back?
In the pass, I would pull a lot of auctions early and make deals on the side but I can't recall if that lowered my ebay fees???
Can you guys help me out here....
My handle on ebay is 'proamericanalbertan'.......
Thanks
Devon in Alberta
0
Comments
Take your spam to the BST board maybe.
It's a seller's perogative to do whatever they want since it's their items to sell, but it's annoying as a buyer to put in the effort to try to win an item and then it gets pulled by the seller before the auction concludes. I tend to avoid those sellers in the future that pull that stuff. Many offers can be lower than what an item might actually auction out for. You never know who has what type of last second outrageous snipe set to go off. Many sellers who do this cost themselves a lot of coin in my opinion.
If you know what you want to get for your cards, you're best off going with a BIN fixed price listing and run it for the 30 days now offered on ebay. That should get you plenty of time and exposure to sell your items.
As far as lowering your fee's, I believe if you agree to an offer on ebay the final value fee's are based on the offer you accept for the item if it's done on ebay.
If you take the deal offline and end the listing early, no fee's obviously, other than maybe paypal and shipping costs.
Good luck with your card sales.
2) after 30-60 days consider adding "Or Best Offer" to the listing. See if you get some people interested. Try to avoid the low offers from people wanting your cards for their inventory.
3) still no takers? Let the current market set the price. At .99 the listing fee is 15 cents, but might not be pretty in the final price (a lot of cards sell for under $5) but you say you have vintage...so if you list as an auction I'm pretty confident your cards will sell for more than that
Good luck,
Patrick
<< <i>1) get a 24 hour membership to VCP and find out what your cards are selling for. Figure out an amount that you would like for each and list them on eBay as Buy it Now's and require immediate payment for 30 days your card will sit for 50 cents.
2) after 30-60 days consider adding "Or Best Offer" to the listing. See if you get some people interested. Try to avoid the low offers from people wanting your cards for their inventory.
3) still no takers? Let the current market set the price. At .99 the listing fee is 15 cents, but might not be pretty in the final price (a lot of cards sell for under $5) but you say you have vintage...so if you list as an auction I'm pretty confident your cards will sell for more than that
Good luck,
Patrick >>
Option #3 if you don't have a store on ebay, the listing fee is $0 for the first 100 auctions a month.
----------------------
Working on:
Football
1973 Topps PSA 8+ (99.81%)
1976 Topps PSA 9+ (36.36%)
1977 Topps PSA 9+ (100%)
Baseball
1938 Goudey (56.25%)
1951 Topps Redbacks PSA 8 (100%)
1952 Bowman PSA 7+ (63.10%)
1953 Topps PSA 5+ (91.24%)
1973 Topps PSA 8+ (70.76%)
1985 Fleer PSA 10 (54.85%)
<< <i>Snipes are worthless from a sellers standpoint. If I have an offer in hand for $500, and my card is currently at $20 with 12 hours to go, I am going to pull it.....just like watchers....it doesn't matter how many watchers I have, if the bids aren't coming in, off to the offer it goes......sniping has hurt the auction format from a sellers standpoint......on the card in question, if noone else shows interest, your snipe comes in and you win a $500 card for $21..... >>
I agree, sniping might have hurt auctions but let's be realistic. A true $500 card will never sell for $21 if it's listed in the proper category. It may sell for $250 or $300, but not for 4% of it's value at $21 like you mention.
Plus how do you know there's not last second bidders willing to pay $700 for this so-called $500 item? With auctions, there's high risk and high rewards. It's certainly worth the gamble to let a low pop or key Rookie HOF card in high grade with great eye appeal auction off to the end. Most of those cards sell for over VCP. Most astute buyers snipe to not tip their hand. Sellers just have to sweat it out or to protect themselves, set a reasonable reserve.
What drags down the VCP on some cards are the badly scanned, off-centered 8's, out of focused dogs for the grade, many times listed in the wrong category or sport, and ending at odd times. Easy to find and high pop cards almost always drag down the vcp too.
Now, would I list a card via auction that SMR's for $40 with a pop of 200+? Absolutely not. That's a card that could indeed sell for $5. Those type of cards should be put with a BIN unless you want to take the chance of giving it away.
edited for monkey typing.
Anyways, Cardbender, I have found that some buyers do find it quite annoying if I end an auction early so I try not to do that....it sounds like even if I do end my card's early, Ebay will still charge me the full amount....in that case, I will not be ending early...
What is this VCP and can you guys direct me where it is....
Mullens5, they are many expensive cards in my upcoming sales....commons to superstars like Mantle etc etc....on the average, I would think at least the cards will price out over 60 dollars for card but the range will be from 20 dollars to 700 dollars and perhaps higher....
Regarding this BIN option, will that reduce my ebay fees???
Also, just so everyone understands, the listing fee's on ebay are not the problem...it is the fee's after I have sold them that outrage me...they take like 9 percent roughly....
So, the bottom line is this...are you guys saying that my final fee's on ebay are less if I use a BIN option?
I do know this much thus far...I will be posting here for the first week....
Do you guys know of other places I can post?
Thanks for all your help!!
That sounds promising....though I do not like to end auctions early because it does upset some of my buyers...
.
What are the guidelines?
Allowed
Sellers can end a listing early in order to sell an item at the current bid price to the high bidder.
Bidders can ask sellers to end a listing early and sell at the current bid price, but sellers don't have to honor the request.
Not allowed
Some examples of activities that aren't allowed include:
Using member contact information obtained from eBay or using any eBay system to offer to sell any listed item outside of eBay
Canceling a listing to sell to a buyer who found the item on eBay
Ending a listing early to sell the item to the winning bidder a price higher than the current bid
Offering to sell an item to a non-winning bidder without using Second Chance Offer
But is it correct that if I end a item early to sell to a potential buyer, then I do not have to pay those high ebay fee's that they add on after I have sold an item?
Thanks
Devon
"...But is it correct that if I end a item early to sell to a potential buyer, then I do not have to pay those high ebay fee's that they add on after I have sold an item?..."
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Yup.
In the pass, I would pull a lot of auctions early and make deals on the side but I can't recall if that lowered my ebay fees???
Can you guys help me out here....
My handle on ebay is 'proamericanalbertan'.......
Thanks
Devon in Alberta
That's a real hard question for anyone here to answer. I would contact Ebay customer support if you're concerned about losing your fees in such a case. Send them the item numbers of the auctions you ended and tell them how much you sold the cards for. They will check your account to make sure you you were charged the correct amount.
<< <i>One thing I was wondering is if I end auctions early on ebay and sell to someone who has made me a fair offer, will ebay still charge me the full fee or is it scaled back?
In the pass, I would pull a lot of auctions early and make deals on the side but I can't recall if that lowered my ebay fees???
Can you guys help me out here....
My handle on ebay is 'proamericanalbertan'.......
Thanks
Devon in Alberta
That's a real hard question for anyone here to answer. I would contact Ebay customer support if you're concerned about losing your fees in such a case. Send them the item numbers of the auctions you ended and tell them how much you sold the cards for. They will check your account to make sure you you were charged the correct amount. >>
There is no FVF for an auction that you end early. You ARE however responsible for any listing fees.
So, my game plan is thus: When I start selling my cards, I will first advertise them here...
Then what I have left will go onto ebay and I will try to end auctions early and make deals on the side....
Thanks for all your help guys!!
while I certainly have made my share of off ebay deals to customers I have never listed on ebay with the sole intention of making off ebay deals. ebay is providing a platform of reaching 1,000's of potential buyers for a very fair price. each month I pay my ebay bill I don't have a problem with it as they helped me make money I likely would not have made.
<< <i>"...But is it correct that if I end a item early to sell to a potential buyer, then I do not have to pay those high ebay fee's that they add on after I have sold an item?..."
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Yup. >>
That's interesting and I have no idea why ebay would not simply take their normal percentage of whatever is that selling price?
In any event, I still wouldn't do it because even though I know the "basic value" of all my listings, I'd rather let the auction run to the end, hopeful and likely to get an increased price higher than the saved ebay fees.
EarlyCalguy...honestly the fees that ebay charges are absolutely disgusting...to take 9 percent roughly is obscene and they only do that because they essentially have a monopoly right now...eventually someone out there with the resources is going to provide competition for ebay and then you will see them drop there unfair prices in a hurry....they are making more then enough and eventually it will come back to bite them..
2-3 percent would be adequate and fair...I do not mind paying for their services but they are simply taking advantage of our goods ....its appalling.....
Devon
you could always set up at a card show - pay $400 table rent and sit there for 20 hours over the weekend while 18 people stop by your booth.
there is always selling on Amazon.com - their fees make ebay look very cheap.
Amazon selling fees
<< <i>EarlyCalguy...honestly the fees that ebay charges are absolutely disgusting... >>
I'm not trying to be an eBay apologetic here, but to say that eBay fees are disgusting what do you think is a fair rate for them to charge? 8% 5% 0% - you can get 0% on Craigslist - you are paying eBay for the traffic, the potential to reach literally tens of millions of people around the world. Years ago when I set up at a card shows I'd be happy if the business I did was 10x the table fee, so 10% "fee" was a good day, not inclusive of travel expenses, lunch etc. When I owned a brick and mortar shop, my advertising expenses were between 6-15% of monthly sales, and millions of people did not come through my door. Even sports card auction houses will charge you 10% unless you have a very unique item, and even if they sell commission free for you, the buyer of the item ends up paying a premium of 10-20% to the auction house directly that you never see.
There is an easy way to sell your stuff without eBay fees.
Make your own web site/store. But "if you build it, they will come" won't apply, you have to drive traffic to your store, and that will take a lot of work, and probably a little money.
For $2.99 a month you can host your site with GoDaddy.
For $0 you can download and install a free open source shopping cart software like OS Commerce, ZenCart, and my new favorite, OpenCart.
I'm very close to "opening" my own online store using OpenCart and Wordpress - the link in my sig goes to the framework (no content there yet) but no way am I going to cease selling on eBay completely. I will say I'm probably a little more tech-savvy than most but by no means a true geek and I had everything in place and working in an afternoon of work.
EBAY's fees are extremely reasonable.
EBAY's policies governing sellers are extremely unreasonable.
ecrater is cheaper, but it only draws crowds using click-ads
that are not cheap.
ecrater's policies governing sellers are VERY reasonable. And,
sellers can accept any payment method they choose.
...................
MANY buyers are reticent to do "off-EBAY" deals with EBAY
sellers. They figure that if a seller will cheat EBAY out of fees,
that seller will cheat buyers too.
<< <i>Thanks for the replies guys...Nightcrawler, I havn't a clue what you are babbling about..I have never owned a card store and my handle is still 'proamericanalbertan' and has been for the last 5 years.. >>
Your CU ID used to be proamericanalbertan also, I was asking how that got changed?
And while I'm babbling, take your spam to the BST like everyone else. You're obviously just using the discussion forum to generate interest in your auctions.
Disguising your intentions behind a bunch of ridiculous questions.
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.
Moosedog, those options all sound appealing but I am computer illiterate.....so setting up anything would be a challenge for me!
I think a reasonable ebay fee would be in the 2-3 percent range....not 9-10 percent......it is obscene what they charge and I look forward to the day
when their monopoly is ended...and then you will see in a quick hurry ebay fee's start to drop...ebay knows they have us in a tight place...thus they
are able to squeeze us....I simply do not find it reasonable for the little amount of cost it costs ebay to take 10 percent or whatever they take....
Moose, I will drop buy your store when it is open...sounds interesting...wish I was computer saavy but alas I am not....
Storm 888....last time about a year and a half ago, I sold about 60 000 dollars of cards....and probably on a third of those sales I sold by ending
ebay auctions early and rarely did I ever get angry emails back...though I did get one who was plenty upset with me....regarding ending auctions early,
it is not 'cheating' in the least as ebay obviously hasn't got a rule against it.....most of my buyers are regular buyers and sellers on ebay so unless ebay
forbids ending auctions early, it is perfectly legal.
And my sales throughout that 6 week period were amazing......I sold some stuff here but I really didn't know about that option...
This time around, everything will be posted here first...
Calguy.....no one is questioning that Ebay isn't the best option...but tragically it is the only option and thus they charge ridiculous fees for selling our goods...
I am well aware that setting up a table or using Amazon or other services are far worse at this point.....hopefully someone will rectify that situation in the future!
At this point, my plan is to list here first and make as many deals as possible and then list on ebay and try to end auctions early...at least on the really expensive cards
I haven't done the math on this, but if the seller's fess are really close to 9% and PayPal is taking 3% (which is the same company, and they basically force you to use them), that's about 12%. Hardly extremely reasonable. Many auction houses have 0% seller's commission for decent items, and almost ALL are <15% for anything. So at best they're competitive, and at worst, they're overpriced.
Obviously we don't pay buyer's premiums, so seller's fees are their only source of income, but as a seller, I would certainly be selling my nicer stuff elsewhere.
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Not allowed
Using member contact information obtained from eBay or using any eBay system to offer to sell any listed item outside of eBay.
Canceling a listing to sell to a buyer who found the item on eBay.
...............
Clearly, listing an item to find a buyer and then moving the
buyer off of EBAY to avoid the FVFs is not allowed on EBAY.
...................................
No one is EVER likely to start an auction site to effectively compete
with EBAY. The game is over and EBAY won.
EBAY's fees are a bargain for the number of eyeballs they deliver.
Well then....let's hope I can do a lot of business here on these boards......and don't be sure that someone cannot arise to challenge the hegemony of ebay....
That is the beauty of our free market system...competition......but alas, right now ebay is essentially the only game in town....
Jeff, thank you for seeing the obvious...after all is said and done, I am losing about 11 percent of my cards to ebay and paypal...that is simply
far far too much for what they do...
Again, I would think something under 5 percent would be reasonable...
Thanks everyone for your help...
And Nightcrawler, I look forward to selling you many high grade cards in the future...lol.....
if you sold 60k 18 months ago then wouldn't you know the basics of ebay and their fees? a quick 2 minute search in eBay's help box would lead you directly to what fees are charged.
ebay is not a monopoly. lots of other auctions out there. they either suck or went out of business - that is not eBay's fault.
selling thru an auction house is an option and most fees can be negotiated. you may also wait months or a year (if you want to use REA) and then wait weeks/months more for payment. flipping items from an auction house for 20-40% mark up is not unheard of. that easily makes up for ebay/paypal fees if the item is resold there.
from ebay for over 130 dollars.....argggghhhhh.....
I am just looking for ways to save myself money from Ebay fee's...
I really do not want to use an auction house...mayby for some of the higher grade cards like Mantles et al...
If I can even sell the higher priced stuff here, then I would be happy....as for selling the 50 dollar cards, I suppose
I will bite the bullet and sell them on ebay.....I truly wish there were another way.
First off, are you aware of what I sold??? How pray tell do you know they were 'garbage' cards???
Check this out ya moron.....http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260579172553&ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT
Indeed, their was a lot of quality if you want me to prove it too you.....I can post the stuff I sold on Thursday...
The prices I got were not the problem...the greed of ebay is my target!
I am neither greedy nor stupid...but appalled with what ebay is getting away with!
You are , 'sir' a first rank jerk...
What is it with the responses from some of the idiots on this board?? What....are these like 15 year old kids ...ie Nightcrawler and Kbcards???
Helllloooooooooooo......I am not buying and selling thousands of dollars of cards for a lark here...
I am simply trying to make some money against the greed of ebay..........the point is we have
an organization that is charging outrageous fees......
And we need a viable alternative....
Dodgers collection scans | Brett Butler registry | 1978 Dodgers - straight 9s, homie
buy and sell in sports cards...nonetheless, I find it very frustrating that they take so much for doing so little...that is my opinion and point!
I am going to do my best by selling them here first .......as I have before in the past but on a more limited basis.
I have gotten some good answers here and I will take this advice in consideration......
Devon
only game in town...I agree....and that stinks...hopefully someone will set up a rival organization...
Also, what is this 'BST' thing you guys are referring too?
Thanks
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.
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.
<< <i>TNP....if you go through my points, I said exactly what you said....there fee's are to high but sadly they are the
only game in town...I agree....and that stinks...hopefully someone will set up a rival organization...
Also, what is this 'BST' thing you guys are referring too?
Thanks >>
Sorry, once I saw you getting uptight and repeating yourself, I decided to cut to the chase. Sorry for not reading everything you said. If you've already realized that basically 'it is what it is', then why are you
also, BST stands for Buy, Sell & Trade - Sports, a separate forum here at CU. It is considered poor form to pimp your auctions here, which is what some here feel you are doing by making sure your eBay handle is featured in your posts.
Dodgers collection scans | Brett Butler registry | 1978 Dodgers - straight 9s, homie
have gotten a myriad of responses...some poor and some insightful....
Though I do have to wonder if we have some people here that actually work for ebay....very very defensive about the indefencible.....
I shall post my upcoming auctions over there...
Thanks
the Buy Sell trade forum before and will use it in the future...
Thanks
"...Though I do have to wonder if we have some people here that actually work for ebay....very very defensive about the indefencible....."
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FTR......
I despise EBAY and don't work for them.
On account of I know some stuff about the good/bad elements of
their services, I view their fees as one of the few "good" elements.
I use their services because it is profitable to do so. I never worry
about how much EBAY makes; I only care how much I make.