Filed under: Collectable Toys, EBay | Tags: auctions, EBay, mego, shipping, star trek
Alright, I gotta take one more crack at stupid EBay sellers. Shipping charges are really pissing me off. There are three types of sellers on EBay when it comes to shipping policies:
Type #1: Lists their shipping charges and the charges are fair. They cover the cost of shipping and a moderate handling fee of a buck or two.
Type #2: Lists their shipping charges and the charges are incredibly expensive. What they are often doing is getting the buyers attention by keeping the starting price of their auction low, say $0.99. So the auction starting price is $0.99 but the shipping charge is $20-$35! This also helps the seller avoid paying as much to EBay for listing fees and closing fees. I was looking at an item the other day. It was a phaser and tricorder for the old 1970’s Mego Star Trek figures. They were priced fairly, but the shipping fee was $8! What they hell? Throw it in an envelope and you can mail it for less than a buck! Here are two tips for you if you are a seller on EBay. If the shipping charge is not reasonable I will not buy your item. If the shipping charge is higher than the price I am willing to pay for the item, I will not buy from you.
Type #3: Does not even bother to list shipping charges. Some may have a note asking you to contact them for a shipping quote. Is it just me, or is this plain laziness? I will not even bother to bid on auctions like this.
Unfortunately, Type 2 sellers are by far the majority these days. It is getting to the point where I don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would want to shop online. You can get the things you want cheaper by going to a store, and you get some exercise as well. Maybe it’s just me though.
Filed under: EBay | Tags: comiccollectorlive, comics, diaper, EBay, self help
I want to talk about EBay. If you believe the rumors that are circulating, EBay sales are suffering. More and more EBay sellers are calling it quits, saying it is just not worth their time and effort anymore.
Obviously there are more sellers on EBay than ever before, selling more completely useless garbage than ever before. I find it really difficult to find something that I actually want at a lower price than I can get it in stores for. And that is the thing, isn’t it? If I want to pay regular price for something, I can go to the store and pay regular price for it. If I am shopping on EBay, I want to get a deal!
And then there are the idiot sellers who list their stuff for $0.99. I was looking through some toy listings and came across a lot of Star Wars action figures for $0.99. Great deal, right? Not really. When I opened the auctions I saw that the shipping charge is $12.00. I can buy the exact same action figure at Wal-Mart for $7.99!!!
Up until recently I was a seller on EBay. I had a store called Xuthl’s Wilderness and I sold a variety of items. My prices were fair and my shipping charges were fair. I was not charging a handling charge because I do not believe the old mantra that time is money. If you are someone important that may well be true, but for the rest of us, we have tons of time and not a lot of money. So I donated my time to try and get my EBay business going.
But I think the EBay market is so saturated with idiot sellers with small prices and big shipping charges that the consumer has just been completely turned off, and has tuned out. The result is that I have gone over to ComicCollectorLive.com to sell my comics, and anything else I decide to list goes back onto EBay. I am a month in, and I am finding the same problems at CCL as I did at EBay. Sellers with deceptive ads are cutting into my business there as well.
What’s the answer? Well I am still working on a few projects in my spare time. I want to get my Bum-Gunk diaper salve going again and try to peddle it on EBay, or Kijiji. I also have been trying to sell my self help book, Xuthl’s Guide: 30 Tips to Improve Your Life (http://www.usededmonton.com/classified-ad/5033314&category=books-textbooks). Sell is not the correct word. I am trying to give it away. Free. If you want a copy send me your email address and I will send it to you. I am writing a novel set in the Forgotten Realms. I also have a How to Book in the works on Home Budgeting. I tried to get a weight loss program going, but that is the most competitive racket there is. I think I have a good plan, but I could never get it going even when I offered to give it away for free!
Maybe when my youngest kid gets older and I find a little time to complete some of my projects I can get selling my good again. This post meandered a bit. I apologize for this. I will do better next time!
