Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
thanks, I really appreciate the advice! Might be worth dropping by an antique store , if the guy behind the counter drools, I’ll get an idea.
But, knowing myself, always lazy. It will be better if it just gets listed.
Because I have nothing in it and would love to see some fun, it might be a good auction candidate. Of course, I’m old school, probably start at $50 and watch the fun. if it sells for more than that, I’ll be happy!
But I hate the “real” antique world, seriously, I’ll take a label or a marking over an experts opinion anyday.
seriously, thanks.
Mike, thanks, yeah I mis-spoke, I would love it if ebay would promote “Make an offer” For a few weeks my listings all had an offer call out, at least on mobile:
Now it has disappeared, apparently replaced with the guaranteed delivery message. I think they should herald trumpet “Make an Offer!!!!” (just checked and my listings say “or best offer”)
Love the “never mention a number first rule.” that and “don’t panic!”
Steve, yeah, Fender started making the REALLY BIG cabinets in 1968, ~41″ high, don’t want to separate them from the matching heads (which is all people want to buy), and I NEVER WANT TO CARRY THEM ANYWHERE EVER AGAIN – and no one else does either!
Where has the SHOWMANship gone in todays world?
Only have 3, should go CL and just get it over with…
As usual, the show sets my mind on track – so thanks…
From this low vantage point, eBay has the largest, most consistent audience for the old crap I love – everything else is “niche – y” and any time spent searching out other venues would be time taken away from the basics of listing and selling.
I do have some gigantic vintage guitar amplifiers that could probably go on reverb (everyone says so) but as usual that seems like a place where dealers gather to justify how much their stuff is worth. People say how cuddly and cozy it is, but the market is limited by definition.
Same with LPs – it’s all discogs, discogs, discogs, but the ebay transaction system works, I’m familiar with it, and just can’t bother to learn the insanely complex grading silliness, ( a weakness).
Also liked the “reverse auction” comment (anyone else remember Freemarkets?) because that’s the way it really is now – if ebay would PROMOTE the availability of “best offer” it would be more powerful.
The most tragic message is that families don’t seem to care about the history, the memories the world of their past – then again, you only exist as long as you are remembered (paraphrased from WestWorld hahah) – the maudlin music in this mini doc reinforces the message that even those things which he has saved will become irrelevant in the future.
Assigning value to everything is the hoarders dilemma; a slippery slope when you realize no one will care someday.
I once found a pair of WW2 buckle top boots at a church sale (a pair is passed by in the doc) paid nothing and sold them for a fortune. That was at least 10 years ago and the leather has likely deteriorated by now. That memory is completely dissociated from the potential service of the boots (did the tread across Germany?), and becomes a tale of profit, transaction, discovery, and the assignation of value. Many other scavenging and ebay stories start and end the same. And it isn’t bad, in fact it is great, because something was saved, I enjoyed holding the history in my hands, and someone else got to treasure the item purely for what it was.
All good.
Of course, there are similar items still around that I think are too cool – the SL credo which should be adopted – is – LIST EVERYTHING.
Philosophically yours….
This week I was shopping on ebay and of course sorting by “Lowest price plus shipping.” 2 identical items next to each other in search – one had the very exciting SHIPS FREE!!!!!!! notice , and the other one didn’t. Of course, the total cost for either item was the same.
Why is “free shipping” such a push? ebay does the math and presents the total to the buyer. Even if there is calculated shipping, it’s still the same to me. I’ll compare the pictures, the description, etc., if the total price is the same, who cares?
And if I have an item that I have researched and priced correctly, I would rather have a marketing message that I choose – that I deem important… “carefully packed” – Make an Offer!” or “our descriptions describe the item and do not include a list of reasons that we really don’t want to deal with anyone since that one buyer messed up 10 years ago.” (that’s a joke, folks!)
Give the merchant the opportunity to offer our own message instead of shoving the entire ebay community into narrow cattle chutes – I think it would work!
Caveat, I hate Free Shipping.
agree, certain adapters are IMPOSSIBLE to find because of proprietary plugs or odd voltages. can go for fairly good dough. There’s usually a needle in that haystack.
I have a guy who won’t leave me alone, checked the box but he is still getting through because he had made offers on an item, ust be grandfathered in.
offered 10% of asking price, came up a few pennies on counter, which was denied – now he’s suddenly desperate for the item. But he’s blocked so there ya go, just have to ignore him.
Always overpack here so don’t use the letter option. Never have. But then… In the past couple of weeks All of my new listings have been going to the letter option as default, have to manually change them to package / padded envelope.
Suspect it has something to do with business policies but darned if I can locate the setting.
Certain one or two have slipped past, would stamp my foot and say “rats!”if a buyer paid fifty sense and I paid $2.66,,,Never had a problem with FedEx ground – if no one is home, they leave a sticker on the door that the person can sign, then they can just leave the package.
Have you called FedEx? They once sent a driver back for me when they left a guitar on a porch in the rain.
The buyer should call too!Favorite thing about Scavenger Life is being able to hear honest and open discussions about issues that are important to a steady eBay seller. This week, topics that have been top of mind! No one does it better than you two!
Sincere Compliments aside …Biggest theme – you have to change with the times because times change.
I AM the old grump – hate returns, hate fake free shipping, even resist leaving auctions but, sorry times change. Hated it when shipping was added to the fee schedule because sellers were jacking up the costs. Hated it when we were FORCED to use PayPal since money orders worked great. But ya gotta change with the times!
If you doubt it, just check in with my friends at Borders – at one of their big meetings the CEO announced that the whole Amazon thing was a fad, stores would be fine, and the new Borders.com would rule. George Stephanopolous was the keynote. What a night!But eBay in 1997 and eBay in 2018 gives anybody that wants to access to a GIGANTIC marketplace with virtually no barrier to entry, people looking for every thing you can imagine -absolutely anyone can generate sales by merely listing. So, yes, join up!
But at least…
Please try to spell your titles correctly!Many other things today, this is already too long, appreciate and want to hear more discussion regarding coming clean as a seller which I comprehend but can’t do, will even deny; efficient listings by strong helper or weak; missed pricing opportunities in the context of margin, if you made 1000% on your investment, is that bad?
Please, Jay and Ryanne, keep the lines open!
Thanks!
About 2 years back went to “all iphone app” process – didn’t (and mostly don’t) use anything else. UPC scanner when the product allowed – search comps in sold and “sell similar” where possible – or go straight in when comps were either not available or really badly done.
Not a fan of ALL CAPS titles, RARE when dozens are listed or Jay’s favorite ~~@@LOOK@@~~!
Shoot pictures on the phone, use the iPhone DICTATION mode to enter titles, condition and descriptions, check the results because my original WV accent apparently is occasinally challenging to the dictation, get a weight in a likely box, choose the shipping service and – DONE1
Really like using this method because larger complicated items with detailed tags and info can get descriptions while the item is laid out for photos. ( repeat after me: armpit to armpit about 22″, tag reads made in USA of imported fabric, etc etc)
Business policies have added a wrinkle since they were creating a new policy for every subtle variation – mostly have that cleared up but the app and the site don’t seem to relly like each other. If every single listing for the past 2 decades is “calculated shipping” can’t understand why the app is recently making everything Flat shipping!
To be continued.
Agree on the podcasts, listing favorite is streaming the RETRO COCKTAIL HOUR but listing is also a great time to play those boxes of records that I never seem to get around to selling . It’s getting like the House of Guitars around here!
Pointless dictation example – if I say “Seam to seam” it always comes out “seem to seam.” never right once.
Funny, isn’t it – buy and disappear.
Sometimes winners of auctions with no competitive action can forget that they placed a bid a few days previous. Have seen this with higher feedback people. Email a reminder daily and they usually come through. You would think that anyone who WON an auction would want the time though!
I have more buyers flake out after making best offers though. Just disappear. Non-paying bidder case, no response, just gone.
Really appreciate the folks who reach out and let you know they get paid on Friday – always come through..
Used to hate the low feedback people – back when eBay actually held buyers to certain standards, you could block em. Now, no shopper can do any wrong, and there isn’t any realistic feedback for sketchy buyers.
Have been using the eBay iphone barcode scanner for a number of years, it has always worked reasonably well, especially for more recent items, DVDs, books, toys.
Admit to scanning bar codes in the wild to search sold items too!
Agree there are bizarro suggestions and, more recently, incorrect defaults (enough with the flat shipping already!)
Haven’t noticed any changes or upgrades of late, interested in any improvements.thanks, Sharyn! Always something extra.
So, this is an app to computer hiccup, the answer is to make sure there is a weight in the package info on the app. once there is any number, seems to default into Package / Padded Envelope.
