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Another inspiring week! Always impressed by your ASP – which is the main difference between our stores as the number of listings and sales is about the same. Your ASP is just 2.5X mine!!
LDK
I have a ‘route’ I go on in western Maryland between Hagerstown and Oakland weekly as we have a slow rehab project farm house in the Deep Creek lake area. There are 9 Goodwills and 8 other Thrift shops on that route. That is where almost all the clothes I sell come from. I used to go to live and online auctions but that is on hold till the planned storage building gets built and the whole inventory moved to the retirement house (building is planned for this year but the moving is scheduled for 2022).
I am happy with the sourcing system I have now as I do not want to expand past what I can do myself along with all my other projects. I am loving planning out by new ebay operation with an organized station based workflow and onsite storage. The rule for the new house is “no ebay in the house!” My house now is overflowing and not organized in any rational way (for instance my main clothing storage is in my attic and my shipping area is in the basement, down 3 flights of stairs)
LDK
Totals for the MONTH of DECEMBER 2018. I am mainly a mens clothes seller, free shipping, free returns, 1% promoted listings, no best offer, good till cancelled.
Listings/items at end of month = 3712 / 4208 Total listed value $88,126
Items sold = 334 up 42% YOY
$ sold = $9257.33 up 46% YOY
ASP = $27.72 up 3% YOY
Expenses
Postage = $1789.56 (19.3% of gross)
Ebay fees = $1,039 (11.3% of gross) (includes Promoted listing fees of 94 sales totaling $2557(25.55-8.33 credit = $17.22) 28.1% of items sold/ 27.6% of $ sold)
COGS = $741 (8% of gross)
Returns = $543.81 (5.9% of gross)
PP Fees = $376 (4.0% of gross)
Total operating expenses = $4,489.37 (48.5% of gross)
Total operating profit (my name for it – does not include expenses such as mileage, shipping supplies, depreciation, etc …) $4767.96
Notable sales:
NASCAR 1988 Yearbook, cost 75 cents (bag sales), sold for $299.99
CC Filson Jacket jacket, $3.75, sold for $154.32
Double RL vest, bought for $3.15, sold $99.99
Sales breakdown by price range:
$100+ = 2
80-100 = 3
60-80 = 2
40-60 = 22
30-40 = 30
20-30 = 105
10-20 = 1702018 total sales = 86,104
2017 Total sales = 43,534
2016 total Sales = 19,800
2015 Total sales = 13,655I was only able to stop in for 20 minutes around 2pm and there were 4 shoppers in the outlet! I told the staff to get ready for the crazies! They said they were sent to the Fredericksburg VA outlet for training and saw fights! LOL
I took a quick look around just to see the setup – 5 or 6 lanes with 4-5 bins in each lane. the clothing lanes are separate from the hard goods and it is about 1/2 and 1/2 right now with purses shoes being in with the hardgoods. Did not buy anything and the only interesting thing I saw was a vineyard vines mesh style shopping bag but I did not dig at all. I DID see some items pulled from my regular GWs though as this is my area.
LDK
Thanks Jay! My wife is a saint for sure because I have taken over the house with ebay stuff. She sees this is a very good way to provide income to allow us to retire early but we both REALLY want some separation in our life between work and home. So this property was bought specifically for being able to have an outbuilding where the ebay inventory will stay. Listed (high$) art will be the only exception – we will enjoy it while it is for sale!
I suppose the vast majority of sellers are like us where storage becomes untenable before we bite the bullet and get ‘proper’ storage space. I started out thinking I would keep my listings in a closet! HAHA! What a newb!
Will keep you informed of the progress!
I will post pictures and plans when the project is farther down the track. I am in ‘make money’ mode right now! Building this with ebay profits is the goal with no mortgage!
I have been collecting MCM furniture for my office – got a HUGE (like 8ft wide by 7 feet tall) birdseye maple smoked glass bar ($25), a Lane Boomerang table ($25), and just picked up a vintage Herman Miller Eames Replica Lounge chair ($30)! lots of other period items! Going to look like a mad men set! My wife does not like the style so that is why it is going to the mancave/office.
Hey Jay!
It will be a poured concrete foundation. one part of the building (20×40) will be clear span (no 2nd floor) and will be for tractor storage / farm shop. The ebay side is the remainder but 2 stories with one 10×20 single car garage carved out. Thus the mancave/office/ebay stations area will be a 20×40 foot section then a 10×20 sf section behind the single car garage. In that small part is where the ebay stations will be as well as the stairs to the 2nd floor storage area. so all together 1000 sf downstairs (but that includes lots of mancave area) and 1200 sf upstairs.
Price will be north of 50k for sure but will not know till the spring. I am HOPING all in 75K.
It will be a pole barn structure with metal skin but will be insulated as well (the office area will be ‘finished’ with drywall etc).LDK
If you want to get fancy call yourself an arbitrageur! A person engaged in arbitrage!
I think of making a living on ebay as a combination of arbitrage (sourcing), and merchandising (presentation) with a good part of grunt work (listing, packing ect).
LDK
My goal for 2019 is to have our storage building built on our property with a ebay office (and mancave!) / listing / photographing / shipping area downstairs and 1200sf storage upstairs. That SHOULD be enough to organize all my listed and unlisted inventory. THEN I will have to move 3700+ listed items 115 miles and fill it up! It is actually fun to design a space for flow and knowing what I need rather than the ‘bandaid’ storage ‘system’ I have now. One example of haw patched together my system is my main clothing storage area is in the attic and down 3 flights of stairs in the basement is my shipping area …… not optimal! Also I promised my wife that at our new property NO EBAY STUFF goes in the house! My house now is taken over by ebay crap errrrr treasures …..
The total building is 50×40 but only 30×40 is ebay related.
I HOPE to pay for it by ebay cashflow!
Sorry to hear you had the worst week of the year but as you always remind us it is a marathon, not a sprint!
Here are my numbers for the MONTH of November. I am mainly a mens clothes seller, free shipping, free returns, 1% promoted listings, no best offer, good till cancelled.
Listings/items at end of month = 3670 / 4177 Total listed value $87,079
Items sold = 410 up 78% YOY
$ sold = $11,717 up 109% YOY
ASP = $28.57 up 17% YOYExpenses
Postage = $2,343 (20.0% of gross)
Ebay fees = $1,415 (12.1% of gross) (includes Promoted listing fees of 134 sales totaling $3963 (39.63-8.33 credit = $31.30) 32.7% of items sold/ 33.8% of $ sold)
COGS = $891 (7.6% of gross)
Returns = $584 (4.9% of gross)
PP Fees = $454 (3.9% of gross)Total operating expenses = $5,688 (48.5% of gross)
Total operating profit (my name for it – does not include expenses such as mileage, shipping supplies, depreciation, etc …) $6,029Notable sales:
Burberrys trench coat, cost $6, sold for $299.99
Stall & Dean Osaka Tigers baseball jacket, cost 75 cents (bag sale), sold for $124.99
Unused USGI 1988 Combat boots cost $7, sold for $99.99Sales breakdown by price range:
$100+ = 2
80-100 = 3
60-80 = 5
40-60 = 36
30-40 = 57
20-30 = 139
10-20 = 168I do think they helped. Of my 453 sold, 123 were via promoted listing for $3390 in sales (so about 30% of total sales were promoted). there were over 7000 views ……
LDK
Sorry I have not posted any numbers in like 10 months but I have been listing a ton of backstock (over 2000 items from my death pile – about 1/3 of the way through)
Here are my numbers for October
Number sold = 453 – 15 returns
Total Sales = $11,478 (after refunds)
Total listed at end of month 3676 listings $87,570 ‘listed value’
YTD = $65,402 / 2544 orders
Highest October sale Polo Ralph Lauren Leather Car Coat $142 Free Shipping, sourced for $6.If you don’t remember I am mainly a used mens clothing seller (over 2750 listings) and all the numbers above include free shipping, 30 day free returns, promoted listing rate at 1%, no best offer.
I was looking at the sales conversion rate and what ebay says it is is:
“The number of sales transactions divided by the number of listing page views”
So basically it is a measure quantifying of the potential customers that view your listing, how many actually buy.
The way I think we are all describing sell through rate is a bit different in that it is the number of sales divided buy the total number of listings.
Both SHOULD move in tandem but I do think measure different things but in both higher is better!
Feb 19-25
Items/listings in store 1638/1457
Sold 17
COGS $29.63 for items, $68.50 free shipping = $ 98.13 (I offer free shipping on 99% of my items)
Sales $501.83
Highest Price Sold: $89.99 shipped USA Made Vintage John Deere Patch Hat– 4.00 COGS
Lowest Price Sold 16.00 shipped (TailorByrd Flip Cuff Shirt COGS $1.05, shipping $3.85, packaging .25, fees $1.91 = $7.06, profit =$8.94)
Average price Per Sale $29.52
Intl – 0
Returns – 0
$ spent On New Merch –$65
Listed New 69 Items
Return rate 1.33% overall / 1.72% clothing
Took an unofficial offer on the Tailorbyrd shirt. While I do not have best offer enabled I still get 5-15 ‘offers’ a week. What I do is NOT reply with offer as I want to maintain the immediate payment required. So, what I do is have a conversation with the buyer and let them know if we come to a deal I will immediately change the buy it now price. All the buyers have understood and no problems yet. The shirt was a 99 cent tag day item and was under a pound shipped so a $16 was fine for me. It was originally $19.99, buyer offered $12 I said $16 and they agreed.Feb 12 – 18
Items/listings in store 1577/1415
Sold 17
COGS $23.73 for items, $75.57 free shipping = $ 99.30 (I offer free shipping on 99% of my items)
Sales $348.94
Highest Price Sold: $37.99 shipped Revell model kit – 1964 Chevy Fleetside Pickup Truck – 6.25 COGS
Lowest Price Sold $8.14 (Childcraft Annual 1967 children’s encyclopedia single volume COGS 15 cents, shipping $3.12, packaging .25, fees $1.13 = $4.60, profit =$3.54)
Average price Per Sale $20.53
Intl – 1 GSP to Japan (Columbia Sportswear Camp Style shirt)
Returns – The Burberry suit from last week was returned for fit so buyer paid return shipping
$ spent On New Merch –$71
Listed New 69 Items
Return rate 1.20% overall / 1.92 clothingNormal week with nothing special selling or any drama. The Burberry’s suit was returned and the buyer did not use the Ebay label or upload tracking so I was kind of bummed when it showed up. My honey-hole thrift shop had BOGO on outerwear so I loaded up on lots of jackets this week. I DID list more than I bought so the death piles are continuing to slowly shrink …….. will take that as progress!
