How is everyone doing with their ebay sales?

[rflorek]

Someone on this board said they work for the United States postal service. I can't get on the community boards at ebay right now...they aren't coming up for some reason, and I can't find the answer on the usps site. So my question is.....how do I ship back issues of magazines? I know I can't ship them media mail, but can I ship them bound printed?

Last year I sold a WHOLE bunch of back issues of NASCAR magazines. When I brought them to the post office (I brought them to get weighed before posting because they were heavier than my small postal scale at home), I asked how I could ship them. First option was Priority (WAAAAAAAAAAAY to expensive with that kind of weight). Second choice was parcel post (also quite expensive). The postal worker told me that media mail was my best option for magazines, so that's what I did.

Good luck!
Robyn

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

What do you mean by "people are getting smart"? Enlighten me... ... I am so fascinated by all things pertaining to ebay at the moment!

I figured out very early on that you should just wait to bid on something at the very last minute. Bidding with days left just drives the price up. In the past people seemed to bid all the time. Now I find that I get most of my bids at the last minute, as the auction is about to end. Newer eBayers like to stay on top of the auction, which is just driving the price higher.

 

[jennifer293]

I put up my first 6 auctions last week and only one sold. I had a lady email me and ask me to re-list one of the auctions so I did and she is now watching it so we will see if it sells. Everyone keeps telling me to start my listing price at .99 cents but I am scared it will go that cheap, and I have some nice baby clothes that are worth well over that.

I had the listing started at 1.99 and I guess that was too much for your average ebayer.

ANY ADVICE??? Also do lots do much better than single items?

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

Baby clothing sizes under 12 months do best when in lots unless it is a high end brand. I just lotted up all Holly's 12m and under clothes into three auctions and did well with them. I never start my auctions at .99 either (I always start it at what I would be happy to get for it) and if it doesn't sell then I set it aside to relist in a lot. The childrens clothing board on ebay is really helpful. Good Luck!


My own auctions are picking up the closer they get to closing. Fingers crossed LOL.

 

[Missy1961]

I've been selling baseball cards on ebay lately. Also Star Wars cards as well.

I've had a few big sellers--a Star Wars sketch card went for $155! An Albert Pujols autograph card sold for $100. But most of the cards go for less than $10. But they are cheap to mail--postage is about 50 cents. So I make a decent profit.

 

[4fordisney]

I'm assuming this would mean magazines? This was listed under bound printed.

"a. Consist of advertising, promotional, directory, or editorial material (or any combination of such material)."

Media mail says it cannot contain advertising...which we all know magazines are 75% advertising.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

I'm assuming this would mean magazines? This was listed under bound printed.

"a. Consist of advertising, promotional, directory, or editorial material (or any combination of such material)."

Media mail says it cannot contain advertising...which we all know magazines are 75% advertising.

Just ask them. I tried shipping some catologs last week and they weren't allowed under Media. They are VERY heavy too, so shipping was a lot for the buyer.

 

[Padme]

Under normal circumstances (usually when first sent out by the publisher), magazines are considered bound printed mail. BUT, in this case, the seller is NOT profiting from the advertising in those magazines and they will be shipped in a box just like books or other Media mail would be, so they can be sent using Media mail. Catalogs are another matter since their sole purpose is to advertise products for sale. If they were vintage- products no longer for sale, that would be another case.

Disclaimer: Not all post offices/Post Masters follow the same practices or interpret the guidelines the same way. In fact, you can get 2 different clerks in the same office that have differing opinions on how things can be mailed. It can be frustrating, I know.

 

[4fordisney]

I finally got the media mail straightened out....someone must have complained about them shipping everything that should be media, bound printed. They thought if it was spiral bound it was media and if it was bound any other way it was bound printed. I had two different postal workers (one being the postmaster) tell me that. They refused to let me send school books by media. Now they have changed their tune and I didn't have to pull out my proof (printed from their website) the last few times I mailed books.

So now I am going to have to call them tomorrow and see what they say about used magazines. Wish me luck!

 

[TZMOM]

from when the first craze started. I looke on EBay but they all seemed to be selling for maybe $3.00 or so. Just wondering how much of a pain in the butt this EBay thing is and if I REALLY want to devote the time to selling these. I've got to have at least 150 of them - all w/really old "birthdates."

What do you guys think?

Thanks for any light you can shed.

Jane

 

[imsayin]

I have a TON of beanie babies. . .

Consider grouping them - bears together, etc. I certainly wouldn't list them 1 by 1 for $3.00 each - the fees will eat up all your profit. Look at what has sold in "lots" and compare to the beanies you have to sell.

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

Well my auctions just ended. I had 15 up and 14 sold. I made over 260.00 which I am happy with. Now I will have a busy day tomorrow packaging, addressing, and shipping LOL. I have to go the PO since I have packages going to the UK and Canada. I usually just have the post office pick packages up at my house. Man, I hate going to the PO with Holly! Oh well, the sacrifices we make to go back to WDW LOL...

 

[polkadotladybug]

Hi there -
I'm getting back in the swing of listing things - I go thru spurts - and then I get "listers' block" where I procrastinate like crazy - LOL - but since I have to pay for this trip - I gotta get it in gear!

We did rethink our trip plan - budget-wise, we decided to downgrade back to Pop Century (I had originally booked there, then upgraded to POR with a great code rate) and take a few days off (from 8 to 6) - it helps take the pressure off just a little. We will still have fun and I'm still hoping to make the extra $$ for the food plan, but no biggie if I don't! We are frugal meal sharers so we can go under the budgeted amount anyway - it would just be a great luxury if we could eat out all those meals! )

I have 16 things up right now and I have bids on 5 items. Still have oodles of stuff to list! YIKES! Good luck everyone! Most of mine end on Sunday - we were listing last night and didn't even think about ending on Easter - oh well! I normally do 5 day auctions and make sure to run them over a weekend, but I didnt get around to doing that so I wanted them to run over a weekend..... I do have two items that I bought at a ys on Saturday and they are already exceeding my expectations!!

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

I have 16 things up right now and I have bids on 5 items. Still have oodles of stuff to list! YIKES! Good luck everyone! Most of mine end on Sunday - we were listing last night and didn't even think about ending on Easter - oh well! !!

I did the very same thing last night, listed 10 new auctions not thinking they would end on Easter night. Hopefully we will do OK. A couple of mine are already doing very well after just 24 hours!

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

from when the first craze started. I looke on EBay but they all seemed to be selling for maybe $3.00 or so. Just wondering how much of a pain in the butt this EBay thing is and if I REALLY want to devote the time to selling these. I've got to have at least 150 of them - all w/really old "birthdates."

What do you guys think?

Thanks for any light you can shed.

Jane

I would list them all together, the whole lot of them and just let them go. Honestly, you will never get more for them.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

I have to go the PO since I have packages going to the UK and Canada. I usually just have the post office pick packages up at my house. Man, I hate going to the PO with Holly! Oh well, the sacrifices we make to go back to WDW LOL...

LOL! When you say you have the PO pick up, is that through the website where it says arrange for pick up? How does that work? It says on there for Priority and Express only. Do you do First Class ones as well and do they take them? I asked about this at my post office the other day and they really didn't know anything about it. They said as long as there was one Priority shipping in my lot, then the postal carrier could take them all, but it was up to that individual. How does it work for you?

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

I have never had any problems with our PO. I print the postage online and then if I call before 9am when the carriers head out then they stop by and pick up all the packages. I hardly ever have a Priority package to tell you the truth; almost all are media mail (books) or 1st class (clothes). No one wants to pay the higher Priority rate anymore when they use ebay.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

I have never had any problems with our PO. I print the postage online and then if I call before 9am when the carriers head out then they stop by and pick up all the packages. I hardly ever have a Priority package to tell you the truth; almost all are media mail (books) or 1st class (clothes). No one wants to pay the higher Priority rate anymore when they use ebay.

I do mostly 1st Class since I sell mostly kids clothing, so that is why I wanted to know. I also print all my postage right online too, unless it is international or weighs a LOT. The "rules" are that Carrier Pickup is for Priority and Express only, so I wasn't sure. I usually have at least one Priority package in my shippings though. And you say you call them directly? I have to learn this CP system as I am sick of running to the post office. My post office isn't too far, but with traffic it is a pain. The closest post office to me is in another town actually but is just a mile, but I hate them there, they are SO nasty, so I don't go to that one, regardless of convenience.

 

[crazymomof4]

Well my auctions just ended. I had 15 up and 14 sold. I made over 260.00 which I am happy with.
.

I'd be happy too! How do you guys do it???

I just added up my sales over the last two weeks (3 items sold out of 6) and after eBay and Paypal fees my gross sales of $40 came down to $24.55! I'm beginning to wonder if I wouldn't do better with a yard sale. But then I hear so many stories like the one quoted above. I guess I'm just not selling the right items.

Any advice for a newbie??

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

I sell mostly Gymboree clothing from my daughters closets from the year before. I have also sold off many of my Longaberger baskets and such. I have made about $1400 in the last couple weeks with them. I listed 125 auctions!