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Ideas for selling on ebay

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TramFan3

Member
Dec 7, 2008
317
10
Mods move this if its in the wrong forum.

Lately i've been selling more things on ebay. So far i've done a good job of getting rid of clutter. I almost only list during promotional periods so i avoid listing fees. In the last few months I have opened up some lower end old boxes, and have just taken some of the stars and thrown them up on ebay at .99 hoping someone bites on a few of them.


Currently I charge 2.20 shipping (Which is right around my cost). I list most of the cards at .99 and just hope that someone justifies paying 3.19 for a base card. It happens on occasion.

Is it worthwhile for me to list them lower? Say .50? I feel like at that point it may not even be worth my time. Id love to list them all for a quarter and have team and set builders come along to buy multiples. But i think that mostly, people would just buy 1 card for a quarter plus shipping and that i would be packaging all day for almost no money.

For those who sell more low end on ebay, my question is, how do you do it?
 

studioclint

New member
Aug 10, 2008
797
0
Chicago
Mods move this if its in the wrong forum.

Lately i've been selling more things on ebay. So far i've done a good job of getting rid of clutter. I almost only list during promotional periods so i avoid listing fees. In the last few months I have opened up some lower end old boxes, and have just taken some of the stars and thrown them up on ebay at .99 hoping someone bites on a few of them.


Currently I charge 2.20 shipping (Which is right around my cost). I list most of the cards at .99 and just hope that someone justifies paying 3.19 for a base card. It happens on occasion.

Is it worthwhile for me to list them lower? Say .50? I feel like at that point it may not even be worth my time. Id love to list them all for a quarter and have team and set builders come along to buy multiples. But i think that mostly, people would just buy 1 card for a quarter plus shipping and that i would be packaging all day for almost no money.

For those who sell more low end on ebay, my question is, how do you do it?



I would recommend selling them on COMC vs Ebay. Probably a little less profit, but a lot less work.
 

tonsofcommons

Active member
Aug 20, 2008
6,102
13
Iowa
If you are selling a certain set or certain player, you can do "Pick your cards" type auctions.

For example, if you have 100 cards from the 2000 Topps Set, just start the auction at 99 cents and say "Pick 10". then create a list of the cards you have.

Same idea with players.
 

TramFan3

Member
Dec 7, 2008
317
10
I use a photo scanner to scan them, and its relatively fast. I usually make the listings while im watching tv, so thats not really a hassle either. Ive looked into comc, but unless you know your cards will sell on there i feel like its pointless.

For me to put a card up there for .99 cents and pay .25 in processing fees, and then another .10 in cashout fees im making .65 if it sells right away. If it stays up there that goes down. This doesn't factor in shipping costs as well. Like I said, im really just throwing poop at a wall to see what sticks.
 

TramFan3

Member
Dec 7, 2008
317
10
If you are selling a certain set or certain player, you can do "Pick your cards" type auctions.

For example, if you have 100 cards from the 2000 Topps Set, just start the auction at 99 cents and say "Pick 10". then create a list of the cards you have.

Same idea with players.

Thanks for the idea. I might do that with the next batch of cards I put up to see how it works.When you list during free listing promotions, are you allowed to do quantity auctions/bins? Does anyone have experience doing this?
 

studioclint

New member
Aug 10, 2008
797
0
Chicago
I use a photo scanner to scan them, and its relatively fast. I usually make the listings while im watching tv, so thats not really a hassle either. Ive looked into comc, but unless you know your cards will sell on there i feel like its pointless.

For me to put a card up there for .99 cents and pay .25 in processing fees, and then another .10 in cashout fees im making .65 if it sells right away. If it stays up there that goes down. This doesn't factor in shipping costs as well. Like I said, im really just throwing poop at a wall to see what sticks.

Watch for specials. They usually have listing specials around the National and try it out. You can list a card for .75 cents and have no storage fees. You would be surprised what sells on there. I will admit I don't like their new system as much as the old, but I have sold around 1200 cards in a little over a year that I would never take the time to list on ebay. Some I would make a few cents on some I would make much more.
 

TramFan3

Member
Dec 7, 2008
317
10
Watch for specials. They usually have listing specials around the National and try it out. You can list a card for .75 cents and have no storage fees. You would be surprised what sells on there. I will admit I don't like their new system as much as the old, but I have sold around 1200 cards in a little over a year that I would never take the time to list on ebay. Some I would make a few cents on some I would make much more.

Ill have to keep an eye out. I do like the idea of not dealing with packaging them up when they sell.
 

swish54_99

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2012
1,160
221
Along these lines you could also list them in lots by team or playe or year. Your profit per card price would go way down I'm sure, but you'd also hopefully move some that would be hard sells if they were by themself.


If you are selling a certain set or certain player, you can do "Pick your cards" type auctions.

For example, if you have 100 cards from the 2000 Topps Set, just start the auction at 99 cents and say "Pick 10". then create a list of the cards you have.

Same idea with players.
 

TramFan3

Member
Dec 7, 2008
317
10
My future plan for the cards that dont sell/hang around for a while is going to be putting them in team lots and hopefully trading for Tigers lots. If not ill just try to sell them as lots. These cards all came from boxes i got on the cheap though, so even if 3 or 4 cards sell per brand, im making my money back and get the rest of the cards.

Any other ideas that have worked for people?
 

200lbhockeyplayer

Active member
Aug 10, 2008
11,049
2
When selling "cheap" cards...I start at $3 and include free shipping, it works great when someone buys a couple and it's cheap enough where it basically is the cost of a pack. Easy to justify.
 
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