Selling on Ebay

Sum1

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I buy quite a bit of stuff on eBay but was thinking about selling some smaller items on there. Seems all simple enough but the one thing that perplexes me is how some of these people are shipping for such low prices. In a lot of cases it’s free shipping. Was wondering if we have any eBay sellers on here? If you want PM me that would be cool to. Thanks.
 


Davey Crockett

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My bride and I sell on ebay once in a while and there is no magic recipe, It's what works best for you. Someone has to pay shipping and it depends on how you list the item that dictates who. The free shippers have to pay the shipping charges out of their own pocket and we don't go that route. We set up a USPS account and print our own shipping labels and drop them in the mailbox or larger items we drop off at PO. Most of our listings buyer pays actual shipping because it seems to help sales but I prefer a flat shipping fee because you usually get paid instantly after auction ends with no questions asked. It never hurts to make a buck or two on shipping. My theory is keep it simple or you will get all sorts of emails, We shy away from the make an offer option and questions about what shipping charges are to a certain zip code . Depends how many items you plan on listing there is an option to list with a scheduled start date and time so you can list them in spare time and have all auctions end on a pre planned date and time. We shoot for late Sunday evening for auctions to end. It can be entertaining but it can also be a pain in the butt if you open yourself up for a bunch of questions or offers. List items with good pictures and overly honest descriptions that point out any blemishes or defects no matter how small and you should have smooth sailing.
 

NDwalleyes

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Part of my job is basically running a small retail business. 95% of what I sell is shipped across the midwest. With as much buying as people do on ebay & Amazon now-a-days, I can tell you shipping costs have just become a way of life. As long as your rates are fair, people just pay it. It's people who charge $15 to ship something that weights a few ounces that piss people off.
 

Sum1

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Thanks fellas! The reason I ask is A lot of times I buy stuff with free shipping cheaper than what I could get it locally. Confused how they could even be making money. And these ain’t high dollar items.

Will the post office pick the items up at your house when selling?

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Also Davey Crocket when you set up a USPS account is there a way to figure out the shipping costs before hand so you can have it in the description? I assume there is since I see it when buying stuff. Just wondering how you figure that out?
 

Davey Crockett

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It's hard to estimate shipping without a destination so we usually list buyer pays actual shipping. There is a shipping calculator where you add dimensions , weight and destination and gives you the list of available shipping options, You can try options to see what is the cheapest. You are logged into your account so all you have to do is hit pay and print out the shipping label. We go in spurts and list a bunch and then take a week or two off depending on our schedule. If you list an item here and there and keep listing pretty soon it ties you down like a herd of milk cows.
 


eyexer

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If you enter the size and weight of the box ebay will figure the shipping automatically for each buyer/watcher. If you ship flat rate box it's even easier. I sell a lot of stuff on ebay. Shipping bigger items is tough until you get used to what they cost to ship. On big items I usually use the set a fixed price for shipping feature. Then put say $20 if I know it's going to cost between fifteen and twenty to ship.
 

Davey Crockett

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The flat rate you see is probably estimated , I've listed items with a flat rate of $ 5 and depending on shipping destination sometimes you make a buck and sometimes it cost an extra buck . Actual shipping costs are more appealing to some buyers but when I'm buying something and I know it's going to cost xxx for shipping I'd rather pay immediately and it's a done deal with one mouse click.
 

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