DON'T MISS:
Tips On Using eBay Auctions:
eBay is the
jump-off point for the eBay Auction experience, where thousands of sellers
auction off items of every description to thousands of buyers (at no cost to the buyers).
On the main eBay page, you can see listings for some of the major
auction categories--Toys and Beanies, Dolls, Antiques, Books, Computers, etc.
eBay has 
had over 40 million (!) items sold through its service, and they get over 600
million page views a month--this is a busy, great place for collectors!
Here are my tips as of 1/14/99.
What is eBay? eBay is a very large and diverse auction website. Individual sellers put items up for sale to the highest bidder, and the seller pays eBay two small fees--(1) an fee for inserting the item in eBay's listings ($.25 up to about $2.00 for most items, depending on the "starting bid" for the item); and (2) a small percentage of the winning bid--5% of the winning bid up to $25, and 2.5% of the winning bid over $25. For "reserve" items (we will get to reserves later) the insertion fee is based on the reserve price of the item, so it is more expensive to list a reserve. Once the bidding is completed, the seller and the buyer contact each other and complete the transaction.
Bidding, Selling--The Basics:
Bids are made through the individual item
pages for a period of 3, 5, or
7 days. Highest bidder by the closing time of the auction wins the item (except for
"reserve auctions," where the winning bid must be over the "reserve"
in order for the high bidder to win the item). It is required by most sellers that
you "register" with eBay before you can bid on their items (registration
requires a name, address, phone munber, etc.) For more information on eBay
basics please go to the eBay Tutorial, which covers
registration (get an "ID," DON'T use your e-mail address, or you will be overrun
by spam!!), searching for items, bidding and selling.
Tips On Bidding: Well, there are two strategies that seem to be used by most eBay bidders:
- Wait Until The Last Day (or Minute): One
strategy is to NOT bid on an item until the last day of the auction. Some people
believe that they will not drive up the price of an item if they do this. This can
be a foolhardy strategy--first, real life often intervenes, and you can simply be too busy
to remember to get your bid in. Also, sometimes several people wait until the last
day, and then a fierce, last minute bidding war escalates (and, in the heat of battle,
people lose their heads--hey, I LOVE when this happens to the items I am selling!)
Some people "SNIPE", which means carring this strategy so far that they won't
place a bid until the last 5 minutes, or even 5 SECONDS of an auction--very risky,
since there can be too much internet or site traffic to get through to eBay, OR the
existing bidders may have already placed large, maximum bids, and the last minute bidder
can run out of time trying to get the highest bid in (umm--I have tried this, and it is
NOT fun to run out of time or not be able to get through!) So, I have decided that
the SECOND strategy is the soundest---
- Place Your Maximum Bid the First Time You Bid:
It seems much sounder, both fiscally and to improve your chances of getting an item, to
leave your MAXIMUM bid the first time you view the item, and then forget about your bid
until the auction is over. Remember, the computer will not go to your maximum bid
unless someone bids you up to it--if you bid, say $110 on a Bubblecut Barbie the first day
of the auction, and the minimum bid is $50, your bid is listed at $50, and there is where
it will stay unless someone bids HIGHER than $50. If only one other person bids, and THEIR
maximum bid is $70, you will get the item for $71. Now, some people do NOT like this
strategy because they fear last minute snipers (see above!) will SWOOP in and get the item
for $111 one minute prior to the close of the auction. Well, that is very possible,
but what I do is decide what the true MAXIMUM I would pay for an item is, then I add 10%
and make that my maximum bid. If someone outbids me by $1 with such a bid, then I
know they didn't get a bargain, and I can sleep well at night. If it is an item
that, irrationally, I CANNOT live without (a doll I have been looking for for years, lets
say) they I put my maximum bid at 20% over my "rational" maximum. It works
for me, and with this strategy you will spend alot LESS time watching last minute bidding,
and more time collecting.
- But, I WANT To Snipe!: Ok, here's how! To snipe like a pro, the FIRST thing you need to do is SYNCHRONIZE YOUR CLOCK exactly to the eBay clock. Next, decide how strong your constitution is. If you are a knock-kneed sniper (sort of like me) you may want to start your sniping activities as much as 5 to 10 minutes before the end of the auction (to see who has bid lately, to see how the server is responding, etc.) If you have the constitution of steel, you may not open your window until 2 or 3minutes before the close of auction (you will need time to enter your bid, at least!). Next, you will want to open TWO windows in your browser on whatever item you are bidding on. The FIRST window is where you will repeatedly hit the reload button to see updates on any new bids made. The SECOND window is where you will set up your snipe bid. You will want to enter your bid amount, your ID and your password, then click to the "Review Bid" page. You will minimize this, and keep reloading your OTHER window to see where the bids stand, until YOU ARE READY TO PLACE YOUR SNIPE BID! Again, some brave souls have this down to a science, and will do this with less than a minute to spare. I generally do this 2 or 3 minutes before the close of auction (on the rare occassions that I snipe--I really find I prefer my above strategy) to allow for computer or server glitches, or time to snipe VERY fast in case my bid isn't the highest, and I really want to try again. PLEASE NOTE: Sniping can engenger bad will, especially among people you out-bid in the last few minutes of an auction. However, sniping is now a generally done and accepted practice on eBay, encouraged by eBay's bidding system.
Tips On Selling Items: There are certain things I do to MAXIMIZE MY PROFITS before I decide to put an item for sale on eBay.
- Check Completed Auction Prices for the Item:
Before you place an item up for bid, search for the same item in a completed auctions search, and see what prices have been
realized for that item. If you are selling a modern Barbie, for instance, or a
Beanie Baby, chances are you will see MANY completed auctions for the same item. The
prices can be all over the map, depending on condition of the item, or traffic patterns.
As time goes on on eBay, I find the ranges of prices gets wider and wider (from high to
low) as more people and items are added, BUT, you will get an idea of the general range
(make sure you check which auctions were reserves but not met--those sometimes have a low
"final bid" but don't really reflect a market price, since the auction wasn't
completed). The range of items can give you a good idea of what YOU will realize
for your item, and can help you decide if you want to sell it via eBay. You MAY get less
for your item than a dealer would get, BUT you don't have the overhead of a dealer selling
an item when you sell on eBay, AND, if you SOLD your item to a dealer, chances are you
would realize much less (except for very desirable or rare items, the price realized is
USUALLY between the buy-from-dealer price and the sell-to-dealer price). If you have
a more offbeat item for sale--say, a rare Raggedy Ann, chances are you WON'T see many
completed auction prices for that item, and you will have to try to find similar items.
- Check Traffic Patterns: When are the
best prices realized in your category?? Maybe the doll collectors are a weekend
bunch, with the heaviest bidding and best prices realized for auctions ending on the
weekend. Or, maybe the button collectors are a weeknight group. OR, maybe SO many
auctions end on a weekend in a particular category, that your item will get lost in the
shuffle, and you are better off ending your auction on a weeknight. GET TO KNOW the
category you are selling in, and then decide WHEN you want your auction to end. One
tip--if you are ending your auction on a weekday, auctions ending in the late evening or
early morning are best, since too many snipers are at work during weekday days!
- Three, Five or Seven Day Auctions: I always
used to conduct 7 day auctions for maximum exposure to bidders; now, I find that the
volume on eBay is so heavy, that most people ONLY check items the FIRST and LAST
day. SO, sometimes a 3-day auction will bring the same price. HOWEVER, a
7-day auction can have the benefit of beginning and ending on the weekend, if you decide
that is the best time for posting an item in your chosen category, OR if it is an item
people are only likely to see using eBay's search, then 7 days gives you more exposure.
- Use a Photo: Photos help sell items,
ESPECIALLY for vintage or antique dolls which can vary so much in condition, or for
buttons which are hard to descibe. Photos are NOT necessary ONLY for items such as
Hallmark ornaments or Beanie Babies (if you've seen one, you've seen them all).
- Give a Detailed Description:
"Blonde Bubblecut Barbie, good condition" tells a buyer NOTHING. A better
desciption would be: "Blonde Bubblecut Barabie, great facial paint, hair slightly
combed out, good body with two scratches on lower thigh" is MUCH better.
Photos cannot detail all defects in a doll, and if you do NOT describe them all, you will
have an unhappy buyer. Also, detailed descriptions will help you realize better
prices--vague descriptions leave too much to the imagination, and the imagination usually
decides you are hiding something when the description isn't detailed enough.
- Decide On a Sound Minimum Bid:
Remember, you are agreeing to sell your item for this minimum, so, if you CANNOT part with
an item for less than $50, don't list it with a lower minimum. HOWEVER, from
experience, I can tell you that the free market is alive and well, and that low minimum
bids ENCOURAGE active bidding--people cannot turn away from a bargain!! SO...I
ususally post a very low minimum, unless it is an unusual item or a very, very expensive
one. And, yes, you MAY end up selling some items for very low prices, so be prepared
for that eventuality if you use this strategy.
- Carefully Craft your Listing Title:
With the huge number of auctions on eBay right now, how you word your title (so that it
can be brought up in buyer searches for your item) can mean the difference between
lots of page views and a GOOD price, or an item that gets lost in the shuffle! Try a
few searches for your type of item, and see which phrases work. Also, get as much
info in as you can. IF YOU ARE NOT RUNNING A RESERVE AUCTION, TRY TO PUT IN n/res,
or something indicating no reserve, since I am convinced no reserve auctions do better and
command higher prices than reserves, which turn off many bidders. FINALLY, if you
take credit cards, indicate MC/V in your title--some people LOOK for this, and hate
writting checks or getting money orders!
- When To Use Reserve Auctions: I
rarely use reserves; I am SURE that they turn off bidders--they turn me off, since many
times people who use reserve auctions are testing the market, and list the items with
unrealistically high reserves. I dislike bidding on these items, wasting my time,
and then the item does NOT sell, and you don't know WHAT the reserve price was. I
DO use reserves with very expensive items, since sometimes very high minimums turn off
bidders (see above), and, if the item is special enough, it will probably still
sell. And, if you cannot BEAR to part with an item for less than "x"
amount, you SHOULD use a reserve of "X" amount, too.
- Expect the Unexpected!: Remember,
this is an AUCTION--anything can happen, and that is part of the fun!! You
may get an irrationally high OR an irrationally low price, and you have to be able to
accept this (if you CAN'T accept an irrationally low price, see Reserve Price auctions,
above!) Once, I sold a book on eBay that I expected to sell for $15-$20--it sold for
$85!! Another time, I sold a doll I was convinced was worth $60, and received a
paltry $30.
A Note On Payment and Shipping: Have a CLEAR payment, shipping and handling policy spelled out in your listing. Do NOT send out merchandise until a personal check has cleared. If you are doing business with a PO Box, make sure you also get a street address and/or phone number in case the check bounces. In your ad, discuss clearly any handling charges (I charge $1 domestic and $2 international--shipping materials are expensive!) plus actual postage and insurance if desired. I accept money orders, checks, and international money orders. Also, pack your dolls or other collectibles well--use appropriate bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts, etc. so you can successfully complete the transaction! Charge MORE for handling for exceptional or hard-to-pack pieces (such as an antique bisque doll, OR a 1988 Happy Holidays Barbie Doll--remember, ½ the value of a doll like that is in the BOX, so DOUBLE BOX it--one dent, and you have a problem!!). I highly recommend that you get your buyer to pay for postal insurance in case something goes wrong.
Buyers--How To Protect Yourself:
- FEEDBACK: Check the feedback rating of the seller of an item
you want to buy!!!!!!!!! eBay provides a service for users where people who have
completed transactions leave "feedback," which are postive, negative or neutral
comments on the person on the other side of the transaction. Positive comments are
worth 1 point each, negative comments are -1 point each, and neutral comments have no
effect on the rating. For instance, my feedback rating on eBay is 123--this means I have
had 123 positive comments (and, in my case, no negative ones) (check my feedback
to see how it works!). HOWEVER, LOOK AT THE COMMENTS--since you cannot tell by the raw
number how many negatives have been given versus positives, nor the quality of the
comments!! The feedback doesn't always tell the WHOLE story;
however--some eBay users may not post a negative feedback if they fear retaliation in
their feedback (a growing problem, where an unjustified person, who renegs on a bid or
sends out unfairly described merchandise, threatens to ruin someones record with
retalitory negative feedback, if that person is given his justly deserved negagive
feedback). So, feedback is not a GUARANTEE of a good transaction; nothing is!!
If a person has MANY negative comments, or HIDDEN feedback, I would be very wary;
- PHOTOS: Photos can be very helpful to see
that a doll has been correctly identified, or in reasonably good conditon; however,
remember that many small defects will NOT be picked up on the resolution of a computer
screen.
- DETAIL IN DESCRIPTION OF ITEM: Make
sure that the description is detailed and fairly sets forth all defects, if any, even if a
photo is listed..
- E-MAIL FOR MORE INFO: If anything is
vague or left out of the item description, E-mail for MORE information. If the
person does not promptly respond, or is cagey in their response, skip the item.
- PO BOXES: If a seller uses a PO Box,
make sure you also get an actual street address or phone number. CALL the phone
number, especially if it is a high-priced item.
- HAVE CHECKS CLEAR: If you are a buyer,
do not send merchandise until personal checks have cleared.
- WILL THE SELLER TAKE RETURNS?: Dolls and many other collectibles are VERY subjective; if a doll is NOT NRFB, the seller should offer a return IF THE DOLL IS NOT AS DESCRIBED. Sellers do NOT have th offer returns if the buyer simply changes her mind, but if defects are not disclosed, any seller should offer a full refund.
To see a list of all dolls, bears, miniatures, vintage buttons and sewing items I
currently have available for sale on eBay, please click HERE:
Denise's
Auctions. You may go directly to eBay to view a list of my items for sale with
the above link--if this link is down, just search for my items in the eBay Search area,
by searching "Seller"--search for my auctions using this id: dollymaker.com.