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E BAY & others

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  • Member since
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  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Monday, December 7, 2020 9:19 AM

mbinsewi

As far as shipping charges, no matter where you go to buy or sell, there are shipping charges.  As they say, it is what it is. 

On eBay, the buyer pays the shipping charges...and sales tax. However, the seller pays the 10% final value fee which includes both the sales price and the shipping charge.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Monday, December 7, 2020 9:17 AM

peahrens

One thing I wonder about is visibility of my items when posted.  If someone is looking for Rix xyz, they will find my item easily with a search.  But I presume many browsing buyers just scroll through newest postings to see what is newly available.  (I often search for HO Union Pacific and sort by newly listed.)  If my Rix xyz was posted days ago, no one is likely to be scrolling back that far as very many new items are posted, say in Model Railroads & Trains / HO scale, per day.  I wonder if my posted items will get any attention after initial posting unless someone searches for that specific item (or brand). 

Paul, your eBay listing will show the number of "Views". That is very helpful to check periodically on whether or not your listing is continuing to draw attention as time wears on.

Rich

Alton Junction

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  • From: SE. WI.
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Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, December 7, 2020 8:48 AM

I haven't sold on there for about 2 years, I'm going to have to check it all out, again, as I will have many things coming up that need to be gone.

As far as shipping charges, no matter where you go to buy or sell, there are shipping charges.  As they say, it is what it is.

Mike.

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • 2,616 posts
Posted by peahrens on Monday, December 7, 2020 8:37 AM

First, note that my extensive experience involves listing some leftover items as first time seller this past week and making one whole $18 sale thus far.  My goal was to learn the EBay system in advance of a day when I might want to whittle down my loco fleet.

I feared that shipping would be complicated by having to work with USPS, so I was pleased that I can select the mode on EBay and get a significant discount and just print the label.  It took me awhile to understand all the options but some online videos and a bit of experimenting did the trick.  Of course, shipping supplies and cost are a significant add-on to small, inexpensive items and make them relatively hard to sell (at a reasonable total cost) is my take.

Of course, one pays the 10% fee on the shipping so sellers do not up the shipping cost and lower the sales price to lessen the EBay take.  

It took some effort to get the right supplies in place: padded envelopes, small boxes, etc.  USPS flat rate boxes are free but expensive shipping cost unless the item is pretty heavy.  I did order some free Priority Mail shoeboxes for the future as those might be right for diesel locos. 

It was an interesting process to learn the system.

One thing I wonder about is visibility of my items when posted.  If someone is looking for Rix xyz, they will find my item easily with a search.  But I presume many browsing buyers just scroll through newest postings to see what is newly available.  (I often search for HO Union Pacific and sort by newly listed.)  If my Rix xyz was posted days ago, no one is likely to be scrolling back that far as very many new items are posted, say in Model Railroads & Trains / HO scale, per day.  I wonder if my posted items will get any attention after initial posting unless someone searches for that specific item (or brand).

Paul

Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent

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Posted by tomytuna on Monday, December 7, 2020 8:17 AM

thanks for all the replys. what's you feelings bout shipping charges?

  • Member since
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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, December 6, 2020 9:19 AM

richhotrain
eBay has been waiving insertion fees and BIN fees for a long time now.

That is interesting.

When I was selling, the insertion fee was based on the initial bid price. Auctions $1.00 or less were almost free. Maybe that is why we are seeing fewer "true" auctions with a $1.00 start and no reserve.

I was always surprised how many shoppers used Buy It Now on items with a $1.00 starting bid. I might have something with a $1.00 start and a $65.00 Buy It Now, and pretty often the Buy It Now would be used.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, December 6, 2020 5:00 AM

SeeYou190

It has been a while since I sold anything, but I remember the fees ranging between 15% and 25%. This includes the insertion fee, buy it now option fee, final value fee, and PayPal fee.

-Kevin 

eBay has been waiving insertion fees and BIN fees for a long time now.

I sold a lot of used golf clubs over the summer and my only fee was a 10% final value fee. Another 3% went to PayPal. That was it!

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, December 5, 2020 9:59 PM

It has been a while since I sold anything, but I remember the fees ranging between 15% and 25%. This includes the insertion fee, buy it now option fee, final value fee, and PayPal fee.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Saturday, December 5, 2020 4:41 PM

mobilman44

Ebay has worked extremely well for me, and I have no complaints.  While the seller's fees tend to average about 30 percent overall, I'm OK with that.  After all, where else could I get the service and security for all the different stuff I've sold over the years.............   

30 percent? Isn't it more like 13%? 10% to eBay and 3% to PayPal?

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Southeast Texas
  • 5,449 posts
Posted by mobilman44 on Saturday, December 5, 2020 2:06 PM

I've been a buyer/seller on Ebay since 2001.........

In my experience, from a buyer's point of view, the only change is that some sellers take paypal and some don't (having you pay via Ebay and CCs.).  Also, Ebay now collects taxes on most sales.

From a sellers point of view, it seems like every year they change the process somewhat.  They have made it easier, but if you are away from it for a year or so, there is a new learning curve.  

Ebay has worked extremely well for me, and I have no complaints.  While the seller's overall fees tend to average up to about 30 percent overall (depending on selling price, etc.), I'm OK with that.  After all, where else could I get the service and security for all the different stuff I've sold over the years.............

Caveat here...... the "30 percent" is from prior years when I would have up to 104 auctions at year end.  I recently sold 18 auctions, and when I get the Ebay/PP numbers I will recalculate.  

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: MD
  • 143 posts
Posted by freeway3 on Saturday, December 5, 2020 1:29 PM

I haven't noticed any significant changes from a buyers' view, but when I sell very occasionally, of course the fees continue to climb.

As for alternatives, good luck. I did find eBid.net, based in the UK. There are some US sellers, but many are outside the US. In their Model RR and Trains category, there are currently about 3,600 listings, as compared to over 1 million in the same category on eBay. So yeah, not much of an alternative.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, December 5, 2020 12:07 PM

tomytuna
is it me or have they screwed up the site again?

They update the site constantly. Can you be more specific about what is bothering you about a recent change?

Since I do not have any income, I buy infrequently now. I just bought a Mantua caboose, and I did not notice any noteworthy changes.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Saturday, December 5, 2020 11:58 AM

I haven’t noticed a change, I buy fairly often off eBay.  They did add an annoying add divert that requires a reload to get rid of it.

 

Mel


 
My Model Railroad   
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: US
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E BAY & others
Posted by tomytuna on Saturday, December 5, 2020 11:47 AM

been a longtime purchaser on e bay! is it me or have they screwed up the site again? I would switch away from them in a hartbeat if Icould find an alternative. So if anyone can  recomend I'd welcome the info. LHS is shut down do to china virus so i'll take all recomendations,,thanks Tommy

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