Question
In one of his daily rants I might just have found a nugget of reasoned thought. http://community.here.com/infopop/em.../icon_wink.gif
I hate to dampen the FLD spirit, but are your hopes very high?
The eBay market on a regular day is oversaturated. On a FLD we are talking overkill to the max. http://community.here.com/infopop/em...s/icon_eek.gif
I think it will be a great time to be a buyer, in fact I have some paypal money I will be ready to play with. But is it really that great a time to be a seller?
My ebay listings
My SYI Listings
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Absolutely, just set your minimums to a point you can stand. Don't count on much traffic.
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It's always been great for me Doofy--like joemstoys said, I put up my stuff at prices I can live with. I've been surprised with some nice bidding wars on FLD listings, but more importantly they have served to 1) clear out a bunch of so-so stuff that I tend to put off without the impetus of the FLD, and 2) get some good prices on higher $$ items where I'd normally start low and hope they might go high.
I have so much stuff that is okay, reasonably profitable but not THAT GREAT...the 30-cent listing fee wouldn't be a make-or-break on those items, but I just can't work up enthusiasm for them usually. Knowing they can be listed for free, in two categories, and that if they don't sell at least I'll have the auction ready to relist--that's enough to motivate me to get them listed!
I'm also stuck with a fair amount of crapola that I acquired in early days and would never stick myself with again. If it doesn't sell on FLD, I'll use a relist to group it along with some other crapola in lots, and then if it still doesn't sell, out it goes. For example, I have a lot of books I should never have bought. Some are by reasonably popular authors--I'll list a pile of them individually on a FLD. If the individual books don't sell, I'll toss a few more into an auction with the original and hope the lot moves. If they still don't sell, then I'll do a mass donation and at least clear out some space.
I would be happy with a 20% sell-through, considering all the relist options I'll have for a whole month. But historically FLDs have sold at a much much higher rate for me. Well worth the effort and definitely worth looking forward to, in my case.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>In one of his daily rants I might just have found a nugget of reasoned thought. http://community.here.com/infopop/em.../icon_wink.gif
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Doof....you shouldn't be making those kind of statements....you are gonna RUIN my rep I have worked so hard to build up! http://community.here.com/infopop/em.../icon_razz.gif
While I was working my way thru that babbling about FLD, I actually DID think that there MUST BE a benefit to many sellers and it *IS* about the only real freebie we have come to look forward to from the "new & improved" eBay. I am not sure about all the effort it takes to be ready for one....and what must be pure insanity for a week or two after if successful for you people that can whip out 1,000+ auctions for stuff you just want to make "go away".
Since I have never participated in one before, I *DO* have a technical question though....
....*IF* we get one this week or next, does the FREE listing day include the ENTIRE opening price schedule? (IE: $200+ is $3.30 listing fee)
There are a few ultra nice items that I would like to toss out there to see if I get bites and the openers would be well above the $3.30 max charge in a heartbeat. (like $1,000+ no reserve stuff and some others in the $100-$300 range.)
Now saving THAT fee would get me thinking more about a FLD being worthwhile.....and get me to flog some dead ones too.
<---Ken....who has been successfully packratting for over 4 decades now!
Check HERE for things dragged down from the attic to sell THIS week!
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Packie, yep, listings have historically been free for the whole gamut of opening prices.
Historically, too, listing in two categories has been free, letting you "save" $6.60 a pop on those big $$$ items.
If there is a FLD, I hope they continue the historical practices http://community.here.com/infopop/em.../icon_wink.gif
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FLD has its purposes
one it motivates us at a time of year where family and friends should prevail http://community.here.com/infopop/em...icon_frown.gif ok that is the down side for some.
it gives us income in early January when the heating bills and xmas bills roll in.
two...it flogs "dead" inventory
three it gives new computor owners something to look at on ebay all boxing day
four I use it to show case new ideas, or niche markets if any are happening at the time, a great time to run a trial run, then you tweek the ads and run them later within the thirty day refund period, still a free lisitng if it sells.
I try to run some high end stuff, as stated, I also start some stuff higher than usual.
I also start some stuff way below the usual, lost leaders so to say.
Most of all, it is fun!!!
Get with the program, YOU are expected to participate money bags.
and when you are done with those high end items, open an ebay store and park their butt in there, the work is done, and you can't sell them from your second bedroom under the bed. ...well maybe you could but you knwo what I mean.
then when another promo comes along, close the store and flip them over to whatever promo is happening, then flip them back in the store, sometimes it takes a lot of exposure to find a buyer for the higher priced stuff, but you have to leave it exposed.
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I have always liked FLD's. I think of it as a gift from ebay. I have quite a few items here that I would not be able to list at 30 cents each and feel comfortable about. But this way, I can try different ways to list these items.
Last year, I listed 505 and ended up selling over $600 of stuff, which made me a happy camper. This year I should be able to beat both of those numbers if all my research comes through. And the ones that don't sell, can be put on other auction sites, and or my website that I need to put some serious effort into.
I have setting in a bulkloader about 450 right now. I have pictures took and descriptions of more built into emails to myself ready to go.
I also have a notebook of grouping similiar items listed with pic number by folders, so when auctions end as winners, I can later go into my pic hosting, and delete these pics out. The notebook allows me to handle the item from pic taking to back on the shelf with less work and time as I make my listing notes as I go. It may sound like more work but actually is less. The item is handled once, and not several times. I can list straight from the notebook without touching the item again till it sells and needs to be shipped.
FLD's always give me new ideas, as I need to do volume with the low dollar items that I sell.
It's getting so hard in this area to find things for resell due to the increasing number of people who sell online. It seems some of us, finally find a niche and work it.