Question
Take a look at this auction.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Govinder-24x24-art-print-Flying-FRAME-IT_W0QQitemZ7173617736QQcategoryZ37859QQrdZ1QQcmdZ ViewItem
Freakin amazing! It creates a BIN for your final total after selecting what you want. You can't tell what the frame would look like at all but I'm guessing most people don't care. I'm so far away from being able to offer an auction like that it isn't even funny! Methinks I'll just stick with the brick and mortar thing.
I'm tellin ya, don't keep learning and you're a newbie all over again. I'm a Powerseller and I have no idea how to do eBay right.
Answer
That is pretty neat Johnny. But isn't that kinda like a "choice" auction and I thought choice auctions were against ebay rules. I could be way off base though, it's been several months since I sold anything on ebay. I quit because of all the changes and I really got tired of constantly relearning how to list stuff on ebay. Maybe they changed the choice rule to along the way.
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Don't feel bad.
Did you notice that in the tiny print disclaimer where they're telling you this custom configurator is A-OK with eBay there is a link that's supposed to validate what they're telling you about the eBay Advanced Solutions Program?
http://www.developer.ebay.com/advancedsolutions
Click on it. You get a 404 Not Found error.
Impressive!
I believe this is the real link, and I'm not even a hotshot shooting star seller with over 20,000 active auctions:
http://developer.ebay.com/programs/advancedsolutions
fLufF
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Answer
Infopia's lowest monthly fee is $699 so it better be a cool tool.
Its also "ebay legal"
EDITED to add link to the tool:
http://www.infopia.com/products/configurator.shtml
Configurator™ for eBay
A paradigm of sales is that you have to offer the right product at the right time. Yet the auction world is often hit or miss in terms of anticipating what consumers really want. Infopia is the first to offer order customization capabilities on eBay. Through the Configurator™, you can create listings in less time–with whatever inventory options are applicable–and let the consumer tell you what they really want. Adding the Configurator™ to your e-commerce solution can mean up to a 65% increase in average sale price, a 143% increase in gross merchandise volume, and an 87% increase in conversion rates. Timing is essential if you want to profit. Let the Configurator™ put the right products from your inventory in front of consumers.
Answer
Here's a new tool by Infopia for eBay auctions: The Trade-In System
http://www.infopia.com/products/tradein.shtml
Trade-In System
Trade-in functionality on websites and within auctions is a whole new way to enhance acquisitions and drive revenue capabilities. It’s a first in the auction world from Infopia. Trade-in gives you a powerful way to increase conversion rates and get the high-margin products you need to drive your profitability to new levels. By acquiring inventory less expensively, you can be more competitive across online marketplaces. Infopia customers are averaging a 90% margin on trade-in items and typically see the module pay for itself over an 8-week period. Tap into this exciting new functionality to increase your profit potential.
Answer
Level playing field right?
That is the tool that I was refering to.
A t shirt seller, as an example, with this tool can list one t-shirt then list options....Man/woman...Colors....Sizes....and the buyers picks and chooses what they want.
The t-shirt seller that cannot afford the tool....screwed. How can they compete when ebay closes their auctions if they give a choice of red or blue?
How does Ebay prosper? The sales. The other AMS's all like their sellers to use THAT tool because they get a % of the checkout.
I believe it's been out there for at least a year.
bill
Answer
The t-shirt seller that cannot afford the tool....screwed.
Yep, definitely screwed.
Channel Advisor Merchant and Enterprise both have configurators now too.
http://www.channeladvisor.com/soluti...oft_config.asp
from the CA description:
The product finder is ideal for sellers who have a wide ranging inventory—more than could possibly be economically listed on eBay. In this example, the buyer finds an auto part and the configurator locates it in inventory and then creates a custom eBay store listing specifically for that buyer.
In a listing featuring the builder, the buyer selects dependent attributes in a series. In this example, the jewelry seller has a very large selection of ring components. The build-a-ring application steps buyers through the process to build their own ring online.
The classic configurator, like dell.com, allows buyers to select their exact specifications. Once a buyer completes her selection, she is redirected to
a “Buy It Now” listing.
Answer
This tool actually makes a new item # as a seller configures what they want. you can never "win" the item that is listed.
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The thing is, unless I want to really get serious and dedicate myself full time to learning everything I need to and listing the quantity I need to make it all worthwhile I can't complete, so I won't. If I'm going to put that much time and effort into something it's not going to be at the venue where I will get the absolute lowest price. I'd rather open another gallery and sell 10% of the stuff for the same gross profit.
Answer
That is pretty neat Johnny. But isn't that kinda like a "choice" auction and I thought choice auctions were against eBay rules.
A t shirt seller, as an example, with this tool can list one t-shirt then list options....Man/woman...Colors....Sizes.. ..and the buyers picks and chooses what they want.
Damn right this is like a "choice" auction!
The t-shirt seller that cannot afford the tool....screwed. How can they compete when eBay closes their auctions if they give a choice of red or blue?
A paradigm of sales is that you have to offer the right product at the right time. Yet the auction world is often hit or miss in terms of anticipating what consumers really want.
This has always been the great weakness of the Ebay "auction" format. They knew it, and created "buy it now" and "Ebay store" listings options. Within the inherent limitations of "auctions" and the available other options, we all do our best to reshape our selling efforts to fit within the Ebay system.
I remember having been "swatted" by Ebay several years ago for what they saw as a "choice" auction listing. Perhaps if I spent $695 on an "Ebay approved" program like this "configurator", I, too, could cheat like hell and get better profits. For the "little people" like us (and we're not so terribly little, after several years of work), I guess we'll always be at a disadvantage.
That's why our own website is so much more profitable for us than the larger sales we do through Ebay.