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 | Listing Tool Comparison for Collectibles Sellers
| eBay wants your Collectibles business to thrive. That's why it has developed a cutting-edge
suite of sales management tools to increase your efficiency and profitability.
It may be time to revisit how you currently list and manage your sales on eBay to make sure you are getting the most from your selling tool. For example, if you are currently using eBay's Sell Your Item form to list tens of items a day, you may be ready to upgrade to one of eBay's advanced selling platforms.
Big or small, eBay has the right solution for your seller profile! Review our listing tool overview below to determine which one is best for you.
| 1. | Turbo Lister | | FREE |
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Overview: Free downloadable bulk-listing application for Windows
Top Features:
Bulk upload hundreds of items instantly. Schedule listings in advance.
Design and save branded listing templates with the easy-to-use editor.
Create multiple user profiles and preferences. Save items in organized folders.
Best For: Sellers who list more than 10 items per month and already have a basic understanding of eBay.
TIP: Pair Turbo Lister with Selling Manager, eBay's post-sale tool, to efficiently manage the listing process from start to finish!
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Selling Manager |
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$4.99/month |
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Overview: Online post-sale management application integrated into my eBay.
Try it free for 30 days!
Top Features:
Use buyer email templates for increased post-sale efficiency.
Track payment and shipment effortlessly. Print shipping labels and invoices instantly.
Relist additional units or unsold items in bulk.
Best For: Sellers who list more than 10 items per month and who want an easy and affordable way to track the status of your sales online.
TIP: Use Selling Manager with your favorite listing tool, including the Sell Your Item form and Turbo Lister, to increase listing volume and sell more–faster.
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| 3. |
Seller's Assistant Pro |
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$15.99/month |
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Overview: Complete, professional-grade listing and sales management application for Windows desktops.
Try it free for 30 days!
Top Features:
Create and upload professional listings in bulk. Schedule listings in advance. Bulk relist.
Bulk process buyer email, payments, shipments, and feedback.
Sort and filter critical sales data. Create, print, and export sales reports. Manage inventory.
Best For: Higher volume sellers and small businesses that want an automated process throughout the sales cycle - from bulk listing through completing the transaction
TIP: With Seller's Assistant Pro, you can view and print Profit and Loss as well as Tax Collected reports – key to understanding your business!
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Manage your time and business more efficiently with eBay's family of sales management tools!
Have a suggestion for a future Collectibles article -- let us know!
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Sellers Continue to Take Advantage of eBay's Co-Op Advertising Test Program
eBay's Co-Op Advertising Test Program continues to receive rave reviews! Participants who included their eBay store logo and URL in their print advertisements during a 6-month test period enjoyed many benefits, such as increased bids, sales, and conversion rates. And best of all -- eBay reimbursed sellers up to 25% of the cost of the ad!
Take a look at what Co-Op sellers are saying:
"Our involvement with the eBay Co-op Advertising Program was very successful on all fronts. And best of all, eBay paid us for our involvement!" - Louis Palafoutas, Superior Galleries
"I estimate that this program helped boost my profits by 20%, and it was so easy to take part in. You can be sure that I'll participate again." - Lee Crane, L&C Coins
Good news! eBay is recruiting eBay Store Owners to participate in its Co-Op Advertising Program. All you have to do is meet the following criteria:
- A PowerSeller with an account in good standing
- A seller who sells primarily in Collectibles, Coins, Stamps, Art, Antiques, or Pottery & Glass (and whose print ad features product sold within one of these categories)
- The owner of an eBay Store featuring at least 10 items
- Run an ad between April 1, 2003 - June 30, 2003
To learn more about the Co-Op Program, click here.
If you have any questions or would like to be considered for the Co-Op Program, send an email to ebay@co-opad.com
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Targeting Your Collector Segment
All kinds of people buy collectibles: serious collectors, new collectors, gift givers, and dealers, just to name a few. Increase your sales by crafting the right listing for each.
Use the following tips to successfully market your items to individual collector groups:
Serious Collectors: Increase your profit per piece, selling to advanced collectors.
- Professionally grade and certify your items.
- Provide a detailed history of ownership for the item.
- Precisely describe all product components: color, weight, material, defects, etc.
- Include reference texts in descriptions.
- Post your resume to your About Me page.
New Collectors: Attract beginners that can mature with your business.
- Professionally grade and certify your items.
- Carry high-end pieces and economical starter items, listed with Buy It Now.
- Brand your starter pieces. Stress price point and collectible merit.
- Provide educational content in listings. Highlight matching pieces that build a series or set.
Gift Purchasers: Quickly and economically satisfy the needs of busy shoppers.
- Leverage eBay's Gift Services program. Use Buy It Now.
- Create a "Gift" listing template.
- Create a Gifts category in your eBay Store.
- Carry recognizable manufacturers and brands.
Dealers: Reduce
There are several types of Collectibles buyers. Try to target them all!
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 | motka (4029), Motka
Selecting a Broad Specialty
| Averaging 8,000 listings per day, Collectibles PowerSeller Arkady Reznikov doesn't have the usual problems acquiring inventory. The reason: he specializes in an area that has real dimension.
"My customers are primarily collectors and historians," explains the high-volume PowerSeller, adding that, he sells domestically and internationally, including customers in Russia.
Reznikov, however, doesn't limit himself to this core audience. Thanks to his well-chosen niche, which is specific, yet also broad enough to address multiple interests and categories of merchandise, he's able to appeal to a broad spectrum of secondary buyers at a variety of price points, from tens of dollars to several thousand.
His eBay Store is evidence of that, which merchandises inventory to all kinds of enthusiasts, from military buffs and poster collectors to book experts and holiday ornament shoppers, be they Russian antique aficionados or not. Different types of items are even cross-merchandised across several categories to increase their visibility. Take his Russian Space Program posters, which appear in "Posters" and "Space exploration."
Reznikov's wide focus in his niche, which spans from the 1800s to the Cold War era, not only broadens his market, but also increases his supply options. That reduces the threat of low inventory and keeps his brand strongly positioned. Moreover, he is appropriately positioned to experiment with new items and attempt to establish diverse new markets.
With such a healthy quantity of inventory, eBay's Buy It Now format was the best option for Motka, says Reznikov. Less than 5% of his items are auction-style listings, the rest are fixed-price Buy It Now items, designed to increase sales volume and turnover.
Of course, to successfully offer a broad array of items in one extensive area, a seller has to prove he's an expert. Reznikov doesn't fall short here, either. Though not every one of his listings is extensively described, he takes special care with his higher-end religious icon listings, featuring detailed definitions and historical background.
And you don't have to be a scholar to appreciate that.
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Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
