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Additions to the "Holiday, Seasonal" Category!
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September 2003 |
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In preparation for a boost in Holiday sales, we recently added overt 35 breakouts under the "Holiday, Seasonal" category. Get ready for holiday selling of ornaments, Santa figures, garlands, and more! View Holiday categories.
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| Collectibles Guide to Advanced Selling |
August 2003 |
Take a step back and critically examine your collectibles business. eBay has just the guide to help you do it: eBay Advanced Selling Strategies.
Whether you're a beginner or veteran, this powerful guide will provide you best practices for developing and refining your eBay business. Identify new markets and opportunities, develop strategic and tactical goals, improve processes, leverage powerful tools, and much more.
These topics and more are covered:
- Strategy: Understand the Marketplace, Measure Success, Experiment & Improve.
- Customer Acquisition: Attract Buyers Who Search & Browse; Use eBay Merchandising
- Merchandising: Highlight Value, Cross-Merchandise, Try Merchandising Manager
- Winning the Business: Photos, Payment Information, Shipping Costs
- Product & Pricing: Manage Product Depth, Bundle, Maintain Product Flow
- Operations: Manage Item Closing Times, Provide Feedback, Deliver on Time
- Seller Tools: Preferred Solution Providers, eBay Turbo Lister, PowerSeller Program
- New Customers & Markets: Warranty Services, Sell International, Wholesale Categories
eBay's best and brightest don't stop evaluating their businesses. Take a second look at your operation now! (http://pages.ebay.com/CollectiblesAdvancedSelling.html)
Have a suggestion for a future Collectibles article -- let us know!
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| Listing Tool Comparison for Collectibles Sellers |
May 2003 |
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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| 2. |
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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| Prepare for Collectibles Gift Giving |
April 2003 |
It's not the high season for Collectibles sales, but don't go into retail hibernation. Prepare for the upcoming season's main events.
- Mother's Day, May 11: Help Dad and the kids find that perfect gift for Mom. Suggest decorative collectibles for the table, kitchen, and bath.
Animals, Decorative Collectibles (Collector Plates, Figurines), Housewares & Kitchenware, Metalware, Vanity Perfume & Shaving Items, Vintage Sewing.
- Graduations, May to June: Get Mom and Dad ready for graduation day. Recommend personal effects and dècor that prepare new grads for the next phase.
Clocks; Furniture, Appliances & Fans; Pens & Writing Instruments; Radio, Phonograph, TV, Phone; Photographic Images.
- Father's Day, June 15: Let 'em know Dad doesn't want another tie. Direct them toward his favorite hobby or pastime.
Advertising; Autographs; Barware; Breweriana, Beer; Historical Memorabilia; Militaria; Photographic Images; Tobacciana; Tools, Hardware & Locks.
- Wedding Season, May to August: Assist buyers in finding a practical yet stylish gift for newlyweds. Consider retro home essentials and chic furniture and dècor.
Barware; Furniture, Appliances & Fans; Housewares & Kitchenware, Lamps, Lighting; Linens, Fabric & Textiles; Metalware.
Also, don't forget to merchandise your gifts effectively.
- Utilize eBay Gift Services. Offer express shipping and gift-wrapping.
- Create a store category for each summer event.
- Design special listing templates and auction titlesfor your gift items.
- Cross-merchandise your gift listings in your auctions and on your About Me page.
Prepare your listings for spring and summer shopping!
Have a suggestion for a future Collectibles article -- let us know!
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| Targeting Your Collector Segment |
March 2003 |
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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| Watch the Competition, Sell More |
Feb. 2003 |
Use eBay's powerful set of "my eBay" search tools to keep tabs on the Collectibles competition and refine your listing strategy.
Take a daily inventory of what competing sellers are listing, using your "my eBay" Favorites tab, featuring Favorite Searches, Sellers, and Categories. Then, distinguish yourself by listing what they're not!
Consider some of the benefits:
- Increased Sales: Hold premium items when similar ones are available. Your item will appear more rare and special, increasing bidder interest.
Tip: Diversify in your niche. Carry some lower-margin, high-turnover items to keep cash flow up. Then, you can wait for proper market conditions for premium lots.
- Higher Prices: Make a market in an unusual item or wait until supply is depleted and competing sellers can't undercut your price. Also, supply and demand is in your favor.
Tip: Consider sourcing some higher-end, retired material to differentiate yourself from volume collectibles sellers.
- Dealer Reputation: Mix in unusual items and you'll develop a reputation for hard-to-find, one-of-a-kind items. eBay's massive buyer base rewards diversity.
It's good to be unique, particularly when competition heats up and supply rises. Make it happen, leveraging your free my eBay search tools.
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| Listing Successful No Reserve Collectibles Auctions |
Jan. 2003 |
You've heard it pays to list low, no-reserve auctions. You're also familiar with the risks involved -- namely, having to sell a valuable item below its fair value.
So, how do you reap the rewards of no reserve without getting stung? Review the following tips to make low, no-reserve auctions work for you.
 | Be Established: Establish your business and brand on eBay before taking the no-reserve plunge. You'll have fewer initial losses.
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| Have Patience: Be patient. Accept some losses short-term in order to build a more exciting business long-term.
Tip: Start with mid-range material. You'll risk less upfront and still gain good visibility.
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| Open Low: Start your auctions at $0.01, $1, or $9 to generate a buzz. If the item is notable, the bids will naturally rack up. And, there's no better endorsement for an auction on a category page.
Tip: Low openers naturally produce more bids than high openers.
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| Fix a Price: Include a Buy It Now price, but no reserve. You'll advertise a fair-market value, while still keeping the bidding wide open.
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| Advertise It: Promote your no-reserve policy in your listing template. Let buyers know you support competitive bidding.
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| Invest in Promotion: Actively promote your low-opening, no-reserve auctions. Invest in Featured Plus, so they are above the fold on category pages. Bold or Highlight them. Use eBay Gallery. |
Bring a new level of excitement to your auctions. Open them low with no reserve!
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| Seasonal Favorites -- Top-Performing Decorative Collectibles |
Dec. 2002 |
The season for Decorative Collectibles is now. Review last year's top-performing brands in
Decorative Collectibles to crank up your last-minute holiday sales.
Top 5 Selling Brands*
 Byers Choice
Longaberger
Christopher Radko
PartyLite
Swarovski
Top 5 Grossing Brands**
Dept 56
Longaberger
Hallmark
Swarovski
Christopher Radko
Top 5 Searched Brands***
Hallmark
Dept 56
Precious Moments
Longaberger
Lladro
* Based on December, 2001 Conversion Rates
** Based on December, 2001 Gross Merchandise Sales
*** Based on December, 2001 Search Data
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| There's a Business in Boxes |
Nov. 2002 |
What's almost as scarce as the collectibles you sell? The original boxes they're shipped in. For Collectibles enthusiasts, some boxes are as interesting as the products they promote.
Try these tips for adding boxes to your collectibles business:
| Develop a list of popular collectibles, contemporary and pre-war, in your area of expertise. Search out and buy their original boxes and packaging, in the hopes of reselling them to collectors, who have the item but not the box. Focus on mint examples:
Lot of 12 Vintage Lionel Trains Empty Boxes
1966 Captain Action & Action Boy Boxes
2 Dinky Toy Sport Car Boxes Early
GI JOE Land, Air, and Sea boxes!
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| To price your boxes, calculate the difference between a mint example sold with its original box and one sold without it. Be careful not to use MIB (mint in box) examples as your reference.
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| Be sure to include a grade in your item title, such as fine or mint, to attract collectors and dealers. Put "original" in your title, too.
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Also, consider dealing in department store boxes and advertising, particularly holiday boxes, catalogs, and postcards. In particular, search out collectible boxes and promos from regional stores.
Finally, consider selling vintage advertising boxes, such as collectible cereal boxes. For more ideas, click here.
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| Last Year's Top Holiday Search Terms |
Oct. 2002 |
Some gifts are on Holiday wish lists each and every year. Maybe they're not as hot as the Sony Playstation, but they still can net you a very lucrative holiday season.
That in mind, we've assembled last year's top 150 holiday searches. You'll glean scores of ideas on items to stock this season!
Here's a sneak peak at the Top 10:
- Photo
- Harry Potter
- Precious Moments
- Harley Davidson
- Radio
- Swarovski
- Star Wars
- Disney
- Elvis
- Hallmark
For our complete list of top Holiday search terms, click here.
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| Cross-Selling: Match Practicals with Collectibles |
Sept. 2002 |
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Your passion is collectibles, but that doesn't mean you can only sell collectibles. Supplement your collectibles inventory with new products or "practicals" that relate to your area of expertise. It will expand your inventory, attract new customers, and increase sales. After all, many of today's collectibles were yesterday's practical necessities.
Here are some collectibles/practicals ideas to consider, taking into account some of the hot selling Collectibles items.
| Bedspreads: Sell new examples in traditional materials, patterns, and styles. |
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| Antique Fruit Jars: Sell bulk discount jars in antique styles. |
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| Vintage Shelf Clocks: Sell manufacturer reissues of popular models (specify in your description). |
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| Electric fans: Sell new boutique examples in style of originals (specify in your description). |
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| Harmony Kingdom: Sell retired examples and current overstock. |
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| Breyer Horse: Sell used vintage, new, and old stock. |
If you have concerns about impacting an existing reputation built upon selling collectibles, consider the following:
| Use your About Me page and Store to explain to your customers that you serve multiple markets, selling originals, reissues, and select, premium products. |
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| Obtain two usernames and stores to separate your more rare, expensive original items (for collectors) from your economical items (for casual buyers and decorators). |
What are your collectibles/practicals ideas? Let us know!
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| Include Popular Brand Names in Your Titles |
Aug. 2002 |
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Buyers shopping for electronics, computers, and other practical goods aren't the only ones searching for brand names -- collectibles buyers have their favorite brands, too.
eBay's data on the Most Popular Buyer Searches shows that household brand names are some of the most popular buyer search terms month after month. When appropriate, include your category's popular brand names in your item titles. You'll start to realize the results as your listings appear in buyer searches more often!
Your guide to some of the most popular brand searches:
Advertising: Coca Cola, Budweiser, Pepsi, John Deere, Harley Davidson
Brewerania: Budweiser, Guinness, Miller, Heineken, Coors, Pabst
Decorative & Holiday: Precious Moments, Lladro, Avon, Longaberger, Swarovski
Furnishings & Tools: Randall, Stanley, Eames
Housewares & Kitchenware: Bakelite, Guardian, Tupperware, Pottery Barn
Knives & Swords: Randall, Gerber, Buck, Remington
Paper & Writing Instruments: Parker, Mont Blanc, Pelikan
Tobacciana: Camel, Zippo, Dunhill, Marlboro
Transportation: Harley Davidson, Schwinn, Honda, Ford
Vintage Clothing, Accessories: Gucci, Chanel, Levi's, Betsey Johnson
To see the top buyer search terms from the July Collectibles newsletter, click here.
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