Posted by admin on June 15th, 2008 — Posted in Auction Topics
The worlds online market place.
In just a few short years eBay has become a household name and millions of people are registered users benefiting from the enormous variety of auctions listed every day.
A store selling womens shoes was recently reported as being one of the largest eBay stores. Whether you search in an eBay store or by auction listing you will discover that womens shoes are there for the taking; page upon page of mostly new or nearly new shoes.
One of the biggest comments women have about shopping for designer shoes online is the price. Some online stores stocking designer brands can command high prices for their products yet still remain competitive. Designer price tags can sometimes be just too pricey and this is where eBay plays a role.
Designer items in general are extremely profitable on eBay. It all comes down to the price.
Designer items always sell for less than their retail value.
The search options through the eBay auctions makes it easy to bag yourself a pair of designer shoes at the last minute for three quarters of the price you would pay for them in a retail outlet.
Many of the top internet shoe stores do offer designer shoes at very reasonable prices but over the last few years women are able to dress themselves in higher fashion labels such as Dior, Gucci, Prada and Jimmy Choo. eBay makes this possible by offering the medium to sell womens designer shoes at heavily discounted prices.
Surprisingly, despite the price competition evident on eBay for designer shoes buyers are still bidding heavily and demand is still strong. It is often common when competing on price to completely price items out of the market. However, due to the sheer demand for designer items on eBay sellers and store owners can continue to enjoy profitable sales on womens designer shoes and other designer items.
If you are thinking of looking yourself for designer shoes on eBay I have some really useful tips to make sure you get what you want and pay the right price for them.
Do an advanced search
There are an awful lot of designer shoes sold by sellers in the Far East [ie Malaysia]. These items are often fake/replica and carry an extortionately high postage and packaging charge for overseas customers.
The shoe might be selling at an unbelievably cheap price but you will discover the end sale is made up heavily of Postage and Packaging charges.
Advanced search allows you to choose lots of different options so for instance you can choose to search for womens designer shoes in one or more country, only new items, only buy it now items, only items within your country and so on.
Check the Sizing
Most eBay stores provide you with a sizing chart so you can convert your shoe size from US to UK or Europe and vice versa.
For general auction listings [ie those outside eBay shops] always check the sizing and what format it is in.
If you are not sure you can either ask the seller a question to check the size or go to an eBay shoe shop and use their size chart.
Check the Postage & Packaging
Very important.
It would be disappointing to have won a pair of shoes only to discover you have to pay that amount again to have them delivered to you.
International delivery on some items can be quite high.
It’s a good idea to check this before you bid for anything.
Most eBay shops will offer discounted postage on more than one item.
When you bid on anything you are committing to buy that item and that also means that you are accepting the listed postage and packaging cost.
Designer authenticity
Fortunately, eBay do not allow sellers to list fake or replica items. However, due to the massive number of people around the world listing auctions on eBay every day it is something they have to police and enforce.
There are of course fake and replica items to be found in auction listings. However, some of these are noticeable.
If the photos are not clear and you are just not sure email the seller to ask a question.
Purchasing from an eBay shop will decrease the risk of you ending up with a fake pair of shoes. eBay shop members are usually involved in the eBay community and promote the correct conduct for auctioning on eBay.
Choose your shopping time
Strangely enough when some list their items they don’t think about when they will finish.
You can bag yourself some serious bargains by searching for your designer shoes at midnight or early in the morning.
Depending on where you live check out the auctions for your particular country at 6 in the morning or at midnight and the ending bids will be non existent or far quieter than shopping at lunch time or early evening.
Bid Strategically
If the item is buy it now and you are happy with the price you will simply bid and pay for your item there and then.
Bidding on auctions for designer shoes that are perhaps a wanted item will mean you need to enter the auction war.
Be very wary of getting yourself carried away with it.
Bidding on an item early on will only result in you attracting the price up or competing with another for that item.
By leaving an item on watch and bidding at the last minute will do a couple of things for you.
You can see how much roughly the shoes are going to sell at and you can also see how many people you are competing with to get them.
Give yourself enough time to bid up say 5 minutes and under. Once you get good at it you can leave for only a couple of minutes.
You then just need to enter your maximum bid and hope for the best.
Remember other bidders will have also entered a maximum bid and you won’t know this until you bid. By giving yourself a few minutes you have time to increase your bid and win yourself a pair of designer shoes.
Shelley Costello is owner and author of the Womens Shoes Guru. The website provides an honest and factual guide to choosing womens shoes online. Provides little known secret benefits to womens shoes and gives a clear understanding of shoe designs.
http://www.womens-shoes-guru.com
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Posted by admin on April 12th, 2008 — Posted in Auction Topics
There can be various reasons why your gallery picture is not being displayed in item lists even after a few hours of when you created your listing. The basic reason can be that the picture you submitted was in the unsupported format. The formats that support are JPEG and GIF. The server you are using play quite an important part in this. Other reason can be that the server responsible for hosting your picture might be in the non-working state when the system of eBay attempted to capture your picture for the gallery.
Most of the errors in computer related jobs are the result of misspelling. While creating your listing along with gallery picture find out whether the URL or the Web address you have submitted was not misspelled or had any error in it. Using the item number you can check your image and then try to retype the web address where your gallery photo might be available.
The image might be over-sized and there is extra space around the item in the image. For this you can crop your image to reduce the extra space and re do the procedure for submission. eBay has an option for you in this also. For easy hosting of your gallery picture you may use the ‘eBay basic picture services’. While using the format for item information to list your item you can go to using a stock photo in your listing.
Donny Lowy runs http://www.closeoutexplosion.com an online wholesale and closeout business that supplies eBay sellers, retailers, and flea market vendors.
He also manages http://www.wholesalecloseoutforum.com an online wholesale and closeout forum.
Donny can be reached at 718-389-5502.
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Posted by admin on April 2nd, 2008 — Posted in Auction Topics
Listing your items on eBay can be very confusing if you don’t know where to start. Here are a few tips on getting your items listed so that they sell.
Accuracy
When you list your items on eBay, write an accurate description. You do not have to write long paragraphs of rambling information but provide exact measurements, colors, condition, etc. Be extremely precise when it comes to your description.
Auction Title
Just as using a strong title for a book, your eBay auction title needs to captivate buyers. You are allowed 45 characters for your title and you need to use common words that will draw attention. Use this space carefully and to your advantage. Think of words that will be easily found when people conduct a search. For example, if you are selling six yards of fabric you could say something like, “Stunning material - Don’t miss this great bargain.” If you are selling fishing poles, try something like, “Love to fish? GREAT buy on fishing poles!”
Since the search option on eBay looks for specific characters, you should try to list the item both singular and plural. As an example, for the fishing poles, you could list the auction as, “Fishing Poles - Get your fishing pole now!” Avoid wasted words such as WOW or Look Here. Buyers are looking so there is no need to tell them to look. Again, as buyers looking through the listings, the titles are what will capture their attention. Make your impression a strong one!
Abbreviations
Saving space in titles can be important if you have a longer description. Look at other auctions selling the same type of merchandise to get an idea of the types of abbreviations that will work. As an example, you could write, “Do U love to fish?” or “Gorgeous material 4 sale.”
Buyer’s Questions
When you write your description try to think of questions buyers may have so your description will answer as many possible questions as possible. This will save time in relaying messages back and forth. This would include the manufacturers’ name, condition of the items, special features, warranties, color, defects, etc.
Listing Category
When you choose which category to list your items, choose wisely. You will find some categories that are similar yet just enough different that it could make a big difference in how your items is sold. Look at other items listed and choose appropriately.
Sending Items
In your description, provide accurate details regarding shipment. Make sure the items are sent within the time you stated. In many cases, people purchase something for a specific purpose and if you do not ship it when stated, not only do you mess up their schedule for the item but you have probably lost a customer and opened the door for a negative feedback.
Flaws
Advise potential buyers of any flaws in your products. If you are selling a plate that has a small chip, mention this in the description. If you are selling fabric and it has a small tear, disclose this information. The majority of eBay buyers are looking for bargains, which means minor defects can often be overlooked. The worse possible scenario would be to keep a flaw hidden and then have to deal with handling returns as well as losing a buyer.
Auction Price
Set your auctions low, which will help encourage more bidding. The more bidding you have, the higher the price will ultimately go. In addition, if you add a “Buy Now” option for your auction, keep this set at a reasonable rate as well.
Payment Options
The more options you can provide potential buyers, the better your chances of making the sale. Your options include PayPal, which is an online payment service, Billpoint, eBay’s payment system, personal checks, money orders, or cash. Remember that you will have buyers from around the world so an online payment service is extremely helpful.
Shipping / Handling
You should always charge actual shipping costs. Several options can be added to your account that provides the actual costs. Another option is to state that you will provide actual shipping at the end of the auction, based on the destination zip code. Overcharging customers for shipping and handling is frowned upon and will result is unhappy customers.
Sell by Lots
If you have two or more of one item, you can list it as a “lot.” For example, if you had five bottles of suntan lotion purchased from a salvage store for .50 each, and you decided to list them on eBay for $1.00 each, rather than list each one separately, another option is to sell them as a lot. Often times, people perform their search based on lots. However, if you had one bottle of suntan lotion, one bottle of regular lotion, and one bottle of aloe vera, you would want to list them as their own item.
Photographs
While auctions without photographs can and do sell, auctions with photographs sell much better. People like visualizations and want to see what their money is getting them. Make sure your photograph is clear, focused, and depending on the item (such as rings, shoes, etc.), offers more than just a straight view.
Size and Weight
If possible, stay with items that are smaller and lightweight. Remember that whatever you sell, you have to ship. Items such as furniture, lawnmowers, etc. are generally sold through a manufacturer or wholesaler. As an independent seller, you want to sell items that are easy to manage.
Shipping Options
Set up accounts with several overnight couriers such as Federal Express and UPS. Once again, the more options offered, the better your auction will be received.
Location
It is important to list the city and state where you are located. Not only does this help the buyer determine shipping to make sure you are not overcharging them but if you are selling larger items such as furniture, automobiles, or appliances where the buyer would have to pick the items up, it would let them know if they want to bid based on location. As an example, if you have a refrigerator for sale and you live in New York, someone from California is not going to drive clear across the country just to pick up the appliance whereas on the East Coast might.
Accessories
Some people fail to include information about accessories. This is very important since many times people are looking specifically for the accessories/attachments that go along with the items. What if you were buying a weed eater but had a bad back? You need one that has a good shoulder strap. If the buyer visits your auction and finds the weed eater, you are selling to be exactly what they are looking for and the price is right but there is no strap, you have lost a sale. Include all accessory/attachment information even if you think it has no value.
Collectibles
When selling antiques or collectibles, you should provide a history of the items. If you have artwork for sale in your auction, provide the buyer with its origin. People love to have history, especially when it comes to collectibles, which is part of what adds to its value. Without embellishing, make the story a good one.
Keeping Good Records
You need to establish a sound recording system. This system would consist of the item name, any associated reserve price (although not recommended for your auction), description, flaws, buyer’s name, price sold for, payment received date, etc. This helps to ensure the entire transaction for that item is complete from beginning to end and provides you with information should you need to list that same item or a similar item. Additionally, the record will help you know what your income was, based solely on your specific auctions.
Checkout
If you choose to use eBay’s checkout system, make sure every box is checked when you list your items. This option can be helpful when used correctly, but can also be confusing.
Lewis Leake helps people get started in a Work From Home business. His website at GrowNetProfits.com contains tools, resources, articles, newsletters, product reviews and traffic builders to help you make money from your home based business. Click here to read additional Online Auction articles.
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