For any of you that have sold kits on ebay - I have a pile of kits I need to sell and I’m having a hard time deciding on starting bids, buy it nows etc. I don’t want to give any kits away, but I want to encourage bidding before the final moments of the auction. How have your auctions panned out?
hey gnsnow. well i haven’t sold anything on e-bay but i have bought a few from there, are these in box kits or built kits??? if there older kits some like them for juat collecting newer kits are a little easier to sell. look they usually start at 99cents and the can bid them up for some big bucks. but it all depends all on the kits. OOP’S NO HELP HERE. where is a list of your kits and i’d try and help you. and as crasy as i am i might buy some off of you. E-mail me.
Clay
The biggest problem(s) with selling on eBay is the fee that they take, the Paypal fee and then the shipping.
The margins are usually too small to deal with. I sold a few kits there, but found I did much better (and sold many more) posting on boards such as this one that have classifieds. If you’re unsure about a kit price-look the kit up on eBay and get an idea as to what they sell for. I always discount for multiple sales-I just sold 20-30 kits in a pop to someone and pretty much tossed in a free kit. My prices were on the lower side, but I was happy and I moved them in 24 hours or so. That wouldn’t have happened on eBay and even with a lower ask, I didn’t have the fees and headaches.
Just like I buy them cheap, I tend to get juked when I sell. One guy will sell the same kit for double or triple mine. LOL I suggest possibly starting with a number that’s reasonable ($.99), but perhaps a number that you’re at least comfortable getting ($14.99, for example), so that way you’re content getting your minimum. It really depends on the kit though. The rarer the kit the better for you.
Ebay is a crap shoot. One week a certain kit will go for one amount, then the next lower or even higher. There is no way to determine the amount, just start out under what you want for them and go from there.
I always watch items for a couple of weeks before I put anything on ebay, that way you’ll get some idea what they are going for. Also do searches on ‘buy it now’ items to see the competition. Fair shipping costs and service really sells an item, so does the description and picture.
Do what SMJ did.
Post the kits you want to sell then, we can PM you about pricing and shipping.
Well – thanks for the advice guys - I’ll post up a new thread. Most of the kits I have are unused - some have only minor work done - cleaned a wheel or 2 off the sprue for example - some books too. I’ve just collected too many and need to clear out space so I can work on the kits that remain.
I’ve been spending some time the past couple of days taking individual pics, but here’s the lot:
Most modelers are a cheap bunch (thrifty might be a better word). Unless you have a rare, collectible model or one that is high in demand and out-of-production (Tamiya’s M42 Duster for example because it’s the only one in 1/35 scale), expect to get about 50-60% of the retail value from an eBay sale.
There are so many power sellers (aka online retailers) that sell the common kits slightly less than the retail price with a buy it now price about equal to the retail price. Most modelers are looking for a bargin.
Here’s what I was thinking - let me know what you think . . . BTW - I know how cheap modellers are, I am one!
nm - admins don’t likey
PM inbound
[#ditto]
Way to get around the site’s “No Advertising on the Forums” policy…[;)]
OK - well I’ll take em down then - edit done - for anyone that saw anything - was I off-base - I’m finishing pics and posting them all up tonight. I’m doing buy it now quick auctions because I need to clear out the space - I have no garage ATM - and I want the stuff gone, I don’t want to get jipped and I don’t want to have to repost on eBay it next week.
My question then is – if I start stuff at .99 am I going to be giving away all of my stuff for 99c this weekend.
Not trying to start anything or break anyone’s policies darn it!
Very doubtful that anything will sell for as low as .99. I did however steal a set of Modelkasten tracks for $1, plus $10 in shipping.
Good luck.
Yeah - that would bum me out - I spent $35 on my Fruil’s (from LHS) - I’d rather keep them for $1.
It all depends on if the item is readily available. Check eBay current and completed listings for the same or similar items. Look to see what the kits went for or if they even sold.
Sometimes, when something gets ridiculous money on eBay (again, say the M42 Duster that went for over $100), the next week, several modelers will put their old M42 Dusters up for auction hoping to get a quick $100. Unfortunately, the 3-4 guys who just listed their kits may only get $20-25 because they’ve just flooded the market to the 2-3 guys who were competing for the $100 one.
I’ve been suckered by the “low starting price encourages more bidders” rubbish that e-bay spouts. Its great if you end up with half a dozen guys in a bidding war over your stuff. Less than great if you only have one or two bidders, and their idea of high finance is by trumping each other by 50 cents each bid. I lost big time, never again. Work out your rock bottom acceptable price and start from there.
If you’re looking to sell 'em quick and easy, I’d sell them in lots rather than individually…