Hey, I finally, after 22 years of experience as a Power-Seller and Platinum Seller on eBay, figured out how to construct an online auction, and I’ll be only too happy to share with you the results of my more than two decades of dedicated online labor.
“What works on youtube works on eBay” — meaning, the same rules of marketing — those of attraction, retention, and persuasion, absolutely apply, especially in the use of power words and phrases, tags and other hypermessaging devices you might choose to use.
So what is the secret? I’ll lay it out, step by step:
First, decide on something you want to sell. Once you put it in the “sell” box, it’s there until it sells, got it?
Then decide the ABSOLUTE LEAST BOTTOM DOLLAR you’d be willing to accept. “Not a penny less than …” is what it has to be. HAS to be. okay?
You have to assume that there will only be one bidder, period. Once in a while, you’ll get lucky.
Next, you need to photograph it. I like to make the photo a piece of crap, because the customer is always delighted when it looks better than the photo suggested.
I also have a theory that the shittier something looks, the more likely it is to sell. I know there MUST be some exceptions to this rule, but it beats me where I’ve seen it go wrong.
Now process the photo if necessary — and if not, don’t. It should be at least 1200 pixels across somewhere. Best size is 1080 x 1920 pixels for eBay postings.
So there it is, on the eBay page. Now you need to describe it and put in all the bells and whistles you want to, including mention of a COA if applicable, meaning that it’s a collectible of some sort.
Select “auction”, not ordinary sale, for this gimmick to work at all. If you catch on, it will result in a sale 99% of the time.
Seven day auction, or one day auction if you have an audience built up to charge in there to compete for it.
So that’s the whole magillah with the setup.
Okay, now it’s time to put in the selling numbers.
The “Opening Bid” is the LEAST you’ll take for the thing.
You don’t want to pay for a reserve price, so “NO RESERVE”.
On the other hand, you DO want to put in a “buy it now” price — that would be the retail you never expect to get, nor should you, even if the impossible happens and somebody pays retail — that won’t be any of MY relatives.
So this top retail number or “gallery tagged” price suggests that they’re getting a bargain, and they are — they’re paying wholesale, and that’s more than fair, and you’re getting rid of inventory and learning how to maneuver on the higher sales floor, the selling planes of existence.
Of course, beyond existence, you’re on your own, but then, who isn’t?
I’m going gangbusters with my Rebel 600 camera, and I’ll be listing tons of stuff as I wade through it all.
Join me this morning to find out what you can get out of my collections if you want to try to market this stuff like I’m doing, meaning successfully and happily.
Yeah, it’s fun, when it’s at the dollar level.
Keep it there and have some fun.
See You At The Top!!!
gorby