Question:
most of my books are in the $10-20 range, so the cost does matter there. higher stuff, or something i think is special, sure i spring for it.
For books, I think you’re wise to skip gallery. I would think most people look for books by title. And even if you’re just casually browsing, you go by the title, not by the picture. When I’m book shopping, I turn off the picture feature because I think it just wastes loading time. I sell everything without reserve, with an opening bid of $1. I’m always pleased with my prices — I’m now averaging $155.48 per auction, with a range of $2.75 to $3,550.00 in sales prices. But I’ve got to make sure I get a lot of traffic, so I always do gallery, plus a few bold listings each week. I also list in multiple categories often, which really isn’t practicable in books. And I also actively tickle-email my regular buyers to seduce them into looking at my new listings. I get a lot of repeat business by this last technique. One great thing about selling specialized collectibles is that you know many of your regular buyers are compulsive, addictive collectors.
Response:
most of my books are in the $10-20 range, so the cost does matter there. higher stuff, or something i think is special, sure i spring for it. For books, I think you’re wise to skip gallery. I would think most people look for books by title. And even if you’re just casually browsing, you go by the title, not by the picture. When I’m book shopping, I turn off the picture feature because I think it just wastes loading time.
even on the auction page? i rarely bid on auctions without pictures. i believ gallery can help in book if you are selling something that is a variant. i’d be interested in seeing your auctions. I sell everything without reserve, with an opening bid of $1. I’m always pleased with my prices — I’m now averaging $155.48 per auction, with a range of $2.75 to $3,550.00 in sales prices.
i don’t do the "dollar" game, i start everthing at the lowest price i’m willing to take. very very rarely with a reserve. But I’ve got to make sure I get a lot of traffic, so I always do gallery, plus a few bold listings each week.
you are the only person here i’ve ever heard say they use bold, do you really think it helps? I also list in multiple categories often, which really isn’t practicable in books.
agreed, i always laugh when i see a dual listing in sci-fi and 1st editions. And I also actively tickle-email my regular buyers to seduce them into looking at my new listings. I get a lot of repeat business by this last technique.
me too, i’ve got an opt in mailing list that i’ve built over the past 4 years and several regular buyers. One great thing about selling specialized collectibles is that you know many of your regular buyers are compulsive, addictive collectors.
heh heh heh, too true 
robert "They say that childhood forms us, that those early influences are the key to everything. Is the peace of the soul so easily won? Simply the inevitable result of a happy childhood? What makes childhood happy? Parental harmony? Good health? Security? Might not a happy childhood be the worst possible preparation for life? Like leading a lamb to the slaughter."
Response:
i use gallery selectively, but always do 10day auctions overlaping 2 weekends. I think gallery depends on the item and the category. I sell almost exclusively vintage paper and ephemera, and I learned long ago that hits are about three times as high when you use gallery because of the visual surfers. My stuff generally sells for no less than $50, usually in the hundreds, and sometimes into the thousands, so the tiny 25-cent fee for gallery is not a problem. Also, it looks enticing on the seller’s listing page. And, the gallery pictures pop up automatically after they’ve placed their bid for suggestive selling, which is a nice bonus.
most of my books are in the $10-20 range, so the cost does matter there. higher stuff, or something i think is special, sure i spring for it. robert "They say that childhood forms us, that those early influences are the key to everything. Is the peace of the soul so easily won? Simply the inevitable result of a happy childhood? What makes childhood happy? Parental harmony? Good health? Security? Might not a happy childhood be the worst possible preparation for life? Like leading a lamb to the slaughter."
Response:
Much of eBay seems to be down and offline right now. There is a message on the annoucement board now, but it makes it sound like a minor problem when it seems to be much more major. http://www2.ebay.com/aw/announce.shtml
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Had a nonpaying bidder for an auction that ended on March 30. Went to the bulk feedback page to pull the email address, the auction, along with about half of the auctions I need to leave feedback on, was gone. Went to my My eBay page, and large sections of my recent history were missing, dozens of auctions were not listed, essentially anything ending on certain dates was gone. Went to the end of auction email from eBay, and tried to click on the link. Got an error message, directing me to the marketing announcements board. Nothing there, went to the system status board. No messages at all, no recent messages, no old messages, nothing. Just the header. Anyone else noticing this, or is it just me? I sent an email through the webform to power seller support. Richard Ward
Response:
i use gallery selectively, but always do 10day auctions overlaping 2 weekends.
I think gallery depends on the item and the category. I sell almost exclusively vintage paper and ephemera, and I learned long ago that hits are about three times as high when you use gallery because of the visual surfers. My stuff generally sells for no less than $50, usually in the hundreds, and sometimes into the thousands, so the tiny 25-cent fee for gallery is not a problem. Also, it looks enticing on the seller’s listing page. And, the gallery pictures pop up automatically after they’ve placed their bid for suggestive selling, which is a nice bonus. And I agree, 10-day auctions with two weekends are the way to go.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yeah, it’s flaked out….and just before one of my more competitive auctions ended 
I have stuff closing tonight, too. Monday is always a good night to end auctions as it’s the highest surfing time on eBay. i was experimenting with tonight as opposed to sunday night, sigh Sunday night is a very good time to end, too. eBay usage times seem to track TV viewing times fairly closely. Both Sunday and Monday night are high TV viewing times and also big eBay surfing times.
yep, i was doing it on both nights. monday was never really great. but i wasn’t sure whether it was because i tend to list the "good" stuff first. I’m a firm believer in closing time selection as a key to making good sales on eBay. I sell only higher-end specialty collectables, so I don’t know if the same holds true for other items, e.g. clothes or shoes or car parts or whatever.
yep, me too. wouldn’t dream of ending in the middle of a weekday. But I don’t think you made a mistake closing on Monday for the next few weeks because of the Easter holiday.
also one of my thoughts I sometimes close some sales on Sunday and others on Monday for some surfing overlap. I also always use 10-day auctions for listing overlap. I think you can bring in a buyer with a listing and gallery picture, then they stay to look at your other listings. I regularly have repeat buyers the same night on my auctions and week to week, too.
i use gallery selectively, but always do 10day auctions overlaping 2 weekends. robert "They say that childhood forms us, that those early influences are the key to everything. Is the peace of the soul so easily won? Simply the inevitable result of a happy childhood? What makes childhood happy? Parental harmony? Good health? Security? Might not a happy childhood be the worst possible preparation for life? Like leading a lamb to the slaughter."
Response:
i was experimenting with tonight as opposed to sunday night, sigh
Which is likely a smart choice, since a lot of people might have been out doing Easter-y things yesterday. I know I always surf ebay on Mondays! I first started having problems pulling up listings about 6:50 pm PST, but the announcement didn’t go up until 7:12 and it makes it sound minor, as if only a few people had small problems. it’s not minor to those people!
Definitely!! I wonder how many auctions ended during those 22 minutes. Kar
Response:
Yeah, it’s flaked out….and just before one of my more competitive auctions ended I have stuff closing tonight, too. Monday is always a good night to end auctions as it’s the highest surfing time on eBay. i was experimenting with tonight as opposed to sunday night, sigh
Sunday night is a very good time to end, too. eBay usage times seem to track TV viewing times fairly closely. Both Sunday and Monday night are high TV viewing times and also big eBay surfing times. I’m a firm believer in closing time selection as a key to making good sales on eBay. I sell only higher-end specialty collectables, so I don’t know if the same holds true for other items, e.g. clothes or shoes or car parts or whatever. But I don’t think you made a mistake closing on Monday for the next few weeks because of the Easter holiday. I sometimes close some sales on Sunday and others on Monday for some surfing overlap. I also always use 10-day auctions for listing overlap. I think you can bring in a buyer with a listing and gallery picture, then they stay to look at your other listings. I regularly have repeat buyers the same night on my auctions and week to week, too.
Response:
Yeah, it’s flaked out….and just before one of my more competitive auctions ended
I have stuff closing tonight, too. Monday is always a good night to end auctions as it’s the highest surfing time on eBay. What is the policy on outages? The way I remember, if the system is down less than an hour, you’re S.O.O.L. More than an hour, they bump all auctions to the next day, same ending time. Is this still the policy? Of course, this begs the question when the outage began in reality versus what eBay says. I first started having problems pulling up listings about 6:50 pm PST, but the announcement didn’t go up until 7:12 and it makes it sound minor, as if only a few people had small problems.
Response:
Richard Ward wrote Got an error message, directing me to the marketing announcements board. Nothing there, went to the system status board. No messages at all, no recent messages, no old messages, nothing. Just the header.
Hmm. Where would one announce that the announcements aren’t working?
Response:
Yeah, it’s flaked out….and just before one of my more competitive auctions ended I have stuff closing tonight, too. Monday is always a good night to end auctions as it’s the highest surfing time on eBay.
i was experimenting with tonight as opposed to sunday night, sigh What is the policy on outages? The way I remember, if the system is down less than an hour, you’re S.O.O.L. More than an hour, they bump all auctions to the next day, same ending time. Is this still the policy?
it’s 2 hours and i think they then bump the ending time an hour. Of course, this begs the question when the outage began in reality versus what eBay says. I first started having problems pulling up listings about 6:50 pm PST, but the announcement didn’t go up until 7:12 and it makes it sound minor, as if only a few people had small problems.
it’s not minor to those people! robert "They say that childhood forms us, that those early influences are the key to everything. Is the peace of the soul so easily won? Simply the inevitable result of a happy childhood? What makes childhood happy? Parental harmony? Good health? Security? Might not a happy childhood be the worst possible preparation for life? Like leading a lamb to the slaughter."
Response:
Had a nonpaying bidder for an auction that ended on March 30. Went to the bulk feedback page to pull the email address, the auction, along with about half of the auctions I need to leave feedback on, was gone. Went to my My eBay page, and large sections of my recent history were missing, dozens of auctions were not listed, essentially anything ending on certain dates was gone. Went to the end of auction email from eBay, and tried to click on the link. Got an error message, directing me to the marketing announcements board. Nothing there, went to the system status board. No messages at all, no recent messages, no old messages, nothing. Just the header. Anyone else noticing this, or is it just me? I sent an email through the webform to power seller support. Richard Ward
Response:
Had a nonpaying bidder for an auction that ended on March 30. Went to the bulk feedback page to pull the email address, the auction, along with about half of the auctions I need to leave feedback on, was gone. Went to my My eBay page, and large sections of my recent history were missing, dozens of auctions were not listed, essentially anything ending on certain dates was gone. Went to the end of auction email from eBay, and tried to click on the link. Got an error message, directing me to the marketing announcements board. Nothing there, went to the system status board. No messages at all, no recent messages, no old messages, nothing. Just the header. Anyone else noticing this, or is it just me? I sent an email through the webform to power seller support. Richard Ward
Yeah, it’s flaked out….and just before one of my more competitive auctions ended I first noticed it on My eBay, when my list of sold auctions since the first of the month said $83.02 as a total. Kris
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