Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket items?

[Gypsy]

Re: Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket item

Thanks, everyone, I appreciate reading the responses!

I do have another question: If an item has a grading report, it's possible for me to figure out its regular retail value. However, how do I figure out what's a fair value on eBay? There aren't a ton of huge stones listed on eBay to use as comparison, and even fewer already sold huge stones (which would actually give a truer comp value).

It really depends on the seller.

If it's a retail store with a presence online AND the stone is graded AND they've said something like: the retail for the stone is **** but you can get it for much less. That usually means they've discounted about as far as they will go. That's based on retail price (not appraised).

If it's a private seller they come in two varieties. Ones that over-values things: they don't realize that on ebay you just aren't gonna pay retail and that "appraised value" or "replacement value" doesn't mean the same thing as "I'm offering for sale on ebay." And ones that under-prices things: have no idea what it's worth and just want to get rid of the item. These are the ones you want to focus on.

VERY RARELY will you get a seller that has discounted the item well for ebay sale BUT also knows the REAL value of it. But they do exist.

There is one seller on ebay that is a store in florida. Their prices are RIDICULOUSLY high for ebay. But they have fabulous selection of beautiful old cuts AND nice pictures. Don't really negotiate much, unfortunately. They'll negotiate a BIT, but their prices are retail and they stay that way.

 

[Kim N]

Re: Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket item

Thanks, Gypsy! I wish I could find private sellers for the size I'm looking for, but that hasn't happened yet!

I've mostly found estate dealers; some have actual b&m presence, some don't. And their eBay prices are usually retail prices. So that's why I was asking how to figure out what a fair price would be on eBay. I'm on eBay because I can't afford to pay retail prices.

 

[ruby59]

Re: Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket item

I believe it is 1 of 2 items. For one, go on the page where it shows the feedback. You can compare the asking price to what it actually sold for to get an idea of what they will accept.

For the other, there is no completed auctions to go by.

However, ebay has made it a little easier. In completed, they have separated sold from completed items. Go into a few of the ones in your price range and see what various sellers are accepting.

 

[Kim N]

Re: Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket item

Thanks, ruby, I've been doing the first option when I can, but that's a good idea for the second option when there aren't any completed auctions to reference.

 

[TC1987]

Re: Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket item

...
Also, don't low-ball for the sake of low-balling. Do your comparison shopping so you know fair value, and if something is priced fair, then BIN or make an offer close to asking! I only low-ball when the asking price is legitimately way too high for ebay in my humble estimate.

^ That's good advice. I haven't sold jewelry on ebay but I've sold other items in the $1000 - $3000 price range. When I list something, I price it pretty much at the lowest that I am willing to accept. I've already done the research and I've calculated what my net after fees is going to be, and that is the rock-bottom price. I do get insulted when somebody offers me $500 on a $1200 item. And I have put some of them on the blocked bidder list.

 

[TC1987]

Re: Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket item

Thanks, Gypsy! I wish I could find private sellers for the size I'm looking for, but that hasn't happened yet!

I've mostly found estate dealers; some have actual b&m presence, some don't. And their eBay prices are usually retail prices. So that's why I was asking how to figure out what a fair price would be on eBay. I'm on eBay because I can't afford to pay retail prices.

Estate jewelry rule of thumb used to be it sells for about 50% of appraised. But figure that sellers are losing about 15% of the sale to ebay and paypal fees now. Plus vintage and antique jewelry and old-cut diamonds are increasing in popularity, too.

 

[MsP]

Re: Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket item

I have a quick story... I found it more funny than anything but I guess I really offended a seller. I'd been watching a set of christmas ornaments... there were 3 lots of ornaments... starting bid of like $60 each, BIN of $80. No one ever bid. So the 3rd time they came up they were listed all together with a BIN of $300. Knowing they'd been listed previously with a BIN of $240 (together) and hadn't sold (and if I bid, could have been $180), I emailed and offered $200. They countered with an offer of $350. I was like... HUH the BIN is $300 why did they just offer me $350. I responded with that... and they yelled at me at how they were so tired of people thinking ebay was the place to get things for free. oh well. and they took down the auction.

Point of the story is that if you find something you love.... and low ball offer be prepared to lose it. They might even take down the auction so you can't even buy it.

 

[ruby59]

Re: Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket item

Ebay is not the bargain bin it once was. I did a comparison on some of the GIA diamonds listed by the 3 or 4 big drop shippers on ebay. And in every case of the ones I researched, they were between $300 and $700 more than the exact same ones listed on the Pricescope data base.

 

[TC1987]

Re: Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket item

^ That's because the fees are so high now. On the items I sell, fees are now 10-15%. I bought a platinum diamond ring on ebay back in 2006 and the seller ranted at me then over how much he was losing to fees, and it's only gotten worse. If merchants are selling to make a profit on new merchandise, then, yes, it almost has to be priced higher than the PS database by at least 10-15%. Search "Customer Service" on ebay, and you can find a table of fees for selling via auction or fixed-price, and several pages of info regarding fees for stores. ebay also changed the policies recently so that sellers are now charged fees on shipping, by both PayPal and ebay. What the! Shipping is a cost, and increasing that cost either dings me, or it dings my buyers and makes my items less attractive if I try to pay along that cost.

 

[ruby59]

Re: Best strategy for eBay Best Offering on high ticket item

TC, I hear you. I started selling on ebay in 1999. And except for the occasional item, and only because I can link it to Preloved, I have stopped selling on ebay. On my last diamond band, it sold for I believe $1,250. Between ebay, paypal they took close to $120 in fees.