28 views, 4 watchers, $10 incl postage and no takers.

[egglesdtp]

What do you have to do to sell stuff here? I have a top which has had 28 views in the last 10 days, has 4 watchers, costs a grand total of $10 including postage and yet no-one has bought it yet.

[i-love-my-sheep]

My sales are up and down. Last weekend was my best weekend EVER. This weekend it has slowed right up. I don't have a regular pattern to sales though, some weeks are good, others not so good. It's not my main source of income, so it doesn't really bother me if it's a slow week.

As for the usual suspects saying things are the same or better, some people aren't having a slow time. Some people ARE seeing higher sales. I think it depends on what buyers are looking at what this week. Some weeks they want my stuff, other weeks they want yours.

[foxette-in-sox]

As a buyer only, I'm happy to throw a few ideas at you if you're interested ?

1-Your Tosca handbag. A completed listings search showed only 5 have sold, with 2 only selling for $5, so the odds aren't good. You could TRY to improve your heading though by stating something different like

Tosca Burgundy Long Strap Leatherette/Leather (depends what it is) Satchel

2-Your clothing brands are mostly 'no frills' type so I wouldn't waste my time putting the brand in the heading and would use the characters to add some extra attention grabbing info

ie The Mixit (Coles brand) skirt MAY attract more attention if you changed the heading to something like

Pure Linen Pale Pink Long Slim Skirt-SZ 14

3-The Millers jacket

Stunning Navy Draped Style Jacket Work/Casual BNWT-SZ 18

I'm not very creative lol but hopefully you are getting the idea-Digital Ghost is better with titles than I am lol

[van_werkhoven]

@fixnwear wrote:

egglesdtp,

just had a quick look, and the picures are nice...

but the brands are very ordinary and most likely dirt cheap everywhere.

You are waisting your quite considerable talents  for great  listings presentantions on such low priced stuff  that is easy to get anywhere.

If I had your skills, and /or was even remotely inclined to sell anything here - I would get rid of all of that stuff, get even only just 2 items, decent brands - contemporary trends, the best  ones I could afford, spend a fraction of the time listing them - and collect few hundred dollars for them, and build up the stock from part of the proceeds. 

Added bonus, I think - your type of clientelle will also change instantly (this little insight comes from just reading around the boards, and it is almost very evident, especialy in clothing - the cheaper the item is the more problematic customers it attarcts. But don't know why that is.)

And getting some great gear is easy, the other part - knowing what to do with it and how best to present in is much more dificult - and that you have in spades! Down pat. Perfect!

I've listed a few big brand items and not had much luck selling them. Finding them at a good enough price to resale has been near impossible for me as well. If you have tips for getting these sorts of high value items cheap I'd love to hear them.

I've streamlined my system so each item takes, in my estimation, a total of 5 minutes a peice to photograph and list. With my averages, that's around $120 worth of stock an hour to list, Then another 5 minutes per sold item to retreive, pack, post and record. I'd rather sell 5 $10 tops than one $40 top for multiple reasons. Also, while I wash, fold and neatly store, I do not iron. I have never had a complaint about my items not being ironed, so that is a massive time saver as well, since washing and carefully hanging takes many creases out on it's own.

I don't provide measurments for everything (though will measure on request) and found my sales actually INCREASED. I suspect this is because people don't understand measurments. They don't 'get' the difference between a waistband measurment and a natural waist measurment, or they read the bust measurment and see that they are smaller, so don't buy, instead of understanding that the bust measurment, in many instances, is a maximum, or the reverse when measuring a stretch top. I can specify style all I want, many buyers only look at the numbers. My sales went up as soon as I removed measurements, and my listing time per item dropped considerably. The people who care will still ask for measurments which I'n happy to give. 

Doing this, I estimate I sell around 1/4th of my stock in it's first month of being listed, and the rest sells in dribs and drabs (about a third of my sold list atm is stock over 1 month old)

Done the right way, there's still good money in cheap brand second hand clothes.

[mystore2011*2012]

Totally agreed many lookers but not many buyers, I think they waiting for the big money back from eBay:)

[fixnwear]

van_werkhoven,

as I don't sell anything I am not in a possition to give you an absolute, expert solution and a fuul proof guidance to successful selling.

However, I can point out from the buyers point of view - and I'm more than qualified to talk about that.

If there was a PhD awarded for skill of buying, I'm sure they would give me one.

On line shopping is very different from store shopping, where there are fitting rooms.

As a customer, not just me but anyone I know wouldn't buy anything without the measurements (I know I can still get them if I ask, but never having quite enough time, or patience to wait for the response, I don't bother)

Sure, I look for good brands, I need them for work as well as leisure times, holidays, etc. simply because they are made and put together much better with first class fabrics used.

But any garment surelly would have some redeeming features.

This is what you need to tell us - WHY do we need to buy that particular garment, sell it to us in a best possible way (without making things up, of course, I don't mean you personally, but anyone in general), list all special features, maybe mention what else it would look good with and where best to wear it. Tell us how wonderful we would look, or comfortable or stylish or whatever suits the garment.

Emphasis being NOT ON THE BRAND NAME, but  why we can't live without it! Supported with fantstic pictures.

And the very important component to me is the title as well.

As someone quite rightly said in the above post, if it's the **bleep**py brand, don't even botther putting that in the title as that is not an assett, but something descriptive of the garment.

I do however realize that may be a bit hard on Ebay, as the searches are mostly by brands - I think.

[egglesdtp]

---

@foxette-in-sox wrote:

ie The Mixit (Coles brand) skirt MAY attract more attention if you changed the heading to something like

---

Mixit is not a Coles brand. Theirs is called My Mix I think.

[ajarnjenny]

Yep, I buy their pyjamas all the time.

I also have to add, that I do buy clothes on Ebay, but it seems that they go very cheaply. I bought a pair of Howard Showers pants and a Banana Republic top last week, which cost me a total of $38 postage included. both in lovely condition, of course a few years out of date, but I am more than a few years out of date myself.

[misty_blue_treasures]

28 views and 4 watchers, doesnt mean anything.  Fashion is fashion and it just depends on what the buyer wants at any given time,  Some of the watchers may even be seeing how they go, for when they want to sell.

I have had it with some items on another account where I sell second hand stuff, where they could be listed for 6 months with heaps of views and watchers,  than suddenly one week there is a bidding war by a couple of buyers.  you jut dont know who is out there

[egglesdtp]

Not everyone who comes looking for clothes on ebay is after designer wear. And often they don't go up to the sizes I sell anyway e.g. sizes 18 and 20. 46 items of mainly clothing sold in the last month means someone is happy to buy Target, Suzanne Grae, Millers, Rockmans and Katies.

[ajarnjenny]

Yes. That is a good point. Some people who may buy from you maybe cant find sizes that they need or just don't want to go out to the shops to hunt for something that they need.

I apologise if I offended you, that was not my intent.