The Power of Free Shipping?6088
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00slim private msg quote post Address this user | |
| So, I’ve been selling on e-bay for years. Recently, I acquired a small collection of Kiss memorabilia. Some of it was tough to price, but I’d got it all for such a good deal, I figured I could do free shipping for most of the items. A couple pieces sold super fast. I know there are huge Kiss fans out there, so, I contributed the sales to that. But it made me consider if free shipping was a factor. I have since figured shipping into the price of my items and there does seem to be a significant jump in the turnaround. I sold a CGC 8.5 ASM 86 in less than 12 hours. Dispite the fact another guy had one for sale with better paper quality for a little less. I knew people like free shipping. I just didn’t realize how big a factor it is for many people. |
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 Collector
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poka private msg quote post Address this user | |
| yep - in progress of changing mine to shipping included on ebay. The challenge is that easy enough for US. More difficult to do for other locations if not using eBay's global shipping program | ||
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 Collector
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chacault private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @00slim good observation. I’ll do the same with my listings. Thanks for sharing the lesson learned  |
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 I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for.
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drchaos private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Perhaps free shipping gets more action but it makes no sense to me. There is no shipping fairy and it seems that the price of the book should be for the book itself and not the total. If I am paying to ship the book that should be reflected in the listing. Just my two cents. |
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Collector
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00slim private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I can’t explain the logic. If I add shipping plus the asking price and get, say, $125 as a total & someone else lists the same item for $139.99 with free shipping & theirs sells first? The only thing I can think, is, the buyer used free shipping to narrow his search. |
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 I bought a meat grinder on amazon for $60 and it's changed my life.
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kaptainmyke private msg quote post Address this user | |
| it's coincidental and nothing more. | ||
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Collector
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00slim private msg quote post Address this user | |
| There are outside factors to consider. Key word usage being one. But if the trend continues, I can’t discount free shipping as a factor. | ||
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 The apple sauce and pudding were the best part...
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Bronte private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Speaking strictly as a buyer, if the cost of a book is 10$ plus 5$ shipping from seller A and the same book from seller B is 15$ shipped, I will generally select seller B. The false sense of savings gear me to seller B. Granted that only works on buy it now.i also like the buy it now vs auction because I know what I'm in for. I'm not a fan of the adding for this and that. I like to go for the auctions that incorporate shipping into the cost of the book. Hence buy it now. While my post may be a pointless, that's how I see things. Who knows. Maybe other buyers do too??? |
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 Collector
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Themaxx35 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Bronte I tend to lean towards sellers who include shipping in the price too. Its not really rational, but I find myself preferring the single dollar amount upfront. |
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 COLLECTOR
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Foghorn_Sam private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I don't include free shipping on lower cost items, but try to offer a flat $10 shipping charge. On higher dollar items, usually over $500, that's when I start offering free shipping. | ||
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 Collector
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Enelson private msg quote post Address this user | |
I just had this internal debate. I just listed these with free shipping, curious to see what happens. I don't sell a ton, but I didn't realize how popular these j Scott Campbell covers were,so we'll see what happens |
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Collector
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poka private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @00slim almost finished changing all my inventory to offer free shipping. I know that a few days don’t count much in terms of showing a pattern, but past few days sales have been awesome - even selling at higher prices! | ||
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 Collector
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doog private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I played with both free and non free. I settled on free for $200 up. Try to match close my actual shipping cost with everything below | ||
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 I'll probably wake up constipated.
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Pre_Coder private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Just a question of curiosity here... I don't dabble around with the GPA, but it seems to me that taking the shipping cost and tacking it on to the book's price (and offer free shipping) would affect the GPA data of that particular issue and it's grade. ie: A slabbed 9.6 ASM #XX has a (12/24 month) GPA at $400 and shipping is $15. The book sold at $400. But,.. if the shipping cost is tacked on to the price (with free shipping), now the book sells at $415. Would this not affect the GPA sales data of this particular issue/grade? If so, at least it's driving in a positive direction.  What are your thoughts?... |
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Collector
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00slim private msg quote post Address this user | |
| On a very expensive book, it could make a difference. I’ve never shipped (or purchased, for that matter) a $10,000 book, but I’d imagine the insurance could add $100 to the shipping cost. Still, I don’t think the impact on GPA is significant. |
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 Collector
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CopperAgeKids private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Pre_Coder Are you really just realizing this? GPA never accounted for shipping, and never will. That is why you see a lot of lower end/cheap modern 9.6-9.8's with GPA sales at $10-$40....The majority of sellers on eBay charge about $13 to ship a slab. OTOH, $15 added onto a BIN price for "free" shipping does decrease the likelihood of international buyers pulling the trigger as they will have to pay $415 + international shipping....just as selling more than one slab in one transaction to a US buyer is hurt because the buyer is effectively paying $30 with free shipping on 2 slabs, despite the fact they will be shipped together. |
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I'll probably wake up constipated.
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Pre_Coder private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by CopperAgeKids #1. No need to be insulting. #2. You are not understanding my question. Edit: I am well aware that shipping does not affect GPA. Please read my post again, but with understanding. |
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Collector
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CopperAgeKids private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by poka No way would I ever give free shipping to an international buyer. Even without using priority and with 1st class usps air in its place, I'd be getting jammed up on international sales. Example: Shipping 1 slab to Canada is around $25-$30 via 1st class usps air.About $45 for priority. 1 slab in the US is under $15 via priority. 1 slab to the UK is pushing $50 for 1st class usps...more for priority etc. How can you leave that much dough on the table? |
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Collector
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CopperAgeKids private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Pre_Coder It was a strange question, my reply was not meant in a derogatory manner. My apologies if it seemed like it. ☺ And yeah, I understood your question or at least I think I did. If a book's last sale in GPA (+ shipping) in 9.6, there would be a slight uptick in GPA if the following sale of your 9.6 was at $415 (shipped). However... It would be self correcting, ultimately.$15 isn't much on a $400 book.....If $400 is the 90 day average, give or take a few bucks, and not just the last recorded sale. Either the $415 shipped 9.6 would take more time to move.... or if it was the only 9.6 available, it would sell quick enough...and if no 9.8's were available, it may sell for $450-$500, easy. Depends on a few factors... how hot the book is, current supply of slabs in/around 9.6 and high grade raws;and what they are all priced at. Say the 9.8 90 day average is $1000, which would be about right if a 9.6 sold at $400. All that said.... A BIN at $415 (free shipping) may give the book a transient spike in GPA, but the market would correct that easily enough i.e. it would not see a linear growth of $15 with each new sale of a 9.6. You would likely get more of a significant, and linear, spike on a $200 slab because $15 would have a greater impact on the % of FMV increase than a $400 slab would. People are less likely to notice a 8% jump in FMV, all it would take is for 1 guy to say "eff it", and hit the BIN at $215 (shipped). Now you have 2 sales at $215, on what was a $200 slab, 2 days ago. Now the 3rd slab will sell at $225 shipped. On a lower dollar value slab, this will not be as likely to "work" because $15 is a larger chunk on a $100 slab. And so on, all the way down to a $15 slab with a $15 shipping fee. In a roundabout way, I actually answered your question the first time, without cramping my thumb.  ☺Now, where's the dawn "olive branch/gift hiving" emoticon on this board? Dang, I forgot.This board's emoticon functions are low tech,sucky-sucky.... Gawddemmit. |
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Collector
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poka private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @CopperAgeKids already planned for that - free shipping to US. For other locations reducing shipping charges with the $ it cost to send to the US. Setting up discounts - so if buying a second slab $10 discount. If buying more than 1 raw - additional discount. Still a trial - but so far so good. I don’t sell any books valued at above $500 via eBay so won’t have the issue of additional cost for insurance etc. |
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 COLLECTOR
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shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @00slim thanks for the tip, I’m going to try it out this week, even on lower priced books | ||
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COLLECTOR
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shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by CopperAgeKids Using the international eBay shipping program seems to be a work around here. I can offer free shipping, but with the international program box checked, any international buyers should see both my free domestic shipping and eBay’s automatic calculation for them to pay from their shipping center. Theoretically... this *should work @poka I set up a cheap test book, could you ( or someone else here who is international) be so kind as to look at it for me? (Here) The listing should show free shipping to the international center but not free shipping to you |
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Collector
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poka private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by shrewbeer Free US. $18 to ship to Hong Kong |
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COLLECTOR
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shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user | |
Well it works, thanks  Not a bad shipping cost either, but on a cheap book certainly not worth it  |
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Collector
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poka private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by shrewbeer Yep - cost me $5 to ship the other way |
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COLLECTOR
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shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by poka Wow, Hong Kong really has its stuff together compared to China. That book I bought from you arrived very fast as well. There is certainly a stigma you have to fight being listed in Hong Kong. I would have assumed it would be just like China and take a month to arrive, And if I didn’t know any better I would pass your listings right by because of that. |
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Collector
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00slim private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by shrewbeer Did you add the shipping cost into the asking price? That’s what I’d suggest. |
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| Post 27 • IP flag post | ||
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COLLECTOR
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shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @00slim Not for international. I’m going to raise my numbers to offer free domestic (which covers shipping to the ebay international shipping center), so international buyers will still see ebay’s shipping charge to them |
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Collector
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poka private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by shrewbeer Yep - the challenge I have is that there are a few sellers from Hong Kong who are selling fakes. So I previously been hit with a VERO suspension because I got mixed up with one of those seller. At late as last night one of my listings got called out to be a fake in another forum becuase one member previously had a bad experience with Hong Kong. So had to correct that and get the moderator to vouch for me. The only thing I can ask buyers to look at is my feedback |
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Collector
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00slim private msg quote post Address this user | |
I do the same.  Funny thing? Just last night, I discovered that the Global Shipping option had be turned off on ALL my listings. I have no clue how that happened. Spent a fair amount of time correcting that. Who knows how long that option had been removed? Probably missed out on a few sales. Oh well, it’s fixed. |
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