Where did I go wrong?!?!

[GASoline71]

LMAO...

Gary

 

[ut_volunteer]

Ebay

Having sold on Ebay for a number of years and having sold a few items, my experience has been:

1. Good pictures are vital.
2. For every feature there should be a corresponding benefit. Ensure that your copy (text) has no mistakes.
3. Never used a reserve price successfully. Always more successful using low price. The frenzy of lots of bidders works to get price up. That said, all the items I sold did not have the initial high cost like yours. If it did, I would raise my price accordingly but still start where bidding would be active.
4. Always maintained rating of 100%. Bend over backwards answering questions.
5. Always use insurance and build into auction price if possible, damaged goods in shipment will kill you.
6. Always over-pack to insure safe shipment.

Note 1: Never having used or have been a shill, not all automatic bids are shills, just someone who has input an amount over the required minimum. If your bid is below that person's max bid amount, your bid will automatically be overbid until you exceed that bidder's higher amount.

Note 2: Bidding slows down at this time of year but will pickup around Thanksgiving. People at home during holidays have lots of time to watch & bid on Ebay during holidays.

Note 3: Sometimes I have multiple inventory of the same item to sell on Ebay. I only sell one at a time. This tends to keep sell price higher than listing all at one time.

Note 4: If the item I am selling is already listed by another seller on Ebay I look at its activity and price to determine if I should list it or wait until the competitive item has been sold.

Good luck and hopes this helps....

 

[Brigade]

I looked at the ad when it was active, considered bidding but finally decided not to. Why???
1) pictures, as previously mentioned, not the greatest
2) a lot of work done...but I didn't know the builder or quality of work....especially turned me off when stated that no returns or refunds. Why would this come up if the work done was OK. Best to leave out of description...post elsewhere if you really want it included.
3) After listing the work done no compression value shown? Should be high priority to confirm rebuild.
4) 20 inch bar....I can only speak for myself but 20" is not something I want. Either sell as PHO or put a bigger bar on it. I would have to buy something 32" or more after the fact (milling) & would be a PITA.
5) I'm in Canada....no option to ship USPS Priority Mail International AT COST.
6) Buy it now too rich for me...not saying it's not worth it but with exchange, shipping, uncertainty of ebay stuff....... Again, speaking only for myself, I wouldn't exceed $300 on ebay.

Hope the comments help but they are only my feelings, others will be different. I agree you may be farther ahead to list on this site, since you are known here with a good rep. At the least you will get feedback as to what the market will support...at no cost for ebay listing.

Regards

 

[litefoot]

It's all in the write-up mang.

I sold a Jonsereds 70E with a 28" windsor speed-tip bar and full skip chain for $265 bucks. It was a free saw that I put about 50 bucks into. Ran like a scalded dog and pulled that 28" chain just fine. I rebuilt the carb, put new fuel line and filter in it. Replaced the rear handle, and cleaned the hell out of it

I had good clear pictures. I even linked a youtube video of me makin' a few cuts with it.

You have to be a good wordsmith for things to sell... when you write it up, pretend you are selling it to joe blow that knows nothing about saws. When you do a write up on a saw on ebay like you are writing it to all us saw nuts... you lose out in a market.

No reserves... think of the lowest amount you will take for the item and just start your auction out about 25 bucks below that. So in the even it doesn't go higher you aren't out any money, or piece of mind.

I listed the 70E with a starting price of $50 bucks...

I also sold a McCulloch PM610 with a 24" bar and full skip chain for $225 on ebay. Like I said... It's all in the write-up, and don't use a reserve.

Gary

Hi Gary!
Would you be willing to give us your ebay name so we can look at your closed auctions to see how a silver-tongued devil, such as yourself, works his craft?

 

[hoss]

My opinion-- use bigger font and different color in your description. Use less detail in your description --most buyers don't read past the 2nd line. Your feedback is less than 100% which is a red flag to some. I have seen my auctions do better with out a reserve (i have lost $$ on a couple though)

Maybe try listing it here in the tradin post? Where people appreciate a full rebuild?

My feedback was 100% until a week ago. I listed some string trimmers. I had never listed trimmers before and I knew that the shipping would be more than the $25.00 suggested by ebay, but when I tried to list a higher shipping I recieved a warning from ebay that my shipping was not fair and that I was in danger of bad practice. Anyway two of the three trimmers sold and when I went to ship I was told that the cheapest way to ship was going to be $125.00. The trimmer only brought $72.00+the ebay suggested $25.00 for shipping. I also tried the post office ad managed to get the rate down to $100.00. So I sent a message to the buyers explaining the situation and gave each a full refund immediately. One of the buyers was very gracious, but the other wrote several hateful e-mails calling me dishonorable among other things. I have an open case with e-bay to remove that spiteful baseless feedback. I realise that some people have ways to ship things cheaper, but this is not my proffession and most of my ebay experience is as a buyer. Also I only charge actual shipping and in fact often pay a few bucks difference myself if my estimate is off.

 

[mtngun]

The economy is crashing and fuel prices have dropped. Lumber mills are closing or cutting back.

Plus, at this time of year, guys are spending their money on Xmas presents for the family. Give 'em until mid January to resume buying toys for themselves, assuming they still have a job.

I don't think you did anything wrong on your ebay sell. It's just a reflection of what's going on out there.

A no-reserve bid would have worked before the stock market crashed, but I wouldn't try it now, unless you are selling something that is always in demand like a Stihl 066.

 

[hoss]

Also if you sell on a forum as big as ebay eventually you will run accross someone who just has a chip on there shoulder and cannot be made happy. I always answer questions before the auction is over. With used equipment and not knowing the proficiency of the individual buying it is a crapshoot. What if you sell a saw that was tuned at sea level to someone who lives in the mountains. Well it would need to be retuned but if the buyer doesn't know that they just think that the saw doesn't run. I have had misunderstandings in the past and have done my best to resolve any problems. Up till last week this policy always worked.

 

[GASoline71]

I try to be as fair and honest on shipping as I can... I will err' slightly on the high side for shipping. Then when I go to ship the item, if it is lower than what I quoted, I will refund the buyer a little money. Everybody like to get a few bucks back.

In the case where it might be a few bucks more... no biggee if I lose a few bucks on that.

Gary

 

[Jacob J.]

I try to be as fair and honest on shipping as I can... I will err' slightly on the high side for shipping. Then when I go to ship the item, if it is lower than what I quoted, I will refund the buyer a little money. Everybody like to get a few bucks back.

In the case where it might be a few bucks more... no biggee if I lose a few bucks on that.

Gary

That's my policy too, although I save the shipping receipts so if there's ever a question...

 

[GASoline71]

That's my policy too, although I save the shipping receipts so if there's ever a question...

Me too... I save everything for about 30 days after the transaction... just in case.

Gary

 

[Bowtie]

You all are right. I never looked it the deal that way. To be honest, I dont sell on Ebay, but i buy quite a bit. I was thinking from the idea of farm and consignment auctions where it is commonplace. I know it happens all the time on Ebay, because I have run into the same situations as described before. Also I will let everyone know, I have never screwed anyone on anything I have bought or sold, and every member here I have dealt with will attest to that. So there ya have it, like it or dont, thats where I come from.

 

[Bowtie]

Me thinks Bowtie ought to delete that post. Seems like a good enough guy but stepped on a nerve here. I'm not condoning what he suggested.

No, I am not going to delete that post. What I said is a bad idea, and I can own up to it. It may serve as a good learning tool, if the mods want it deleted, they will do so. The correct way to sell something on ebay if you have to have a certain price or above is to set a reserve, simple as that.

 

[hoss]

I just want to thank everyone who has tried to be helpful me and given me input.

 

[hokiemike]

If you look at it from an average consumer point of view, how many people have ever heard of Jonsered? Of those, how may are in the market for a saw that big? If you're on the East Coast, Jonsered won't even tell you where to get support in your area on their own website. Personally, I look at ebay for junk and at forum markets like this for quality items where I have a better chance of not getting shafted by the seller.

 

[hoss]

If you look at it from an average consumer point of view, how many people have ever heard of Jonsered? Of those, how may are in the market for a saw that big? If you're on the East Coast, Jonsered won't even tell you where to get support in your area on their own website. Personally, I look at ebay for junk and at forum markets like this for quality items where I have a better chance of not getting shafted by the seller.

That makes pretty good saense. The only reason I knnew about J-Red in the first place is because I had a dealer local to me who was always trying to get us to switch to Jonny Reds. I think they are good saws. I have 3 111s J-reds and they are very impressive. I was also suprised by my 910 the first time I put it to wood after the rebuild. Anyone know what the comparable husky from that era would have been? 288 maybe?

 

[PB]

I can make a pretty good bet that if someone is in the market for a big saw they have heard of Jonsered. Anyone that has done their homework anyways.

 

[GASoline71]

I've ran big saws my entire life and only knew of Jonsereds because of the saw one of my elk huntin' buddies used to bring into camp...

I didn't even know they still made saws until I came here 3 years ago...

Gary

 

[PB]

I've ran big saws my entire life and only knew of Jonsereds because of the saw one of my elk huntin' buddies used to bring into camp...

I didn't even know they still made saws until I came here 3 years ago...

Gary

I have just as many JRed dealers as Stihl dealers here. Must be a PNW thing, I wouldn't understand.

I think Tilton has a better system on the east coast than what you guys had on the west coast.

 

[Bowtie]

I never heard of jonsered until I was here a while. Just a goofed over husky, whats the difference? Like a Ford and a Mercury, different clothes, yawn...

 

[hoss]

I never heard of jonsered until I was here a while. Just a goofed over husky, whats the difference? Like a Ford and a Mercury, different clothes, yawn...

Yeah maybe true now, but the 910 is a true J-red, made before Elux bought them and made j-red and husky first cousins.