Should I stay or should I go?

[AMJ]

A while back I sold off some of the older locomotives on eBay and thought that the combination of the various fees such as listing final sale and card fees through PayPal were way too high.

 

Having seen that there seems to be fewer items getting close to what people want to sell for I'd say should we be looking at other locations to sell our surplus stock?

 

I see that there are various available options

Auction sites

Fixed listing sites

Take stock to a shop to trade in

 

Thoughts?

[Andy Hayter]

As a buyer rather than a seller.  I see Ebay prices being close to or sometimes higher than the on-line model shop.  Given that the model shop will need to make a good margin, I would doubt that selling through shops will give a good return, if that is your sole criterion.  They  do offer a one stop off load and minimise the work you have to do, so there are advantages, but getting the best return is not one of them.  

 

Specialist auctions will attract buyers specifically interested in model railways, but doesn't Ebay do the same through category selection?   For perhaps rare items an auction house would have attractions and also for collections, but as a seller you will be charged a premium - often 15-20% once VAT is taken into account.  That sounds a lot more than Paypal = Ebay charges.

 

Edited to add:  One thing auction houses are good at is grouping things into lots - often combining less interesting items with more sought after ones.  Ebay of course it is usual to sell each item individually and "grouped" items tend to get low returns.

Edited April 8, 2018 by Andy Hayter

[Crosland]

I see too many Ebay sellers using fixed price or too high starting values. Generally I'm not interested.

 

Auction houses will be charging BOTH buyer AND seller 15 - 20%. Out local one is 15% + VAT (18%). This depresses bids and reduces sale proceeds.

 

It's a popular pastime, for some, to knock Ebay/PayPal fees (and they have gone up over the years) but they would not still be in business if they were not competitive. Make use of free listing offers.

[brianusa]

Rule No.1, ya don't get somfink fer nuffink! Especially in this day and age. A lot depends on ones usage of EBay, often or rarely. If rarely, then whatever charges one encounters, will not break the bank; if often, consider one of the other options or cheerfully take the cost as part of doing business.

 

Brian.

[woodenhead]

If people quote silly prices, don't buy, if you're selling and see a similar item with a silly price undercut them with your own more realistic price.

 

I've just sold a chunk of stuff on EBay, some on the usual terms but a lot of it on £1 max commissions which I was very pleased with.

 

I set my prices based on other items for sale, i did look at Hattons/Rails secondhand and new prices to make sure that my items weren't more then their new prices and also not close to their secondhand prices which I think are higher than an auction price.

 

I was surprised how much some items went for though most went for the initial bid price which I think made for a happy seller and happy buyers.

 

Out of my initial tranche of items there is just one item unsold and that probably is down to Hattons recent new old stock listings, when another EBay offer comes my way I will relist it. A few OO wagons didn't sell and I will probably one day offload them for a lesser amount to clear.

 

One thing I have noticed is that N gauge is more difficult to sell especially wagons, there is a heck of a lot listed on EBay so standing out from the crowd without going for a silly price looks difficult. I sold some coaches on there and they seemed to go though I am left with a solitary 1st class Dapol mk111 that no one wanted.

 

Having had such a successful month on EBay I am starting now to think seriously about al my N gauge stock and whether realistically it will ever see the light of day again. The fantasist in me sees two layouts, my OO gauge Cornwall layout and something less regionally limited in N, but will I really do it, probably not. Would I use EBay again, yes for the coaches and locos, maybe not all the wagons.

Edited April 8, 2018 by woodenhead

[john new]

I think Ebay is one of those services you either love or avoid. I know several people who get on well with it as both buyers and sellers; my past interactions have been problematic and I avoid it. I'm not anti on-line purchasing just find Ebay is not for me.  I think you have to ask yourself (if it is working for you) whether after the fees from Ebay are taken off have you ended up with less than via alternatives and was it easier/as easy to use. 

 

Personally I would prefer to sell in person to either a local shop or via the local model club; equally I have access to both reasonably conveniently. 

[njee20]

Wait for eBay to do £1 final selling fee offers, they’re usually every 3-4 weeks.

 

You’ll never get cheaper. IMO it’s still the best option for selling. Conventional auction houses are extortionate in comparison. I bought something recently with 28% on the hammer price, plus £24 postage as the minimum charge. The seller paid 18% commission.

[AdeMoore]

Facebook has many model railway selling groups not for everyone I know, no selling fees no PayPal if you prefer.

Sometimes bargains to be had. Not a good example as not cheap but a couple photos of a typical posting.

 

[woodenhead]

And I suppose therein lies the options, the Wild West of training on sites like Facebook with no fees but little protection or EBay where there is buyer and seller protection but subject to varying fees.

 

Selling direct to shops will also carry a cost, you're local model shop might offer a reasonable valuation but boxshifters like Hattons or Rails will take a commercial view and you'll be offered around 35% of the value of your items giving them lots of wriggle room when they put the items up for sale.

[davefrk]

Just for info, a couple of years ago I was selling off items on EBAY from the estate of a late friend of mine and it seemed to incur a total fee of 14% off the selling price so that is a hell of a lot better than the auction houses. By total fee I mean EBAY and PayPal together.

 

Dave.

[Sir TophamHatt]

And I suppose therein lies the options, the Wild West of training on sites like Facebook with no fees but little protection or EBay where there is buyer and seller protection but subject to varying fees.

Pay with PayPal as Goods and Services and you're more okay than not.

 

Many sellers say "bank transfer" or "paypal family and friends only", which carries a large risk. Would they send the item out and be happy to receive payment after it's been received? No. Plus, why not just add on £5 to cover fees and postage? Yes, some are happy to risk, but I've seen many people warning others on Facebook from one person or another. My reputation as a seller on Facebook would be much more important than +/-£5 keeping it all safe for everyone.

 

Local pickup/delivery is completely different though.

Edited April 12, 2018 by Sir TophamHatt

[John M Upton]

I wouldn't touch buying/selling through Facebook with a twenty metre cattle prod.

[Georgeconna]

I buy n Sell through Facebook, Recently Bought 2 school class, Hornby 4-VEP, sold 2  Baccy Nelsons and some Irish rolling stock all without any hassle, Happy with sell and buying prices. I could be Lucky I guess but most people on those trading sites are pretty legit and you see very few issues.

 

could not be bothered with Ebay at all.

[woodenhead]

Update on this old thread.

 

Having now cleared what I wanted on Ebay I thought i'd give a view on how it went.

 

I first offered my OO stuff to Rails, they gave me a price but I said no thanks, I thought I could get double that on Ebay.

 

Four months later, my last two items went into the post - after charges I have made double what Rails offered.  Charges came to 14% of total sales revenue by sticking to offer weekends mostly £1 max Ebay fees.  I also sold some N stuff and whilst not directly comparable to the price Hattons offered me for that stock (I'd part exch' some stuff with Arcadia whilst less brave) I got a better return from my Ebay endeavours and kept total fees to 21% of sales.  Fingers crossed on the last two items but everything has been straightforward and I've not had any disputes or lost items.

 

Overall i am pleased I made the effort, all the stories about dodgy buyers and everything being weighted in favour of the buyer had made me very wary of using Ebay such i was almost prepared to accept 50% less for my trains than they were worth,

 

What I have learnt though, don't sell N gauge wagons unless they are something special - Dapol cargowaggons and Tiphook steel wagons are OK but bog standard BR period wagons don't sell or not for over £10.  When I began to look on Ebay I realised it was full of N gauge wagons.  If i do dispose of these, it will be to Rails or Hattons, not worth the effort of all the setting up of the sales.

 

With the money I have made I am going to treat myself to some Tim Horn baseboards - one set for my OO railway and a second for something in N, if I am not going to sell it I should use it.

Edited June 4, 2018 by woodenhead

[njee20]

I always sell N gauge wagons in multiples - the problem I have is that postage on a single boxed wagon is £3.95 for 2nd class signed for as it’s a small package. This means as a buyer the postage is disproportionate, and consequently I’ll never buy a single wagon. Postage on 4 wagons (and indeed 10) is still £3.95, so bundle a few!

[woodenhead]

I always sell N gauge wagons in multiples - the problem I have is that postage on a single boxed wagon is £3.95 for 2nd class signed for as it’s a small package. This means as a buyer the postage is disproportionate, and consequently I’ll never buy a single wagon. Postage on 4 wagons (and indeed 10) is still £3.95, so bundle a few!

I was offering in multiples with postage thrown in on buy it now - no one bit.

 

Had I got to my short wheelbase stuff you're right, multiples of wagons is the only way - my OO wagons were sold that way in threes.

[sharkman]

I've been on their 14 years tomorrow believe it or not as a seller and buyer. I've also done trade tables at swapmeets and shows but I always fall back to Ebay,

 

I've had good sales and i've had some disasters but you learn by your mistakes. I have no issue on costs its something you have to be prepared to put up with but if you make some good sales or pick some bargains up then they out weigh that issue.

 

The trouble is now that postage can be silly but if you inbuild it into something your selling then it can tempt the punters and like someone else has said sell multiple items like wagons to keep postage more fair.

 

Long may Ebay live but theirs no harm in a bit of competition!!

 

 

 

 

[sharkman]

Further to my last post their will always be people who will have a negative attitude.

 

My late mother was a perfect example of this she would never have a bank account - "I always do cash"! until her pension had to go into one. So when it happend and a plastic card also arrived which ment she could easily pay for things without the fuss of cash and suddenly it was like the best thing since sliced bread!!!

 

So have a try on Ebay its great fun.

[jjb1970]

The question isn't what EBay make, it's what you make. If you can get more for your stuff using other channels then use those other channels. If you can get more selling via EBay then EBay is good value regardless of their fees. Obviously I'm talking about your net take after paying any fees etc. Would I prefer to avoid paying EBay fees? Yes. Do I begrudge them their cut when I'm making a lot more than I would through alternative channels? Not really.

From time to time I've asked dealers such as one already referenced on this thread as there is no doubt it is a lot easier to send off a box and avoid the hassle of individually listing, posting items etc but in each case the sum offered was almost derisory compared with what I ended up getting on EBay. I don't blame the shops as they have to make a profit and carry a risk that something might hang around for ages unless they sell low but on the other hand their problems are no more my business than are their profits. And the conventional auction fees are higher and at least with EBay you're in control of things.

There are alternatives of course, but one thing about EBay is it is a lot less risky than most of the alternatives. I sometimes whinge that there systems are heavily rigged in favour of buyers (which is good if you're a buyer) but even as a seller you've got a bit more recourse to a resolution process than sticking something in a magazine classified page (do they still have those) or a club notice board or facebook.

[MarkC]

I wouldn't touch buying/selling through Facebook with a twenty metre cattle prod.

Totally agree with this as far as their "Marketplace" is concerned, but there are some very good trading groups there, and as has been pointed out, most on there are reputable. The admins are pretty alert to dodgy individuals and will both spread the word and block chancers, once they are made aware.

 

My own rule - only do "Friends & Family" if you know the seller, and be guided by other peoples' comments too. A quick search about potential sellers in those groups is time well spent.