What's the best time of year for ebaying?

[Allegheny1600]

Hi All,

I had quite a good run of selling my various excess items prior to last Christmas including a couple of items that reached prices I would never have dreamed of achieving, so I guess they could have been gifts for people, maybe even gifts to themselves?

However, since then, I have hardly had a bite at all.

I do check "completed listings" to get a sense of the worth of my items and I admit, one of my locos has recently been increased in price because I don't really want to sell it (don't tell the wife!!). Everything else is (I think) keenly priced but very few watchers or even, views.

Is it the time of year? I would have thought it's sufficiently well past Christmas by now.

I don't mind as I am happy to wait, just curious to see if others observe a similar thing?

Cheers,

John.

[hayfield]

John

 

Firstly some may be holding back from buying items due to the short term issues we may encounter over the next few weeks

 

As for the best time, certainly a well priced wanted item will sell at most times, however in my own mind to get the best price it should be at a time most folk have time to access, you could say evenings and weekends fall into this category. 

 

For my own selling, I prefer to end items early on Sunday evenings, no guaranties this will work its just my perception

 

At this moment this year I don't think I have had anything that has not sold, somethings take two or three weeks and I have not reduced any prices. I list items either at the minimum price I am happy to sell it at for the dearer items, or just start things at 99p and see how it goes.

 

I would not worry too much about how many watchers, you only need one buyer, but having two or more battle for it is prefered

You could try using a make me an offer, just put a reasonable auto refusal limit and see the responses, you don't have to accept them

[Karhedron]

I tend to avoid late December and early January as people are generally spending their time and money on Christmas festivities. Once you get to the last week in January, people's pay packets start coming in and they start spending on hobbies again.

 

Avoiding the summer is also wise as people go off on holiday so while an item may sell, it may not get top-whack.

 

I agree that ending on a Sunday evening is popular, just avoid doing that on a bank holiday weekend.

 

Some hobbies are seasonal which is worth considering. I have noticed that summer is a lot quieter for indoor hobbies both on eBay and on fora like RMWeb.

[Nearholmer]

I’ve been having a cupboard-emptying session over the past three months, and have been pleasantly surprised by the overall outcome so far, things have sold, and the disappointing prices have been balanced by the better-than-expected ones.

 

So, this time of year, through to around Easter, then September to November.

 

One surprise has been how popular 009/H0e is ....... my long-untouched stash of things now too small and fiddly went very well.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Nearholmer

[Hal Nail]

My experience matches the others on here: I've been selling off my spare o gauge stock fairly consistently since last June, using the sell for £1 offers, and havent seen any difference at all, even over xmas. Everything has sold using buy it now at prices based on what I'm seeing similar go for.

 

Not surprisingly if someone is selling a similar item as an auction, people will tend to wait until that finishes even if it turns out you had priced it right.

[GWR-fan]

Surprisingly for me the last few years I have found the best selling time is the few weeks prior to Christmas and a couple of weeks after Christmas into the New Year.  I was expecting that people would have other purchases on their minds.  The last two years I was inundated with purchases actually on Christmas Day.   Like others have commented for me this year the last few weeks have seen quite a few sales.

 

A friend who regularly has sold on eBay said the best time for sales is usually a Sunday afternoon or perhaps a Saturday night.  He calls them "weekend warriors".  They possibly have had a little too much to drink on the Saturday and the grip on their wallet has loosened or on the Sunday afternoon they are bored, perhaps watching the television. and want a little excitement. 

[polybear]

I don't worry too much about the number of watchers either - many are just curious to see what something sells for.

[GWR-fan]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

I don't worry too much about the number of watchers either - many are just curious to see what something sells for.

 

Mostly "tyre kickers"

[hayfield]

13 hours ago, polybear said:

I don't worry too much about the number of watchers either - many are just curious to see what something sells for.

 

I probably buy one in a couple of hundred items I am watching, if I notice something gets expensive I delete it. Just waiting for that bargain.

 

As a seller all you need is two people who both want it, see below

 

You can buy this for £20 new + a bit of postage and get it immediately

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Comet-Models-LCP62-GWR-2301-Dean-Goods-0-6-0-Loco-Chassis-Kit-00-EM-P4/124105577119?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

[Allegheny1600]

Thanks for your responses, everyone!

Always interesting to see how other folks experiences vary. I may try starting a couple of listings at 99p again, rather than my usual assessment of recent completed listings and see how that goes.

Cheers,

John.

[polybear]

56 minutes ago, Allegheny1600 said:

Thanks for your responses, everyone!

Always interesting to see how other folks experiences vary. I may try starting a couple of listings at 99p again, rather than my usual assessment of recent completed listings and see how that goes.

Cheers,

John.

 

But be aware it might just sell for 99p...

 

I picked up a new unused spacesaver wheel & jack for my car, badly listed and starting at 99p (£150 new).  I was the only bidder...

I bunged him twenty quid on collection.  Even then I got a bargain.

[hayfield]

1 hour ago, Allegheny1600 said:

Thanks for your responses, everyone!

Always interesting to see how other folks experiences vary. I may try starting a couple of listings at 99p again, rather than my usual assessment of recent completed listings and see how that goes.

Cheers,

John.

 

John

 

It depends on what your goal is, as I have said usually I start my listings at the minimum I am willing to accept for a model. If your models are not selling I would check a few things out. However if you need to shift items then you have to create interest, perhaps by lowering prices and or free postage etc. Forced sales attract lower bids

 

1/  The quality of your listings, simply ask yourself are they up to standard/could they be improved on

2/  When do the items end, could you find perhaps a more buyer friendly end time

3/  Check your pricing, rather than start at 99p try reducing your prices by 20%

4/  Some items may sell better in lots of 3 or 4 (thinking of wagons and coaches)

 

Some sellers do work on the basis of starting bidding at 99p in the hope of encouraging several bidders for the same item, I leave the 99p starts for low value items

[F-UnitMad]

On 11/03/2020 at 21:26, polybear said:

I don't worry too much about the number of watchers either - many are just curious to see what something sells for.

 

On 11/03/2020 at 22:51, GWR-fan said:

 

Mostly "tyre kickers"

Or they saw the item on the "Ebay Madness" Thread here, and want a good giggle...

[GeoffAlan]

I am an avid ebay buyer. Having over the years collected quite a collection of stock from various sellers. I am suspending buying for the present given the situation. The last three items I've 'won' came this week and after opening them and binning the outer and inner packing I thoroughly washed my hands. Hopefully this was totally unnecessary. But as both I and my wife are of an age and health status where the virus could prove very serious, it seemed a sensible precaution.

[hayfield]

54 minutes ago, GeoffAlan said:

I am an avid ebay buyer. Having over the years collected quite a collection of stock from various sellers. I am suspending buying for the present given the situation. The last three items I've 'won' came this week and after opening them and binning the outer and inner packing I thoroughly washed my hands. Hopefully this was totally unnecessary. But as both I and my wife are of an age and health status where the virus could prove very serious, it seemed a sensible precaution.

 

Geoff

 

Very wise and useful information.  However we have been told the virus lasts a maximum 72 hours on hard surfaces, Just put your items in quarantine for a week if it concerns you

[Crosland]

6 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

Geoff

 

Very wise and useful information.  However we have been told the virus lasts a maximum 72 hours on hard surfaces, Just put your items in quarantine for a week if it concerns you

 

On Good Morning yesterday it was stated up to 7 days on hard plastic!

 

Admittedly that is the TV equivalent of tabloid journalism or Hello magazine and I do not take it seriously.

[adb968008]

It all depends what it is.

Rare models will always sell.

 

run of the mill stuff is seasonal, With drops around “big weekends”, like Warley, Ally Pally, MR Scotland etc and quiet season between Easter and September.

I have found this year run of the mill stuff is through the floor, but also duplicated models (Bachmann 37/47/57/66) has sunk considerably, but other things like a Realtrack 144 tonight fetched £340 !

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Realtrack-Models-OO-Gauge-Class-144-Northern-Rail-DCC-FITTED/293504500505?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[GWR-fan]

With the current Australia/UK currency exchange rate at a 17 year low,  then for Australian eBay sellers perhaps now is an ideal opportunity for sales within Australia.  Combine a record low exchange rate and a 10% GST on international eBay transactions and suddenly using Australian eBay with an Aussie seller seems common sense.   

[hayfield]

Last night everything I was interested in and watching went for more than I was prepared to pay, I must admit there were a few Items which in the past I would have bid on (no gtee I would have won them), but would have either been duplicates or yet another project I would never get round to

 

May be people are bored with what's happening or just cheering themselves up.

 

I also put one item on and had a bid straight away, perhaps showing anytime is a good time !!

[adb968008]

On 16/03/2020 at 07:46, GWR-fan said:

With the current Australia/UK currency exchange rate at a 17 year low,  then for Australian eBay sellers perhaps now is an ideal opportunity for sales within Australia.  Combine a record low exchange rate and a 10% GST on international eBay transactions and suddenly using Australian eBay with an Aussie seller seems common sense.   

17 years ?

 

i dont think so, not even 4 years.
 

 

for a minute there I almost thought Australia might have become affordable... but alas its a very long way from the 2004 exchange rate... 2.68 AUD $ to a GBP £... a day I doubt we Brits will ever see again.

 

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by adb968008

[Hal Nail]

3 hours ago, adb968008 said:

but alas its a very long way from the 2004 exchange rate... 2.68 AUD $ to a GBP £... a day I doubt we Brits will ever see again.

I was out in 2003 (some rugby event that we dont like to go on about!) when it was around that but everyone kept telling me it was dreadful as had been over 3 not long before then!

[GWR-fan]

The low dollar exchange rate is what all the finance experts are stating in Australia as the lowest exchange rate in 17 years.   They are not saying it was as low as back then.   I do not intend buying in the UK for a while so I will take their experience as a guide.

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by GWR-fan

[hayfield]

In answer to the question  "IT'S NOW"

 

I have been doing my usual thing of watching items and at the moment the items I really fancy are going for very high values, to such an extent I would rather buy a new kit from the manufacturer 

 

Last year I bought a Wills SR/LBSCR I3 ready built, with a cast whitemetal chassis and an Anchorage D11 motor, its been nicely built and painted, and runs well Cost £45.15 + £5 postage. One sold last night for £87 + postage and states 5 pole motor, so I guess its a MW/MRRC MW005, painting not finished as well as its not fully lined. The chassis is mostly the same (cast whitemetal) and older style Romfords

 

As for mine, I have a new Southeastern Finecast etched chassis, with another item I bought this year were a set of newer nicklesilver Romford wheels (no mazac ones), will be built to EL+M gauge, I have a mashima 16 series motor and will use either a High Level or Comet gearbox

 

There was a whitemetal SECR J class which went for a whopping £155, unlined etched chassis but a DS10 motor

 

Get your kits out !!!!

[MartinWales]

Can only agree John!

 

Have seen an upsurge in my Ebay sales in the last fortnight, mainly on the wagon kit side, and in the current situation can only surmise that some people are looking to do something constructive with their unexpected free time.

 

As John says.....'Get your kits out!'

[Bucoops]

I'm buying very little at the moment, but I am finding very cheeky offers being accepted.