What Am I Doing Wrong?? Help With Ebay

Hi forum, I dont seem to be able to sell much on ebay..
Is it the pricing?
The quality?
The Rating?

I have some great stamps up, and heaps more to put up. They just dont sell!
Red mansion T69 is at $1 **cry**
Great Israeli stamps (old Tabs mint etc)

I wish I knew what I was doing wrong. Is it just ebay
Help please!

Hey Koo,
What is your ebay id? I'll take a gander at your listings and see if there's anything I can comment on.

How about a link, just one, so we can take a look?

If your ads on ebay are as cryptic as your posting, perhaps that's one issue. "Red mansion T69" means nothing to me.

Donald

Red Mansion T69 refers to a set of China PRC stamps from 1981 I believe.

Sorry, been trying to work out revenue stamps all night

http://stores.ebay.com/kookorp thank you again

I took a peek.
A few quick observations. The Chinese stamps will look better with a black background. Use a stock sheet page and it will look more oraganized as well. Starting prices are a bit high in my opinion. All items need a more detailed description which will help with search results. Example - add the topics of the stamps to the description, catalog numbers if you have them are helpful, years of issue and other details that pertain directly to the stamps. On the items like the JFK FDC, avoid words like rare. It's a combination FDC which isn't that rare if you search around a bit. Words like "rare" and "scarce" makes a listing look dubious unless you really do have something like a block of ten Scott #1 U.S.

As for shipping, I presume you've added tracking. That's your call, but I can mail each of those Chinese lots for 66 cents myself. Higher shipping prices lowers your ability to be competative with other sellers. As for Israeli stamps....I just think there more mint stamps out there than there are collectors - simply as that. With the exception of the very early Israeli stamps, a lot of them from the late 1950's through 1970's is on par with United Nations stamps. Neither sell well for most sellers. Best thing to do is to compare what you have with other like items that have sold through ebay. You getter a better idea of realistic selling prices. Also, while it's great that a portion is donated to charity, it really overwhelms the listings and clutters it up. There's not much you can do about that, but the UNICEF ad is right where I would expect the description.

Of course another thing to take into consideration, you're new to ebay and it will take time to build up a reputation and following. Keep at it and eventually it will be easier as your name will get around and buyers will add you to their favorites, etc.

Thank you. Appreciate it. I will work on them all over the next few days. I have 50000 or so Israeli stamps. What should I do with them??

Koo: That's a lot of Israeli stamps. You can sell them in small lots over time like you are, but might have to use a lower starting price. I've also noticed you're in Montgomery County, Maryland. You could see if Maryland Stamps & Coins or Universal Stamps would like to make a trade to help diversify your holdings.

Thanks very much. That's a great idea. I will try that. Is there a place on this site I could offer them up for trade?

I would take the 50,000 Israeli stamps back to where you got them and try to get some of your money back.
While it is considered bad form, and impolite, to refer to some of our fellow collector's stamps as 'worthless', sellers have to face the facts that some stamps cannot be marketed successfully.
The fault is not with ebay, they provide millions of eyeballs, worldwide - and stamps will most often sell for fair prices.

Again. Thank for your help
The Israeli stamps I got from my grandmother. Not much of a refund there.
Will try to swap them or sell them slowly. Also have a large batch of US stamps to sort through.
It's slow going. But hey at least I know a lot more than when I started. Will keep updating on my progress. Thank you

Hi Koo,

Lots of good advice there from Battlestamps. My 2 cents would be to put the Israeli stamps aside and concentrate on listing your US stamps. More chance of building up sales, and a rep, with those. You can always add the better Israeli stuff intermittently later. And occasionally list the common stuff, maybe in 'baggies' of a hundred or so. I am soon to embark on a similar venture on ebay so the above advice has been useful to me also. Good luck with your enterprise.

Terry

The black back ground I agree will help alot.

Do a bit of research on the single prices of the stamps.

1 0r 3 etc stamps to a set and 20 lots at 99c will sell better than a larger group at $10.

This is how we sell as a lot of buyer only want a couple of stamps out of the 20 and have to pay $10 for them. Better to help the buyer in this way.

Try and work your way into get some stamps that are popular. Keep looking at what sells and for how much.

If you look at the Buy It Now listings in a popular stamp area many of them will offer 10 + items at a cheap enough price to sell on.

Again just my 2c worth as well.

Always Happy Stamping. KGV

Thank you all. Working hard at listing. Editing. Etc. have taken all your advise and will use it. Just set up my bidstart. See how that goes. Then going to start editing listings. Hopefully put some coins up too. Will let you all know how I am going b and if anyone knows someone who wants needs or desires israel stamps. I am here. Cheers

The problem is that when you sell just one item at 99c you lose most of it to paypal. I look at 99c listings as advertising and trying to bring in customers. ebay takes time. I would consign to someone in the beginning. Speaking of that has anyone consigned to NYStamp??

Joe

Here is another question for you guys? What stamps are you looking for? What was the hardest stamp to find? I have been looking of a 90+ NH #440. For about 60% of SCV. Haven't found it.