Ebay : Choosing To Sell Internationally.

Any Australian members offer pros and cons of choosing to sell internationally?
(mainly low end material $10-$30)

Thanks for any observations.

Google;

Choosing to offer your item internationally as well as to Australia may significantly increase the number of potential buyers you reach. This could help you sell more items and command higher prices. For more information about global trading, visit ebay's International Trading resource page.

Note: Visit the Australia Post website before specifying international postage to learn more about sending mail overseas – including international delivery options, customs regulations and postage regulations for the countries you're posting to.

Listing items for international buyers

To make your items available to buyers in other countries, fill out the International postage section of the Sell Your Item Form. You can select the international locations you are willing to post to and specify a service and cost for each. If you prefer that international buyers contact you for postage costs, select the international regions you're willing to post to from the Additional post to locations menu.

Hi Rod






Interesting issue.... stamp cost V mailing cost...

Signature on delivery international $4.95

A $2.95 mailing stamp gives you up to 125g x 20mm or 4/5"thickness.

Found that most international buyers want the newest international post stamp attached when paying $3 for mailing.

Thanks John,
would you encourage one to sell internationally?
or remain just selling through ebay Australia?

as KGV mentions $2.95 mailing stamp is good for small airmail letters of cheap items. However I would be selective which countries to sell to. Because some have problems with mail items going missing. If you sell to China for instance you have to send tracked. That is then a big expense with Oz post. They have a standard so called registered red white and blue envelope on sale at $16+. The problem with that is the tracking number is not recorded by Australia post and several of these envelopes go missing. Next up is a connote on a larger enveloped tracked world wide anywhere from $24+. If your item is only cheap that option is not worth it and send with the $2.95 stamp and hope it gets there. I recommend try a few countries first. Ship to America but be warned mail in Latin America can be very slow, up to 6 weeks. Ship to UK as well as there are many buyer over there. Once you pick up a few buyers from those countries try adding a few more countries. Obviously the more countries you offer to the more chance your item will sell. But some countries you have to send tracked. I recommend also selling to Japan. Hoe that helps.

PS rod222 can you get your ebay shop linked to your id on this site? Like me and KGV have the ebay icon on the top of any messages we post. That takes members direct to your ebay shop.

Rod

Remember not to sign up for the Global Shipping Programme, which introduces astronomical postage costs. I just have some text in my descriptions asking prospective overseas purchasers to contact me before bidding. I haven't required "signed for" anywhere other than China. Bonne chance.

Geoff

Thank you, one and all, that does help a lot.

Yes I like to sell international as a lot of buyers want to get as much for their $3 mailing cost as possible.

Europe I sell to Netherlands, German, Austria, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Scandinavia. Also I put Ireland and UK.

America,s no way accept US & Canada.No South East Asia or China or Middle East accept Israel or India. No Africa. But yes to New Zealand.

Have lost very few letters over the years but have lost lots of parcels international.

Huge amount of buyers in UK & USA some in Germany and Holland to. Great buyers in Japan. I have sold to China, Thailand, India and Israel but only tracked. Great buyers in Hong Kong to. Even sold to Malta.

Geoffha luckily we don't have the dreded Global Shipping Programme here down under.

When selling internationally I always wanted to put a must buy amount of stamps to do the deal with $3 mailing. As it would be easier to add a little cost to each stamp so all orders would carry enough cost so the buyer would end up with signature on delivery free in the deal. Oh well dream on.....

It would be nice in OZ as well.

Its becoming more worth while to sell in kiloware or bulk lots with free postage included. That makes it easier to send to any country tracked, rather than small cheap lots. If you sell a $2 stamp to India or China its a risk sending it regular airmail. But if you sell a bulk lot to loss of mail risk places its more worthwhile and can go tracked. Also there is very little money in single low sales these days, it all gets taken in fees.

You got it Duncan.

Big swing to selling kiloware for us and the size V mailing cost is OK if you get to sell your mailing stamps that come on the parcel.

The pain is trying to fit all the mailing stamps into a small area on a box. Also using plastic sleeves to protect the mailing stamps.

500g is 425g kiloware + 75g parcel weight. That is 2000 stamps on paper for 425g. Europe is $50 to $75 Parcel mailing cost per 500g with tracking & signature + extra cover.

I am re-thinking on low value sales its a lot of work for no money. I don't know how sellers stay afloat putting everything up at 99c seriously if they only get one bid there is no money in it. Effectively its giving away the items at that price. I put up 70 1d penny red QV stamps on covers earlier today, the lot sold within 3 hours to China. Sending it tracked as part of the deal. This is the way forward. Auctions suit higher value items.