I want to share with you some last minute holiday tips that some of our other clients are having success with. I see that most of our clients are solely using eBay to sell items while there’s so much potential for faster sales and combined sales.
While it’s listed on eBay, you can also list it on Craigslist.
This is a rule people don’t think about. They think it should be on one or the other. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, Craigslist should be used regularly to draw customers into your store. In your Craigslist listings, you don’t need to state your store name or that you sell on eBay. Actually, you can’t even use the word “eBay” without potentially getting your Craigslist listing removed. BEFORE you sell something within the store, check online to see if it’s within the 12 hour period of selling or if it has bids on it. If it has bids and you end it, you will have to pay Final Value Fees but that doesn’t mean you can’t charge an extra fee to the buyer in the store to cover those fees. Or, you would still charge the eBay fees to the consignor when generating a check for the item. One or the other.
“I don’t like to deal with people on Craigslist. The phone calls, the no shows, etc”
It’s about drawing attention to customers to come into your store. If they buy the item advertised, great. If they buy other items you’re selling, even better. There’s no Craigslist fee to list items and it’s potential for upselling more items while they’re in your store. Increasing foot traffic reduces the percentage eBay is taking at the end of the day.
“How should I describe an item then?”
Give a description of just the item, no policies, shipping, legal, any of that stuff. You’re just trying to sell an item over-the-counter and get them into the store. You could specify that it’s the last one in the store (even if it was the only one in the store). Answer this question in every listing, “Why should people come to your store?”
Put the physical address and hours of operation at the bottom of the listing and just let people come in your store. With Craigslist, you’re trying to advertise for people to get in their car and come to you – a much different scenario than selling on eBay. Craigslist is an untapped seller’s resource by most of our clients but the ones that have stepped outside the “eBay box” understand the power of using it.
“How do I activate Craigslist in SellerVantage?”
If you’re logged into your account, click this link: http://secure.auctionsound.net/?controller=admin&action=location
Otherwise you can log into your account and then click the gear at the top right, then click My Location. Once you’re in the Store Location page, click “Craigslist” on the right. Now you’re ready to start listing on Craigslist.
Feel free to ask us questions if you’re skeptical about Craigslist. Our staff has been selling on there for years and we know the model.