I`ve Only Sold One LP EVER On Ebay...

I have another question...Is Ultra Sonic cleaning a good selling point or not ? Nothing touches my stylus unless US cleaned...but that`s just me.
I really appreciate the help guys.
Steve

 

Well..I got some of the white mailers in to get started.
But now I`m wondering if they will be good enough.
I`ve bought plenty of Lp`s that used them with pretty good results.

Looks like Whiplash prices have gone up, just like most everything else.
If I go with Whiplash boxes as an upgrade, by the time its ready to go with bubble wrap and the rest I`ll have about $3.00 invested in each one before mailing charges.
Media Mail is up too.

 

Certainly can't hurt - I would certainly mention it if I had done so.

Get your feet wet - you'll be fine to start with using the default mailer. I've never had a report of packaging damage using a new one. I assume you got filler pads, too.

 

And yet nearly every buyer thinks anyone who charges over $4 for shipping is price gouging.

I would only use Whiplash Mailers for brand new, or $50+ items, another alternative between the white Mailers and Whiplash are Mighty Mailers, but I think they are a bit safer on corners

 

I would be very put off by "My prices are determined by..."

Put up the pictures and the price. I don't need to be scolded in advance. I'll determine if I want them. It's OK to say "Prices are firm" but leave it at that.

Also, if I see "my prices are determined by Discogs and eBay" I will assume you're an amateur, and that your stuff is probably not properly graded.

 

Most LPs + mailer weigh in at 2 lbs, so media mail cost is $3.82. Mailer cost is about a buck. So around $4.80. Plus, PayPal will take their commission on the shipping. Plus, eBay will take their commission on shipping. So your real shipping cost is around $5.25.

I still generally charge $3.95 shipping for LPs, but at this point, I'm taking a significant loss on that value (obviously, my profit margins on the albums support it). Someday, soon, I'll probably bump it up to $4.95, to at least be close to cost.

 

I sometimes like to buy off of eBay, but I would never sell though them. I am not into buying records for money in the first place so that is not my concern per say. I tried Discogs for a while and that is a joke. All the dregs kicked off of ebay are on that site now. I have had horrible issues with that site. Never again!

 

Try selling here is my advice, quality records at fair prices seem to be sought after.

 

Not really. It happens but not as much as you might think. I have been selling on there and Discogs for a long time and I've never had an issue like that. But sometimes, the luck of the draw shows up to kick you in the butt. Just life really. But I wouldn't worry about it too much. I know it might happen to me at some point.

I wouldn't do that. There's no reason why you have to explain to people how you arrived at your prices. People looking for a steal/flip will know these aren't for them based on the price you set anyway (see my comments about best offer option below). It also makes you sound like a cranky sellers who's likely going to a pain to deal with when problems arise (IMO) : )

I'd also check Popsike for prices and sort prices based on new to old.

Some buyers like this sort of stuff. Definitely wouldn't hurt to say they were cleaned. At least the buyer knows that when you graded the lp you did so without it covered in dirt...plenty of sellers don't clean as they have magic eyes which can see through dirt. : D

General advice, take a lot of photos and good ones at that. Even if a record is sealed, provide decent photos clearly showing any damage. If no damage even better! I like to add up close photo of the spine and corners.

Take your time grading each record. If you don't have time to play grade that is fine, most sellers don't. But if you do play grade, mention it. Otherwise, leave it out and stick to visual grading. However, if any of your lps have visual imperfections or marks I would play through those parts to make sure they are not audible. Then include those details as well. Buyers will appreciate the extra details.

The make an offer option on eBay is handy. I use it but I set my upper and lower limits. For example, I might list for $100 BIN with best offer then set that any offer $90 and above is automatically accepted, anything below $80 is automatically rejected. That way I don't have to waste time dealing with offers I am not willing to entertain. This leaves offers between $80 and $90 for me to decide on, which is fine for me. YMMV of course.

Also, accept the fact that what you think is fair is not what eBay/PayPal is fair. Understand eBays terms for returns. They probably will not be in line with what you think they should be. One positive here is that if the buyer did not elect to pay with PayPal (they still can), they only have a 30 day guarantee as that is all eBay offers. Also, eBay does force sellers to pay for return shipping if the buyer pushes for it.

 

Gave up on FeeBay years ago BUT now have some stuff I want to unload (boot lp's/nba jerseys etc) but this new "Payoneer" system has me flummoxed. They absolutely will not accept my utility bill as ID proof, I think cos the stoopid thing in Japanese. I live in Japan so it aint gonna be in English, buddy.

Reached an impasse as "payoneer" seems to be the only payment system ebay now uses? Any advice?

 

IIRC they asked for a form of photo ID. Did they actually list utility bill as an option for you?

 

Yes, utility bill as long as it showed my name and address from the last 3 months. No photo ID mentioned.

Yet now they seem to be just ignoring me forever. Don't they want my $$.

Wonder how everyone else is getting on with payoneer? That direct access to your bank account sounds pretty terrifying. Allowing huge corporations to just jack that $$ right out of there when they feel you owe them something.... what could possibly go wrong.

 

I'm in the US, but when I was forced to switch to eBay's Managed Payments system (which sounds similar to Payoneer) I just opened a free online checking account to receive payments. There are plenty of free Automatic Teller Machines for that account around here, more than my "real" bank has. I just clear payments out after they arrive. They can't take what isn't there.

 

When I see that, my view will depend very much on how professional I think the seller is. Cleaning done poorly is a really bad thing (leaves film/debris on discs that can be a true hassle to get off). Cleaning that way can also hide a badly cared-for album. Broadly, I consider "all albums cleaned" to be a negative in a listing.

 

I agree to that but I can`t imagine how that could make a poor quality album look better unless it`s been wiped down with WD40

I can tell you that there`s never a trace of anything on my stylus after my US cleaning.

Any build up on the stylus is a sure indication that there`s left over cleaning product in the grooves.

 

It is for me. Usually (not always) it means the seller cares about the LPs they're selling. It tells me they are a collector too. I try to avoid the people that just seem to be selling to make money and have zero respect for the medium.

 

Interesting. I've had pretty much the opposite happen. Maybe just a matter of luck. I scrutinize the heck out of feedback comments on both sites and more often than not go with Discogs sellers for that reason. I've also generally found more reasonable prices on Discogs.