Selling your stuff on Amazon - Part 6- Advice for newbies in first post

Bella13_2

I usually send first class, but usually I don't get to the post office till the second day... however, recently I have been making more of an effort to post out next day.

Just found out from one of my buyers that item I posted Monday evening (still should have caught last collection at 6pm) only arrived today. That went first class, so I am a bit annoyed that it took so long. However as buyer had paid £3.50 postage (it was a LeapPad book which is classed as a toy), I don't think I would have dared send it second anyway (even though it might have got there quicker if I had!!)

Cat72

Hi
I know tihs has been touched on elsewhere in tis thread but I am having difficulty understanding it ! Books that are highily priced on Amazon , why do sellers do this ? I have a book which I just checked on amazon and here is the results from £39.99, next prices are in the hundreds ! When I had a look on bok searches the book might be available from WH smoith at £6.99. So I then get stumped at what price to list at, I dont want to sell it too cheap but cant understand the huge prices ? I hope you can explain this for me and maybe others .

elona

I would match the lowest price on Amazon and see what happens. You can always reduce the price later.

Amazombie

Cat72 wrote:

I dont want to sell it too cheap but cant understand the huge prices ? I hope you can explain this for me and maybe others .

It really depends how long you want to have the book laid around? The book is readily available through other sources for £ 5.80 which would appear to be a "true" price. The listers you see on Amazon are notorious for putting very high prices on items simply because there arent other copies listed but it doesnt mean to say the book is worth that much. Sometimes they will get lucky and sell one but to be honest they are ripping off customers.

What you have to decide is whether if a potential buyer did come along and look at Amazon, would they be willing to pay £ 39 for it or would they just laugh at the ludicrous price and search elsewhere. If theyve got any sense and knowledge of internet trading thats what they ought to do. After all this is supposed to be a moneysaving website not a who can rip customers off the most site.

apprentice_tycoon

Amazombie, I don't think that anyone was suggesting ripping people off but it's always an eye-opener when you see a book that you were planning on listing with such odd pricing.

Cat searched the book elsewhere and that's how she found the cheaper copy that 'might' be available at WH Smiths but if I was a buyer looking for this book I might have looked at Amazon and no further and if I really wanted the book I'd have bought the cheapest copy, if I had then found it elsewhere cheaper at a later date I would have blamed myself for not looking further afield, not the seller

Cat72

Amazombie, I never said I was wanting to rip people off and I dont see that my question even suggested this.What I was wondering about is why sellers list books really high and also what should newbies do when they encounter this kind of thing. What confuses me is it is not just one seller but several ? I dont know if they are worth anything or not it could be worth a lot of money or not, I am non the wiser. However I remembered it mentioned on this thread that books were listed at stupid prices and wondered if this was the case.
This is a very good natured and friendily board and I am indebited to the advice on it, especailly this thread. It is difficult as a newbie to know how to price things and how things work on amazon.I would feel bad if I sold a book at £50 that could be readily available at £5.00. Yet again I would feel an idiot if I sold it at £5 and it was now worth £50. However this book I found at whsmith at a cheap price but I know from experience that wh smith say they can get books in and cant.I didnt find it elsewhere but maybe there are more searches I could do. This book seems to have been printed only in 1994 so I am not sure if anymore are in print.I still dont really understand why several sellers put the price so high .I have about 5 books that i have this kind of problem and I have just put them aside as I am too scared to list them incase I am making a mistake.I then thought instead of putting books aside in living in ignorance the best place to ask was on here.

funkyfunkymonkey

Cat72 wrote:

What I was wondering about is why sellers list books really high and also what should newbies do when they encounter this kind of thing.

Hi Cat

As a newbie, I think you did the right thing in asking others what they think.

There are occasions when very hard to find out of print books really do sell for £50 - £80 and to you and me they might look like 'ordinary' paperbacks that we wouldn't want to spend 50p on. However, to the buyer they may have been searching for ages to find that particular book and it is worth every penny.

I think in this case there are a few available under £10, Abe.com has one at about £6 + p&p, there is one on Ebay available for £7.95 inc p&p.

At the end of the day, it's up to you if you list at £10 or £40, the buyers don't have to buy your book - you are not ripping them off.

Happy selling

FFM

Cat72

Many thanks funky monkey that has cleared things up a bit. I re- read this thread to see if I had missed anything and came across AT'S helpful comments at the starting explaining why some sellers sell highily priced. ( still seems stupid to me ! ).
It also mentioned bookfinder.com so will use them as a search as well. I will probably just list this at the rrp price then as it is in very good condition.
Pricing and undertanding books is so hard. I really take my hat off to people who know how to do it well. Im just wanting to pay my debts off and pay my way through college (im a mature student) but it would be great to be a book expert
Many sales to you all .:T

ruthiejane

Can I join the sellers club please? What's the next number? Incidently its been a very quite week

apprentice_tycoon

Hi ruthiejane, number 30 is the next one up for grabs - hopefully youl have better sales this week