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

Amazombie

seabiscuit wrote:

oh joys - well at least a local charity shop will profit

Dont be cruel :rotfl: most charity shops I know are binning most of their videos now because they cant sell them anymore (few exceptions) the shops are flooded with them.

Amazombie

funkyfunkymonkey wrote:

I don't print my own stamps, I like to support my local PO ('cos they're quite nice ladies really ) and buy the 'lick and stick' type stamps from them. They get the income - I get a peaceful life - talking to myself. FFM

What many people dont realise is that a lot of the smaller post offices are privately run franchises and they make their money by commission from stamp sales etc. Consequently, anyone who starts paying online for their postage is taking away that business from these post offices and they will not be popular when they take their parcels in with postage already paid.

soolin

Most of my local charity shops no longer accept videos, I had to leave the last ones on the counter and run before they caught me, sort of shop lifting in reverse :eek: Most no longer accept books either which causes me great problems.

Went into one CS yesterday and bought a couple of books more out of politeness that necessity really as I guessed, and was right, that they were 1p books. Got talking to the counter lady and asked if I could donate books again yet and she said no way, they had approx 2000 + in a garage they couldn't get rid off and if I wanted them I was welcome to them...but this particular shop specialises in tatty womens fiction type of books so I declined. I did promise to go down and help them with sorting them if necessary as even though I am no spring chicken I can probably give most of the volunteers a 50 year advantage, and it doesn't seem right to get them to shift books ready for pulping.

Soo

soolin

Amazombie wrote:

What many people dont realise is that a lot of the smaller post offices are privately run franchises and they make their money by commission from stamp sales etc. Consequently, anyone who starts paying online for their postage is taking away that business from these post offices and they will not be popular when they take their parcels in with postage already paid.

I think this is probably why my Post lady was a lot more accomodating yesterday with my parcels. When I did a trial run for PIP she refused anything that even half touched the sides of the guide, and I said that I would probably have to give up most of my selling then as I couldn't make a profit if my postage doubled. A few days later she told me that at least one other ebayer (he sells makeup) had given up and she was concerned as the only reason she survived the last PO cuts was due to her ebayers. So yesterday she let me have anything that I could get easily through the guide slots as a letter, even if it didn't technically fall through easily.

Soo

funkyfunkymonkey

Amazombie wrote:

What many people dont realise is that a lot of the smaller post offices are privately run franchises and they make their money by commission from stamp sales etc. Consequently, anyone who starts paying online for their postage is taking away that business from these post offices and they will not be popular when they take their parcels in with postage already paid.

As they make absolutely no profit on packages with online postage paid - do you think they are obliged to take these packages in? Would it be part of their 'franchise agreement'? Or could they refuse?

funkyfunkymonkey

soolin wrote:

I think this is probably why my Post lady was a lot more accomodating yesterday with my parcels.

I never can quite get my head round why some Post Office staff are so rude and unaccomodating - they must know that there are more and more alternatives available when it comes to buying postage.

Where I live there is one PO where everything they weigh comes up heavier than at other PO's - so I avoid this one at all costs and there is another where I can just about put up with the owners 'humour/rudeness' - I'm never really too sure if he is being rude or it is an attempt at humour. My favourite PO is run by a manager and he has about 3-4 part time ladies, they are always very helpful and were very supportive when I first started selling - I try to buy my stamps from here unless I get really stuck -like today I'm on leave and I need to send a book by Airsure - so I've sent OH to do battle with Mr Humourous :rotfl:

apprentice_tycoon

In the first post I entered a link for a page that gave information about first editions, it's not working, does anyone have a new link for me to include?

funkyfunkymonkey

apprentice_tycoon wrote:

In the first post I entered a link for a page that gave information about first editions, it's not working, does anyone have a new link for me to include?

Hi AT

Is it this one?

http://www.bookaway.com

FFM

Jazzy_B

It's here.
http://www.bookaway.com/

Snap

apprentice_tycoon

Thanks both of you, it seems OK now