selling your stuff on Amazon - part 7 - advice for newbies in the first post

teapot2

soolin wrote:

Teapot, I have just relisted some books (I'm not a pro seller) and many of them I had to increase my price on as mine were cheapest by far. Some though, especially where there are US mega listers had dropped like a stone and would cost more to post than the net income, so I've left my prices where they are and hope they settle back again soon.

There was one big cookery book for instance with some mega listers in the silly £50-£60 area and someone in at 1p, on a book that I would guess is about 2KG. I've left mine at £12 which is in line with the majority of other sellers.

Hi Soo, I've only got about 170 listed now so its fairly easy to go through and check them a page at a time. I did notice that there were quite a few big, big reductions - maybe people are trying to get rid of stock or else wanting to sell to pay for Xmas? However, that's not going to work if they reduce so much they are losing money on postage - am NOT going to get into that game

On the book I sold today for £13+ there were a number of lower and higher sellers in the US so presumably my buyer didn't want to wait for the book [I say I post next working day]. However there were 2 UK sellers at high prices of £23 and £43, I know there are no new copies available but I've listed that book since April last year and its only just gone so its not exactly what you'd call popular :rotfl: am just glad to sell an old Uni book at a decent price but this pricing lark can be quite complicated IMHO.

Teapot

Bella13_2

katchambers wrote:

Hi Mishka,

I really feel for you, especially as the same thing has just happened to me and it is terrible timing. I have been selling since march but I was using my friends account as I had trouble opening one under my new address, then finally amazon accepts my address in dec so I open an account in my own name, then I go an get a negative feedback, my very first one, now if it was in my old account it wouldn't have decreased my rating as much but I am at 71% !!!! Ahhhh!! And I really feel it is affecting my sales coz I have only sold a couple of books since christmas, I am so blue about it so I have totally grovelled to the buyer to remove the feedback, fingers crossed he will take pity and remove it, otherwise I am destined to never pay off my huge debts!

Anyway, royal mail didn't deliver the book so he left me a 1/5 feedback without contacting me, so I have a negative, I am £6 out of pocket and I feel sad and guilty and I have no money!!

I need a hug (said in the words of 'donkey' from Shrek).

Kat x

p.s Mish - I hope yours works out.

Kat - how terrible - what bad luck, hope your buyer comes good for you and removes his feedback. This may not make you feel much better, but I saw a seller yesterday who has feedback of 81% and is still selling by the bucket load, based on the number of feedbacks he has had in the last month. He is one of those US sellers that tries to pretend they are selling in the UK by adding "uk" to their name. A lot of the feedback was from people who didn't realise they were buying from the US... I don't understand how they don't manage to read that bit, but what do I know??!!

Mishka - Glad yours got sorted out.

I sold a book today, a children's one, so keeping within my average of late. Still have boxes and boxes of books to go through to list... just no time at the moment :eek:

I heard from Royal Mail today over my lost book :j , small cheque to cover my loss, so that was good, just need to sort it out with the RISI person now.

Here's to good sales for everyone!!

shakka

Hi all,

I've been on here for a couple of days reading ALL the threads and have picked up lots of valuable info, thanks a lot. I'm about to venture into the Amazon world of selling and judging by all your posts, I'm sure to be addicted immediately! I have some old Uni text books to sell, which seem to be selling for around £30. As they are approx A4 size paperbacks, am I right in thinking I could lose out quite a bit on postage as they are fairly heavy?

apprentice_tycoon

Hi shakka, welcome to the thread, I don't think that I could go back and read all of this again, well done!

Yes, the books sound as if they are too heavy to come within the amazon postage allowance so you might have to pay £1 or £2 out of your takings but if your selling price is good you won't mind, I'm sure - it's the heavy and cheap ones you have to keep close tabs on.

bluestu

Another amazon sale! thats one every other day so far! only dvd's going at the moment, (for more than i'd get on ebay, which is curious!) i like the way you set your price, i am listing every book i own, even the ones i did want to keep! after all when you're skint everything has its price!

larmy16

I agree with AT Shakka

Heavy and cheap =

Heavy and cheap (plus pricing mistake) =:mad: :rolleyes:

Light and slim and reasonable price =

Light and slim and expensive = .


Light and slim and very expensive = :j

That is my formula anyway.:)

SilverScooby

Hi folks

If anyone's interested I've done a quick Excel calculator with Amazon fees for books and all the UK postal rates in it, as a quick check to see if books are worth listing.

Inputs are Price, drop-downs for weight and size, and outputs are receipt from amazon, postage cost and net receipt. (also optional inputs for envelope cost and cost price, and then net profit output).

PM me your email address if this would be of interest. It needs Excel 97 or later, and as it's free (legal yada yada follows!) is unwarrantied and if it contains errors I deny all liability

Phil

boston_uk

I have a book that is not listed and when I try to create a page it comes up with nothing so it isnt on the other sites. I cant seem to find the book category at all though to create the page. The help bit says I can list it but it just returns me to the "check on amazon.co.uk first" bit and the categories listed dont have books - no category search box either ..

am I missing something here????

Ann

tawnyowls

soolin wrote:

I sell as many books on Ebay as I do on Amazon and usually on Ebay I end up with more money after fees and expenses. However, the big difference for me is that I leave over 550 books listed on Amazon at any one time at no cost to myself. On Ebay I pick and choose which books I list very carefully..so I sell most of what I list, but only because I have researched my market before listing.
Therefore for me using both ebay and Amazon together works really well.

I was just about to ask this question, so thanks. Do I take it that in general you stick up lots of cheapies on Amazon and leave them there, and sell the possibly worth-quite-a-bit ones on ebay?

Also, does anyone know if Green Metropolis is best for cheap or more expensive books? I guess perhaps if your book is likely to fetch less than £3 inc P&P on Amazon, it's best to try GM?

Murtle

Can I come for a bit of a whinge - although I have been doing really well recently, must be all the new year commitments to giving up things....I haven't sold any for a while now so please please please

x x