Selling Your Stuff on Amazon Part 11 - Advice for newbies in first two posts

funkyfunkymonkey

The thanks buttons are sometimes tempermental.

Good luck with going 'pro', I've been registered for 4 1/2 years now and have always covered my costs - but I mostly sell books. You could perhaps sign up for one month, set up your items and then drop out of being a 'pro', I believe (although I'm not certain) that the items would remain on the catalogue.

FFM

devonpie

How does anyone make money from selling a book at 1p? I just sold one, £2.76 inc postage. Amazon took £1.35 in fees and it cost me about £1.60 to post (I asked for the cheapest way) so I've made a loss and feel daft. Am I missing something?

funkyfunkymonkey

Hi devonpie, you haven't missed anything, except working out the postage before listing the book for sale. You can post thin lightweight paperbacks for 42p (up to 100g) or 66p (up to250g), and with these you would make a profit.

Some larger sellers can post heavy books for less than us because they have contracts with Royal Mail. You will not be able to compete with them. So, either list at a higher price or get rid of the book elsewhere.

HTH FFM

tirlittan

Now that I've taken my holiday setting off, I've sold two books this week. :)Small amounts, but it all counts.

soolin

I had an SDN notice about 30 minutes ago but nothing shows for that book in my Amazon orders. It does however show in my closed listings.

I'm just getting a bit paranoid now about Amazon as I removed a book and then it sold 36 hours later..and I am still waiting to see if the buyer accepted my apology and explanation (and of course a full refund).

funkyfunkymonkey

soolin wrote: »

I kind of have a vague recollection that someone on the seller boards said that Amazon were removing old VHS tapes from the catalogue, 99% of these Disney ones are los smaking anyway.

However I can't recall when I read it exactly, so not much help really, sorry.

Yippee :j I've obviously got some of the 1%, just sold a Disney video for £3.25 + P&P, other sellers listing at 1p. At least I'll make a profit.

FFM

wilf55

dead dead dead and even buried here

hi guys

chja

devonpie wrote: »

How does anyone make money from selling a book at 1p? I just sold one, £2.76 inc postage. Amazon took £1.35 in fees and it cost me about £1.60 to post (I asked for the cheapest way) so I've made a loss and feel daft. Am I missing something?

Depends how heavy the book is.

If you sell a reasonably light book, you sell for 1p (no amazon fees as they can't take a percentage of 1p) plus get the postage credit, so net around £1.41. It then depends on whether you can post it for less than that.

Prob cost around 60p to post, so you make 80p ish.

Trade sellers pay lower fees and may have slightly lower postage costs, but many are selling volume, so lots of 80p's make it worthwhile.

soolin

chja wrote: »

Depends how heavy the book is.

If you sell a reasonably light book, you sell for 1p (no amazon fees as they can't take a percentage of 1p) plus get the postage credit, so net around £1.41. It then depends on whether you can post it for less than that.

Prob cost around 60p to post, so you make 80p ish.

Trade sellers pay lower fees and may have slightly lower postage costs, but many are selling volume, so lots of 80p's make it worthwhile.

It is rarely the weight that matter, virtually any modern paperback is too thick to go as a large letter so has to go as a packet where the band from 250g-500g is £1.63 second class. Small pamphlet type books might go through asa large letter and for the same weight can go second class at 90p.

Sci fi or the old pulp stuff and Mills and Boon can go for a 1p as they are often thin enough for large letter as well. It is hardly ever the weight of my items that is the problem, it is nearly always the width.

I did come across a very creative seller on ebay, probably gone now as their feedback was appalling who used to post the books open so that they fitted as a large letter...they obviously tended to arrive a little worse for wear though hence the feedback and is a scheme not to be recommended.:eek:

wendym

wilf55 wrote: »

dead dead dead and even buried here

hi guys

Dead buried and planning the memorial service here.