fastest sale ever?

soolin

I've had some fast sales in my time, but I've just had the fastest yet.

I'm making the most of the totally free listings on my private account , just mass listing box loads of stored items that I've had for years - and had prepared a bunch of photos to list things this afternoon. 

Listed one item and by the time I had opened a new 'sell' page the first item had sold - it hit around the 2 minute mark which I thought was near impossible. Before anyone asks, no I don't care that the speed of sale meant I underpriced it, my aim is to get rid of some of this stuff that is cluttering up my house and at one point I had considered just donating some of it rather than sort through my memories and decide to keep most of it like I usually do.

I am actually making proper room in my cupboards as I seem to have found a whole load of buyers who like the same things I do.

All these people worrying about whether they should stop selling after 29 items in a year - I'm doing those numbers twice a month - I'm pricing to sell though, where I can see sold items I'm going for the top price and taking offers- where there are no sold items to judge by, then I choose an amount I'm more than happy with, add a bit for an offer and cross my fingers.

zackary71

That's an impressively quick sale. I've had a few recently within 10 minutes, where instead of relisting, I've used the 'Sell Similar' option. Maybe utilising the eBay algorithms, as the new listing shows prominently ?
Like soolin, I price to sell, and have been having a field day this last month. Sold c. 130 pieces since the nil fees offer kicked in. Not put off by the thresholds, as had already registered for 2023/24 Self Assessment. My view is I proactively go to HMRC rather than them come knocking on my door.
I've been successful through a combination of:
1) Good photos
2) Clear informative listing descriptions 
3) Fully researched pricing
4) Reasonable postage charges
5) Spot-on customer service

It's meant I've built up a good reputation as a Trusted Seller, with a number of repeat Buyers. I'd rather sell an item for £30, and double my money, than list it for £60 and still have it for sale 6 months later. Get the pricing right, and you'll do well. Be greedy and you'll struggle.

soolin

zackary71 said:

That's an impressively quick sale. I've had a few recently within 10 minutes, where instead of relisting, I've used the 'Sell Similar' option. Maybe utilising the eBay algorithms, as the new listing shows prominently ?
Like soolin, I price to sell, and have been having a field day this last month. Sold c. 130 pieces since the nil fees offer kicked in. Not put off by the thresholds, as had already registered for 2023/24 Self Assessment. My view is I proactively go to HMRC rather than them come knocking on my door.
I've been successful through a combination of:
1) Good photos
2) Clear informative listing descriptions 
3) Fully researched pricing
4) Reasonable postage charges
5) Spot-on customer service

It's meant I've built up a good reputation as a Trusted Seller, with a number of repeat Buyers. I'd rather sell an item for £30, and double my money, than list it for £60 and still have it for sale 6 months later. Get the pricing right, and you'll do well. Be greedy and you'll struggle.

I can't believe how many buyers there are out there at the moment, like you I am having my best weeks ever on ebay, I can barely wrap my stuff fast enough. Obviously the money is going to be very useful for an extra holiday- but more importantly I am getting some of my storage room back.

I am already registered with HMRC for my business sales - but these current sales are all private, I have barely touched my business account for days , just letting it tick over until this free listing period is over. 

shapala

My best (on my biz a/c) was an alienware laptop which sold for £1495. Sold within 2 mins of listing it.

I messaged the buyer just out of curiosity and be sure it is definitely what they were after - turned out they'd bought it as a birthday present for their nephew (yes, nephew!). 

I then further received a message the day it turned up to say they'd received it and thanked me for quick dispatch with associated feedback. 

in_my_wellies

Oh, I wish..............
I spent the morning taking good photos with my new phone (what a difference!) and after listing two items I'm now getting the 'We've looked everywhere.......' page when I try to open a page. Maybe too many are listing at the same time. Cup of tea needed..

soolin

in_my_wellies said:

Oh, I wish..............
I spent the morning taking good photos with my new phone (what a difference!) and after listing two items I'm now getting the 'We've looked everywhere.......' page when I try to open a page. Maybe too many are listing at the same time. Cup of tea needed..

I always get that page when trying to view my items, it is infuriating.

Keep listing, I think I listed 24 items today and have sold 5 of them  so far (plus other things I had listed previously), it's quantity sometimes that matters. I suspect just the amount I'm listing has had an impact on my placement and metrics on ebay as I'm getting views and sales on stuff that I had previously had listed for months with no interest at all. Once the current free listings finish I'll just quietly pack away by beloved hoard and go back to normal.

RedImp_2

I’m currently selling less than ever.
I'm blaming these sellers with free listings flooding the marketplace…..

soolin

RedImp_2 said:

I’m currently selling less than ever.
I'm blaming these sellers with free listings flooding the marketplace…..

I am suitably chastised , but if you could understand how much I have hoarded over the past 50+ years I’m sure you would let me off. 

22laptops

zackary71 said:

I've used the 'Sell Similar' option. Maybe utilising the eBay algorithms, as the new listing shows prominently ?

If you don't do that and just relist things they won't turn up in the search results as newly listed. eBay changed it over a year ago so that relisted items become lost in the lists of old results at the date you started, and then you end up with hardly any views. But if you end buy-it-now listings and relist them as 'sell similar' you loose all your watchers who might be saving up and eBay gives everyone emails wrongfully telling everyone you don't have it anymore and then everyone gets confused and probably start to mistrust you as a seller or doubt you really have the items.
You can't win either way. It's a collectors nightmare.

zackary71

22laptops said:

zackary71 said:

I've used the 'Sell Similar' option. Maybe utilising the eBay algorithms, as the new listing shows prominently ?

If you don't do that and just relist things they won't turn up in the search results as newly listed. eBay changed it over a year ago so that relisted items become lost in the lists of old results at the date you started, and then you end up with hardly any views. But if you end buy-it-now listings and relist them as 'sell similar' you loose all your watchers who might be saving up and eBay gives everyone emails wrongfully telling everyone you don't have it anymore and then everyone gets confused and probably start to mistrust you as a seller or doubt you really have the items.
You can't win either way. It's a collectors nightmare.

Like you say 22laptops...it's a bit of a trade-off as I recognise I lose the sales history. I have Best Offer set on listings though, and often send out a Best Offer to Watchers. If there's no comeback from those, my view is they're lurkers anyway or other Sellers with similar items to sell, checking progress of listing. 'Intention to purchase' sometimes is a very hard nut to crack !!

RedImp_2

soolin said:

RedImp_2 said:

I’m currently selling less than ever.
I'm blaming these sellers with free listings flooding the marketplace…..

I am suitably chastised , but if you could understand how much I have hoarded over the past 50+ years I’m sure you would let me off. 

My tongue was firmly in cheek.  That said I’m selling hardly anything, seem not to get any bids in the last 5 minutes of auctions like I got in the past.  I know watchers does not equal buyers (as I watch things myself for prices etc) but law of averages number of watchers on items I’ve had someone must have been interested in buying, but not a sniff.