I was looking on Ebay for dryer parts, and I found that a lot of different brand name knobs sell well on Ebay. Have a look at the sold listings for appliance knobs
- Don't Ignore Knobs On Appliances
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Don't Ignore Knobs On Appliances
I was looking on Ebay for dryer parts, and I found that a lot of different brand name knobs sell well on Ebay. Have a look at the sold listings for appliance knobs
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Nice and that would be a cheep shipping item too.
USPS shipping prices have recently gone up. I haven't checked the lowest price for First Class Package shipping is but I expect its nearly $3.00, and you can't get a cheaper rate that I know of.
Don't get me wrong I sell inexpensive items so I'm not against that its the cost for shipping along with PayPal and eBay fees you need to consider. Remember you have to pay for the envelopes and other packaging and printing the labels.
One of the examples on that "sold" page was for $3.37 so: $3.37 - 12%(fees)= $2.97 - $2.61(shipping before the recent raise)= $0.36 and you still need to pay for the envelope and print the label.
I wish someone would enlighten me as to where I can get cheaper shipping than what I am getting from USPS.
Items like the know for a stove I would sell as a set and get enough to make a profit.
Thanks for the interesting thread 73, Mike
"Profit begins when you buy NOT when you sell." {quote passed down to me from a wise man}
Now go beat the copper out of something, Miked
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$3.50 retail for lowest weight class, ( $2.66 if you have a commercial license ).Originally Posted by miked
Throw in $0.25 for the bubble envelope, 10% for Ebay, and $0.30 + 0.029% for Paypal fees.
Ebay/PayPal break even would be around $4.55 as of when I posted this.
And that's exactly the problem, how to make a profit?
I have purchased items from eBay which were shipped from China. I paid less that I could ship it for here in the US and it came all the way from China. I have to believe China has a super deal with the USPS.
73, Mike
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Their government subsidizes exports and we (I think) waive a portion of the typical import/customs costs.
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The pay the equivalent of $0.17 for anything under 1 oz.
It's not just Chinese postage the US citizens are paying for - many other countries that are considered "poor" by the United Nations have subsidized international shipping.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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To counter shipping costs for the knobs I've seen several sellers list them in batches of 6-8. Some guys even sell them by the medium/large flat rate box.
Last edited by 406Refining; 02-01-2018 at 04:17 PM.
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It sucks trying to make money selling low cost items. The only way to go is to sell in lots.
Right now I have 5 boxes of fishing line on my desk. They go for ~8 bucks a box... but after fees & shipping I'd only be making maybe a buck a box. For that, I'd just take it down to the local pond & give the dern boxes away!
I listed it at 35 for the lot & I'll try & cram it in a small flat rate. Might have to put it in a medium...
Out of clutter, find simplicity. --Albert Einstein
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This is why you have to charge for shipping. Free shipping is not free. If you are not going to add ship[ping on top, yo need to raise your price to cover it. If that puts you out of the market, then don't list it. I frequently sell inexpensive items but always add shipping on top. I have found that when folks want something, they will pay for the shipping. Of course, I have things that have been listed for more than a year waiting for the person who wants it. The point is, shipping is a moving target and it only increases each year so you have to charge for it, one way or the other.
Have Fun,
Harold
I hate rules, but I love junk.
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I noticed there are quite a few knob sets that sell for over $20 .
Single vintage knobs, in good condition, seem to sell for over $7 low end.
Check out the USPS Flat Rate Padded Envelope it costs you just under $7.00 when using ebay shipping. It allows me to sell $19.95 items and still come away with nearly $10.00. Good luck and 73, Mike
"FREE SHIPPING" is a marketing ploy. I sell items often priced at $19.95 with free shipping, I could list them at $12.95 plus $7.00(my actual shipping cost) but my experience says I get more sales with "FREE SHIPPING" 73, Mike
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See, I had been working on that assumption, too, and after a few situations where I had miscalculated the weight, I found it was no longer reasonable to play Shipping Roulette with myself. Too much hassle and panic over ounces of packing material. I started putting shipping costs on the buyer and, from my experience, I have had no appreciable decrease in purchases. In fact, I would say I sell more stuff but I would have a hard time standing behind that statement without some hard data.
I don't want to state the obvious but no one should ever overlook the USPS Regional Rate boxes. They aren't always a slam dunk but they have really been a boon for me.
I have found that vintage knobs do have some demand, especially for old radios and stereos. I have a guy who will often pull those, if he can't get anything for the whole units.
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Yup, I absolutely understand that. My point is, there is no reason for the shipping cost to keep you from making money. If you are going to sell with "free shipping" you need to increase the sales price by the appropriate amount. That way, you still make money. If someone cannot seem to get it right, then don't do free shipping.
100% agree with you on that. I will point out that selling with free shipping and with shipping separate I have found a decrease and went back to "free shipping" with the price increase that make up for it. But I have only sold a few thousand items and I really am basing it on my intuition and feeling backed by a few examples out out all my sales. That being said it can also depend on the folks you are selling to.
I suspect older folks, 35 and up, might look at free shipping as what it really is, just included in the price. 73, Mike
"I don't want to state the obvious but no one should ever overlook the USPS Regional Rate boxes. They aren't always a slam dunk but they have really been a boon for me."
The USPS Regional boxes can be over looked by the inexperienced and only experience will tell you when its best to use them.
I love them for items I'm sending to the eBay's Global shipping center in KY. I use the Reg. A box because it nearly as cheap for me as is the Flat Rate Padded Envelope but its a box which makes me feel better about the safety of the item I'm shipping.
73, Mike
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The perk I miss from free shipping is the automatic five-star boost in the Detailed Seller Ratings. I hate that system with my whole heart and free shipping was the only burnt offering a small-time seller can make to the Gods of Toxic Online Consumerism, in my limited experience.
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I really hate the way Ebay's rating system works - especially shipping times ! It seems like the executives care less and less about sellers as time slips by.
On a side note - I sell with "free shipping", and seems I get more traffic to my listings. Oddly enough, I sold a house last year, with 'free local pickup', and received a 5 star rating for shipping
I, as well, list online but I would say it really depends on what you are selling. I cannot sell TV stands on Ebay with free shipping otherwise, I would have no competitive edge besides what seems to be a good price. I would rather sell for 15% cheaper than top seller but not play "Shipping Roulette". The difference between selling a 10 lb "Free shipping" box to Puerto Rico vs California from Florida is well 50%+ of the value of the normal TV stand. Regional buyers will absolutely pay for shipping outright because they need what I have.
I found that if you list an item on Ebay with "Local pick-up offered", the item will show up in the "free shipping" category even if it isn't free at all.
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