posted on March 25, 2002 12:30:40 PM
I have made about 8 personal offers to second bidders when I have had an identical craft book, and not 1 has been accepted, I began to wonder what was going on. I wondered if people were finding the same book somewhere else. I take up to 11 pictures of my books, it can take almost 2 hours for some, with jointing, editing etc. So I decided to stop putting the title in the listing, and sure enough, a flood of people wanting to know the title and author of books. These are mostly on higher priced books. I think buyers are seeing my pictures and then bidding on someone elses items. Would you give them them title? If not, how do I word the refusal graciously, they could be genuinely interested in my auction.
posted on March 25, 2002 12:39:36 PM
I don't understand why you wouldn't put the book title in your listing? It seems to me that would hurt your sales and cause you alot of trouble having to answer all the emails.
posted on March 25, 2002 01:01:00 PM
I used to put the title in my listings. I think that people were checking my listings with all my pictures of the book, and then doing a search on the title and bidding on a listing with the same book that just has a picture of the cover. I find that books with lots of pictures sell for a higher price than the ones with just a picture of the cover. In all the enquiries for a title, not one of them has subsequently bid.
posted on March 25, 2002 01:52:05 PM
i dont think this is the problem,more pictures for certain content help get you higher bids,like a book on tiffany lamps.
all these second bidders figure you have more copies and soon you will list them on ebay and they can get it at a lower price.
posted on March 25, 2002 02:57:12 PM
well, it could be the problem... the same bidder who wants that book can see her listing with title and lots of pics, then if they get outbid they can either take an offer on the second that's not really an eBay completed sale with it's "protections" or they can bid on the same book someone else is selling with only a scan of the front page. If both auctions list the book title, they know it's the same book - odds are a search by author's name will bring them all up, as well as search by title, so they see the same book cheaper without even clicking on her auction - even when it's relisted.
I think I would try this as an experiment. Run two auctions for 2 copies of the same book - start the one with the detailed photos, then wait at least 2 and maybe as much as 24 hours to start the second one, with only a cover shot. Maybe you can sort of trick bidders this way and get a couple fighting with each other for the second copy so you get the same money or better. You could even edit the first one close to the close to include a link to the second one, so long as it has bids.
FWIW I've never had someone accept an offer on any (unsold or duplicate) item after the auction close, and I don't blame them since you can't leave feedback or have anyone really to complain to if something should go wrong with the sale. This may be more the problem than anything else. If you have less than a dozen of the same item, I'd just run them as individuals over a few weeks - although the more you sell the less it's likely to bring unless there is a really high demand for that item. I've never seen a Dutch auction that did super-well, you have to have a real high demand item to really sell them all. But it's a lot easier when you have a big quantity of items.
posted on March 25, 2002 03:40:01 PM
How can you sell a book without giving the title and author????
Perhaps you should just stop adding so many pictures and put just a couple-one of the cover and one of a really nice looking page?
Try that maybe as an experiment. See if less pictures brings you a lower closing price.
If the ones you sell with all the pictures bring higher prices than what you get without the extra pictures, then perhaps you should continue to do it the way you do and just not make personal offers????
I just can't see it helping your sales to say you have a great book up for auction and not give the title or author, and when asked what the title or author's name is refusing to give it out! Not meaning to be mean, I would most likely thing you strange.
posted on March 25, 2002 03:48:36 PM
I could understand a problem in not giving a title on a regular book, but we are talking about books of knitting and crochet patterns, where the title really doesn't mean much. I have compared the same books with sellers who only put on a few pictures, and mine get a lot more bids. People are not very interested in buying knitting and sewing patterns that they can't see. But they can look at my pictures, and then find the autions with just a cover picture, and they know what it contains, and has a lot fewer bids. I really stopped putting a title a couple of weeks ago just as an experiment, and found that many people wanted to know the title and author, but authors don't really apply in craft books unless you want to do a search on them, there are not many "famous" authors of craft books
posted on March 25, 2002 03:57:46 PM
yOU CAN LEAVE FEEDBACK AND are COVER BY EBAY (WHAT EVER THAT MEANS) when you use ebay's personal offers.
If I am looking for a book I would search by the title of the book. If you do not mention the title - how will anyone find it?
I have done about 10 personnel offers - the first 3 accepted (one turned out to be a deadbeat), the other 7 did not.
If I received a personally offer that would tell me the seller has another one that will be listed. Now that the high bidder is out of the way, chances are I will get it much less if I wait until it is up for auction.
posted on March 26, 2002 07:12:59 AM
"If I am looking for a book I would search by the title of the book. If you do not mention the title - how will anyone find it?"
RICHIERICH, craft books have titles like "100 sweater patterns" or "spring crochet projects." You don't look for them by title, you search on "knitting" or "crochet," or perhaps "sweater patterns." It's one book category where title really isn't very important...unless that particular book is very collectible and not just for the patterns.
"Personal Offers can be sent to any one of the under bidders if the winning bidder does not complete a purchase or if a seller has duplicate items. Personal Offers can be created immediately after a listing ends and for up to 60 days after the end of the listing. Sellers should ensure that everything has been done to resolve the issue with the winning bidder in non-paying bidder cases before sending a Personal Offer to another bidder. See the Non-Paying Bidder program for details."
Maybe I'm wrong but didn't this used to be called SPAM? I guess it's not SPAM if eBay gets their cut. D'oh!
posted on March 26, 2002 11:52:15 PM
It's pretty funny. The first few times I did a personal offer, I got yes about 1/10. Now I am getting about 75% yes. Of course, I only offer if I have an extra (duh), and if the selling price was way too high.
