Sellers: How do you decide where an item goes?

P

Patentleathershoes

VFG Veteran
VFG Past President
Sandra posed the question in another thread:

How do you decide what to put in your eBay store and various other sites? I sell some more modern stuff that I'm wondering if I should put on eBay.

When something comes in, how DO you decide what venue to put the particular item if you use several? Is there any advice, rules of thumb that you would like to share with her?

Chris
 
That's a very good question. I have only had a mall store for a short time so I don't really have too much experience with that yet.

There are some things that just do better with a bidding war....for me, that would be Gunne Sax dresses. I can start them on ebay with a low/moderate starting bid and usually have multiple bidders to bring the final price to a higher amount than what I would "dare" start it for in the mall (for fear others would think it was way too high)

I have the hardest time with pricing items for the mall. :no:

I hope other seasoned mall/store owners have some words of wisdom for the rest of us. :wub:

Gail
 
I have the hardest time with pricing items for the mall.

I'm the same! I also have trouble pricing stuff for ebay :(

I usually put higher end stuff on my mall shop with some
more economical items added to the mix. I find that I still use
ebay alot however and will sometimes list even a higher end item on ebay first to see how it goes. I may also pull
that item from my shop to list on ebay if the timing is
good (such as a full skirted dress for vlv).

Having said the above, it really is a guessing game on my
part! :BAGUSE:

Sue
 
I am dealing almost exclusively in my mall shop these days, with only listing on auction sites now and again once in a blue moon just for "advertising" and the chance to stumble acrossed a few new folks. I used it to take advantage of group marketing opportunities in most cases.

I truly believe in creating your own luck, and have gone heavily into promoting my website now, which is a "hub" for my mall shop, auctions, and everything else so that folks are getting one message instead of splitting my time trying to push "shop at my store" and "bid on my auctions". Now it is just "check out what i have" and what I have to offer them as a merchant or a small business. Folks are not waiting around to see if I will put something that is in my regular shop on ebay instead for a lower price.
 
Since I began at VC Mall, I've had a few modern things thrown in, mainly items like modern Lilly Pulitzer that might appeal to a vintage customer, and higher-end things like Celine and Hermes.

But, I've had very little success selling them from my mall store. It is, after all, a vintage site. I had a Hermes skirt in the mall for several months priced at $60, and it sold on eBay for over $90. So I've pretty much made the decision not to put any more modern clothing on VC. I really do not like doing business with eBay, but there are things that sell really well there that do not sell from my store. The Jack Rogers Navajo sandal is an example. I've had several pairs on the mall but sold all of them on eBay. Right now I have a pair on eBay that has 4 bids & 28 watchers.

What has done well for me on VC Mall is excellent condition, wearable vintage from the 40s and 50s. Having a designer name really helps the sellability, especially of younger things. Also, almost everything I've put in the mall from the 1940s has sold. I said in another thread that I'm streamlining my mall store. I'm putting the trendier and newer items on eBay, but the great, solid vintage goes in my store.

Lizzie
 
I've marketed the mall as a vintage store, but I could always add modern to that. It's just that vintage was what everyone was selling.

If people do want to sell modern or designer, just let me know and I'll adjust my adwords ads.

Deb
 
This is very interesting!! I often see more modern stuff and generally pass on it mainly because I haven't wanted to mix apples and oranges (I'm addicted to apples by the way). But, I have considered adding a 'recent' section to my website and mall shop. Hmmmm
 
Well I have added a "designer" and "trends" department to my Babylon site. I've sold one thing, a pair of Charles Jourdan heels. But I like Lizzie's approach. I need to learn to leave "just cute " things behind that won't fit me and might be a gamble on eBay and stick to sure bets.

sandra
 
The problem is that the sure bets keep changing:(

Actually, I like the fact the Babylon is practically all vintage. And I really do feel like I had diluted my store too much with modern things. Not that an item or 2 will hurt, but I'm going older, not newer, at this point.
 
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