I also don’t know how anyone makes money selling a book on eBay for $4. Maybe they work in a volume that makes up for it, or it’s overstock from their shop they can’t get rid of. I struggle selling anything for less than $20. I actually just pulled about 15 listings I have had up forever between $10-15. It’s almost more worth it to drop those in a dollar box at a show.
But, that’s just for me. I know everyone else has different metrics for success.
As a professional dumbass, this statement offends me.
That’s like an Ouroboros loop…is it the act of being stupod, or the person being stupid that is the root cause?
Or is it just called an Ouroboros…is “Ouroboros Loop” considered redundant…like ATM Machine…?
It’s a slow Monday here…
That’s my hunch as well, retailers buying at wholesale. But to be honest, if I was a retailer and moving tons of inventory on eBay, you could probably swap those fees for much less overtime and a little bit of self education to run your own website after initial up front costs to sell your inventory. But I get it for some, eBay has it’s audience already and it’s pretty easy for anyone to sell from, so they’re paying for convenience.
I will say, these shops that just hold their overstock forever are silly. I’d hire a high schooler to run one of these facebook groups where they sell everything for a buck or two. I pay attention to those from time to time, and it looks like they sell a ton. Get rid of that overstock. Maybe keep 2-3 copies for your back issues if you have room. But, some of these shops have 20 copies of a book they can’t move.
I agree with Joe. If I was running a comic retail business I would have a heavy online presence. Hire a teenager or two to do nothing but pack and ship comics all day in a warehouse. Have them monitor social media etc. These $5 books they’re selling they probably got them in as a collection and most likely paid 25 cents each for them. You can move hundreds of these comics per day.
That’s how I would run my business. The goal for me is to move as much inventory as possible. Sadly a lot of shops in my area run their business like their personal man cave and never wants to move anything. It’s the same overstock from years ago and don’t have blowout sales to purge inventory. Perhaps it’s the mindset that comic books have perceived potential value in the future so they’re happy to hold on to them, who knows?
Why we see or have seen so many retailers close up shop. Too many act like consumers instead of managing their customer base needs and wants. Order what you know you can sell from customer pre-orders, buy a few for the shelf, don’t chase ratios thinking you’ll make up all the money from those…
I have a shop that I frequent that doesn’t order a ton of new books, but enough. They then MAYBE keep 1-2 copies in a couple “New Books” long boxes at $3 each. The rest go into their dollar bins a couple weeks after being a new release.
This shop is also doing VERY well from what I understand. Just moved to a larger space. They just seem to have things figured out.
I’ll add today’s buyer dispute…buyer never messaged me first, just opened a case for item not received with a note that says that even though they updated their address with eBay it was shipped AND delivered to an old address that they cannot get the item from but they still want it 
Since it was delivered Dec.4 and there’s tracking to prove it I’m assuming eBay will side with me but then I’ll have to deal with this Karen dm’ing me to let me know how it’s my fault etc for a whole $20 sale lol
Yup, I’d just tell the buyer you are working with eBay since you shipped the label based on their address that was provided through the eBay platform. I’m sure they’re lying and probably updated after the fact when they realized it was the wrong address. So let eBay take care of you.
How would you even know their old address as well? If it was right in eBay like they claim it was, you’re only provided that information after someone buys from you. You don’t even have that information until that moment happens.
Please share this special turd muffin’s eBay ID in the eBay Seller/Buyer Avoid List
I’m stealing turd muffin, not sure I’ve heard that before 
I would feel bad and refund if it was postal issue like delivered mangled or not delivered at all but delivered to the wrong place because of buyer not double checking where it was getting shipped to? Sorry not sorry
So here’s one. Partly my fault. Not sure what to do.
Buyer pays for two items together…one sale as they must have checked it out that way in the cart. They paid for shipping on both.
Unfortunately one of the items I had recently sold on Mercari and forgot to take down the Ebay listing (that’s where the blame falls on me). It appears because they purchased the two at the same checkout, I can’t cancel one unless I cancel both….even though they paid for individual shipping.
So I reach out and apologize and say I can’t ship one Item, and asked if they still wanted the second. I offered to take $5 off the item I would ship for the inconvenience (free shipping basically) and full refund for the other book.
3 days have passed with no response. But here’s where it gets interesting.
I relisted another copy as I didn’t want to wait for this to get resolved before I list my extra copies. That sold too within hours….to the same person!!!
So I’m like “wtf…you don’t respond to my message, but you’ll keep buying more copies of the same book?”
So I reached out again and asked if they wanted two copies of the same book, or was that an error (and I can cancel the original sale).
I’m giving it a few more hours before so just cancel the first sale to be done with it, and ship the second sale. They obviously want the book…I just don’t know how many copies…
Cancel the first sale. Fulfill the second.
Had an eBay screwup yesterday as well, not sure if I’m really to blame or not but I’m just confused.
Sold two copies of the same book yesterday, both heading to the US. One is going International Shipping through eBay, easy and simple, send it to the hub. The second is going through normal channels and the regular customs routine and such. Again, old hat, no problem.
I go and check the tracking numbers today to make sure they are on their way, I saw them scanned, so I know they are in there but I notice this:
Its the same guy! As far as I can tell the same guy bought both books but because one was going to the eBay International hub in Toronto and the other to his home address I didn’t notice. He apparently bought one, paid for eBay International Shipping, and bought a second and paid for the regular shipping???
I feel bad since I probably should have noticed that, and would have asked him if he wanted to have them combined shipped but they are both sent now, so not much I can do about it. That is a first for me though.
Thanks for this post. While the dilemma is unfortunate, you did a good deed for the day. I didn’t realize that book finally caught some price love. I have an extra I need to sell and will get it listed.
Not sure eBay will let you “combine” orders internationally, as they charge the buyer based on what’s input. So combining messes that up.
What I did when I encountered this is that I made sure the “extra” comics fit in the same box and didn’t exceed the max weight I entered. Then added the tracking number to the “extra” comics and marked as shipped.
Hopefully it goes well…I haven’t checked the status…
I picked one up today for $3 at Half Price Books. It is in great condition, time to list! God bless HPB and how the pricing makes no sense with some pricey stuff cheap and dollar books marked for twenty smackers.
