Selling Help

[edl]

Hi guys - please don't take this as spam - just having trouble selling something and I am looking for advice as to what I might be doing wrong or where I should try to sell it.

I have new Proto combo wrench set - it is on ebay here http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...me=STRK:MESELX:IT&viewitem=&item=120259088362

and in the classifieds here on the board

it retails for around 1K - it is on ebay at over 1K - i have a buy now at 850 (or i did - now just an open bid at that point - no reserve) - and it is brand new

yet...no bids, no watchers, no emails from folks wanting to buy it after the auction.

one hurdle is it is a set for someone with large fastener needs (it goes to 2 inches) and so that limits the market - but still...! - why no interest at $150 or more off of retail?

is there a truck or farm equipment site i should be listing these at?

thanks for any suggestions - ED

 

[hamburglar]

You know, it just sounds like way too much money to me.

I'll bet that the $1k prices out there are places that sell to companies, who are way more price insensitive than eBay shoppers.

 

[rsanter]

no offense, but to be honest with you, 15% off for something that is used/from a private party is not enough to get my attension
I am thinking more like 50% off depending on condition.

also, that is alot of money, and what if I already have all the sizes up to 1" OR 1 1/2"

I would concider breaking the set up into groups. break it into either 2 or 3 sets.

like I said, no offense intended. just a thought...

bob

 

[russlaferrera]

IMO, the market is very limited. Everyone would have use for a 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 up to 1', But how many people would use a 1 3/4. or a 1 15/16?

 

[89MustangGX]

Wow. Just wow. Coming from a happy Craftsman owner, I definitely know what sticker shock feels like now!

What do similar truck brand sets sell for? I'm thinking you may have to price it inline with them in order to get some attention if you really have trouble getting rid of them.

Adam

 

[64merc]

Since you asked, my take on it is that the price is too high for the casual DIYer to consider buying these. Also, the guys that would use those large sizes probably would get them through their employer as well, or stop by Grainger at lunch break or something.

Either drop the price to around 50% or 60% off retail, or be prepared to wait a little bit. I'm sure they'll sell eventually. My $.02

 

[Kevin54]

Good luck on selling it. The ones that it would appeal to is someone that works on big rigs or heavy equipment. And most of them already have what they need. Unless it is someone starting out in the business and if they are, to drop a grand for wrenches miight not appeal to them right off.

With that out of the road, you need to do some rewording to make it sound more appealing. What I gather from reading the description is that you got it from work for free and are now trying to turn a quick big dollar. That may be the case and it may not. But from what I read that is what it sounds like.

You are bidding on Proto's industrial line of wrenches

- this set is BRAND NEW and in the box (opened to photograph the items)

- this is Model 1200-80ASD

- MSRP for this item is $1,100 - look across the internet...that is the price you will find

- I am not a dealer - I received this set through work and cannot use it

- please feel free to write any questions.

The sale is for the items "as is" - you do have a Lifetime Warranty from Stanley Works/Proto.

Then the description goes on to say that you are buying "AS IS". That makes it sound used even though you say it's new. I also think you need to lower the price to make it more appealing to a buyer, then if one "jumps" on it, you may have others following to up the bids. But starting out at almost retail will make someone shop around for a better deal. That's just what I am getting from the whole thing.

 

[3/8"indestro]

the way I look at it,you are pricing the item as expecting on how much you want for it.instead of letting the market/bidders decide on what they want to pay for it.

agree completely with kevin54,when a seller adds a description on a MSRP price it makes it look like that the seller is expecting a price he wants for his item.

things not working for you:
high starting bid
high ticket item with "as is"
comparison of price from MSRP to what you expect to sell it.

why don't you try to start the bidding at $99 and list it for 7 days,if you do not get close to your price with a day left just end the auction.

 

[dxdexter]

I think the price is way to high.

That Proto set is surely a great set of wrenches, but the absolute most I would pay for tools on eBay is 50% and that's if they are Snap-on and they have to be in great shape. Other brands maybe 30%.

I keep track of all my eBay tool purchases and over the years I have bought exactly $6446 (retail) worth of tools and only paid only $1644. They are almost all nearly new. I only buy Snap-on or Gray and the average percentage of retail are 30% and 16% respectively.

Maybe I'm cheap, but I will wait until a deal comes along before buying on impulse.

You can keep paying to put it on eBay and you may get lucky. I would try to sell it to someone in the trade that you may know. If you set the starting price really low then that is all you will probably get. Unfortunately unless its Snap-on, it just doesn't get the attention.

 

[PoorOwner]

why don't you try to start the bidding at $99 and list it for 7 days,if you do not get close to your price with a day left just end the auction.

How do you do this? Do you get any negative remarks beside just losing your insertion fee?

 

[billymade]

I agree on the "as is" and the "i got it through work, I can't use 'em" doesn't help with the "feeling" you get when considering the purchase of the set; aside from the pricing issue. Excentuate the positive! Those two points in a sense are irrelevant, they are brand new so what is the point of "as is", this usually relates to something that has the ability to fail or be broken when purchased (potential mystery to their condition or operational value) and these two comments just color the ad (negatively); you could say that you do not accept refunds or returns (please be sure you need these etc. etc.); emphasizing the Lifetime warranty from Proto is a good idea. Descriptions like "factory fresh, mint, never used" always helps a ad if in fact these are brand new wrenches; there isn't any negative characteristics to the wrenches, they are new! Fix the pricing issue rewrite the ad accentuating the positive and sell 'em!

 

[PAToyota]

First, some things I see purely from a "presentation" standpoint:

• first photo is of a cardboard box - when scrolling through the listings that isn't going to grab someone's attention - swap it with the second one that shows all the wrenches
• you don't even use the work "wrench" in the title - another thing that likely is missing searches and people's attention
• swap the "disclaimers" that you start with and the "features" that you end with - draw them in with the benefits before you start listing reasons for them to consider not buying them...

Then I have to agree with some of the comments from the others. Not necessarily that you should sell them for half price, but that you should start the price off lower. Use a reserve if you have to. The sizes are limiting your market - especially since you have them listed in automotive. Cross list them in business and industrial perhaps, where the people working on heavy equipment and big rigs might actually see them. And possibly break them up into two groups - an inch and smaller and then the ones over an inch. You might find more buyers willing to buy either half than would consider the whole set. And selling each for $500 would be easier for a lot of people to take than one $1K bite all at once.

 

[T56 Impala]

Wow. Just wow. Coming from a happy Craftsman owner, I definitely know what sticker shock feels like now!

What do similar truck brand sets sell for? I'm thinking you may have to price it inline with them in order to get some attention if you really have trouble getting rid of them.

Adam

Your telling me! You ever look on the Sears website at the prices for the Allen brand wrench sets. This auction is CHEAP compaired to those!!!

To the OP:

All of the suggestions above are great. I would start the bidding at 40% of retail. If it doesn't meet your price by the last day, close the auction. You might think of breaking them up into sets or even selling them one by one.

 

[3/8"indestro]

here is a classic example of a high starting bid with mention of MSRP and did not get any bids:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...ame=STRK:MEWAX:IT&viewitem=&item=120258624366

here is one with bids and when you compare it from previous one,same ratchet,pricing is almost identical.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...me=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&viewitem=&item=330233155491

actually the one with bids is $2 more than without bids.

 

[jamm]

Just my two cents worth, but I'd get swap the first pic to show the wrenches instead of a box. Then I get rid of the two other box pics. Anyone can write a number on the end of a box. I don't see where they add any signifiance to the buyer.

Drop your starting price to 40-50% with a reasonable reserve and get a pic of a wrench that shows the Proto name on it.

 

[jay50]

A full polished Cman 28 piece pro set goes for $169. It does not have the largest sizes that yours has, but still a better deal than the $ you are asking.

 

[edl]

some really excellent suggestions...now i know why i am not in sales!!!!

ok...i'll start re-writing - thanks guys!

 

[SocketDeviler]

How do you do this? Do you get any negative remarks beside just losing your insertion fee?

A person has to win the auction in order to leave feedback. If you cancel the auction there is no winner. Insertion fee will be lost but it's better to lose $2-3.00 than hundreds.

The price is much too high, at least for ebay. Craigslist is another option but that has it's problems too. I would at least try Craigslist with a lower price for awhile. Try to avoid those ebay fees.

 

[edl]

well...I took my best shot revising the listing based on your guys advice...which i truly appreciate...think a good thought (or better yet "watch" the item...it'll make me feel better!) and let's see where she goes! thanks ED

 

[64merc]

Wow, much better listing!!! If I had the money and needed these wrenches, it would certainly have caught my eye.

Question though, do the wrenches say "Proto" on them. I didn't see it in the pictures but I may have missed it.

 

[edl]

Unfortunately, I didn't take one - I took the various model numbers so people could cross check on the Proto site - I should have, but I don't have them here at work and they are all boxed up - next time!

BTW - HOW DO I END AN AUCTION EARLY? - I LOOKED BUT DID NOT SEE A BUTTON ANYWHERE ON THE LISTING (IN THE VIEW WHERE IT KNOWS YOU ARE SELLER)??

edit: i think i found it...is it the option "end item" in the "take action" drop down menu?

 

[PAToyota]

Much cleaner listing! You're learning...

Based on other auctions that I've watched, put up a disclaimer "For sale locally and I reserve the right to end auction based on local sale" and then use the "no longer available for sale" if you have to end the auction. Sort of pisses me off when it happens to me because I know what is really happening, but seems the best you can do. The downside is that if you DO end it early there is a chance that you are missing out on those that would snipe at the last minute.

 

[billymade]

Another reason to use the RESERVE feature and figure the least amount of money you are willing to let the item go for.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/reserve.html

 

[Kevin54]

Much, much better

 

[dxdexter]

Unfortunately, I didn't take one - I took the various model numbers so people could cross check on the Proto site - I should have, but I don't have them here at work and they are all boxed up - next time!

BTW - HOW DO I END AN AUCTION EARLY? - I LOOKED BUT DID NOT SEE A BUTTON ANYWHERE ON THE LISTING (IN THE VIEW WHERE IT KNOWS YOU ARE SELLER)??

edit: i think i found it...is it the option "end item" in the "take action" drop down menu?

I think the starting price is much more reasonable.

As much as I hate reserve auctions, I would much rather a reserve than have a seller pull an item of the market just because he did not get as much as he anticipated.

If you only get one $400 bid are you going to honor the bid or pull the item off the market?

BTW how much to ship to Canada via USPS?