eBay Research

This is Part 3 of 3 in the “eBay market research for consignment sellers” series. Get caught up to speed on Part 1 & Part 2.

***NOTE:*** Click to learn more about my eBay Consignment business and how I can help you turn your treasures into cash!

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Throughout this particular eBay tutorial series, I’ve been sharing the in-depth Terapeak & eBay research being conducted on consignment items brought to me by my traveling friend, Anne.

I’m showing you my step-by-step process for a couple reasons:

1. To help you understand the work involved after clients drop items off to my consignment “shop” and;
2. To share with those learning how to sell on eBay how important it is to research before you list (as I talked about in Part 2 it’s about “Quality Listings not Quantity listed.”)

eBay Research: Go big or go home

I saved the toughest best research item till last!

The final interesting item I’m researching is a lovely “chunk of glass”, imprinted with the shape of a cat on one side. It looks almost like a block of ice.

The funny thing is that when I first saw this item I thought of our cat that passed away last year, “Mr. Sox”. It was a lovely memory that flashed by. Don’t you love it when that happens?

Okay, time to find out if this glass kitty is eBay worthy…

As I can’t readily identify the origins or artist of this piece, I inspect it for clues.

Aha!

On the bottom/back there’s a sticker which reads: ‘MATS JONASSON Sweden Full Lead’.

Awesome! Now I know the designer and the fact there is more possible value in this item because it’s lead crystal and not just a “chunk of glass”.

Thank goodness for people who leave stickers on items!

Off to Terapeak we go to do a search for the artist: Mats Jonasson. The results showed over 3,271 listings with only an 11.59% sell-through rate.  

No offense to Mats Jonasson but this data alerts me that the brand name is not “huge”. There will be a limited audience of collectors.

Looking through the top sellers I can see the different animals and artwork styles. The large wolf for example was #1 and sold for $399.00 as an auction but with only one bid. This means $399.00 was the opening bid and only one person bid on the item.

When things look like they might not be going so well, go BIG!

What this means is that normally I search items using very specific terms. But when those terms show me limited profitability, I’ll think and search “outside the box”. Mats Jonasson may not be so popular (maybe) but CATS sure are! Just look on Facebook! LOL

Using very specific keyword terms can increase your CTR (click-through-rate) because you’re showing buyers that you have exactly what they want, right? Right! But, being creative and broadening the scope of the audience can, also, help you make more money on eBay.

By adding the word ‘CAT’ to the same search at Tereapeak, I soon realize that my cat does not compare to any of the cats showing up. The styles are a bit different so now I am kind of doubting that mine is a cat!;)

Looking a bit closer at the fur I notice there are some distinctive stripes and the more I look at it the more I still think it is a cat but I do try a few other searches using the following words:

• Mountain Lion
• Kitten
• Bobcat
• Racoon

No luck.

There are many glass blocks “like” this one but not with the same cat!

Next I try eBay current listings using the same words “Mats Jonasson Cat”.

Bingo!

Now I see many different kittens with balls of yarn with asking prices all over the board.

Some glass kitties are priced as low as $12.00 and others as high as $230.00.

OK, we need better data.

Now I adjust the settings to “View Highest Price” first.

I scroll down and poof, there is our cat with an asking price of $50.00! This eBay seller has titled it a “Lead Crystal Paperweight.”

I also discover that there is actually a whole category for this artist! Mats must be a pretty big name if he even has his own category on eBay! It can be found under Pottery and Glass > Glass > Art Glass > Scandinavia > Mats Jonasson.

Remember earlier when I thought maybe Mats’ crystal sculptures may not be profit making items? By going BIG with the search, I’ve learned that is not the case!

As a side note, when you can, use the option to add a second category. This gets your item in front of more ‘eyes’.

The practical choices here would be either paperweights or cats. I’m going with cats!

Armed with the paperweight intel, I search on Tereapeak for “Cat Paperweight”. This produced over 2,702 listings with a 17.58% sell through rate.

This isn’t setting my hair on fire but I learned a *LOT* by conducting this search because the number one selling cat paperweight was by Rookwood. It sold for $550.00!

We must watch for those in the future! Can you say, “Here kitty, kitty”?

Adding the word ‘Crystal’ to that same Terapeak search found a Waterford cat which sold for $99.00. However, a the end of the day, the average selling price for Crystal Cat Paperweights looks to be about $39.00.

eBay research wrap up

So, with that said and all this eBay research, I listed the cat as an auction with an opening bid of $34.99.

I’m rolling the dice and taking it out for a spin!

View eBay item #401042197079 and check back because if it does not sell then, as you know, Plan B will be to run it as a “Fixed Price” listing and make it a bit less than the $50.00 one we found.

On a final note, it’s important that you send clients an email once you’ve listed their items. Include links to their products and invite them to follow along.

Many of my clients have LOVED watching the selling process! It’s kind of like a reality show blended with a game show – especially when they receive that payment! They get so excited when they see bids on their items! Just another reason I love my ‘job’!

Until next time!

This is Part 2 of 3 in the “eBay market research for consignment sellers” series.

In Part 1, I shared my eBay marketplace research process and a bit about how to use Terapeak using a few items that my friend Anne placed on consignment with me here in Ocala, Florida.

You all got a good in-depth look at how I research items to determine listing style and price. Anne’s items are so interesting, I’m using more of them in this tutorial!

***NOTE:*** Click to learn more about my eBay Consignment business and how I can help you turn your treasures into cash!

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Successful eBay research means taking one step at a time

STEP 1 – How much do you know or can you find out about the product.

Today I’m on the hunt for information about a “Judith Jack” sterling silver belt buckle.

I already love this accessory because it’s sparkly! Even better, it still has the original tag attached. Yay! I LOVE NWT (New With Tags) items!

But, there’s a word on the tag with which I was not familiar – “Marcasite.”

A quick Google search for this word and, voilà, from Wikipedia:

“The mineral marcasite, sometimes called white iron pyrite, is iron sulfide (FeS₂) with orthorhombic crystal structure. It is physically and crystallographically distinct from pyrite, which is iron sulfide with cubic crystal structure.”

So, with all that said, I may want to include some of those “SEO Keywords” in my title and/or description when I am ready to list this buckle.

STEP 2 – Is the item “eBay worthy”?

The next step is to see how popular Judith Jack is (aka will it make money on eBay).

Using Terapeak, I type in a simple search of “Judith Jack Buckle“, just to explore the name with all buckles to see which sells best.

There were 99 listings with a 21% sell through rate and the highest price that sold was for $85.00. The top three sellers were Fixed Price Listings and the next three were auctions.

The interesting thing is that the three auctions each sold for the starting price of the auction which means they had only one person bidding. $50.00 was the highest and $44.99 was the lowest.  The same type of pattern continues on through the 99 completed listings.

Let’s take a look at current listings now to get a feel for how many are on eBay today using the same 3 words “Judith Jack buckle.”

Okay, we have 35 current listings. While this is not a huge number it this also means that marketplace is not too saturated! However, you have to be careful as this can also mean the “demand” for this type of product is not huge, either.

First, looking at the lowest priced item is listed as a sale and marked down 50% from $29.99 to $14.99. This is red flag. The for whatever reason, the seller slashed the price by half. Bummer.

Next I adjust the search to “Highest Price First”.

Now I can quickly view the highest priced item – a Judith Jack buckle that included a suede belt.

The listing had a fixed price of $175.00. Scrolling down the list to find a buckle with no belt, the highest price was $149.00 and below that was $125.00 (which actually is the same one that my friend Anne had brought me in a print out from the eBay listing).

The only difference between the two is that one buckle is round and Anne’s is square.

From here, I have to determine if $125.00 is a realistic asking price or not?

Based on my Tereapeak research – no. It is not realistic.

SO, my call on this is to list it a bit higher than the average selling price. However, I won’t list it “too” high.

Additionally, I’ll add “Make an Offer” because the $125.00 listing does not include make-an-offer. By adding “Make An Offer”, I’ve given potential customers some haggle/wiggle room and they LOVE that! It’s a “psychological selling strategy”.

Keeping all of this research in mind, I will try not to accept any offers lower than $75.00 (unless several months go by and I need to move it out of my inventory).

Taking it out for a spin, eBay item #391341777521.

Offer accepted – SOLD $70.00

In eBay market research, words matter – a *LOT*

Remember I told you that Anne always brings me intriguing items?

Ha!

Well, this time it’s an African drum!

I was like, “Really? What do we know about African drums?”

But that’s the beauty of eBay research! You don’t have to know anything. You just have to be willing to take the time to ferret out the information!

STEP 1 – Look for the right words (aka SEO keywords)

When Anne brought over the African drum, she also included a print-out direct from eBay showing a listing that is similar to her drum.

Let the eBay marketplace and Terapeak research begin!

Using the words from the title of the listing (“African Djembel”), a search on Tereapeak produced nothing.

Zip, zero, and nada results.

So, I copied the same words and put them in the eBay search bar. Only ONE result showed up and it was the print-out that Anne brought me! LOL

HOWEVER…

eBay saved the day because the “system” made a suggestion with this search that read: “Did you mean African Djembe?”

Uh…I guess I did? Well, I clicked on it and WOW! We now have 411 listings! The lowest priced is a key-chain for $4.11 and the highest at $625.00! Now we are talkin’!

Returning back to Tereapeak with this new search “African Djembe” I discover a 12.48% sell through rate with the highest selling for $269.99.

Terapeak’s numbers are nothing close to those high asking prices we saw on eBay. In my opinion, based on this research, we might be wasting a bit of of time considering this drum as a listing.

With further research I am not seeing any drums that match the description of mine with the exception of the one that has the misspelled name.

That said, research is never wasted time because I’ve learned a ton about African Djembes. it seems that goat skin covers are the most common. I’ve also been noticing the different types of keywords in titles such as Ghana, hand carved, aboriginal, doumbek, tribal and bongo.

Sometimes when we have crazy words that seem all over the board, it’s time to get back to basics and try a simple search like “African Drum”.

Now I look for how other sellers have listed basic African drums.

The sell through rate is even lower at about 8% so now our goal is to get this listed and to beat the odds by combining all of the strategies we’ve learned this far during this eBay research session.

I’ve decided to list the Djembe in two categories vs one. This is based on the findings from the most successful listings.

First I noticed the highest selling African drum was in the category under the categories of:
Collectibles> Cultures> Ethnicities> African> 1900-Now> Figures >Sculptures.

And the 2nd highest price was under:
Musical Instruments> Gear> Percussion> Drums> Other Drums.

Although this strategic style will increase the odds a bit more for a successful sale but GUESS WHAT?

While taking a deeper look innto this drum category I soon discovered there is an area called WORLD DRUMS with a break down of different types of drums from all over the world – including our drum with that word DJEMBE.

Now it’s back to Google for a quick search asking “What does Djembe mean?” The results are in:
djem·be – ˈjembə,-bā/ noun MUSIC – a kind of goblet-shaped hand drum originating in West Africa.

Good grief!

So, the problem I have now is that our drum is not shaped like a goblet!

My guess is, this style is more like a conga drum.

Back to Terapeak with a search for “Conga Drum” the results are showing a higher sell-through rate at 26% with over a thousand listings.

Woot! This is a game changer!

As you can see there is more to selling an item on eBay than just listing an item and hoping for the best.

It’s all about “Quality Listings” not “Quantity Listed” and I’ve been saying this for years!

Speaking of quality…

Our drum also has “issues”. LOL

#1 it has a broken peg near the top and #2 It does not stand up on it’s own very nicely. These two things are going to effect the value. I did keep the first category I had selected and adjusted the second category to World Drums > Congas.

I created the title ” Tall African TRIBAL Conga Drum Hyde Skin WOOD Carved Authentic Djembe TIKI bongo ” which took advantage of ALL of the 80 characters eBay allows.

Additionally, I decided to run mine as an auction with the average selling price of $69.95 for a “Tall Tribal Drum” (according to Terapeak). In my opinion, this is a fair price for this item.

Worst case, we will only receive one bid and sell it for that. It may sell for more OR, knocking on the tribal drum, it will not sell at all and we will have to go with plan B – a high fixed price with make an offer and let it sit in the eBay store.

So, drum roll please … let the eBay auction begin!

Follow along with eBay item #391341859328 and check back for the follow-up posts!

update 1/6/2016 – It did not sell using the auction format. Now time for plan B, listing with a fixed price at $84.99 with make an offer and good till cancelled. eBay item # 401051423171 SOLD $84.99

As many of you have asked me how to be a successful eBay consignment seller, I’ve put together a 3 part tutorial on the finer points of eBay research for consignment sellers. In this series, you’ll find tips on:

• Communicating with your clients and;
• Best practices for conducting the eBay market research so you both make the most money possible

***NOTE:*** Click to learn more about my eBay Consignment business and how I can help you turn your treasures into cash!

eBay research & consignment selling – Transparency is important

I have a local friend named Anne. She loves to travel! She also loves buying items for her personal ‘collections’ and traveling gives her the opportunity to score some unusual finds.

Now, my friend Anne is a smart cookie! While traveling, she buys items and brings them back to me so I can sell them for her on eBay! Anne doesn’t much like selling on eBay but she LOVES shopping and has a wonderful eye so we make a great team!

By ‘hiring’ me as her eBay consignment seller, Anne is able to fund her trips and ‘personal collection buying sprees’!

The items she brings are always very interesting and always a surprise as the consignment items can range from vintage clothing to jewelry to collectibles.

The eBay selling process with a consignment client is pretty simple and standard.

1. Anne schedules an appointment.

2. I free up a few hours to work with her as she usually brings about 20 items at a time.

3. Once she arrives, I open Tereapeak on my large screen TV/computer screen and, together, we research items to determine if they are worthy of listing on eBay.

By walking through the research with your client, they better understand the selling process and it helps them to trust that you have their best interest at heart.

4. Anne also brings print-outs of each item she has found on ‘Current Listings at eBay. I ask clients to ‘pre-research’ their own items so we can share opinions about listing price, style, etc.

I’ve found that consignment selling is much more successful (IE – a happier client) if the client is involved in the selling process at some level. However, Anne is a client who trusts my listing and selling decisions 100%.

5. Because there is no way I can know about every designer, jeweler, collectible, etc. so we learn and work together to create the best opportunity for both of us.

This process helps with my future listings as each time I research something new to me, I learn more and can do a better job the next time!

6. After going through all items, I am always upfront with clients about items that are not ‘eBay selling worthy’ and I do ‘send back’ items that I know I won’t sell.

My clients always appreciate the candor – especially because we split profits 50/50.

7. Once we have ‘the keepers’, I make a list of the items. Then we sign a simple contract and both keep a copy. This procedure keeps us on the same page of the items that have been left in my possession.

I cannot overstate how important contracts are so please do yourself a favor and be sure to have clients sign a contract. You can download my eBay Consignment Contract Template. Please see my disclaimer at bottom of this page.

Contracts cause some to feel uncomfortable but you will be taken far more seriously as a business person if you enforce their use. Further, you will save yourself so much drama!

8. Be clear about timelines. I was not able to list Anne’s items right away because I did have a bit of a ‘line’ in front of her. Ideally you would state the ‘selling start time’ on the contract.

Show them the money! Using Terapeak for eBay market research.

When a client is giving up 50% of potential profits, they want to know you (the eBay consignment professional) are making them the most money possible.

Below, I’ve detailed the eBay research and listing process for several of Anne’s items.

Follow along and check back for updates as this information can help you learn more about how to make money on eBay as a consignment seller

I usually like to start with the items I feel are the most valuable and the following pieces of jewelry fit the bill.

Terapeak, eBay research, and a Tiffany necklace

It’s a necklace by Tiffany – a “Paloma Picasso’s Scribble Zig Zag”.  

After doing a simple search on Tereapak for just the words “Tiffany Picasso necklace”, I was amazed to learn about all the different styles!

There were over a thousand listings! The sell-through rate is nice at 31%!

When I added the word “Scribble” to that search, Terapeak showed the same necklaces that we have for sale.

The highest sold one was a ‘Fixed Price’ listing. It had an asking price of $123.00 and they accepted an offer of $100.00. According to Tereapak the average selling price for this item is $81.22.

Not too shabby!

With the knowledge gained by researching on Terapeak, the next strategy is to review eBay’s ‘Current Listings’.

It seems there are approximately 15 necklaces listed with the lowest price as a ‘Fixed Price’ listing at $135.00 (with free shipping).

Based on all this research I have listed our’s at $134.99 with ‘Make An Offer’ and Free Shipping – eBay item # 391341503467.  

Terapeak, eBay research, and a “Micromosaic” brooch

This next item to be listed is an antique brooch.

I have never seen one of these before so I thought it was very interesting.

After some Googling, I discovered the brooch is an “Architectural Micromosaic (aka Micro Mosaic or Micro-Mosaic) design with silver trim that is stamped “Italy” and is 800 sterling silver.

This fascinating and unusual piece of jewelry is also in the original box! It originated from our local jeweler here in Ocala, Florida – “Roger Hunt & Sons”.

Now the bad news…

Although this is an awesome item, the research I’ve done on this is not very promising as it has a 0% sell-through rate. 🙁

Again, using Tereapeak and searching the keyword term “Architectural Micro Mosaic” I find only 7 listings.

Out of those 7 listings there were only 2 items because the two items were re-listed several times.

The highest asking price at $790.00 on a very similar brooch. That price didn’t work out for that eBay seller but, hey, we can’t blame them for trying.

Plus, you never know when another buyer knows way more than you do about an item. This is why I never judge other sellers. I keep my eyes and ears open at all times!

Moving on, the lowest price was an auction with a starting price of $99.00.

Yeah. That didn’t work out either.

Next I did a search using the same terms for ‘Current Listings’ to see what the marketplace held. The results were showing only 4 items with the lowest price holding and an asking price of $195.00.

Aha! This eBay seller actually has their Micromosaic brooch “on sale” with a 15% discount but I also noticed they do not have “Make An Offer”. This is a strategy I would’ve suggested had they asked me!

The next part of this research is to review the ‘Failed Listings’ and look to see what eBay category they put their items in.  

The current $195.00 listing is posted in ‘Brooches; and the past listings were listing in the Antiques category under Decorative Mosaics.

Now for the good news…

eBay market research and SEO are your friends

Next I did a new Tereapak search for keyword terms, “Micro Mosaic Brooch”. Notice I removed the word ‘Architectural’.

WOW!

The first item that came up was a brooch that sold for $5,000.00!

I immediately noticed their title. Cleverly, they not only had the word “Micro Mosaic” but they also had it in the title as one word “Micromosaic” so I will defiantly add that word to my title as well.  

This search produced over 3,000 listings with a 30% sell-through rate!

WOOT!

BIG difference from the previous search.

It just goes to show you can learn TONS by adjusting a few words.

What to look for:

• Words that the most successful listings used in their title.
• Which categories they placed their items in.
• What type of listings – Fixed price vs Auction
• Shipping, free or paid.

Keeping all of those things in mind is what helps with the decision on how to list items like this one.

Moving on…

I did another search using the same words but added “silver” to the search because I also noticed the highest priced mosaic brooches had gold trim. Although we cannot compete with that because ours is silver, it is a game changer because it gives us a more realistic expectation.  

The sell through rate was still up there at 29% but the average price dropped down to $39.00.

Ugh!

But, wait! It’s not over till it’s over, right?

Another thing I’ve realized with all of these searches is not only does the gold sell for the most but it also depends on the design.

The famous buildings are doing very well compared to the unknown designs.

Unfortunately, I cannot identify this building but it seems to be a place in Rome. My opinion is based on all the views I’ve had so I feel confident to “call it a place in Rome”! (fingers crossed I am correct)

Okay, after all this research I am going with an auction and a starting bid of $49.99.

I feel this is a safe price because, worst case, it will close with one bid at that price but we will have the hope of two or more people wanting the brooch and bringing up the price.

So, with that said, let the bidding begin!

eBay item # 401041098301.

***UPDATE***
Great news! Less than 24 hours after writing this post, we got our first bid,

SO, this means YES the item will sell for a min of $49.99. All the research paid off. Check back to see what the closing price turns out to be.  

Below is a photo of the current listing…

***Disclaimer***
I am not an attorney nor am I qualified to offer legal advice of any kind. The eBay Consignment Contract is the document I use and am sharing it with you to use an example, ONLY. My document is not intended to take the place of licensed legal counsel and I urge you to seek the advice of a qualified attorney prior to executing a contract of any kind with anyone. Please be advised I am in no way responsible for any outcomes should you choose to use the Consignment Contract Template referenced on this page of PowerSellingMom.com

Knowing how to sell on eBay is one thing. Learning how to make money on eBay is an entirely different story.

Wait. What? You mean, I can sell on eBay but not make money?

Yes. Absolutely. As an eBay Selling Coach & Certified eBay Business Consultant, I see this happen every day.

Listing items on eBay does not guarantee they will sell nor does it promise the making of a profit.

If you want to learn how to make money on eBay, you must first understand how to conduct eBay marketplace research. The good news is, eBay research is fun and easy – especially when using the eBay seller’s BFF, Terapeak.

Below is an example of how some simple marketplace research saved me from making a rookie listing mistake – a mistake which could lower my profits.

eBay Research helps you choose the best listing ‘style’

Recently I bought out an ‘estate’. Included, was a few big boxes of diecast model cars. Many of them are “souped up” types of vintage cars based on model years 1940 through 1969.

I would LOVE for some of these to be real so I could drive them!

By taking a deeper look at the sell-through of these diecast Muscle Machine toy cars, I’ll be able to determine the best ‘way’ to list these hot rods.

Based on my Terapeak research I’ve chosen to list the cars as “Fixed Price Listings”. Additionally, I’ve chosen the “Make an Offer” option as well.

These ‘listing style’ choices allow me to offer the cars that are not the best sellers at a lower price.

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***Note***
Always start out with the strongest listing choices first.

Any toy cars which do not sell at a “Fixed Price” can always be turned into an “Auction”. Also, I do not like to keep inventory laying around. So if I do put any of the Muscle Machine cars up for auction, I’ll reduce the starting price to help jump start the bidding.

And, every July, I have a ‘liquidation’ in my eBay store.

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Using the “best keywords” for eBay research

When researching the eBay marketplace on Tereapeak, it’s important to search using the “best” keywords. This will always mean using “qualifiers” in the search phrase.

A “qualifier” is a word that gives more exact meaning to a phrase. This keeps your search more specific, which gives you far more targeted data to work with.

For example: When searching Terapeak for sales information on the toy cars I could have searched the broad term “Muscle Machines”. Using this keyword phrase would have returned the results for all Muscle Machines and would have skewed my perception of potential sales and profits.

But I searched the term “Muscle Machines Sedan”. Using the “qualifier word” (Sedan), I can now determine exactly how to list all the toy sedans (which have a very different sell-through than the sports cars).

In the search, I noticed the highest priced listing had 5 cars bundled into a “lot”. The asking price was $265.00 but they accepted an offer of $170.00. $170.00 divided by 5 equals an average price of approximately $34.00 each (plus shipping).

While $170.00 might seem like a great sale, the profit is less than selling them one-by-one.

Notice the ‘Gray Ford Sedan’ easily sold for $60.00 and the ‘Orange Delivery’ sold for $52.99. I have several “Sedan Delivery” trucks (including the same one in Blue). Already the opportunity to make more money on eBay with the Muscle Machines I bought far exceed the “lot sale”.

Take away: Do the math and think through the listing before clicking “List”.

Time is eBay money, spend it wisely

After I got the first Muscle Machine diecast toy car listed, the rest were smooth sailing because all I had to do was finish the first listing and then use the “Sell Similar” feature. Or, as seen in the NEW HUB format “Create Similar”.

This process continued until all of the cars were listed. I mention the “Sell Similar” feature because so many students either don’t know about this time saver or they forget to use it – hence, wasting time.

In eCommerce, time is big money! We have to shave off minutes everywhere we can!

Another thing to keep in mind that I can return to any of the current listings and simply click on SELL A SIMILAR ITEM directly from the listing page . This nifty button allows me to easily and quickly continue listing item after item.

Takeaway: The goal is to simplify our listing systems and to get the items listed not only fast but to provide quality listings that will be desirable to shoppers.

Research shipping options

The Muscle Machine diecasts are all called “1:18 Scale”. This means they are bigger than your little “Hot Wheels” toy car you may be comparing them too.

To give you an example, just the boxes measure 12” by 6” by 5.5” square. And the weight of each is a bit over 3 pounds so the shipping weight will be about 4 pounds.

Keeping this in mind while creating the listings, I’ve chosen to use “calculated” shipping and not “free shipping”. On “heavier” items, shipping costs can really add up and put a serious dent in the profits – especially if items are shipped to the West Coast.

However, those living close to my zip code will receive a lower shipping price. This makes calculated shipping the perfect choice for those items that are a bit “heavier” than most.

That wraps up this eBay marketplace research tutorial. I hope you learned more about how to make money on eBay!

My handsome husband Jimmy is, also, a seller on eBay. He loves to attend local estate sales. Although we have separate eBay stores and businesses, we often work together when selling ‘stuff’ on eBay.

This time he signed me up for a project without discussing it first but that’s how husband’s are, right? 😉

Now, our normal procedure is for Jimmy to do the eBay listings and I do the shipping. The exception to this is fine china or very fragile items.

Jimmy likes to stay clear of delicate, breakable items and, truth be told, I like him to stay away from them too!

As a side note, I actually enjoy the shipping process and take great pride in my eBay shipping skills. Through all 18 years of selling I’ve had very few claims.

So, this weekend Jimmy brought home a set of fine porcelain china made in Limoges France by the Haviland Company.

Ohhh! Antique/vintage china! Yaayyy!

When you add the words antique, vintage, china, porcelain, Haviland, and Limoges together that should mean the big ka-ching, right?

Not unless the word ‘RESEARCH’ comes FIRST!

In the absence of thorough eBay research, those fancy schmancy dishes you just bought might as well be paper plates value-wise!

And where I’m going with all this is…

Try before you buy

If you’re not super familiar with china manufacturers (old and new) and dish patterns, you must, must, must spend some time researching before you fork over your hard earned $$$ to buy a china set you ‘think’ will make money on eBay.

If you want your eBay store to be successful, if you want to actually make money and be profitable on eBay, you have to “try before you buy”.

Trying before you buy means that you try your best to determine if buying and listing an item is worth an investment of your time and available cash.

Prior to purchasing any china, dishware, glasses, wine goblets, etc. you’ll want to do these 3 things:

1. Research the items on eBay:
2. Run a Terapeak report:
3. Check every square inch of items for cracks, nicks, chips, wear, etc.

Here’s a step by step of these 3 procedures…

eBay Research for China & Dishware Sets

Using our case as an example; Haviland china.

The first thing to know when researching china and dishware is that most brands come in a gazillion patterns. Not all are popular nor do they command high selling prices.

There is more to a rose than just being a pretty flower. Example, the Baltimore Rose pattern seems to sell for the most compared to a Wild Rose pattern. Also the Moss pattern does better than swags. It’s a crazy fine tuned world when it comes to the identification of fine china but with all the resources out there, the pattern in hand can usually be found.

Jimmy’s dishes have pink and blue flowers with a scalloped trim of gold inserts.

When I did a search for this pattern, the sad truth was that this pattern was not in high demand. Thus, my husband should’ve done more research before he gave the lady $100.00. Just sayin’! 😉

But, I’m a team player. So I will do my best to list them in such manner that will help increase the odds. Maybe we’ll (at least) make our money back.

To accomplish this, I must turn to my eBay research BFF – Terapeak.

Researching China & Dishware With Terapeak

With so many patterns on the market, when researching dinnerware sets on Terapeak, you cannot count on getting accurate selling info if you only search the name of the manufacturer. In this instance – “Haviland France Limoges”.

If you do not put the name of the pattern in your search, the returned results could be huge. Additionally, you could be mislead by the results.

Using only “Haviland France Limoges” in a search on Terapeak brought up 15,695 with only a 15% sell through rate. The highest priced item sold $2,278.00. It was a footed pedestal serving bowl, eBay item # 111796214054 sold on Oct. 15, 2015.

Next on the list was a 66 piece set of dishes sold for $1700.00! Exciting! But, not for Jimmy and me. 🙁

If you’re in a hurry and search too quickly instead of paying attention to details, the search results can be deceiving.

Always remember, patterns equal profitability!

Some patterns are rare while others are common. They all carry the same brand of “Haviland France Limoges” but the designs can be very different. Some may have pink roses while others have blue with moss and/or Forget-Me-Nots. Most have gold trim but some have a double row of gold while others have scalloped gold edges.

Identifying a pattern like this can be tricky. It can also be time consuming but it can be time well spent.

If you don’t know the name of the pattern, then you can’t search it on Terapeak.

To find the pattern name, begin by searching Google. Many times patterns can easily be found on the website Replacements.com.

Once you have a match and can properly identify the pattern, return to Tereapek or eBay and conduct your search using the pattern name along with Haviland Limoges.

See what kind of items are being sold for and which styles sell best. You can also take a look at the current market to see what the current listings are looking like. Are other eBay sellers over pricing their items when compared to the selling prices?

Once you have these details, you can decide whether to buy the china, list the china, what price to charge, etc.

One more “try before you buy”…

eBay Research Happens Offline, Too

Another thing my husband should’ve done was to inspect EVERY dish. This eBay tip may sound like a “Duh. Of course”. But when I say, “inspect” I mean reallllllyyyyy inspect.

Before purchasing a “box lot” of dishes like this it’s a good idea to pull them ALL out of the box and run your finger tip around every edge of each dish including the bottom rim.

You’re going to have to do this anyway if you intend on creating a detailed and accurate listing on eBay – not just for china, dishware, and glassware but for every item you list. This is how you build a solid reputation as an eBay seller that people can trust!

Plus, if he had done this I am sure they would’ve come down on the price.

eBay Marketplace Research Bottom Line

Marketplace research make a huge difference on how successful a listing will be on eBay. Pay attention to the detail when doing the research on items like this. It can be a tricky procedure. More words will be needed such as color and pattern name.

Researching a product to sell on eBay might get a little tedious sometimes. But items that have lots of ‘details’ which need to be checked for proper identification can be highly profitable.

No matter how much of a hurry you may be in, inspect and research before you buy. You save time and, in the long run, make more money.

Think about it.

If a buyer is looking for something exact and it’s hard to find, they will likely pay a premium for it.

However…

Sometimes we make a hasty decision and it’s okay. It’s all part of the learning process and every day is a day of learning when it comes to selling on eBay.

Finding the goods as a treasure hunt seller can be challenging so we do the best that we can.

We win some and lose some but the most important part is not to stress about it.

Now that you know more, you can do better!

Always remember there is more money to be made on the next sale!

We wish you big sales!
The Crawfords

While browsing through the clothing rack at a thrift store, I ran across this Louis Garneau “Tandem Rally Colorado” cycle racing shirt.

At first it caught my eye because it still has the tag on it (aka ‘NWT’ – New With Tags). When I am shopping in thrift stores I especially take a double look at all items that are ‘NWT’.

Then I saw the incredible artwork and was hooked!

I had never seen a shirt like it before as it had three pockets across the bottom of the backside.

Additionally, I was unfamiliar with the brand “Louis Garneau”. But I know about him now and will always be on the lookout for his gorgeous apparel!

So, I took clues from the tag which reads that it was made “Specially for Women” and is from a supplier to the Canadian National Cycling Teams. Armed with that information it was time to start the eBay marketplace & Terapeak research!

After all, no matter how cool an item may be there’s no use investing time and money in it if it’s not likely to make you money on eBay.

Step-by-step eBay Marketplace & Terapeak Research

I love learning new things and this was one of those WOW moments!

eBay Marketplace Research Using the eBay Mobile App

I grabbed my cell phone and, using the eBay marketplace app, did a quick search for the name “Louis Garneau”.

Immediately I saw that “Louis Garneau” is a well-known brand name as there were, indeed, many items including all types of bike gear.

From there, I adjusted the search to REFINE and adjusted my search to SOLD. The system returned 1,252 items.

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***Special Note*** – Why search ‘sold’ and not ‘completed’ listings?

You may be wondering why I searched ‘sold’ listings only and not ‘completed’ listings – especially if you’ve ever attended one of my workshops where I always talk about adjusting the search to ‘completed’.

The reason I use ‘sold’ listings in this instance is due solely to circumstances. I was in a hurry, shopping with family, and needed some assistance to make a quick buying decision not a listing decision. This is a big difference!

By researching ‘sold’ listings I can decide if this item is worth buying or not. The first few items are shirts and they do sell. So, that’s a plus!

My thrift store find is unique because it is not only NWT (New With Tags) but has some very interesting graphics on it.

This quick eBay marketplace research was enough to tell me, “YES! Go ahead a buy it because it should be an easy sale.”

BTW, the thrift store asking price was $3.00. Ka-ching!

How To Use Terapeak Research For Listing Information

Now, I am ready to list it and I will use my favorite eBay listing tool, Tereapeak.

In the Terapeak dashboard I navigate to the eBay Product Research section and type in the words “Louis Garneau women’s jersey”. These are the exact words printed on the attached label.

***SEO Tip*** I always start with very defined and specific keyword research terms and then broaden out from there.

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Notice the sell through rate is about 20% and the average shirt is only $22.00 out of 394 listings.

My goal is to sell my thrift store find for more than the average!

Next, I refine this search to show me only NEW Louis Garneau shirts.

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After refining the filters in Terapeak, the data has adjusted to only 215 listings with a 23% sell-through-rate with the average price now at $26.92. Better, right?

But wait, there’s more! 😉

eBay Marketplace Research Challenge

19 years of eBay selling experience has taught me that the Louis Garneau shirt I bought for $3 at a thrift store is very likely to sell for more money than the Terapeak average.

The thing that makes my shirt more interesting is the fact it has a specific race on it titled “Tandem Rally of Colorado”. This (potentially) makes the shirt more desirable to the collectors of memorabilia from the rally or racers from Colorado in general.

Although when I searched for those words “Tandem Rally Colorado” only one came up just like mine and unfortunately it did not sell. After viewing their listing, I see they have relisted it.

However…

Let the challenge begin!

I love a good challenge as I am filled with that competitive edge to not only sell my shirt but to sell it for more than the other person’s asking price of $23. And they are charging for shipping.

So what good is all this eBay research if I’m just going to throw caution to the wind, right?

Well, because I actually didn’t through anything to the wind.

This is all part of the process. We want to not only learn from other sellers but we want to be more educated and better at everything eBay than other sellers.

Looking at the details of this person’s listing I first notice a few things:

1. Their shirt is not new and definitely is not NWT (New With Tags).
2. They have only two photos and they are not all that great.
3. Their item description is NOT mobile friendly.
4. The listing does not have a friendly tone to it.

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After further review of their listing, I’ve decided to add a second category to my title!

This seller is top-rated with very good feedback so my guess is the main thing that has held back this sale is that it is not mobile friendly.

***Note***
Always remember that more than half of eBay sales are made using mobile phones.

Advanced Listing Technique Alert! Yeah, Baby!

To get the party started and list this item quickly, below their graphic I will click on SELL NOW and the system will kick start the listing using the same category that they used. (You must be logged into your eBay Seller’s Dashboard to see and use this functionality.)

But (and here’s where it get’s really juicy) I will add a second category under Women’s Clothing, Athletic Apparel.

This should give me better odds of sell-through because the added category increases product visibility and online selling is all about getting the eyes on your items!

Next I will see how I can improve on the title. When I have something NEW I like to add the word in all caps at the front of the listing.

Let’s compare titles.

Theirs:
Womans T-ROC Tandem Rally of Colorado Lois Garneau Cycling Bicycle Jersey L 

Mine:
NEW Womans XL Tandem RALLY CO Lois Garneau SHIRT Jersey Cycling BIKE Racing RACEI added the item specifics included on the tag by creating my own MPN (manufacturer product number) which I found on the tag. If there were UPC numbers I would’ve included them as well but there were not.

Next up – The Description. I keep them short, sweet, left margin #18 font, and include measurements such as:

• Chest – armpit to armpit across is 20.5“
• Side seam, armpit to bottom is 16“
• Shoulder seam to sleeve end is 9“
• Backside across shoulder seam to seam is 18“
• Center back neck seam to bottom hem is 27“

I also like to add to my description when selling clothes a statement like:

NOTE: please compare my measurements with your own shirt to be sure of a great fit.

Setting The Price – After viewing the other listing I decided to list mine as a fixed price with free shipping $34.99 with make an offer. Also, I listed this as a “Good Till Cancelled” item.

Photos Can Make The Sale – This is where I pause and SAVE for later the listing because it’s time to take the photos.

I use my smart phone (aka iPhone) for taking the pictures and saving them to the phone. Photos included all the detail, graphics, front, back and tags.

eBay allows us to post 12 FREE photos. I strongly encourage everyone to take advantage of this as much as possible. I was able to take 12 pictures of this item.

Once I had all the photos, I opened up the eBay app and navigated to Sell>Draft. In the ‘Draft’ section to see the listing saved from my laptop.

Opening up the eBay app I can easily add the photos and, again, save for later.

Returning to my laptop, I navigate to the draft, open it up, and take a final look at the photos. I usually crop and edit them on my smart phone but the soon to be released sellers HUB allows me to edit them just as well from my laptop (including color brightening)!

Review The Listing & Choose Shipping

The final part is do review all the details and choose the shipping.

I chose: YES to the global shipping program and USPS Express, flat rate envelope, calculated outside the GSP. Free USA shipping.

Below is a copy of my listing so you can see how it all comes together: eBay item # 401032626435. Keep checking back for updates!