Selling Platform
Selling Platform
Curious how many here sell on Ebay or BrickLink or Both. Noticed that Ebay recently increased the fees again...
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- Royal Guardian
- Posts: 561
- Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:31 pm
- Location: Ontario
Re: Selling Platform
I sell on both and the recent increase in ebay fees has been felt. Ebay has the traffic compared with bricklink so one cannot give up selling on ebay yet, no matter how much you hate the increase. Ebay in the end will come up with changes that will always benefit the volume seller, which I am not.
Re: Selling Platform
i found with buying/selling with ebay, most of the time people divert from it because of the "shipping prices" they quote in default. Although ebay is more organized, I prefer bricklink as many people know the shipping prices and are less likely to not buy after they have placed an order. This being said, I only sell like sub 50$ sets.
Re: Selling Platform
I have actually sold most of my sets on Amazon. Just don't bother selling used sets there because the buyers never read the descriptions. I've had to do partial refunds a couple of times due to people not reading the description. I find that I get more money there versus ebay and I don't have to worry about pictures, listing description, etc.
Re: Selling Platform
How does that work? I thought amazon had much higher fees...
Re: Is It Best To Sell On eBay, Bricklink or Amazon?
I also sell new sets on Amazon. In fact, I shut down my Bricklink account over a year ago to focus on Amazon exclusively.
Assuming you have an Amazon account to buy things, changing your profile to also be an Amazon seller is quite easy. The process of actually listing and selling things will take a little time to learn and isn't something we can reasonably describe here. If you are interested in learning about being an Amazon seller, here is a decent place to start: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... g=tonbr-20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
To me, Amazon's overwhelming advantage compared to eBay and BrickLink is that you have the option of sending everything you want to sell directly to an Amazon warehouse and letting Amazon associates fulfill any orders that you receive. This selling option is called FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). You can learn more about it here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/ ... g=tonbr-20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
As to fees .... I can't say whether Amazon's are higher or lower than eBay's or Bricklink's when all the indirect costs of selling are factored in. (If you skip to the next paragraph, you'll see why I don't think this is the factor that should determine whether you sell on Amazon or not.) If you do a Google search, you will find a number of people who have done side by side assessments. Most of these concluded that the costs are pretty close, especially for higher cost items. Amazon's sales commission is generally 15% of your selling price. In addition, there are some fixed per item fees that apply to virtually every item you sell. For very small to average sized items, these fixed fees are $3.46. If your item is "oversize" or weighs more than 2 pounds, these fixed fees are higher. If you sell more than 40 items per month, you can elect Pro Seller status. You are charged $39.99 a month for this, but your per item fees are reduced by $1 to $2.46. So if you sell 60 items per month, you actually pay $20 less in fees than if you are not a Pro Seller.
What I can say with certainty is that I am netting more money by selling on Amazon than I would net selling anywhere else. That's because, like Condor, I find that I usually can charge higher prices for retired sets that are new and unopened on Amazon than on eBay or Bricklink. I say usually because recently retired Lego sets may not be priced higher, especially if Amazon itself (rather than a 3rd party seller like me) has these sets in its inventory. Prices for these sets will not begin to rise until Amazon's own inventory is gone. A good example is Monster Fighters 9463, The Werewolf. If you look right under the price, it says "In Stock. Ships from and Sold By Amazon.com." The phrase "Sold By" tells you this set is coming from Amazon's own inventory. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Q0 ... g=tonbr-20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; If you look a little further below, you'll see there are 137 sellers offering this set. If you click on this link, you'll see a few are trying to compete with Amazon on price, something I almost always try to avoid. But most of the 137 are simply waiting for Amazon's inventory to run out. 137 sellers is a lot, however, so prices for this particular set will probably rise quite slowly for 6 months or so, though it is possible there could be a little spike around Halloween.
Finally, like Condor, I do not sell used Lego sets on Amazon. Except for books and DVDs, I don't think a typical buyer goes to Amazon thinking about used items so I just avoid them.
Hope this is helpful. Since I've been doing this actively for 18 months, I'm happy to respond to some questions.
JeffLord
PS- I bet more people will look at this thread if it is renamed to the following: Is It Best To Sell On eBay, Bricklink or Amazon?
Assuming you have an Amazon account to buy things, changing your profile to also be an Amazon seller is quite easy. The process of actually listing and selling things will take a little time to learn and isn't something we can reasonably describe here. If you are interested in learning about being an Amazon seller, here is a decent place to start: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... g=tonbr-20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
To me, Amazon's overwhelming advantage compared to eBay and BrickLink is that you have the option of sending everything you want to sell directly to an Amazon warehouse and letting Amazon associates fulfill any orders that you receive. This selling option is called FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). You can learn more about it here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/ ... g=tonbr-20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
As to fees .... I can't say whether Amazon's are higher or lower than eBay's or Bricklink's when all the indirect costs of selling are factored in. (If you skip to the next paragraph, you'll see why I don't think this is the factor that should determine whether you sell on Amazon or not.) If you do a Google search, you will find a number of people who have done side by side assessments. Most of these concluded that the costs are pretty close, especially for higher cost items. Amazon's sales commission is generally 15% of your selling price. In addition, there are some fixed per item fees that apply to virtually every item you sell. For very small to average sized items, these fixed fees are $3.46. If your item is "oversize" or weighs more than 2 pounds, these fixed fees are higher. If you sell more than 40 items per month, you can elect Pro Seller status. You are charged $39.99 a month for this, but your per item fees are reduced by $1 to $2.46. So if you sell 60 items per month, you actually pay $20 less in fees than if you are not a Pro Seller.
What I can say with certainty is that I am netting more money by selling on Amazon than I would net selling anywhere else. That's because, like Condor, I find that I usually can charge higher prices for retired sets that are new and unopened on Amazon than on eBay or Bricklink. I say usually because recently retired Lego sets may not be priced higher, especially if Amazon itself (rather than a 3rd party seller like me) has these sets in its inventory. Prices for these sets will not begin to rise until Amazon's own inventory is gone. A good example is Monster Fighters 9463, The Werewolf. If you look right under the price, it says "In Stock. Ships from and Sold By Amazon.com." The phrase "Sold By" tells you this set is coming from Amazon's own inventory. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Q0 ... g=tonbr-20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; If you look a little further below, you'll see there are 137 sellers offering this set. If you click on this link, you'll see a few are trying to compete with Amazon on price, something I almost always try to avoid. But most of the 137 are simply waiting for Amazon's inventory to run out. 137 sellers is a lot, however, so prices for this particular set will probably rise quite slowly for 6 months or so, though it is possible there could be a little spike around Halloween.
Finally, like Condor, I do not sell used Lego sets on Amazon. Except for books and DVDs, I don't think a typical buyer goes to Amazon thinking about used items so I just avoid them.
Hope this is helpful. Since I've been doing this actively for 18 months, I'm happy to respond to some questions.
JeffLord
PS- I bet more people will look at this thread if it is renamed to the following: Is It Best To Sell On eBay, Bricklink or Amazon?
Re: Selling Platform
Good info....I have been selling on eBay for several years and one crippling thing they changed was about a year ago dropping a 20 percent discount they gave me for being a top seller. They dropped the discount on you if you don't offer expedited shipping and don't offer returns. I am ok with offering the shipping service, but worry about dishonest people that would return a Lego set and may have tampered with it...I have read a lot on here about people finding sealed sets with missing pieces that were resealed. I never would want to take that chance....so eBay basically screwed me out of a perk...now their fees jumped higher recently. I TRULEY believe we should see some competition coming soon that will compete with eBay with a better fee structure with a similar buying and selling platform....I have yet to see anything similar yet, but with Ebay's continuous hands digging deeper in my pockets, I wouldn't be too hesitant to jump ship..I may look at amazon, but felt their fees are much higher even so.
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- Honored Citizen
- Posts: 147
- Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:21 pm
- Location: PDX
Re: Selling Platform
Quick note, amazon has very high traffic, but is a sellers worst nightmare in regard to thier terms and conditions.
You are required to accpt returns even if the item has been opened.
You have little to no recourse against bad buyers returning damaged goods.
And if you upset more than one buyer(for smaller sellers, no idea what the % is but its low) to the point they rate you negatively your seller account is closed permanently and you are banned with no appeal system.
So just be aware the traffic comes with a price.
You are required to accpt returns even if the item has been opened.
You have little to no recourse against bad buyers returning damaged goods.
And if you upset more than one buyer(for smaller sellers, no idea what the % is but its low) to the point they rate you negatively your seller account is closed permanently and you are banned with no appeal system.
So just be aware the traffic comes with a price.
Re: Selling Platform
Geese, I just notices PayPal just raised their rates to over 4 percent.. I remember it's was 3 percent...Time for new competition to come in....
Re: Selling Platform
I sell on ebay. I don't really sell for profit really though. I mainly buy sets and sell the figures to keep the pieces. I try to find sets that allow me to do so and either break even or make a tiny profit. I also invest in a few sets each year and sell them a few years later (complete sealed set) on ebay. Every monthly bill is very painful plus paypal fees. I'm just in for the LEGO pieces and to make enough money to support my LEGO habit. I offer 1.99 shipping when it costs 2.07 to ship a minifigure or two plus packaging supplies and the time spent. I've had several say that my shipping rates are "decent" when I not only offer shipping rates just mentioned but I also offer free shipping for 3 or more items. People don't have a clue.
I love purchasing from brinklink but selling looks as though it would be very confusing at first.
I love purchasing from brinklink but selling looks as though it would be very confusing at first.
Re: Selling Platform
I also hate Ebay's rating systems (feedback). I've worked very very very hard to keep 100% positive feedback. Far to hard really.zztoy wrote: They dropped the discount on you if you don't offer expedited shipping and don't offer returns. I am ok with offering the shipping service, but worry about dishonest people that would return a Lego set and may have tampered with it...I have read a lot on here about people finding sealed sets with missing pieces that were resealed. I never would want to take that chance....so eBay basically screwed me out of a perk...now their fees jumped higher
Re: Selling Platform
Would like to know if there is a site that exists that shows or allows you to see eBay user names that people have blocked or recommend to. I experience 1-2 dishonest people a year it seems. Maybe that's not so bad?
Re: Selling Platform
Selling on Bricklink isn't bad at all. I've sold a number of things there too and have had a great experience. One of the advantages to Bricklink is the low commission. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they only charge 3% commission. Of course, Paypal takes a cut too if you accept that as a form of payment. The buyer pays for the entire shipping fee if you choose, so that's covered.StClair wrote:I love purchasing from brinklink but selling looks as though it would be very confusing at first.
I have also found Bricklink buyers to be more "forgiving" to the condition of the items. I've sold used, yellowed sets with half the stickers missing and the buyer was very happy to receive it.
zztoy, I haven't heard of a website like that, although I have seen forums where people list scammer's user ID's.
Re: Selling Platform
Yeah, it would be interesting for a web page to post, just not sure legal, but I think eBay is doing a lousy job alerting and blocking the dishonest ones.
Re: Selling Platform
Echoing this. Also some people have had terrible experiences with FBA, between the forced acceptance of all returns and counterfeit sticker-less commingled items shipped by other people and sold with your name: http://www.startupnation.com/business-b ... a-program/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;FenrisAkashi wrote:Quick note, amazon has very high traffic, but is a sellers worst nightmare in regard to thier terms and conditions.
You are required to accpt returns even if the item has been opened.
You have little to no recourse against bad buyers returning damaged goods.
And if you upset more than one buyer(for smaller sellers, no idea what the % is but its low) to the point they rate you negatively your seller account is closed permanently and you are banned with no appeal system.
So just be aware the traffic comes with a price.
And taxes are a nightmare since amazon warehouses are everywhere now.
Re: Selling Platform
Sorry... Its related but a bit off topic... Does anyone have advice in regards to taxes and Ebay sellers? I've sold more than usual this year on ebay. Will I have to claim this as profit? That would be horrible since most of my sales haven't really been profitable in a monetary sense. Much of my sales are selling the figures and keeping the pieces. I barely make a profit.. Anyone know if there is limit to what one can do on ebay without claiming it on taxes? Sorry. I'm clueless to these things.
- SpaceViking
- Royal Guardian
- Posts: 617
- Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:49 am
Re: Selling Platform
@StClair the letter of the law in the US is that taxes need to be paid on all gains. There are a number of classifications for this though. [ I'm not a tax attorney, so this advice is presented only to set you on the right path. ] There is a trigger of 200 transactions + $20k of income that pushes any online sales activity to be classified as a small business. Breaking up sets and selling of the figs would mostly likely qualify as hobby income, depending on volume. My best advice is to keep accurate records, and do a little research on-line. If your volume is substantial, and your profit (income minus cost of the sets) is over $500, its a good idea to talk to a tax adviser.
Re: Selling Platform
SpaceViking is correct. Paypal is now required to report misc. income to the IRS for any individual who has 200+ transactions and $20K in receipts for the year. If you fall under that you are still technically required to report any income to the IRS, but I think a lot of people do not and the IRS doesn't have a good way to track that income. You can offset your income with the expenditures you have, namely the price you paid for the set, shipping costs, ebay and Paypal fees. At the end of the day I doubt you're coming out ahead since you keep the leftovers from your sets and probably aren't making enough from the minifigures to keep the pieces. Regardless you should check your sales volume on Paypal so you can be ready if you hit the threshold listed above and they report your activity to the IRS.
Re: Selling Platform
Thank you both for the great info in regards to taxes and ebay sales. I expected something of this nature. I may be close to having 200 transaction by the end of the year but surely nowhere near $20k in sales. In the future I will try to keep better track of receipts and proof of purchase prices. As you said I manage to make a very very small profit on some sets while keeping the pieces but most of the time I end up paying a small amount for what I'm keeping as I'm sure many LEGO enthusiasts that break up sets do. Thanks for the replies and info. Its great finding others that both share an interest of LEGO products and have knowledge to share. Thanks
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- Knight
- Posts: 376
- Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:08 am
- Location: SC, US
Re: Selling Platform
If you're not running a home business, I would say just keep all your purchase receipts for the worst-case-scenario audit. Even with 200 transactions, at the level of hobby income, I seriously doubt the men in black are going to knock on your door demanding their cut. It would cost more to send the car out than they would likely get.
However, if your "hobby" metastasizes and you do end up with $20k in Paypal transactions even though you spent $25k on Lego, you may need some professional help. Y'know, write offs and such.
However, if your "hobby" metastasizes and you do end up with $20k in Paypal transactions even though you spent $25k on Lego, you may need some professional help. Y'know, write offs and such.
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