Thread: Advice for Selling Straights on Ebay?

Good luck!
~Richard

I really don't know about anyone else. for me and few I have sold as you said take good photos and as many as are allowed. describe the razor in detail. that way there's doubt as to what it is. next the price. I put a starting price of the least I will take for it. if it makes this good. if it goes over a little the great. I also ship the safest way for me. I live in Tn. USA. because of the lack of knowledge about international shipping I ship USA only and I state that. I use USPS priority only. it's more expensive but you get a tracking no. and 50 dollars insurance. other than that good luck.

Originally Posted by rhensley

I really don't know about anyone else. for me and few I have sold as you said take good photos and as many as are allowed. describe the razor in detail. that way there's doubt as to what it is. next the price. I put a starting price of the least I will take for it. if it makes this good. if it goes over a little the great. I also ship the safest way for me. I live in Tn. USA. because of the lack of knowledge about international shipping I ship USA only and I state that. I use USPS priority only. it's more expensive but you get a tracking no. and 50 dollars insurance. other than that good luck.

Similar to rhensley. Priority mail small flat rate, it's $5.95 price of mind.
Detail. Every little piece. Nicks, stains, hone or spine wear.
How long have you had it, what have you done with it.
IS IT SHAVE READY? If so, detail your progression and sterilizing detail with oil.

I've sold 3 so far. All have sold for more than I paid for them originally.
Key trick is to search for what your selling and be the lowest of them all. This will make them follow. Thell see what others like yours went for and if your lucky, it will be a 15 second frenzy before it ends. It's not uncommon to see a $80-110 jump in the final seconds.

Most of you have the opportunity to trade freely on Ebay, I have all hard, I can only buy, sell, I can not yet. But I will look for ways to solve this problem. So it's good that it is possible to sell anything.

I used to be in the camp where you detail everything no matter how minor. The problem is if you do that you will probably miss something and then they got you and it's a clear case of not as described.
These days I emphasize it's a used item and detail issues affecting functionality and obvious defects. The minor cosmetic issues I don't bother with. I see a lot of sellers who just say to use the pictures as a guide to condition and they say little else. I'm not sure how wise that is.

You all know, Eboy is just about the only place on Earth where someone buys a used item for a fraction of the new price and they expect a perfect item looking like it was just bought from the retailer unless you say otherwise. Everywhere else when you buy a used item there is an expectation there will be issues and if there aren't you are lucky.

Anytime I'm thinking of selling something on ebay, whatever it is, I go to 'completed items' in a search for that item. Just to get an idea of what the market may be for a particular item. What everyone else said, best pix possible, and a complete description. I always try to anticipate any question a potential buyer might ask, and include it in the description from jump street.

Spendur's ebay story is a mirror image of mine! The more details you give the more potential buyers expect you to be knowledgeable about what you sell. The more knowledgeable they think you are the more they expect you to tell everything of importance.
If OTOH you pretend you found it on your mother's uncle's attic and try to sell it as is, the less they expect you to tell them anything of importance.

On French ebay lots of NOS blades appear of less well known French razor makers. Often good blades that deserve more fame. 2 of them had scales that are a bit too short, not allowing the blade to sink between the scales easily and without pushing. The first time it happened I bought it of a guy who specified how he had honed the razor on an Escher and a Nakayama. In his case I complained and got a partial refund. 2nd time it happened it was of someone who did not appear very knowledgeable at all. I did bother to complain because such a person can easily say: "How do you expect me to know that is not how it should be?"

Whatever you sell: be honest about your item in description and photography.

I've heard similar stories on a knife forum. Attempting to detail all the corrosion/wear can be counterproductive with a finicky buyer (or one with buyer's remorse). These are the types of things I'm going to try and avoid.

I never searched through completed auctions on ebay. I'll try that.

Thanks for the advice so far gentleman. It's good to see everything in one place. Even if it was something you've heard before, it is good to have reminders in one place.

I've sold a few items on Ebay and one thing that I would suggest for all items is get tracking. When a buyer says that they didn't receive an item and you don't have tracking it falls on you to try and prove that it was delivered, but if tracking says that it was delivered it falls on the buyer to prove they didn't receive it.

Thanks,

I've seen auctions where the seller required "" positive feedback from buyers and even one that stated if the person had a history of leaving negative feedback their bid would be cancelled.

I'm definitely going to use tracking and a starting price. I want to keep it simple, so I'm keeping within CONUS. Are there any states that have taxes or restrictions I should be aware of?