eBay Listing Types - Which Kind is Best?

I received this question from Billie:

"I need to tap into your expertise. I'm a little confused as to where to list items in my store. Fixed or store inventory? Is it true that items listed as store inventory very rarely come up in the ebay search, is it better to spend the extra money and do the fixed price to get more visability? Your answere would be greatly appreciated."

This is a common question among my coaching clients so I will give you my 2 cents worth, which may differ from other opinions out there.

Auction style listings and fixed price listings get more visibility in searches than store inventory listings. The downside is that they cost more on the front end. When you list an item on auction or fixed price, the fee up front is .55 or more, depending on your starting price and upgrades, and you pay that fee whether or not the item sells. When you list an item in store inventory, the up front cost is .03-.05 depending on asking price.

Here is my strategy. I use store inventory as a "holding tank" for unsold auctions. Let's say I find a great item,like True Religion jeans, to "flip" on eBay. (Click here for a video tutorial on how to flip listings.) I will start off running an auction. If the item doesn't sell on auction, I will move it to store inventory at a fixed price with Best Offer. At least the item is out there and has some visibility until I decide to put it on auction or fixed price again. You can move items around like this through your selling manager very easily.

Some items go directly into my store inventory. Let's say I find 20 of something at Big Lots. I will put one on auction, and the rest as a quantity in store inventory. Within the auction I will say, "Don't want to wait for this auction to end? Buy it now from my store inventory." So you can use your auctions to advertise other things in store inventory.

Running all auctions and fixed price listings gets expensive, especially if your items don't sell. Granted, the final value fee for store inventory items is higher (12% vs 8% for auctions), but you don't lose money on the listing fees.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each listing type. It is a gray area with a lot of variables. You will need to experiment and see what works best for you and find your own comfort zone.

Happy Selling!



Find sloppy listings and resell the items for way more than you paid for them! Click here to see my personal examples.