MarkusE said:Rapacious, are you selling just the Wii box only or bundling games/accessories?

My Wii console-only auctions have been selling "only" in the $4xx range.

If you don't mind, can you please link to one of your listings? What time do you end them, which format (auction or BuyItNow), and which listing extras do you purchase, if any (bold, featured listings, etc.)?


you don't think Rappy's just gonna come out w/ his secrets that easily, do ya??




I will offer you a little suggestion, though, from my experiences...Paying for the Gallery Featured/Featured Plus! is really worth it...(you can get a package deal with both of them for 29.99)...that's gonna make your auction the 1st one that a rich soccer mom sees when she types in 'Nintendo Wii'. Also, I try to think a lot about timing on these things, especially in relation to the West Coast (i'm in central time). It seems a lot of people over there have some serious dough to drop on these things.

Here's an example. On the last round from CC/TGT/TRU, etc...I scored 2 units in one shopping center that morning (1 at TRU, 1 at CC). At the time, there were so many 'casual' wii seekers there (people who may have a pressing desire to get a wii, but do not put the time/effort into the internet research, message boards, etc...and/or simply don't have the knowledge about these kind of informational avenues) who had only just seen it in the paper that morning; as they were being turned away ("you mean I got here 30 whole minutes before the store opens and I can't get one!!!?") many of them mentioned going to WM on Wednesday, as it became known to them (finally) that they would be sold the following that morning at 8am. After finally obtaining this concrete information from their local sunday circular, most of these 'casual' buyers are thinking, at least to their knowledge, the whole WM deal might be their last chance to score one before the holidays.

I began my auction that Tuesday, around 10-11am PST; one day auction, a high BIN (I believe it was around $550-600) listing upgrades to the max (pretty much everything), immediate payment, and PP acct. required. My thinking was that anyone on the West Coast returning home from WM empty handed @9:00-9:30am is more than likely going straight to the 'Bay, becuase, as far as they know, that is probably going to be there only chance to get one for Timmy before the holidays.

As a control to my test, I listed my second unit around the same time, but with minimal listing upgrades (no Featured, etc...), and a lower BIN of approx. $420. I really wanted to see if adding all that extra crap would really help a ton. To make a long story short, the $420 BIN sold very quickly, but the auction with the Featured upgrades went for $550+. Basically for $30 more in listing fees (and maybe a few more bucks in FVF) I was able to make about $100 more. More importantly, with the immediate payment with BIN and PP acct. required, I had 2 very repected buyers, who were more than happy to promptly pay for the auction WITHIN MINUTES, and proceed to thank me for making their holidays (some people, unlike me, just make enough dough to not even think twice about paying 2x retail for something instead of wasting their time waiting in a line).

Anyway, it's late, and I'm just kind of rambling, but maybe some of my expereinces will help you out in some way. Good luck, and I'll see you on Sunday!

The upgrades do seem to help. I sold two PS3s with the 'featured plus' for $700 and $770 within minutes of each other while other PS3s closed in the $590-$620 range. Needless to say I'm happy with the extra $20 charge.

Demand for the Wii should be fairly high all the way through Christmas and New Year's.

If you try and sell the Wii after sunday, you better make sure to ship 2-day or overnight, otherwise you'll end up with an angry parent who'll neg you out of spite. (And don't ship USPS Priority "2-3" day delivery because it's not guaranteed)

vc318 said:noryen said:If you try and sell the Wii after sunday, you better make sure to ship 2-day or overnight, otherwise you'll end up with an angry parent who'll neg you out of spite. (And don't ship USPS Priority "2-3" day delivery because it's not guaranteed)

Okay thanks.

If it helps, I went by the post office and one of the clerks told me that the ABSOLUTE last day to try to mail anything Priority and to get there by Christmas would be next Tuesday. Even safer mail out everything by Monday.

Just to warn you, but USPS Priority is NOT reliable around Christmas time. Last year, I shipped packages around 12/19/05 and they did not arrive until 1/5/2006! Of the 100 packages I sent around Christmas time (but ahead of the USPS cut off), around 10 arrived after Christmas.

vc318 said:anxman69 said:
Just to warn you, but USPS Priority is NOT reliable around Christmas time. Last year, I shipped packages around 12/19/05 and they did not arrive until 1/5/2006! Of the 100 packages I sent around Christmas time (but ahead of the USPS cut off), around 10 arrived after Christmas.

Whoa, are you serious?! Well, I'll give the buyer the option to have it shipped Express or Priority then. Thanks!

Make sure you put in big red letter with a blink tag that with priority mail, deliver isn't guaranteed. Not that buyers would bother to read that since it's already displayed on the page in the shipping info.

People think Prioity Mail = Fast Guaranteed Delivery,

I have one more Wii to sell until I get more this weekend I'm going to list it to end Sunday evening. That way all the ticked off parents who don't get one at a B&M store Sunday morning can bid to their hearts content on mine This will also beat out people who do get wii's at the store Sunday morning as it can take up to 7 hours for an auction to appear in the search listings on eBay. I have sold a bunch of wii's this week and my auctions are 24 hours and featured and I don't get any page hits until 17 hours left in the auction.

Made about 140 after expenses on the wii. Not bad at all. Now for the hard one, the PS3...

chaalu said:Guys,
Is there any way to restrict 0 feedback bids. I know we can stop -1, -2 feedback bids. But haven't come across anywhere on how to stop someone with 0 feedback. Thanks

No. I've tried and no luck. Have you tried calling eBay (their number is available at the Deal Discussion forum)? Or, just state it clearly in your item description that their offer won't be accepted.

I just wanted to point out that your experiment wasn't setup correctly. You should have listed the one without the features at the same price. If it did NOT sell, then we would have had good data.

For all we know, it may have sold at the $550 price point if it was listed at that.

Thanks in turn, for the tip. I am trying something a little closer to what you've suggested on this round. Used the upgrades for both...we'll see how it goes. Gonna try to vary up some free gifts (games, remotes, etc..) to see if those will help/hurt.

BTW, today was another great day at TRU! Waited for 1.5 hours in line, scored 2 wii's, 2 xbox 360's, 2 wiimotes, Marvel Alliance Wii game, and a $100 TRU gift card for a grand total of approximately $1400. Used new sony card deal I picked up from A finance forum deal I got in on awhile ago (part of a mini AOR), and will get $150 credit in the next month or two...so an approximate cost of $1250...not too shabby! Just wish I would have had one of those AMEX coupons!....
2
Ready to be done with wii's #5&6, and be done with it...between the Wii's and online BF deals, it's been a nice start to the holidays (esp. for my family!). Funny thing is, I never managed to get my hands on a ps3 (was about 2 min. late @ BB one time...), and everything still worked out great for me...no regrets!

'Bout to hook up my new 360 and fire up Gears of War!!!