Buyers of pricey Los Angeles Dodgers collectibles don't
exactly line up at your door when your music, comics and
memorabilia shop is located in Joplin, Missouri. So when Rodney
Spriggs finds that one of his 10 Vintage Stock
stores in the Midwest has slow-moving merchandise, he lists those
items on eBay to reach a bigger audience.
"eBay gives us a great outlet for higher-dollar items or
items that might not sell in the Midwest," explains Spriggs,
38, who co-owns the company with partners Steve Wilcox, 39, and Ken
Caviness, 49. "Five-hundred-dollar Star Wars items might just
sit in the store, but when we put them on eBay, we reach a whole
new audience."
Sales on eBay make up approximately 3 percent of the
company's $7 million in annual revenue.
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Spriggs expects the percentage to jump in 2006, when Vintage
Stock plans to open an eBay Store instead of running individual
listings from each of the company's locations.
While brick-and-mortar retailers may not immediately think of
eBay as a viable selling option, Janelle Elms thinks every retailer
should have an eBay presence as a way to unload inventory, beef up
sales and even drive traffic into local store locations. Elms,
co-author of eBay Your Business: Maximize Profits and Get Results,
lives in Kirkland, Washington, and teaches courses on eBay selling,
in addition to consulting with businesses to maximize their profits
on eBay.
"I've worked with hundreds of businesses, and I've
yet to find a product or service that doesn't work on
eBay," says Elms. "For a very low cost, you can get your
name out there, brand your business and reach an audience that you
never dreamed of with a small retail business."
Tools You Can Use
Retailers can choose to run individual listings to get started, or
invest in an eBay Store, which creates a common area on eBay where
retailers can display all their eBay items, says Elms. The virtual
storefronts are available at different levels, each with a variety
of services, and range in price from $15.95 to $499.95 per month.
Entry-level packages include five pages of customizable space,
sales tracking capabilities and other features, as well as access
to customer support. Top-tier subscriptions for high-volume sellers
feature 15 pages of space and all the features of the lower-level
subscriptions, as well as 24-hour access to customer support.
The eBay Certified Provider Program promotes access to a network
of technical and nontechnical service providers who are carefully
screened by eBay. These companies offer services to help eBay
sellers ramp up their volume. Nontechnical providers can be hired
to help with sales strategy, product sourcing and creative
strategy, while technical providers offer services such as custom
software development and integration of an existing e-commerce
effort with the eBay platform. Certified Providers have extensive
experience serving the eBay community, pass certification exams and
provide customer references, which are checked by eBay.
Of course, the eBay site has many basic tips and tools for those
who want to get started or launch more successful listings. You can
start at the Learning Center, which offers everything from basic
selling techniques to links to starting a business for the advanced
seller. And like most other business functions, listings can be
outsourced. eBay also offers access to Trading Assistants,
experienced eBay sellers who will sell your items on your behalf
for a fee.
In addition, eBay has trained an army of instructors as
Education Specialists to help you get started selling. To find one
in your area, check the Education Specialist Directory.
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