Just Became an Ebay Powerseller

And lets see - they complain about buyers fees and then they complain about dealers profit margins. I wonder how some ever purchase a coin.

And if you look at some of the closed auctions on heritage you can see where "it looks like" some buyers forgot to subtract out the buyers fee. Almost funny to see all the previous auctions brought 100 ont he nose and the latest brought $115(just an example). Of couse I did that once so who am I to make light of the issue.

 

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BNB, I have been a power seller for over a year now, and was until just recently a top rated seller. I lost my top rated seller status because 2 people with in one year complained about my shipping and handling prices. ($2.20) I ship with a bubble mailer and a cardboard incert, and my actual shipping charges is $2.23. I charge less then my actual charges but still lost my status because someone thought $2.20 was too much to pay for shipping. Also the people that complain about those prices are the ones that win an auction for .99c. With that said I am a bronze power seller and I the only advantage that I get out of it is the 20% off final value fees.

 

When I go to my ebay, folks, the Power Seller icon is there.. So, I'm not sure what some of you are seeing but it's there..

 

Congrats, I guess....
I just sell to get rid of stuff not to get a "power seller" designation.

 

Same here!! I don't go seeking it but hey, it's sure a cool honor to have!

Now I just have to maintain it.. That's going to be the fun part..

When I thought I was outta this industry as a collector for good, I thought that was it on Dec. 3rd(My bday/retirement day) but.. this may be a reason to suck me back in from the sell side perspective.

 

Hmm, I don't see it either. Here is what I see...I am looking in the wrong place? I thought it would appear next to your feedback rating?

-LTB

 

Why BNB? Why do you "have to maintain it"? so you can make more money for eBay? The others have attested to their experiences and how little payback the PowerSeller status is really worth.

Yes, I can also vouch for seeing your PowerSeller icon "status" next to your user name. Big deal.

You didn't think you were out of coins... you've repeatedly defended the fact that you were 'retired'... lot of hot air as usual. You just don't know whether you're coming or going... hope you find your way.

 

Yeah you're absolutely right Krispy, I don't disagree that being a "Power Seller" is really nothing to gloat over.. However, I see it as a money making opportunity for a 24 year old aspiring young business man to eventually make ends meet.

Down the road, they also offer Health options.. Sweet!

 

BNB: Yep, I just checked on the Phillipine ebay and you're a powerseller alright!! Just kidding about the Phillipine, if you're on one you're on the other. Hope you don't have to work too hard and like you said, I hope it's fun for you.

That said, don't kill yourself working yourself too hard for ebay's benefit!! :bow:

 

Yeah no I won't, fret..

Hey look, I'm 24 and need a job and I'm stubborn when it comes to sitting behind a desk(Unless it's a leader position), that's why I have to do things on my own..

 

It remains to be seen how you are going to make money in this strategy of yours now that you are a non-retired coin dealing PowerSeller on eBay supplying your customers with Heritage products for the purpose of maintain your status, making eBay money by your hard efforts and dreaming of personal success padded with health care provided by eBay!

You haven't explained how your new strategy works. Why don't you explain it to us? You like to discuss tactics. There's nothing wrong with aspiring, but man does your foot ever land in your mouth on a frequent basis around here.

 

Eh if you feel or think it does, so be it. I'm not here to make friends, well, if they come, they come, but I am here to learn and educate.

Regarding the tactics you ask of, I find it against my comfort zone to delve into them too too deep, but I will leave you with a very simple idea, buy low, sell high, go to shows, resell on ebay. This trick has worked in the past and if I can buy at spot for bullion I can do this.. That's the whole shebang behind the shebang!

 

Okay BNB, care to educate me, on how you think you will just be able to buy low and sell high, consistent enough so you can maintain your almighty powerseller status?
I doubt you can do it, and like I said earlier, you will be struggling to find coins that you can flip to keep yourself as Powerseller.

 

Then learn, but please don't try to educate.......

 

Whoa! Mammoth advice dude! listen to green18 if that's the best you can do... but my advice to you would be to go out and actually BE successful then come back here and tell all about it, don't get a 'notion' of an idea you half heard or concocted then come asking for praise before you proved your success. Just do us that favor, go BE successful then collect your applause.

 

BNB,

I think that Krispy has a point. In order to be successful buying from Heritage and selling on E-Bay, it would seem logical that you would have to develop a niche in a certain area. I will give you a few examples.

• Slider Cracker: These E-Bay sellers buy up nice AU58 slabbed examples, crack them out, and then sell them to unsuspecting E-Bayers. The problem with this niche is that it is unethical and sooner or later the feedback ratings will come back to haunt you and your success.
• Photographer: I know several of these sellers on E-Bay. They focus mainly on toned coins since that is Heritage's weakness. They will also purchase many coins from DLRC, Teletrade, and other E-Bay auctions with poor photos. This can be a very lucrative selling method for those that have a firm grasp on the toned coin market and excellent photography skills. If I was going to attempt to make money selling on E-Bay, this is what I would do. The risks are overpaying for the toned material and resorting to juicing photos in order to break even or profit. Once the juicing starts, it is like crack (addictive), and sooner or later the feedback ratings will come back to haunt you and your success.
• VAM man: These sellers search the Heritage inventory and their enormous photos endlessly for unattributed VAM's in PCGS & NGC holders and then sell them properly attributed on E-Bay to variety collectors. This requires expert knowledge of varieties and patience to find them. Once found, the seller must decide whether or not to have the variety attributed by the TPG. If you chose that option it increases costs and cuts into profit. If you pass, sooner or later sellers will dispute your attributions and the feedback ratings will come back to haunt you and your success.
• Series Expert: E-Bay is full of sellers who specialize in a particular series. Finding new material is completely dependent upon have a greater in depth knowledge of that series and pouncing on an opportunity to obtain a coin that will realize a profit. The problem is that the profit margins are very low and as a result turnover times will be longer requiring a much larger initial cash investment than the other niches.

Whether you choose one of the options above or develop your own plan, I hope you realize that in order to succeed, you must have a plan. Walking blindly into this venture will result in inevitable failure. That inevitable failure by the way is the reason for all of the popcorn comments in this thread.

I wish you well but know this.:secret: Despite my experience in Numismatics and my photography skills, I would rather play professional poker for a living than try to sell coins on E-Bay for a profit.

Paul

 

Great advice from an educator.....

 

BNB... you and I disagree pretty much every time you post. green18 and Lehigh are giving you great advice.... please learn before you attempt to educate.

Some comments on this thread: powerseller status is essentially meaningless to me, and I will actually avoid buying from these guys if possible. To me, powerseller means the guy sells a lot and I am just another customer - much more likely to get lost in the shuffle, given the cold shoulder, treated poorly. These guys have the "Ebay attitude." The smaller sellers are much more likely to care, treat me personally, and give me better service. In this regard, the "top rated sellers" are more likely to attract my attention.

Attempting to maintain your powerseller status just for the sake of it is foolish. This follows from the first item.

Attempting to maintain your powerseller status by buying coins at retail auction from Heritage is outright stupidity, and certain financial doom. Buying low and selling high is the key - as you know. Buying at auction means competing against knowledgeable bidders who have already set a fair price. You can't then turn around and expect bidders on Ebay (also an auction!) to set a higher fair market price! As Paul said: there has to be some value added to make a dependable profit.

I continue to caution you BNB - please take the time to learn from those with greater experience. Please try and be humble. Please try and be patient. I mean you no harm and I offer this advice with the best of intentions (I too am an ambitious 24 year old). I'm just hoping that experience, knowledge, patience, and humility will take some of the extremely harsh edge off your current persona.

 

Oh come on - that is easy - he will be able to keep his PS status as long as he is willing to buy and sell at either breaking even, or losing some, and making some...heck, I could do that....but to make money doing this for a living, not for several years and alot more studing for him.

I'm younger than BNB, but in some ways we are alike - I'm 21 - we are both looking for ways to earn a living...we both just have different ideas on how to reach the same end goal.

Speedy

 

My point was, how is he going to continuously make a PROFIT with what he is trying to do. Buy low and sell high... Looks good on paper, doesn't it? Try applying it, and that is when you realize, that it is hard to do what he is talking about, and you must have a lot of time and dedicated to it