I have three awesome websites. The only trouble is that selling guitar strings on two is much more difficult than I planned on. For one thing, the first thing I thought of when considering selling them was the fact that there are millions of guitar players world wide. I mean how many guitar players do think live in your city or town? Or how many do you think live in New York City or Houston, Texas? Or in Rome, Italy? More than a few.
The other factor is that my husband is a musician and plays the guitar. Now he is VERY critical of his strings. But since selling strings and learning about them, I have found that not all guitar players are like him. In fact, a family member who plays his guitar all the time, didn't even know about the different gauges or materials they are made with. Then I found out that many guitar players who buy a new guitar just use that set of strings that came on their guitar. They will replace them with the same brand and gauge instead of trying something else. Or they NEVER change them!
Plus, one of the best reasons I liked guitar strings was that they are small and easy to package up and ship. Shipping costs for most items is very high and eats into any profit you can make. Buyers don't understand why they have to pay for shipping. or especially why they should have to cover our cost of the bubble mailers, the labels, the ink and the transaction fees. But if the sale from them doesn't cover that and allow us to make some sort of profit.........what is the sense of selling to them? Just for the fun of it? Hardly!
So when you pick a product to sell on your site, eBay, Bonanza, etsy, or Amazon, what are the factors that help you decide what to sell? And how do you figure the shipping into your product? Then how do you price it? These are all questions I am pondering these days. Leave me a comment and tell me what you think.
Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
and of course, I sell on Bonanza also. I have two booths there. There is more to selling on these sites than just listing it. I found a site that I can use for free to make templates for my listings. I love doing that and it has made the process of listing more fun.
to research information about whatever you are selling. Sometimes you can find a niche market for a certain item being used in a different way. So when you are checking prices, be sure to check why people would want to buy your item. What can they do with it? Or learn from it (if it is a book)?
in the title for that purpose. I try to make it sound different than everyone else's listing of the same item. It is VERY competitive out there and you can claim the buyers if you work at it.
I feel they are really the easiest to work with and I have fun on their site......whether I am selling or buying!
from your computer you need to do a few things. You need to have a good quality product to sell. If you are shipping it from your house and have inventory then you need a safe, clean place to keep it. If heat or cold is a factor you need a room that will suit your products.
for printing out the labels all add up. I know from selling myself, that buyers resent paying those shipping cost. They seem to expect you to ship for free and not include it in the price. I think they are in shock when they realize you really do need to make a profit somehow!
work anyway. Plus working on the computer for your own business is very different than working for someone else. I find I work more than 40 hours a week, but I love it.
