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 Replies: 14 / Views: 2,429 |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
497 Posts |
I started out as a full time coin dealer about 6 months ago, based in the UK. I started a thread about it on here and got a fantastic response with lots of very useful advice. I've really enjoyed it, making fairly good money and I want to keep doing it - but so far a lot of my activity has been through ebay. Frankly, I am fed up of ebay. Increasingly most of my sales are coming from abroad - mainly the US, Germany and Australia as well as elsewhere. As I'm getting charged by paypal 3.4% to receive any foreign currency and really quite bad exchange rates, plus ebay fees, unpaid items and spending a huge amount of time putting listings together etc, so I've decided to quit ebay. Other than ebay I have a cabinet in an antiques emporium, which is very limited as only seems to sell small and cheaper items well, but it is something. I had sold very well through this forum but the rules have now changed so far as I am aware I cannot continue to sell here until I get up to 250 posts - so will have to wait for a little while there. I currently a large and ever increasing stock in coins and historical medallions a lot of which is quite specialist and had required a fair amount of research. I was wondering what other sales avenues have worked best for other people? I am now working hard towards getting a website up and running - how is it best to promote this? I was also considering sending more items for sale in traditional auctions, which I have done so far with some success - does anyone have any tips/ advice on their experiences selling at numismatic auctions? I apologise for such a long post but thanks to anyone that reads it. Any thoughts and responses would be great. Thanks all. www.kingstoncoincompany.co.uk
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1682 Posts |
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Valued Member
 United Kingdom
497 Posts |
Thanks Kena. Also received and replied to your PM.
www.kingstoncoincompany.co.uk
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5832 Posts |
Jeff, I used Turbo Lister from ebay and have a template or 2 that I reuse, so is not so bad so long as you stick to the format. I find that shooting good pictures takes longer. eCrater is a good choice if you want o put up your item fast, but I am creating my own site with my own personal layout, hopefully will be up by the end of August. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
575 Posts |
I don like ebay as well but...Try using Auctiva service.Nice templates and unlimited image hosting.You don't have to pay for scheduled auctions as well.30 day free trial-If you like it around 65 GBP per year.Is maybe not the best solution but saves a lot of time-just a thought. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2335 Posts |
Despite it's problems ebay still has the largest market. I'm not sure if the rules still allow it, but I'd start a website & put a link in my ebay auctions. I'd also have it on my ME page, & put the link in a prominent location on every email I sent to anyone I did business with. The idea is to use ebay as a source of repeat customers before you jump ship. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
As noted already ebay does command a really large audience. Millions of people visit ebay every day. Difficult to find that anywhere else. For example a store has to hope for a customer to come by or they just don't get buisness. A web site is going to be just one of millions possibly for coins and other collectables. I go to lots of coin shows and almost every dealer at them tells me they have a web site. Same with most coin, collectable and/or hobby stores. One dealere told me a long time ago he was getting hundreds of hits on his web site every day. Then as everyone else added web sites, his dropped to about 1 or 2 a week. By this I mean a web site is really a necessity today but don't expect yours to be the one that gets all the buisness since there are so many out there already. Not sure about things in the UK but around here some dealers make a great deal of money at flea markets if they are big enough. A dealer I know fairly well was telling me how me pulls in about $200 to #1000 per weekend at flea markets with coins. |
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New Member
United States
16 Posts |
If you need someone to help you sell to US sellers, I'd help. I need a job and I happen to live in the US.
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New Member
United States
16 Posts |
HA, US buyers I meant to say.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19951 Posts |
Personally, I can't stand selling on ebay. Far too many fees and it just takes too much time. I'd say it was a good move getting off of there regardless of the number of buyers. I usually end up losing money when it's all said and done. |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
497 Posts |
Thanks for all your thoughts. Generally, I can certanly see the merits of the huge audience you get through ebay - and I suppose for specialist items probably can't deny it could be the best way to get a decent price in a a fairly short time. Just Carl - I took your advice and hit a market today with all my run of the mill silver, which on ebay wouldnt normally get anything above bullion, sometimes below. I priced it all at a fairly decent mark up - and managed to sell a big job lot for £515 GBP, so was pleased with that. trdhrdr007 - decided to take a middle ground - i'll just make sure every package has an advery and business card sent out with it, hopefully eliminates the chance of angering ebay. Valiman - I had considered auctiva - seeing as they have that 30 day trial I signed up today. Put 70 auctions on of mainly specialist stuff - took me all day but getting unlimited pictures and free schuledling helps. Will see if its pays off. Ian Koscak - you never know could work something out. Pm me with anything you might have in mind. www.kingstoncoincompany.co.uk
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5953 Posts |
Jeff11 I sold a large part of my junk coins at a huge weekly Car boot sale in Gloucester. I had a bunch of household items on the table with a crystal bowl of coins in the middle. People would look at the junk see the bowl and the coins would illicit child hood memories. Sold several hundred pounds worth in one sitting. Just kept filling the bowl up as it emptied out. Car boot sales where popular in the 90's not sure if they still are but pretty much every town has some kind of weekend market. Try to find the craft/antique markets as they attract the money. Put fliers in the local Tescos or Asda's they almost always have public bulletin boards.. Auctions will kill you seller premiums were around 15% when I left and I doubt they have gone down. Online sales will only come with exposure and ebay is still by far the largest market. I web site is a good idea but make sure it contains a lot of info not just sales. My hit count doubled after I expanded the information in my categories. Still I had 16,000 hits before I actually made a sale. I have an Ecrater shop as well but have never sold anything on it. (my prices are too high) |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Look at my posts on the "advice for becoming a dealer" thread
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
585 Posts |
Jeff 11: Do you have webside?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2669 Posts |
The only other suggestion I would add to the great advice already given, is to not get so busy/consumed with the entire thing that commitments to buyers or potential buyers get forgotten.
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Replies: 14 / Views: 2,429 |
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Posted 07/31/2010 08:40 am
