Okay, so where's the David that's gonna kick Ebay's ass?

[chaska]

Who's got the skinny. I'm barely making any money on ebay lately. I can't take anymore fees. Which auction site is second best? I must confess, I'm totally ignorant of alternatives.

[NMDemDist2]

1. i'd like to know the same, I have some stuff I'd like to get rid of

but ebay is crazy expensive

[amazona]

2. what do you sell?

With my items, there is no other auction site. However, there are local shows, there are garage sales, there is barter/trading, there are free classified ads in the major local newspaper for items less than $100.

If you have new electronics or cameras, I have done well on Amazon.com because I don't pay anything until the item is sold -- and the item goes for considerably higher than eBay. However, I have very little access to new items of this nature, so I'm only an occasional seller there.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[chaska]

3. Vintage musical equipment catalogs.

I need wide exposure to sell this stuff, selling locally is not an option.

I'll have to check out Amazon, et al.

[amazona]

4. whoa I'm stumped on that one

All I can suggest is finding the national organization for your interest, assuming there is one, and taking out ads in their publication. I agree that local sales are not as good for specialized stuff. I was selling mineral specimens and very fortunately I sold the better stuff before the prices on eBay collapsed, because there is no "online auction" alternative. I tried yahoo and some others, but you don't get bidders for specialized items on the smaller sites in my experience.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[grasswire]

7. have you checked out...

...selling on www.abebooks.com? It's a great site for sellers of used printed material of many kinds.

[InvisibleTouch]

5. Not happy about their new fees either...

Going into effect in February. But they're pretty much the only game in town if you want to reach a worldwide market.

Some suggestions: get one of their stores (currently costs $10/month, going up to $15 in Feb :( ), and list a lot of your slower-moving items there. 3 cents per listing for 30 days if you add a Gallery, which you want in a store listing. Then use your auctions to lead bidders to your store items by using cross-promotions. I usually start things off at auction, and if they don't sell after being listed twice, I shuffle them to my store.

Also, if you're selling books, movies, or music, half.com is the best. No listing fees, and you can leave your items up until they sell. You're only charged a commission when you make a sale. Business has slowed down predictably after the holidays, but books are selling really well right now, especially of the self-help/diet/self-improvement variety. All those New Year's resolutions trying to get off to a good start.... :)

[amazona]

6. the cost of the Ebay Store is the problem

As far as I could tell, the eBay store was where un-sellable items went to die in the first place...so they're going to jack up the prices to $15 a month for something that wasn't bringing any income to begin with? Maybe it depends on your merchandise. But when I tested the Ebay store idea, I found it a complete waste of time for my items.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[grasswire]

8. oboy

I haven't sold since before Xmas -- been too busy. It's not good news that fees are raised yet again. I wonder how eBay is making a good profit for shareholders what with the continued hoops for sellers and diminished sales.

Oh, how I long for eBay's glory days to be back.

[arismomkoofie]

9. Kittybids is a small site, but I think it would be great if ...

more people would use it. There are no fees to sell!

kittybids.com