pros and cons of eBay?

[Johanna]

What are the advantages and disadvantages to marketing leather goods through eBay? Is anyone having success using eBay as a primary marketing strategy? Do you use it to draw attention to another website, or sell product directly online? I've heard of romances from eBay and fortunes made from garages & attics on eBay, but I want to know if eBay is useful for a custom leatherworker, and in what ways.

Thanks for any insight you can share.

Johanna

[Beaverslayer]

Johanna,

As to E-bay, and custom leatherwork, I have not had any success with it yet. I have found that with what I make and sell is to expensive for E-Bay. I do use it to sell other things that I know will sell and I can profit off of. I also spend a fair bit of time searching for these things. But when it comes to the leather stuff, I find that most of the E-Bayers are looking for bargains.

What I do do when I sell something else on E-Bay, I will include in the sent out package a business card, and also a small catalogue that I made up. This has led to a few sales, an added interest in my work.

As most of the work I do is geared toward the "die haert" or "hard core" biker and his "chick", I've found that "word of mouth" has become my best advertising tool. As I've said before, a VERY large part of my business comes from wearing my own leather, and having people ask me where I got it from, when purchasing coffee at 7-11. I will also carry, and hand out a business card to every person I see riding a "Harley". I have contimplated doing the same to "Import" riders, but there's that little guy that sits on my shoulder that has a problem with that. I've been meaning to talk to him...but.

Ken

[shirleyz]

Tried it, never again. It's fine to sell used toasters and bike parts. People don't want to pay for quality, they want quantity. I'm not going to start my seats at $100 and hope they hit $200. I'd rather wait for a customer who wants to pay a fair price for custom work.

ShirleyZ

[esantoro]

eBay is a good way to start out and get word of mouth. I'm viewing eBay as a cheap form of advertising. Ebay and paypal fees can eat away at profits, but if you view it as international advertising, it's not so bad. Plus your items come up on Google searches.

I think if you do have that one unique item, Ebay can work, but what happens when that item no longer becomes unique?

[Beaverslayer]

Ed, I agree with you on the cheap advertising E-Bay can offer. With your bag, being a very good item for this type of marketing. I also agree with you on the fees that both E-Bay and Paypal charge, and to think they are owned by each other....

My problem is that, like ShirleyZ, I would be afraid to have to sell a vest that I normally get $650.00 for, for the $100.00 asking price. I've tried setting it up as a "Buy Now" but all I got was a ton of e-mail questions, asking ALL sorts of unrealistic questions.

Ken

[Regis]

I've sold (and NOT sold) a variety of items on ebay. Price is not limiting (into the few thousands anyways). Items that you can not show "convincingly" that it is better than walmart will not sell at any premium. If in picutures, facts, and words you can clearly diffrenciate the quality, then you will be successful. When I sell a violin or bow, I present facts & very good quality photo's. There will be 200-400 people view the item and it sells. I have tried custom jewelery and I could not make the case so they didn't go well. Artwork from unknown or very little know artists are a difficult sell. Of course, one could say that a big part of the value in art is recognition and notariety of the artist. I think leather where a strong quality case can be made (like Ed is doing) will sell. I'll take a stab at it next year.

fwiw,

Regis

[Zilla]

I would agree with the rest here about the type of buyer you would find on eBay.

As a 2nd pick...what about Etsy? I have listed stuff on there and had pretty good response to it. www.etsy.com

Kevin

[Kevin King]

I think ebay is a great place to sell an already popular product. But trying to create a market on ebay is a whole other story. Ebayers generally are searching for a specific item, rather than just shopping. Example: I use to own and operate a screen printing company. The "Vote for Pedro" t-shirts would sell like crazy, but any original designs i would come up with didn't go as fast. So something like cell cases and ipod covers and "quick" production pieces are for ebay. Word of mouth and top of mind awareness for the big ticket items. There is also a science to selling succesful on ebay, from how you name your product to what catagories you list in.

[Peter Ellis]

There's a fellow on E-bay selling leather armour out of the Ukraine. I had a chance to look at some of his work when a fellow I know showed up at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire wearing a suit of leather armour made in the Ukraine.

The maker is doing some pretty wild things with molding and bonding leather, and I wouldn't say I like it much, but it definitely has an appeal to some.

The thing is, this guy is in the Ukraine, selling on e-bay and reaching Pennsylvania.

If you're geographically removed from your markets, E-bay seems to be a pretty effective avenue for reaching out to them.

[Guest]

I agree with Shirley. I've had no luck on Ebay, I may try it again but I'll set a healthy reserve.

Dave

[CitizenKate]

I sold quite a bit of my work on ebay when I was getting started. I lost money on most of them, but some of them sold higher than my regular price. Everything I listed sold, and every time I listed something on ebay, I'd get a flurry of traffic on my web site (my "About Me" page has a link to my main web site), inquiries, and a few more orders that customers paid my full price for. For me, it worked out as a great advertising medium, and I've sold my work to people all over the world - Spain, Canada, England, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.

Now that I get all the orders I can handle (which on a part-time basis is not very many), I don't list much there anymore, and with all the sniping there is nowadays, it's just not much fun anymore.

Kate

[steveb]

There is just no way i will sell my leather work on ebay.

The rare times that i have somethng that ive made in advance

i ususally give it away to a lucky person who happens into my shop, generally one of my friends.

These pieces are usually prototypes, which is the only reason they have not been made for a specific customer

All my work is bespoke and besides I have an anti-haggle policy..which runs counter to the spirit of ebay...lol

[unicornwoman]

According to Ebay rules, last time I checked, there is very little marketing that is actually allowed by their rules. They get fussy about links in the listing, they really don't want catalogs included with the shipment, and a whole bunch of other stuff. They are also getting ridiculous about shipping policies right now. For example, I can't charge in my handling fee for the gas it takes to run a package to the shippers. That is supposed to be covered by the cost of the item. They don't allow realistic amounts for the time it takes to pack items up. Actual cost of supplies can be charged, BUT prepare for fusses from the customer if you recycle things and don't give THEM the benefit of your foresight and frugality.

I've used it for some items successfully, but mostly they have been rare collector's items or kangaroo leather lace in specialty colors/widths. Completed craft products are pretty iffy. Since the shipping policy changes this fall, I've been so exasperated I haven't even listed my kangaroo laces with them. That has cut sales, but what's the point if I can't charge real costs?

I may break down and list again IF they have one of those 10 cent listing days, but at full listing prices, I don't feel it is worth it right now for what I have available.