Can Fashion Items Sell in the Auction Format Online?

by: aim04744

I have been a clothing seller on Ebay for over 6 years. I used to sell everything at auction and did well. I have seen many clothing items go for much more than expected at an auction because 2 people really wanted it. Now I list mostly FP though because Ebay has rather forced me into that format the last few years. I like the instant sale and instant payment. But I do miss the days of watching 2 people duke it out.

by: Philip Cohen

We've been through this “professional” selling of women's fashion stuff at auction on eBay many times before ...

Now, those that are honest sellers generally don’s use nominal starts and will have very poor sell through rates; those that appear to have many bidders and high sell through rates are invariably bidding on and buying much of their own stuff; and, of course, those that use nominal-starts (and I don’t mean just 99c starts) will have a mechanism to ensure that any buyer does not get a bargain ...

All you need to know about the ugly reality of eBay’s demonstrable, calculated, facilitation of endemic shill bidding wire fraud on consumers on its auctions marketplace at http://bit.ly/11F2eas

The eBay executive suite—where the incompetent mingle with the disingenuous, the unscrupulous, the malevolent and the outright criminal, and the just plain stupid …

by: comet

I have listed womens (and mens) fashion items as auction;  Buy it Now;  Best Offer and Fixed Price and--nada.  

If you list something as an auction eBays bots will TELL you to list it as a Fixed Price;  or a Buy it Now---if you list it as one of those it will then tell you that it would sell better as an AUCTION!  

There is NO rhyme or reason.  

And the last time ANYTHING I listed that got bid up?  Must be a few YEARS now.  

Now--I may be a "speshul case"  as nothing I have listed for sale--some of it in the WOMENS FASHION CATEGORY--is actually ya know--selling.  

I don't dare list jewelry I have to sell;  might have to do ETSY for that;  I have had things sit that SHOULD have sold first go round that now are getting stale--
I have also noticed that NOTHING I have listed using one of these "Promos"  has actually SOLD--in fact the OPPOSITE is true.  

IS this one of the last gasps ebay is going to take before they sink under the waves?    

by: comet

Ahhhh--Amazon auctions!  what WOULD that look like I wonder?  

They can't control it;  they probably would not have the items in their ware houses;  they would have to rely on actual SELLERS writing actual DESCRIPTIONS---

Yes I think they SHOULD go for it--after all--how much WORSE could it BE?  

by: SparklyEyes7

I love the auction process!  Just 3 years ago I could find an item every one else had a BIN for $40 and I'd start it at .99 and it'd sell for $60+.

I didn't need to keep an inventory system because everything sold for good $$$ the first time out.

Now, I only use the .99 auction for items I know will have lots of views, lots of watchers and lots of bidders!

Recently I bought 9 sewing patterns at a church rummage sale for $9.  Started them all at .99.  One didn't sell at all, a few sold for .99-10.00, one sold for $79 and one for $122.71.

Paid $9, sold for $225.00 total, works for me!

by: Paul W

Scarce and desirable items can do well at auction.  I have started railroad dining car china at 99 cents and got plenty of bids and good prices.  But if there are 12 other sellers with the same item you have, one had best start at the lowest acceptable price and hope to get one bid.

by: Tiffee Jasso

I would say you will have to get some visibility for the clothing you put on before you can sell it. That is hard to do when the Asian market has the first five or ten pages of merchandise for sale. I imagine it really is just a promotion to increase GMV for number crunching.  

by: LasVagueness

Start at $0.99? Not a chance. Like @comet, my listings are languishing. I live in Vegas and I know my eBay odds.

by: Chicago48

I've started listing my clothing & purses (new or like new, with tags) at Tradesy and had my first sale last week.  Yay!  There are sites IMO that specifically cater to clothing and accessories and tradesy is one such site.
I have clothing up at Ebay, but it seems that the jeans are the only ones that sell.  Last year I sold a couple of winter coats, a few purses.  But the sales are slowwww.  Consumers go to specific sites for certain things.  For example electronics, one would go to Ebay or Newegg.  Clothing?  I think consumers go straight to the site and look for the "sale" section (I know I do).
If Ebay really wants to compete on the clothing level, they should insist that the clothing be brand new with tags!  As a consumer I wouldn't buy used from Ebay sellers, I can just as well go to the local thrift store.

by: Chicago48

Recently I bought 9 sewing patterns at a church rummage sale for $9.  Started them all at .99.  One didn't sell at all, a few sold for .99-10.00, one sold for $79 and one for $122.71
^^
Can someone tell me what type of sewing pattern would sell for $100??

by: KV

I specialize in women's clothing and I almost always use BIN. The only time I use auction format is if I suspect the item is especially desirable, but I don't know the exact value. Then I start it at what I would consider a reasonable opening bid and let the market decide. I don't start at 99¢ because I offer free shipping.

I do buy clothing off eBay occasionally, and I prefer BIN as a buyer. I don't want to wait for days and play a game to get something that to me is just another piece of my wardrobe. I'm only willing to do that for something that's special and HTF, and that's the philosophy I apply to selling. It works reasonably well for me.

by: SparklyEyes7

@chicago48

A McCall's Givenchy pattern from 1954, uncut.

All these patterns were from the 50s and 60s but to get the big bucks they need to be uncut, rare and desired!

by: SparklyEyes7

I cleaned out my personal closet this spring.  Mostly clothes from Talbots, Land's End, etc. Some new with tags but mostly used and they sold well.  Skirts, pants, sweaters and shoes sold from $20-40.

I take lost of photos and measurements.  Only a few came back because they  didn't fit and they paid for return shipping and resold the next listing.  

by: Rexford

Better not price it too low. Those $110 pair of Lacoste pants that sold at auction for $15 must have been a big disappointment for the seller. In the old days this would have been lucrative but King  Donahoe declared auctions dead and had his minions manipulate search to kill them off.

Are they trying to give mouth to mouth to that long dead long buried golden goose?  

by: Rexford

One more thing....eBay can not expect any sellers' items to sell if they don't give them visibility.  Like someone said above, the first 10 pages are all  Asian sellers.

This is why time-ending-soonest as default is really needed. I honestly think that it is the only thing that would breath new life back into eBay.

by: FREDDY

Why would anyone sell anything for any value over $20 on ebay knowing full well that the sale will go south and they will loose money??

I sold nor a number of years on ebay. Worked up to power seller, monthly discounts etc.. Sales started taking a dive. Researched and found out my items were not showing up.  Then the few sales we did get, the returns started. Couple items were not even the same as sent out. Times ebay gave refunds and we never even seen a return. ebay would also not explain why they gave a refund a kept the item.
I use to buy some old cameras and electronics on ebay. SOME sellers claimed in working order. They were far from it-seller states they were told it worked from the person holding the garage sale. Back then it cost me to return the item.  That gets old real quick when the seller has no idea what is going on.
My daughter bought items on ebay-her house has the mid century look. She told me she gave up on ebay because most was from China and she could no longer find anything. Cassini Crap.  

by: Basset

SELLING:  In my pre-owned clothing niche, my best luck is selling with fixed price.
Many long time buyers have my store saved & I see familiar buyer names over & over.    

I do auctions occasionally - Never set a starting bid for an amount that is less than you are willing to accept for that item. Auctions seem best for the OOAK and rare collectibles like another poster said.  


Not everyone wants new items, and if you seek certain brands in your size they can be regional and not always found at the local thrift store.  eBay historically provided a convenient universal inventory for this shopping demographic which is much larger than you'd think.    


Buying:  quite a few clothing sellers are listing by auction.  Often, if the starting bid is low I get a bargain.


Best way to LOSE a sale either FP or auction?  Don't put basic information or measurements, then ignore my email when I ask a question.

by: val2525

Sales are fine in my little clothing niche.  When I list, that is. Funny how those two are related, LOL.  August auctions in past years have done well too, buyers are bored and not really in a hurry as it's between season.  So the auction special works for me, later in the month.

As for it being limited to clothing, there have been a lot of listing specials that EXCLUDED the clothing category in the past.  About time we got some perks.

by: iheartjacksparrow

I would never start an auction for less money than I was willing to accept for the item. It used to be that 99 cent starting bids would get bid up to the item's true value, but that time is long gone on eBay. Since there's no guarantee that a seller's items are going to be seen, that 99 starting bid will most likely be the ending bid.

As far as good items for an auction format, I think older toys, antiques, rare items, and OOAK. The only problem there is that the higher the price goes, the more likely it is that the seller will be scammed.

by: EGNATZ1

I have been selling postcards paper and collectibles on Ebay for years never sold a piece of womens clothing in my life. So why would I get this selling offer makes no sense to me. Of course Ebay has made no sense on any thing they do in years.