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Despite the bevy of competitors, there's really only one place that people need to look to when trying to buy or sell collectibles online. eBay has revolutionized the way people acquire pieces for their collections or offload no-longer-wanted items in need of a good home.
eBay is a marketplace and the reasons for being there vary from person to person. It serves as an online garage sale with the ability to attract buyers from all over the country -- or even the world. It serves as a home-based business to some who go out and purchase items locally that they think they can turn around at a profit. And it serves as an enterprise. The Walt Disney Company has a number of branded portals through eBay, such as DisneyAuctions.com and DisneyDeals.com, which offer company-direct products and experiences, sometimes at a discount and sometimes at higher-than-market prices.
I have been both a buyer and a seller and have, for the most part, been happy with the service that eBay provides.
Below is a short primer of how to buy and sell Disneyana on eBay.
Buyers:
The phrase caviet emptor means "buyer beware" and it is as appropriate on eBay as anywhere. There really isn't anyway of knowing whether what you are buying is as described or if it even exists. But most of the time, the risk is worth the reward.
I have always had good transactions as a buyer on eBay. I've been able to find Disney News magazines that I would never have acquired without eBay. I have found books that are no longer published. I was able to get a Xanatos Roadster, which either sold out on the West Coast or never made it to stores out here. And I bought Beauty and the Beast Tiffany-style lamps through Disney Deal$ for almost half of what they sell for at Disneyland.
I have always had good buying transactions because of a few rules that I follow.
Look at a seller's "rating" -- After each transaction, buyers and sellers can rank the sale as positive, negative or neutral. The more positive feedback, the more you can probably rely on this person being an upstanding individual and will follow through on their part of the sale. Make sure the person has positive "sellers" feedback since the overall score is a combination of buying and selling. And read the comments to make sure that people are saying good things about the person you're doing business with. Sometimes the negative feedback given isn't always warranted so read those comments to get a better idea if the bad rating was because the seller didn't properly follow through with a transaction.
Read the terms of the sale carefully -- Know whether the person wants a certain type of payment before you bid. Understand how many days you need to get your payment to that person. Find out how much shipping charges will be. If you aren't sure about something or need further clarification, ask the seller. There's a way to do this through each auction.
Bid on auctions that have pictures or descriptions of the items you're interested in -- Pictures that are taken by the seller should help determine the item's condition. The description should indicate any defects. These are often as important as the price itself. I've passed up some auctions for Disney News magazines because they had a hole in the upper left corner for placement within a binder. My preference is to find magazines without the holes. The pictures and descriptions help me make the determination of whether or not to bid.
Set a limit to how high you are going to bid -- It is possible to get caught up in a bidding war with another buyer, especially at the last minute. Don't let your emotions get the best of you and wind up paying more than you intended. If possible, place your bid for the highest amount you plan to spend. Proxy bidding will ensure that you get the best price up to your maximum. That being said, I tend to get better deals by bidding in the final minute or two. Sometimes others get caught up in the emotion of the auction and will bid up your winning bid if you place it too soon.
Communication is key -- Answer emails from the sender promptly. Be curteous in your exchange. If an emergency comes up that delays you in completing your end of the transaction, let the seller know that as soon as possible, even if it means you lose out on the item. Most sellers will do what it takes to complete the transaction if you are open and honest about any setbacks.
Sellers:
Selling on eBay is a good way to get rid of stuff in your collection that you no longer need or want while making a few dollars in the process. You may sell to supplement your income or as a way to work from home. But be forewarned that it is hard work. You need to do your best to impress potential clients with your wares. An item will make the most money when it is something that more than one person wants it.
Kathy and I collected pins before it was fashionable to do so. As we began to outgrow our apartment, we needed to get rid of some of our stuff. We decided that we didn't need our Disney pins anymore, so we set about selling them on eBay to those who wanted them. For the most part, it has been financially rewarding. But it can be a tiring, stressful process too.
Here are some tips for making selling on eBay a positive experience.
Sell good stuff -- While one man's trash may be another man's treasure, don't offer for sale anything that is in poor condition or could be potentially harmful. You are still responsible for eBay listing fees if your item doesn't sell so make sure that it is something that people would want. Make sure it is in the best condition possible. And disclose any flaws or problems when describing it.
Set the initial price so that it is affordable -- Make sure that your asking price isn't so outrageous that no one will bid on it. You may think the item is more valuable than buyers do. There are ways to ensure that you get a certain price for an item, either through a high initial bid price, the Buy It Now feature that sets a fixed price, or through the setting of a reserve price where an item won't sell unless bids reach a specified higher level. But I've found that if I list an item at the lowest price I can accept for it, buyers will bid the item up higher than I would have set the price myself. eBay is a marketplace that is governed by the laws of supply and demand.
Make your item stand out -- Write a great title for the sale that people will be able to find when performing a search. Write a detailed description of the item with as much background information as possible. Take a picture or use the scanner to create an image of the item for sale. I almost always list my items in the Gallery, which costs an extra 25 cents. The item's picture will be featured on the search results page and will catch the eye of someone who is scanning for particular items. It has been well worth it to me to make my item stand out more from others by doing this.
Communication is the key -- Try to answer buyers' email inquiries about the item in a timely manner. Specify the conditions of the sale, including shipping costs when possible, in the auction's description instead of surprising people after the auction's closing. Contact the winners by email right after the close of the auction to let them know what to do next. Be friendly and courteous. Remember, these are your customers and you want them to leave positive feedback for a positive transaction.
Ship the items quickly and with protection -- Make sure you send items to the buyers as quickly as your payment terms allow. People like to get what they pay for as soon as possible. And remember that when it is no longer your item, so do your best to package it in a way that it won't be ruined in transit. Use bubble wrap, newspaper, tissue and shipping containers that will protect it as well as you can.
Collecting Disney the eBay way can be a fun and rewarding experience. It is a great way to supplement your collection by finding items that may not be available through local retailers or second-hand shops. It can be a good way to get rid of stuff you no longer want or need and make a few dollars at the same time.
It can be a lot of hard work. It can be emotionally draining. You may not always win an auction you're bidding on. Your stuff up for sale may not always sell at the price you are hoping for.
That's part of what makes buying and selling on eBay unique. It's never the same experience, even for two identical pieces of merchandise. Enjoy the victories, be bummed at the defeats, but don't get too high or too low. Set limits. Do what you promise to do. Leave feedback. Be a member in good standing in the community.
Follow these tips and you too can have a good experience collecting Disney the eBay way.
-Story by Matthew Walker; Graphic ©eBay Inc. & Disney Enterprises.
Posted April 29, 2005
E-mail Matt at matt@startedbyamouse.com, discuss this article in the StartedByAMouse.com Disney Discussion Forums or use the Talkback feature below.
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