i am not sure what you just where speaking about.... Ive had a
memorabilia business , both bick and morter , mail order , wholessale,
retail and manufacturing since 1977 when I started there was no internet
we advertied
in collector magazine like ffilm collectosr world, stalog. classic Image
sthe Big Reel..and many more My ad budget was sometimes 100K a year but
then I had larger costs likeoverhead, employees and we also adverstised
n Local papers Radio and TV a spot on local NBC Carson was 200.00 for a
30 sec spot... we also printed catalogs and mailed them my largest
mailing was 10,000 but we charged 1-2.00 for them // then the internet
and ebay came.. I think we 1st went on in 1999 well I also manufactured
items and I did Huge tradeshows,at the javitts center in NYC and at the
Mcormic place in chicago average cost was 4,000 and hotel tavel etc..
after a series of things like defending a rademark close to 40K and
paying off a 100k in chap13 reorganiazation , paying off my house and
then a divorce I found the indutsry had collapsed esp Comics as there
was just to much gred and False collectable... those made with percieved
scarsity but where just cranked out crap... then I saw a shaleout as
several of my huge customers went down.. I supplyed suncoat picture,
media lay and a few others that stopped paying vendors ..Musicland sam
Goody owned them...Luckily they paid me 30,000.00 they owed me before
folding as most BIg companys pay on 30 days net terms.. Universal paid
me by letter of credit as that compant eats small vendors for appiizers
and I refused to givethem terms a average order was 80,000.00 so letter
of credit means you present the docs to bank when the truck picks up and
they release the funds,, its the only way I felt they would honor the
deals... Bi companys have BIG turnover and its hard to fnd peopel inside
that honor deals... Berie swartz aka Frank Ludlow who made commercail
stills asked me once wht do you del with these big guy as they can take
you down witha few bad invoices.. it was true I saw lots of guys go
down... why?? greed... he said stay with MOM and pops they pay prompt
and you spread the risk around..so true I tell nebies this as everyone
wantsthe big deal ,expansion and all but when things get slow the big
cost are still there... Better to sya effcient and small you can always
expand,, the idea is how to survive thru evevry kind of blow... all
these get rich quicl schemes that bilk investors are because very few
like the long haul... and building a company.. they all want to cash in
and get out... I like the old school way... lke Mary see pies in san
farn.. they uses good materials and have integrity in service and
ingreiaents,, I think free shipping is fine If I am paying he shiping it
is Free shipping But its a ploy ebay uses as it makes peopel buy more
impulse..fact is your paying for it its just included with the cost of
the item.. sounds better then 500 item and 500 shipping..10,00 postpaid
free shipping...its still 500 shipping now if someoen can sell a 5000
item with shipping for 500 then Ill be impressed.. But it a person sells
a 5.00 poster and it costs 5.00 to ship there is no way he can sell it
at all unless he gives it away free and supplies all the materials to
ship and no cost.. society has played with peopel minds with decption
tricks on home loans , car loand and all they think its marjeting ,,ITd
not its swindling and while peopel get bait and switch.. I try to
deleiever more then they ask for as a way to build customers sure some
peope you will never please as they get a idea in there mind what they
want..thats not realistic..but I know whay I was able to be here this
long was because Of my customers that I look at like family and frieds
and they have returned so much love, help and understanding whenIve
fallen and had nothing and was disorganized and sick..so what i would
tell eveyone is just ne yourself and the ones that understand will also
be fair and treat you right..Mel blanc told me ... there are some good
guys and some not so good guys,,try to network with the good guys and
all will be well... and he was dead on...Godnite Kids.. Ill be 58 next
week I cant believe im still here thank You God !
On 2014-08-06 01:05, David wrote:
I think using eBay as the benchmark for doing business is not good
analogy. When you choose to do business inside someone else's business
then of course they will charge you for that privilege and yes that is
going to have to be passed on; it is no different to shopping mall
owners charging the shop owners rent, and taking a percentage of your
take and another fee for promotional activity and so on - they bring
the customers to you, they want you to pay for that and frankly that
seems fair to me.
Let me ask this (general) question: How much money do you (the eBay
seller) spend on advertising and other promotional activity? I'd
venture to suggest almost all who exclusively run their business on
eBay spend NOTHING on advertising and marketing. If you built your own
online shop (not a home made one) and then spent roughly each month
what you used to give up in fees to eBay on a proper advertising and
marketing campaign there is a high probability you would generate
sales and get to keep that customer as a permanent client to do future
marketing to (for free).
Of course there is no free ride, yes someone has to pay - but the
consumer doesn't really care if it's you who pays, he just knows if
feels he has saved a dollar or two on the way to spending a dollar or
two with you then it's a good shopping experience and he is happy.
The quote you use and variations of it: "Sales is vanity, profit is
sanity, cash is reality” comes from 1989, before the internet changed
the way business is done. Indeed profit is the key but ask yourself:
was the bricks and mortar shop keeper from the 80s who had to do his
own marketing, his own advertising, pay his rent, his staff, his
utilities, packaging, deposit the takings at the bank, pay clearance
fees etc more or less profitable than the eBay seller of today who has
little or no overheads in comparison but may have to take less margin
in order to compete with every other seller?
Remember being a poster seller on eBay is like being a fast food
outlet on a 50m street of 100 fast food outlets - all with the same
store front, remind me what your point of difference is again?
So, for Alan he may not have the advertising might of eBay, but by
offering freight free (on say minimum order size) perhaps free
insurance or whatever that might give him the edge he needs, I
certainly don't think it deceives the customer at all, it gives the
customer what they need - a positive shopping experience.
David Rew
Tom Martin wrote on 6/08/2014 2:13 PM:
free shiooing?? there is NO free shipping as some has to pay...
eitherYOU or the buyer all ebay has done is deceive sellers and buyers
as either the seller gets less... or the shipping is Rolled into (
amortized) into the sale.. what a JOKE... ebay make out as they take a
fee for the shipping charges... which to me should be illlegal..
so when You sell your poster... If you want 10 and it costs 30% with
paypal, listing and endof sale fees thats 3.00 if its 8.00 to ship you
are a a give away the poster... you needto pay your costs to put tape
on a TUBE and time to wrap and foam and padding costs,,, so you need
to make the sale either higher so the shipping can be part of the sale
as a cost,,, and if is a 300 poster you can figure you giving away 10%
or 30.00 in profit and netting 270 - cost of poster say 100 so you
have a net profit of 70.00 on a 300 gross sale after costs.. now
consider this a grocerystore make 3% after costs but they do 20
million gross a month whats 3% of 20 million More then I can think of
at moment but heft profit margin..." Volume is vanity , Profit is
sanity"
On 2014-08-05 19:17, Alan Adler wrote:
I always have charged insurance in the past.
but the shipping costs, rules and country limits are all over the
place these days and changing.
Makes me just want to give free shipping and insurance and sort it
out
without bothering the buyer.
I know it will cost me something - but on my new website, the
toughest
thing to get programmed is a shopping cart plug in that actually and
correctly handles all the options.
Alan
On Aug 5, 2014, at 2:57 PM, Susan <[email protected]> wrote:
For you dealers out there shipping posters, do you require a
customers to take insurance on the poster they have bought from you?
Sue
www.hollywoodposterframes.com [1]
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2014 07:32:30 +1000
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [MOPO] Free Shipping?
To: [email protected]
Why not offer free shipping?
Postage is often a consideration when a buying is contemplating a
purchase. Remember it is entirely possible/likely the buyer is
pricing
similar/same products elsewhere, free shipping can make the
decision
very easy.
I offer free shipping as standard on all purchases over $399, as
standard.
David
Alan Adler wrote on 6/08/2014 6:51 AM:
Howdy all.
Am considering Free Shipping and Insurance for all sales on my
upcoming website. US and Intl. I will also be selling objects. Art.
Toys in boxes. Props. Wardrobe. So not all flats and tubes. Much of
the business is also foreign.
Any of you ecommerce mavins who use or have tried the free
option care to log in on your thoughts about it? Or buyers who have
ideas on the matter. Love to hear what you have to say.
Thanks in advance for your time.
Alan Adler
Museum of Mom and Pop Culture
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