Jim Leonard spake thusly into the ether:
>A time feared by all collectors has finally come to haunt me: I'm
>broke. Not bankruptcy broke, but "in serious trouble" broke, and one
>of the things my wife and I agreed to do is try to scale back the
>software and hardware collection for cash.
Sorry to hear that. I was laid off a few weeks ago (thus my just now
reading/answering this thread) and am still looking. I really need to
get stuff out on eBay myself because our funds will probably be
exhausted soon.
>- Do any of you use or recommend auction "helper" programs?
I have not, but have seriously considered it. If you find one you
like (or don't), please post about it.
>In you guy's opinion, should I:
>
>1. Offer insurance as an option to the buyer,
>2. Always include it as part of the shipping cost, or
>3. Always get insurance and don't charge it back to the customer as protection
>for myself?
My insurance policy is as follows:
I require that items totaling $50 or more sent to a single
bidder be insured. I'll split this cost with you as it's for
the protection of both of us. If any package is sent
uninsured, I take no responsibility if it is not delivered
safely. (USPS insurance for items up to $50 only costs
$1.10.)
I need to update that for the new postage rates. You can find my
complete list of policies at http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/lkseitz/.
I'm not saying they're the best, but it might give you some things to
think about, Jim.
You guys have given Jim some great advice so far. I don't have much
to add except the following.
1. I find that some auctions do better because I'm willing to ship
anywhere internationally. This has only bitten me in the butt once.
I recently sold a vintage computer to a guy in Andorra. I tried
sending twice, but after a lengthy wait each time, it came back for
unclear reasons. BTW, usually I find that international bidders will
help up the price, but an American will still win.
2. Make sure you keep copies of your auction pages after they are
complete. They are useful for proving the worth of the item(s) if you
have to file the postal insurance (or so I'm told).
3. Get a PayPal debit card so you can directly pay the shipping for
your items without having to worry about transferring the money.
(Assuming the winner pays with PayPal.) The card is free and so are
any transactions processed as a credit card. (I'm uncertain about
cash withdrawals at an ATM.)
4. Just to stress what others have said, a good, complete description
and photo(s) go a long way to getting better bids.
It seems that there were some other things I wanted to mention, but
they've slipped my mind now.
--
Lee K. Seitz * [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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