Sick of eBay? Try these alternative places to sell…
There are numerous ways to sell your items both online and off.
Other Auction sites:
Ubid
Ubid is an online auction site that has managed to gain quite a bit of popularity – some of our members say they actually make more on Ubid than eBay! While it doesn’t get anywhere near the traffic eBay gets, it can still yield quite a few sales. The site promotes itself heavily on TV and the internet which plays a big role in getting the traffic required for sales. Ubid’s most attractive feature is the lack of listing fees – you don’t pay anything until you make a sale. On the downside, all buyers’ payments go through Ubid and it can take up to 15 days before they pay you. For new sellers in particular, this can cause some serious cash flow problems.
Amazon
Amazon gets good traffic but the main advantage is a much higher profit margin. Amazon shoppers tend to pay a lot more for their items than eBayers. On the other hand, there are reports that Amazon’s returns policy can be ruthless. If a buyer complains – even if they have no proof of the claim – Amazon has been known to insist the seller refund the money (grrr!). Another count against Amazon is the fact Nigerian spammers seem to particularly enjoy sending their emails to sellers so you do have to be prepared to give you mail box a thorough purge each morning. Still, if you can put up with these difficulties, Amazon is a good place to sell - particularly items such as electronics where the margins are practically non-existent on eBay.
eBid Auctions
The second largest auction site in the UK. Also available in Australia, USA, Canada and Ireland. Unfortunately it is also very slooooow…There are no fees, which is great, but we haven’t heard of many people having a rollercoaster success here. On the bright side, it is fraud proof and you can post as many items for sale as you want. It’s worth listing on this site as an additional to your other sales channels.
Oztion
Oztion is an Australian auction site although you can list from overseas. Again, there are no fees, but unfortunately it also suffers from sleepy-town syndrome and listings take about three times longer to sell than eBay.
Google Product Search
http://www.google.com/products
No one can question the almighty power of Google. Their product arm – Google Product Search (used to be Froogle) - gets a lot of attention from avid Google users and it’s free to list there if you have your own website. You can also incorporate Adwords ads to drive more traffic to your Google Product Search listings – although whether that is more convenient for you or for Google remains in question.
Classifieds
USFreeAds.com
List your ads for free. You won’t get many sales directly from these ads, but it can also be a good way to direct traffic and links to your website.
Craig’s List
Craig’s List is a great way to sell locally if you are willing to organize pickups. There are no listing fees or selling fees, but there is a lot more effort involved fielding emails and nothing can be automated like the auction sites. Plus you also have to arrange pickup or delivery. However, Craig’s List is used by a lot of people, particularly in the US, so it can be a very lucrative way of selling.
Newspaper classifieds
Newspaper classifieds can cost a bit, but if you have 20 or more duplicates to sell, you’ll easily make enough to cover your costs. The best thing about newspaper classifieds is, while there is more effort involved, newspaper audiences tend to be willing to pay more compared to eBay buyers.
Free classified newspapers
How often have you nearly stumbled across those free newspapers sitting in a pile outside your local supermarket or mall? They don’t look like much, but plenty of people take them to browse while they are having a Saturday morning coffee. Listing is generally free and you will get buyers!
Trade magazines
Trade magazines are an excellent way to sell to a specialty audience. Choose your magazine carefully to match your item. Good items to sell through trade magazines include golfing equipment, cars and car parts, antiques and collectibles and craft items.
Other ways to sell:
Website
Your website is one of the best ways to sell of all - provided you can drive traffic to it successfully. A website of your own gives you the most freedom of any listing option and apart from maintenance and hosting fees, it doesn’t cost a thing. Read more about starting your own website here.
Flea markets
Flea markets can be a profitable venue to sell - the catch is that the market is even more intent on getting a bargain than eBayers! With this in mind, you need to choose your product carefully. People will buy higher priced items, but only if they represent a good bargain – e.g. home made furniture priced 30% below similar items in retail stores; fake electronics and designer brands at a fraction of the retail price of the real thing.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences selling through any of these mediums - or tell us about one we haven’t mentioned!
Post your comment below.
