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If you’ve collected many of the same types of items over the years and are ready to liquidate, finding a consignment seller is a good option to move it all at once. There is nothing sweeter than knowing that the items you’ve treasured over the years are going to the home of someone who can carry on the love. As an eBay consignment seller, I enjoy helping folks make this a reality.
Researching items will help determine how to “bulk sell” or list individually. This type of research will also help decide to list on auction vs. fixed price.
My consignment clients can either ship items to me or conveniently stop by when in the southwestern Florida area where I am located. Most of my clients ship large and heavy boxes of items using UPS or FedEx. Others will use a service called Roadie, which is like an Uber service for stuff, not people.
No matter how folks send items to me, I reassure them that their treasured belongings are safe in my hands. Once I have them, I get to work doing a lot of research. I study the market to determine the highest selling price we can get for the items. This is always the starting point and then lowering the prices over the months.
I also spend quality time deciding on the proper category, time of day, and type of listing. Sometimes, I may recommend a local auction house if I feel the market is desirable for the types of items. My favorite local auction style is using MaxSold.com. When I use MaxSold, I do not have to ship any items. Buyers pick up the items directly from my home or warehouse.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to determining how to sell on eBay or any other site. Selling collections is no different. Group them up or single them out, whichever way will bring a higher profit.
I may group items into box lots, or I may list items individually. Again, it all depends on the market trends. The trends also help me determine the difference between an auction and a fixed-priced listing.
FYI, I stay clear of reserve auctions. In my experience, they do not end with desirable results. Plus, eBay charges an additional fee for reserves. My general preference is to list items at a fixed price and include “make an offer.” Again, this is all decided upon during my research.
Research helps determine the best strategy for the highest price we can sell an individual item for or create bulk lots of items. After all, since I work on commission as a consignment seller, it’s in my best interest to sell items at the highest price possible.
I spend most of my time looking at sold items on eBay, looking up items individually and in bulk. Next, I may review photos and trends on Google of the same item or similar items. Similar items can sometimes be helpful, especially when an item is hard to track down.
Liquidating collections all at once can be a good way to reach the niche collector. When listing items individually, be sure to include a note stating, “See other items from this collection listed.” If you can combine shipping, you may want to include a note like, “See other items listed, happy to combine shipping.”
Listing collections individually via auction can sometimes add up because one bidder may only want one item while others will bid on several. This brings up the price of almost everything.
It’s very rewarding not only to make a buck, but to me, it’s even more rewarding to connect people with the items they love!
