Online Auctions 101-Buy & Sell Dance Costumes & Accessories

Satin Stitches | Sep 17, 2008 | 0

We enjoy buying and selling on eBay, do you?

Satin Stitches, or should I say satinstitches, has been selling on eBay since April 2000.  Are we making a fortune?  Certainly not.  Do we love it?  Yes!

If you have found us on eBay, you will see that we sell our old samples, some mistakes, lots of leftover fabrics, trims and notions, and occasionally, a real gem! We also buy items, everything from business office products to beaded fringe.

If you are an eBay pro, then you know how to win your item, how to bid, when to bid and when not to trust another eBayer.  If you have been checking out the site, with itchy fingers, but afraid to take the plunge, here are some tips and other helpful bits of information for you.

First of all, the phrase BUYER BEWARE definitely applies to eBay, and to any other Internet auction website.  Yes, there are other auction websites, but none nearly as successful as eBay.  eBay started back in 1995 in a living room, and has grown incredibly over the last twenty plus years.

Back in early 2000, we started offering our old samples on eBay, back when there were only about 50-100 dance costumes up for auction at any given time.  Currently, there are thousands.  

Back then, we actually received a decent price for our costumes, valued from $200-400 each, by listing them at around $30.  Bidding wars created an occasional final bid of maybe $75-100, which I would consider a decent price.  These days, it seems that everyone is selling their used dance recital costumes, along with catalog companies selling their overstock items. Over saturation, if you are selling, just like todays housing market, but if you are buying, you have so many choices, mostly at real bargain prices!

If you are looking to make big money on your old or overstock costumes, well, its not there.  But if you are looking to pull in some pennies on the dollar for helping you to clean out your closet, eBay is the place to be.

How do you get started?  You simply need to register your name.  With millions of users, you will need to be creative to come up with something that no one else has.  Registering is free.  Signing in, and browsing is free.  If you are selling, you will be paying listing fees and selling fees.  You will need to register a credit card and bank account, for payment of all your fees.  Payments will automatically come out of either your bank or credit card.  

If you are buying, you will only pay for the item that you win, plus shipping costs.  Most items list an exact shipping cost.  If they do not, always contact the buyer several days before the auction ends, to find out what the cost will be.  Do not wait until a few hours or minutes before the auction ends, as the seller may not be available at that time, to weigh the item in a box, check the UPS or USPS charts and get back to you.  

Never assume anything.  Some eBayers use shipping charges to increase their profit.  Why?  Because you pay a percentage of the selling price, excluding the shipping charges to eBay when you sell.  You sometimes see a selling price of one dollar, with a shipping charge of twenty dollars, when shipping only really costs maybe five dollars.  Always determine if the selling cost WITH the shipping cost equals what you are willing to pay.  

When you bid, you need to determine what is the highest dollar amount that you are willing to pay for an item.  Never just bid the lowest amount, unless you are just playing around, and really do not care if you win the item or not.  Also research what a particular item generally sells for.  On a page of items, click on COMPLETED ITEMS, and you will get a page of recently ended auctions.  You will see if items sell high or low, or not at all.  This will give you an idea of what you might expect.  Occasionally, items sell really high, as it might be a sought after collectable item, that two or more buyers really want.  What results is a bidding war.  IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD A HIGHER PRICE, KNOW WHEN TO STOP!  If you end up not paying, because you do not have the money, or have second thoughts, you will eventually be kicked off.  So do not get caught up in the excitement of winning, it can be a bad thing!

eBay can be a great source for you, if you need to buy solo costumes at a bargain price, especially if you are creative, or have someone who can help you to accessorize or glitz up a basic or plain costume.  Accessories of all types are also available.  If you are looking for group costumes, you can also sometimes score a great deal!  Being diligent is important, if you really need to find something, rather than just window shopping, so to speak, and bidding and buying when something strikes your fancy.  

I know there are different auction sites out there, but we have been happy with eBay.  Recently, we were notified of a specifically dance website, but the fine print in the contract said they did not want stores.  When I emailed to ask for sure, what their policy was, no one answered.  Oh well.

More tips to follow.  In the mean time, check us out!

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Teacher, Enthusiast, Parent, Studio, Costumes (all tags)