To put things into perspective (Stores)

[TonyBridger]

Just to clarify. I only worked out the Eb*y store price above on the basic store. i.e. Monthly fee + 15p per item + FVF.

So if you had used a featured store you could have saved nearly £200 a month in fees

That's very true. A very good friend of mine was once buying and selling bulk items online, thought he was making a good profit, but we sat and worked out his figures after a few months and by the time he took into account fees, postage, etc he was actually losing money every month, so he gave it up.

I'm the same as you, I sell online and offline so make different profits on each item I sell, depending on whether I need to post it, auction fees, etc.
So work out my profits at the end of each month rather than on each item or day by day.

But surely you work out the profits for each venue. If you have 2 shops or work 2 markets I think its commonsense to watch the bottom line profits on each outlet. Your online sales could be profitable & your offline sales making a loss, or vice versa

[buckhysen]

So if you had used a featured store you could have saved nearly £200 a month in fees

Not really as I have never seriously considered an Eb*y store since it went up from £6 a month a few years ago I certainly wouldn't pay any of their current prices when I can have an Ebid store for nothing. Albeit with less sales.

But surely you work out the profits for each venue. If you have 2 shops or work 2 markets I think its commonsense to watch the bottom line profits on each outlet. Your online sales could be profitable & your offline sales making a loss, or vice versa

Yes each month I work out what profit I've made on Ebid, Eb*y, my own website and offline.

[fashion911]

Wow what a difference in the fees..

[dardonboi]

Are profit margins that big a deal? Most of us aen't economists. What we know is how much of our money is left from sales after expenses are paid. My accountant (if I had one) can worry about profit margins. I know that the last 3 months on Ebay cost me about $100 more than I took in. That tells me I am not making a profit there.

[AustinComics]

I mainly only use Eb*y now more to promote my own website and Ebid store with flyers, etc rather than to make money, as I believe the days of making any serious profit with Eb*y has long gone.

how exactly do you promote your website on Eebay? Does eebay let you use an outside site link in your auctions without catching any backlash? If so, I will start doing that as well!

[bluejypsy]

how exactly do you promote your website on Eebay? Does eebay let you use an outside site link in your auctions without catching any backlash? If so, I will start doing that as well!

One way of promoting your eBid Stores are to enclose flyers and invitations to eBid inside your packages. There are no rules disallowing this. I do it all the time and if someone asks me for a bespoke item they have to come here to buy because I refuse to pay listing fees anywhere.
I have had returning customers, one of which purchased 2 more cots on behalf of her friends.
I will continue to sell in this manner until I no longer need to drag customers kicking and screaming to eBid. I have had very positive comments about the site and it is hoped that new customers will start searching here before looking elsewhere.

[AustinComics]

Excellent idea. I have stuff on eebay now and I will include Ebid flyers in the packaging, start driving traffic this way. Thanks for the tip! ;-)

[bykimbo]

Excellent idea. I have stuff on eebay now and I will include Ebid flyers in the packaging, start driving traffic this way. Thanks for the tip! ;-)

If that's a new idea to you, you might also find it helpful to read my list of twenty tips for better selling on eBid (including that one. )