Outrageous shipping charges!!

[Evil Appetite]

Let it die, Gregg. There are so few items listed there, it's not worth visiting for most people IMHO. The lack of fees is nice, and it's well set up, but it's essentially trying to compete with eBay, and that's a losing battle.

I love that you're trying to help people with emodelcars.com, but from a business point of view, it doesn't seem worth the investment.

If his cost is low at the moment, maybe he should hang on, he may eventually get a boom in business what with eBay taking a percentage of shipping cost.

[Casey]

If his cost is low at the moment, maybe he should hang on, he may eventually get a boom in business what with eBay taking a percentage of shipping cost.

How many people who know about eBay also know about emodelcars.com?

eBay has a worldwide audience, while emodelcars.com is known mostly by members of this forum, so the volume just isn't there. There are currently 104 total auctions on emodelcars.com.

eBay has built itself up over the course of a decade plus, and I'm sure other people recall Yahoo! Auctions and other auction sites which tried to take a slice of ebay's pie and ultimately were too late to the party and couldn't catch up nor compete.

eBay isn't perfect, but if I'm buying, I want a large selection and multiple buying options (condition, price, location, etc.) and at emodelcars.com, there are just too few items to chose from.

If I'm selling, I want a large, worldwide audience of millions of people who can easily find what I'm selling, and eBay has that.

[whale392]

Well, as to the Emodelcars website; I checked it today FIRST when looking for a kit. Then I went to JiminOhio, then to Ebay. Nobody had it, I ended up finding it on a slot car mania webstore.

But to my point of Emodelcars.......Casey, you bitch to let it die as it has no selection and then bitch about Ebay pricing/shipping (not to single you out, as that attitude seems prevalent here). If we all used Emodelcars, then selection and sales/buying traffic would be up and it would be better. The only way to counter low traffic is to BE traffic. When I get all of my kits inventoried and ready for sale/trade, I will go to emodelcars because of its lack of fees. Will posting 500 listings help out on emodelcars? Might. If we ALL did instead of checking the 'Evilbay', it might just catch on. See my point?

As to the magazine and concentrating on getting it out on time; let's leave that dead horse laying, as all kicking it does is stir up angry flies.

[Chuck Most]

How many people who know about eBay also know about emodelcars.com?

If I'm selling, I want a large, worldwide audience of millions of people who can easily find what I'm selling, and eBay has that.

I see exactly where you're coming from, Mark, but here's the thing...

When the general public thinks eBay, they think of stuff like burned toast with some religious figure's image burned into it, used clothes, and the like. I've never once bought, sold, or even listed a model kit on eBay. (I confess, I once had an eBay account...) And the 'general public' aren't modelers, so I really don't care how many eBay users know about emodelcars! Emodelcars is my first place to go online when I'm looking for a particular kit/part/accessory for sale, 9 times out of ten. I don't even bother with eBay anymore (mostly for reasons that have been discussed already on this thread).

Gregg, I would not be adverse at all to paying $1 to emodelcars whenever an item sells. (Well, unless I sold a $1 item, but still...) One dollar probably isn't cutting into my profit margin enough to matter in the long haul, and if it helps promote the site, so much the better! I've actually been buying a bit on emodelcars the last couple of weeks, and I'm planning on listing some stuff for sale early this summer, so I'd love to see it flourish a bit! Yeah, it'll never be the size of eBay or Craig's List, but so what?

[whale392]

I agree with your thoughts Mark, but the point still remains that unless we use emodelcars, we are stuck with ebay and the fees they charge.

The magazine comment was an effort to NOT get this thread locked, as it always seems to happen when THAT subject comes up!

[Casey]

Well, as to the Emodelcars website; I checked it today FIRST when looking for a kit. Then I went to JiminOhio, then to Ebay. Nobody had it, I ended up finding it on a slot car mania webstore.

But to my point of Emodelcars.......Casey, you bitch to let it die as it has no selection and then bitch about Ebay pricing/shipping (not to single you out, as that attitude seems prevalent here). If we all used Emodelcars, then selection and sales/buying traffic would be up and it would be better. The only way to counter low traffic is to BE traffic. When I get all of my kits inventoried and ready for sale/trade, I will go to emodelcars because of its lack of fees. Will posting 500 listings help out on emodelcars? Might. If we ALL did instead of checking the 'Evilbay', it might just catch on. See my point?

I gave my thoughts as Gregg asked, so he can do what he wants with it.

I never complained about eBay fees, so leave me out of that, please. I'm perfectly happy selling on eBay and giving up some $ to both eBay and PayPal...and yes, I have tried emodelcars.com.

If all 7,412 MCM forum members listed something on emodelcars.com we'd have a much better selection, but they haven't, so maybe the question should be, Why haven't more people listed items on emodelcars.com?

[Harry P.]

If all 7,412 MCM forum members listed something on emodelcars.com we'd have a much better selection, but they haven't, so maybe the question should be, Why haven't more people listed items on emodelcars.com?

Because most people have no idea that it even exists.

There should be a clickable emodelcars ad banner right here on the forum, at the top of the page.

[DRG]

" Because most people have no idea that it even exists.

There should be a clickable emodelcars ad banner right here on the forum, at the top of the page."

Now your talking.

[Evil Appetite]

I know were all about models here..but from a business perspective, maybe inviting other hobbies such as the railroad guys to post. I hear that stuff is big business. Armor, even.

Edited April 2, 2011 by Evil Appetite

[highway]

I know were all about models here..but from a business perspective, maybe inviting other hobbies such as the railroad guys to post. I hear that stuff is big business. Armor, even.

Mike, we do have a section for those on this board, the "Other Models" section. You'd be surprised how many of us don't build just cars! I even have a train posted in that section.

[Evil Appetite]

Mike, we do have a section for those on this board, the "Other Models" section. You'd be surprised how many of us don't build just cars! I even have a train posted in that section.

I meant allow people to sell other hobby related stuff on eModelcars.com, but, hey..you're right..there it is! hehe I usually don't go past the Drag Racing Models forum

[Kaleb]

Baloney(Bologna) on all of it

Besides that Upillar.com does not have fees like ebay(or at least the last time I checked they didn't.

[impcon]

I quit selling on Ebay about five years ago after a ten plus year career on there selling used collectable car and pickup parts. The reason I quit selling was the same reason that alot of other people quit selling - Ebay's stupid, dumb ass policies and ever increasing fees. I still buy on there because I can get some excellent deals and I have scored some old annuals cheap that somehow slipped through the cracks and got very few bids. I go there looking for a deal and I usually don't buy unless I get one. Call me cheap, but I like the auction concept and prefer it to a set price on an item. But that's just me....

Basically IMHO, Ebay has become far too greedy and controlling for my tastes and they lost me as a seller - and there were weeks when I made more selling a few old car parts on Ebay than I did at my job that paid $24.00 per hour! It was very lucrative but I'm almost certainly done selling there for good despite still having a ton of stuff that I could sell there were it not for the extortionary fees that they now charge.

I find it a good source for finding things that I would never be able to find otherwise such as the NOS matching, proper make and model amber lenses for the revolving lights on the old tow truck that I use around the place. I bought the pair for $20.00 plus very reasonable shipping - so that site does have it's merits - for buyers. But when a buyer can leave negative feedback for a seller and the seller can't leave negative feedback for a deadbeat bidder - that's bass ackwards as far as I am concerned, That plus a whole lot of other stupid corporate policies are a definite turn off. Ebay does NOT listen to the users and seems bent on having their own agenda. The sad part is that they have turned their back on the very people who gave them their start and made them what they are - the average small time seller.

As for shipping costs - I have emailed sellers during the auction when they had ridiculous shipping rates on the auction page and most have adjusted them to a much, much more realistic rate. I have found that many times, all that you have to do is ask. Ebays retarded mandatory shipping calculator is often to blame for the high shipping so if you don't ask, then you pay what the listing says you have to pay. Try it and see what ha[ppens.. If the shipping costs are too high or if the seller wont combine shipping, then I simply walk away. But if I am in doubt, then I ALWAYS ask and if the seller doesn't respond to my email or he wont adjust his rates, I pass. I have for the most part found most sellers to be pretty decent people and they are willing to accomodate a potential buyer with shiping costs if it means making a sale. The flaw in the whole thing is not the private, little guy sellers - it's Ebay themselves and their insatiable lust for money and ultimate control.

Something else that most people are not aware of is that "unless a buyer asks" if other methods of payment are available, the seller HAS to use Pay Pal as the means of payment. I do believe that the Australian government denied Ebay that practice when they tried to impliment it there. Meanwhile, our politicians here on this continent ( the U.S. AND Canada ) are still waiting for the spinal donors and haven't the guts or the will to stand up to Ebay and say "No!". Sort of makes me wonder how many of them have finacial interests in Ebay... Yes, it can be called capitalism, but in EBay's case, it's more like pure, simple, grade A, unadulterated greed. Just my two cents worth..

[Carmikeman]

Guys, I have a question on this online auction issue.

As you know, I have had eModelCars going for a few years now, and it has not really caught on.

I want to start an advertising campaign for it, but to do that, it will take some money to fund it.

So, here's the issue.

EMC has always been free, free to list, to post, free pics, to sell, buy, etc.

But, if I have to start paying for the advertising campaign, I'm going to have to start charging a fee.

Now, don't fall off the horse yet.

My thought is this.

eBay charges you a fee for everything you do, including burping.

I am thinking of only one fee, one time, when the item sells.

And it's only a dollar, $1.00

Does that sound reasonable?

Or should I make it a percentage of the final item?

Or, leave it alone?

If I leave it alone, I'm not going to spend the money on ad campaigns, I am not a Rockefeller, I'm just a nice feller, that lives on a rock...

Thoughts?

Sorry to take over your thread, but it kind of fits, yes?

k, I pau...

Gregg, you can always sell ads for the site on Ebay! i remember 1 guy selling ads on his website in the form of pixles and made like a million bucks within a week. just a joke.

i would gladly sell on Emodels and pay a buck or two even. i like the idea of the banner on the MCM homepage and the Forum page.

[RyanSilva]

Guys, I have a question on this online auction issue.

As you know, I have had eModelCars going for a few years now, and it has not really caught on.

I want to start an advertising campaign for it, but to do that, it will take some money to fund it.

So, here's the issue.

EMC has always been free, free to list, to post, free pics, to sell, buy, etc.

But, if I have to start paying for the advertising campaign, I'm going to have to start charging a fee.

Now, don't fall off the horse yet.

My thought is this.

eBay charges you a fee for everything you do, including burping.

I am thinking of only one fee, one time, when the item sells.

And it's only a dollar, $1.00

Does that sound reasonable?

Or should I make it a percentage of the final item?

Or, leave it alone?

If I leave it alone, I'm not going to spend the money on ad campaigns, I am not a Rockefeller, I'm just a nice feller, that lives on a rock...

Thoughts?

Sorry to take over your thread, but it kind of fits, yes?

k, I pau...

Percentage based, due to small items being sold there would be best. ($3.50-5.00 items)

Last year I listed tons of my resin cast wheels, for 2 months I only sold 2 items.

[iBorg]

I think several things said here have merit. The note about eBay's focus is on the buying experience is very true. The end result is the sellers are disadvantaged in the deal. When fleabay changed their feedback system I quit listing nearly as much as I did. There were sellers that took advantage of the old system only leaving feedback after feedback is received. Now its the buyer who can take advantage of feedback. The new raised fees will effect the seller initially but will effect the buyer eventually. AS more and more sellers become disillusioned with the fees, more cheaper items will disappear. This includes kits. Maybe the gougers who try to sell a re issued kit as an original will disappear. Maybe the mentality of buying to resell by "eBay profiteers" will dry up and kits will be more available at yard sales and flea markets. The day of a $6.95 kit with $12.00 shipping will end as whatever return will be so minimal that its better to build or trade the kit than sell it and give them so much. The kits that remain will be higher priced. As sellers get more used to this new fee game, they will either quit selling, sell only high ticket items, sell without reserve but with a higher starting price (to the buyer's benefit), or bury the fees as a cost of business.

For myself, there are alternatives. Less expensive kits will be traded or sold on one of several classified spots. THANK you Greg for allowing that here! I might try eModelcars. I do think a link to it here (if possible) as well as the Model Cars Magazine website would be good. I also think that a web exchange with other sites would be quite helpful. eModelcars is in the catch 22 of not enough listings with low prices because not enough users and not enough users because of low prices etc.

[Jordan White]

My one complaint with ebay is the whole bid-for-you system. Sure it's great if you can't get on for a few days, but it just takes the fun out of bidding (not to mention drives up the price quickly). Then of course there's the whole deal about you maybe not having as high of a max bid as the next person. You'd have a chance if the other person had to manually bid, but with auto you just throw in your max bid and if it isn't enough then it's time to move on to the next item. There is the whole deal that the other person could back out, but if they set the max bid then it's pretty sound that they probably won't back out.

/rant

Edit: the other thing is when people use the "or best offer" deal. If you put in the first offer and it isn't high enough for the seller, then they should show what their lowest they will take is. Heck, that's how it works in the real world!

Edited April 2, 2011 by Jordan White

[Mike Kucaba]

I think that this is an honorable endeavor,Greg,but loaded with problems. What do you do when a seller doesn't fulfill their end? Requiring a performance bond might work.On the other end,how about a buyer reneging on their end? And you know this site will be loaded with complaints,just look at how many Ebay posts are here now ,and you have nothing to do with it,and can't really help anyway. I do a LOT of buying on Ebay and kinda like the anonymity of it. I can't understand why Ebay is constantly hammering the seller,but in all honesty look how many poor sellers there are.I.E. You know the "I don't sell model cars that much so I can't tell if everything is here" "open complete but missing... Yada,yada yada." or how about the poorly done pictures or none at all. You know,THAT would be a good thread.Post your favorite excuse on ebay LOL, then send the entire thread to ebay. My favorite would be the ones with atrocious grammar and such that you can barely understand what they are saying and you have a headache after. Good Luck with this and I really do hope it works because if history has taught us anything, good competition always helps any industry get better, as long as it's done without corruption.

[The Creative Explorer]

As a note to Gregg,

I am also using ScaleMotorcars forum and when Harry talked about the banner, it made me think. On that board, there is some kind of gallery, that grabs a few listings of eBay and display them at the bottom of the homepage.

Why not try to establish something like this? ok, you need to get it programmed, but once it is running, it is cost-free and can keep eModelcars free. Just an idea

[Gregg]

I think I will go to a fee, maybe percentage up to $10, then $1 after that.

I'll run a spreadsheet later, to see what it will be like.

Thanks for all the input.

[paul alflen]

GREG, CHARGE A DOLLAR. THEN COLLECT THAT MONEY TO USE FOR YOUR ADS. PUT A BIG AD ON THE BACK PAGE OF MODEL CARS MAGAZINE. THE TIME TO DO IT IS NOW,WITH FLEA BAY CHARGING FOR EVERYTHING. ALSO PUT OUT A PHONE APP FOR E-MODEL CARS. THEN PUT A YOUTUBE VIDEO ON HOW TO USE IT.ALSO PUT A CATAGORY ON THESE PAGES AS WE TEND TO FORGET THERE IS A E-MODEL CARS. SHOULD BE A VISUAL LINK RIGHT UNDER WANTED SECTION THAT SAYS FOR SALE ON E- MODEL CARS.THEN LINK IT TO OTHER MESSAGE BOARDS FOR MODEL CARS. EXAMPLE WOULD BE SOUTHERN CALIF CAR CULTURE SITE. PROMOTE WHAT YOU HAVE NOT WHAT YOU DONT. 7,OOO+ MEMBERS LOOKING FOR 1.00 LISTING FEE, CHEAPEST ADVERTISING IN MY BOOK WITH NO PERCENT COMMISSION.

[Dave Wood]

I sold Kits and other stuff on the Bay for years Never have I made money on Shipping, What they are trying to stop is the guys that list a sealed kit for .99 cents and charge 15.99 shipping, I get all my boxes free from the USPS and use Priority shipping useing the Winning Bidders Postal Code. Just Venting and trying to keep the fun in the Hobby.

Dave

[paul alflen]

GREG, JUST PARTNER WITH AMAZON

[Gregg]

Paul, I like the YouTube video idea.

I'm glad I thought of that

I have run ads in MCM for years, full pages and smaller.

Amazon won't work because it's an auction based site.

They are interested in the mag though, but the cut is way to high.

[robertw]

Never was a seller on ebay but was a steady buyer. Being from the cold north few older kits are available here other then ebay but I quit buying a couple of years ago for the following reasons, in no particular order :

-ever increasing shipping costs

-fewer & fewer sellers willing to ship outside the US

-the introduction of PayPal as the only way to pay

It would seem that both buyers and sellers have good reason to be upset with what has increasingly become just a big greedy corporation.

robw