what is the best site to sell kits on?

[coreyh29645]

i have bought quite a few models over what i can build anytime soon. that coupled with a leaking roof have made me decide i want to sell off some of them. is emodelcars any better the ebay? is there any other site? i know selling on here is forbidden so i am kinda stepping on eggshells but i feel like i needed to ask.

have a good day

[Harry P.]

In my opinion ebay is by far the best. You get the biggest number of potential buyers there.

[george 53]

Plus, I don't think Emodelcars is on line anymore.

[Scorpius1]

Ebay is great to sell things on. Just be careful with their fees! Another potential problem area is Paypal, especially when you are a Seller!!! Case in point, let's say for example, that you sell something and use the USPS linked system to mail it to the Buyer. If the Buyer does not receive the item in time, they can file a claim with Paypal and shaft you for the full amount when you least expect it! Tracking numbers and that stuff doesn't mean doodley-squat to Paypal, they'll stick it to you anyways. Believe me, I'm speaking from experience.

[camaroman]

Plus, I don't think Emodelcars is on line anymore.

It !!! Just not many of us over there ...

[roadhawg]

Plus, I don't think Emodelcars is on line anymore.

Up and going, George.....just picked up 2 kits there yesterday.

Edited May 9, 2012 by roadhawg

[george 53]

THANKS Tommy!! It had been down for so long I deleted it from my favorites list!!! I'll go add it back on, Bro! THANKS!!!!

[Guest]

Was just on there and only 60 items listed. Only good deals were a couple of resin bodies. The rest were way overpriced IMO. I'll stick with ebay.

[cobraman]

I have been using ebay for both buying and selling since 1999. I think it is the best due to the high volume of traffic they get. It is more friendly to the buyers than the sellers even though it is the sellers who put money in their pockets. Don't forget that they call it FEE Bay for a reason.

[Erik Smith]

eBay. Yes, there are fees, but try setting up and running your own website and see how many kits you sell.

[Scorpius1]

Websites do work Erik, just depends on how you advertise. Forums like these are the best way to get folks interested along with FREE review samples to folks in the "paper" and internet magazine world. There's nothing worse to me than a magazine reviewer having to pay for a review sample.

Yep, FeeBay sums it all up in one word. They just bled me for $160 again!

[Erik Smith]

Websites do work Erik, just depends on how you advertise. Forums like these are the best way to get folks interested along with FREE review samples to folks in the "paper" and internet magazine world. There's nothing worse to me than a magazine reviewer having to pay for a review sample.

Yep, FeeBay sums it all up in one word. They just bled me for $160 again!

Yes, but I don't have to pay or take time to advertise on eBay. I don't know the exact numbers and online research is a little...spotty...but eBay probably has, what, 100 million users? Obviously with targeted marketing you could still reach a portion of your intended audience on your own, but you would not be selling in a marketplace with near that number of WILLING customers - and it would cost you to advertise.

You could add up the "fees" of running your own website, credit card transaction costs, advertising, etc and compare to the fees that eBay and Paypal charge (which is about 10-13%, correct?) and see if that offsets selling to a smaller market - and smaller markets generally sell items for a lower price (and I realize there are a hundred anecdotal stories available to the contrary, but I am talking big picture).

I don't love eBay and I don't work for them or own stock in them - and I have had good and bad transactions - but looking at the numbers, I don't think anything else compares - I am open to different thoughts on this though.

[Johnny K]

EBay may have 100 Million Users, may get 100 Million Hits, may even sell 100 Million items, but they may also have 100 Million things listed to sell. Most eBay Users have specific items they're looking for or, at least, particular categories in which they look - and most of them aren't looking for model cars. My listings usually receive as few as 12 views and as many as 120 depending on what the item may be. At least the people who look usually have an actual interest in a possible purchase.

I both buy and sell on eBay. I list maybe 200 to 250 items a month and, fortunately, sell nearly 100% of those items. Still, it's a time consuming and sometimes frustrating process. Somewhere around 15 to 18% sell the first week listed. Most take 2 to 4 listing runs and a few may have to be listed up to 8 times. I try and keep my items competitively priced and research similar items before listing; still, I am limited as to how low my items may be listed due to not only the fees involved from both eBay and PayPal, but by my initial investment in those items. If not for the 50 free listings per month (and I keep 4 accounts active), I would only be listing a small fraction of the already small number I do sell. It wouldn't take long to lose money at 25 cents to a dollar (with photos) per item, especially those listed multiple times. That doesn't work when I only net a dollar or two per sale.

I don't sell on eBay as a business or as a way to make a living; rather, I do it as an extension of the modeling hobby. Generally, I will purchase the items I would like to have along with the occasional lot of models, both kit and built, with an eye to resale of the lot items I have no personal use for. Additionally, I check several search parameters daily in order to pick up deals for resale. It's something I generally enjoy doing and it allows me to get pretty much most ot the modeling items I want free of charge. I usually even manage to average a small profit each month. Even though my personal collection is quite small, I've managed over the past 2 years I've done this to build up a little better than 100 new or vintage kits and a couple dozen builts I've decided to keep (these numbers are constantly changing on a weekly basis). Additionally, I have an inventory of another 100 or so parts kits and about 50 builts to be listed for sale - so I can buy more, of course. All with no cash out of my pocket and an $1800 surplus built up for anything else I might see.

So, the bottom line - and my point - is that, in my own opinion, eBay is the best market currently available to sell models. Even with its hefty fees and Buyer-oriented leanings. Not to mention dealing with some of the Buyers (including a couple members here), but that's another thread.

[crazyjim]

Members here have provided lists of what they have to sell/trade through PMs. No fee that way. I'd like a list if you consider it.

[coreyh29645]

ok thank you for all of the ideas. i was figuring ebay was going to be the avenue i go down. will be gathering up a list of things i will be selling this weekend.

[sjordan2]

While there is no buying or selling allowed on this forum, I have seen a number of posts from people with kits to sell that provide for PM inquiries or links to selling sites. It would be interesting to know what kind of success has resulted from that approach. Or is there a policy against that as well? If there is, that may be a good thing to keep such advertising from becoming too common on the forum.

Edited May 10, 2012 by sjordan2

[Guest Johnny]

Ssssssssh!!!