Selling books...listing on .com

[momoftwingles2]

Hi All,

I've not sold any books of any kind on eBay since eBay.com instituted a cap on shipping.

My questions are:

Where may I find these shipping limits?

Should I list these on .ca when everything else I list is on .com?

If I list the books on .ca will I have to issue two different invoices if someone buys a book on .ca and eyelets on .com?

I'm trying to find the best way for me to handle these last books that I need to sell while making it easy for me to manage and at the same time NOT lose money on shipping.

Your thoughts?
Susan
momoftwingles2

[surplusdealdude]

If I list the books on .ca will I have to issue two different invoices if someone buys a book on .ca and eyelets on .com?

You could combine them on a Paypal invoice, but not in the ebay system.

[surplusdealdude]

Here's the link to the shipping costs;

http://pages.ebay.com/sell/august2008update/maxshipping/

[momoftwingles2]

So, obviously if I can't keep the shipping within the guidelines from this link I definitely will need to list these on .ca. I know that some I am able to keep within guidelines and others not.

Thanks for the information! I could not find it! You've been a big help!

Susan

[femmefan1946]

Where may I find these shipping limits?

They will show up when you list on dotcom. You can give a secondary Flat Rate for "special" shipping. This is universally ignored by your buyers.


BTW- Your US competitors are often using Calculated Shipping which allows them to get around the cap. So you are not doing anything unusual by using the CanadaPost shipping calculator on dotCA.

Should I list these on .ca when everything else I list is on .com?

Definitely. On dotCA you can use Calculated Shipping for Canadian addresses. It can easily cost $12 to ship a paperback Nationally. Buyers seem to accept Calculated Shipping while griping about Fixed Price.

If I list the books on .ca will I have to issue two different invoices if someone buys a book on .ca and eyelets on .com?

This doesn't seem to happen with mixed products. I've never had a book buyer purchase a postcard or a dress pattern at the same time. Your experience may differ.
I still have enough books on dotcom that these happen about once every two months or so.

But if it happens, you can send a Paypal invoice, as noted.

[femmefan1946]

Oh and don't forget Light Packet for smaller books! It can be a godsend. (No insurance or DC of course.)

[momoftwingles2]

Thanks for the additional info, femmefan! My books are all scrapbooking related that is why I think there may be some mixed invoices involved.

I've never used the shipping calculator on either site. This should be a first for me.

And, yes....I do utilize light packet.

I've scanned everything and am evaluating each books method of shipping.

Another adventure in bringing my store to a close!

Again, thanks!
Susan
momoftwingles2

[cumos55]

When shipping caps for books became a reality on ebay.com, I moved my store and every piece of inventory to eBay.ca.

That month was a mini-stutter step for sales.

Although I am currently heavy into books I do a lot of non-book inventory to list within the next few months.

The biggest thing for me is the ability to use Canada Post directly in the shipping section of Turbolister...

The primary inventory in my store is Canadian .. Canadian history... Canadian pottery, art glass.

And if it is not Canadian it is linked to something within Canada...

The fact that I can express shipping within Canada, to the US and elsewhere so easily has allowed me to continue boosting my numbers in the store to what it is right now at close to 2100.

Even though I list 100 % on eBay.ca .....traffic to my store indicates that 70 % of the visitors to my store view my listings on .com, with less than 20 % on eBay.ca. My sales are 50 % to Canadian buyers, 25% to US Buyers and 25 % elsewhere...

Sales to Canadian buyers has been slowly going up .. but the traffic remains the same...

I can only see the juggling of listings on .both .com and .ca in a store as a headache... while others can do that quite successfully... Each to their own choice...

[surplusdealdude]

What do you think of the other vintage sites, cumos? Have you tried them? Any luck?

My keypunch plates are, of course, Canadian, and I'd like to start promoting them better.

[craftycatsattic]

Why are you listing under books?

List here:

Home >Buy >Crafts > Scrapbooking & Paper Crafts >Books, Patterns & Instructions

There are no shipping caps in the crafts categories.

HTH!

[cumos55]

eBay works for me primarily because of the books...

About 85 % of the Canadian history books listed on eBay are listed by Canadian sellers.... My competition is Canadian sellers who also use Canada Post for the most part. I have close to 40 % of the Canadian history books on eBay....

If it is about Canada and Canadians whether in Canada ort elsewhere, and relates to history... I list it in Canadian history...

And even between Canadian sellers I cover Winnipeg and Manitoba first, Canada west next followed by Ontario and the rest of eastern Canada.

Sellers in Canadian history tend to be regional. ...


Even my non-book categories are preferred by Canadian buyers...