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Author
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Topic: Selling on Tcgplayer
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AGO
Member
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posted November 22, 2014 11:27 AM
      
quote:
Originally posted by headumpire:
Just wanted to respond with my thoughts after the first week. First off, I automatically got the membership to list all my inventory at once, and my inventory is about 20,000 cards, all over $1 MID. 1) Got about 100 orders I believe. Ranging from $1 to $300. Most average orders were around 15. Averaging maybe 4 cards per order. 2) I was very surprised by the amount of non NM cards I have sold. Probably only 10% of the cards I sold were NM 3) I am currently using a $2 shipping setting. so I can ship with tracking I refuse to ship PWE as I don't want to take losses, and hate hand writing addresses lol. I am considering changing to a $1.25 shipping, and just sending anything expensive via tracking and have a small loss, which should then equal out all the small PWE stuff Overall my experience has been decent. I think if i lowered the shipping price I may double my orders, as I am at or near TCGLow with card prices. If you don't mind shipping PWE and are priced near LOW you will sell pretty quick it seems like!
On TCG you can print off the Shipping Invoice and it has a section you cut out and tape to the PWE. What I do is print off all my invoices and cut the top of them off. I normally sandwich the cards between two tokens and put it in a soft sleeve. Then wrap it in the bottom half of the invoice. Stick it in the PWE. Then tape the address label on the front with a big enough piece of tape to wrap around the entire envelope.
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stinkinogre
Member
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posted November 23, 2014 05:14 AM
quote:
Originally posted by AGO:
On TCG you can print off the Shipping Invoice and it has a section you cut out and tape to the PWE. What I do is print off all my invoices and cut the top of them off. I normally sandwich the cards between two tokens and put it in a soft sleeve. Then wrap it in the bottom half of the invoice. Stick it in the PWE. Then tape the address label on the front with a big enough piece of tape to wrap around the entire envelope.
The shipping invoice actually work well with the envelopes with the clear screen in them (it's early I forget the exact name). Just fold to where the address is visible and slap a return label on it. I got the idea from Legitmtg. I just really wish there was a way to export invoices and print them all at once.
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headumpire
Member
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posted November 23, 2014 06:08 AM
For those of you who use the print invoice method and ship in PWE, how many transactions have you done that way? How many people have complained over not receiving? Just looking for a percentage loss, then I can calculate if the gain is worth it
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jshields
Member
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posted November 23, 2014 08:25 PM
Head Umpire asked, "For those of you who use the print invoice method and ship in PWE, how many transactions have you done that way? How many people have complained over not receiving? Just looking for a percentage loss, then I can calculate if the gain is worth it."After having been screwed on Ebay from not having included tracking on a number of orders worth $20 or less, resulting in false claims, I quickly rethought my strategy when transferring to TCGplayer.com. Considering the MOTL rules regarding tracking, my store on TCGPlayer never sends out any order without tracking via USPS. While some members may balk at the steep $2.99 max shipping fee, considering that I have to pay $3.37 for mailing with tracking is simply a matter of paying a few pennies extra to protect my sales. I have insured orders that start around $75-$100 and up to further protect either person from getting broken product or claiming the product never shipped, when it had tracking and insurance. __________________
Owner of Power-Up!!! Games -- selling competitively priced Magic: The Gathering singles, collections, and wholesale lots!Come see our items for sale on Ebid.net and of course, good old reliable MOTL!!
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AGO
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 05:00 AM
quote:
Originally posted by headumpire:
For those of you who use the print invoice method and ship in PWE, how many transactions have you done that way? How many people have complained over not receiving? Just looking for a percentage loss, then I can calculate if the gain is worth it
Almost 400 orders and not a single one has been lost. Almost all of them have been sent PWE. I ship anything with tracking over $20. My shipping settings are set to $0.99. I can ship in a bubble for under $2. That is including packaging. You should be buying all packing materials in bulk if you want to do it right. I get my bubble mailers for less then $0.08 each. I don't ship in toploaders either to save money. I have only had a few complaints about condition which i fixed by refunding a few bucks. If you are worried about losing a few orders then this business is not for you. It is probably going to happen. I am not worried about it since I am moving so much product that a little bit of loss is worth it. I made more money on MOTL but spent more time dealing with the back and forth that this site requires that I was actually making less if I counted my time invested. I would say 99% of the buyers on TCG are just normal everyday players who are not going to take a microscope to the card to see if you graded it to BGS standards. The key to good reviews is really in how fast you send the cards. I send the day the orders comes in or next day at the latest. Being a player I know how it feels when you order the latest tech on Sunday and it doesn't arrive in time for Friday. All my reviews are 5 and state something about how damn fast the cards were received.
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stinkinogre
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 05:37 AM
quote:
Originally posted by AGO:
I don't ship in toploaders either to save money.
If you don't mind sharing how are you shipping them then?
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headumpire
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 07:25 AM
quote:
Originally posted by AGO:
If you are worried about losing a few orders then this business is not for you. It is probably going to happen.
I appreciate your response, but this part was a tad rude. Avoiding loss is a part of every business. And it is simply a matter of math and stats whether those losses weigh heavier than the potential gains of shipping for less. Plus there is the matter of the extra time spent. Its all a big math model, that is why I am trying to gather information. Its not a matter of business preference, its about loss deterrence, +/- analysis, and opportunity cost(most importantly) Let us say for example. 2 out of every 100 letters gets lost/non received. No tracked packages get lost. All transactions average $15. Assume that on both shipping prices we break even $2 shipping example : $1(shipping potential gain by shipping $1) x 100 transactions = $100 Opportunity cost $1 shipping letters : We lose 2x $15 transactions, so we lose $30. This is how I make my decisions on EVERYTHING, that is why I need data! So in this example, losing only 2 out of 100 transactions, it is quite simple that we need to start using letters. But if people say lose 10 out of every hundred, then the math changes quite drastically. Using this model, assuming we lose on average less than 6/100 packages, it is worth it. Also we could add in shipping cutoffs, and order increase to make it more interesting. I was just trying to gather data.
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mm1983
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 07:54 AM
 
Through my time on MOTL in 8+ years I always sent everything of high value that I could with tracking. Yes it costs more and I easily spend an extra $50-100 or more in a years time to send packages that way but in the end it is worth it. In terms of selling, aside from the few things I sell here on MOTL I mostly sold through ebay where I sold play sets of cards for as low as $1.50 and as high as $100. Most cheap items were always shipped in a PWE or 3 or more play sets and play sets or singles of $16 or higher value got shipped in a bubble mailer. At one time there was more profit to be made through ebay but the postal service caught on and started charging me an extra .20 for PWE being non machineable due to the toploader which has forced me to sell items on ebay for no less than $2 a set but everything sold within the USA was always sold with free shipping.
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rats60
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 08:02 AM
quote:
Originally posted by headumpire:
I appreciate your response, but this part was a tad rude. Avoiding loss is a part of every business. And it is simply a matter of math and stats whether those losses weigh heavier than the potential gains of shipping for less. Plus there is the matter of the extra time spent. Its all a big math model, that is why I am trying to gather information. Its not a matter of business preference, its about loss deterrence, +/- analysis, and opportunity cost(most importantly)Let us say for example. 2 out of every 100 letters gets lost/non received. No tracked packages get lost. All transactions average $15. Assume that on both shipping prices we break even $2 shipping example : $1(shipping potential gain by shipping $1) x 100 transactions = $100 Opportunity cost $1 shipping letters : We lose 2x $15 transactions, so we lose $30. This is how I make my decisions on EVERYTHING, that is why I need data! So in this example, losing only 2 out of 100 transactions, it is quite simple that we need to start using letters. But if people say lose 10 out of every hundred, then the math changes quite drastically. Using this model, assuming we lose on average less than 6/100 packages, it is worth it. Also we could add in shipping cutoffs, and order increase to make it more interesting. I was just trying to gather data.
I wouldn't worry about lost mail, that just doesn't happen very often. I would advise against sending without top loads. I have had far more in damaged cards than the shipper saving .06 because he's too cheap to put the card in a top load. In my opinion, it is ridiculous to buy a foil fetchland and have it come in a soft sleeve with no protection.
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headumpire
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 08:28 AM
Its not about LOST mail. It is about people claiming they didnt get it... sad world we live in
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dfitzg88
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 08:47 AM
quote:
Originally posted by headumpire:
This is how I make my decisions on EVERYTHING
There are definitely other unseen risks, but perhaps they aren't as substantial on tcgplayer, which operates almost anonymously (with buyers often picking up things as cheap as possible without checking who the seller is). Negative feedback from buyers who aren't satisfied with a solution after their package gets destroyed en-route, as well as the loss of repeat business, is enough to get me to take at least some precautions. The cheapest I've shipped is with a non-machinable stamp and toploader. I actually purchased an inked rubber stamp to put 'non-machinable' right on the envelope. Sadly, I'm enjoying the stamping process more than anything... Edit: Also, for anyone who uses non-machinable butterfly stamps, have you been able to find these at the post office? Mine only has these aviator stamps, which have very creepy art.
[Edited 1 times, lastly by dfitzg88 on November 24, 2014]
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dwiz
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 01:17 PM
quote:
Originally posted by jshields:
While some members may balk at the steep $2.99 max shipping fee, considering that I have to pay $3.37 for mailing with tracking is simply a matter of paying a few pennies extra to protect my sales.
How do you reach that 3.37 figure? That's insanely high for trackable in the US. Are you paying like a buck for each bubble mailer?
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mm1983
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 01:44 PM
quote:
Originally posted by dwiz:
How do you reach that 3.37 figure? That's insanely high for trackable in the US. Are you paying like a buck for each bubble mailer?
I send enough of these to know that through a post office to ship in a bubble mailer is normally $2.32 and then add $1.05 for tracking is where you get to $3.37. I send a decent amount of these like this. Tracking at one time was .75 but just like all postage fees the tracking fee has also gone up over the past few years.
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dwiz
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 01:47 PM
quote:
Originally posted by mm1983:
I send enough of these to know that through a post office to ship in a bubble mailer is normally $2.32 and then add $1.05 for tracking is where you get to $3.37. I send a decent amount of these like this. Tracking at one time was .75 but just like all postage fees the tracking fee has also gone up over the past few years.
LOL...paypal.com/shipnow is 1.93 to send 3 ounces, including tracking. You haven't been using that for years?
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mm1983
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 03:25 PM
Can't do that on trade only deals
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headumpire
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 03:26 PM
quote:
Originally posted by mm1983:
Can't do that on trade only deals
Yes you can, Google "print shipping labels on PayPal without payment". I believe the second link has a link
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stinkinogre
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 03:33 PM
quote:
Originally posted by mm1983:
Can't do that on trade only deals
Yeah you can. It's in paypal under tools. Multishipping. Use it daily.
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AGO
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 05:29 PM
400 transactions and I have not lost a single one! I don't think people understand the player base that is purchasing off of TCG. These are mainly just players wanting to get cards to play. This isn't MOTL where people are looking for NM beta and nit pick condition. 400 transactions and I have lost a total of $9 from condition issues.
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caquaa
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 08:09 PM
visual paypal shipping guide:
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/market-street/fa q-and-guidelines/390789-delivery-confirmation-for-free-paypal-multiorderits slightly out of date, the price has gone up a tad.
however, mathing it out via ebay pricing: .07 bubble mailer (500 @ $32)
.05 toploader (1000 @ $50ish)
.01 penny sleeve (called a penny sleeve...)
.05 shipping label (200 @ $10)
1.93 shipping costs total 2.11 add in some random costs for things like tape, etc. you're barely over 2 bucks. You might be able to find better deals on some of that stuff too, especially if you buy larger quantities. When shipping, I like to take an old used bubble mailer and cut out 2 toploader sized pieces to thicken the envelope. I had one deal where the post office charged the person picking the package up for priority because the envelope wasn't thick enough. Just need something very light that can thicken the envelope. If you ship larger orders you think might go beyond the 3oz mark you can get a nice looking digital food scale for about $20 that works fairly well as a postal scale(I was picky and wanted the flat glass top).
[Edited 1 times, lastly by caquaa on November 24, 2014]
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swazeyyy
Member
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posted November 24, 2014 09:19 PM
You can free labels from FedEx
https://www.fedex.com/ordersupplies/wols.do?method=initOrderSupplies&locale=en_US&programIndicator=11Just make an account, click the above link, choose Electronic Shipping Labels and choose the amount. They will deliver them within 5 days.
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Timmyhill
Member
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posted November 30, 2014 05:33 PM
So I'm sure this will sound like a very silly question. But what is the easiest way to get more cards to resell? I roam the sales thread here but it can be a daunting task to price it out, make an offer then have to deal with counter offers.
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chaos021
Member
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posted November 30, 2014 07:12 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Timmyhill:
I roam the sales thread here but it can be a daunting task to price it out, make an offer then have to deal with counter offers.
Work, this is Timmy. Timmy, meet work.
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JayC
Member
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posted November 30, 2014 08:03 PM
Working on 3,000 orders. It's tough to make big money @ TCGPlayer because of the fees, despite the break via Crystal Commerce - don't forget they take a couple % for that break plus hosting fees so it's not really a break.You basically have the be the cheapest guy, so sometimes Buylist is just better - plus, shipping eats you alive so you have to ship PWE and TCG always sides with the buyer so they can just rip you off without issue and you have no recourse so you're put in a spot where you probably pay for tracked shipping only on orders of $20 - $30 or more otherwise you're just selling uber cheap and might as well do it here or something similar.
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Timmyhill
Member
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posted December 01, 2014 02:38 AM
That's very helpful chaosThanks JayC, that is kind of what I've been noticing. I've
always been hesitant to ship in PWE for the reasons you state but I might just have to.
I'm currently working 40-50 hours a week at my job but will quitting in February because we decided to start a Christmas Tree farm. Plus we are building a gift shop to go alone with the tree farm and we are going to fill it with a bunch of the woodworking that I also do. So I was looking for a way to stream line trying to find new cards to sell as my days are pretty packed with "work". I don't have any delusions of making hundreds of thousands of dollars selling cards but it would be very nice to make a profit of 4k-6k a year as that would greatly help replace some of the income I'll be losing till the tree farm is 100% up and running.
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headumpire
Member
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posted December 01, 2014 05:36 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Timmyhill:
So I'm sure this will sound like a very silly question. But what is the easiest way to get more cards to resell? I roam the sales thread here but it can be a daunting task to price it out, make an offer then have to deal with counter offers.
Be lucky. Be fast. Things aren't what they were 2-3 years ago. It is very hard to make money at this now. You need to check eBay/motl/anywhere else tens of times per day an hope to be the one to spot deals first. Innefeciancy always gets eliminated in markets and sellers now have easy avaloable knowledge to price or sell the cards themselves. Luck and persistence. That's about all the advice I have
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