Need info regarding selling on Amazon

[OtakuDude]

I've been selling stuff on Ebay since 1998 and while it has been profitable for me, I'm currently completely buried in stock I need to sell. Stuff I've bought at Walmart, Goodwill and other assorted retailers.

Trying to list the amount of stuff I have here could keep me busy for months and require lots of time and energy, items I don't really have much to spare of anymore.

Its been recommended to me that I try and sell some of my stock on Amazon but the thing is, I don't know much about how it works or how rapidly things tend to sell on there. I was hoping that someone here who's more familiar with the process could tell me how it's done and some of the details I would need to start selling there.

For example, do I ship the items to Amazon and let them take over the selling process or is it like ebay where I do all the work and simply use Amazon as a place for me to post my items to? Is there a fee to list the items for sale or simply a fee based on their 'sold' price? If the fee is a percentage of the 'sold' price, how large of a percentage is it? Is there a way to check out past listings to see what percentage of items actually sell and what prices they realize?

I've looked into this on Amazon and I've found very little definitive information that would help me out. Perhaps I'm just not looking in the right place. Who knows? I just thought that there might be someone here who can give me the ins-and-outs of their selling platform and perhaps some advice on how to proceed here.

 

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[kcm]

I can't be of any help on becoming an Amazon seller, but there is something I'd like to mention. Due to our extremely remote location, we buy LOTS of stuff off of Amazon!! Literally thousands of $$ last year alone. What I'm seeing trending now is that there are lots of new sellers who are finding good deals from other online outlets and then placing a listing on Amazon. When they get an order, they simply order the expected items (at a lower cost, of course) from their source store and have the items sent directly to the final customer. In other words, they're a broker, of sorts.

At first this pissed me off really bad! I mean, how the hell can someone list something for sale that they don't even have?? On the other hand, the last item we ordered were some 1/2 gallon Ball jars. Still have LOTS more to buy, so not too overly upset about paying more than normal this time. In the grand scheme of things, their price was still acceptable, and I both appreciate and respect that.

That said, there are LOTS of sellers (on all venues) who are marking up items ridiculously high!! That's just wrong. Please don't be one of those people. Amazon isn't as nice a shopping experience as it used to be, and we are fast getting to where we will ONLY buy Prime items, for that very reason. Problem is, sometimes even Prime listings are this way, as sometimes a product is shipped from China (yes, Prime! no, NOT 2-day shipping!!) or will be shipped Prime once back in stock (usually 2 to 4 weeks). Too many folks out there trying to chisel their way into an honest and reputable business venture.

 

[Indigo Knight]

For example, do I ship the items to Amazon and let them take over the selling process or is it like ebay where I do all the work and simply use Amazon as a place for me to post my items to?

You can merchant fufill items like eBay (ship them yourself) or use FBA - fufillment by Amazon, where you ship to an Amazon warehouse and they handle all of the shipping. You can also split your inventory, and do some MF and some FBA. The fees for FBA are higher but items tend to sell quicker and for higher prices. I MF all of my items, but many people do very well FBA only.

Is there a fee to list the items for sale or simply a fee based on their 'sold' price? If the fee is a percentage of the 'sold' price, how large of a percentage is it?

There is no fee to list, you only pay fees when your items sell. The fees depend on the item category and the type of seller you are registered as (professional sellers pay a monthly fee but lower selling fees per item).

Is there a way to check out past listings to see what percentage of items actually sell and what prices they realize?

Yes, but it is an expensive pay-for service.

I've looked into this on Amazon and I've found very little definitive information that would help me out. Perhaps I'm just not looking in the right place. Who knows? I just thought that there might be someone here who can give me the ins-and-outs of their selling platform and perhaps some advice on how to proceed here.

Amazon is less "seller-friendly" than eBay; they don't really want the average Joe selling stuff out of their bedroom. It's more difficult and restrictive to set up an account (you aren't allowed to have multiple accounts like eBay, must link direct to a bank account, and verification takes a few days from what I recall). It's much harder to build up feedback and customers are pickier. Amazon is also less forgiving of mistakes and violations. Also, many of the most popular items are now gated - you can't sell them unless you're a large business that can provide wholesale purchase receipts or you have an older established account that's grandfathered in.

Despite the hoops you have to jump through, I still recommend selling on Amazon since you already have great experience with eBay. I always put items on Amazon instead of eBay when I have a choice, because they almost always sell faster and for higher prices. Listing on Amazon is also much faster and easier than listing on eBay. If the product is in their category, it takes seconds to list it.

I've been selling small amounts on Amazon for the past 8 years. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

 

[trdking]

If you don't cross your Ts and dot your I's in a very prompt fashion they will eat you alive.
They also have the final say when a customer is unhappy and you will be forced to eat it. I personally canceled my Amazon account 3 weeks after I opened it. I sell on eBay under 3 names maintain excellent feedback and I do bulk listings if I have a lot of redundant product. When their is a problem ( usually a bottom feeding scumbag) I have a lot more say about how to handle it other then give them the product for free and move on

 

[trdhrdr007]

I've been considering selling on Amazon for a few years. Did some research to get started & then issues with an elderly parent took up all my free time. Still dealing with that and haven't had enough time to get new info so everything I say could be out of date. I deal with enough things selling on eBay so anything I did on Amazon would be Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA). It's my understanding that fees can be as high as 30%. Part of that is handling & storage. I don't know how you can see past sale prices & percentages but every listing has a sales ranking below the description. The lower (higher?) the number the better the sales ranking. My plan was to find clearance and/or liquidation lots of new items with good sales rankings, process the lot & ship to Amazon and let them deal with it. I'd be looking for items that had a 20-40% profit after fees and purchase price. Definitely a different scenario than what I do on eBay where 200% plus profits are common.

 

[cyberdan]

I thought about Amazon a few times, did my research and abandoned any idea of selling there. Also, Amazon sellers tend to ask more for a product than ebay sellers. Last week I was looking for a photo printer for my daughter's birthday. (smart phone sends info to printer and polaroid type picture comes out) The cheapest new on Amazon is $129 (a used one was $189) the highest $162.

Now on feeBay: cheapest $74 with dozens under $80 and all free shipping. There were a few at $200 but they were identical to the $74 unit.

By the way, no I did not buy the cheapest one I paid $78.00
I may be Scottish by ancestry but I rarely buy the cheapest.
(seller wanted $80 but I offered 78, I couldn't help it I still wanted a deal)