Helpful hint for eBay buying / what's popular on eBay

[Paul]

Here are some words of experiences from a stacker of 4years+

 

It may not be a revelation to some but it might be helpful to explain part of my stacking strategy to what i have bought over the past few years.

 

Go to: http://www.watchcount.com/advanced.php

 

1. Make sure the UK eBay site is selected 

2.  Use various different keywords related to bullion/precious metals:  

ie  silver, gold, 1oz, 2oz, 1/10 gold, bullion, lunar series, Britannia, coin, koala, kookaburra or combinations of these

3.  Narrow the results by searching in the specific category related to what you are seeking

Bullion-->Silver-->Coins = Category 177653

Bullion-->Gold-->Coins = Category 177652

Bullion-->Gold Bullion-->Bars = Catergory 178906

4.  Click the "auctions only" box

5.  The 'show me whats popular'

 

The results will show you at an immediate glance what is are the items with the most active watches.

 

Basically all the research other bidders have done is narrow down what they want to win is done for you in less than 30seconds

By using this technique it has helped me build my stack to buy stuff that is the most popular and the most active interest.

So although it means in the long run it has upped my cost per oz average.  

 

What is in my stack are items of immediate resale value

This has also helped as although spot price has nose dived this past year, i am sat on around 2/3 of my stack that if i needed to sell tomorrow i wouldn't have lost half as much as plumping for the lowest £ per oz like a maple or philharmonic

 

This is my best technique.

 

The above technique needs at least x1 active bid on an item for the results to show

 

If you dont check the 'show me whats popular' this will give different results of the most buy it now items, and what the overall most popular item is 'long term'.  This will generally show you the best 'value' items in terms of price.  It is a 'little' misleading since it bases it on most sales, so an item for an USE that has been active for 2years+ may have a 1000+ sales BUT like arshimo posted yesterday for the 2008 britannias offer awesome value but they have only just been listed but with 1000+ available this will rise in popularity with time.

 

But also use watchcount tool to look up 'no bids, ending soon' can yield results especially at bad times of the day when stuff has been listed

 

Link your bidding on item to a bid sniper site like goofbay, that automatically places your bid in the last seconds.  Stops you getting outbid at the last second

 

You can also use goofbay to do 'local search'  add your post code in and search around 5/10/25 miles from your post code, this can throw up deal you can do in person.  Often using the active seller question you can probably strike a deal lower than the list price and do the deal face to face, since the list price will usually factor ebays fees of 10%

 

If are keen on selling and item or unsure what to maximum bid on an items, use ebay 'completed items' and it will throw up results of what has sold in the past 15 days (i think it used to be or month).  Make sure the 'completed listings' box is checked

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ebayadvsearch/?rt=nc

 

As anything in life time is money, so if these little tips help you free up some time in life your life.

 

I hope this little guide helps, fingers crossed it is not gobbledeegook to those reading it

 

Anybody else have any general ebay buying guidance feel free to chime in

[Danny-boy]

Fantastic post Paul, I have been buying on eBay since 2001 and you have still taught me a lot.

Thanks very much for your superb contribution.

[Paul]

wow ! i didnt think it was anything to special i was doing, and thought more would use such techniques.

 

just to add, you can also use a 'wild card' search on the desired that will bring the single most watched/bidded items 

 

instead of adding anything in the 'keywords' search box on watchcount

leave this field 'blank'

enter the ebay catergory number ie 177653 (bullion-->silver-->coins)

 

Now view the results.  

 

If you are looking for the best bang for your bucks. from experience, ignore single items.

Always Look for multi-bundle auctions.

 

So based on real-time data in watchcount today, we see within silver bullion coins catergory on ebay uk

 

The items with most interest (ie most demand)

we can see currently are x4 to choose from:

• a roll of x20 (2014) britannias £350 / 20 = £17.50oz
• x36oz of (2011) britannias £625.57 / 36 = £17.37
• There is 1kg junk silver not my thing so i would discredit that
• there a are another roll of britannias but they are based in USA, so i disregard them for VAT import issues and costs of shipping

 

Next thing you look is which is ending soonest

 

Before bidding, Next carefully check the sellers feedback.

Check if they sell bullion regularly

Check comments for mentions of precious metals in feedbacks. Do a Control + F  search and search terms like 'bullion, 1oz, coin, silver ' 

Load their feedback so a FULL page of feedbacks loads, it will default to just x25 feedbacks

Click the display x200 feedbacks are displayed

read the comments on only precious metals deals.  

Be wary if they have not listed items or had active feedback in a long while.

Look for double didgit transaction per month, over 50+ for past x6 months and 100+ transactions for the past x12 months

If no previous sales of coins or precious metals be cautious. it could be a hijacked ebay account.

Remember someone can easily list and sell x100 99p items under private sale, to end up with a good feedback score and then chooses to scam with x10 x1oz gold coins (£7500) sales just based on good feedback

 

Ok, so today we see  the x36oz of (2011)s of best value multi silver,  Feedback checked, YES has has sold recently lots of bullion recently, established seller of 9+ years and 1000+ feedback.  Feedbacks all from different buyers

 

Seller checks out as 'good to deal with'

 

Next check the postage costs, and factor this cost what you will be paying per average oz.

With this bundle paying one lot of £10 special delivery for a x36 coins is better than paying (x36) lots of £2 delivery for x36 single 2011 britannias from x36 different dealer. 

 

Always try to make your postage costs work for you

 

Next work out your max you are prepared to pay per oz

 

Now add your snipe for this price and leave it.

 

Do not go into bidding wars. Never ever.  Set you snipe and leave it

 

You win it GREAT !

 

You miss out and get out bid.  Take it on the chin and move on

You have not spent the cash you had earmarked for precious metals but you still have it there for the next deal that comes along.

Having that cash available for the deal is the big thing.

Nothing worse than a great deal come along and you don't have any fiat notes to spend on them.

 

There good thing about this technique is also, there will ALWAYS be a best 'value best deal' there using the above method.

 

Never be annoyed of loosing a deal, there will be dozens and dozens of more great deals in future.

 

Also when i have looked back at my purchases the best bargains i have found over the years come in the last week of a calendar month.

Lots of people getting on the 1st of month ? over spent?

I also picked up some good value item in january and february last year.  ie from overspends of xmas selling to raise ££ but also few buyers for bulk due themselves being overspent from xmas.