Internet Consignment Service

 

 

Want to sell things on online auctions?
I can handle it or show you how!

 

Take a look around your home, in your garage, and in your shed. I would venture to say you have several things just sitting around collecting dust. Why not liquidate and turn those unused, unwanted dust catchers into CASH? You may very well have enough money just sitting around your place to go on vacation or buy things you really love and want!

[Business owners -- are there any items in your inventory which, once they sell, you would never reorder? Or any items no longer in use which are cluttering up your shop's storage area? Click here if you are a retail or wholesale merchant … I offer a special Internet Consignment Service for store inventory.]
 

Why bother having a yard sale? The weather might not cooperate! (And you’ll only get a few dozen potential customers after all that hard work.)

   

Why lug all of it down to a consignment store? Resale shops will take 60% of your money and keep marking down the price too!

   

Why give away all your valuables? Charity is a great thing, but you could at least sell some of it and donate the rest.

   

Why spend a fortune on classified ads in the newspaper? You’ll go broke ... and who knows what kind of weirdo's might show up at your house! Plus you’ll have to spend time with your ear in the telephone and waste your valuable time on no-shows. See other drawbacks here.

   
   

Ahhh, but on the Internet, millions upon millions of potential buyers all over the world will see what you have for sale. As of June 2023, eBay alone has over 132 million active buyers … and every single person who looks at your auction got there by looking for specific search terms. These are serious buyers on a mission! I'll put your items in front of this vast eBay audience AND other marketplaces.


Through my Internet Consignment Service, I handle the sale of a wide variety of items consignors want to expose to a worldwide audience. To date I’ve sold many thousands of dollars of merchandise on the Internet for local residents and businesses, primarily through online auctions! Some examples of items that have been consigned and sold are: art, antiques, electronic equipment, collectibles, sculptures, vintage sheet music … and just about everything else of my own ranging from software to clothing to a unicycle and everything in between.

I don't specialize in selling any one thing in particular – I just specialize in selling! You’ll benefit from the expertise that comes from over 15 years of online selling experience and more than 30 years of marketing experience, including in-depth studies and practice of the psychology of selling.

I offer a full range of services including taking and optimizing digital photographs of the item, composing dynamic ad copy, obtaining a professional appraisal to determine current market value of your item, managing the auctions from start to finish which includes handling inquiries, collection of payment from the buyer, packing and shipping, etc. Since I know how to present merchandise in the most appealing way that shouts "BUY ME!", many times there are bidding wars and the price keeps getting driven higher and higher ... I've lost count of how many times I've been excited and shocked with the final selling price people have paid!
 

Why would you want to use this
Internet Consignment Service?

Maybe you don't have a digital camera, scanner, or special photo editing software ...
 

Maybe you don't know the in's and out's and secrets of selling on auctions and other online marketplaces ...
 

Maybe you don't know how to pack and ship items or where to get supplies ...
 

Maybe you don't know which protective measures can be taken to protect yourself from being defrauded by unscrupulous buyers ...
 

Maybe you have no idea how to handle customers, currency, and shipments to other countries …
 

Maybe you have fun finding items, but don't have as much fun selling them ...
 

Maybe you want to get rid of that gift Aunt Martha gave you that you never liked and you don't want her to know you’re selling it ...

 

Even so, you might be able to
do the auctions yourself, but …

 

Is this what you want to do with your spare time?
 

Do you have expertise in this colossal competitive field ?
 

Do you have an established reputation rating and customer comments of praise on auction sites which assures buyers it's safe to send you money?
 

How will you handle currency and special shipping requirements for customers from other countries of the world?
 

Do you have the tools necessary to set up and maintain a continually successful, visually appealing auction booth (i.e. advanced knowledge of HTML language, etc.)?
 

Do you have access to other Internet sources to offer the items to a worldwide market?

 

(If you REALLY have your heart set on doing this yourself,
click here to find out how.)


This Internet Consignment Service is the best chance you’ve got to get the highest dollar for your items.  For those faced with an estate sale, it’s an excellent choice to get maximum exposure and return for your loved one’s valued belongings.

I welcome you to try this service. If you’re unsure of how it will work out for you, let’s try just one item and take it from there. I think you'll be very happy with the results and will want to let me handle more. It’s totally up to you. My policy is one of strict honesty -- and you can be assured that my integrity to you, my customers, and myself are of the highest degree! Most of all, I appreciate your trust and your patronage. Check my more than 1,350 combined positive customer feedback ratings on eBay and Yahoo auctions! Other references can be provided upon request.

So why wait another moment?  Contact me with the items you’d like to sell, and I will go to work for you.  I do the work, and you get the best possible opportunity for a good sale price for your merchandise. What could be easier?
 

"One Man's Trash Is
Another Man's Treasure!"


 

ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 



What does consignment mean?

Having a third party sell merchandise and remit proceeds of the sale to the owner after the sale of the merchandise.

How much do you charge for your Internet Consignment Service?

For simple products, I charge a $59 setup and market analysis fee (see below) per listing, payable up front. More complex products will require a higher setup fee. Commission fees are a progressive commission on the final sale of the item, which will never be more than 30%. The commission percentage depends upon the level of service you’d like me to perform as well as the value of what you have for sale. (Obviously if your item sells for $5,000 I will not take $1,500 as a 30% commission, that’s just too much.) We will negotiate the percentage based on our tailored arrangement. Either I or the buyer will pay for all shipping costs, but I ask you to pay for fees which are charged by the marketplaces (auction sites, etc.) and payment collection service (PayPal, etc.), which may total up to 15%.

Why do you charge commission AND a setup fee?

The setup fee covers the time and energy to collect research on your item such as conducting a market analysis (and in many cases the extra work in obtaining an independent appraisal), supply and demand, background details, and so forth. It also covers the time to take multiple photographs, photo editing, ad design and layout work, HTML coding, and other tasks related to just getting the auction running and getting your product online. These projects are quite time-intensive. This fee is collected up front at the time our Exclusive Right to Sell Agreement is signed.

The commission covers the time and energy spent on advertising your item in numerous marketplaces in order to give it as much worldwide exposure as possible. There is also a tremendous amount of time involved in managing your auction and listings, answering the many questions potential customers pose, negotiations, arranging for and collecting payment (sometimes much more complicated than it may seem), packing & shipping, bookkeeping, taxes, fraud protection, etc. Since the more money you make the more money I make, you can be sure I will work hard to find the highest-paying buyer.

Keep in mind too that for more than 15 years I have built a solid business reputation evidenced by more than 1,350 public feedback ratings (100% positive) and comments placed by my eBay and Yahoo customers ... buyers know it's safe to do business with me and that I will work hard to maintain my prized reputation.

Who sets the selling price?

I do, but I like to get input from you as to the retail price paid, etc. The contract will also specify what minimum target profit you prefer. If an independent appraisal is required, I will base the selling price on the appraised value and we'll try to get close. Since this is a third party service and I'll handle the entire submission process, there is an additional fee for such appraisals. Please see this page for details. This fee is minimal and is offset by the higher sales price we are likely to achieve with an official, expert valuation.

How do you know how much to charge?

Selling online has taught me how to get the most for my consignors while providing my customers with the greatest value! Part of what I have learned over the years is that conducting a market analysis is vital to setting the right price. For some items (i.e. rare or unusual collectibles, vintage items, art, etc.) obtaining an independent professional appraisal is necessary and advantageous. For example, a client of mine decided she would accept a $1,200 minimum for an original oil on canvas painting she hired me to consign for her. I strongly urged her to let me obtain an appraisal, and to our shock it turned out to be worth over $11,000!  If she tried to list the painting on eBay without hiring me for my services, she would have thrown away almost $10,000 because she would not have known how to price it or even where to get it appraised at a reasonable price. The company I use provides an official certificate that can be shown in the auction listing to let shoppers know how valuable the piece is. Their network of more than 120 appraisers are authorities on every imaginable category of items.

What if I'm apprehensive about paying the required $59 setup and the $39 appraisal fee?

Look at it from this perspective: if you do a little checking, you'll find that to advertise your item in your local newspaper will cost about that (or more) for just a few days. There's no guarantee you'll sell the item in those few days, so that money would be out the window -- especially considering the fact that the classified ad would only reach a few thousand people ... and out of those few readers who actually look at the classifieds, how many of them want or need an item like yours? But eBay has over 157 million active users around the world, and countless more who browse and sign up to bid when they find something they like. These buyers shop by using specific keywords to find merchandise. And I use several other marketplaces too to sell your items, exposing them to millions upon millions of potential buyers. There's just no other way to give your item the kind of exposure it will get with my Internet Consignment Service! I'm an experienced marketing professional and know how to get people to buy. The more people who know about your item, the more people I can draw in to the sale.

With my help, you’ll still be able to walk away with more money in your pocket than if you tried selling it some other way. And there’s almost NO investment of your time! No need to sit out in the hot summer sun with your stuff spread all over the lawn, no need to fill your car with tons of things to lug to the consignment store, no need to give away what could earn you some extra “mad” money. No wasted money on ineffective classified ads and no wasted time dealing with deadbeat callers. PLUS, this extremely affordable Market Analysis / Appraisal will give you physical proof of how much your item is worth in the current market.

Do you purchase items up front?

No, I pay the consignor (you) after the items have sold.

What type of items can I have you sell for me on consignment?

Pretty much anything the auction sites allow, other than items I may find personally objectionable. I have successfully sold a wide variety of items, contact me to discuss what you have. If I don't feel I can do a good job for you, I'll tell you up front. Keep in mind that although you can find just about anything on eBay, not everything  sells for high prices on eBay. Supply and demand and other factors affect whether or not there is a market for your item and whether or not you can yield a healthy return.  Only shippable goods will be auctioned – items too heavy (more than 65 pounds) or too large for standard shipment may not be considered.

What is your criteria for accepting items for auction?

Product(s) must be in marketable condition. Items with minor flaws or in need of minor repairs could be accepted at my discretion – if I think there is a market for it. Any and all flaws must be clearly described and documented. Items with working parts will only be consigned if I can personally test them to be sure they are in optimum working order. Due to the time-intensive nature of consignment service, I can only accept higher-ticket items ... with a market value of at least $400 per item.

How long will the auction run?

When we sign the Exclusive Right to Sell Agreement, we will discuss the term of the contract. Most people find that 30-60 days is a reasonable amount of time to draw buyers, without incurring too many fees. There's always the option to continue indefinitely. All unsold items can be returned to you or I can donate them for you.

How will I be paid?

You have two options:

1. By check, mailed to your address
2. By PayPal         

Please allow sufficient time to receive your payment after the auction closes. The winners know that they have just over a week to pay for their goods. Sometimes there is a delay on their part but I stay on top of things and for the most part can collect payment in anywhere from minutes to several weeks. Ideally, your payment will be sent to you approximately 21 days after the sale when the buyer’s warranty period expires to make sure there are no returns. An itemized invoice with all fees will be included for your records.

Do I have to ship the item to the winning bidder myself?

On most items, you have the option to do so or to let me handle everything. The advantage of letting me do it is that your item(s) will be professionally packaged for safe delivery and you won't have to spend time or money locating packing materials. I am also fully experienced in the necessary shipping steps which prevent fraud protection. However, if you decide you would rather ship it yourself, there will be a list of specific guidelines which need to be followed about packaging, time frame, etc.

What if my item doesn't sell?

In the event that the item does not sell during the allotted contract time, we have two options:

1. Extend the contract with the option to lower your asking price.
2. End the agreement and you’ll be responsible for picking up the item(s) or paying shipping charges to have it sent back to you. After you send payment to me for the auction site’s listing fees and your account is cleared, the item(s) will be returned to you.

Sounds great! What do I have to do to get started? 

Contact me with information about the item(s) you have for sale. We'll discuss salability and arrange for inspection. If we decide we can work together, we’ll fill out the detailed written Agreement and you’ll provide as much descriptive information and background about the merchandise as possible. Ship your item to me prepaid if you live out of town. For local customers in St. Augustine Florida, I’ll be happy to discuss pickup of your item and arrange a meeting in person.

 

If you have any questions that are not answered here, please email me. I'd love to do business with you!

 

Uncommon Finds, License #33007

 

 

DESIGN

Website Maintenance & Design
Facebook Business Pages

Online & Offline Form Creation
Desktop Publishing / Graphic Design
Business Card Design & Printing
Resume Design
Slideshow / Video Creation

 

MARKETING

Search Engine & Directory Registration
Text Message Marketing
Email Marketing

Voicemail Broadcast Marketing
Direct Marketing Mailings & Research
QR Code Creation & Tracking

 

GENERAL

Typing/Word Processing
Undercover Competitor Research
Writing & Editing 
Proofreading

Freelance Photography
Photocopying
Reminder Service
Digital Scanning
Transcription Service

MISCELLANEOUS

General Research Service
Internet Consignment
Appraisals

Electronic & Computer Recycling
Computer Cleaning (interior)

Computer Security
Computer Repair, Backup Systems
Basic Computer Tutoring
Office & Window Cleaning
Litter Removal