Thank you for the advice!!
I looked at the list and while some of the prices are a bit lower the additional $25 shipping added back makes it really not a good deal for a buyer. Granted, I TOTALLY get that she wanted to get her original investment back. However, with the current market and people saving up for the upcoming shows excess blank kits are not moving as quickly unless they are super prices. For example, I love the Elf Flynn and I am always looking for a bargain. I don’t NEED a Flynn so I would only get one if it was a deal too good to pass up. She has him listed at $95+ $25 shipping which is $120 total. Right now one can get him from LLE for $109.99 with FREE US shipping on orders over $$100.
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Photos of the kit.
Some sculpts have the same names.
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Free shipping appeals to me the most. Even if you bake the price of shipping into the price, seeing “free shipping” makes people more interested.
It’s okay just to say “free shipping in the US” then people outside the US can ask how much more they would need to pay for shipping.
Like Jenni said, photos of each kit, even just prototype photos would help a lot. There are too many kits out there with the same name, or it’s a Realborn at a different age.
Yes to email for communications. I don’t think a lot of people use/check forums anymore. Most sales are on Facebook, reborns dot com, and Mercari. I also know that it takes time to have an account approved to post here on BB. My account was pending for a very long time before I was allowed to login.
If your goal is to sell them all ASAP then you probably need to drop the prices a lot, to where it’s a sale people can’t resist.
Other ideas:
- Mystery BB kit: offer a random BB kit for a super discounted rate
- Buy __ and get free mystery kit
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Like others have said the shipping cost offsets the lower price, especially for BB kits that are on sale often for less than the asking price and shipping is $10 less. I did buy a kit, I felt like I got a great deal on the kit price as it was a SOLE, but was really surprised about the shipping cost, which I didn’t notice before getting my invoice.
I get that a large flat rate box was used, and a couple extra dollars for handling is fine. But I felt like it was just too high given that it could have fit in a much much smaller box. When I went back the other day to look at the BB kits, I just didn’t want to pay $25 for shipping when I know if a smaller box was used and it was just calculated rate it would have likely cost less than $10. It cost me $8 a couple months ago, when I shipped a kit in one of the small cube priority boxes (which are free from USPS) from Ohio to CA.
Basically for me to buy a BB kit it needs to be priced below the lowest BB sale price with shipping that is cheaper than BB offers. Most BB kits are on sale regularly for $35 and they cycle through kits of the day for $25. So I think for the BB kits to sell you would likely need to lower the price considerably or keep the same price and offer free shipping.
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I have a couple of ideas, one is very self serving and likely won’t work if she intends to clear out her stash asap.
- Use Pirateship and charge actual shipping OR the $25 flat. (whichever is less expensive)
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Offer Layaway with an x kit minimum and a maximum time limit based on the dollar amount. (this is the self serving one, as I would LOVE to buy a few more of these kits, but am currently moving and will be between jobs for a short bit.)
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Buy x amount of kits and get one of lesser value free. Mac kits will have a higher kit requirement to get the deal. Example Buy 7 mac kits get one free or Buy 5 Bountiful Baby kits, get one free.
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Include one suitably sized outfit with each kit.
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Each kit purchased is an entry for drawing for either a specified kit or a box of clothes.
I feel for Carolyn, trying to clear out such a large stash. I wish I could help, as there are several that I still have my eye on, but I can’t do much at the moment.
My thoughts. Most of us have our own large stashes/hoards of kits, I know I do. So in order for me to buy another kit to add to it I only buy if it’s an amazing deal. By amazing I mean at least 50% off retail. The only kits I’ve ever paid full price or near full price is a new release or one I’ve needed for an immediate custom. Otherwise you can always wait for a sale on a site or look on the secondhand market. I’ve never bought a BB kit not on extreme clearance. They all eventually go for super cheap at some point. Non BB kits that can be purchased through MacP’s or Truborns, Dolls by Sandie not only have free shipping but a points system earning you deals and free items. So a savings of $10, $15 or $20 below their pricing isn’t appealing to someone like me. Part of the fun for me is finding a great deal, it’s like a treasure hunt. I understand she’s trying to recoup her costs but that rarely happens in any situation. Unless a kit is sm extremely rare, SOLE or highly coveted kit you’re going to take a significant loss. You can find nice untouched authentic kits so many places secondhand. I’ve bought from this forum, Reborns.com, eBay, Facebook & Instagram. You need to be able to look at the big picture - you’re selling things that are just sitting, and earning back a portion of what you spent is better than something sitting in storage. Also shipping is a sticking point. No one wants to pay $25 for a blank kit. I can mail a fully loaded box opening and weighted baby USPS Priority Mail in a large box for $22.
If I had funds I would but I’m barely getting by day by day.
I only have couple kits I can work when I can things just been crazy last few days.
Combined shipping. The shipping rate ruined it for me. I know it’s probably easier for the seller but I can’t see paying 25$ per kit when a kit fits into a smaller box that I suggested. I just mailed an Avery kit with an extra head in the box for $7.80, pirate ship cubic rate. Unfortunately I did make a mistake as I had it in a priority box so I wrapped the box in paper. But there is a priority cubic rate available and that would be about 11$ for a 2.5 lb kit. And you can use the USPS box-from what i read. Also if mailed in a reg large priority box-if it’s under the 5 lb mark {somewhere around that point} its cheaper. I know the cubic rate says 5 day delivery but mine was delivered in 2 days. I was shocked.
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I noticed that this thread was marked Please Delete. I do not think it is necessary or good to delete it since this contains valuable ideas for others looking to sell a lot of things as well. Maybe the comments were not what was wanted but it is still good for everyone going forward to know what people’s mindset about this subject is.
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