Make Your Net Auction Sell! by Sydney Johnston - HTML preview

7.3. Choosing Your Category

Once you decide to list an item for sale, you must then choose a category. That choice is simpler on the specialty sites. But if you are using a general site, how are you to choose?

For example, you have some toy trucks to sell. Do you place them in “toys,” “collectibles,” or “automotive”? To make it extra tough, there are subcategories within those categories. The choice you make may be the difference between a sale and a no-sale. This section will help you choose the most appropriate listing area...

First, do your research by checking all possible categories. Initially, this may take some time, and seem rather tedious, but the research you are doing now will enable you to become a power seller. The task won’t take nearly as much time in the future. Choose one potential category to begin with. And then, ask yourself these questions...

3) How do the prices compare in different categories? For example, there are lots of diecast vehicles for sale in both the Toy and the Automobilia categories. Which category has higher prices?

Past auctions are simply wonderful sources of information. Search already completed auctions for toy - trucks. If you get too many results, narrow your search. See where the toys have sold well.

Avoid the faulty thinking which says that you should list your item in a category where there isn’t much action. Too many newcomers make this mistake. The problem is that there aren’t any buyers, either!

Of course, if there are six items just like yours, it may (or may not) be prudent to wait until some of these auctions close. That’s one of the good things about Net auctions -- they’re over very quickly.

One sensible strategy, if you have multiple items, is to try them one at a time in different categories so that you can compare your success. In this way, you inexpensively test your market.

If you are selling the only antique clock that you own, obviously you must choose only one category. But if you have an entire line of merchandise that you sell repeatedly, list it in any category that makes sense.