Want to make profits?  I can almost hear all of you yelling; "YES, That is why we are trying to sell on E-bay, dummy!"  With that as a given response, I know that we all have searched for that perfect product, that perfect stratagy and that perfect way to get the most return on our money as possible.  Love the Entrepreneural spirit and capitalistic nature we all share.   I never mean to disrespect anyone trying to get ahead, nor does the writing of this go against that.  In fact, quiet the opposite!  I so encourage it that In this textation of idea's I am going to offer a subscription.  So, Here we go!

Subscriptions:

Subcriptions are here and plentiful. whether those subscriptions are helpful or not, it really does not impact us as much as we ever hope they will.  However, as any tool, they do serve as a tool to get what we all want. Profits!  It is not the fault of the subscribers nor the subscription manager that we are not fully satisfied with what we end up with.  Whether it is pay per clicks, or that amazing site submission tool, the subscription is not the cure-all-end-all of your campaigning needs.  

Subscribing to a service, is only as good as the way it is used and resourced.  Let us use a "pay per click" campaign, as an example.  To maximize this tool and jsutify the purpose of this tool, we must realize that it only gets people to your site.  These subscriptions do not always give you paying customers, but rather generate an opportunity for you to find out what will keep them and thier attention on what you are offering.    Once the Click through occurs, you almost have to have a program which allows you to track the person by e-mail address and/or ip address to be able to get them back.

Like the Pay-Per-Click sites, a bulk submitter is good only if you understand that most of the programs will only submit to free for all sites, which are almost not worth submitting to, and to those sites that you obtain another subscription to.  

Regardless of the submission service you use, I must remind you that these tools are only to get the person or organization to your site.  YOU are responsable for the content of the page, keeping them there and promoting your sales volume.  Rather it be price benefits, name branding of items you offer, or promotions you offer out, if the clicking public is not interested, you are the only one to blame!

Resources are out there for free and for payment towards a subscription to a listing service.  The questions as to which you wish to subscribe to, is as individual as the person, and their attitude towards doing specific tasks, or wanting an edge on getting the services of information quicker than your competitors are obtaining it.

DUMPING OR JUST DESPERATE!

Once we have subscribed to a subscription or a grouping of various subscriptions to aid in our sales, we are all faced with one huge issue.  Pricing!

Pricing an item to allow us to make the most our of our products selling attributes, we are mostly stumped.  We spend hundreds of dollars in listing fees, web space, advertisements, and submission subscriptions and so we have to make xxxx amount of money to break even.   So, we bounce the prices around on our sites, and auctions so that we can get a momentary edge on the competitors.   

We all think we have the greatest products on the market.  The name branding, the quality, the bulk pricing gives us the advantages over most others out here in the wonderful world of prosperity and home proprietorship.  But, can we show an item which normally costs 19.99 to the public for 12.95? can we cut our throats and offer it for less?  And for the losses, can we re-coop the losses in price via shipping/handling and insurance fees?   Yes, Yes, and YES! to all of these questions.  But at what point do we not continue to sell for a loss, in hopes of a quick sale?  at what point are we merely dumping quality for profits, or loss thereof?

These questions have plagued everyone whom ever decided to price merchandise here on ebay.  I will not even perport to know the true answers to these questions.  I beleive they are answers but as of now, it depends on our individual desires and needs, not to mention our resources available to pay for subscriptions and over-head of doing business.

I own a small niche market enterprise which sells gifting items. I also own a business that deals with Importing/Exporting items for others, via a discrete few individuals to ensure that I can hang on to my competitive edge and reputation in the Import/Export business arenas.    With that said, I know that some countries have regulations at duty stations that require customs agents to flag certain transactions/shipments, for searching and for duty adjustments.  If a given manufacturer has a bulk of items they are preparing to ship, the customs officials will look at the Commercial invoices for value assertions, on the shipment.  If the items do not reflect certain guidelings with pricing, that container is thoroughly searched and possibly siezed, for contraband issues, or non-compliance in the destination port of call.    Such departures form normal "costs of goods" standard, can cause higher prices due to impounding of merchandise, or siezure for violations which is an Importer's/Exporter's worst nightmare!

So, I pose another question; Do we regulate pricing?  We as sellers can do it, over time.  Ebay can do it over time.  But once this occurs, most of all shoppers will probably go elsewhere and find another site to do business with.  So, again we are faced with what is truely profitable for everyone?  Who knows?

I have seen people pricing items so rediculously low that you just know they are losing money.  These same individuals will then charge excessive shipping/handling and insurance fees to regain what they have lost and maybe either break even, or just a dollar or two above their listing costs and over-head.

We all know the suggestions of going to flea markets and buying "dirt cheap" items, but normally these avenues although good sources, will sometimes generate funds well in excess of our costs, but those items are used.  Pretty soon, the customer is going to stop looking for that used product and demand the lowering of "newer" product listings.   A good example of this is the Flea Markets, of the "New Era."  

The "new era" flea markets, as I call them, are now flooding the markets with new items via vendors, whom shop at discounted or irregular sources have all but phased out the "back yard" items and the "garage sale" items of yore.  But there is one thing here.  The prices are somewhat fixed, with a basement pricing structure. 

In the last few paragraphs, I have pretty well let my discomfort of uncertainty known, and I am sure that I am not the only one here that is feeling this way as well.  I do also know that those whom are pretty well established are disagreeing, if not in the entirety in portions of what is printed here.  But that is to be expected, I suppose.

In effort to drive revenues up, we are ever so watchful of our dollars and our resources backing our own needs and wants.  I wish to assert the following to help you get the most bang from your dollars.

 Get to know your subscriptions, and what they truely offer you.

You have to consistantly review the needs of a given subscription service, to see if it meets your needs, and delivers on those needs accordingly.  So many people subscribe to a given product, software, or mailing list and as the subscription falls from their attention, that subscription is bleeding you dry.

Check for regular updates on Software:  Like Spyware, and other subscriptions, we become complacent with them and pretty soon we are working in obsolescence, and wasting valuable time and money, when those once very valuable tools have not updated, or needs to be updated and we lose the "edge" on our systems, which then starts conflicting with our computers.  I have seen so many people let software subscriptions go, and download even more software which then conflicts with the older versions of another not updated program.  As you know, no one can afford to have a system crash, when they are dealing with a customer/supplier, or even bidding on merchandise for their own uses.

Finally, Here I am going to plug my offer to a subscription to you.  As most of you know that to get the best deals, you have to go to the source of the goods. However, most do not have the time, nor network to get to the sources, not to mention the where-with-all to get through all of the "red-tape" of the systems that are in place!   So, for a limited time! 

I am collecting names and email addresses to qualify them for a special mailing list.  No, we are not going to be selling this list! No, we will not be giving the information to those names or emails out to anyone!  Yes, they are going into a data base on our servers. 

If you are truely wishing to get to the source of products, we do the leg work for you! IF you want to stay competitive in the markets you work in, we can help! For more information, you can email me for consideration of exclusive auctions! These auctions will be based on "opt-in" formated emails.  No, you will not be flooded with other ads in conjunction with any partners I deal with!

Good Luck! and Happy Selling!