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Dear People-Who-Own-Stores (Ebay Related)

canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
edited September 2006 in Strut Central
Dear Storeowner,I undestand that you must sell on ebay to survive. However, I ask that you put some of your raers on a wall with what you feel is an appropriate price for 2 weeks, and if it doesn't sell by then please proceed to flip it on Ebay. I am sick and tired of walking into your store and finding NOTHING, not even a record I want and cannot afford.Thank you,- Canonical---------------Does anyone else have this problem? It's like a desert in my city. I'll walk into a store with $100 waiting to buy something I want and leave totally empty handed. Whatever few decent records they get in go directly on ebay. Fuck man, I'll buy rares, just give me the chance.

  Comments

  • theory9theory9 1,128 Posts
    The one record store here in Santa Fe does that, but with ridiculous stuff. He had some Bowie "raer" for $150 that anthonypearson had up on ebay for $10, and couldn't sell.

    In other words, I wish I had your problem.
  • progbeatzprogbeatz 451 Posts
    Couldn't agree with you more.See my post on Philly record stores.At this point a lot of stores are just being used as a receptical for records.Records come in and are never to be seen again.ugh.
  • cpeetzcpeetz 2,112 Posts
    Dear Storeowner,

    I undestand that you must sell on ebay to survive. However, I ask that you put some of your raers on a wall with what you feel is an appropriate price for 2 weeks, and if it doesn't sell by then please proceed to flip it on Ebay. I am sick and tired of walking into your store and finding NOTHING, not even a record I want and cannot afford.

    Thank you,

    - Canonical

    ---------------

    Does anyone else have this problem? It's like a desert in my city. I'll walk into a store with $100 waiting to buy something I want and leave totally empty handed. Whatever few decent records they get in go directly on ebay. Fuck man, I'll buy rares, just give me the chance.

    Big ups to all stores with heavy pieces on the wall!
    The 2 Jive Time stores in Seattle always have killer
    wall pieces from $14.99-$299+, and they usually sit
    on the wall until someone scoops them. They only Ebay
    ocassionally.
  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
    What I don't get about stores is that all they want to do is price gouge. I understand the need and stress to stay afloat, but you'll make more consistent and better customers if you sell at reasonable prices consistently than if you try to get the most money every single time.

    I have a friend who sells me stuff usually at $5 less than the going rates, and on $25 albums this is a big discount. It keeps me going back and I buy lots from him. He doesn't just ebay shit and tell me to bid. Which is X10000 in my books.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    What I don't get about stores is that all they want to do is price gouge. I understand the need and stress to stay afloat, but you'll make more consistent and better customers if you sell at reasonable prices consistently than if you try to get the most money every single time.


    yeah, but it takes a reasonably smart person to realize this. Most grouchy old record trolls are anything but.
  • JLRJLR 3,835 Posts
    on the other hand, it's his store and he is just trying to maximize his profit. Who can blame him? His business model works just fine selling Kiss and Beatles records in the real store.
  • PABLOPABLO 1,921 Posts
    Dear Storeowner,

    I undestand that you must sell on ebay to survive. However, I ask that you put some of your raers on a wall with what you feel is an appropriate price for 2 weeks, and if it doesn't sell by then please proceed to flip it on Ebay. I am sick and tired of walking into your store and finding NOTHING, not even a record I want and cannot afford.

    Duly noted...
    A HREF=http://www.myspace.com/geesrecords>IMG SRC=http://myspace-915.vo.llnwd.net/01043/51/92/1043932915_l.jpg BORDER=10>/A>
  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
    on the other hand, it's his store and he is just trying to maximize his profit. Who can blame him? His business model works just fine selling Kiss and Beatles records in the real store.
    Well, I'm saying that he can do both. By simply waiting 2 weeks before he ebays will allow customers to purchase the albums. By having some stock will keep customers coming back. Thus, he gets the best of both worlds and will maintain a steady customer base.

    If you're just going to put shit on ebay, stop owning a store and become a dealer. Less overhead.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    I've always been lucky enough to have a decent shop nearby, and here are a few observations as to why they do well... the one near me now is a good example - they price 95 percent of their records between 5 and 15 dollars and keep fresh stock coming out weekly. have I gotten some underpriced deals? of course. but more importantly, by pricing on the cheap (but not stupid) side I pretty much buy whatever I want and usually end up spending $50 to $100 on every visit. And guess what... when they do get something pricier that I want, I have no problem spending the money cause I enjoy shopping there. So, basically they are encouraging the kind of regular customer a business needs to survive. It's not quantum-physics, but sooo many record shops don't get it.
  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
    It's not quantum-physics, but sooo many record shops don't get it.
    Saying.

  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    It's not quantum-physics, but sooo many record shops don't get it.
    Saying.



    oh shit. hahaha!
  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    I've always been lucky enough to have a decent shop nearby, and here are a few observations as to why they do well... the one near me now is a good example - they price 95 percent of their records between 5 and 15 dollars and keep fresh stock coming out weekly. have I gotten some underpriced deals? of course. but more importantly, by pricing on the cheap (but not stupid) side I pretty much buy whatever I want and usually end up spending $50 to $100 on every visit. And guess what... when they do get something pricier that I want, I have no problem spending the money cause I enjoy shopping there. So, basically they are encouraging the kind of regular customer a business needs to survive. It's not quantum-physics, but sooo many record shops don't get it.

    I fully agree with this, and I have a similar situation with a couple
    of shops around here - but you know what? They tell me I am pretty much
    the only guy left that does come in and spend $50-$100 every time, whereas
    they used to have a grip of regular customers like this ... so I have to see it
    both ways - I think to myself "hey, if they keep putting out good records
    I keep coming in and spending money every week" but I can't assume that
    just because I do, lots of other people are as well. I am not enough business
    alone to keep a record store open...although I try...
  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
    I understand the epidemic. I'm just saying to wait 2 weeks before you sell it on ebay.

    I just want to buy records damnit

    One time I had $12 credit at this store. I spent 3 hours trying to find ONE RECORD[/b]. Absolutely nothing. I left empty-handed with $9 because I didn't want the credit.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    I've always been lucky enough to have a decent shop nearby, and here are a few observations as to why they do well... the one near me now is a good example - they price 95 percent of their records between 5 and 15 dollars and keep fresh stock coming out weekly. have I gotten some underpriced deals? of course. but more importantly, by pricing on the cheap (but not stupid) side I pretty much buy whatever I want and usually end up spending $50 to $100 on every visit. And guess what... when they do get something pricier that I want, I have no problem spending the money cause I enjoy shopping there. So, basically they are encouraging the kind of regular customer a business needs to survive. It's not quantum-physics, but sooo many record shops don't get it.

    I fully agree with this, and I have a similar situation with a couple
    of shops around here - but you know what? They tell me I am pretty much
    the only guy left that does come in and spend $50-$100 every time, whereas
    they used to have a grip of regular customers like this ... so I have to see it
    both ways - I think to myself "hey, if they keep putting out good records
    I keep coming in and spending money every week" but I can't assume that
    just because I do, lots of other people are as well. I am not enough business
    alone to keep a record store open...although I try...

    yeah, good point. It's sad. thankfully some of these places sell a lot of CD's - which in reality is probably keeping the lights on.
  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    Oh yeah, I meant to add that I TOTALLY co-sign with your
    initial statement, Aa*on - in fact I posted almost the exact
    same rant myself a few months ago!

    I don't understand why these stores that do heavy eBay business
    can't at least "float" some heavyweight records on the wall
    at the price they would like to get on eBay - they should give
    the customers a little respect and realize that some of us, who
    do alot of buying on eBay, would be thrilled to find the records
    we would buy off eBay in a store instead, and save both us and the seller
    the hassle of dealing with eBay/Paypal/USPS, etc...like you say,
    if it doesn't sell in a week or two, then put it up online. It's
    not like the values are going to drop on a copy of The Litter's
    "Distortions" over the course of 14 days in September!
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