to show the retail price or not?

How many times has this happened to you?
You’re in the store and you see an item that is marked down well below the retail price and you buy it. You may not have needed that shirt but the price was just too good to pass up.
If it works in the stores, it should work on auction and seller sites, right? When you post an item to sell should you include the manufacture’s retail price along with your price?
It’s the question of the ages. Ok, well not really. But it is an interesting question none-the-less.
BUYERS
Most buyers are already on the net looking for a deal and assume that they will get an item that is below the retail price for the mere fact that they are on the net. But it’s always good to remind them that you are giving them the best deal out there. Sometimes it pays to be the lowest seller on the net.
However, if you can’t drop your prices too low, you can supplement slightly higher prices with great customer service. Be informative and friendly and always be quick to reply to questions potential buyers may have on an item. In the time it takes you to reply, they could have already found a better price from another seller who offers equal customer service.
CATCH 22
It isn’t any fun if there isn’t a Catch 22 now is it?
Buyers could be turned off if your price is too far below the retail price. They may think that it’s damaged, defective, or just a piece of junk that isn’t even worth your price. So don’t go too low. Keep it reasonable while giving the buyer, and yourself, a fair shake. Remember, you’re not a charity so don’t put out a price that will adversely affect your revenue.
Some sellers like to show the retail price but cross it out then list their price below it. When you put your price up, put your name on it and the percentage buyers have saved. Putting you’re name on the price reminds people who you are and when you ship your item, add the savings formula on the receipt. Putting it one the receipt will remind the buyer where they got that great new item. It should look something like this:

Retail Price: $99.99
Greg’s House of Radios: $74.99
Savings: 25%

Taking Better Photos Use the Nikon d80

Have you ever thought that you might be the next great photographer? But it seems so hard to get everything you need to get started right. I mean how are you supposed to know which lens' to buy or what cables or straps you might want?

Well there is a seller on netSpray that is making it easy for you. For $850 you get a Nikon d80 (which is usually a $400 dollar camera by itself) with 2 lenses, rechargeable Li-ion battery, battery charger, multiple cables, straps, covers, and Nikon Picture Project software. If you get a nice kit like this you will get more for your money instead of buying all those pieces separate.



But is this the right camera to buy? Well in its class it is often rated as good as or better than many of its competitors products like Canon. There are numerous reviews out there and many are very useful. Here is one that I used. While this review put this camera second it was only because the camera the reviewer chose was priced much lower than the d80 but he hadn't used the other camera full time yet.

This camera has been on the market a while but it is still a highly rated model and company.

What's With All The Fees?

One of the biggest problems with selling stuff online is the fees that continue to show up and grow. It was originally a much cheaper process than it is currently. But now you have insertion fees, final value fees, and numerous other fees.

There seem to be fees for everything anymore. On some sites you have to pay extra fees for multiple categories, adding a subtitle, additional pictures (you get 1), custom layouts, and higher fees for different items, separate selling styles, and selling tips. Then you can add other things that cost even more. It is getting ridiculous. All these fees are just making the process that much more complicated and costing people more and more money.

Why has this happened?

Well I am not going to turn this into a rant about greed and corporate integrity (or lack thereof) but let’s just say that people are still paying the fees so why stop charging them.

But what if all you want is a simple listing for your product that doesn't take much (or any) of your money to post and sell? Are there any options out there for that?

Not really. Most of the sites that are popular right now charge fees.

But there is hope on the horizon. There are sites out there (some are just getting started) that don’t charge certain fees or on some you can get away without paying any fees. One of those sites is netSpray.com.

NetSpray.com is an innovative new marketplace that allows you to post items for sale on their website for free. That’s right; there are no insertion fees and no final value fees. It is entirely free. There are options that you can add that would cost money but you don’t have to do them.

What netSpray is going to offer are different levels of sellers and selling options. Those will come with monthly fees instead of fees on every sale. But they will give you added bonuses like more pictures or more details on your ads. All of the things that you receive by upping your membership are meant to help you customize your ads and to sell more products.

Fees are a pain in the neck. Whether they are on your paycheck, cell phone bill, or on your online selling sites they are just not much fun. Why would you want to pay multiple fees when you can do the same thing for free? Would you choose to pay all those fees and taxes on your cell phone bill if a company offered you a chance to not do it at all? I doubt you would.

So come on over to netSpray.com and list your items for sale there.