Subject:
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Re: Streamlining the parts selling process
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.market.theory
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Date:
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Thu, 30 Nov 2000 05:20:12 GMT
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Viewed:
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701 times
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In lugnet.market.theory, Tim Courtney writes:
> In lugnet.market.theory, Mike Stanley writes:
> > That having been said, this thread has gotten big, and I'm going to reread
> > it now, maybe take some pics of my Lego room and inventory setup tomorrow,
> > and post them. I can also say that I'm seriously thinking of working
> > towards offering less than huge quantities on most parts.
>
> Cool :)
Note I said "less than huge" and "on most parts". :)
> You probably remember that I just bought from your store, and though I
> didn't email you, I was a little unhappy at the quantities I had to buy of
> items. Nevertheless, I bucked it up and did it anyways...because I just got
> my checking account and its a novelty item (bad thing). I guess I'm saying
> in a long-winded way that I'm glad you're thinking about reducing your
> quantities, because its a lot nicer to have the freedom to buy just what you
> need.
Well, just keep in mind that the only way everyone will be able to buy "just
what [they] need" is if I sell individual pieces, and that just plain won't
ever happen again. I sell the vast majority of the parts I offer now even
in the odd large quantities (58 of this, 100 of that, 15 of some other part)
so even if I thought I would go from selling 50-70% of my inventory for
asking price to 100% at first asking price I wouldn't switch back to selling
onesies and twosies. I've done it that way before, and I can tell you from
personal experience it takes 10x or more the amount of time, in addition to
introducing far more opportunities for mistakes on my part (shipping someone
too much of one part, then subsequently too little to another person, or
things like that) and every single one of those mistakes is something that
costs me time and money.
I like selling parts - it gets me the parts I want either cheaply or free,
but when you're looking at the bulk of people buying less than $20 worth,
the "worth it" factor drops down WAY low when I start looking at how much
time it used to take me to do my parts sales. The reality is LEGO is going
to put most of the parts sellers out of business anyway, so I'm not counting
on doing this reliably for more than another year, but if I had to choose
between selling my remaining sets on eBay for 75% of what I paid for them
(and being done with it all in a few hours) versus trying to fulfill every
order for "2 of this" or "5 of that, and maybe 1 each of these 8 things" and
making 200% of what I paid (but having it take 10-15 more minutes over the
whole process per order - which would add up to months of free time), I'd
sell them at a loss in a heartbeat.
Dealing with onesies and twosies is so time consuming that in order for it
to be worth it to me to do it I'd have to charge many times what I charge
now, and I doubt it would be worth it even then.
I'm going to try to find a balance, but don't expect to be able to buy 5 1x1
round plates or 3 yellow 2x4 bricks from me. For those quantities you'd be
better of at Baylit (where you'll pay a lot more - and rightly so, you're
getting more "work" than you do from me) or from someone else at Brickbay
who doesn't mind spending more of their spare time for relatively little money.
> Last weekend was the first time I ordered off Brickbay, and I love it. I
> also loved Dan Jezek's 50% off sale :D Now all I gotta do is fill out my
> wishlist...
Brickbay rocks - totally. You'll do yourself a service by filling out the
wishlist - you'll find out about parts you want without having to always
browse around.
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Streamlining the parts selling process
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| To All, I have been following to this to some extent, but it is interesting. Let's see.... (...) It can be, it depends (0.08 parts are not, minifigs are, etc.). I found most of my orders are never one or two, mostly 5-10 of each part at least. I (...) (24 years ago, 30-Nov-00, to lugnet.market.theory)
| | | Re: Streamlining the parts selling process
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| (...) I think that would do it, for most people. I've looked at your listings sometimes, and I've just never been motivated to buy in the lot-sizes you offer. But I'm probably not representative of most of the brick-buying public. Steve (24 years ago, 4-Dec-00, to lugnet.market.theory)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Streamlining the parts selling process
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| (...) Cool :) (...) You probably remember that I just bought from your store, and though I didn't email you, I was a little unhappy at the quantities I had to buy of items. Nevertheless, I bucked it up and did it anyways...because I just got my (...) (24 years ago, 30-Nov-00, to lugnet.market.theory)
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