Help Please Pros & Cons AND Best Way To Add from Older Inventory

quote:

Originally posted by lookandbuyme:
Also with inventory, if I put in quantity of 5 in actual listing, post and one of 5 sells, listing ends, when I post again, will I still have to go into listing and change to 4 or will inventory system automatically do this?

Hi Vickie,

Auctiva Inventory will do what you ask here, but...it is not specifically integrated with multi-variation listings, which I know you use a lot on Auctiva.

For that reason, I would steer you away from using Auctiva's inventory with multi-variations listings.

That said, on non-variation-style listings, it will decrement the quantity like you asked about, and can even give you an email when your quantity on hand gets down to a certain threshold.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Tony, I didn't think it would work with variations, I am ASTOUNDED you remember that I listed variations.

To be honest I think after ALL of can't wait for Multi-Variation I am reevaluating how much money they save compared to being seen several times versus one when buyers stroll pages. Before ebay started new plan with lower insertion fee for store this was super tool for saving. But with 5 cent fees, not so sure anymore.

I honestly think ebay did multi-variations to unclog site, then when fees lowered they no longer offered quite the appeal. I think also when they started duplicate listings ban some sellers quit using multi-variation then also, as they realized they are being seen once, rather than say if they have 20 color t-shirts in 4 sizes they would be seen much more. (I think they somewhat shot themselves in the foot with some of this)

Now... that being said for my cosmetics (that are not listed). I would SURE use multi-variations.

I have contacted ebay I can't count how many times & sounds like this could have been abandoned or way on back burner, way back.

Thanks for the info. may start trying the inventory soon.

Vickie

Hey Vickie,

I also use plenty of variation listings in my store, as many of the fashion accessories I sell are offered in more than one color.

Even when I was using single item listings, but with multiple quantities, I realized that relisting would not properly track my inventory count. (Fortunately, I learned this before I inadvertantly sold an item I no longer had in stock.)

So, to answer your question...in my experience using the inventory count feature on variation listings through Auctiva works just PEACHY, as long as you utilize the "good til cancelled" duration on your original listing form. Since I began using GTC, I have yet to have to perform a recount of my inventory on hand.

I have a couple listings that are seasonal, such as winter gloves, that I have wondered how I may handle, when warm weather returns. Should I cancel the listings, and then have to do an inventory recount, when I relist? Or should I just let the variation listings continue to relist as store inventory throughout the year...since its only .20 cents per month? The glove inventory I had last year, I just left them up all year. The few remaining stock I had, did sell out earlier in the season.

Presently, I am leaning towards just letting them run throughout the year. Sales on those items may be nill...on the other hand, if anyone is looking for gloves in the warmer months, I'll be one of the few places you can buy them. :-)

quote:

I honestly think ebay did multi-variations to unclog site, then when fees lowered they no longer offered quite the appeal. I think also when they started duplicate listings ban some sellers quit using multi-variation then also, as they realized they are being seen once, rather than say if they have 20 color t-shirts in 4 sizes they would be seen much more. (I think they somewhat shot themselves in the foot with some of this)

By the way...your presumptions on the viability of variation listings, is more about how each seller decides to use the function. Some interested sellers on the Clothing & Accessories board did some testing on search algorythms. We learned some interesting details about variation listings. (and misunderstandings) And also some obvious bugs in "Best Match" search, which I am of the understanding, eBay is/was still tweaking at the time.

Just a factoid I learned, again using my winter gloves as an example, but if you search on a "color" of stretch gloves, it will return results on your variation, even though you don't have that "color name" in your listing title. For me personally, saving those listing fee's every month, for each pair of gloves, is worth far more to me, than some hypothetical exposure benefit to having more listings.

As a buyer, I find this format far preferable than having to search sellers other items to see if the item comes in additional variations. In fact today, I made a purchase, on a variation listing. It was fantastic being able to see, at a glance, that certain color variations I may have preferred were simply sold out. Last week, I made purchase from another seller, who like you, also sells "beauty and cosmetic" items. (Avon) Again, it was nice being able to make a selection from similar items, in different scents or flavors from one listing.

As a seller, it allows me to sell lower profit margin items, that I may not bother with, if I had to run multiple listings on them. The listing preparation work only needs to be done ONCE, on a good til cancelled listing. Then I don't have to think about it again...except to FILL orders. Of course, this does require forsight and advance planning, from the sourcing stage. I promote my combined shipping discount extensively, to encourage buyers to browse for other items.

I'm so enthusiastic about the variation listings, that when I buy wholesale inventory, I do so, with the intention of creating variation listings in mind. So far, I have been able to manage my eBay fee's quite well, paying only for a basic store subscription. Presently, I only have 77 active listings, but 174 inventory results in my store, with the variations. (Which is why I pay .20 cents per month, as opposed to your .05 cents per listing.) You pay more for your store subscription than I do.