How to See What eBay Items Sold for Best Offer 2024 (A complete guide)

How to See What eBay Items Sold for Best Offer

The Grind of Listing and Selling

Listing and selling on eBay can be a real grind, no matter how you approach it. Whether you’re listing 20, 30, or even 50 items a day, or just trying to squeeze in a couple of items between your full-time job and part-time flipping, it’s a constant hustle. However, over the last six months, the process has become more of a “churn” for me.

The Challenge of Limited Space

As I’ve been buying more and more liquidation inventory, space has become a premium. I often have a carload of new merchandise that I need to find a place for, and it’s a constant game of reorganizing and making room on the shelves. As I list and sell items, the available space opens up, but it’s a never-ending cycle of trying to keep up with the influx of new inventory.

The Importance of Accepting Reasonable Offers

In this environment, I’ve found that I need to be more open to accepting reasonable offers, even if they’re not quite what I hoped to get for an item. The other day, I had an item listed for $89.99 plus shipping, and I woke up the next morning to an offer of $60 plus shipping. While I could have held out for a higher price, I decided to take the offer. The reason is simple: I’ve learned that buyers often have multiple lines in the water when they’re negotiating, and if I counter with a higher price, they may just move on to the next seller.

Instead of holding out for the absolute highest price, I’ve found that it’s often better to take a reasonable offer and move on to the next item. This allows me to keep the inventory flowing, free up space for new merchandise, and ultimately make more sales in the long run.

Leveraging the Best Offer Tool

This is where the Best Offer tool on eBay has become invaluable to my business. While it’s not the perfect tool that eBay has promised it will be, it still provides a way for me to negotiate with buyers and find a mutually agreeable price. I’ve had many unpaid offers through Best Offer, but the ones that do result in sales make it worth the hassle.

The Importance of Sourcing and Margins

The key to making this strategy work is in the sourcing and margins. If I can only source an item for $15, I’m not able to take a $30 offer and still make a decent profit. However, if I’m able to source an item for $2, like the women’s inline skates I mentioned, then a $30 offer becomes much more palatable.

This is where bundling and negotiating at yard sales and liquidation sources becomes so important. By taking the time to build a larger pile of items and negotiating a bulk discount, I’m able to get my costs down and have more room to work on the selling side. It’s all about the math – if I can get an item for $1 or $2 and sell it for $30 or $40, then taking a $30 offer becomes a no-brainer.

Balancing Profit and Inventory Turnover

Of course, there’s always a balance to strike between maximizing profit and keeping the inventory moving. If I have the space and the item is in high demand, I may hold out for a higher price. But if I’m struggling for space and need to make room for new inventory, then taking a slightly lower offer becomes the better business decision.

It’s all about being flexible and adapting to the current market conditions. The key is to always be mindful of your costs and margins, and to use the tools available to you, like Best Offer, to negotiate the best possible deals with your buyers.

Conclusion

In the end, flipping on eBay is a constant grind, but by leveraging the Best Offer tool and focusing on sourcing and margins, I’ve been able to turn it into a successful and profitable business. It’s not always about getting the absolute highest price for every item, but rather about finding the right balance between profit and inventory turnover. By being willing to negotiate and accept reasonable offers, I’ve been able to keep my inventory moving and my business thriving.