splash0321

Where are the Amazon sellers?

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Ive been selling on eBay for over a decade and am working on getting into Amazon. The process is completely different. I think you could sign up and start selling on ebay in a matter of minutes. On amazon (in the automotive category) its a completely different story. You have to have a UPC code for all of your products. Thats fine if you arent "making" the products yourself.

What do you do to sell on amazon? I am only interested in legit ways. I once purchased UPC codes but amazon now verifies that they are registered. This leaves you with two options. Buy your own registered UPC codes and use them (pretty costly), or go through amazon branding using your trademarked brand. This allows you to bypass the UPC codes but you have to have a registered trademark which is a lengthy process.

What the heck are you all doing to get on amazon? Is it worth the effort to get on amazon?

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It is a huge pain. I see ton of people selling decals but I question if they are actually doing it by the books. I imagine if most of them actually went through the process I am going through they would have turned elsewhere to sell. Ebay is good but they dont care about their sellers. I have idiot customers who mess up an install and send back the decals in a mangled mess after they peeled them back off of their car. Even though my disclaimers say professional installation required and no returns if install is attempted...ebay will let them do whatever they want. Ive had a couple customers claim I only sent them one side of the vehicle kit and send it back to me. Even with all of the proof in the world ebay sides with the buyer. I wont give up ebay because it brings in so much revenue but Amazon has got to be better for sellers...

Who knows...I guess i'll find out once I am able to get it started.

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WOW, guess im glad id iddnt try amazon, I just started trying on Ebay and no luck yet, I guess its all these people who are selling decals for $1-$3 i don't understand how there making anything off them. I already know min charge for me to ship is $3.50 just dont get how people can sell and ship free shipping.

 

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6 hours ago, eprcvinyls said:

WOW, guess im glad id iddnt try amazon, I just started trying on Ebay and no luck yet, I guess its all these people who are selling decals for $1-$3 i don't understand how there making anything off them. I already know min charge for me to ship is $3.50 just dont get how people can sell and ship free shipping.

 

they are selling quantity and are self insuring themselves.  They just use stamps. Not tracking.. All they have to do it pop another one out for the cost of a stamp or 2, if a buyer complains never received. .   4 oz with tracking  is $2.66  printed online.  That is the cheapest.  That is why my niche' is big decals.  Your competing with those Cricut, Silhouette sellers, using cheap vinyl.   I am not.  :D  I started with big decals.  I only make some smaller to get rid of scrap.  Those are free for me.   Where are your $25.00- $50 decals?  That sets you apart from those cheap sellers. Maybe I am wrong, but I thought you had a standard size vinyl cutter. 24"-30". 

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13 hours ago, eprcvinyls said:

WOW, guess im glad id iddnt try amazon, I just started trying on Ebay and no luck yet, I guess its all these people who are selling decals for $1-$3 i don't understand how there making anything off them. I already know min charge for me to ship is $3.50 just dont get how people can sell and ship free shipping.

 

Get out of the small decal biz. That’s for the scrapbooking moms with craft cutters. Find a niche selling decals for 40-100$ bucks a piece and say goodbye to making a couple bucks each sale.

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Amazon is real tricky.  I just got my approvals from them to start selling my large decals and shirts using my own Sku's.  Had to send them a spreadsheet of all the products, my own Sku's, Photos, and other stuff.  You have to do this for each new product but not a variation of one that you already have approval for, you just create a new ASIN. 

 

For small decals, it is just not worth it.

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19 hours ago, hotrodz0321 said:

Get out of the small decal biz. That’s for the scrapbooking moms with craft cutters. Find a niche selling decals for 40-100$ bucks a piece and say goodbye to making a couple bucks each sale.

your the 2nd to say that but i just don't know what to try to sell I really don't want to sell Decals at all would rather sell just t shirts but no luck at those either.

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On 6/4/2018 at 10:53 AM, MZ SKEETER said:

they are selling quantity and are self insuring themselves.  They just use stamps. Not tracking.. All they have to do it pop another one out for the cost of a stamp or 2, if a buyer complains never received. .   4 oz with tracking  is $2.66  printed online.  That is the cheapest.  That is why my niche' is big decals.  Your competing with those Cricut, Silhouette sellers, using cheap vinyl.   I am not.  :D  I started with big decals.  I only make some smaller to get rid of scrap.  Those are free for me.   Where are your $25.00- $50 decals?  That sets you apart from those cheap sellers. Maybe I am wrong, but I thought you had a standard size vinyl cutter. 24"-30". 

I do have a 24 inch cutter but trying to cut anything over 3 foot with it is a pain but honestly i don't have a clue what kinda design to try to sell that could make $25 each on. or a set or whatever. Guess im just not that good at coming up wish designs that isn't a copy of someones out there already.

how do you ship bigger decals? small ones mine are 6x6 up to 10x10 inch now. those would fit in a padded envelope with some cardboard around them thats how i have shipped so far. bigger then that would need be i guess rolled up and put in a box.?

 

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Uline sells any size box you need.  You figure the shipping and supplies in with the price, is the best option.  

There is plenty of vector clipart out there. You need to invest in designs.. Not sit there  and spin your wheels.  Just because it may look close to someone else, doesn't mean it won't sell  for you. Change it to suit you.  It's a vector after all.  Change the color,   change the size. Only buy vector clipart, that you have permission to use the design.  Tons out there,  You must not be looking.  It not not matter, it you buy from a designer who sells to everyone one. You have the license to sell it also, as long as they are a legal seller of the designs. You won't own the designs, You have a license to USE the designs.. You could never sell their designs.  (clipart).  Go to Vectorstock/Shutterstock and many other sites and look.  They have millions of images. 

Why is that cutter a pain over 3 ft.?  And I sell many 3 ft and less designs for over $40.. Many people on here use an SC  and SC2 for big designs. 

If you would start making over $60 an hour like I do.,  (decals only) you would be saying "BRING IT ON"  !!!  I created my own business,  in 2006, before I ever knew of this forum,  and I just keep adding to it.  Big decals are so much faster and easier to do then those little ones. 

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3 hours ago, MZ SKEETER said:

Uline sells any size box you need.  You figure the shipping and supplies in with the price, is the best option.  

There is plenty of vector clipart out there. You need to invest in designs.. Not sit there  and spin your wheels.  Just because it may look close to someone else, doesn't mean it won't sell  for you. Change it to suit you.  It's a vector after all.  Change the color,   change the size. Only buy vector clipart, that you have permission to use the design.  Tons out there,  You must not be looking.  It not not matter, it you buy from a designer who sells to everyone one. You have the license to sell it also, as long as they are a legal seller of the designs. You won't own the designs, You have a license to USE the designs.. You could never sell their designs.  (clipart).  Go to Vectorstock and many other sites and look.  They have millions of images. 

Why is that cutter a pain over 3 ft.?  And I sell many 3 ft and less designs for over $40.. Many people on here use an SC  and SC2 for big designs. 

If you would start making over $60 an hour like I do.,  (decals only) you would be saying "BRING IT ON"  !!!  I created my own business,  in 2006, before I ever knew of this forum,  and I just keep adding to it.  Big decals are so much faster and easier to do then those little ones. 

With eBay you can search what has already sold recently...not just what people are selling. Search for sold & completed listings in the category you sell in and set the criteria to a dollar amount higher than 30$. You’ll see what people are buying and current trends. 

The two things that were a game changer for me was investing in a professional cutter (Graphtec fc) and borrowing vehicles from friends and making decal templates off of their car. I make kits in bulk for a few hours and have them prepackaged about a month in advance so as they sell I just grab it on my way out and take them to the post office. 

The cutter is amazing. It’ll cut 15’ and I don’t have to worry about tracking. I used to have to babysit my low end cutter but now it cuts as fast as I can weed so it really streamlined my process. 

It took work to get where I am but it was worth it. 

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2 minutes ago, hotrodz0321 said:

The cutter is amazing. It’ll cut 15’ and I don’t have to worry about tracking. I used to have to babysit my low end cutter but now it cuts as fast as I can weed so it really streamlined my process.

You must be a wicked fast weeder! :lol:

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16 minutes ago, hotrodz0321 said:

With eBay you can search what has already sold recently...not just what people are selling. Search for sold & completed listings in the category you sell in and set the criteria to a dollar amount higher than 30$. You’ll see what people are buying and current trends. 

The two things that were a game changer for me was investing in a professional cutter (Graphtec fc) and borrowing vehicles from friends and making decal templates off of their car. I make kits in bulk for a few hours and have them prepackaged about a month in advance so as they sell I just grab it on my way out and take them to the post office. 

The cutter is amazing. It’ll cut 15’ and I don’t have to worry about tracking. I used to have to babysit my low end cutter but now it cuts as fast as I can weed so it really streamlined my process. 

It took work to get where I am but it was worth it. 

Are you talking to me hotrodz0321?  If so,, I am plenty busy, I have over 1500 ads up, mostly big stuff.  I did my 30 year career elsewhere. This is a part-time job for me.  I don't want to be any busier than that. I have turned down contracts and BIG orders.  

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Just now, haumana said:

You must be a wicked fast weeder! :lol:

Well, yes and no. I intentionally only make easy weeding designs with very little interior weeding needing to be done to it. My cutter has a crosscut feature and it cuts off the decal when done and just starts on the next. It’s faster than me but not by much. When you weed 30 copies of the same design one right after the other...you get really good at it. I don’t offer text in my designs either...that’s too much custom work and customers these day have a “return” mentality and will just “change their mind”. With eBay you are stuck with that bill as the seller so I don’t do custom.

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7 hours ago, MZ SKEETER said:

Uline sells any size box you need.  You figure the shipping and supplies in with the price, is the best option.  

There is plenty of vector clipart out there. You need to invest in designs.. Not sit there  and spin your wheels.  Just because it may look close to someone else, doesn't mean it won't sell  for you. Change it to suit you.  It's a vector after all.  Change the color,   change the size. Only buy vector clipart, that you have permission to use the design.  Tons out there,  You must not be looking.  It not not matter, it you buy from a designer who sells to everyone one. You have the license to sell it also, as long as they are a legal seller of the designs. You won't own the designs, You have a license to USE the designs.. You could never sell their designs.  (clipart).  Go to Vectorstock and many other sites and look.  They have millions of images. 

Why is that cutter a pain over 3 ft.?  And I sell many 3 ft and less designs for over $40.. Many people on here use an SC  and SC2 for big designs. 

If you would start making over $60 an hour like I do.,  (decals only) you would be saying "BRING IT ON"  !!!  I created my own business,  in 2006, before I ever knew of this forum,  and I just keep adding to it.  Big decals are so much faster and easier to do then those little ones. 

Thanks for the info, I will check that site out, never knew anything like that was available, Ive been trying to come up with my own stuff so not to get in trouble with copyright or trademarks.

No clue you could find files and or buy files that you could sell.. I guess Ive just not found the right part of this hobby yet. as someone who's been out of work for a yr i would love to make even $25 a hour if i could make it for at least a few hours a day right now i would love to make $100 a week that would be a HUGE help but so far only money i've made was from a family reunion t shirts bunch i did for my wifes dad side of the family.

 

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3 hours ago, MZ SKEETER said:

Are you talking to me hotrodz0321?  If so,, I am plenty busy, I have over 1500 ads up, mostly big stuff.  I did my 30 year career elsewhere. This is a part-time job for me.  I don't want to be any busier than that. I have turned down contracts and BIG orders.  

WOW 1500 ads... man..

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1 hour ago, eprcvinyls said:

 man..

Man?   I am a woman..and my age is 68 years young...Yes over 1500 ads. Plus I keep adding to it.  I used to have 2500, but Ebay raised fees, So I took off 1000.  I have plenty to offer, men or women.  At 3-4 items, not worth looking at. Imagine walking into a store, and there is only 3 or 4 items on the shelf.  (that's you) They walk right out.   Or walking in a store with over 1500 items to look at in all kinds of different colors, sizes and prices.(that's me) plus items for those impulse buyers..I provide great quality work at reasonable prices with very fast shipping. My turn around is same day/next day. Depends what time of day they purchase, and all of my items are cut and processed at time of purchase. I have done many of the same items many, many times sold, so it makes them easier to do. 

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=7UwXW_HTAsOWsAX52amwCA&q=vector+clipart&oq=vector+clipart&gs_l=psy-ab.13..0l10.4575.8302.0.11644.16.13.0.1.1.0.305.1032.0j5j0j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..9.7.1048.0..0i131k1.0.3NbRu7KjP_U

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15 hours ago, MZ SKEETER said:

Are you talking to me hotrodz0321?  If so,, I am plenty busy, I have over 1500 ads up, mostly big stuff.  I did my 30 year career elsewhere. This is a part-time job for me.  I don't want to be any busier than that. I have turned down contracts and BIG orders.  

Sorry, I meant to quote eprvinyls. 

This is my part time gig as well. I am a college nursing professor so I don’t want to give that up but I really enjoy building this decal business and I am happy with it not being a full time job. I turn down just about every job offered to me here in town because I just like the way online sales work now that I have it figured out. I’m glad it’s working out for you!

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3 hours ago, hotrodz0321 said:

Sorry, I meant to quote eprvinyls. 

This is my part time gig as well. I am a college nursing professor so I don’t want to give that up but I really enjoy building this decal business and I am happy with it not being a full time job. I turn down just about every job offered to me here in town because I just like the way online sales work now that I have it figured out. I’m glad it’s working out for you!

Since its part time for you and you enjoy doing online, how do people local to you find out about you to want stuff done? That seems to be my issue is no one knows I do it here in my town. And i have seems like 20+ others around the outside of my town doing it too.. but they mostly do small stuff if i could get bigger jobs I would do them.

Thanks

 

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Just now, eprcvinyls said:

Since its part time for you and you enjoy doing online, how do people local to you find out about you to want stuff done? That seems to be my issue is no one knows I do it here in my town. 

Well, it has all been word of mouth. Online sales is a different story....I just recently opened a website and that takes money to market and advertise. Ebay (and I assume amazon) are set up to show the "best match" items first by default. This is their way of making sure their top sellers show up first in searches. To get there you have to be consistent with increasing sales, set goals to increase those sales each month and add new products (even if its only adding 1 or 2 new products each week). In one year's time you'll have built up your listings significantly. You'll see that after 3 months of doing this, shipping on time, having little to no returns, etc... you get triple or quadruple the views on your items than you were seeing before. This will be because ebay is showing your listings higher in the search results and you are getting more views...more views equals more sales.

If you are wanting sales to happen "in person"...you have to advertise in your home town. My first few installs over a decade ago came from listing my service on craigslist. When I come up with a new decal design for a specific vehicle I offer it to a local person as long as I can take pictures of the install afterwards.

You just have to decide what your hustle is going to be....then work your hustle. It didnt happen for me until I got up and started doing making it happen.

 

One last thing, my success has come from listing items that are vehicle specific...not just a generic decal that fits everything. If i make something that will fit different makes/models...i still list them individually because people search for their vehicles and I want to show up high in their search results. I stay away from making any new products that are for vehicles more than 1 body style old (ie. 2015-2018 f150 body style is current...2009-2014 is the previous body style...I wont design anything new for a 2008 or older). People are buying for new/newer cars...not near as many people are pimping out their busted up old rides.

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