Sales Posts: How detailed should they be? Questions from a new pony seller

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SerendipitySky

Flighty Pegasus
MLPTP Supporter
Joined
Aug 30, 2019
Messages
92
Hi all. I'm really new here but I would totally value some feedback from the pony community if anyone wants to share their opinion.
I'm kind of new to selling ponies on eBay and I want to do the best job I can getting ponies to their new people in the best way I can. I could use a little feedback on how to create good listings that hit the right balance between giving enough information and just overkilling with text (my bad habit).

I do pony rescue and rehabilitation and some of them turn out really nice with some cleaning and care. I list these in my eBay store and I do my best to not only provide clear photos from several different angles but to list in the description every flaw that I can see. I check the "sold for" section of the ebay listings searcher to try and base my prices off of what ponies in similar condition have sold for in the past. I want to rehome these ponies to good homes and also to feel like the buyer got all the information they needed to make an informed purchase and be happy with the sale.

I have been looking at lots of different sellers' approaches to description and I see everything from about the same level of *excruciatingly detailed descriptions of every dot I can see* that I describe (which I'm actually wondering is it overkill?) to the other end where some people leave hardly any descriptor at all (I know I feel nervous to buy from those ones, myself.....)

What does everyone think about these questions?:

A) How much description is too much, or is there ever too much? (I worry that my detailed description of every little mark might be killing my sales, when ALL vintage ponies (well all that I would ever have the money to get near lol) have scuffs and marks etc.

B) Do you think it's enough to list the major flaws if there are any (i.e. cancer spots, discolorations or other ) and then disclaim that there may be other marks and signs of wear without looking for every pin-sized dot you can find and writing about it?

C) **How much should I even be paying to begin with for fixer upper ponies that aren't so baity that I can't restore them to their original self , and where can I find them for cheaper so I can help more ponies and still offer them to people for prices that sell faster? (I reinvest money to buy more ponies to help, but I want to make a profit of course when I can. More profit=more ponies I can help. Also trying this out as a job idea, since it's hard for me to work regular positions due to disability.

I try not to seesaw my descriptions and prices around too much but I'm still learning and I wonder if I'm making mistakes with how I list things.

Any (kind) advice on how I can run a better shop is most welcome. (Feel free to check out my store SerendipitySky in the eBay listings link on here. *Not a plug for sales I just would love some feedback on how I can get my ponies to their new homes faster and better*)

Also I thought this might be a good topic for discussion, since there seem to be lots of restorer/sellers out there. There is a treasure trove of pony knowledge here and I'd love to learn from you : )

Hope I posted this thread in a good place. (New to forums entirely clueless)
 
I usually just point out the more obvious flaws (hair cuts, cancer, discoloration, marks that won’t budge). I figure anyone looking at 30+ year old toys can’t be expecting perfection. Maybe since these are fixer uppers a before and after picture would help? I feel like I’d be more likely to buy something when I see how much it’s been improved.

As to wear to find them cheaply; thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, flea markets. Not to sound like a bad person, but those who just see an old toy are going to ask less for it then someone who knows that there’s still a market for them. My mom recently found 5 ponies at a nearby church-run thrift store for ) $1 each. And all were in fairly decent shape, and really nice after a bath and a little touch up with nail polish remover. Only problem with that is it’s ‘hit and miss’. Recently I went to 5 different thrift stores in an hour and a half radius and found nada.
 
Thanks for the input! I agree that before and after photos show an amazing transformation! I just worried that including the before photos might be confusing to the buyers because usually the ponies are so much different after, it looks like a whole different pony! I might share a few before/afters here on mlptp sometime as a show n tell...I love to see those too : )

I'll keep checking the thrift stores around here. Prices have gotten offensive in some of them in my area, but sometimes I luck out. Yeah it is pretty hit and miss, I agree. Isn't it the most exciting feeling in the world when you find a pony somewhere, though? :flutter2:
 
Pictures are worth a thousand words. A lot of people don't even look at the description so make sure to focus on the most glaring issues with your pictures.
 
twishy said:
Pictures are worth a thousand words. A lot of people don't even look at the description so make sure to focus on the most glaring issues with your pictures.
Click to expand...


Thank you for the advice! I appreciate it : ) I take a lot of time with my photos to try and get every angle, so sounds like I'm doing that right. Maybe I've been wasting a lot of time on overly detailed descriptions.
 
Twishy has a point. I don’t bother to read the description until after I look at the pictures. If the pictures don’t look great then I move on without reading the description.
 
I think it's definitely enough to list the major flaws, and add "and minor wear/scuffs/abrasions" or something similar. You could maybe put an asterisk after that, and then list all of the minor points way down at the bottom, so even the most scrutinising buyers can read it if they want to, but it doesn't put off casual buyers by making it sound like there's a million things wrong with the pony.

Eg:
Flaws: bite mark on one hoof, plus minor wear*
[everything else you want to say]
*two scuffs on the neck, four on the damaged leg, all below the hock, and slight plastic discolouration on the left nostril

I think before/after photos would be a real boon to help your buyers understand your listings. Not only does it show how much the pony's improved, but knowing she's been hand-restored rather than just being near-mint could add value, and it will help explain why your flaw list goes into such detail! To prevent confusion I would use only 1 before photo, and get an after photo in as close to the same angle, lighting, bg, etc as you can get, then stitch the two photos together and clearly label them, like this: (excuse my wonky doodles lol)
tumblr_pxtuo4hyBZ1s30pu7o1_1280.png

This way, you only have the before/after comparison taking up one slot in the listing photos, so your buyers will understand that all of the others are "after" shots.

But yes, unfortunately, to buy cheap baits you kinda do have to go into physical stores (thrift, secondhand, charity, etc). I don't know what the situation is in your country, but in mine I would make a day of going right into the city centre and visiting every such shop I could manage. I also have a disability that leaves me partially housebound, so I understand the struggle :cry:
 
Thanks for your thoughtful response. I appreciate it! And I LOVE your wonky doodles. I admit I haven't even been getting before photos each time but the transformation on these ponies is amazing and I spend literally hours each day cleaning and retoring them only to see the same pony sell for more sometimes even in dirty condition. I feel like I'm doing something wrong and it can be hard. But I love seeing the actual smiles on the ponies faces and hearing from people who love the ponies they have gotten. I wasn't sharing before pics in the listing because I thought somehow it might make people go eeww and not want to buy, but maybe it would have the opposite effect and show them how much work I put in to each pony? Interesting ideas!
 
And yeah I get it about the disability part. I had an accident three years ago and can't drive a car anymore so it can be hard to get around to look for ponies. Going to a flea market tomorrow though and hoping to find some there maybe. Ahhh I just love ponies so much! :flutter2:
 
I did go through yesterday and simplify my descriptions somewhat and double checked that all my listings had good, descriptive photos from every angle. Adjusted the prices and shipping a bit on some too. I'll see how it goes. Love getting feedback from people. Thank you!
 
I browsed your listings and think your descriptions and pictures are great. When I'm shopping I always look through the pictures first, this is where I really assess for myself if I'm even interested and them if I am I move on to reading the description. I like when sellers do give some details cause when they just post pics with no description at all I wonder a little if there could be something I am missing in the pictures. I think your auctions look great. Good luck with your sales :)
 
Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm glad I'm doing ok. Putting new ponies up day by day. I'll keep doing my best! :flutter2:
 
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