how to price used items and how long to wait until you lower your price

[ProudGrandma]

I am just starting to put items for sale on a variety of FB boards,  here on the WTM board, and homeschool classifieds. 

 

Do you price most of your stuff about 50% of rainbow resource prices...or publisher prices?  Do you price media (DVD's, CD's) differently than books? Consumables different than hardbacks? What is your rule of thumb?

 

Then, if they don't sell, after what time frame would you lower the price...and how much?  Of course I know it would be different for a $5 items vs a $40 item.  But, again...what is sort of your rule of thumb?

 

I have good stuff...Apologia Science, Rod and Staff math, soon I will have SOTW 4, and others...

 

just curious.

 

thanks.

[sierramv1]

I always do a quick search to see what they are going for used, and price them right around that. If it's something I know I'm never going to use again (like my kids have all outgrown it) then I will deal when someone 'counter offers'. If its something I'm not really using, but love, I tend to not 'deal' as much, in hopes of using it someday...maybe just my twisted thoughts!

[JustEm]

I check Amazon and see what the used rate is and what the book ranking is to give me an idea of price point and how frequently people are buying it. Chapter books and book series I like to sell as a lot at a reduced rate of what they go for individually since that tends to sell faster. I try to always go a little lower than what used on Amazon goes for because my priority is a fast sale not makong the most I possibly can. But I sell books I find at thrift stores so I'm not trying to recoop the cost of what I paid new for something.

[Momto4inSoCal]

I check e-bay, amazon and/or craigslist. I like ebay because you can see completed listings vs for sale listings. Just because people list things at a certain price doesn't mean people are buying it. I base my price off of that. If I want it to sell fast I will list it a little lower than those prices. If there are only a few listings and I don't care how long it takes to sell I can list it a little higher. Otherwise I just stay within the normal range.

[G5052]

I price to sell, period. I don't have the time and energy to fiddle much. I used to have to sell on an ongoing basis to buy new curriculum, but of late I sell more in the summer.

 

I use Amazon as my primary source for pricing because that's where most people look first these days, particularly for used books.

 

I also sell primarily on Amazon, because it's low-effort even if they take a percentage. I can (and have) left things up for a year or more with no effort on my part. I just sold an obscure homeschool set that I listed in June of 2015 for 75% of what I paid for it. I do check periodically to make sure I'm still priced well.They collect the $, and I can weigh, package, and print the postage from home for just a small fee.

 

Sometimes I do lots or sets on eBay, particularly starting in May or so.

 

If my profit will be less than $5, I use Paperbackswap or donate to the library sale.