Why so few views?
I have been on BidStart/Hipstamp for a little over a year. My store has slightly over 1600 stamps in it. Many of these have 1 or no views. I am puzzled by the lack of views. Do I have bad breath? I have a feedback of 590 or so. What should I do to improve the traffic to my store? (Tom's Stamps) Is it a question of not knowing me? I have not done any marketing per se and perhaps that is the root of the problem. Or are collectors not interested in the material I have? I appreciate any comments you may have. I do think my prices are reasonable and in some cases a little low. Thanks Tom Breay
Comments
"Search All Items From All Sellers" to try to find your listing. I checked there under Hong Kong #147-150 Mint VF-NH and found listings for this and then I tried Hong Kong 1935 Silver Jubilee Mint VF-NH and found more listings. M. Jaffe at $80.
was the lowest and Varisell at $144. was the highest. Marlen was at $119.93. In all I found six listings described as VF-NH there but I did not find your listing there though I did find it in the larger Browse section at $120. You may want to find out why you are not listed in the place I went to although six others are. Did not try S.G. numbers and prices in pounds for same item. All the best,
Just to note - there's no issue with Tom's listings showing up in relevant searches. The "Search All Items from All Sellers" you're referring to is the main search bar that appears on every page on HipStamp outside of the forums (it's not specific to the Members Area, or any other page). From the main search bar if you enter "Hong Kong #147-150" Tom's listing you're referring to does appear. In fact, it's now the fourth listing (because it's presumably been viewed many times by people in this forum thread now):
https://www.hipstamp.com/search?keywords=Hong+Kong+#147-150&parent_id=0
If in addition to "Hong Kong #147-150" you then start narrowing your search by adding additional keywords which are not found in the title of that specific listing, it would no longer show in the search results - that's how searching works. So, for example, if you search for "Hong Kong #147-150 MINT F-VF" you wouldn't find this specific listing because this listing is not listed with "MINT F-VF".
As a Featured Store, there's a few options you have available to help increase sales. I'll have one of our Account Managers follow-up with you.
I listed some US mint stamps at under 50% face value which I thought might sell for cheap postage (GB/UK ones sell very quickly on ebay as people buy them to use for cheap/reduced postage) but they have not even moved. I assume its OK to use old mint stamps for postage in the US as it is in the UK? The only thing that I Have not yet had time to do yet is list some low start auctions - I wonder if that will help to create interest in my store stock and drag-it-along?
One thing that would help, place the link to your store when you post. Some people would like to visit, but have no direct link.
Luree
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/dianealthea
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/johnhstamps
If your items shows up among the lower priced items on the search list, I may explore your store, if I am interested in that specific stamp from you, and if it is not available from my prefered sellers.
If your stamp lists high in price, relative to others, I will not look at it, or at your store. If you constantly list high in price, I will ignore all your items in the future. By the way, I do look at shipping charges, and if your low listing price masks an outrageous (in my opinion) per stamp add-on shipping charge, I will boycott your store. I am quite firm about this, even if it seems like a bargain!
I think any low cost listings, with hidden per item shipping add-ons are unfair to other sellers!
Just my approach, but I do also suggest looking at some of your prices and comparing them to others. You will not attract me to your store, unless a specific item I want draws me into your store to find more! Just one buyer's approach, but I may not be very different from others.
rrr.....
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/part cat
Thanks Mark - Will be following up with Justin shortly.
FYI, I have 1000 stamps in my shopping cart....I am just waiting for the right price and the minimum critical mass from each dealer to buy (I will not pay more than 10% for shipping...and that may determine when I buy, and from whom! If your shipping is say $3.00, I need $30.00 of material to buy before I process my shopping cart....where as if your shipping charges are $0.75, then I will activate a purchase much sooner...and THAT IS ALSO WHEN I WILL LOOK THROUGH YOUR STORE FOR MORE.)
In today's stamp market, few buyers (certainly not me) will pay 50% of catalog....and often much less will be their guidelines. Again with patience, most serious collectors will find what they want under 1/3 cat...and probably under 1/4, without much wait. For some of the very high value stamps I personally seek, I will bid 15% of cat (which may still be a sizeable sum)...and eventually with patience, I will get them (or not...but then there are so many I seek..)!
Now for the Hong Kong stamps, I really don't know, as I don't collect Hong Kong...but sellers always feel they have a gem, and they forget to look at the marketplace. Search on past sales of the same item, here, on ebay, delcampe etc.., or review all current listings, and that will be my best recommendation for pricing....no matter how exceptional you think your stamps are, they are fairly common..the Jubilee stamps are on sale somewhere today or any time you look. It is not like they are available once a year, and thus should command a higher premium. It all depends how long you want to wait to sell them.
Best of luck
rrr...
rrr...
Just a quick question. After looking at your presentation of the Hong Kong 147-150 set can you please tell me with the way you presented the set what would make me inclined to buy your set as opposed to buying one of the other sets (Leaving out the differences of price at the moment)?