Holding a Cat by the Tail

If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you cannot learn any other way.

Mark Twain

Mark Twain was a wise man.  In this single quote, he summed up my experience with selling online. I keep doing things the wrong way, but as a result, I’m slowly learning the right way to do things.

Take, for example, eBay titles.  On the surface, titles seem easy enough.  Just say what you have to sell.  It’s like holding that cat by the tail. You can do it that way, but you quickly learn that it’s not the best way to hold the feline.   For some of us, though, we have to get scratched, clawed, and bitten a few times before we learn our lesson.

My most recent lesson involves a pair of Nike shoes that I got out of a storage unit.  The moment that I saw them, I was sure they would sell.  That was a year and numerous auctions and off and on fixed priced listings ago.  Here is how I listed the shoes:

Several watchers, but no sales.  But then I started reading eBay how-to articles, and really thinking about titles.  So, I tweaked (added three words) the listing to this:

Much to my surprise, “watchers” increased, and I finally had a “best offer” for the shoes after a day or so.   Cha ching.

The change was small, but the results were big. Now, my goal is to look at all my slow sellers and see if I can improve the titles.  I also plan to think more carefully about the titles as I list.

I know, I know.  It’s just common eBay sense to do this. But some of us have to hold that cat by the tail a few times to get it through our thick heads.