Sell Your BEER CANS on eBay
If you have the time to sell your beer cans on eBay, you may be surprised at the value of your beer cans!
Here are selling tips and tricks the eBay pros use:
Step # 1: Register to buy & sell on eBay.
You will only need your name, mailing address and e-mail address to register to buy. To sell you will have to provide a credit card and checking account for verification.
Step # 2: Search completed auctions for similar beer cans.
[You need to be a registered eBay user to view completed eBay auctions.]
I have set the above eBay search so you are viewing eBay beer can auctions that have ended within the past 30 days. Once you have clicked on the link and entered eBay input the brand name of your beer can in the top left search window and click the grey Search button on the top right to view recent sales of similar beer cans. If your can has sold consistently for a good price, it should do well. If there are no similar cans then the can is either rare or common.
Be sure to view plenty of other beer can auctions to see how eBay professionals sell beer cans. You may also want to search the internet to see if you can find values for your your can(s).Step # 3: TAKE CLEAR PHOTOS OF YOUR BEER CANS!
This is the most important step. You will need photos of each can showing the front side, back side, seam, side opposite the seam, view of the top and view of the bottom. Use natural lighting or a fluorescent light (no flash) and take the pictures against a white, grey or black background. DO NOT TAKE PICTURES WITH YOUR DOG OR CAT! Beer can collectors are very serious about the condition of cans and you need to show you have handled the can well and can be trusted.
Step # 4 : WRITE A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CAN
Spend time describing the can in detail. Concentrate on the flaws and describe the can fairly. Don't tell the buyer your life story. Just stick to the facts about the can! Be prepared to answer e-mails questions in a timely manner. Don't disappear for a week while the auction is running.
Step # 5: BE SURE TO START YOUR eBAY AUCTION AT THE RIGHT TIME
You will have a choice of how many days (3, 5, 7 or 10 days) to list your eBay auction. 7 days is the normal, but 10 days can work very well too.DO NOT LIST YOUR AUCTION TO RUN OR END DURING A HOLIDAY! eBay traffic slows during holidays and your final auction price will suffer. Also be sure to list your beer cans during the late evening, taking into consideration your time zone and possible buyers time zones. If you live on the East Coast a buyer in California will be 3 hours earlier. You want your auction to end during prime time no matter what time zone the buyer is in. As a general rule, later is better than earlier, and be sure not to end in the morning or afternoon. Personally I've found Sunday nights to be the best.
Step # 6: PREPARE YOUR CAN FOR SHIPPING
Don't get caught running around trying to find a box and packing materials once the auction has ended. If you ship via Priority Mail the Post Office will supply free boxes, but often they are out of stock. Get the boxes before the auction. Also be sure to use styrofoam peanuts and do not pack cans in newspaper or wrap in bubble wrap. The newspaper ink can transfer to the cans and the bubblewrap can react with surface of the can. Also be sure to use Delivery Confirmation so you can't be scammed by a dishonest buyer saying they never received the can.
More tips to help you sell your beer cans on eBay:
- Sell one beer can per auction : cans sold in lots will bring less per can.
- Start with your least desirable cans first : build some interest and a good audience before selling your best beer cans.
- Check the eBay beer can category before listing : if too many of the same can are listed your final price will suffer.
- Space you auctions out evenly over a long period of time : buyers need to time to pay for auctions and often run out of money. If you give them time to bid on numerous auctions over a long period of time they will spend more money with you. If you don't, they will bid on other sellers auctions.
- DO NOT END YOUR LISTING EARLY,
NO MATTER HOW MUCH $$$ YOU ARE OFFERED :
a common practice of many beer can collectors is to entice you to end the auction early! That means your beer can is valuable! An auction that ends at the advertised time will always bring more $$$$. - Use an auction hosting service : listing on eBay can be confusing and time consuming. If you plan on listing mutliple auctions for an extended period of time consider using a third party auction hoster. Their templates and instructions are much simpler than the eBay process.
- Open an account to accept online payments : many serious buyers prefer to pay online. Sign up for a Paypal account at www.paypal.com to accept online payments. Choose the Paypal Premier account.
- Consider selling your cans via consignment or directly to a trusted breweriana dealer : being patient and having a breweriana expert on your side can bring a much higher price for your beer cans.
Top 10 Reasons Not to
Sell Beer Cans on eBay
- The right buyer may not see the can - An eBay auction lasts 7 to 10 days. If potentially interested buyers do not see your beer can than it will probably sell for much less than it could have.
- Bidders often work together to keep prices down - Collusion among familiar bidders is common on eBay. Many of the interested bidders know each other and communicate outside of eBay working together to keep the seller's final auction price far below the real market value.
- Potential buyers do not always have $$$ - advanced beer can collectors spend lots of $$$ on beer cans for their collections. Many times they need time to make payments or finance new acquisitions. If they're tapped out they won't be able to bid on your auction.
- The same can may be listed while your auction is running - You have no control over what other people list. If a duplicate can or two is listed at the same time as yours, buyers will reduce their bidding significantly.
- Serious collectors prefer to deal with reputable dealers and other collectors - There's a lot of scams and dishonest people on the internet. Most serious beer can collectors are a little hesitant about dealing with someone they do not know. They will pay more for the same beer can from someone they trust.
- Photos can be misleading - Condition is the most important factor determining the value of any given beer can. No matter how good your photos may be they're likely to not represent the can completely. That may work against you or for you, but most collectors prefer to see scarcer cans in person before purchasing.
- eBay fees keep rising - once upon a time eBay (and Paypal) took a small percentage of your sale. Now in some cases you will pay up to 18% of your hard earned cash to auction and payment fees. A quality dealer will consign your beer cans for a similar rate and do all of the work while probably getting you a better price.
- Problems receiving your payment - Occasionally bidders will not have the $$$ to pay for their winning bid or take a very long time to remit payment. Personal checks may bounce or take 5 days to clear your account. There are also many counterfeit money orders and cashiers checks being circulated through internet scams.
- National beer shows affect eBay beer can prices - There are several national beer shows each year. These shows attract collectors and dealers from around the country. If you are listing at the same time as one of these shows you will have a smaller audience and less interested parties.
- Reputable collectors and dealers will always pay you more $$$ - Most of the time eBay prices are not representative of the true market value. Sometimes the prices are much higher and some times they are much lower. Do you want to take a chance?
Honest beer can collectors and dealers are very knowledgable and will always get you the best price for your quality beer cans. They offer purchasing, consignment and brokering options.I can put my beer can experience to work for you.
Click here to e-mai me about selling your beer cans