I have one more question guys.

When it comes to selling on Ebay, is it better to have a product already made that you can ship right out, or to offer an "example" in the auction and then do the puppet more to the customer's desires??

For instance...the puppet I had listed on Ebay did NOT sell tonight.  I had a lady that was interested, but when she found out that I can make him in other colors she has decided to contact me tomorrow to get one in a different color than what I had in the auction. 

I relisted the auction with some information about the fact that I can do the same puppet with different colors if anyone is interested...but I don't know if I should just use the one that's there as an example and tell the customer they can choose whatever color they like. 

Thanks.
Jeff

Here is the current auction with the new bonus options and some slight differences in the highlighting of the text. 

330462893373

I wouldn't list anything that you don't already have made; mainly because the Terms and Conditions of ebay might state that you can't promise to sell anything you don't actually have.

However, what you should do is state in the description of the item that you can request a colour when making the purchase. When confirming the order with the buyer, ask them what colour they want. Alternatively, do as you do now, which is to simply state that other colours are available if the person wants it and if so, to contact you for a custom listing.

That's a good point Na.  I never really thought about the fact that Ebay might not really like the idea of something being sold that's not actually on hand. 

I think for now I'll just stick with the paragraph in there about being able to do them in different colors and setting up a custom auction for that.  Of course, I would also do them without Ebay at all just to save the money for the listing. 

That's a good point Na.  I never really thought about the fact that Ebay might not really like the idea of something being sold that's not actually on hand.

Well, don't quote me on it. You really should go over the terms and conditions yourself, and check whether it's legal or not. Also, check your own state/country laws, just in case.

Personally, I don't like to offer something I don't have already made simply because then I have to rush around after the order is made. Example: if someone hits the 'buy now' button, and then wants next-day shipping, and it takes you three days to make something... well, you can see how easily it can turn into a disaster. It's one thing to do it with items that are quick to make, and quality isn't a major issue, or it's not handmade; but with everything else, it's probably better to save yourself the stress and have stuff ready to go.

(Speaking from experience, I used to sell puppet eyes which took forever to dry while being built. I used to freak out on big orders, because it took me longer to make. Instead of stressing out over it - and these were customised to each order - I made it a point of telling the customer that larger orders would take longer. It relieved the stress of getting it out ASAP, and meant that I could focus on quality, not speed)

I agree with Na that you need to check the fine print of eBay's TOS. I know they get very picky about some things an most of them have to do with trying to circumvent their fees for selling.  In other words if they think you are using eBay to just list your items but not sell them through thier system they may not like it.   I know there are some pretty strict guidelines about linking to your own site you have to follow.

Yah, I will probably just set up a custom auction for someone if they want a special color.  That way I can still get the feedback and have the seller protections that come with selling on Ebay, and the buyer can have the comfort of knowing they are protected by Ebay as well.

I will probably only sell to people outside of Ebay if they contact me outside of Ebay...or if they are a repeat customer.  Like the guy that bought my first puppet contacted me outside of Ebay to buy two more and I just sent him an invoice through PayPal. 

Can you actually do a custom auction on ebay? I mean, I know it works on etsy, mainly because people respect the whole idea of special listings. But I've never seen it on ebay, and wonder if there's less of a community respect for it. (Not suggesting that people on ebay wouldn't, as I say, I've never seen it done on ebay)

Regarding selling puppets on eBay that are not already made,.... I usually list puppets that WERE made, and I use the same photos of that original puppet.  I normally re-list my most popular characters over and over again.  I do however, let the potential customers know in the listing, that they are bidding on a duplicate of the puppet in the photo.  I also let them know that because of this, clothes may vary slightly in terms of style, depending on availability.  I've found that it's all about honest communication from day one.

Can you actually do a custom auction on ebay? I mean, I know it works on etsy, mainly because people respect the whole idea of special listings. But I've never seen it on ebay, and wonder if there's less of a community respect for it. (Not suggesting that people on ebay wouldn't, as I say, I've never seen it done on ebay)

You know, I'm pretty sure you can.  I've bought a couple of puppets off of Ebay that the seller mentioned would take a few weeks to construct.  I totally forgot about that. 

What I am in the process of trying to do is figure out a way that I could sell the "optional" items on the puppet right in the auction.  Some Ebay auctions have drop downs where the buyer can choose color and size...usually I only see these in clothing auctions, though.  If I could find out how to add that to the auction, it would give the buyer the option of choosing legs or other accessories without skirting any of the Ebay fees.