If you are conducting any part of your auctions online you have definitely been asked if you can provide shipping for small items. Shipping can be a real hassle or a great way to make your company stand above your competition. Whether you provide shipping or outsource it to a third party providing a shipping solution will result in more bidders and higher selling prices.
Most bidders need to be comfortable with all the costs associated with an item before they bid. This includes actual cost, taxes, fees, buyers premium and when applicable shipping. In that list the only variable cost they do not control is the shipping. The cost to ship and item can vary greatly based on its weight. To help your buyers get a shipping estimate you can provide them with a weight on the more valuable lots. There are portable easy to read digital scales that can be repurposed to work perfectly in our industry. You don’t have to provide shipping, just providing a weight is enough for a bidder to contact a third party shipping services for an estimate.
Most scales are heavy and designed to be stationary. However the HVAC industry uses portable scales to measure the weight of gasses when they repair refrigeration equipment. These scales are cordless, very light, portable, heavy duty and relatively inexpensive. They work perfectly in the auction barn or on jobsites. One even has a cordless display that can sit right next to the computer as you build your catalog. Now you can quickly and easily add weights to any items.
These scales can be purchased used for under $100 and sell new in the $100-$250 range. If you search HVAC Scale or Recover Scale you will see many options available. Here are two:
CPS Model CC220
220 lb capacity
9V
$144 New
Fieldpiece SRS2C Wireless Scale w/Case
220 Lb Capacity
9V
Wireless Display
$220 NEW
Online auction buyers are not as loyal as traditional live buyers. It is very easy to move from one Auction Company to the next. To build loyalty it is necessary to provide them with a great experience. Adding weights to items is one way to do that.
The live auction bidders are limited by geography. Online buyers can calculate shipping if you provide them a weight. When you need one last selling point to clinch an auction, tell the seller you provide weights so buyers can calculate the shipping costs. That will impress them.