Geist

I hope so too. I've experienced similar nice surprises as well; finding out you got a sale on something you barely remember you had listed. Half.com started out as "Reverse Ebay" and that was attractive to people that didn't want to fuss with the 3-day/5-day-7-day options.

It's just hard to believe that Ebay would want to do that. They make money off people that have to relist things because they don't sell. It seems like allowing no-finite-ending auctions would cut into their current profits.

Maybe they've realized that there is a place for both though, especially because they would wind up forfeiting a lot of customers to Amazon if they abandon the Half.com format entirely.

LasVegasMichael

I second this one. Same goes for books as well.

--LVM

retihsuhnt

OP, though I have not used Half.com, I did just get done selling 20 (of 24) DVDs on eBay. And after everything is done Ill have 99.6% of what I spent on those (24) discs when I originally paid for them. No complaints on this end from eBay.

ericjanderson

amazon.com's commission is higher, because you pay 99 cents for listing the product plus a 15% commission. Otherwise it is about the same as half.com. I find that the class of customer is better at amazon.com, so if you have a quality like new item, particularly if it has some "snob appeal" (foreign movies, special editions and the like) you may get a better price and sell quicker at amazon.com. Enough to more than justify the extra expense for the listing fee.

(I don't mean that foreign film-lovers are snobs. I like them myself. It is just a phrase, so don't flame.)

mookiemeister

I like to sell my used DVDs on ebay or half.com. I noticed amazon.com also let 3rd party seller sell stuff there, but I haven't use it yet. Maybe you can try that.

YoJimbo

Can anyone provide any updated advice on selling used DVD's?

I have over 100 DVDs I'd like to get rid of, I don't expect top dollar for them, but I'm looking for the easiest way to do it!

Abob Teff

Suckered in by another zombie thread -- half way through the first page I realized that this was 4 months old!

However, YoJimbo's question is new! YoJimbo, drop me an e-mail with your list. I am in the process of starting a new retail/resale business and am starting to look for sources of used DVDs.

AtlDVD

I like half.com - unfortunately ebay bought it and is trying to close it down and switch everyone to ebay. To me they are not the same. For collectable DVD's that are OOP I would still sell on ebay - other than that half.com is best...

Austin54

The reason that Half.com is shutting down soon is because the softwar is violating someone's copyright. A judge just ruled that
ebay must pay over $10 million because of this. If they keep it running, they will have to pay more.
Austin

YoJimbo

Has anyone ever sold all their DVDs as a collection, or do you list every DVD individually? (I'm dreading what appears to be a lot of work).

What's the best strategy for Half.com -- looking at listed prices for the items you're selling and pricing your DVD's similarly, or just listing them for whatever you want for them (and forcing yourself to be patient)?

HockeyMan2000

I've been selling used DVDs for many years and here's my experience: often times the title you sell will fare better on Ebay than Amazon, and sometimes vice versa. To further explain:

1. Ebay -- generally from my experience, this is the best. If you have a COLLECTIBLE title, I'd say Ebay is the best way to go. However, if you're selling a relatively recent (not brand new) title that everyone has already purchased, it's probably not your best bet because the site will be innundated with copies of the same (ex-rentals of, say, "Seabiscuit"). In those situations (i.e. a mainstream, non-collectible title), I'd go with....

2. Amazon -- if you're looking to sell something FAST, this is the best outlet. Also, if you're selling a movie (recent) that's been out there for a month or so, it's probably a better bet to move it on Amazon than Ebay. Price it lower than the lowest-priced used title and it will move quick.

3. The other benefit of Amazon is not having to worry about someone winning an auction and not paying. This has become commonplace on Ebay with me -- dead beat bidders who never pay. Once someone has completed an Amazon purchase, the funds are immediately available to you and you dont have to worry about it. (If their CC is declined, you'll know about it immediately, before you get a confirmation).

4. Yes, it's gonna be a lot of work, but definitely list INDIVIDUALLY. I've sold lots before, and my experience has been -- list low-selling mainstream/older catalog titles on Amazon, wait until an interested bidder comes along, and move them one at a time. You'll get more in the long run than by selling a lot.

5. Good luck! Half is also perfectly respectable, as long as they're still in business.

ENDContra

I finally got around to selling some of my old DVDs that I will never watch again by listing on Half.com. Sold 3 over the past week. The majority of mine are either movies that are pure crap that no one wants (Changing Lanes, S1m0ne), or titles that will be upgraded soon (Blazing Saddles, Manchurian Candidate, Star Trek Generations). I set the price pretty low because I do want them to move rather than sitting there for a year. For those of you that can sell it for more than you paid for it, how? Seems like someone will go for the best price that is in good condition and the seller with great feedback, and I have both but I cant get anyone to pay over $10 for anything thats not sealed.

John Sinnott

ENDContra-

I have sold Criterions for more than I paid on e-bay, and LEs or OOP DVDs sell pretty easily. For run of the mill stuff, you just aren't going to get much. You can buy a new DVD for $5.50 at Walmart, and there are a lot of 3 for $30 sales at BB and CC. New hot DVDs are often on sale for $15 for the first week, and that's what you are compeating against. I think getting $10 for a used DVD is pretty good.

I sold a lot to Skinny Guys before they went under, they paid a good amount in trade and had okay prices for their new stuff. Since they disappeared I've been using half.com. It's a little more hassle, but I get a little more. I dislike Amazon because they take $1 off to start, and then you still pay 15%. If you are selling $8 DVDs, it's not worth it. I'm going to miss half when it goes.

Basically the stuff you are selling isn't going to sell well, so I think you have the right philosophy. Good luck!

OwlBoy

Yeah I hope something comes up that will replace half.com

I don't like the buy it now idea with eBay.

-Owl

nick490172003

The trick is start them all at $1 thats how you get people to bid on them they think they are going to get a good deal so they bid But i agree with videophile your lucky you get $10 cause over $5 for a used dvd is doing very good unless its a dvd worth more.

A-aron

May I direct you to the DVD Treasure Hunt thread? (see the link in my sig). If you have any hard-to-find or OOP DVDs you may find wanters among the users there.

DouglasRobert

Does anybody have any experience selling their used dvd's through DVD Empire?

YoJimbo

I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing the great information.

Brett

I believe that "ebay stores" are going to be their replacement for half.com
Seems much more expensive:

http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/pricing.html

Insertion Fees :
$9.95 (+ 0.02 per item) / month

Final Value Fees:
• On the final sale price (final value) of your item. The fee structure is the same for all listing formats.

Closing Value Final Value Fee
$0 - $25 5.25% of the closing value
$25 - $1,000 5.25% of the initial $25 ($1.31),
plus 2.75% of the remaining closing value balance.
Over $1,000 5.25% of the initial $25 ($1.31),
plus 2.75% of the initial $25-$1000 ($26.81),
plus 1.50% of the remaining closing value balance.

(not to mention PayPal fees on top of that)

For me the $9.95 /mo is the deal breaker since sometimes months go by with my stuff selling on half.com Would rather pay a higher final fee and be able to list stuff for ever and ever than have a monthly fee. No PayPal fees on half.com either!

jough

Yeah, once Half.com is absorbed into eBay I'm moving my stuff to Amazon.

eBay just hasn't gotten the 'fixed price, unlimited duration' market down yet. They should learn from Half.com.

John Sinnott

I can understand that they wouldn't want someone to have an item listed forever. I think that is one problem that half has. An older DVD that has had a price drop or new edition released will still have a few listings asking $20 for it, and 20 where the price is $5. They wouldn't want their DB cluttered up with old listings. But charging to put an item up for sale isn't going to fly. I'll probably move to Amazon too if I have to pay $10/month to list on e-bay. What a crock!

Evolution

Any updated info for this thread? I'm looking to unload a chunk of my collection. I've just realized I have too many DVDs that I will never watch regularly. All my stuff is in near mint condition. I'm just wondering where I might get the best dollar on some of these. Here's what I'm looking to sell:

NOES Box (R1 8-disc including 3D glasses)
Simpsons seasons 1-3
From Dusk til Dawn Box

120 movies on DVD, including:
Halloween original 2-disc LE
Sid and Nancy CC
Robocop CC
Blues Brothers CE
Lawrence of Arabia LE
Bridge on the River Kwai LE
Hellraiser Tin
Evil Dead II Tin
MIB LE
Cast Away 2-disc
Independence day 2-disc
Big Trouble 2-disc
and a bunch of common (but enjoyable) movies like O Brother, Cape Fear, The Graduate, Butch Cassidy, etc... I have some bad ones just like anybody else, but mostly good stuff.

The ones I listed individually will probably go to ebay, but I'm looking for a good way to sell the other 100+. As usual, any info is appreciated.

NCYankee

Check dvds123.com - for OOP dvds, sometimes their prices are actually higher than what the going price is on eBay or amazon, though it is very much a hit-and-miss affair.

For example, I sold them my Karate Kid about a month ago for $31.60. At the time, the highest recent sale I had seen on eBay was $25 used, and a sealed copy had gone unbid at $30. They are paying $18.20 for Mr Pink Reservoir Dogs, even though I have seen like new copies for $9.99 on half.com recently. They pay $113 for MST 3000 the movie, while I saw several copies go for $75-80 on eBay a while back.

OTOH, they are paying $2.70 for Romper Stomper 2-disc, which goes for over $30 at amazon and $13 for The Blues Brothers CE, going for $40+ on eBay. Their prices on mass-produced blockbusters is often pretty low, sometimes less than $3.

You might not get top dollar, but it is very convenient and quick - you can look up prices in their database, and get an automated purchase order. The only downfall is you must pay shpping, and you must have all inserts, artwork, and no scratches.

MasterCXtreme

Take Blues Brothers to ebay, everybody thinks it's out of print for some reason so they're throwing money around there.

NCYankee

Apparently the people at Universal Studios are among those who think it is OOP.

Discontinued DVDs A-B