Bricklink/BrickOwl - Discussion, questions, & answers

[Vinetu]

Did it once while I was under 10k. Extremely time-consuming. Since I passed the 10k mark, I know that alterations to my inventory can only be minor and besides, each BL member knows that if they order the full quantity of a certain piece one store has, they may end up a piece or two short. I had one larger order recently, a fellow reseller emptied my inventory on some parts I had on cheap, I was missing 6 of one piece, 5 of other, 3 of another yet and then 1x and 1x. Completely negligible compared to the size of the order and of course he didn't mind in the slightest, it happens to all of us... 

The important thing is you pack your orders well (ziplock bags preferably), and that you are honest about your pieces (used/new) and that you ship fast if they need them urgently, all the rest is secondary...

[Stragus]

10 hours ago, betsy805 said:

And if you ever get the urge to upload several boxes worth of 10697 to your store before you count the pieces or even have the chance to sort them, DON'T DO IT.  What a pain....too many orders coming in and they're all ordering pieces from the unsorted lot!!!  First and last time that will ever happen!!

Listing parts before they are sorted is apparently what brought down the (in)famous BrickLink seller HOUSE OF LOGOS. Don't do it!

[Phil B]

BrickStock question: I like the program and since I'm setting up my BrickLink store I wanted to get the full feature set (which includes pulling down orders etc.). Decided to pay the $20 fee for a registration key via Paypal as per Patrick Brans' website, but haven't heard as much as a peep since making the payment a week ago. Is this normal? Or has Patrick also disappeared from the face of the earth like the previous BrickStock/BrickStore developer? I've contacted him via BrickLink and via Paypal but no response. Paypal opportunity to file a claim is now open, but wanted to hear from other BrickLinkers what they know about this situation .....

 

[Vinetu]

16 hours ago, Stragus said:

Listing parts before they are sorted is apparently what brought down the (in)famous BrickLink seller HOUSE OF LOGOS. Don't do it!

 

Really, what's that story, never heard of it?

 

43 minutes ago, Phil B said:

BrickStock question: I like the program and since I'm setting up my BrickLink store I wanted to get the full feature set (which includes pulling down orders etc.). Decided to pay the $20 fee for a registration key via Paypal as per Patrick Brans' website, but haven't heard as much as a peep since making the payment a week ago. Is this normal? Or has Patrick also disappeared from the face of the earth like the previous BrickStock/BrickStore developer? I've contacted him via BrickLink and via Paypal but no response. Paypal opportunity to file a claim is now open, but wanted to hear from other BrickLinkers what they know about this situation .....

 

I second this. Currently, I'm learning the ropes of BrickStock, would like to have as much info as possible

[Phil B]

16 hours ago, Stragus said: Listing parts before they are sorted is apparently what brought down the (in)famous BrickLink seller HOUSE OF LOGOS. Don't do it!

 

Really, what's that story, never heard of it?

 

Ditto here .... I recall buying from House of Logos about a year ago ... Was a perfectly OK transaction, so I'm curious .....

[eracine]

we made many transactions but it took quite awhile to get the orders.  The last one took about a month and shortly after they were shut down.  Great prices and huge number of parts.  I am curious if they opened under another name

[tunnelvision]

2 hours ago, Vinetu said:

 

Really, what's that story, never heard of it?

Not my post, but found on the BL forum

http://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=943141

"Without getting into personal details about the operators, here's what I
observed.

They would purchase sets and immediately put them into the store before being
sorted. I was one of their sorters. Parts were scattered all over the house in
trays with absolutely no organization, except by color. Imagine looking down
on 10 trays with 24 compartments all filled with different black parts. UGH!
And similar parts and colors were not even together. So if someone bought out
all of a particular part, they would have to not only go to multiple trays, but
also dig through piles of unsorted bricks.

I won't even get into details about not getting paid for the work I did,
but it took 6 months to receive my last paycheck from them.

Now this was back in 2011, but their store has been going since about 2007, so
I can only imagine that nothing has changed.

One thing I will say is that in the short time I worked for them I learned a
lot about what NOT to do with my store. Hence, why our reputation is practically
spotless! 

Mark Bauer
BUDDYSBRICKS.com"

[Guest betsy805]

Has anyone noted lots of inaccuracies with Brickowl?  I've been trying to use their tool to edit inventory and add in minifigures as they're missing from quite I few of the sets I've parted out, which is fine.  But then today I saw that one of the minifigures from a set I parted isn't even correct, it uses the wrong head!  I've already filled out the form to correct it, but that could have been a problem if someone had ordered it!  Now I'm wondering how many other inaccuracies I've got.

[Stragus]

55 minutes ago, betsy805 said:

Has anyone noted lots of inaccuracies with Brickowl?  I've been trying to use their tool to edit inventory and add in minifigures as they're missing from quite I few of the sets I've parted out, which is fine.  But then today I saw that one of the minifigures from a set I parted isn't even correct, it uses the wrong head!  I've already filled out the form to correct it, but that could have been a problem if someone had ordered it!  Now I'm wondering how many other inaccuracies I've got.

I have noticed very recent sets sometimes go through a few rounds of submissions and corrections. I think some people don't take as much care as they should when submitting catalog contributions...

[Vinetu]

6 hours ago, tunnelvision said:

Not my post, but found on the BL forum

http://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=943141

"Without getting into personal details about the operators, here's what I
observed.

They would purchase sets and immediately put them into the store before being
sorted. I was one of their sorters. Parts were scattered all over the house in
trays with absolutely no organization, except by color. Imagine looking down
on 10 trays with 24 compartments all filled with different black parts. UGH!
And similar parts and colors were not even together. So if someone bought out
all of a particular part, they would have to not only go to multiple trays, but
also dig through piles of unsorted bricks.

I won't even get into details about not getting paid for the work I did,
but it took 6 months to receive my last paycheck from them.

Now this was back in 2011, but their store has been going since about 2007, so
I can only imagine that nothing has changed.

One thing I will say is that in the short time I worked for them I learned a
lot about what NOT to do with my store. Hence, why our reputation is practically
spotless! 

Mark Bauer
BUDDYSBRICKS.com"

Thanks for that, that's interesting. Yeah, I am a novice with BL as well, and man do I realize the importance of good sorting. BL is definitely NOT a way to make a quick buck. It takes passion, patience and dedication to open a BL store and then develop it. It is a long term project and good sorting is the only way not to get lost, discouraged or provide a sub-par service to your customers by making them wait forever for their parts.

[Phil B]

On 12/5/2015, 7:05:26, Phil B said:

BrickStock question: I like the program and since I'm setting up my BrickLink store I wanted to get the full feature set (which includes pulling down orders etc.). Decided to pay the $20 fee for a registration key via Paypal as per Patrick Brans' website, but haven't heard as much as a peep since making the payment a week ago. Is this normal? Or has Patrick also disappeared from the face of the earth like the previous BrickStock/BrickStore developer? I've contacted him via BrickLink and via Paypal but no response. Paypal opportunity to file a claim is now open, but wanted to hear from other BrickLinkers what they know about this situation .....

 

Quick follow-up on this: Patrick responded to me today - I'm all set up with my key etc. Sounds like there was a little hiccup with either his automatic registration key mailer program or with my email provider filtering that message out.  Anyway, all's well ... phew!

[Deadfraggle]

Hey guys, need some here and I'm sure several of you have encountered the same situation before:

Sold an item on Bricklink. The Buyer purchased through Paypal. Invoice and Paypal info all matched. I shipped to the Seller protected Paypal address. Luckily I opted for insurance and Signatue Confirmation. Buyer contacts me this morning and says: "USPS shows package delivered 9 days ago, signed for delievery, but I don't have the item, please help" I go on to the USPS and request the emailed signature confirmation sheet. I'm even more puzzled after reading the signature scan email.

Three issues:

#1 The delivered address zip-code does not match the zip-code on the mailing label I purchased.

#2 The "signature" is a 1010, which happens to match the hand written street address on the form as well.

#3 The street address of 1010 does not match the house address on the label I purchased.

What do I do here. Does Paypal cover me? Do I file an insurance claim through USPS. Is the buyer out of luck?

 

Thanks.

[Phil B]

Just out of curiosity, what is a "1010"?

[Guest betsy805]

9 minutes ago, Phil B said:

Just out of curiosity, what is a "1010"?

I'm guessing it's the numerical portion of the address (albeit the wrong numerical address).  I can thankfully say this has never happened to me though so I'm curious about what others say!

[Deadfraggle]

9 minutes ago, Phil B said:

Just out of curiosity, what is a "1010"?

Literally the numbers "1010" are handwritten in block print on the signature blank.

Below that is a line for address of recipient. "1010" is also written in block letters. No street name or other wording.

[Phil B]

So you printed a USPS label, stuck it on the package/envelope, submitted it to the postoffice, and the signature confirmation and delivery address are different than what you put on the label? Sounds like a fraudulent USPS employee somewhere - I'd call them first.

[2x4]

For deadfraggle's problem,

Here's what I can say. What seems to be pretty certain is that the package was mis delivered, since the delivery address and the one you shipped to don't actually match. How it got that way is a far more complicated issue. You definitely need to contact the usps though and start the conversation with the mismatched addresses.

[2x4]

What I want to know is where are all the bricklink buyers? I kind of thought this time of year would be rather busy, but instead of my usual (part sets, see orders) activity, which has only been increasing as my parts total climbs, for the past month or so I list stuff and nothing happens... Very quiet on bricklink for me... are people just broke from all the double VIP, GBH action?

[Guest betsy805]

3 hours ago, 2x4 said:

What I want to know is where are all the bricklink buyers? I kind of thought this time of year would be rather busy, but instead of my usual (part sets, see orders) activity, which has only been increasing as my parts total climbs, for the past month or so I list stuff and nothing happens... Very quiet on bricklink for me... are people just broke from all the double VIP, GBH action?

My bricklink and brickowl have BOTH gone quiet in the last week.  More sets sold (gifting purposes) but FAR LESS parts orders.  But with the day to day life being so crazy this time of year, I'm okay with the break.

[Alpinemaps]

So, since I'm busy buying parts right now - good time for me to get my orders processed quickly?

[2x4]

You're both right of course, and I'm definitely trying to take advantage of the time to get things parted, etc. I'm just bitter because I use my sales to fuel my new purchases, and the lack of activity leaves me frustrated that I can't buy as many sets as I'd like.

[Makowiak]

Hi All!

Been reading up on this whole thread there's so much information! I've recently opened up a new Bricklink store in Calgary, Alberta and am looking for some ways to grow my business. How can I drive initial sales? I've implemented a short free shipping promotion and taken 10% off all my prices until the end of the year. I know the hardest part is getting those first sales to increase your positive feedback number. Is it a patient waiting game where I slowly need to wait for orders to trickle in? I see from the post above that both Bricklink and Brickowl are pretty quiet, so maybe it's just a short time period to wait out. Are there some popular forums or communities that I can advertise on?

Any tips, help, or suggestions would be appreciated!

P.S. Please send me a PM if you would like to take a look at my store, maybe there will be some good feedback if you look at it. I don't feel comfortable sharing the link in this message as I don't believe this is the thread to advertise the store.

[chinothegeeko]

On 12/14/2015 at 11:39 AM, Makowiak said:

Hi All!

Been reading up on this whole thread there's so much information! I've recently opened up a new Bricklink store in Calgary, Alberta and am looking for some ways to grow my business. How can I drive initial sales? I've implemented a short free shipping promotion and taken 10% off all my prices until the end of the year. I know the hardest part is getting those first sales to increase your positive feedback number. Is it a patient waiting game where I slowly need to wait for orders to trickle in? I see from the post above that both Bricklink and Brickowl are pretty quiet, so maybe it's just a short time period to wait out. Are there some popular forums or communities that I can advertise on?

Any tips, help, or suggestions would be appreciated!

P.S. Please send me a PM if you would like to take a look at my store, maybe there will be some good feedback if you look at it. I don't feel comfortable sharing the link in this message as I don't believe this is the thread to advertise the store.

Welcome Makowiak,

My advice is to keep adding parts,especially a variety, the more you add the sooner you will have buyers. You can always buy first yourself to get a feel for how bricklink works and to build up your feedback if you haven't done that. You can PM me your store link and I will provide you feedback if you like. I am far from an expert on bricklink but will help with what I have learned so far.

[Thumper]

On ‎14‎/‎12‎/‎2015 at 11:39 AM, Makowiak said:

Hi All!

... Any tips, help, or suggestions would be appreciated! ...

 

It's somewhat counter-intuitive but to really drive sales in Canada you have to think differently than the stores in the US.  In the US market price seems to be king, shipping is dirt cheap & very very fast (state to state in under a week!!! - here it takes 3 days just to get from the suburbs to the city's central sorting station)  & there's an army of stores all fighting for your pennies over there...  (while vender selection is so much more limited here)

In the Canadian market you're not likely gonna be able to compete head to head on price to make any worth while profit, most US buyers will buy US first anyway. What you need to do is have allot of stock, you'll need a wide variety of stock & you need to keep the stock fresh/recent.  Postage is expensive here so you must make it worth the buyer's time & snag as many things in their wanted lists as you possibly can all at one time - "Lot & Lots of lots" will grab the sales better then the best or even good prices - Canadians know shipping costs will well out way saving 3 cents on a brick, it's gonna cost & take 3 or 4 weeks to arrive at their door so best have as near to everything in one parcel as you can.

Also since there are so fewer Canadian based stores Canadians will choose their favourites & generally stick with them over & over again, you MUST make their buying experience fun & noteworthy to get on their go-to list (it's not always easy to break into at first). This means no mistakes (an accurate order is an imperative), nothing messed up in quality (if it's scratched say so - under promise & over deliver), freebies are remembered (toss in a $3 keychain on a big order is inexpensive for you but makes a surprising impact, as does a little bag of extra related parts - get remembered!), package well (your parcel's presentation is always your personal introduction, show the buyer you respect their choice in you & send things neat & safely packaged - do not use used dipper boxes or food/personal chaff, everyone wants to feel like the item in their hand is fresh & new, even if it's used parts)

Pay attention & learn from your buyers, watch out for trends in their buying's this will guide you toward what inventory you will want to carry & eventually you'll find specializations that you can leverage... for example in my zone the sales of railroad related parts is overwhelming, everything sells as fast as I can bring it in - similarly for ninjago & technics, while classic space & castle is obviously in much less demand. but don't be afraid to experiment some with the panned lines - if no one carries Bionicle parts maybe they will do well for you if you're the only game in town.

Have fun with it - it shows if you enjoy what you're offering.

 

one last thing... don't bother with 5 or 10% off sales - they are really quite meaningless & have no real affect on prices to the buyer nor to your profit margin, it's really kinda insulting to the buyers too, it's just like saying  "this is all I think your shopping is worth to me"... it's better to have no sale & have confident in your set prices that offering anything less than 25% off.  

A starting tip is to boost your feedback up to about 100+ as fast as you can (anything after 3 digits doesn't matter for visual presentation or respect)  find the stores that never fail to leave feedback & buy a bunch of little letter mail-able items to get your numbers up, doesn't matter what the parts are - just drop them into your store & recoupe some of your investment - you're not buying the parts you're buying the feedback.

 

[MathBuilder]

1 hour ago, Thumper said:

A starting tip is to boost your feedback up to about 100+ as fast as you can (anything after 3 digits doesn't matter for visual presentation or respect)  find the stores that never fail to leave feedback & buy a bunch of little letter mail-able items to get your numbers up, doesn't matter what the parts are - just drop them into your store & recoupe some of your investment - you're not buying the parts you're buying the feedback.

Now that you mention this, there are usually a few seasoned BL sellers selling some bulk overstock for cheap. If you want to kill two birds with one shot, i.e. build feedback and stock your store just be in the lookout on the BL forum for such sellers. One that comes to mind is QCB who has being having a lot of flash sales for bulk pieces lately. I am trying to downsize both my personal collection and store but if I weren't then I would be all over these deals myself. DadsAFOL=Constructibles usually has a pretty good end of year liquidation at the very end of december/early january so watch out for that one too.