Master the art of marketplace sales with this step-by-step guide. Learn how to create and manage your sale, use dynamic pricing to boost engagement, and process orders smoothly. Discover tips for organizing items, optimizing your listing, and analyzing sales performance to ensure success.

Step 1: Create Your Marketplace Sale

In your EstateSales.NET seller account, navigate to the “Sales” section of the menu and select “Add Marketplace Sale.” On this page, you’ll need to provide the following details:

  1. Sale Information: Enter the location, your contact information, and the duration of the sale.
  2. Sale Type: Choose between “online only auction” or “online estate sale.”.
  3. Additional Details: After entering your Terms and Conditions (and FAQs if you’d like), select “Save and Continue.” .

Pro Tips:

  • Stay Organized: Create a photo album for each house and each room to organize your pictures. When uploading items, add a reference for the room it's in so that you can find the item more easily during pickup time.
  • Present Your Sale in the Best Light: Differentiate your sale with as many high-quality photos as you can. Lighting is everything. Portable lights and light stands can be found at affordable prices and are worth the investment.
  • Monitor and Optimize Your Sale: Move popular items to the front of your sale to attract more shoppers. Use dynamic pricing to discount prices and attract bids on items with little activity.
Step 2: Add Your Items
  1. Select “Add Item”: Start by uploading images of your item.
  2. Item Details: Fill in the title, description, and set a price.
  3. Category Selection: Choose appropriate categories for better visibility.
  4. Delivery Method: Specify whether the item is available for shipping or pickup. If you select pickup, be thorough with the pickup details. You can check the “Apply to all items” option if they are the same for all items.
Step 3: Set Up Dynamic Pricing

Dynamic pricing can help you adjust prices based on time or demand:

  1. Navigate to “Marketplace” in your menu and select “Marketplace Settings.”
  2. Choose “Dynamic Pricing” and select “Add a Template.”
  3. Name your template and decide whether to apply discounts by hours or days. Fill in your desired discount rates and save the template.
  4. To use this template, edit your sale and select it from the drop-down menu under the “Add Items” tab.
Step 4: Making Changes to Your Sale

Be mindful that there are certain limitations to what you can change once your sale is live:

  • The sale type cannot be changed after creation.
  • If an item has a bid, you cannot alter its ending time.
  • For items without bids, you can change the ending time, but not the ending day.
  • You can adjust the auction start time if it hasn’t begun.
  • You can add already-created dynamic pricing templates at any time.
  • Shipping details can be modified for items in estate sales or those without bids.
Step 5: Processing Orders for Pickup

When a shopper is ready to pick up their item:

  1. Go to “Orders” from your Account Home screen.
  2. Select “Pickup Instructions” for the relevant item and enter the details.
  3. Send the instructions, which will include a unique pickup code.

After the item has been picked up, remember to mark it as “Picked Up.” You can verify the pickup using the unique code or the last four digits of the shopper’s credit card. This is an important security step to ensure that you’re physically handing over the item to the right person.

Step 6: Processing Orders for Shipping

For items that need to be shipped:

  1. In the “Orders” page, choose “Ship/Mark Shipped” for the respective item.
  2. Indicate your preferred shipping method and, if possible, include tracking information.
  3. If you don’t have tracking, you can accept responsibility for the shipment and then click “Mark as Shipped.”
Step 7: Getting Paid

For your first marketplace sale, expect a processing time of 7-10 days for the funds to be available. The transaction begins once the item is shipped or marked as picked up.

Remember that if the order isn't processed within 7 days, the preauthorization of funds will expire. You can check your payout schedule via your Stripe or Square dashboard.

Step 8: Managing Your Orders

On your “View Orders” page, you’ll see the current status of all orders. You can search for specific orders by keyword, shopper, or order ID and sort them based on their status. The “select all” option can save you time for bulk actions, and filters are available for easier tracking.

Step 9: Sales Breakdown Report

To analyze your sales performance, access the sales breakdown report. You can filter results by date range, client, shopper, or order ID. This report provides valuable insights into your sales activity and can guide future marketplace strategies.

By following these steps, you’ll be well-equipped to create, manage, and optimize your first marketplace sale. Happy selling!