game in town was eBay , it was always the photos and the descriptions that sold the item . You saw that where you ’ d have two people with the exact same item up on eBay and one person just put a minimal description and they ’ ve got pretty bad photos , and the other person has got really nice , detailed photos and a great description , that is going to sell it . So definitely description and photos sell .”
Reverb ’ s paid-for Bump feature helps a listing get additional exposure in featured slots that show up at the top of more searches . The “ bumps ” are inexpensive and , best of all , the seller only pays for the added exposure if the item sells .
Given that Reverb takes just 3.5 per cent of the sale price , Reardon sees the Bump cost as worth it . “ I bump all my listings so they get seen more often and I only pay for that when an item sells . That always ends up being less one per cent [ fee ] and then it ’ s a couple of per cent to clear the money . So , it ’ s about six per cent all in versus about 13 per cent or more with eBay when all is said and done . And that savings on the volume I ’ m running through the Reverb platform is like $ 12,000 a month [ in savings ],” explains Reardon .
In addition to sellers being able to put their own products on sale , Reverb also offers site-wide sales , such as a Memorial Day Weekend sale , for example . Both Reardon and Aldridge say participating in these sales is a good way to get your items seen . The way Reverb structures sales , according to Reardon , recognizes the already-thin profit margins that MI retailers work within .
“ When they structure a sale , it ’ s 15 per cent off , maximum 20 per cent off ,” he says . “ You can participate and decide
what products you put into the sales . But it continues to display an understanding of the industry . If I participate in a 50 per cent off sale , I ’ m going to lose money on every transaction .”
When it comes to pricing your items , Reverb supplies a useful price guide , which provides information such as average asking and sale prices for items across a range of years and conditions .
“ First of all , I buy my stuff right all the time , so I am going to be able to price it on the lower end of the range , but I am still going to use the Reverb guide to inform what I price it at ,” says Reardon . “ I ’ m telling you , when I price it at the lower end of where things have traded at , particularly when it ’ s in decent condition , I sell it in a minute .”
In terms of shipping prices , which is of particular concern to Canadians , Aldridge notes that sellers can dictate prices for shipping to different countries and also that particular items will not ship to specific countries , so you can ship only within Canada or North America , for example , if you choose .
Last on Reardon ’ s list of five tips is “ take care of your customers ,” which should be obvious . That means respond to questions promptly , leave personalized feedback for buyers , ship all sold products within 24 to 48 hours , and don ’ t fight with customers .
“ We have almost 550 feedbacks that people can read and they ’ re all real and they don ’ t hide any information like eBay does . From the beginning of time , you can scroll all the way back for every feedback we ’ ve ever gotten and a picture of the item . So people feel really comfortable buying from me ,” says Reardon , noting Monster Music ’ s Reverb page has Preferred Seller and Quick Responder badges , which the platform provides to trusted sellers with a history of customer satisfaction . “[ Customers ] look at all the five-star , 100 per cent feedbacks and it becomes a salesperson for me .”
In only four years , Reverb . com has become a trusted and widely loved e-commerce site for musicians . But unlike Amazon , for example , MI retailers themselves are beginning to embrace the platform and consider it a useful tool for their businesses rather than a cutthroat competitor . If approached correctly , it could be a win-win for you and your potential customers around the country and the world .
Gear Music ’ s Reverb page ( Top ) Monster Music ’ s Reverb page ( Bottom )
Michael Raine is the Senior Editor of Canadian Music Trade
CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE 31