I originally wrote this posting in April 2010. I’ve recently taken a new look at listia, and I’ve revised this posting with the current (April 2012) credit values. While “prices” for many items have increased as the value of credits has plummeted, the problems outlined below continue to be an issue, in particular for items that are not very popular.
As followers of my blog (and my friends in facebook) know, I have been using lista.com for a few weeks now, mostly as a buyer (they give you a bunch of free points when you sign up), and finally as a seller. Well, after some calculations I’ve decided that Listia.com is as bad a business for “sellers” as Mary Kay.
In the last week I’ve listed a bunch of small, lightweight stuff: scrapbook embellishments, beads, pendants and little bottles of perfume. I offered free shipping in all of them, and put minimum bids so that it wouldn’t end up being a completely losing proposition. Still, I pretty much lost money on everything I “sold”. And by losing money I mean that I will end up having to pay in shipping costs more than the number of credits I got for the item in question.
While listia.com sells credits for 2-cents each (it was 10-cents in 2010), the value of each credit is actually about 1/6th of 1-cent (1 cent in 2010). If you post a $1 Amazon.com gift card code in listia, you will get about 500 to 750 credits for it. That means if you want to buy credits all you do is buy the online gift card from amazon, then post it on listia, send the code to the winner and pocket the credits.
Meanwhile, postage starts at 44 cents for letters and $1.22 for one-ounce packages. This means that the minimum amount you need to break even on shipping alone is 220 credits for items that fit into a regular one-stamped envelope and 610 credits, if you’re going to actually send a very lightweight package. Anything you send in a small flat rate box better net you at least 2575 credits, and don’t do a large one unless you are sure you can get 7325 credits from it. The actual numbers are actually higher, as you must pay for delivery confirmation or risk having the credits returned to the buyer. Packaging materials also add up (though once you start getting stuff from listia, you can re-use the ones you get).
Given those numbers, it’s usually hard to recoup the costs of shipping items for free. Very popular items – or very expensive ones, such as Coach purses and silver and gold jewelry – will easily net tens of thousands of credits, but a no-brand purse, a pair of shoes or even a mystery box filled with low-priced cosmetics, will likely sell at a loss.
More and more people are realizing this and they are charging shipping – but as shipping consists of real dollars, it’s easier for users to figure out when they’re getting a good deal and when they’re not – and people are on listia to get great deals. People are willing to pay shipping for expensive or unusual items, but don’t count on getting it for an old t-shirt.
That said, many ebay sellers who can’t afford the high posting fees on ebay are moving to listia, and are trying to “sell” their items by asking for shipping costs many times over the real ones.
Listia is also starting to push their “local” listings, to be a competition to craigslist and freecycle I imagine. If that takes on, there will be more reason to join.
If you do want to join, use this link and you’ll get an extra 100 credits.
A Girl Crush 
. The kit seems to be in good condition. It was opened, a lot of the beads seem to be missing, but the fasteners and many other beads are there – I think that some of the plastic pony beads I have may also work with it. I still haven’t tried to see if it works. It gets very mixed reviews at Amazon, but it retails for $16+ plus shipping, and I paid $4 for it. Of course, if it doesn’t work at all it’ll be $4 down the drain.
is one of those kits by 
is another cool kit from Klutz. It seems to have been gently used and to have most of the contents. Basically it’s a little kit that allows you to make tiny fairies. It looks super cute. It retails for about $11 and I paid $2.
Finally, as far as the kid kits go, I got a Totally Me! Jewel Flowers kit. I couldn’t find anything about it online, and apparently it’s manufactured for Toys R Us Australia (which doesn’t do online sales). Still, not one mention of the product? It’s weird. The package seems to be unopened and I don’t want to open it quite yet.
is an amazing kit which allows you to write and illustrate your own book (it even comes with markers) on special pieces of paper, which you then mail to the publisher who sends you back an actual printed copy of the book you made! Tres cool and I think it’s perfect for what Mika is doing right now (writing lots of stories about girls who babysit difficult kids for money). Of course, Camila and MIka are going to have to figure out a way so that they can collaborate on the book – I do foresee frustration. What is most incredible is that the whole kit was in the box: the order form, the envelope, the forms, even the sealed markers. Somebody wasted $20 🙁 I got it for $2.
– 
is another game by Cranium, this one apparently has you do silly stuff as ordered by a speaker. Whatever, it gets great reviews in Amazon.com, it’s age appropriate for my kids, and, amazingly, the game seems unopened. Of course, that doesn’t mean it works – but hopefully it does. It retails for $30 – I paid $3.
, a game named after an old Nickelodeon program. Mika LOVES 
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