Correction — 19 September 2026: The original article said this snapshot ruled out late bidding. It does not. We compared different auctions at one point in time, not the same auctions through to completion. We have removed that conclusion and corrected the explanation of bid counts. The original snapshot figures below are retained; this is not a new capture or a completed-sales study. A consignor asks whether to auction an item rather than list it at a fixed price. It is a reasonable question. An auction has a deadline, and a deadline creates urgency that a Buy It Now listing does not. ...

Correction — 12 September 2026: We have corrected the retained-sale count from four to three and the comparison denominator from 132 to 103. The earlier “6× lift” claim is withdrawn. These groups were neither randomised nor fully matched, so the comparison does not establish a causal effect. The original URL and publication date are retained. We repriced eight listings in our own store and wanted to know whether it had helped. ...

Correction — 12 September 2026: This article now uses the saved 11 September inventory snapshot. We have withdrawn the earlier claim that buyers pay the original asking price: the calculation used current recorded asks, which cannot establish historical negotiation discounts. The original URL and publication date are retained. The oldest listings in a store are easy to notice. They are the ones you recognise every time you scroll past them, and the ones you keep meaning to clear. ...

Correction — 12 September 2026: The original article counted a cancelled order among four sales and attributed outcomes to repricing. The corrected measure is three retained-sale listings out of eight. We have removed the unsupported revenue and causal claims, and the suggestion that traffic alone identifies a price or photography fault. The original URL and publication date are retained. As a store grows, remembering which listings need another look becomes harder. An older listing can be a useful starting point, but its age does not tell you why it has not sold or whether a discount would help. ...

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. A buyer’s offer changes more than the sticker price. Before accepting it, check the consignment agreement: it may give the store authority within a price range, or require the consignor’s approval. Show the payout comparison Suppose an item is listed at A$2,650 and the buyer offers A$2,400. If the store commission is 30% of the selling price, with no other deductions in this simplified example: ...

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. A feature list is a starting point. The stronger test is whether a system can handle one ordinary item and one awkward exception from intake to settlement. Requirement A useful acceptance test Inventory Find an item by ID and physical location; distinguish available, held and sold quantities. Agreements Retrieve the exact terms accepted for that item. Pricing evidence Inspect comparables, uncertainty and the reason for a price decision. Marketplace workflow Distinguish drafts, published listings, detected sales and confirmed delisting. Commission Reproduce the calculation under a flat rate and an agreed item exception. Payouts Reconcile amounts due, held, adjusted and actually paid. Consignor access Show only the authorised consignor’s records. Reporting Export traceable transactions and reversals for the accountant. Staff access Restrict sensitive actions and retain an audit history. Recovery Restore a backup and resolve a failed import without duplicating sales. Add the difficult cases Try a partial refund, a cancelled order, a bundle, an unsold return and a changed commission agreement. Ask what happens when an integration stops responding. A successful happy-path demo is not enough to establish reliable operation. ...

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. A consignment business sells goods under an arrangement with their owner. Before accepting stock, make clear who owns it, who can make decisions and how the proceeds and costs are shared. Choose a workable scope Start with categories you can assess, store and fulfil reliably. Consider condition testing, authenticity questions, packing, returns and the likely effort per item. A high asking value does not establish a profitable transaction. ...

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. A fee comparison is only useful when the seller is eligible for the market and the inputs use the right currency. A US fixed charge cannot be relabelled AUD, and a buyer fee is not automatically a seller deduction. ...

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. Different consignors may agree different terms. The important part is not how many rates you support, but whether a later payout can be reproduced from the terms that applied to that item. Define the basis Record whether the percentage applies to the gross sale, a tax-exclusive amount or an amount after specified costs. Clarify fixed charges, minimum commissions and how refunds affect the calculation. Avoid describing a rate as “30%” without defining what it is applied to. ...