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Hilarious eBay ad (that actually worked!)

by Nick Brighton
11 replies
I love it when I find something like this. Not just for the laughter it brings, but the marketing lessons it teaches...

Mercedes E320 Cdi | eBay

Just look at the bid price that car is currently on! Amazing.

What can you take from this?

1. Transparency works. Address objections upfront. Leave no room for hustlers or sceptics.
2. Humour helps things go viral.
3. People buy the experience and story, not the product.
4. When you've got nothing to lose, act like it.

Kudos to this seller. They know how to play the game. Now if only they started a business...
#ebay #hilarious #worked
  • Profile picture of the author KingOfContentMarketing
    yowza- some of those bids jumped up by £25K or £30K.
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    Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nick Brighton
      Originally Posted by joe golfer View Post

      yowza- some of those bids jumped up by £25K or £30K.
      I know. Crazy huh?

      It goes to show what people will pay for when they get caught up in a bidding war and the fun of things.
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      • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
        Nick,

        Thanks for the inspiration! I can use some of these techniques to sell my vintage (very vintage) BMW convertible when we move to Hawaii. I'm sure it would bring me more than selling it for parts (just $300 - $400).

        Marcia Yudkin
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      • Profile picture of the author Cool Hand Luke
        Originally Posted by Nick Brighton View Post

        I know. Crazy huh?

        It goes to show what people will pay for when they get caught up in a bidding war and the fun of things.
        The bid is currently at £255, which is around $400 US... for a car. That's not an outrageous amount.
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        • Profile picture of the author angiecolee
          Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke View Post

          The bid is currently at £255, which is around $400 US... for a car. That's not an outrageous amount.
          Yeah, down at the bottom it says they had to relist it twice to get it compliant with eBay rules, and that all previous bids had been canceled. Unfortunate - I would have liked to have seen the frenzy.

          I do love the humor, though! Always good to know how many bodies you can hide in the trunk...
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          • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
            Originally Posted by angiecolee View Post

            Always good to know how many bodies you can hide in the trunk...
            I have a Chevy Tahoe and can easily put 15 (under a tarp) in the back.
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  • Profile picture of the author matchoo77
    That guy has God given copywriting skills---and probably doesn't write copy for anything other than selling his unwanted stuff. I've come across a few people like this. If they only knew the potential!
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve The Copywriter
    The times I've been blasted, berated and battered (bit like the mercedes) for saying...

    "It's Ok to use humor in copy - it is"


    Steve
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    http://www.warriorforum.com/warriors...right-now.html
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    • Profile picture of the author bluewatersailor
      Originally Posted by Steve The Copywriter View Post

      The times I've been blasted, berated and battered (bit like the mercedes) for saying...

      "It's Ok to use humor in copy - it is"
      I'm rather new to this game, but I just can't buy into the "no humor allowed" meme. No, you can't go into a comedy routine or waste the buyer's time showing just how excruciatingly clever and funny you are when selling, e.g. a few mil worth of stock options or a cemetery plot. Yes, you can use it when the venue/subject/public is appropriate. eBay? Craigslist? Yep. No doubt in my mind. Humor - especially a funny (read "provocative") headline - can be your best friend when people are browsing.

      Here's an ad I recently put up for a rather expensive lens, where I leaned pretty heavily on the humor. It got more views, faster, than the two similar lenses that I had up, and sold much more quickly (in just under a week vs. 4-6 weeks for the others, if I recall correctly.)

      Mint Canon EF 70 200mm F2 8 L USM Lens Quiet Good w Kids Won'T Eat Much 0082966213151 | eBay

      Not proof, I realize - but meaningful, in my opinion.
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      Ben

      http://artofkamchatka.com

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  • Profile picture of the author Gary Pettit
    Yep....a good since of humor always goes a long way...loved the ad
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  • Profile picture of the author hockmasm
    hilarious ebay ad! i wonder if i should try that when selling my car.
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