When Beth Gardner, owner of The Daily Pet, wanted to re-merchandise her Del Mar store and downsize her reptile and fish supply aisles, her traditional options appeared daunting: “It was either wake up at 4 a.m. and schlep everything to Kobey’s, have an unsightly sidewalk sale or sell to a liquidator at pennies on the dollar,” she says.

Instead, she consigned her items to AuctionHandoff, an eBay middleman company.

EBay consignment businesses such as San Diego’s AuctionHandoff are tapping into the growing market of people who want to sell on online, but don’t have the time or expertise.

Consigning comes at a price, of course. The company charges a 20 percent to 35 percent commission fee, depending on the selling price. AuctionHandoff says its savvy auction listings as well as logistics and fulfillment services make the consignment fees worthwhile.

Tricks Of The Trade

In theory, a portion of AuctionHandoff’s fees end up as a wash because of the firm’s expertise in implementing the best auction strategy for each item it sells. Simply put, items sold through AuctionHandoff sell for more than if offered by a less experienced seller.

AuctionHandoff has specialists in different fields who know what to emphasize in a listing. Specific titles help. For example, a “Titleist Golf Club” may attract all sorts of buyers, but bids are likely to be higher for “ Titleist 983e 9.5 Degree Ys-6 Graphite Shaft Golf Club,” which describes the club’s model, loft and shaft type. Adding studio-quality digital photographs to a listing also can boost sales prices by 20 percent or more.

“When somebody consigns with us to sell a golf club we can identify it correctly, emphasize the right key words, list the item in the appropriate category, and decide on the type of auction and best time to end the bidding,” says Matt Thoene, AuctionHandoff’s director of operations. “This translates into higher yields for the items we sell – versus going it alone.”

Tough Competition

That thinking is spreading. Since first appearing in California early last year, eBay consignment companies — such as AuctionDrop, SnappyAuctions and DropSmart — have sprung up nationwide. AuctionDrop has formed a national drop-off service with UPS.

AuctionHandoff, the first eBay consignment company to launch in San Diego, isn’t worried.

“We know that the Northern California companies are making their way down to San Diego in some form or another, but we have a distinct advantage — our focus, corporate headquarters and roots are here,” says Nathan Johnson, AuctionHandoff’s director of business solutions. “Having to pack and ship items twice to send them out of town and then to the final buyer is inherently more expensive and not even plausible for fragile, large or oddly-shaped goods.

“Moreover, our HandoffBin Solution for retailers and manufacturers is unique. We leave customized HandoffBins at the business site, they fill with inventory, call 1-866-HANDOFF, then we pick up the bins and sell their items on eBay. Each month we hand deliver a check along with detailed statements.”

Fund-raising Opportunities

AuctionHandoff has co-developed an e-philanthropy platform with San Diego-based technology firms BlueHornet Networks and Studio 619. The platform helps automate the process of promoting and organizing auction drives for San Diego schools and nonprofits. These drives motivate supporters to make in-kind donations that AuctionHandoff then converts into cash.

When supporters are ready to donate, they call (866) 426-3633 for a pick-up. Back at its Sorrento Valley headquarters, AuctionHandoff takes professional photographs of each item, writes detailed descriptions, then lists them on eBay. The company handles all of the administrative work, including the grouping of items on a per-donor basis for easy reporting and tracking.

The AuctionHandoff.com Web site explains its e-consignment solutions for San Diego businesses, fund-raising entities and individuals.