Anybody Sell on eBay?

[QuiltAngel]

I was wondering if anyone sells on eBay and any tips they have for getting started. I know most of the stuff I have won't bring lots of money, but want to try selling it on eBay. For some reason, taking that plunge is something I have been holding back on.

Thanks

[Ms Big Butt]

Jane, I am scared to take the plunge also!! What if I put something on auction and nobody cares :blush:

[Kate]

I've sold some stuff on ebay and actually worked for a guy who sold laptops on ebay. It was quite the business! My best friend sold some antique stuff and did really well. She'll have to post about it. :)

But the #1 tip I have is to make sure you charge enough for shipping. I have a friend sell a guitar on ebay and he didn't charge enough for shipping. Talk about OUCH when he went to ship it. Also, to gain rep points,if you haven't already, buy a few items to show that you people can trust you.

[Ms Big Butt]

But the #1 tip I have is to make sure you charge enough for shipping. I have a friend sell a guitar on ebay and he didn't charge enough for shipping. Talk about OUCH when he went to ship it. Also, to gain rep points,if you haven't already, buy a few items to show that you people can trust you.

Hi Kate:

I have the feedback from purchasing :blush:

I guess I am most concerned about the shipping charges. I did put one thing on auction last month, and when I went thru the steps to figure out the shipping, it seemed way HIGH, like $5.00 for something that is pretty much a "pamphlet" and about 2 stamps worth of postage. It made me doubt my methods of figuring out the shipping cost. :(

[Tennile]

I have been selling off and on for awhile and know a ton of people who do..some even make a livinf off it!! Ever got a question just drop me a line!! Good luck if you do sell!!

Hugs,
Tennile

[spasmo]

I am thinking about taking the plunge too! Did any of you officially form a business first and get a tax ID? I am nervous but excited!

[Tennile]

Nope...i just signed up and dove in!! If you got any questions feel free to PM me!

Good luck!

[Ms Big Butt]

I am thinking about taking the plunge too! Did any of you officially form a business first and get a tax ID? I am nervous but excited!

Anna, my tax lady didn't wanna be bothered with all the Ebay stuff unless I was getting rich from it... haha. I will take her word on that for now. ;)

[abbie0407blue]

I've bought a lot of things, but never sold anything.

[QuiltAngel]

I have purchased many things and have built a good reputation.

It is the shipping costs I am wondering about too. Am thinking of getting a postal scale to help with that.

I think they call it shipping and handling and sometimes I think that is where some make their money. Such a fine line that part is.

Thanks
Jane

[howardmom7]

I'm going to ebay soon. I'm looking forward to it. I'd like to get to that makin' a livin' mode!

[Duchesslady]

hi

yep i buy and sell on ebay all the time - i think it is great.
great way to get rid of stuff and sometimes you can make a lot of money on what you dont want and somebody else does!

;)

[madbo]

I buy and sell both on eBay ocassionally. So far this year I've sold a laptop, wireless router, broken digital camera, and a satellite receiver. All of them sold for as much or more than I'd expected.

Before you sell spend a few days watching auctions of items the same or similar to yours. The watch list is invaluable for this. You can get a really good idea of what things are selling for and what other sellers are charging for shipping.

I agree that you should make at least a few purchases if possible so that you get a postive user rating. Even something inexpensive like a ebook which often go for a dollar or two will help you by giving you positive feedback.

Good luck and happy selling!

[quilter]

:o Gotta just take the plunge, really not all that hard. Make sure you have good pictures and research what others have on there that would be your same catagories!
Go buy something and use the "watch this item".
I see that you are a quilter, there are some pretty amazing buys on material!

[smalltowngal]

My best friend sold some antique stuff and did really well. She'll have to post about it. :)

That would be me...:)
My great aunt left hundreds of antique salt and pepper shakers to me when she passed away. I used to love looking at them when I was young. I had many boxes of them sitting in my parents house when one day I got the idea to put them on E-bay. I sold many sets and made quite a bit of money doing so. At that point I began buying huge lots of salt and pepper shakers from others and separating them out into individual pairs and making a large profit on each pair. At first I was a little discouraged because I didnt know about taking pictures and listing and all that comes with it, but dear Kate showed me how. :D E-bay makes it simple too!

[Mori]

I've bought a lot of stuff on E-Bay but haven't started selling yet, although I'm seriously considering it. :)

[quilter]

Yeah, me too. I have bought material for my quilting business. Now I have bought material wholesale and we are going to sell on ebay. My son has done a lot of computer stuff and says it's easy.

[QuiltAngel]

Ok, I took the plunge and put three small items on. So far one of them has action on it. Am not going to get too much for it it looks like, but someone will have it to use instead of me ending up throwing away at some point.

Tenile and Kate, if you could give some tips here for how you figure shipping charges, that would be wonderful

[Tennile]

Well when you list it you have the option of using the shipping calculator...if you already have a bid..go to.. www.usps.com and figure out shipping that way..also on there you can order free shipping boxes to!! I love the flat rate ones...the deliever them right to your house FREE!!! I hope this helps you...also you can do a flat rate of lets say...$7.70....that way if it is a light item you clam the rest of them as handling charges...

I hope this helped you!!!
If you have any more questions feel free to email me anytime...
Tennile

[QuiltAngel]

Ok, I put 8 more items on last week and 7 sold. I say I got more than I would have gotten on a garage sale! I went ahead and did the calculate shipping and that seemed to work out great. I had some software that after I bought I realized I had it but things got so busy I did not get it returned. I also have some jeans that were the same way as well as some barely used ones. These are plus size so went well.

Now off to get them ready to mail as all of my buyers used PayPal. Now to get busy cleaning and organizing and seeing what else I have.

Thanks for the encouragement.