OT: do you sell on eBay? Is it worth it?

Victoria

I would love to sell some of the items i have(jewelry and clothes) that haven't really been worn but hesitant because I am not sure I can even make any profit(especially with all the ebay fees). Is it worth trying? I already have paypal account, btw

13 years ago

General

10 replies

Latest reply was from CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Yes, and sometimes yes lol. I find some items sell better than others. Dresses seem to go over pretty well. Anything New With Tag is going to sell better than pre-owned of course.
I found my BF's boutique shirts went like hot cakes compared to any of my clothes. Surprised me. The fees aren't bad at all. Honestly, when I did consignment, and they take 60% and give you 40%, eBay is a total deal in comparison.

13 years ago

Meredith1953

Veteran

I haven't sold on Ebay although I have purchased a few items. I think if you are selling high end items it will probably be worth it but you do need to bear in mind fees, and shipping costs.

13 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

I do, and it depends what your goals are and how much time you want to spend on it. It can be a pain measuring, describing, researching prices, and researching which brands sell well, but if you make enough $, it becomes much less of a pain!

Even though I only sell used items, I do well, because my stock costs almost nothing. It's almost all profit for me to buy an item for a buck and sell it for 10.

I also do well reselling better items I've gotten tired of... boots, jackets, etc. This is worth it to me, too, because I don't feel as bad buying quality items when I know they will hold their value and can be sold later if need be.

I've taught some friends how to sell, and some of them decided it was *not* worth it to them. Reasons ranged from the fact that they found the site hard to navigate, they didn't like answering questions from buyers, it was too hard to measure all the clothing...

13 years ago

Jjsloane

Veteran

I've bought and sold for years. It's always a crap shoot, but I've learned to do a little homework before taking the time to post a sale. I always find like items and watch them, do an advanced search on items that have sold to see what people are (and aren't) getting and the shipping costs. If you're doing volume it pays to have a stock of the supplies (scale for weighing postage, labels for printer - free from fedex with an account; polymailers - cheaper shipping than boxes. Or you can use USPS flat rate priority mail boxes - free supplies, postage is same for all if items fit. The hassle for me is the measuring, answering questions and hunting people down for the payment (there seem to be a lot of people who claim never to get the 1st 3 invoices and have someone in their family die that very week) The fees are a factor - but if you can estimate your shipping close (not too high) it can sometimes cover the listing fee and partial selling %. If you have a good amount of items that you think will sell I highly recommend a selling assistant who will take a %, but will do all the photos, listing, measurements, collecting etc.. for you.

13 years ago

Anonymous

OMG Rae is to modest to self-promote. She has written THE most comprehensive post on her blog, step by step, on exactly how to sell things on eBay. If I ever try it, I will refer back to it again and again, I'm sure!

http://onedollarwonders.blogsp.....-ebay.html

13 years ago

Victoria

(website)

Veteran

^thanks for posting, Claire!

13 years ago

Anonymous

Anytime!

13 years ago

Mellllls

Veteran

i've never bought or sold. it does seem like a lot of work to me....but im sure you would get used to it. i also tend to wear my clothes into the ground so im not sure what i would sell.

13 years ago

Sheila

Veteran

Yes, every year I sell for 3 months, then rest up and recuperate till the next year. I have found that I have to devote a lot of time and attention to it when I am actively selling, and because I am retired and we travel quite a bit, I am just not willing to devote my life to paying careful attention to detail, the photography, the writing of accurate yet creative listings, etc.

All that aside, I have sold a high percentage of the items I listed. I think this careful, professional approach (though I don't do it to live off of, just for the extra $$$ it brings me) has brought me good success. I do not sell clothing, but have sold linens, vintage collectibles, and lots of chintz china. One downside is that you need to have a place to store all your packing materials and the items you are selling. On the whole, I recommend it but advise others to start small and work your way to the big ticket items you have to sell. You will gain experience with every listing.

13 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for all the helpful advice in this thread. I have lots of premium denim still to be sold, I gave some of it away at the swap, but I still have more. As well as dresses and a good supply of NWT items. My problem is, I don't have a lot of time but I do have more time in the winter. My questions:

do you need to focus on seasonality? Can I sell summer items in the winter?

what about selling items internationally, does anyone have experience with that?

13 years ago

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