I have some things I can sell, and judging by some of the categories I looked them up in, it's a possibility. Just wondering if it's worth it.
Ebay is ok. Customers tend to be "garage sale shoppers," so using the bid option is usually not a good thing. Expiring listings for items that don't sell will cost you money for nothing. Ebay obviously works, you just need to be careful. Amazon is another option. If you want to establish yourself as an online business either one will work, but they both collect money off your efforts. Amazon collects a commission on every sale (percentages vary depending on what category you are selling in), and they collect the same percentage off your shipping charge. As a Pro Merchant, you'll pay a reasonable monthly fee, but no listing fees. If you have only a few items to sell, you can list them on Amazon using your customer account there, I believe. Hope this helps.
I've sold a bit of stuff on there over the years, mostly cycling gear and bicycle parts. Most buyers are honest, but do be careful as there are a few scammers. A common one (happened to me twice) is they'll receive the item, unpackage it, put a brick or something similar in the packaging to account for postage costs and then file a claim with Ebay saying you sent them a brick instead of the advertised goods. Unfortunately, Ebay almost invariably find in favour of the buyer as most scams are carried out by the seller rather than the other way round, so they'll almost certainly refund the money the buyer paid and you'll be left out of pocket.
Sold over 10,000 items there since 1999, mostly collectibles. If I can help, I'd be happy to.
I have had good experiences with selling stuff around me hobbies: knitting , spinning, tools for that, dues and books. I use paypal as my payment method and create shipping label and invoices that way,too. I always send out thank yous and got good ratings from my customers. Warning: it is labor intensive and you will use lots of packing material.
I sold random estate sale finds on Ebay for a few years so I could be with the kids after my divorce. It wasn't a great way to make a living. Nice for extra money.
It may be harder of you just have a few things without an established account. Don't do auctions. Unless your item is very sought after it will go for close to the lowest bid.
I've sold dozens of things on eBay. Every time but two were good. If they ask you to continue the transaction outside of eBay, run. That has bitten me in the ass twice. The first time a guy from Canada wanted to buy some SHO parts. He said he'd give me money via payPal, and to use his FedEx account. Claimed the parts never showed up, and I refunded his money. Second time I sold a transmission. This guy I think was from Dallas. He gave me money via paypal. He also said to use his FedEx account. Shipped it to him. Few months later I got a bill for freight. I called fedEx up, and they said the paperwork was not done right. The lady at fedEx did the paperwork. I talked to FedEx, PayPal, and tried to contact him. His company was Flite Components (spelled Flite). His email and phone numbers were changed. All the certified letters were returned. I still get letters from FedEx to this day about the freight. I'm not paying it.
Gotta watch out about Craigslist as well. I tried to sell an industrial air compressor about a year ago. I got a rush letter with a certified check. Looked legit. Had all the water marks and stuff on the back. Dropped it off at the bank. Then asked the bank if it was legit. It wasn't.
Be careful. There are scammers. If you sell something on eBay, check their feedback. Little/no feedback be careful.
M.
Everytime I listed something on Craiglist I was instantly, and I mean instantly, swamped with all these offers, from out of state, bank account numbers, partial payments, etc. the worst. No experience selling on eBay but with Craigslist I only sell local and always have a witness present, deal is done in my garage / driveway ( no deliveries ) and cash only. No problems ever encountered that way.
@BobbyJaan Unfortunately, people do this for a "living". If they would half the effort into an actual job, they'd probably excel like a motherfucker!
I moved about a year and a half ago. I used the ebay valet service. You send your items for free via FedEx, someone there market's them for you, and you get a cut if the item sells. Sold my accordion and a few chess sets that way. They send back anything that doesn't sell in 30 days or something. Sadly, my typewriters didn't sell. Good way to get your feet wet.
Good idea. I like that.
eBay is a handy way of getting rid of things that have some value, but can become tedious if the items are not bringing more than the shipping costs. For my first selling experience I decided to offer an old ceramic whiskey jug that had been collecting dust in the basement. On any other day I might have used it for target practice. I figured I might get $35 for it because it had Jack Daniels stamped on the side. It brought $620. That left a positive impression of eBay on me that has survived the occasional disappointments.
That's very cool! Yeah, I don't think the items I would want to sell would get even close to that amount.
I have bought and sold many things on eBay all with good experiences. You should read their selling terms, understand their fees, and decide which selling method you prefer (auction or buy it now). Also, make sure when you sell something you specify your accepted method of payment, whether you accept returns, who pays for shipping, and how quickly you want your payment. And, if there are any defects in the items you are selling, make sure you point them out and show them in a photo, which will limit the number of unhappy buyers.
Yes. But beware the fees even if your item doesn’t sell. If you can find a power seller in your area or in your friends list, they often get a lot of free listings a month and if they don’t use them all they might be willing to list your item for you. That will also give buyers some feedback to look at if you don’t have any feedback because your account is New.
That may be the way to go. I realize I don't have as much time and patience I thought I did to set up and manage listings.