Ideas wanted for making $$$ by selling on ebay

[Booberdawg]

A little background – The Company I worked for as a programmer went belly up and I've been unemployed since January. I have 3 Bachelors degrees and continue to send resumes for jobs in other fields and those that pay far less than what I was making before. In the meantime, I need to find a way to put some change in my pocket.

I had to file for bankruptcy, and my house is in the beginning stages of foreclosure. There’s not much I can do about the house even if I do get a job now, so I’m just resigned to losing it. My bankruptcy lawyer says the foreclosure process is a long one and I probably have 4 to 6 months before I have to move. My car could be repossessed but I think we can work something out on that.

In the meantime, my unemployment will run out in October. That is almost 3 months, but I never thought I would still be looking for work after 7 months when I got laid off in January. Quite frankly, I think the actions and policies of the MORON in the White House has just about guaranteed things are not going to get better any time soon.

Last month I made a big chunk of change selling software, programming books, and some things I never used by selling them on ebay. That was my first experience with ebay and it has given me the idea of making a business of selling things on ebay. A lady that got laid off with me goes to estate sales and buys antiques and glassware and makes enough selling it on ebay to pay the $900 a month she has to cover for COBRA (medical coverage for family) But, it’s a 7 day a week, all day job for her.

I have little experience with ebay, but I have heard of people making a killing by simply buying things and reselling them on ebay. I am looking for ideas. I will have a little money from a 401K soon, but I am reluctant to make a big investment in something that could flop. And, I prefer to keep the 401K money as a failsafe for when my unemployment runs out anyway.

However, I am willing to put “some” money into a venture that seems reasonable to see if it works out. I’m even willing to make a regular 40 to 60 hour workweek out of it. I’m just not too imaginative, and I need some ideas to get jump-started. Besides needing to make a few $$$, I just can’t sit here rotting anymore, and watching everything I worked so hard for go into the shitter. I have to get some motivation back and do something productive.

I need some good suggestions. For example, is there something I could buy in bulk and on the cheap, and then package and ship myself? It doesn’t seem to be enough to buy and sell things at a discount – ebay sales go to the highest bidder and I need to do better than break even. Has anyone been previously successful with an idea on ebay but just don’t have the time to devote to it now? Anyone who is making a living right now by selling on ebay?

DU’ers are some of the most imaginative people I have ever seen! How about it fellow progressives – any good ideas?

Linda

[DCDemo]

1. Buy silver

Of whatever type - for example, silver place settings, complete sets, and sell the sets for 10x the $$, and other similar things

[NYC]

2. A friend of mine tried that, and had no success.

You would have to look around Ebay to see what types of things sell. (She tried earrings, small & easy to ship, but couldn't make a profit on those. She also tried Chinese embroidered slippers, Mary Jane style. That didn't work.)

Spend a lot of time looking at Ebay. Some people live near outlet stores, so acquire brand name linens at deep discounts, then offer them on Ebay.

You'll have to do a lot of looking first.

If you want to try to sell "collectible" things, you will have to find out what is truly collectible, and not just old stuff. There are books.

Good luck.

[grasswire]

22. hey....

....I want some of those chinese slippers. I've been looking for some. :-)

[rabid_nerd]

3. one strategy

is to buy items from poorly designed auctions that appear to be going for too cheap not because the item sucks or the person has a bad rating, but because it's just a line or two of text for a description.

Then market it with a fully designed page and resell it.

As a computer programmer (C/VB/Java) who is stuck in a web dev (although same salary as old job, thankfully) job (HTML,CF, snooore), I wish you luck!

I've also got quite a few people bugging me to customize my hobby weather website (my traffic goes up 2x every year, and I don't make much anymore) and I'd be happy to refer the jobs out!

My weather site: http://www.dynaweather.com/

where do ya live? I might have enormous traffic from your area that you could sell ad space for... I just don't have the time anymore...

[Booberdawg]

10. Thanks for the referral

But I don't have any experience in Web programming. I wish I did!

[CabalBuster]

4. Selling on eBay

I started selling recently and while I still a good job, the extra money is nice. I started by selling things I had at home (old books, old clothes, shoes, cosmetics, children's clothes, toys, etc.) and made good money. Since those are things you already have, you are only investing on the listing fees.

Read a good book on selling on eBay, learn how to do research on things that sell, how to bid for large lots, and how to price your items and make them attractive.

Once you have a good feel for what people are buying and have established a reputation as a seller (by getting positive feedback) you can decide what to buy to resell. With the economy in shambles, people are not buying large ticket or luxurious items. Most people are looking for bargains. I personally go to used clothing stores, used book stores and sell the items on eBay for a confortable profit. I have found books for a $1 that I sold for $10 on half.com or eBay. Jewelry sells well, clothes sell well also, shoes, things that people cannot afford full price. Start buy buying a few items on eBay and get a feel for how the process works. I wouldn't recommend investing a large amount until you've done your work and pick the items you want to sell. You can also open a store on eBay and buy items aside from the auctions. Trial and error is always the best teacher. There are also some good sites on the internet and eBay has its own eBay university where you can learn everything there is to eBay.

[Booberdawg]

11. I did sell several books

I had about 100 programming books I accumulated over the years that I decided to sell so I wouldn't have to move with them. I was surprised at how much money I made on them. I also learned that so many buyers wait till the last few minutes of the auction to buy. (So I quit lowering the prices on the last day!)

Did you have a specific book in mind about selling on ebay? I had not even considered that. Books would be easy to ship, and I already have a good reputation established as a seller. Where do you find books for $1? Garage sales and such?

Thanks for your ideas!

Linda

[tjdee]

13. The public library, garage sales, Salvation Army thrift...

My library sells some books for a quarter, 50 cents or whatever.

It's a good idea to buy 'big name authors' and textbooks...I'd think.
I just bought a book on ebay for 2 bucks--I didn't feel like paying 20 bucks for it at the store. They didn't have it at the library, LOL.

I don't know how you'd be able to tell which textbooks are good to pick up--they are VERY expensive and I looked on ebay before shelling out hundreds of dollars.

The Salvation Army thrift stores are nice too--they usually have books, depending on the area, sometimes you can even pick up designer clothes for cheap and sell them too. I'm too lazy to do that, LOL.

Garage sales are tricky though. You have to get there when they open to get all the good stuff--the big collectors clean out a 9am sale at 8:58. At least around here!

[Booberdawg]

17. I like the idea of selling books

Your library sells books?? Hmmm ... That would be easy enough to check out here. Come to think of it, the book store sometimes has $1 sale on books they want to get rid of, but not being an avid reader myself, I wouldn't know if they were stinkers or not.

Designer clothes? Ugh! But, I have nothing better to do but sit here and rot while I'm unemployed. I can get off my ass and check out the Salvation Army and Goodwill for some bargains.

I'll pass on the garage sales too!

Thanks for the tips!:hi:

[DarkPhenyx]

5. ebay is officially an evil thing now.

Sorry, but don't sell things there.

[masmdu]

6. My EBAY experience...

My wife and I made a nice chunk of change over several months.

I found something that was a produnct that was unique to the location we were in (Japan) and I re-defined it and promoted it so that it would sell well.

Each item cost us about $4 plus $2 to ship.

Our first auction with this item brought in $150.

Over the course of the next several months we sold thousands of these but the price continued to drop as other Ebay auctions appeared offering the same item. By the time we called it quits the going price was $10-15.

We have since moved back to the US and no longer have access that product but we are planning a trip to Japan this winter and I may stock up. Even at $10-15 we could still double our money.

Anyway...find something that others don't have easy access to....re-define it and promote it (I visited newsgroups as well to spread the word)....sell as much as you can as quickly as you can because if you are at all sucessful others will begin to compete with you.

Also, make sure you can take credit cards (paypal)....good photos of item help a lot....and use more than Ebay (at the time we used ebay, msn auctions, amazon auctions and yahoo auctions.

Finally, if you do hit on a hot product...drop the auction and just offer it for sale at a fixed price (volume).

Good luck!

[masmdu]

9. WOW! (update)...

I just check on ebay and this item must be harder to come by than I remember.

They are going for $25 bucks now....up form $10ish when we stopped.

I Think I will have to get back into this.

<"">

[tjdee]

28. Eyes glazing over--love Hello Kitty....

Even though she has no mouth!

Lucky for me, I have a daughter and can buy it "for her". Yeah. That's my story, I'm sticking with it.

[catzies]

57. That's a Hello Kitty vibrator, you know!!!

Um, how old is your daughter??? Never mind, that's just for mommies!!!!

[49jim]

7. E-Bay Ideas

This is my first post on DU. Been lurking around for almost a year and a half. Your post caught my eye...I am a retired school administrator and am also looking for the same thing you are to suppliment my pension. I came across a program that is called Auction Road (www.auctionroad.com). I was just on the site and read their information. I invested just under $100.00 to get started. The premise is buying items wholesale from them and then selling the items on E-Bay for a profit. I'm going to give it a try.

[CatWoman]

8. read this before deciding to do business with them

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=128&topic_id=3698&mesg_id=3698

[starroute]

12. Baseball cards and other collectibles

A college friend of my son was dealing in baseball cards on eBay a few years back. He was buying unopened packets of baseball cards, pulling out the ones that had gained significant value since they were issued, and reselling those as stand-alone items.

As my son told it, this guy was an unreconstructed capitalist who didn't understand why everybody wasn't rich, since it was so easy to make money. My son, on the other hand, felt his friend had the magic touch and that it wouldn't work for anyone else. In other words, your mileage may vary.

Aside from that, nostalgia items for whatever generation is getting old enough to want to reclaim its childhood are generally a good bet. Right now, the early-mid 80's seem to be hot with Gen X-ers -- eg, action figures from 80's cartoon shows. A lot of the 80's franchises are coming back as well, like G.I. Joe, which can increase interest in the originals. Some careful online research should indicate what's hot, and after that you'd just have to scour the flea markets, etc. with a wish list.

[Ramsey]

14. Boycott Ebay

They just banned someone for selling Bush parody deck of cards because some Repukes complained.

Boycott the bastards!!

See this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=52454&mesg_id=52454

[Booberdawg]

15. Yes, I saw that

I sent off my letter of complaint. But, you surely don't expect me to do without $$$ for basics like food, utilities and internet (and DU!) just to make a political point, do you? I am already losing my home. I could possibly lose my car. My unemployment is about to run out. I need to make some money. While I appreciate the point that you and a few others have made in this thread, I cannot afford to cut off my nose to spite my face. That is a personal choice I can live with that I hope will be respected, even if you disagree with it.

Thank you
Linda

[grasswire]

16. I've been selling on eBay for six years and love it

Every morning when I wake up I head to the computer to see how much money I made while I was sleeping. You see, there are eight million eBay potential bidders, all over the globe, and so people are viewing your item 24/7.

I sell what I love, and I suggest that you find something you love to sell, since your knowledge and enthusiasm will show through. I sell vintage and antique paper items. Easy to ship, easy to store. I've had some wildly crazy successes on items that I thought might bring a few dollars and sold for $400 or a thousand or so. I sell postcards, sheet music, ephemera, cookbooks, advertising, magazines, vintage theater and fashion and travel things, etc.

Truly, the sky is the limit on eBay. You can make as much as your heart desires if you can find something to sell. That is the key. If I had maximal access to stock, I could make a fortune, because I know what to buy and how to sell it. I learned by following a friend around who has been a dealer for 30 years. The stock I need is available in bulk and cheaply in New England, but not as easily on the west coast where I live. So that's a consideration for you.

Of course, there are plenty of people who buy and sell new stuff. If you can get it below wholesale, you'll make money.

[grasswire]

18. yes. books are a good thing....

I often pick up books that I see that I know I can turn a profit on. I once picked up a little book on wireless telephony at a yard sale that sold for nearly $600. I had paid five bucks for it. I go to any sale I can find that lists old books. In my town, the YMCA has a big book sale, as does the library and the university. Be advised that dealers who shop those sales can get quite competitive and there is a technique to getting what you want. :-)

If you decide to specialize in books, get some price guides and investigate the resources available on the Internet. For example, the web site http://www.abebooks.com is a booksellers guild where you can look up any title and find out what it is selling for with other dealers.

Sometimes if I see a title in a thrift shop that looks promising, I'll jot down the info, go home and look it up on abebooks and see if I can make a profit on it.

[grasswire]

19. sorry for the multiple posts, but...

....thought it might be encouraging for you to know that while I was writing just these posts I made $80 in sales on three postcards.

[Booberdawg]

21. Sounds encouraging!

:thumbsup:

[Booberdawg]

23. $600 for a book????

:wow:Was it lined with $20 bills between the pages??? That is just crazy.

[Booberdawg]

20. I had one wildly successful item too!

I put a prosthetic speech device that my son used to use up for auction and set the initial bid at $29.99. It is 8 years old and they aren't even made anymore - replaced with new and improved models. Figured I'd make $100 if lucky.

By the last day of the auction it was up to $150. In the last 15 minutes of the auction 2 bidders fought tooth and nail over it and it ended up going for $550!! I just about fainted!

Well that was my one big success story.

I might be able to get my hands on some old comic books. Your mention of magazines jogged my memory.

Thanks grasswire! :hi:

Linda

[grasswire]

25. egad....

...that's better than a horse race, when bidders get hot and heavy at the last minute. You keep refreshing the page and kaching, kaching...it keeps going up. What a rush!

I really suggest browsing the categories of the items you are thinking of selling, just to see what other dealers are getting. There is a button for "completed items" that can tell you what similar items have sold for in the past. And there are probably price guides for comic books at your local library. Libraries also have magazines on collecting that can give you a lot of ideas.

[mitchum]

24. I have been selling specialty books on there for awhile....

and do all right, but you really do have to know what people are looking for. The worst thing to do is to go to thrift stores, etc. and say to yourself, "Hey, this was a really popular book, I bet people will buy it on Ebay!" No, they won't...because they know that there are millions of copies sitting around. Why would they pay you $5 (or whatever)when they know that they can pick it up for 50 cents in any thrift store in America? You have a background in computers. Use what you know. Which software is desireable? What manuals are current? what are their retail prices? Etc...
I have also been using Ebay as an economic indicator for the past several months. If an item had been going for X in Ebay world, chances are that it is now going for 60% of X. Buyers now have less money to spend.
I must reiterate; deal in what you know.


booberdawg, you now have the dubious honor of receiving my longest DU response...EVER. I hope this helps.

[grasswire]

26. there are certain...

..."themes" in collecting that will always sell for top dollar -- themes that carry through many different categories of items. Some of those themes are Native American, Black memorabilia, Mickey Mouse, vintage radio-telephone-electronics, etc. So whether you are selling paper items or books or cookie jars or ashtrays or bedspreads or any other category, you know that a Native American decoration ashtray will sell better than a blah ashtray, and an Aunt Jemima cookie jar will sell well, too.

So if you know what those themes and niches of collecting are, then you can go to a thrift shop or a tag sale and pick up things with some confidence that it will make you money even if it isn't your specialty. I don't know a lot about ceramics for example, but I know that I should pick up and turn over anything that is very odd looking, to see if there's a mark. I know a woman who picked up a small tarnished bowl at the animal shelter's sale. She took it home and looked up the mark. It was Gorham. It was an art deco silver enameled item and she sold it for $350.

Sure, you get burned sometimes. But if you've only spent a dollar on something, you don't feel too bad if it doesn't sell for you. The more you look and look items up, the more you learn. The treasure hunt is as much fun as making money.

[Booberdawg]

27. Mitchum!

your longest DU response ever???? I am most honored!

I agree with your observation about popular books not necessarily being profitable. I had some FoxPro programming books - something I hated but thought I was going to have to learn at one time, and I was shocked at the amount people were willing to pay for them. Of course I paid more for them initially, but I didn't get less that $30 for any of them.

Your advice is most helpful. Thanl you for the honorable distinction of your longest reply!

Linda:hi:

[Shanty Oilish]

29. I tell everybody who needs living expenses to do this

I'm always getting somebody back on their feet, usually dv victims who are really down and out. Presuming you have wheels and a computer, hit the flea markets and buy lots---of cheap toys, if you don't know what you're doing. Make sure it's clean. If you're handy, buy tools, especially lawn and gardening equipment. If you have any special knowledge of silver, glassware, etc., do that. If you have the fortitude, do attic and garage cleaning. If you have space and strength, advertise to clean and remove very old bathrooms. Antique plumbing sells. Vintage wedding apparel sells. Vintage toys and books sell. Snow removal and landscaping equipment sells.
I've helped people to sell on ebay. I hate it, it's tedious, but there's nothing like it for pulling yourself out of poverty or raising emergency funds.
I wouldn't dive into it with the idea of becoming a power seller, investing funds and making a killing, though it's certainly possible. Just start modestly and see if you can stand it. There are some nasty people out there, not to mention the deadbeats. But I know that almost anyone can start with almost nothing and make ends meet by selling on ebay.
Most important, when you've got something to sell, search out similar stuff already on ebay, past and present, and see if it sells and for how much.
And be prepared to spend your weekend on ebay, that's its primetime.
You can definitely do it. At least five women I know have bought their present houses with ebay profits alone---people with no jobs, no support, no skills and no hope.

[Booberdawg]

30. I don't need to make a killing ....

I'm just looking for living expenses and something I can do at home. I'm not at all handy and I have asthma, allergies, and lifting restrictions, so the yard work and hard labor are out.

The suggestion of books keeps coming up in this thread. I'm familiar with doing the research on ebay first as that is how I started selling my own things a couple months ago. I made some good profits but now I've run out of things to list unless I start selling things I really don't want to part with.

You know people who have bought houses with ebay profits??? Where the hell have I been? Maybe if I would have considered this 7 months ago I wouldn't be looking at foreclosure now. I just never dreamed it would go on this long ...

[grasswire]

32. you get it down to a science after a while

My sister works her eBay site two evenings a week. Tuesday and Sunday. On Tuesdays she lists all her items for the week, to close on Sunday with a five day listing. Of course that doesn't take into consideration the time spent finding the items, scanning or taking photos, and doing the mailing. But it is definitely possible to get a manageable routine.

I have a lot of good things to say about eBay. In six years, with many thousands of transactions, I've never had ONE bad check. Not ONE! Yes, there are a few who don't pay for the item, but I just kiss them off and don't make a fuss. I still have the item, after all! I take personal checks, Bidpay, money orders and cash. No problem, ever. I've sold all over the world, to the most remote places.

If you're selling something you like yourself, something that relates to your interests and hobbies, you'll have a lot of fun.

Yes, there are some uptight members who are impatient and rude. But very few, really.

[radwriter0555]

50. Um what can you tell me about your house? I buy and sell real

estate, which is oversimplified, but can we chat?

[Booberdawg]

51. It's not in my hands

The eventual sale of the house is in the hands of the bank. They have started foreclosure proceedings - it's their headache, not mine.

[dmr]

31. Thank you for starting this thread, Booberdawg

and to everyone who posted. I want to start selling too, I have two ideas that are simple and hopefully sellable, and almost too silly to mention. I just need to figure out how to get started and how to create the eBay page, and how it all works. I've also been going to the garage sales, but so far anything I've bought, I've wanted to keep! < sigh >

How do you all ship? Do you use priority mail? That seems the simplist to do, but many of my eBay purchases have come boxed like I would normally box when mailing something to a family member. I went to the usps.org site to see about using their online priority mailing postage (where your printer prints out the mailing label with the postage bar scan). Is that a good idea, or are there drawbacks?

Grasswire, a few weeks ago I purchased on eBay a 1946 Sears Christmas Catalog for around 40 dollars, did I buy that from you? This catalog is amazing - I actually bought it for my son to keep as a piece of history.

We should go to the Meeting Room forum and start an eBay support group, cuz I sure could use it!

Good luck to you Booberdawg, and to everyone else out there selling.
:)

[grasswire]

33. nope, you didn't buy it from me...

...but it sounds like a fun thing to have.

I think the hardest part of getting eBay working for you is to master getting your photos up. But eBay has made it easier by offering their own photo hosting. The first one is free, for more than one per listing there is a nominal fee. I use my AOL ftp space for the photo hosting and am just so used to it by now that it is not a bother, but it was tricky in the beginning.

eBay has worked really hard to make things easy for buyer and seller. There are message boards on the site where many questions are answered.

Re: mailing. I try to use the least expensive method for mailing, since many buyers really appreciate the savings. I'll use media mail when I can, and priority only if the bidder wants to pay for it. HOWEVER, if you use priority mail, the boxes are free. You can even get priority mail packaging materials delivered to your home.

Most of my items are just mailed in a flat brown envelope with cardboard stiffener. Many people who sell things like glassware or gifts find a local source such as a gift shop where they have styro peanuts and excelsior and cardboard and other things that they just throw away, and they arrange to salvage those materials for eBay packing.

Regarding printing out your own priority postage. Hmm. Many items that you will send priority mail may require insurance and/or delivery confirmation. That means standing in line at the post office anyway. And doing your own requires a postage scale. So I think maybe it's just as easy to take your boxes to the post office at a quiet time. They're certainly used to it.

One little tidbit of information: it's really cool if a bidder pays you with a U.S. postal money order, because you can cash it right at the post office! That's real handy sometimes.

[grasswire]

35. another thought....

...(you can see how enthusiastic I am about this topic)....

It's important to be very scrupulous in your description of an item. I list EVERY flaw I can find. Missing a flaw or overstating the condition or quality of your item will kill your business in a flash. Be very open about what you are selling and offer to answer any questions prior to the auction's end.

[Booberdawg]

34. Tell us your silly idea dmr! LOL!

I want to know what your idea is that you say is too almost silly to mention! Silly sells!

The ebay site has links to show you how to set up an account and list an item for auction. I also set up a PayPal account. It is free to set one up and you can pay your auction fees that way and also people can purchase your item by paying directly to your PayPal account. There is a fee deducted but it's minimal and very handy and that way you get paid right away when the auction ends.

I shipped most of my items media mail because it's a lot cheaper, but that's only for media, of course. (books, CD,s, Nintendo games, magazines, etc.) Shipping is separate and not part of the price of the item - you probably already know that if you buy things on ebay. I wouldn't use priority mail myself unless the buyer wants to pay extra for it. With the books I sold I made the shipping and handling charge approx $1.50 to $2.00 over the estimated shipping price to cover cost of supplies like wrapping paper, tape, labels, handling, etc.

I still want to know what your silly ideas are!

Linda

[grasswire]

37. I had a silly idea...

...I thought it might be cool to sell a service to compose outraged letters for timid people. I'm pretty good at that kind of "creative" writing.

[Booberdawg]

39. Hey! That's a GREAT idea!

I'm actually pretty good at writing and articulating my thoughts as well. I have even been given assignments at previous jobs to compose office guidelines and responses to customers because they liked my written communications. I also get the pleasure (ugh!) of writing complaint letters and composing resumes for family members.

But, I'm so anal retentive about it that I take FOREVER to write a letter. I keep it professional, even if I'm rip snorting furious, but I can still manage to give a scathing rebuke if pushed beyond my limit, or ESPECIALLY if it involved my son in some way. There are a few people in this world who will NEVER forget me, LOL! And in each case I am happy to say there has usually been some follow up action, and even some apologies. But I digress ....

I like your idea, and wish you luck. I'm too anal for it. Maybe you can start with some form letters, and then customize them for individual situations.

[amazona]

46. USPS Priority Mail is the way to go!!!

USPS Priority Mail is amazing. They make me look good and I give them credit for my high feedback rating. I am always getting comments like, "WOW! Fast shipping!"

If you can use the online system, that's wonderful. Unfortunately, my items generally weigh more than 1 pound -- sometimes much more, I recently shipped a 45 pound box -- and you are supposed to go to the Post Office in person for heavy items. But I can still use the USPS website to get accurate quotes for the shipping costs -- once I know my buyer's zip code and my zip code and the total weight of the package, I can tell the buyer exactly what the cost of shipping will be, with and without insurance, so there are no misunderstandings.

[amazona]

48. yes, let's start the meeting room ebay support group

I just checked the meeting room and didn't see that anyone else had started the thread yet, so I will go do so now.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

36. Damn I don't know where you are but the biggest southwest

show of the year just happened in Phoenix last weekend and there were probably 1000 things you could have seen.

My recommendation is get a PASS to a gift show at a convention center in your area and check out the products. There are many things one with good business sense can sell. Especialy at this time of year holiday curios (really stupid LITTLE things ) can turn into decent money.

[grasswire]

38. that's true

....and if you're thinking of making money in the holiday season, now is the time to get busy.

I also have a booth in an antique mall downtown, and that's a good way to add another layer of revenue if you are into the antique-collectible area. I pay a flat fee of $135 per month plus 4 percent of sales, and the foot traffic is very good. I do nothing but keep the booth stocked and attractive (usually check it once a week) and pick up a check at the end of the month.

[Booberdawg]

40. NSMA, you don't know where I are??

I am sans le avitar!

I know, it's late. :evilgrin:

Stupid little holiday things! That's a great idea! I like that even better than the books! And this is the perfect time to start. I used to always have all of my xmas shopping done before Thanksgiving, and I know lot's of people start in the summer. It wouldn't take a lot of cash to get started either.

My favorite of many great ideas I've seen all night. :thumbsup:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

47. LOL! Didn't even look at it!

Somehow I block people's avatars out at times. I know where you is now :D

[leftyandproud]

41. here's an idea..

liquidate all of your crap that you never use any more...scrap that has been in your closet for 8 years...sell your 3rd TV set and that stereo you never listen to...clean everything out...use the cash to buy a nice suit for your new job interviews..

[Booberdawg]

42. "Really stupid little things"

I have spent the night cruisin' the net for wholesale holiday items and found several good sites. Lots of good sites and bulk prices for ornaments, candles, cards, stocking stuffers, etc. Then, I went to ebay to check out xmas items. There are HUNDREDS of pages of xmas itmes for auction already. Actually, I think some are available year round. Anyway I did a lot of research on the kind of things I have in mind to sell and put a watch on several things. I can see poor marketing in some cases, and in others where the marketing is good but the shipping and handling is egregious for the item. Nobody like a gouge.

I'm going to continue in this direction and continue my research. The wholesale sites gave me a lot of other ideas. People like to buy JUNK. I found a lot of little things I could buy for a buck or under $5 and sell for twice that or even just a 50% markup. It's a grind with the little stuff but it's still a profit. If the research works out and the little stuff is successful, I can try the more expensive stuff and go from there.

Wouldn't it be ironic if I ended up making more than I did before I got laid off? :evilgrin:

[Loonman]

43. eBay, with it's faults, is still good

Trading and buying from others all over the country and the world is a great 21st century example of the worldwide free market.

Sure you might get ripped off sometimes, but even smart consumers do, the law of averages on eBay is usually toward the good, and uninformed and clueless buyers will get fleeced because they are not careful. Try to minimize your risks and with any luck the dishonest eBayers will contract fatal and painful syphillis someday.

[Booberdawg]

44. Damn straight!

"with any luck the dishonest eBayers will contract fatal and painful syphillis someday."

LOL!

[amazona]

45. buying for resale VERY tough right now

I have sold about $10,000 worth of items over the years at eBay -- most of it in 98, 99, and 00. Since then, I've had to work harder, and bids have trended much, much lower.

Part of the problem is the meltdown of the economy. The people involved in my hobby tend to be seniors, and their CDs are paying so little they no longer have any disposable income.

A second problem is the influx of thieves to the site. You can't compete with people who steal their product and can sell it below cost.

A third problem, which you are going to encounter, is the huge up-swing in prices for items sold locally at garage sales, flea markets, and junk shops. Kiplinger's says that the average price for so-called collectibles sold at these venues has jumped 30 percent as a result of people buying for re-sale to eBay. I can guarantee you that it has increased a lot more than 30 percent.

I can still make a profit (although not as much of a profit) on eBay. But this is because I still have a large inventory of free (inherited) items, including items that I hauled away for free to help out a blind lady. I also get 50 percent of the profits from a friend who receives free merchandise, like digital cameras, as gifts from casinos where he is a high roller. A third way to get free items -- which I have temporarily suspended for lack of storage space -- is to dumpster dive for sale-able items. This is getting MUCH tougher, as retail businesses are aware of eBay also and often destroy items rather placing them in sale-able condition in the dumpster.

To summarize, if you can items at very low cost or for free, you can make money on eBay. If you have to buy items, on top of the advertising and commission fees, and the paypal fees, then unless you really have a terrific product in an area not already dominated by a "power seller" or someone else who can get the product much cheaper than you can...well...I think it's gonna be tough.

Forget jewelry. It is a very, very, very tough sell on eBay.

Sorry to be so negative but I think you should be aware of the potential downside before you spend a lot of money you don't have.

Oh, and if possible, don't be afraid to dumpster dive packing material outside electronics shops. Why pay for bubble wrap.

[Booberdawg]

49. Thanks for the potential downside

I'm a realist - you have first hand experience. I'd rather have an honest opinion that's on the negative side than a sugar coated version.

:hi:

[TankLV]

52. DON'T DO IT! It's more trouble than it's worth.

They charge a monthly fee, regardless if you sell anything or not. And it's next to impossible to drop them or cease your membership.

DON'T DO IT!

[Booberdawg]

53. That's not true

I already have an ebay account. You pay a small fee for each item you auction. You can pay money into your account to cover the auction fees or they will charge a credit card monthly. There is no other "monthly" fee.

I guess whether it's worth the trouble depends on one's perspective.

[grasswire]

54. it is true....

....that bids are not what they used to be on eBay. When I started six years ago I was selling 80 percent of what I listed, at prices that sometimes amazed me. Now I sell about 45 percent, still at good prices. This means the cost of selling has gone up a bit because I pay the eBay listing fee whether or not I sell the item.

HOWEVER. What other business will allow you to sell 45 percent of your product within a week of displaying it?

For that matter, what other business exposes your product to 8 million potential buyers worldwide 24/7/365, with no startup cost such as physical space, permits or licenses, insurance, utilities, staffing, etc.?

[amazona]

56. the monthly fee is for the eBay stores

EBay stores are not worth the money unless you are a power seller. I experimented with having a store when it was free, and it wasn't worth free for me.

I'm surprised you had trouble canceling because I had no trouble canceling. But, to be honest, I have heard this complaint before....I'm thinking eBay is chasing more people away with their stores than they've attracted.

[Booberdawg]

55. Kick!

:kick:

[Booberdawg]

58. Here's a few wholesale sites with "dropshipping"

I found several sites for purchasing at wholesale for auction or resale, but a couple in particular I discovered offer a service called
dropshipping. This means you don't have to carry an inventory and can order products after they bought by an ebay bidder, and the wholesaler will ship it directly to the customer.

There's a fee for signing on with the wholesaler - one is $99 and the other is $20. I haven't taken the plunge yet and I am still comparing random products with similar products on ebay to see how they are faring and what kind of a markup they are charging. It looks to me like items are selling barely above cost and you'd have to do a huge volume to make much. I'm still plugging away - not ready to give up on this yet.

Linda

http://www.auctionwholesaler.com/

http://www.sunrisewholesalemerchandise.com/wholesalechristmas.html