Monday, March 19, 2012

To eBay or Not to eBay

One of the changes I've been wanting to make around my home is reducing the amount of clutter in my house. Every time I put something in a closet or on a shelf, it seems to reproduce until there is no more room for anything and I am forced to take something back out or back down and deal with it.
Well, I have become determined to tackle this problem. I have spent many weeks cleaning out closets and under beds and off book shelves and more. Everything has gone into a spare room that we do not use. It is ridiculous how much stuff is in there now! How did we ever get so much extra and unnecessary stuff?
The question quickly became what to do with the stuff that I was getting rid of? Knowing that we could use some extra cash, I decided around Christmas to try to sell some things on eBay. I'm still selling. I have learned so much in the process. Following are some things I wish I'd known before starting to sell on eBay:
  • Clothes sell better and for more money when the season is changing.
  • If it's heavy, don't bother. The shipping will eat you alive.
  • If it weighs more than 13 ounces, you'll probably save money shipping Priority Mail (and please customers who will leave "positive feedback" on your account).
  • Jeans are heavy. Charge enough for shipping.
  • If you offer free shipping and/or 1 day handling, eBay will increase your visiblity (just adjust the price of the item to be sure you don't lose money).
  • Books don't sell as well as you think they will.
  • Ebay charges will eat up about 10% of the money you collect. Supplies will take another 10%.
  • Paypal is a must! Set up a Paypal account before you start!
  • Always start low and be willing to take that amount. You probably won't have to, but the low starting price attracts more bidders.
The easiest thing to sell out of all the things I've listed? Kids' clothes! Especially if they are a good name brand. I recommend you try it. It really is easy to do, especially if you download the Android App, and you will make more money than you would at a garage sale. I like to leave the money in my Paypal account and spend on eBay later. The only down side I see is the time it takes to list the items and then package and ship them. I look forward to some comments and questions on this subject. Do you eBay? Do you know a better way to get rid of all that stuff? Maybe you can teach me a thing or two!

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