Posted on 04/07/2018 4:27:59 PM PDT by mdittmar
Selling on Ebay,My Experience. It's not easy. Posted a thread a while back about what will you do when you retire.
I'm going to buy stuff to resell on Ebay.
I've already started so I can get the hang of it. I'll say one thing,it ain't easy,It's work,but I enjoy it.making mistakes but figuring things out as I go.
If you enjoy junking,it may be for you,but those Youtube videos leave alot out.
All that’s a good reason NOT to do E-Bay as I see it. Better go to your local flea market and have at it! “Bird in hand is worth more than two in a bush!”
No, the government expects you to tell them what your profit is. But yes, the records keeping is a must. But that's not all that complex, you just need to keep a record of everything you sell, what you paid for it, the postage you pay, and the fees you are charged. Do it regularly, and it isn't that hard. A spreadsheet is recommended.
Apart from what you report to them, the big thing for active sellers is the 1099K that PayPal generates which reports your total receipts for the year to the IRS. This only happens if you take in more than $20K AND more than 200 sales. It must be both, and is based on the total amount of money processed by PayPal, with is higher than the total sales amount because it includes shipping that the buyer pays.
International shipping can be problematical. The eBay Global Shipping Program works quite well, and helps you avoid many of the potential hassles dealing with international sales. The big advantages are that you ship the item to the processing center in the US, and once delivered there, you have no liability for non-delivery. Also, they use shipping methods that always (?) have delivery confirmation, which USPS doesn't for many countries (unless you use Express mail, which is very expensive).
Ah come on.
Guy has been here forever and makes a vanity in Breaking.
He prolly won’t do another vanity for a few more years.
Another GSP advantage is that the customs fees and taxes are collected by the processor in the US, and that means that the shipment (apparently) bypasses in in-country customs office, which is often the source of trouble (stuff damaged, stolen, or delayed).
If the package is never delivered, the buyer is refunded, and you, the seller, gets to keep the money.
After nearly a year of selling for her, I branched out into selling my own T-shirts. I found out that 5X shirts would sell for the top prices and I found a wholesaler at the flea market that sold licensed sports shirts of that size for just $2.50 each.
I also sold a lot of digital cameras back when the Sony Mavicas sold for $350 to $400 each and I found a supplier in Los Angeles who would dropship them for me for just $250 each.
The last time I did a lot of eBay selling was about 2 years ago when I sold a lot of dog food. One buyer purchased almost $1000 worth of dog food from me. So many bags that it took me 2 days of packing to ship them out.
My "secret" is that I offer free shipping but it turns out that the higher prices I get more than covers the shipping cost.
I have sold (and bought) on Ebay almost from it’s beginning. It used to be fun but Ebay has taken most of the fun out of it as they now cater to mega sellers and not the “little guy”.
I still dabble, not like I once did.
Best advice: don’t guess at your shipping cost, don’t sell beyond the lower 48, insure anything over $50 - and add that fee to your mailing cost. Be aware that Ebay not only charges a percentage of the final value, but also a percentage of your shipping cost. Added to the PayPal fee, that comes to about 15% of your sale.
And, count yourself lucky if you sell one item for every five you list.
General Chat calls you joe cow chip.
Check out ETSY.com
ETSY is a great place to shop.
on Ebay I used to buy guitar effects pedal lots and sell them piecemeal. Did around 75 transactions. Never made any money because I’d buy a lot just to keep one pedal from it.
Built a nice effects board that way. After I unloaded all the excess pedals and broke even I gave it up. The hassle of shipping wasn’t worth it.
I buy a lot and I mean a lot on Ebay. Most of it rather valuable (I have an antiques booth) and I’ve never had any major problems. But after hearing nightmare tales from others I would never sell on Ebay. But since you have already taken the plunge be aware that Ebay policies favor the buyer even in the face of evident fraud (evident to anyone with common sense. If you are selling anything of value require a signature. If it is a trusted buyer you could waive this. But not as a general rule.
Also photograph every step of your packing process. You would be shocked to know how many items are “lost”. Worse, how many returns are not what was sent out. It happens quite a bit. So my advice have a number label for your items. Make sure that number is on your packing slip. Photograph the item with the label. If you can have yourself photographed packing the item, so much the better.
Mind you, nothing will keep you 100% safe from scammers.
Have a clear return policy. Have a clear shipping policy. Flat rate shipping is your friend. Good luck and don’t cheat yourself.
Seller fees on Etsy are very low.
I gave up on Ebay for that reason among others.
Once in a while I look for stuff.
There is a very nice set of chrome OEM Jeep CJ wheels and center caps in California. Mine are in bad shape. Pitted and chipped in places.
Shipping makes them too rich for my blood even if the price doesn’t go up any more.
Also, if you get a return, be sure to make a video of you opening the package and examining the returned item.
I know someone who sold an expensive piece of electronics, the buyer complained, and the item was returned.
The returned package contained a brick.
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Merely owning a CJ makes you the guilded elite!
Suck up and pay! ;O)
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Yep. I wish Ebay still allowed negative reviews for buyers.
Having done both buying and selling on EBay, I agree it is easier to get rooked as a seller than as a buyer.
Still, it is good way to get rid of hobby stuff like mountain bike and camera gear.
Amen to that!
Thanks
Lay off. Good grief. Have you folks not something better to do than attack someone?
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