Ebay

[oaklvr]

Didn't know where else to post this but started here because ebay is a directory of sorts.

I have in the past sold many items on ebay. For those of you that have never tried it - don't be afraid of it.

There are some things to beware of though.

When you are selling something on ebay - make sure that something hasn't cost you a lot and that you can sell it for a great markup because you will have to sell it for a great mark up just to get over ebays fees.

Here is an example -

I went to a garage sale -(and I have done this many, many times) and I bought an ashtray for 10 cents. I didn't really know if the ashtray was worth anything but it looked a little bit better than most junk I see and it was handpainted and it had "Made in India" written on the bottom. For 10 cents I thought I could take the chance so I bought it and went home and put it on ebay. I sold that ashtray for 30.00!

Another example of what I do -

I go to a local auction - at the end of the auction the auctioneer will go to this room where there are about 100 boxes lined up on the floor all in rows. The auctioneer will start to auction off these boxes for maybe 5 dollars. If you win - you get to choose which box you want for 5.00 and you take all the contents in the box for 5.00 -

Well if you see a box with great stuff in it -stuff that would sell for way more than 5.00 on ebay then bid, win and pick your box. Well I take this one step further.

I let everyone else take the "choice" boxes - then I wait until only the "junk" boxes are left that no one wants. The auctioneer will auction "ALL OF THE BOXES THAT ARE LEFT" for one price. The bidding will start, since the same people have been here for this entire auction they usually have already decided they don't want any of these boxes so the bidding will actually get down to $1.00 takes ALL THE BOXES THAT ARE LEFT - even if there are 50 boxes left - you bid, you win, you get them all for $1.00!

Now it doesn't take a genius to figure out there is something in those boxes that is worth more than a dollar!

What happens is I win all the boxes. Then I have the task of carrying them by myself to my van and loading them - could take a half hour or more working alone. Then I go home - sort through them - junk in one pile - good stuff in another pile.

The junk stuff - take to the salvation army and get a slip to use as a write off for your taxes because you made a donation.

The good stuff list on ebay and make money. I usually - for my $1.00 investment will make over 300.00 - 500.00 on ebay.

One time I was going through the boxes that I bought for $1.00 and found $7.42 cents in loose change. LOL

So ebay is another great directory for making money if you do it right.

Connie

[hwang]

10cents to 30 bucks?? Wow, that 3000% return of investment you sure have the eyes to spot good products but then I believe it's how you market it in the first place. Many people are actually good at putting nice descriptions something like that to mark up the price. That's what they call art of marketing. Hat's off there for you oaklvr and thanks for the detailed description

[blueT]

I can say you have a good business skill. I'm still afraid about doing an online business, and reason is the security matter. I'm sure ebay is safe, but my pc can be hack anytime..

[hwang]

Well oaklvr if you can share more with us here... that would be great! Would love to hear from you. Can you just imagine if you invest let's say 1 buck, 3000% investment would mean something like 300 bucks

[huskies1]

There is a potential for high returns on Ebay. It is not always easy but there are times when you can find a really great price on something of a good value and turn around to sell it at a much higher price on Ebay.

[oaklvr]

Yes,

Ebay has great potential but beware of the price you pay to sell on ebay and the shipping responsibility. You have to take all that into account before you decide what to sell.

I have two other fun ebay stories.

1) One day I was at an auction and they were auctioning off this really gaudy vase, at least that was my opinion. I suppose in the right setting it would be beautiful but sitting on a table in that auction house it just wasn't appealing. Well they were auctioning it off and no one was bidding, they started at 25.00 then down to 15 dollars then lower and lower and still no bids so I thought this is a real piece of junk and everyone knows it, that is why no one is bidding. Well, I am sure you know what is coming next..... it got down to a dollar and I bid on it. I don't know why but something came over me and I just put my hand up ant then it was mine. I thought to myself as they were bringing it over to me - great, now what in the world did I do that for - oh well, it's a buck and I'll just donate it to somewhere and get on with my life.... well you also know the next part of the story..... I checked around on ebay and found a couple more that had sold so I put mine up for auction..... $75.00!!!!!! Boy was I ever happy!!!!! One of the best dollars I ever spent.


2) I had some old plastic polymer paint in some old tubes, all were used, some were even dried up and I posted that in the auction. I had these paints in an old wooden cigar box and the cigar box was all stained, weather ruined and oiled up from the paint being stored in it for so long... maybe 8-10 tubes of old paint. For fun I put it on ebay... and it sold .... $25.00!!!!! I was so worried about a "bad" feedback rating from the customer when he received the old paint and the ruined box... so afraid (since the auction was only as a joke anyways) that I ALMOST wrote the customer and told him that I could not complete the transaction. BUT I didn't. I reread what I wrote on the auction and I took another look at the picture and sure enough, I had stated things just as they really were and he bid along with some others so I took the chance and sent the paint and the box..... I got a wonderful review from that customer. I was so happy...it taught me never to prejudge and tell the truth and don't second guess what I am doing. I do things out of my heart and with never a bad intention and I tell things as it is. My feedback is 100% and I have had over 600 feedbacks. Over 1000 ebay customers but not all of them give feedback. Onward I will go.

Connie

[hwang]

Sometimes what makes the difference between a successful seller and a lousy buyer it's all into how you work out your marketing strategy to sell it. I think there is no such thing as a lousy product, it's only the lousy marketer that exists. Heard of the proverb, a good salesperson can even sell sand to an Arab?