eBay

pls-consignments · ‎05-01-2023

What life factors should be considered when calculating the value of our time?

mtgraves7984 · ‎05-01-2023

1. Do I really want to do this? So... Desire??

turnpiketreasures1 · ‎05-01-2023

I've sold retail for more than 50 years, first in bricks and sticks shops, then my own small publishing company and since 2008 in Etsy, and for a year eBay. I have never figured my time into prices. It's just not doable. You price your items with a fair value, which will bring more sales, and that in itself pays you for your time. Especially considering selling online is done at home, and you can watch tv at the same time, eat a sandwich, run your washing machine, take breaks anytime you want to, and basically run your life as usual...how do you determine an hourly wage for that? To me it just isn't worth figuring out how much to charge for something that's so much fun. But I'm sure others will have it figured out and give you a money amount.

dirk12955 · ‎05-01-2023

Your age? Your responsibilities? Kids? House payment? Car payment?

Here's the criteria for me. I need to earn a certain amount of money every week on ebay

to pay my share of the household expenses. If I can do it on ebay, That's fine. If ebay

comes to a point where I can't pay my share from the profits of selling here, Then it's off

to find a part time job.

Local grocery store across the street pays $16.00 an hour and I can go to work there anytime I want.

I'd rather work from home in my jammies

and take breaks whenever I feel like it or watch an old movie or take a nap at my leisure than

work outside the home at age 68.

So, If I have to work more hours at home than outside the home so be it.

It's all about the $$$ What you need. What you don't need.

Everybody's mileage will vary.

toysaver · ‎05-01-2023

"What life factors should be considered when calculating the value of our time?"

Level of education and what you could make at a traditional job.

biggymoe · ‎05-01-2023

There will be no consensus answer to this. It is different for each individual, depending on their circumstances.

reallynicestamps · ‎05-01-2023

Here in British Columbia the minimum wage is 25cents a minute.

In June this rises to 27.9 cents a minute.

On the one hand, will I make enough money at minimum wage to list this?

On the other hand, I can list this in my jammies.

Refunds and returns are one part of retail that should be looked at with a cold eye on the wallet and the clock.

If it will cost more to buy the return label than to refund without return, how long will each reaction take?

And how much will I spend at minimum wage.?

This works for hobby sellers like me.

"Professional" sellers who are making a substantial part of their household income from online selling, not just on eBay, will have other needs and costs.

pls-consignments · ‎05-01-2023

"To me it just isn't worth figuring out how much to charge for something that's so much fun."

Interesting...

Just curious, do you have a significant other?

Have children?

Other family responsibilities?

Life goals outside eBay?

dirk12955 · ‎05-01-2023

The question the OP asks is a good one.

On the one hand, Everybody knows how much they NEED to earn.

Everybody know how much they would LIKE to earn.

Peace of mind and being satisfied with what you are doing is priceless. Sometimes it

ain't all about the money and keeping score.

richard1rst · ‎05-01-2023

@turnpiketreasures1 wrote:
You price your items with a fair value and that in itself pays you for your time. Especially considering selling online is done at home, and you can watch tv at the same time, eat a sandwich, run your washing machine, take breaks anytime you want to, and basically run your life as usual...how do you determine an hourly wage for that? To me it just isn't worth figuring out how much to charge for something that's so much fun.

Ditto the above:

My time in invaluable. But not worth nearly as much as my sanity. I would be willing to say that, based on some of the comments I have seen over the years, there are people here (myself included) who do this because they have come to the realization that sitting around doing nothing is not nearly as easy as it looks.

Years ago one of my mentors gave me a clue to a happy life: Having someone to love and something to do. Fortunately I have both.

My only concern is at the end of the month, after paying all my bills and indulging my recreational needs, do I have more money left than I had at the beginning of the month., If yes, I’m satisfied.

redlinear · ‎05-01-2023

Time-vs-money...
What can I do?
What will I do?
What do I want to do?
and the most important thing....
What am I doing?
There's a ton of things that I do every day that I wouldn't pay somebody else $10/hr to do.

blurryrobot · ‎05-01-2023

Story time. I shall speak a parable on the value of proper accounting, or the vice, perhaps.

A friend o' mine built up what he, and his wife, thought was a fairly successful business, but never paid themselves any salaries out of it.

Then came the lawyers. Friend kept the business, there was no interest in that. But there was a great deal of interest in money, and the now ex-wife's lawyer came knocking, requiring a cut.

Alas, there was no cut, for the lack of all those years' salary was factored in, and when it was deducted, the business value turned out to be somewhat negative.

So, the person who doesn't account for the value of their time, may find themselves in for a surprise. But whether this is a nice surprise or a nasty surprise, depends on one's point of view.

So much in life, depends on point of view.

pls-consignments · ‎05-01-2023

Interesting perspective.

For myself, I feel the value of my time is based on what are the most valuable aspects of my life, such as my wife, my kids, grandkids, friends as well as my faith. I guess I could sum it up in one word...

"Balance".