2022: last year on ebay or not?

[keziak]

I'm going to be 60 this year and I am questioning many things about life, both work and otherwise.  There are so many things I want to change, like emptying my storage unit (huge job) and setting some hard parameters for returning to work at my main library commission this Summer. But the big one is:  does it make sense to stay on ebay when I am never going to make much more than I do now, and it's not good money considering the work (and weight of many boxes of mail)?

It's not that I hate Ebay. Despite everything I like selling here, it's warmer and more diverse than Amazon which has all the warmth of a vacation in Antarctica. But I make more "over there" and might make a lot more if I took my ebay time and used it to just list on Amazon like my friend does - the woman who works a few hours a day at her business and shakes her  head over my hours. Whose mail is a tub or two of bubble mailers, not U-carts of boxes like I take to the P.O. most days of the week.

I'll make less money if I quit ebay but I'm not "paying the mortgage" anyway and my investments make me a huge amount more than I  ever make selling online. 

So maybe it boils down to: make less money but take the time saved and go lie on the beach, so to speak?

[iart]

We're thinking much the same for similar reasons. We hope to be a small seller in about a year (we're down to half of what we were at in 2019). We'll keep old items up for awhile after that but won't keep up the constant  listings. Within a couple years, we'll be one of those hobby sellers.

The eBay lifestyle isn't sustainable for us much longer. We make less and less every year and our age prevents us from putting in the hours we did even a few years ago.

All this, I look forward to. Tired of the infuriating glitches, the incomprehensible changes and the ever increasing costs.

[keziak]

One word: identity.

I used to be a mom - still am of course and very connected with the kids but they are grown and that is different from having young ones. 

I'm a gardener who doesn't garden, a reader who doesn't read, a poet who only works on old poetry not new work.  As I age I want those roles again in my life. 

I am an online bookseller but I struggle with: is this ALL I want to do, or those other things too? 

Nobody is making me do anything, it's all on me. Always interested in how others feel about such issues but at the end of the day I have to make some decisions or just lump along (complain). 

Probably what I'll do is downsize my store in May when I am up for renewal, purge most of my single books, and run fewer actions. Doesn't sound all that hard, right?

[kosmosattik]

Well, you could split the difference--run off your current 900 item inventory.  You'll gradually have more time to spend on other things.  That's unless the storage unit is jammed with unlisted inventory.  🙄

[chapeau-noir]

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@keziak wrote:

One word: identity.

I used to be a mom - still am of course and very connected with the kids but they are grown and that is different from having young ones. 

I'm a gardener who doesn't garden, a reader who doesn't read, a poet who only works on old poetry not new work.  As I age I want those roles again in my life. 

I am an online bookseller but I struggle with: is this ALL I want to do, or those other things too? 

Nobody is making me do anything, it's all on me. Always interested in how others feel about such issues but at the end of the day I have to make some decisions or just lump along (complain). 

Probably what I'll do is downsize my store in May when I am up for renewal, purge most of my single books, and run fewer actions. Doesn't sound all that hard, right?

---

Ask yourself this, then - if you are all these things but you are not doing them...why? What is stopping you?  Change isn't easy, but the alternative is stagnation.  How long do you want to stagnate for, not being a gardener, not a poet, not a reader?  Are you filling up your time with eBay nonsense to prevent yourself from this change, because change is scary? I've asked myself all of this, too - somehow I don't think you're alone in this, and your insight that this is an identity issue is a very good one.

ETA: I'm very identified with the world of work.  It's nothing for me to work 12 hour days, day after day - it still doesn't phase me.  Yet I've come to the conclusion that the work I had been doing not only is not  really needful to keep food on the table as it used to be, but at this point, despite my endurance, I may be just blowing a giant amount of my life away over something that I'm just used to.  NOT being a worker bee is really tough for me, or shall we say, the change of venue to put my energies into is creating a crisis of confidence. I know where I want to go. It's like @katzrul15 signature line - you don't have to see the whole staircase, just the first step.

[evry1nositswindy]

Listing and writing descriptions keeps your mind active and young.  Something to consider.

[keziak]

you see my perspective very clearly.  I work a lot to the detriment of other activities I actually love (the reading, gardening, etc) (or dabbling in other areas like cooking). Work is meaningful to me. But in therapy today my therapist set me back on my heels by saying I am looking at retirement/downsizing from a position of fear and loss, not liberation. That sucks, brain! 

I just decided to make a change to a Basic store. I thought I had until May but when I dug it up my subscription re-upped Feb 1st! Yikes, I almost missed the deadline.  So after a lot of back of the envelope calculations I can list as many auctions a month as usual (and more than I want=time committment) but with lower store rent. Yay! I still get plenty of FB listings though I want to cut back on that (=time committent for low sell-through=poor use of time).

So, one step done. Next: storage unit though with that I"m in a pickle because it was damaged so badly I literally can't get in, and the facility  manager won't return my calls to tell me what they are going to do about it. I invested a considerable amount of money on inventory in that unit. So I'm fretting about that right now.

[chapeau-noir]

I find it stultifying - I can bang out descriptions in my sleep.   "Black tunic from Eileen Fisher is a great day to evening basic. A-line silhouette with V-neck, long sleeves and side hem vents.  Rayon/poly blend blah blah blah...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

[katzrul15]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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@keziak wrote:

One word: identity.

I used to be a mom - still am of course and very connected with the kids but they are grown and that is different from having young ones. 

I'm a gardener who doesn't garden, a reader who doesn't read, a poet who only works on old poetry not new work.  As I age I want those roles again in my life. 

I am an online bookseller but I struggle with: is this ALL I want to do, or those other things too? 

Nobody is making me do anything, it's all on me. Always interested in how others feel about such issues but at the end of the day I have to make some decisions or just lump along (complain). 

Probably what I'll do is downsize my store in May when I am up for renewal, purge most of my single books, and run fewer actions. Doesn't sound all that hard, right?

---

Ask yourself this, then - if you are all these things but you are not doing them...why? What is stopping you?  Change isn't easy, but the alternative is stagnation.  How long do you want to stagnate for, not being a gardener, not a poet, not a reader?  Are you filling up your time with eBay nonsense to prevent yourself from this change, because change is scary? I've asked myself all of this, too - somehow I don't think you're alone in this, and your insight that this is an identity issue is a very good one.

ETA: I'm very identified with the world of work.  It's nothing for me to work 12 hour days, day after day - it still doesn't phase me.  Yet I've come to the conclusion that the work I had been doing not only is not  really needful to keep food on the table as it used to be, but at this point, despite my endurance, I may be just blowing a giant amount of my life away over something that I'm just used to.  NOT being a worker bee is really tough for me, or shall we say, the change of venue to put my energies into is creating a crisis of confidence. I know where I want to go. It's like @katzrul15 signature line - you don't have to see the whole staircase, just the first step.

---

@chapeau-noir 

A kind soul gave me that saying on a bookmark inside a Christmas card this year.  Ashamed to say, I had never heard it before.  And I love it...........I ordered a large print for my office and hoping it arrives soon.

[chapeau-noir]

I noted it down, too - it's something I needed to read at this moment in my life.

ETA:  I pair it with that great quote from Mark Twain:  "Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed down-stairs one step at a time."

[chapeau-noir]

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@keziak wrote:

you see my perspective very clearly.  I work a lot to the detriment of other activities I actually love (the reading, gardening, etc) (or dabbling in other areas like cooking). Work is meaningful to me. But in therapy today my therapist set me back on my heels by saying I am looking at retirement/downsizing from a position of fear and loss, not liberation. That sucks, brain! 

I just decided to make a change to a Basic store. I thought I had until May but when I dug it up my subscription re-upped Feb 1st! Yikes, I almost missed the deadline.  So after a lot of back of the envelope calculations I can list as many auctions a month as usual (and more than I want=time committment) but with lower store rent. Yay! I still get plenty of FB listings though I want to cut back on that (=time committent for low sell-through=poor use of time).

So, one step done. Next: storage unit though with that I"m in a pickle because it was damaged so badly I literally can't get in, and the facility  manager won't return my calls to tell me what they are going to do about it. I invested a considerable amount of money on inventory in that unit. So I'm fretting about that right now.

---

Is there a metal door on that thing?  If so, I'd be tempted to burn my way in with a propane torch - that's just ridiculous, take your money and you can't even use the thing.

If you want to curate your inventory, I'd cut to the chase and just pack up all the low dollar stuff and either lot it up on Craigslist or donate it.  You're right - low sell through = poor use of time.  I walk my own talk - I cleared an entire Z-rack of low dollar stuff last week and bundled it up for donations.  Each of my Z-racks holds about 300 lb of clothing.  I'm also blowing out lots elsewhere. 

Granted, I'm acting on changes in my own market (mostly clothing), which will be different from books, but low dollar is low dollar.  It's better not to be caught by the sunk costs fallacy.  As my oldest friend once told me "nothing is worth your sanity."  

[katzrul15]

@chapeau-noir 

(((hugs)))

[gail5176]

Ebay is very time consuming. It’s a personal choice-I like the idea of the beach with a margarita and being with family and friends-enjoying my time more, than sitting at my desk worrying about non payment and all the new rules. That’s me though. Life really is too short.

[bashort]

my circumstances are very similar to yours, just turned 60 and just retired early.

I could not stand relaxing on the beach or anywhere else for more than a few days.

I love online selling on both ebay and Amazon, I plan to expand my online selling in retirement because I enjoy it, especially the process of acquiring items to sell.

[keziak]

Yes, one of my goals from now to my senior years is to gradually up my minimum prices. Hubby said lots are stupid because the per-item price is low. Well he's a high-price lawyer so whatever I do results in fairly low income so what is the point? 

Anyway, I have a bad habit of finding lower-price stuff and saying, "that's OK, I'll list it" = too much shelf space taken up by books that won't make me much. 

Actually, there are so many things I can change that it's paralyzing. It felt good to just downgrade my store. Did something.

[policequilts]

I haven't been selling on eBay for 2 years and moved to eBid to sell. It's slower, but I have been able to get time to go through my house and get more items listed.  (eBay finally lost me with Managed Payments, but the glitches of "or best offer" showing on my listings, relisting items that were sold and make me look like a fool and other things that would happen with my listings.)

Last year, I decided with the increase of shipping that I would start eliminating items for sale.  I check prices online of the items I had and decided to donate or garage sale it. I did take 2 loads to the charity facility.  I have 4 shops on eBid. One of them with clothing. I sorted that and donate a portion of it.  Another grouping of clothing, I have for "clearance" to bring in some interest with my Pinterest "Clearance board".  Now I feel better on getting through more of my items to list new items.

In the background, I have 2 books that I have written and need to have proof read. I am working on an upcycle clothing ideal, and some other artistic thoughts.

I am now seriously thinking of selling part of my fabric (did I say that?).  I have one large room that has totes and barrels of so many types of fabrics stacked. All labeled. But I thought this year to have a couple of boxes of 1 yard cut fabric and my rhubarb bundles to sell at the farmers markets.  Doesn't that make you stop to buy ?   (well, my rhubarb sign makes they stop, I wonder if they saw FABRIC if that will stop people to buy  😄  )