eBay

namtrag1 · ‎08-13-2018

Lets say a seller wants to profit $10,000 per month.

conditions:

sale price of widget = $35

Cost of Widget = $25

_________________________

Gross Profit = $10

eBay fee per widget = $3.25

Paypal fee per widget = $1.32

Shipping Fee per widget = $4.00

__________________________________

Expense per each widget = $8.57

Gross Profit per widget $10.00

- Expense per widget $8.57

_____________________________________

Net Profit before taxes = $1.43 for each widget

So to make $10,000 profit per month you must sell 7000 widgets per month

to sell 7000 widgets per month you must stock about 14000 widgets.

14000 widgets x $25 = $350,000 of inventory.

So who has $350,000 to stock the warehouse ?

And who can sell 7000 widgets per month ?

This does not include the 30 day Free returns that eBay wants us to do.

This does not take into account any employee wages either.

And what happens when eBay cathes a "cold" and does something majorly stupid that costs sellers dearly in lost sales ?

calistas_closet33 · ‎08-16-2018

I was alone selling a lot, consistently over 10k, at theheight 18k last year, and I am a sale shopper/ reseller. i worked my butt off, now I am not... oh well..

calistas_closet33 · ‎08-16-2018

Some did..but ebay buried our listings..l

lja440 · ‎08-16-2018

@luckythewinner wrote:
@namtrag1 wrote:
Must be nice to get your inventory for free. How do you get your cost of a widget to be ZERO?
I hope your not suggesting that you acquire your widgets unethically.
I don't know about others, but I get my free items by recognizing value in things that other people give away.

I see nothing unethical about that.

LOL, and I'm not afraid to "dumpster dive".

Trash day on my mailroute this week I spotted a drop leaf table missing one side. It came home with me. I still have to wax it but now it is a desk. Along the side that had the missing piece it now has a file holder and a set of small 3" drawers, both were nearly free in box lots. The paint (I make my own chalk paint) I get at Lowes where my daughter works in the paint department, she lets me know when any pints go on clearance or there is a particularly nice misstint. (this piece is a soft light grey, left over from a couple other pieces I have done)

All in all I have the most $ in the chalkpaint wax that I will use (I can't find a good cheap substitute for this). Time is maybe an hour so far. Cost negligible. And it will probably sell for $125-$150.

retrose1 · ‎08-16-2018

@lja440 wrote:
I guess you could say I fall into the hobbyist category as I do give away a lot of albums. We do art on some but I get a lot of unsalable albums and I have a girl that comes in and she makes cosplay outfits. We found that they are good for making armor pieces (yes I tought her how to work with it and not breath in the fumes when cutting tham with a hot knife). Albums in good condition that will not sell, Christmas, and over prodused artist like Barry Mannalow get donated to the Habitat or Hospice stores.

Your post reminded me about when I had records in my vintage store and had a Far Side cartoon of a guy nailing records onto his house as new vinyl siding, framed above them.

What about making melted record bowls? Or I made hangers by taking the covers with close up faces of the singer and glued the face onto a wood cut out shaped like a hanger and made a hanger out of it. Got the idea from the ones that were made in the 60s.

I have boatloads of merchandise that doesn't sell, bad size, out of trend, ect. But I can work to turn some of the unsellable into something that might, like tote bags out of tshirts.

(*Bleep*)

lja440 · ‎08-17-2018

I do make bowls but that is too easy. A guy I know wants a pic guard (he is in a Pink Floyd cover band). He wants the Dark Side of the Moon so I am in search of a copy that is unplayable. I will cut it to the shape and then coat it with epoxy resin. I do drink coasters currently for $5 each/ 3 for $10 with both LP's and 45's. People love to find a fave song or artist in the basket.

thingsoldandnew10 · ‎08-17-2018

@lja440 wrote:
@luckythewinner wrote:
@namtrag1 wrote:
Must be nice to get your inventory for free. How do you get your cost of a widget to be ZERO?
I hope your not suggesting that you acquire your widgets unethically.
I don't know about others, but I get my free items by recognizing value in things that other people give away.

I see nothing unethical about that.

LOL, and I'm not afraid to "dumpster dive".

Trash day on my mailroute this week I spotted a drop leaf table missing one side. It came home with me. I still have to wax it but now it is a desk. Along the side that had the missing piece it now has a file holder and a set of small 3" drawers, both were nearly free in box lots. The paint (I make my own chalk paint) I get at Lowes where my daughter works in the paint department, she lets me know when any pints go on clearance or there is a particularly nice misstint. (this piece is a soft light grey, left over from a couple other pieces I have done)

All in all I have the most $ in the chalkpaint wax that I will use (I can't find a good cheap substitute for this). Time is maybe an hour so far. Cost negligible. And it will probably sell for $125-$150.

Just a FYI:

One of our neighbors takes a tour of the more socially and higher priced neighborhoods every week on the days the trash man is due. This individual collects enough "other people's junk" to hold a huge three day yard sale every year over the Memorial Day Weekend. I never bothered going to this yard sale until this year but this year I went and what an eye-opener: whole sets of dishes missing no pieces what so ever( maybe a chip on one or two), nice dining room tables with minor scratches, slightly used toys (bicycles, tricycles, wagons and even higher, priced battery vehicles). tools etc etc . Amazing what people throw out.

This individual clears in the $10-12K each year on the yard sale alone and with the prices he charges I suspect lots of his yard sale items end up here on ebay being sold.

robot-hands · ‎08-17-2018

@namtrag1 wrote:
Lets say a seller wants to profit $10,000 per month.

conditions:
sale price of widget = $35
Cost of Widget = $25

Why are you spending $25 to make $10?

I'd rather take a nap.

Sheesh man, work smarter, not harder.

clu3 · ‎08-17-2018

Your scenario is ridiculous. Who in the world would go into business selling an item for $10 over cost and expect to profit $10k per month? If they did, they deserve to go bankrupt for being so foolish.

lja440 · ‎08-18-2018

I kinda overspent last night at the local auction.

Two industrial First Aid kits, large metal wall boxes STUFFED with everything that should be there like this one https://www.mfasco.com/first-aid-kits/restaurant-kits/firstaid-kit-w-restaurant-fill.html . I paid $25 each. The only thing wrong with them is the logo on the front is smeared.

Three Guardian ware pots with lids only one looks to have ever been used and that one only lightly. $5 for all three.

Two flats of DVD's some never opened, most box office hits not straight to DVD titles. around 80 titles, spent $20 ($10 a flat)

Flat of CD's. Mainly Rock, Hard Rock and early Rap. 60+ for $12

Some Oriental small items and a sphere something like this one but more pink hued and around 6" across. https://www.ebay.com/itm/DINO-WOW-Huge-SELENITE-CRYSTAL-SPHERE-Morocco-3-lbs-5-9oz-Sweet-Display/332... Paid $5 for the lot.

Shark steam cleaner package new in the box never used $17 (that I will probably keep for myself).

Some glassware that I don't need to get a set of canisters that I can sell for around $40, $5 for a large box and 3 flats (most of which will get donated).

I went because the pictures showed record albums but didn't get any. They were not in the best shape and the previous weeks hulabaloo over the records that sold (which I snagged 5 out of the 8 boxes of near mint albums) drove up the prices. There was 2 boxes that I did quick math on as being a retail value of each reaching around the $100 mark. I let them go when they reached past my bid of $35.

Last week I spent $360 (with sales tax) on the 5 boxes. I have graded and priced 3 1/2 boxes so far. Inventory value right now is $1298.00 and I haven't hit the Beatles albums yet.

Sure there were MANY other items there that I could have made money on but right now I'm thinking of getting a new Jeep and was being a bit tight fisted. That and there is a sale every week so ...