What is your take on this

[resesh-63]

My husband and I have been reselling for about 6+ months now, and we’ve officially reached the point where our profits are enough to cover our rent! 🙌 That’s huge for us. It’s been a grind — hours of sourcing, listing, packing, and posting on social media (and honestly, we could probably be even more consistent).

But here’s the thing that’s been on my mind — not a single one of our sales has come from friends or family. 😅 Out of everyone we know, maybe 2–3 people ever like or comment on our reselling posts… and two of those are our moms 💜😂

Is that just how it goes? Do most resellers notice the same thing — that support usually comes from strangers before people you actually know?

Anyway, just had to get that off my chest. The progress is real, even if the likes aren’t showing it.

[loose_goose_garage]

I prefer sales not to come from people I know closely. They tend to always want a better deal just because we're friends. That's great and all, but being friends doesn't pay the bills, and this is a business. 

If there is something you have that you know they would like, consider giving it as a gift.

[r_lresale]

Well in my experience, friends and family especially, don't see your business as a business. I've actually had someone post on FB ( running me down of course) telling people that I run a flea market or something stupid 🤣🤣.  Also family and friends come to your house and dig through stuff and set a pile aside and low key try to get you to give it to them ( which I absolutely do on occassion). I'm sure not all friends and family is like this but that has been my experience YMMV.

[powell-collectibles]

I don’t think that is strange – I have never sold to family, never asked for them to buy anything from me.  

doing business with family is tricky. What if they buy something from you and it breaks. What if they think you overcharged. What if you think they underpaid. It just creates the potential for bad feelings.

You shouldn’t look at people buying your things as charity or a way that others should support you. You support yourself. You put out items that people might want to buy, maybe they do, and you use that money for whatever you need.  If a family member wants my support, I’d rather that just asks me for some money. Don’t ask me to buy something that I might not even want.

[pickapaper]

@resesh-63 

If you are trying to make eBay selling your primary "career", I would imagine that some of the people you know, including your moms, are waiting to see if you are going to "make it" or if you need to go back to getting "real jobs".  There are a lot of people who still don't think you can make a living on eBay. 

I don't know what you sell but it appears you think family and friends should buy from you just because they know you, "to support you".   Quite frankly, I don't like to have any kind of financial dealings with friends or family members because if something goes wrong with the purchased item, you will never live it down.  At your next Thanksgiving dinner when your family is all gathered around the table, your cousin Mary says, "you know that widget I bought from you?  It only lasted three months and then fell apart."  Then, your Uncle Joe says, "I wasn't going to say anything but since Mary brought it up, the widget I bought from you is really poor quality.  I don't know why you would sell junk like that."    Personally, I don't want to deal with "family opinions" (and maybe inferred restitutions) like that.  If you sell to strangers, basically after 30 days, you're done with them.

[fern*wood]

It would freak me out if I saw a family member buy from me.  That's definitely not something I want.  I remember a few years ago someone posted here about a family member bidding on one of their auctions and they were told that could be considered running up the bids. 

My family has supported me by providing me packing materials and sometimes things to sell.

[ten_o_nine]

I'd rather prioritize the relationship over the sale.

[dhbookds]

Family may not understand how helpful "likes" on social media can be.....as to sales, not knowing what you sell, some people just aren't big "buyers" or have problems with on line sales.  

To me, I'd rather family, friends stay out of my stuff.......too much chance of getting into a row, especially if they ask you to sell stuff for them.  

[susanb1872]

I sell collectibles and my family does not want or collect the things I sell. If they really wanted something I would sell it to them discounted or free off eBay.

[kibble-net]

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@resesh-63 wrote:

Is that just how it goes? Do most resellers notice the same thing — that support usually comes from strangers before people you actually know?

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I've been selling on ebay since 1999.   I've NEVER made an ebay sale to anyone I know online, or in real life.

If I was going to sell to someone I know - I'd do it directly without paying ebay a commission.

[worldcoinauctions]

I don't really post my ebay stuff on social media, not where I want it to go. For some things that may work, but really no.

[mamacassidy]

One of the things I like about selling on ebay is that I don't have to get family and friends involved in buying or promoting my stuff.

That's what MLM's are for.

[a_c_green]

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@fern*wood wrote:

It would freak me out if I saw a family member buy from me.  That's definitely not something I want.  I remember a few years ago someone posted here about a family member bidding on one of their auctions and they were told that could be considered running up the bids.

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I wonder if that was me...? A zillion years ago now, back when knowing someone selling on eBay was kind of a novelty, I was horrified to see my sister-in-law and my mother bidding against each other on some decorative knick-knack I had listed. "Horrified" because back in those days you could see everyone's ID when bidding on something, and although they didn't know each other's ID at the time, they'd probably find out soon enough.

I think Mom won that auction, but after that, I quietly advised both of them to please not bid on something of mine to avoid... misunderstandings... 🙄

[r_lresale]

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@mamacassidy wrote:

One of the things I like about selling on ebay is that I don't have to get family and friends involved in buying or promoting my stuff.

That's what MLM's are for.

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😁😂🤣

[jerseyboymusic]

@resesh-63 

The thought of selling items on Ebay to friends and family is so foreign to me.  Sales come from people I don't know around the world. I would never want a family member to knowingly buy from me. Too nitpicky