newbie

[bldgre-80]

retired and bored so im going to start selling on ebay...... any suggestions, ive got lots of time on my hands, would do this just for fun. hobby...dont really need the money

[powell-memorabilia]

Oh, you’ll receive lots of advice on this board!  So much of it is contradictory - all well intentioned, but sellers have different views and experiences.  

so, please take what we write with a grain of salt.  What works for others might not work for you.

hopefully, here is some good advice that works for every seller:

- be as clear and accurate in your title and description as possible

- don’t sell worthless junk

- go above and beyond in customer service

- if you make a mistake, make it right, and then some

- don’t communicate with buyers outside of the eBay system, and don’t ever accept payment outside of eBay

- don’t assume that every buyer is a scammer (because very few are)

- absolutely, have fun!

Please do come back with questions and to let us know how things are going!

[jayjaspersgarage]

"

• Commonly counterfeited items including designer handbags, designer sunglasses, expensive designer jeans, Nike shoes, Ugg boots, Otter Boxes, high-end cosmetics."

Add silver and gold coins and jewelry to the commonly counterfeit item list.  I've been in the coin game since the early 1970's.  Every 'rare' coin or error coin has been faked by China.  Even the grading slabs are counterfeited at times.  

[jayjaspersgarage]

"As previously mentioned, approach it as a whimsy... The less you expect, the less you will be disappointed. "

Wait a minute, are we discussing marriage here or on-line selling by a thousand cuts?

[jayjaspersgarage]

"Maybe Santa will bring you a "Ebay for Dummies book" for Christmas..........that's what I read when I first started and it helped alot.  It will be out of date on specifics perhaps, but the relative in depth discussions on shipping and other "pieces" of selling here as overviews were really helpful to me."

Great tip!  I borrowed a copy of EFD for a week in 2010 and look at what happened.  There are millions of copies available for free in libraries so I would pay ask around or buy a copy from an established ebay seller.  Support the group.

[jayjaspersgarage]

"That "fun" aspect can still head south, real fast .

"

Again, is marriage part of this conversation?

💔

[hawkwind5454]

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@jayjaspersgarage wrote:

"As previously mentioned, approach it as a whimsy... The less you expect, the less you will be disappointed. "

Wait a minute, are we discussing marriage here or on-line selling by a thousand cuts?

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Potato, potahto- You may move the planchette in whatever direction as you see fit

[dq3141]

If you're planning to sell your own stuff, it might be fun for a while.

If you're planning to drop-ship, don't.

If you're planning to source from yard/estate sales, etc., isn't there anything else you can do with your time?

[1786davycrockett]

Just to correct the record -- I never told ANYBODY to LIE on their taxes.  I don't know how you jumped to that conclusion -- but you are WRONG!

[m60driver]

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@dq3141 wrote:

If you're planning to source from yard/estate sales, etc., isn't there anything else you can do with your time?

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Well excuse me, but for me personally, being medically retired, there is little better for me to do than to go to such sales to find things to resell on Ebay to make some lunch money.  Besides, in my area the only good music radio shows are in the mornings on the weekends when the sales happen.  So for me, no, there is nothing better I can do with my time for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday morning than to drive around to sales while listening to a great reggae show on Saturdays and a great blues show on Sundays.  If you have something better this unemployable curmudgeon can do to make some lunch money so easily then pray tell.

[cambriachick]

Hey bldgre-80 good for you!  Basically, that's what I do.  It's nice to meet and chat with other folks buying and selling at sales.  A couple notes, don't let the tax thing scare you.  Keep an inventory of the cost of your merchandise and keep track of your milage.  When I file taxes, generally the milage counteracts my profit and I don't have to pay anything more because of my sales.  You also get to deduct a portion of your housing costs.  When you sell any of your stuff, remember to declare the cost of it used, not what you paid for it.  When pricing, be sure to check the completed sales prices, as well as the current asking prices.  Good advice here about getting ready for shipping and avoiding tech stuff and name brand purses and shoes.

Lots of luck!

[cambriachick]

* sell your personal stuff

[wildpitchsports]

Welcome! Just be aware that if you are in the USA and sell over $600 starting next year you will be taxed on the total sales amount and will receive a 1099-K that you will need to file with your tax return.

[sagehill03]

You better not need the money because FeeBay will get most of it anyway. Can you really be that bored?

[keziak]

I always say that I would never recommend to a young person to get into online sales. Just reading this thread demonstrates  how involved it is.  Take just packing the items. You'll need a bunch of different Priority boxes on hand and packing materials. Unless you will ship by Media Mail. Learn what that means. Etc etc.

I understand you want to try selling here as a hobby. It's none of my business literally but unless you prefer to do stuff on your own I would check the community for volunteer work to get out of the house and feel productive and diverted. 

Good luck!

[zenben011]

I have been a buyer on eBay since 2003. I just started selling in May of 2021. Cleaning out some boxes in my basement I found some old things. Using the app on my phone I scanned the barcode and eBay shows you all the current listings for that item on eBay. Find the filter to look at sold items and you can see how much people are selling the similar item for to come up with a listing price. I would say my experience is that auctions are pointless and just list things as buy it now. I sold an old video game strategy guide for about $90 that I would have otherwise thrown away. I was hooked on this idea of "flipping" random items I have around the house. You would be surprised. Old key chain, old key fob for a car I don't have anymore, cords, extra parts that came with something else I bought, etc. I'm in it for fun mostly so I find things to buy and sell that are things I personally like and know a lot about... car parts, old radios, electronics stuff. Look on craigslist, facebook marketplace, and shopgoodwill.com for the type of things you know about and think you can sell on eBay. Buy a postage scale. Also, if you have someone in the house who buys things from Amazon all the time you will never need boxes! Good luck!