do you sell on eBay?

[FLA]

sometimes the things I am donating I think are rather nice and I might be able to sell them on eBay. But the thought overwhelms me. Figuring out how much to charge for postage (do I need a postal scale?), is it hard to take a pic with you phone and then get it on eBay, how do you pay eBay? I think about all that and then give everything away. But others on here seem to do quite well at selling. Any tips?

I've used Craigslist to sell lots of kids' clothes and big toys. And I sold almost all my household furniture that way. But for the little things, I think I would fare better on eBay.

[Koolmagicguy]

It is a lot easier than you think. I've sold close to a hundred items across Amazon and eBay and it's a cinch.

Take the picture on your phone, then email it to yourself and upload it on your PC. Or just use the eBay app to list your product.

I usually use the Buy it Now option rather than auction, especially for cheap stuff. I have offered free shipping on occasion, really depends what it is. eBay has a shipping cost estimator or you can use the one at the USPS or UPS websites.

When I was selling 10-15 items per week a few years back I used mailing and filing envelopes for packaging. DVDs, books and CDs fit nicely and do not require padding but you can also get mailers with bubble wrap inside if you are shipping something a little more delicate. You can buy mailers in packs of 6 at most dollar stores. If you use a box you will be charged by volume AND weight. If you use a mailer the volume is decreased. I do not recommend flat rate boxes. You tend to overpay especially for light items.

eBay uses Paypal and funds become available after delivery confirmation or 10 days, whichever is sooner. As far as I know, Paypal is required for selling on eBay. Amazon does not have a waiting period but you must use ACH which takes 2-3 days to deposit.

Amazon deducts seller fees immediately. eBay will bill you each month.

Have fun! Let us know how it goes.

[disneysteve]

It is a lot easier than you think. I've sold close to a hundred items across Amazon and eBay and it's a cinch.

I've been selling on ebay since 1997, not long after ebay came into existence. Since then, I've sold thousands of items. At my peak, I had 100 auctions running at all times. I listed 10 items per day for 10-day auctions (which was a thing back then).

It is pretty easy but there is definitely a learning curve. You need to fully understand how the system works and, especially, what costs are involved so that you don't cheat yourself out of money. Fees eat up a big chunk of sales so you need to properly factor that in.

As for some of your specific questions, it is simple to upload pictures from your phone to ebay. That's exactly how I do it now.

You pay ebay by credit card (or debit, I imagine). It is very helpful to have a scale to determine proper postage. You don't want to guess and you don't want to have to run to the post office constantly to have them weigh items before you list them. If you're going to sell a fair number of items, buy a scale.

[msomnipotent]

I sell my junk on ebay, craigslist, and bookoo. I think ebay is a big PITA, mainly because going to the post office out here is extremely inconvenient. I would rather spend a day at the DMV. But the upside is that I can usually sell things for a much higher price than selling locally. Postage eats into the price, though. Ebay's final listing fees are around 10%, plus Paypal fees, which I think are 3%. That is for their "free" listings that do not include fancy placement and what not. Their billing can be a little confusing. They just took $22 out of my checking account the other day. I sold two of my daughter's old Lego sets within a few days of each other and one was billed in Dec and the other at the end of January. I have a postal scale and I wouldn't advise selling something that needs a box without one. My advice is do not print postage from ebay if you are not positive of the weight and measurements. Then you can have problems with the buyers. One person had a fit because the post office lost the package (even with tracking, insurance, and priority) and another tried to say that they never received the package. A smaller problem is buyers not leaving feedback for you. People don't want to buy from sellers with low feedback, and I use feedback as a way to know that they received the package.

I find Craigslist and Bookoo easier to deal with and cheaper, but they have their own sets of problems, too.

[feh]

sometimes the things I am donating I think are rather nice and I might be able to sell them on eBay. But the thought overwhelms me. Figuring out how much to charge for postage (do I need a postal scale?), is it hard to take a pic with you phone and then get it on eBay, how do you pay eBay? I think about all that and then give everything away. But others on here seem to do quite well at selling. Any tips?

I've used Craigslist to sell lots of kids' clothes and big toys. And I sold almost all my household furniture that way. But for the little things, I think I would fare better on eBay.

It really depends on how much you value your time.

I suggest you try selling one item (my personal cutoff is if the item is valued at more than $25) and see if the effort is worth it to you.

[creditcardfree]

Yes, you do need a scale. I actually use a food scale that has ounces up to 5 pounds. I bought it at Walmart over 10 years ago.

I only ship USPS.

All items under 13 oz are shipped first class mail, package rate. Unless it is a traditional envelope for something flat.

I ship nearly everything else Priority mail. I do offer USPS parcel rate, but people rarely choose that as the price difference is very minimal and gets there slower in most cases.

You can mail in your own box or a box provided by the post office. If you use your own it is based on weight, size of box and destination zip code. The closer the buyer is the less it will cost for a comparable package going farther away.

The flat rate is easy, but isn't always the least expensive for the customer. I really have never gone wrong with my own box, weight and size of package and zip code shipping from. Ebay prompts you to input these if you are charging actual shipping costs based on weight.

Ebay does invoicing the customer, who then pays online, ebay tells you they have paid, you ship. You can pay online or go to the post office and pay. I always pay online out of my paypal account, which is where the customer funds are. Once my auctions end, I go in and pay eBay their fees, again from my Paypal account. They will invoice you, in case you forget!

You could add dropbox to your phone which you can upload photos taken on your phone to a dropbox folder on your computer.

It is work, but if you have kids clothing, toys, books and games...there is a huge market for that stuff, and it's well worth the effort in my opinion.

[Leo]

I sell things on eBay mostly things that I don't need or already used like book or video games, other than that, I sold a laptop, some accessories, and other stuff that it's going to be hard selling locally like collection.

I only sell using Buy It Now and not auction. Some buyers will negotiate with you and send an offer.

For pictures and item info, it should be easy to transfer from your phone to your desktop/laptop and other item info can be googled.

For shipping, eBay has a good estimator on how much you should ask for shipping. When you put your item weight and choose your carrier and service, eBay can estimate it for you. Usually the estimate is cheaper because you will get a discount when using those services. For example, 1lb item will cost $10 to ship. Buyer will pay you $10 but when you print the label online, eBay will only ask you for $9.70.

The downside of using eBay is the fees. eBay has fees, and Paypal has fees.

[disneysteve]

The flat rate is easy, but isn't always the least expensive for the customer.

I always check and the flat rate box is ALWAYS more expensive than the regular rate, sometimes significantly so. I've never actually used a flat rate box for just that reason.

I think the main reason people use them is for the convenience of just being able to quote a flat price for every item and not have to actually figure it out.

[creditcardfree]

I always check and the flat rate box is ALWAYS more expensive than the regular rate, sometimes significantly so. I've never actually used a flat rate box for just that reason.

I think the main reason people use them is for the convenience of just being able to quote a flat price for every item and not have to actually figure it out.

Unfortunately, always isn't correct. I agree to always check, but I have been mailing half way across the country and have found the flat rate boxes to be cheaper for the amount of weight usually 2-3 pounds. I think it depends on postal zones.

[disneysteve]

Unfortunately, always isn't correct. I agree to always check, but I have been mailing half way across the country and have found the flat rate boxes to be cheaper for the amount of weight usually 2-3 pounds. I think it depends on postal zones.

Sorry, I didn't mean it was always more expensive in every situation. I just meant that every time I've checked, it has been more expensive. I realize that's because I sell smaller/lighter items. It is very rare for me to be shipping something that weighs 2+ pounds.

[FLA]

thank you everyone for your responses. Now all I have to do is purge and come up with the items, lol.

[FrankFacts]

I think eBay is a bit hit or miss -- a lot depends on the actual items you're selling. In my experience selling used items, it's better for the item to have started out as somewhat expensive (ie. a camera, cellphone, tablet, computer, software, etc.). So, things like clothes, ornaments, books, DVDs, don't sell so well UNLESS they're basically brand new. If you buy a new DVD, for example, and watch it once and then sell it, that could work. Anyway, I think it's the kind of thing you learn from experience -- as you go, you'll start to understand which used items sell well, and which don't.

[FLA]

weirdly, I've had 4 iPhone cases for the 5s on Freecycle and no one wants them, they are in great condition, one is leather and was unused (it was a gift). No one on my Facebook wants them either. If I put them on Craigslist for $5-10 for the set, I'd probably get a buyer.

[ryanjames]

I sell old junk on Ebay all the time, it would seem people are prepared to pay for pretty much anything!

[97guns]

If you have something rare or collectable or an item with any kind of interest eBay is tough to beat for selling. I've sold collectable knives and they command top dollar and often times a bidding war