Ebay and Charlotte (Matthews, Mooresville, Cornelius: for sale, leases, buying)

[SuperchargedSS]

Wife and I have been contemplating on opening up an EbAy store near the Mooresville area. Anyone have any use for one up here? I know in FL they were pretty cool.

For those who dont know: An Ebay store is a place you take your items that you want listed on Ebay to sell. The store gets a commission and you dont have to worry about becoming the victim of fraud and dont have to worry about learning how to use Ebay. Basically drop your junk off, they sell it, and cut you a check. Nothing else for you to do!

Thoughts? Discuss? Yay? Nay?

[JohnnyBreakdance]

Do these stores actually make money? It is pretty easy to put your stuff on eBay and accept payment through Paypal. Why pay a middle man?

[SuperchargedSS]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBreakdance

Do these stores actually make money? It is pretty easy to put your stuff on eBay and accept payment through Paypal. Why pay a middle man?

apparently they do because there are a ton of them out there.

Problem is when you first start out, no one wants to buy or accept bids from sellers with zero feedback. With an established business, its alot easier to get a higher value for an item because the seller is trusted. I know for a fact that I am more inclined to pay a higher price to buy from a business on ebay versus a member with very little feedback, especially on high ticket items. And alot of people dont want to take the time to photograph, list, package, and ship their stuff. Sad but true...

[Miker2069]

I assume the ebay store isn't affiliated with ebay at all (or can you license the ebay logo and all that stuff). I don't know anything about them, actually this is the first time I've heard about a brick and mortar ebay store front. I know someone who's bought bulk dell refurbs (i.e., like a trailer full of stuff) and sell them on ebay, making a pretty darn good income.

However seems like your store would be any and everything? Not sure if I'm comfortable with fixed overhead, leases, etc., with your only source of income dependent on stuff people decide to bring in and then a cut (which I assume is quite big) of the final sale.

Personally, I don't necessarily look at a biz or a person and value them differently, I look at the seller rating and recent feedback.

Not saying it won't work, but I'd hate to go a whole week and only get a microwave someone wants to sell.

[JohnnyBreakdance]

Originally Posted by SuperchargedSS

apparently they do because there are a ton of them out there.

Problem is when you first start out, no one wants to buy or accept bids from sellers with zero feedback. With an established business, its alot easier to get a higher value for an item because the seller is trusted. I know for a fact that I am more inclined to pay a higher price to buy from a business on ebay versus a member with very little feedback, especially on high ticket items. And alot of people dont want to take the time to photograph, list, package, and ship their stuff. Sad but true...

The reason I asked is that there are a couple of eBay stores in my area and I never see anyone bringing things to them.

BTW I think that most people know what an eBay store is because they watched The 40 Year Old Virgin.

[SunnyKayak]

There are quite a few in charlotte metro area some are actually a chain like Sold Online they have locations in charlotte, huntersville, knnapolis, and concord.

This area already has a huge ebay presence and I am not knocking this buisness but due to high ebay fees I really wonder if there is much of a profit margin anymore unlike 10 years ago.

If it was me and I was to set up a brick and mortar store I would go in an area that residents are still mostly using dial up connections or not pc proficient so they would be more likely to use your service.

Wish you the best of luck.

LOL I remember that line in that movie he asked that girl he dated so you have a store but there nothing in it LOL

[SuperchargedSS]

Originally Posted by SunnyKayak

LOL I remember that line in that movie he asked that girl he dated so you have a store but there nothing in it LOL

I think it was more along the lines of "so you have a store but nothing in it for sale?" Referring to you cannot buy anything in the store...LOL..classic movie tho!

[SuperchargedSS]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBreakdance

The reason I asked is that there are a couple of eBay stores in my area and I never see anyone bringing things to them.

I completely agree, not much action with people coming through the front door. However, there will be SOME people and it is a tax writeoff. Secondly, alot of the business I do on Ebay is from me searching for items in bulk that are discontinued, etc, and buying everything the store has and reselling them. I can use a storefront to do that as well as sell local stuff to, I presume. Just a thought, glad to hear both sides of it...

And the microwave comment, LOL...classic!

[BxRosie]

Originally Posted by SunnyKayak

There are quite a few in charlotte metro area some are actually a chain like Sold Online they have locations in charlotte, huntersville, knnapolis, and concord.

This area already has a huge ebay presence and I am not knocking this buisness but due to high ebay fees I really wonder if there is much of a profit margin anymore unlike 10 years ago.

If it was me and I was to set up a brick and mortar store I would go in an area that residents are still mostly using dial up connections or not pc proficient so they would be more likely to use your service.

Wish you the best of luck.

LOL I remember that line in that movie he asked that girl he dated so you have a store but there nothing in it LOL

I remember seeing an "I Sold It" store in either Cornelius or Davidson, but no ebay store. I do shop on ebay but I've never sold anyhting on it, to much of a hassle personally, so I would probably be one of those people that uses a store. If you do open one in Mooresville, I'll know where to go when I'm ready to sell off some of my Dept56 Villages & baseball collectibles.

BxRosie

[shaylahc]

I saw an Ebay store in Matthews yesterday.