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While the hey-days of eBay are past, (the late 90's when bidding went fast and furious and it was possible to sell just about anything), it is still possible to pull a decent income, and there are some that run an entire business out of ebay with employees, manufacturing, etc.
For me, it's been a gateway to online sales in general and while eBay is not my main source of income, I do have to give it credit for teaching me the ropes to go off into other directions.
It appears that many sellers are drop-shipping now....selling items from Amazon, Pottery Barn, Target, WalMart, etc -- just placing the order after someone uses Buy-It-Now and having the item sent directly from that place.
I dont mind drop-shippers but it's a little irritating when the item comes in a box saying "Amazon" or whatever; I keep thinking I should have looked there first. And, when I do look at Amazon or whatever and see how much cheaper I could have gotten it, I'm mad at myself.
It appears that many sellers are drop-shipping now....selling items from Amazon, Pottery Barn, Target, WalMart, etc -- just placing the order after someone uses Buy-It-Now and having the item sent directly from that place.
I dont mind drop-shippers but it's a little irritating when the item comes in a box saying "Amazon" or whatever; I keep thinking I should have looked there first. And, when I do look at Amazon or whatever and see how much cheaper I could have gotten it, I'm mad at myself.
That's interesting! I guess the question is, though, did they do you a service by having the item available in eBay? Would you have found it / been able to find it / committed to it, if it was a new product that isn't widely known about?
Sort of like if you go to a appliance store where they have salespeople, and you take a liking to the guy, and you get a decent deal on a washing machine that he shows you and demonstrates/explains. You know of course that you could get it cheaper at Lowe's or Home Depot or if you shopped the sales. But for convenience sake you buy it from the guy and if he was a decent person and followed through with the service aspect, you don't necessarily feel bad about it.
(I recently bought a futon for $500 and I felt that way. The store owner delivered it himself and told me to stop by the store anytime to chat. So I know I could have spent less, but I can't feel down about that purchase.)
It does seem weird though to use eBay for that purpose if you're a seller.
It appears that many sellers are drop-shipping now....selling items from Amazon, Pottery Barn, Target, WalMart, etc -- just placing the order after someone uses Buy-It-Now and having the item sent directly from that place.
I dont mind drop-shippers but it's a little irritating when the item comes in a box saying "Amazon" or whatever; I keep thinking I should have looked there first. And, when I do look at Amazon or whatever and see how much cheaper I could have gotten it, I'm mad at myself.
Just curious, what type of things have you bought like that? Big items? Furniture?
That's interesting! I guess the question is, though, did they do you a service by having the item available in eBay? Would you have found it / been able to find it / committed to it, if it was a new product that isn't widely known about?
Sort of like if you go to a appliance store where they have salespeople, and you take a liking to the guy, and you get a decent deal on a washing machine that he shows you and demonstrates/explains. You know of course that you could get it cheaper at Lowe's or Home Depot or if you shopped the sales. But for convenience sake you buy it from the guy and if he was a decent person and followed through with the service aspect, you don't necessarily feel bad about it.
(I recently bought a futon for $500 and I felt that way. The store owner delivered it himself and told me to stop by the store anytime to chat. So I know I could have spent less, but I can't feel down about that purchase.)
It does seem weird though to use eBay for that purpose if you're a seller.
I used to drop ship like that. It's so simple. But I've moved on to more profitable items that I make myself.
I use eBay to fund my golf vacations. My net is approx $1000/week. Not enough to live off of, but a nice addition to my real job.
Just curious, what type of things have you bought like that? Big items? Furniture?
I've never bought big-ticket items on eBay. My purchases have run between $50 and $500 and are usually for household accessories. I've also bought a lot of original artwork there.
I do buy everything on the internet, though, because I cant walk more than a few steps. I've furnished my entire house -- furniture, large flat-screen TV's, computers, appliances and accessories -- from the internet...mostly from Amazon. That's why it makes me mad at myself when I buy something on eBay and then find it shipped to me in an Amazon box with an Amazon packing slip.
I've heard all of the horror stories about Ebay. They are out to rob you blind... blah blah blah. Paypal sucks. blah blah blah...
Like anything else on the internet, there is always "that guy"
I have about 1300 all positive feedback on Ebay probably equally split between buying and selling. I've never had any problem with them. There have been a few transactions that did not go smoothly but that's just how it is dealing with people. I've managed to fix most every problem that came along... and there were not many. I still buy there and occasionally sell there these days. If you have something to sell that people want, it can be a very valid selling tool.
I have about 1300 all positive feedback on Ebay probably equally split between buying and selling. I've never had any problem with them. There have been a few transactions that did not go smoothly but that's just how it is dealing with people. I've managed to fix most every problem that came along... and there were not many. I still buy there and occasionally sell there these days. If you have something to sell that people want, it can be a very valid selling tool.
I agree. I've bought over 4,000 items on eBay and had only a very few bad deals (where the seller went south on me). As I said above, I have only myself to blame when I buy on eBay and then find out I could have gotten the item cheaper on Amazon or someplace else where I buy often. But most of my eBay purchases have been merchandise that I probably couldnt have found anywhere else -- or, at least, not without a lot of research.
Instead of getting a second (part-time) job, I thought I would try selling on eBay this winter.
My thought so far is, to make it worth it, I have to pick items that will give me at least a $10 profit margin on every item.
I'm also trying to think through this, and, each item (the entire lifecycle of the item from when I purchase it until it ships out the door) will cost me about 1 hour of time. This includes purchasing, receiving and unpacking, photographing, listing, responding to emails, receiving payment, packing, taking it to the post office, and responding to any after-purchase emails.
Maybe I'll get more efficient at the process and it will eventually take me less time. But, I think I have to assume it will take a good hour.
So -- 1 hour of work per item = $10 per hour.
eBay fees though are going to add some cost, so, I am hoping I'll also get more skilled at selecting items that can be sold at a $15-$20 margin or better.
Just want to get any thoughts, ideas, feedback on my plans and if I'm being reasonable with these assumptions. Thank you!!
I used to, a long time ago. At some point I decided I didn't need a partner who sometimes took MORE than 50% of the profit, and did next to nothing for it.
Never again. At least not until they start pricing their service for what it's worth. That includes their outrageous double-dip with Paypal.
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