another question about making money for disney trip off ebay

[tbserena]

I have set up a seller account and ready to get started on Ebay. My daughters are wanting to do this to make their spending money on our Disney Cruise and WDW vacation in October.
My question is, where can you find information on what sells quickest, or best? Anyone having any luck with this right now, and can you give a beginner advice about it???

Thanks
Teresa

 

[dpayne1969]

if your girls have any outgrown clothes i would put them up for sale for sure.if you have a digital camera take pictures as well it will sell faster with a picture.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I've recently been led to the discussion boards of ebay. There is a board for each (all?) ebay categorys. You can find them by following the Community link to Discussion boards. They also have boards for other topics like Turbo Lister, Seller Central, etc.

 

[marcyinPA]

The way I started selling on eBay was by going through all of the junk in my basement like I would get ready for a yard sale. I also went through closets and drawers. When I had a pile of stuff, I looked on eBay (I did a search) for similar items to see what people priced them at and how many bids they had. Then I priced my own items similarly. We've made nearly $1000 since the end of Dec!

Honestly, the best selling items are USED kids clothing! I haven't had much success with NEW clothing, but used clothing, when priced right (meaning low) will bid up in no time! I recently sold two shirts (Blues Clues and a "K-Mart special" polo shirt) and 2 pair of the cheapie ($3 a pair) Target shorts that were my ds's last year. I put them up at $2 and got over $13 for them at auction end! I couldn't believe it!

It never ceases to amaze me what people will buy and how much they will spend on eBay!!

 

[tbserena]

Used kids clothing....hmmmm Lol I would have never thought about that! Well I'll try it. Another question is about the listing fees, etc. I guess you might break your own account if you list like a hundred things one day. Isn't it like a percentage of your listing price? Once you get going I'm sure it doesn't even seem noticeable. You must have to add it in, mentally, to your listing price?
I'm trying to find the place on ebay where you can see the current auctions and what has sold well. Any help in that area??
Thanks!!

 

[ceecee]

Must be my mistake.....I sell the used at the Garage sale and try the new on Ebay (low prices) and have had no luck, unless it's Gymboree...even that didn't go that high! $12.99 for a 3 pi outfit that was NWT!

 

[dpayne1969]

i had some of my daughters clothes that i priced at .50 a piece cause this is what i would have asked at a yard sale.I had 4 pieces and it sold for over 7.00 and they were all used.No holes or stains of course but still USED!!You might try to enter what you are selling and then scroll down to completed items and see what it sold for that way!Good luck.

 

[Tina]

Ok, here's what is confusing me. How can you price an item so low when considering listing fees and the final value fee, not to mention any Paypal fees? I know you have to price low to draw interest, but what if the item really sells that low? How often do you find yourself on the losing end? For example, I was doing a little pricing research today for my husband's leather jacket. I a few auctions that closed for 1 CENT! What is the point in that?

I listed my first 6 auctions between last night and this morning. I wasn't really sure what I was doing or if my pricing was right. If anyone has the time, I'd love for anyone to take a look and give me feedback. My Ebay username is traderdoe.

 

[Taja]

Tina, everyone has their own way of determining listing prices. Some will list at $0.01 or $0.99 to watch the action (not a bad idea on free listing days--just to try it). My philosophy is more realistic.

Listing price = minimum price acceptable for item + all listing related fees (photos, scheduled auction, Buy It Now, etc.) + estimated FVF & PayPal fees. You may want to include estimated (or actual) cost of shipping supplies (I include mine in my shipping charge).

Personally, I never list an item for less than I am willing to sell it, so most of my items rarely have more than 2 or 3 bids. My listing price usually is set a bit higher than I would expect to receive at a garage sale, but somewhat less than I can claim as a tax deduction for a donation. I also check the the completed auctions on eBay for similar items (I'm selling stuff from around the house, so "similar" can be a stretch at times!).

The other thing I do is look at my listing price + shipping charges (be sure to add shipping supplies) to determine if it's reasonable. Would I purchase that item for that price? Is it a good value? Sometimes the answer is no, and it goes into the contributions, garage sale or consignment shop boxes instead of eBay. Other times I'll take a chance and list the item anyway. Sometimes things I don't think are a good value sell for more than my listing price. Other times, things I consider a steal languish and never sell! Go figure!

Another thing to consider is grouping similar items into lots. It's much more convenient for you, and can be a very good value for buyers. If you have four garments in the same size range, it might be worth listing them as a lot, rather than individually. It depends on the items (very dressy or formal may not work well with very casual!). You get the idea!

It's all a matter of personal preference and trial and error, with a lot of research thrown in for good measure.

It isn't a fast way to make a lot of money, but if you're willing to do your homework and invest a little time, you can make some extra money selling things that no longer fit in your life and are more appropriate to another person's needs.


Taja

 

[tbserena]

I have spent the last few weeks reading these posts regarding ebay and making money. Naturally I'm on here because of a Disney trip, and I'm trying to earn some extra money before the Cruise in October. I think I have a pretty good idea about what to do and what not to do....I have my seller account set up now and have the first few items I want to list. Being new I'm sure I will make some mistakes and learn as I go! I know you can't get rich, but if I can offset souvenirs, excursions, "drinks" and the little extras, it will be worth it. After all, like some have said, this stuff is just laying around my house.

I have 3 girls and am going to start with groups of used clothes first, to get used to the fees and shipping. Just the ins and outs of the whole process. I'm not expecting a fortune, but I do plan to stick it out and try to sell for at least a few months to see what happens. We also have some Holiday Barbies and Madame Alexander dolls still in boxes. Not sure about selling those yet.

I too am amazed at what people are selling AND buying. I think it will be fun to list and see what things sell for. You have to be willing to chalk some of the auctions up as a loss to trial and error, the learning process.

I was told by a friend to start slow and ship promptly...that will get you positive feedback real quick.

Anyone else know what sells well??? What about going to garage sales....how do you know what will sell well on ebay? I was thinking about going to clearance sales for toys and clothes like at Walmart, Toys R Us, then listing.....?????

 

[dansyr]

I have found anything with a brand name sells well. I have listed Express, Victoria's secret etc and they generally sell.
Just a tip also...I have bought a few wholesale lots from a certain seller ( don't know if I'm allowed to mention the name on the boards so if anyone is interested ...pm me) for very cheap. It is usually overstock from a dept store and is nwt tags so I can sell cheaply and still make a profit.
Also.....I tend to sell things at the beginning of a season to get more for them. EX..spring items in Feb. Those same items in April seem to go for less because more people are listing them.

 

[tbserena]

Do you know why it's good to be "Verified"? I'm going to get verified, I just don't know what it means, exactly. Apparently Paypal made the 2 small deposits in my bank account Fri and they aren't listed on my online bank statement yet. Probably won't see them until Monday.
Can I go ahead and list my items tonight, and continue the verification Monday?

THANKS!!!!!!!!!

 

[dansyr]

I'm not sure but I think verified is when your credit info such as address matches your home address. I could be completely wrong...but I thought that is was.

 

[#1 DOUG Live Fan]

Originally posted by tbserena
Anyone else know what sells well??? What about going to garage sales....how do you know what will sell well on ebay?

If you can get ahold of clothing from QVC, that is usually a good seller. If you don't have any of your own to sell, you might find some at Goodwill. I have also found brands like Old Navy, Ralph Lauren, and such will sell. If you go the Goodwill route, just be sure to look the garment over really well while you are there. Look for any stains, tears in seams or signs of wear. It's disappointing to get them home and then find a flaw. Oh...and be sure to shop on 50% off day! That makes it a LOT more affordable.

Just a few other search suggestions...
SpongeBob
Harry Potter
Barbie

Liz

 

[Robinrs]

Collectible items sell well, new and old DVDs, name brand items and NIB things...

One strange thing I've found that sells well are the heated curlers/rollers. They sell 100% of the time!

I get most of my items at yard sales and a thrift store in my area that sells lots of designer stuff for 1/2 price on Mondays. I sell Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne, FUBU things, they all sell great, and men's golf shirts by good name brands. I sell some in lots and others alone, the lots sell fast. Men are great customers, they buy quick and without much question! Women are way more particular, but know what they want! What else is new?

The most important thing IMHO is what kind of profit I can get for the item. I rarely spend more than $3.50 for an item and start them off at $4.99. They usually go for much more and it's a rare person who wouldn't buy a designer thing for $5.00!

Good luck!

 

[tbserena]

Thank you

Lots of great information! I'll go look for those hot rollers I have under the bathroom sink! Lol.

 

[marcyinPA]

This seemed odd to me, but bedding sells really well too. I sold my ds's toddler bedding (sold for $21), his old twin bedding($41), and now I have my old set of queen sized bedding listed with one bid.

Personally, I would never buy used bedding off of eBay or anywhere else for that matter! Same with swimsuits... I sold two Lands End used swimsuits for a pretty penny a month or so ago!

Go Figure

 

[tbserena]

It never ceases to amaze me!! I am making a note of the things that people are saying sells. I guess you just never know! I have gone EBAY CRAZY today. I finally started listing some things and have 4 bids already. Taking it easy though because shipping is yet to come! I'm going to take one room at a time and just list whatever I would have put in a yard sale. Right now I'm having so much fun...but I haven't had any payor difficulties or shipping hassles. Me and my DDs have been watching our seller board off and on today...and we have 6 days to go! *whew* And that's just todays stuff! I hope people are honest when they pay. I know I am.
Anyway, I think I've gotten addicted to selling on ebay already! My DH thinks I'm crazy, but when he's on that cruise this October sipping a tropical drink, he'll love me for it!!!!
Keep the suggestions coming guys!!!

 

[tbserena]

so i've read that kids clothes, (esp spring and summer, even bathing suits, esp in sets) dvds/video/comp software, linens, hot rollers/appliances sell well....

what else has anyone had luck with?

 

[Tina]

Well, I can tell what doesn't sell (so far). This weekend I listed a few cookbooks, a couple of Disney travel guides, a wireless network antenna, a Palm Pilot, a Soloflex home gym, a Swiss Army knife, and a Columbia ski jacket. No bites so far - except one guy asking for shipping costs to Canada on the jacket. Since this is my first time selling, I'm a little anxious and nervous at the same time.