Earning $ for Disney..... Ideas Wanted

[toystoryduo]

Bumping for more info...

Does anyone have any experience with selling on Amazon.com? Is it similar to eBay? Would you recommend eBay or Amazon.com? Thanks!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I prefer Ebay. Stuff on Amazon tends to just sit there for a long time...

 

[HaleyB]

I sell on ebay off on on have been doing it for years now. Sometimes things sell well, sometimes not. Avoid having auctions end on holiday weekends (more true if weather is nice). I like to list everything to end the same day and find I get many buyers who bid on multiple items.
I plan to give Amazon a try for books. My main reason for this is simple, when I am looking for a used book that is where I look first. I have bought but never sold from Amazon. From buying it seemed like ebay about 3 years ago. But it was already over a year ago that I bought those books, now that I think about it, and things change fast.
If anyone out there needs to buy text books for High School AP classes or University classes you can save a bundle on Amazon.

Savings account- I have a "Disney" account and I write a check to it almost every week. What I do is try to save money on my weekly grocery bill (ads, coupons, avoiding expensive items). After I pay for my groceries I write myself a check for whatever is left from our grocery budget and deposit it in my "Disney" account. When I have Pay Pal money from selling on ebay I use it to buy groceries and then write myself a "Disney" check for the whole amount. That way I get the debit card bonus from Paypal and do not leave money sitting in my Paypal account very long.

 

[floridagirrl2]

I sell books on both Ebay and Amazon. Advantages of Amazon are that you don't have to take a photo or write up a long description--Amazon uses stock photos, and you just write up a very brief (no more than 200 characters) description. You can set any price you want, and I can generally get double the price on Amazon for out-of-print books that I can get on Ebay. Listing on Amazon is free! Listings expire in 60 days but you can relist for free indefinitely. Plus Amazon automatically charges the buyer's credit card for all purchases, so the seller does not have to wait to be paid or email an invoice like you have to do with Ebay.

Disadvantages are that there are lots of penny sellers on Amazon (common books sell for next to nothing) and that books can take a long time to sell. Once a book sells, the selling fee is fairly high (15% plus 99 cents if you don't have a Pro Merchant account, which costs 40 bucks a month. If you do have a Pro Merchant account, the selling fee is 15% only). Amazon only reimburses the seller $2.26 for mailing any size book (although they charge the buyer $3.50 for shipping) and this doesn't always cover costs. You can only list books with ISBN numbers on Amazon Marketplace--older books without ISBNs have to be sold through Amazon Zshops, which are really DEAD as far as sales (because they're not searched by the Book search engine on Amazon), plus you have to be a Pro Merchant (and pay a $40/month fee) to sell on Zshops.

A final disadvantage is that Amazon has instituted a new feedback system in which buyers can rate a seller any way they please, but seller feedback for the buyer doesn't get counted in the buyer's feedback rating at all! Many Amazon buyers are relative newbies to buying on the net, and will give negative feedback to problems completely outside of the seller's control, for instance the shipping fee (set by Amazon) or the length of time it takes for the USPS to deliver media mail.

Amazon is still my favorite place to sell, despite some of the drawbacks, because it's so fast to list books there, and when they do sell, they generally sell for more $$ than on Ebay.

 

[Gillian]

I have sold a few books on Amazon.com. It's very easy! I'm not a pro merchant though, so I avoid the really cheap auctions. I find that maternity, baby care & nursing books go quickly and for a good price.

I'm also a new Avon rep hoping to make enough money for a nice WDW trip in 2005 when DD is 1 1/2 or 2. We just can't go sooner, although we will be in florida visiting family. For now I'm putting my profits back into the business - trying to get more customers, going for training, researching fund raisers - but hope to have some extra cash for the ING Disney account soon!

I wasn't sure about selling avon, but it is very inexpensive to start ($10) and they give you a big discount to help in the beginning.

I also opened an ING account for myself, DH & the kids. That should be enough for a few meals.

 

[LorieR]

I still have plenty of referrals for ING Direct left! Just PM me and I will arrange for a referral. When you sign up you will get a $25 bonus. The person who refers you gets $10! The bank is now paying 2% interest, which is higher than any bank I have found and also higher than my credit union!! The bank is FDIC insured. The savings account is linked to your checking account and you are able to transfer money back and forth! When/if you sign up you are allowed 25 referrals (at $10 each!!). Unfortunately I don't know 25 people that I can refer! You can go to their site and check it out to see it is on the level, but don't sign up there because you will not get the $25 bonus that way. It HAS to be through a referrral! I think lots of people on the boards have made up to $275 this way. So far I have made $35.06 in a week (waiting for three people to sign up who said they will).

So, anyone who would like a referral just send me a PM and will arrange for a referral right away!

Lorie

 

[dllmnmdth]

Passing along some info.

I had requested some paper referrals to give to people and unfortunately they replied that the paper certificates are sent randomly by the marketing department. Some people just feel more secure when they have something in their hand instead of online stuff.

I still love ING and I must say their communication thru email is easy and quick.

email ddmdm@netzero.com or PM if you would like a referral email.

Thanks and Happy Weekend!

Danielle

 

[vhoffman]

A PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED!

Here's a great way to "earn" money for Disney--open an ING Direct bank account. Its an internet bank with no fees, no minimum balance, minimum deposit or withdrawl and pays 2% interest per year! For more info go to their website at http://www.ingdirect.com. Also, if you open an account with a referral from an existing customer you get a $25 sign on bonus. If you'd like a bonus I have plenty. Just send me a pm with your first and last name and email address and I'll send that info to ING and you'll get a referral letter. Follow that link and you'll get $25 sign on bonus, plus $10 for every referral you make. I find it a great way to save for Disney because its a seperate account and your funds aren't comingled with other monies. when I do that it just gets spent. Happy savings!

 

[peanutzmom]

Originally posted by toystoryduo
Bumping for more info...

Does anyone have any experience with selling on Amazon.com? Is it similar to eBay? Would you recommend eBay or Amazon.com? Thanks!

Yes, I've been selling on Amazon.com for a couple of years now. I enjoy the ease of listing (all you di is type in the ISBN, set a selling price, and add your personal info -- no description to wite or photo to upload). Also, my books & DVDs seem to sell for more at Amazon than on Ebay. There are two drawbacks, though. If it is a popular book you'll be competing with DOZENS of other used listings, some of them listed for as little as 75 cents for a hardback book! So, I always check out how much a particular book is listed for before I list my own copy. If there are a ton of them listed for less than what I want for my copy, I hold onto the book and tr listing it later. Second, even though I get more for books at Amazon, I also pay higher fees. Even with the drawbacks, though, I still prefer Amazon for books & DVDs, and I save Ebay for clothes, toys, etc.

 

[vhoffman]

I just read this on another post. If you'd like to open an ING Direct account and receive your $25 sign on bonus, you must do so before Feb. 17, '04. I didn't realize there's a deadline for this!

In order to open an account and get your bonus you need a referral from an existing customer. I have plenty if you need one. Just send a pm to me with your first and last name and email address. I then send that info to ING and they send you an email. Follow that link to open your account and get your $25.

If you'd like more info about ING go to their website at http://www.ingdirect.com. However, don't sign up for your account there or you won't get your $25. You need a referral for the bonus. I think the ING account is a great way to save for Disney. There's no fees, no minimum balance, no minimum deposit or withdrawals, and it pays 2% interest per year. Its a great way to stash your extra cash without mingiling it with other funds. I've found if I put money for a specific purpose in a general checking or savings account it just goes for other purposes. So if you'd like to open an ING account be aware of the deadline!

 

[MontiD]

From what I can tell, selling books on Ebay and Amazon.com are different. Ebay requires bidding and a time-table (about 10 days to get a winning bidder), whereas at Amazon.com, its just a direct purchase. Once someone buys the book, its gone! I liked Amazon alot more that Ebay for the books. I would think there is more traffic from buyers on Amazon. Thats where I always go when I am looking for a book to buy. Hope this helps. By the way, I've sold off most of the books I listed on Amazon (13 books) and made almost $180...whoohooo.

 

[Skewter04]

Hi, I am a recent INGDirect.com customer as I used a referral from one of the DISers. If you want a referral e-mail to receive a $25.00 bonus when opening a new account, please e-mail me at Skewter03@yahoo.com and I will set up a referral for you.

Thanks,
Scott.