eBay items that surprise you?

[beaucoup]

The more I clean up around the house and decide where I'm going to sell, give or donate items to, the more I'm surprised by some of the used items I've searched and found on eBay. And they've SOLD. And people pay shipping.

Just now, I discovered people will actually buy used jar candles. You know, those things I have sitting around the house collecting dust because I don't burn candles often.

I consider some of those items to be cheap yard sale items, Freecycle or donate items. Would never have thought to list on eBay.

I'm wondering if there are more hoarders or shopping addicts in this country than I ever imagined. Someone is sure keeping eBay, UPS and the Post Office in business.

What other items have you been surprised to find or that you've sold?

 

[ajh88]

Over the years, we have sold a couple of things that shocked me - things I wouldn't have thought twice about throwing out or giving away but just happened to look them up. A couple that come to mind:

Cardboard popcorn box from the St. Louis Cardinals - it was older, but still, it was a cardboard box - I think we got about $10 for it.

An antenna topper of Wilson the volleyball from Castaway - I think it was free or $1 at Blockbuster when the movie came out on DVD - we sold it for $35!

Mis-matched and incomplete LEGO figures - I know that the mini-figures in good condition go for quite a bit and we sold off our Star Wars LEGO's a couple of years ago, but we recently came across a box of odds and ends we missed - none of the figures were "complete", some were even missing arms and heads! But we still lumped them together (I think there were 10-12 figures) and got $20 for the bunch.

Frankly, most of the things we sell are just items that we've had in storage or we just run across randomly and I'm always shocked that people buy these things. We still manage to average over $10 per auction, which I don't think is half-bad for would-be junk!

Jar candles though...wow, that is NOT one I would have looked up!

 

[beaucoup]

Over the years, we have sold a couple of things that shocked me - things I wouldn't have thought twice about throwing out or giving away but just happened to look them up. A couple that come to mind:

Cardboard popcorn box from the St. Louis Cardinals - it was older, but still, it was a cardboard box - I think we got about $10 for it.

An antenna topper of Wilson the volleyball from Castaway - I think it was free or $1 at Blockbuster when the movie came out on DVD - we sold it for $35!

Mis-matched and incomplete LEGO figures - I know that the mini-figures in good condition go for quite a bit and we sold off our Star Wars LEGO's a couple of years ago, but we recently came across a box of odds and ends we missed - none of the figures were "complete", some were even missing arms and heads! But we still lumped them together (I think there were 10-12 figures) and got $20 for the bunch.

Frankly, most of the things we sell are just items that we've had in storage or we just run across randomly and I'm always shocked that people buy these things. We still manage to average over $10 per auction, which I don't think is half-bad for would-be junk!

Jar candles though...wow, that is NOT one I would have looked up!

Some pretty impressive sales there. I think I'm be checking eBay completed sales more often.

 

[SandrA9810]

Super Soakers. There's some that go for over $200. Even some of the small basic models go for over $20.

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

I bought these neat bamboo picture frames at a yard sale for $1. Loved them, put DS 6 month "fishing" themed pics in them. Went to look on ebay to find something to match, they were selling for over $30 each!!! I sold my $1 frames, got over $60 in 2 separate auctions ! Never would have thought they'd sell for so much, best yard sale deal I ever made!

 

[Jaime4004]

I sold my old ipod last christmas (can't remember which generation, but it was only about 8 months old). The surprising part is that I sold it for about $10 more than I bought it for, not including shipping. I was shocked when the bidding closed and looked one up on walmart.com to see the price of a new one and it was cheaper on there!

 

[Kathi OD]

I do cross stitch and had bought some little kits from a designer. They were themed for different holidays and cost $20. Included in the kit was the pattern, the fabric, threads, needle, and a button. The pictures would fit in a 4 X 6 inch frame. After I stitched the pieces, I put the patterns on eBay (individually). I got over $20 for every single one of them. They were old and anyone could have purchased them. Several of them I got well over $50, and one I even got over $100! I sure wish I had bought more of them.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

I sold two of the original Disney Duffy bears (bought them at DTD 5 years ago) for $300 a piece.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

I also found some Oogie Boogie glow in the dark plastic toy at a yard sale once. I asked the man how much he was selling it for and he said, "Well since it done gots a slit in its belly, a quarter'll do."

I turned that baby into a $80 sale on eBay (btw the "slit in its belly" was where the missing bugs went).

 

[Mrs. Charming]

LOL and I've tried to sell a brand stinking new diaper bag with tags for half the retail price and flate rate USPS shipping and nada... I don't get it!

Come to think of it, I was looking for something yesterday and found _very_ used sneakers with bids on them!

 

[MomToOne]

Come to think of it, I was looking for something yesterday and found _very_ used sneakers with bids on them!

Yeah, I came across dirty socks once. The seller stated that they came "well worn and unwashed". I don't think the buyers were looking to wear them - ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

There's a whole other side of eBay out there

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Yeah, I came across dirty socks once. The seller stated that they came "well worn and unwashed". I don't think the buyers were looking to wear them - ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

There's a whole other side of eBay out there

Ohhhh. Yeah. Forgot about stuff like that.

 

[Stitch76]

A few that come to mind for me are,
a trunk of vintage Liddle Kiddle dolls bought at a thrift store for about $20, sold for about $400 (wish I could find more, lol!)
2 vintage Levis Rag Dolls bought for 25 cents (for the pair), sold for about $40
and a baggie of antique doll shoes, that I found in an old suitcase (all were singles, not one pair in the buch) for $60 to a lady in Germany who paid a ton to have them shipped express!
I am always looking for weird stuff at yard sales and thrift stores, because I've found the weirder something is the more someone will pay for it.

 

[JaymeC]

I sold my old ipod last christmas (can't remember which generation, but it was only about 8 months old). The surprising part is that I sold it for about $10 more than I bought it for, not including shipping. I was shocked when the bidding closed and looked one up on walmart.com to see the price of a new one and it was cheaper on there!

I was reading a book recently that was trying to figure this (along with other mysteries) out. They figured out that with the ebay thing people who are bidding and are the winning bidder already feel some form of a pride of ownership. And you're almost always more willing to pay more to keep your possession than to pay for it sitting on a store self because you start to feel a sense of loss from not having it. Of course, it's limited and applies to different people in different ways. But that's also why you go to some yard sales and the people want ridiculous prices for what is really junk. Because they have some form of a pride of ownership in it (though it may be totally subconscious)

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I have sold half used bottles of retired perfume scents for some good $$$ - also new retired bottles of Bath & Body Works lotions.

One of my biggest profits was a Beatles pencil case that I picked up for less than a $1 and sold for over $130 (this was after I used it to store pencils and pens in for over a year not having a clue it was valuable!). I also sold a Bubble Cut Barbie doll that I bought super cheap ($5 or $10 for the Barbie and a bag of vintage Barbie and Ken doll clothes) because the lady who had it thought that her hair had been cut by a child (nope, it came that way originally).

You just never know what people will pay big money to get their hands on. Things that you are sure will sell just don't and things that you almost donate but list on a whim go sky high.

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

My aunt's neighbor made a decent amount of money selling new pairs of underwear for very large women. My mom's friend bought a cheap vase at BJ's and sold it for $600!

 

[PrincessMom98]

Oh my gosh - I had no idea those disney bears were worth so much money! My DS has the 2006 NYC bear lying on the playroom floor. I brought it back for him while on a trip to the AG store with DD. He loves the little book that came with him.

My other big surprises are my DD's discarded Magic Kingdom playset (mini polly pocket size) is selling between $40-50. Used Lands End dresses also appear to hold their value. I told DD I would help her ebay some stuff to earn money for an ipod touch.

 

[melancholywings]

I hate how it fluxates. In the very early years of Ebay I used to sell on it and would make enough to pay my rent - these days things that should sell even with a collector's market won't fetch a decent price. I think Ebay helps and hurts the collectable market.

 

[WheelCEO]

people bid on half eaten grilled cheese's... not much wows me anymore

 

[Ava]

Yeah, I came across dirty socks once. The seller stated that they came "well worn and unwashed". I don't think the buyers were looking to wear them - ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

There's a whole other side of eBay out there

Um, yeah. Some very odd things sell on eBay. My favorite is the story about a radio host who sold Justin Timberlake's half-eaten french toast. I don't remember what the winning bid was, but ewwwww.

My mom has worked for Nintendo for years & I've sold some promo items she's given me. My best sale was a light-up Wii-mote keychain that sold for $50! Not too long after we sold ours, I started seeing them in stores for around $5.