Sherry E
Currently tag-less...
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2008
- Messages
- 19,646
Hi there.
Some of you know me. Some of you don't. I am a mod over in the DLR section of this board and I rarely get to the Community Board section of town, but I had some questions that I thought would be better suited here than on my DLR-specific forum.
I know there are lots and lots of people who sell things on Ebay on a regular basis. Some folks do it as a hobby. Some so it as their main source of income. Some folks seem to sell big ticket items, and others sell little things like books or used cell phones. The only time I ever tried to sell something on Ebay in the past was unsuccessful...and I was still charged a tiny bit of money by Ebay for my listing even though the item never sold. I have actually had better luck with selling things in the past (which I only do on an as-needed basis, when money is really tight) on Discussion forums/message boards or with free classified listings. However, in this day and age, with the economy being so bad and money being so tight, people are not buying as readily as they used to years ago.
So, let's say I just want to sell something basic, like a boring cookbook in mint condition, or a used cell phone in good condition (which, I think, is an item some folks would buy these days if they needed a phone and couldn't pay full price for one) - just for the sole purpose of scraping together little bits of cash here and there, not to be an active, ongoing seller. Or let's say I want to sell my Disney $350 watch set (it was a set with 7 watches in it from back in the early to mid-'90s, called Collectors Series #3).
I have very little patience (especially when I just want to sell two or three items and be done with it) and I don't have too much time to devote to preparing the items for selling, posting a detailed listing, shipping them out, etc. So for those reasons, I almost consulted one of those 'I Sold it on Ebay' stores that handles all the work for you...BUT they take such a huge commission out of what you get for you sale, as well as other fees, that it almost seems counterintuitive to me.
So, what is the fastest, easiest way to sell an item on Ebay? What exactly does Ebay charge if an item does or doesn't sell? Like let's say, as an example, I am asking $25 for the cookbook, $30 for the used cell phone or $300 for the watch set and they don't sell? What would the charges be? And if they do sell, what would I be charged? Is it better/easier/faster to just make everything a "Buy It Now" listing, or is there an advantage to posting it as a regular auction item? Do I have to figure out the shipping charge myself or does Ebay calculate that for me?
Any tips or suggestions you all can offer I would really appreciate. I really wish I could just snap my fingers, sell a few items and be done with it right away. The Ebay explanations and instructions look so involved, and it's more involved than I want to deal with!
But people sell on Ebay every day, all the time, so I know it can't be that complicated for just a few items!!!
Thanks!
Some of you know me. Some of you don't. I am a mod over in the DLR section of this board and I rarely get to the Community Board section of town, but I had some questions that I thought would be better suited here than on my DLR-specific forum.I know there are lots and lots of people who sell things on Ebay on a regular basis. Some folks do it as a hobby. Some so it as their main source of income. Some folks seem to sell big ticket items, and others sell little things like books or used cell phones. The only time I ever tried to sell something on Ebay in the past was unsuccessful...and I was still charged a tiny bit of money by Ebay for my listing even though the item never sold. I have actually had better luck with selling things in the past (which I only do on an as-needed basis, when money is really tight) on Discussion forums/message boards or with free classified listings. However, in this day and age, with the economy being so bad and money being so tight, people are not buying as readily as they used to years ago.
So, let's say I just want to sell something basic, like a boring cookbook in mint condition, or a used cell phone in good condition (which, I think, is an item some folks would buy these days if they needed a phone and couldn't pay full price for one) - just for the sole purpose of scraping together little bits of cash here and there, not to be an active, ongoing seller. Or let's say I want to sell my Disney $350 watch set (it was a set with 7 watches in it from back in the early to mid-'90s, called Collectors Series #3).
I have very little patience (especially when I just want to sell two or three items and be done with it) and I don't have too much time to devote to preparing the items for selling, posting a detailed listing, shipping them out, etc. So for those reasons, I almost consulted one of those 'I Sold it on Ebay' stores that handles all the work for you...BUT they take such a huge commission out of what you get for you sale, as well as other fees, that it almost seems counterintuitive to me.
So, what is the fastest, easiest way to sell an item on Ebay? What exactly does Ebay charge if an item does or doesn't sell? Like let's say, as an example, I am asking $25 for the cookbook, $30 for the used cell phone or $300 for the watch set and they don't sell? What would the charges be? And if they do sell, what would I be charged? Is it better/easier/faster to just make everything a "Buy It Now" listing, or is there an advantage to posting it as a regular auction item? Do I have to figure out the shipping charge myself or does Ebay calculate that for me?
Any tips or suggestions you all can offer I would really appreciate. I really wish I could just snap my fingers, sell a few items and be done with it right away. The Ebay explanations and instructions look so involved, and it's more involved than I want to deal with!
But people sell on Ebay every day, all the time, so I know it can't be that complicated for just a few items!!!Thanks!
