Ebayers, can I ask a question??

[disney4me]

I Really want to go to disney this fall!!!, BUT moneys tight and if we go it will be up to me to come up with the money. We can have a GREat time on little money so my goal would be about $2000. Do you think its possible to make this kind of money on Ebay by end of Sept?? I have tons of kids clothes to sell, plus I have a Thrift shop that sells all of their clothes for $1 for 2 Grocery bags so I figure I could really make a bundle there by buying and reselling.
Im familiar with ebay, Ive sold there some last year, but I wasnt very organized and didnt have a decent digital camera.
I also paln to have at least one yard sale to sell bigger stuff/heavy stuff that wpuld be high on shipping charges.
I would love to hear how some of you have done, How much youve made in how much time. Any tips etc??
Thanks so much!

 

[Humpbacks1962]

The sky is the limit, but I would not be too confident about ebay if that is all you have to sell. I'd say those sell best at garage sales, but I am sure some may disagree.

I had an old field microscope, a Kenmore sewing machine and older Disney videos. Those sold very well on ebay.

What I did do last year to pull in over $1,000 in "easy money" was sell my books through Amazon.com, including old text books. Since I had lots of them, I noticed that more towards the beginning of the semester my books sold like maniacs. Some people invest more in insuring the packages, putting them in boxes, etc. I just double wrap them in Kraft paper, securing the sides and corners and have never had a problem. Only once my book exceeded the shipping allowance so I always made money.

Don't ship international or imediate delivery, though. You may be charged much more than what you receive. Go to your local public library and scan ther book sales. I found two books priced at over $100 for $1 last month!

Wanda

 

[DMRick]

You could, but depending on the value of your items, for kids clothes, I'd say you would have to put up 30-40 items a week from now til then. You need a way to get pics of them, and don't forget you will have eBay and Paypal (if you use it) fees. Name brand kids clothes in good condition, is what seems to be selling the most. You must have a lot of free time, to pull this off..it's time consuming listing different items each week...as well as packing and going to the postoffice. You need to have a scale, so you can apporximate shipping costs. Good luck..I hope worksfor you!

 

[KimandBrian]

You should search the completed auctions to see how high the bids were for comparable clothes and at what condition. You should also tell the bidder that you will combine their shipping costs if they win multiple auctions. That's sometimes a big plus for bidders. I'm not so sure what kind of bids you would get without pictures, though.

Good luck!

 

[QuickGold]

Like others have posted, its nothing guaranteed, but work your time. The big money is in electronics and anything that is relatively expensive in the real world. Consider also ransacking friends and relatives for junk they dont use anymore. Even if you sell everything for $5, if you have a good deal of items, it could pay for ticket or two to the park.

Personally, I havent sold that much in bulk on ebay, partially because I've never had the desire. Also consider you most likely will not make out as well in a yard sale as on ebay as people are more stingy and more likely to negotiate on price. IMHO, yard sales are a good way to get rid of lots of stuff and not really concerned with making a whole lot of money. The bottom line is its worth a shot and who knows, you may end up saving tons and you'll write a post down the line saying how smart you were.

 

[DiznEeyore]

Originally posted by QuickGold
Also consider you most likely will not make out as well in a yard sale as on ebay as people are more stingy and more likely to negotiate on price. IMHO, yard sales are a good way to get rid of lots of stuff and not really concerned with making a whole lot of money.

I totally agree with this! We do a garage sale every year, and while we make decent money (usually around $1000 per), I can make a lot more on ebay. I save things that would appeal to a "wider audience" for ebay, and use the garage sales to get rid of stuff I don't think would sell well on ebay (or things like bikes, furniture, etc.). HTH!

 

[sonnyday]

Hi everyone! I love eBay! My family and and I will pay for our whole trip ( only 49 more days to go) in May with money earned on ebay! We started out selling clothing, plus sizes seem to sell the best! We have moved on to selling One Of A Kind Barbie Dolls now. It is so much better that a yard sale. The best suggestion I have is to invest in a good scale! When we started I lost a lot of money because I didn't charge enough for postage. Also, check the ongoing and completed items to see what the price range is. I always set my starting bid at a breakeven price (purchase price + ebay fees + a little for paypal). Good Luck!

 

[disneygals]

You may want to check out this site..... www.taxsave.com.


I bought this CPA's book some years ago (saw it in a woman's mag) and have been using his amounts for charity write-offs. Most people don't deduct the real value of their donations.
I have 3 girls 9,7, and 5, so I have plenty of things to donate.

This may not help you this year, but maybe next and it's a lot easier than a garage sale.

Good Luck

Vivienne

 

[disney4me]

Thanks so much for everyones replys. This might be a dumb ? but how much $ and where would be the best deal on buying a scale?
Thanks again!

 

[funnygarcia]

I have had a lot of luck selling my items at local resale shops /pawn shops.. if you find really nice clothing for that cheaply it would be worth it to bring it in to consignment or resale place.. here in MN we have : Once upon a child, half -price books, pawn america and tons of consignment shops.

sold off old Disney tapes at Half -price books and made an easy $178 -- we don't watch them any more now w DVD availabale .

 

[twinklingstars4u]

Hi, I've found that just about anything sells on e-bay. I financed my family's trip to Orlando last month doing the e-bay thing! If you are selling cloths it is best to sell in lots (people feel they are getting more for their money and are more likely to bid). I sold a whole bunch of old music cds and could not believe what people will pay for stuff!

You can get a good scale at any office supply store, I got mine at Sams Club. You can weight your items and then go to USPS.com to find out how much shipping charges will be (even for international).

Oh yeah, if you use Paypal you can get a Paypal debit card, you use it like a credit card and the money comes right out of your Paypal account.

Good luck!!

 

[robinb]

I just wanted to share my own ideas on what I sell on ebay. I only sell things that I would be happy buying. That means no excessive wear, no stains, rips or tears. I will make exceptions to my rule if the outfit is really cute and by a good manufacturer like Tommy or Gap. Then, I will list it and specify the problems. I have been burned myself more than once from someone who puts one nice item in a lot and then the rest is junk! That really steams me. So ... you could probably sell the $1 for 2 bag thrift store clothes at a tidy profit, but you will probably not have happy customers. My guess is that the stuff that doesn't sell at a higher price is "moved out" in those bags and none of it is particularly good.

 

[C.Ann]

Could I be so nosey as to ask how much the scale costs at Sam's Club and if the reading is digital?

 

[disney4me]

Well, I made another quick trip to the thrift shop. They have changed their prices form 2 bags for $1 to 1 bag for $1. Seems they were clearing out all of their winter stuff for spring. I didnt get to look threw everything as well as I would have liked(had 8 month old dd on my hip), but got some great deals and i gotta brag. I got 2 bags stuffed full and got, 2 pair of mens levis like new, 1 pair of mens levis in "ok" shape, 1 pair of boys levis shorts like new, 2 pair of bugle boy jeans both in good condition, a girl Limited too overalls outfit really cute, a pair of vintage Calvin clien jeans, 3 pair of like new"off brand" boys jeans, a neck tie and 3 pair of shorts for my sons to play in. I cant wait to go back!!

Like I said before, Im not really a newbie to ebay, and have a perfect ebay feedback rating. I definately wont sell anyone junk!! At least I should make a little play money I think.
Thanks so much for everyones thoughts!!

 

[robinb]

Sounds like you found a gold mine! Congratulations .

 

[legs22]

I bought a digital postal scale at WalMart for $20. It measures up to 3 lbs. It's worked out well for me.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks! Do you remember what dept. it was in?

 

[legs22]

C.Ann-
It's in the aisle that has shipping supplies like padded envelopes and tape.