You HAVE to try this!! EBAY your way to DISNEY!!

[nelle]

Well I have two auctions(one is a relist and it has no bids) up tomorrow only one has a bid hopefully I'll get some last minute bids and the rest of my auctions aren't up until later in the week have no bids. I hope I sell some so I can clear off my treadmill enough to be able to use it I'm affraid I'm getting a eBay butt . O'well I have a lot more to list when I get time.

 

[DMRick]

Keep in mind you can have two paypal accounts. I have one for people that pay by card (business), and one for those who don't (free!). I insert in my end of auction note, a notice, telling them which to use, depending on which funds they are using. You do have to have two checking accounts to have two paypal accounts. Most pay using credit card, but I save a little for those who use paypal funds.

 

[wdwpluto]

I had been eBaying heavily up until 2 months or so ago. I stopped because I noticed that things weren't selling or were only selling for the minimum.

But lurking in this thread has inspired me to get back into it and I listed about 8 things yesterday. 2 already have bids this morning

I also spent a lot of yesterday prepping things that I think will sell as it gets closer to the fall. Pictures are taken, listings are written. This way, when the time is right, all I have to do is put them up there.

Last year I found that my sales were best in Aug/Sept (I took Oct & and most of Nov off due to wedding craziness - but I'm told they're good months for gift items and I don't doubt it!) and Dec-February.

So I'm probably going to lay fairly low during the summer months and only do a few items here & there and gear up for a big Back To School push.

Good luck everyone!
Lori

 

[Minniespal]

I agree with you. I luv e-bay.

 

[WDWorBUST]

Okay - maybe a dumb question....but - when you accept a personal check and it's for a fairly large amount ($125) how long do you wait to see if it clears? Has anyone called the bank it was issued from and verified it that way? Now I'm scared about accepting a personal check - YIKES!!

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by WDWorBUST
Okay - maybe a dumb question....but - when you accept a personal check and it's for a fairly large amount ($125) how long do you wait to see if it clears? Has anyone called the bank it was issued from and verified it that way? Now I'm scared about accepting a personal check - YIKES!!

----------------

There's really no way to "verify" that the funds are available because according to my bank, you could call the buyers bank and the answer would be yes - ON THAT GIVEN DAY - but by the time it travels from YOUR bank to THEIR bank, the funds could be gone..

I would be VERY reluctant to take a personal check for that amount and would insist on a Postal money order instead..

 

[WDWorBUST]

I am just too trusting.....the check is already in the mail. I did change my other listing to money order/cashiers check only. I guess I just keep my fingers crossed? Is there a certain amount of time I should hold off before transferring the reservation into the buyer's name? Can I do that according to Ebay rules? I mean I would be very upfront with the buyer. Or at this point can all I do is cash it as soon as I get it and hope it clears? I have paid with a check and of course knew the money was there....it just never crossed my mind not to be so trusting.....I know very bad

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by WDWorBUST
I am just too trusting.....the check is already in the mail. I did change my other listing to money order/cashiers check only. I guess I just keep my fingers crossed? Is there a certain amount of time I should hold off before transferring the reservation into the buyer's name? Can I do that according to Ebay rules? I mean I would be very upfront with the buyer. Or at this point can all I do is cash it as soon as I get it and hope it clears? I have paid with a check and of course knew the money was there....it just never crossed my mind not to be so trusting.....I know very bad

----------------

Hey - don't be so hard on yourself!! We're all just "learning" by trial and error here - except for the veterans who have posted here..

Looks like the deed is done, so I would hold the check for at least 10 days (let the buyer know - at which point you could also offer for them to stop payment and choose a different option) and just make sure that YOU have enough money in your account in case it bounces..

You might get lucky.. I've received quite a few checks (although smaller amounts) and so far they have ALL been good..

Try not to worry about it too much..

 

[nelle]

How does someone get a nice webpage like listing? I've been looking at girls clothes and the listings that go for a lot all look like they are from a webpage. The clothes look nicely matched and in seperate photos. Do you have to belong to a listing service to get all of those photo's? When I list clothes I hang them up and take a picture of the whole lot. If I were to take a picture of every outfit it would cost a fortune in photo fees. Any ideas on how they get such nice looking listings? I'm familiar with html and use that but I can't get a nice looking listing other then adding color and changing text size. Any suggestions??

 

[claudia]

I use a digital that has a software program. This way you can download the pics onto your computer and save them in a file. Just name each picture as to the item. Then when you write your ad, you can just add the picture to the ad. Ebay offers this service for free, it is included on the page that you write your ad. Once this is done you can erase the picture from your camera....ready to take more right away. when the item sells you can just delete the photo from your file.

 

[shovelhd]

DMRick -

Did paypal change their one account policy? Because at one point paypal only allowed one paypal account per household. You could not have one Premier and one Personal billed to the same address.

Re: html editors

I use FrontPage 2000, which is an awful html editor but it is fairly easy and quick to use. I lay out the page in the design view and then cut and paste the generated html code into the ebay listing. I host my own pictures. If you do this, be careful to make sure that the generated code for the pictures points to your absolute web address where the pictures are stored. Otherwise you will get an X box on the page. Edit the code by hand if you have to.

 

[shovelhd]

Personal check clearing time - Check with your bank. They will let you know how long you should safely wait before considering the funds cleared. Mine is five days, which I put in my auction listing. In six years of ebay selling I have not had one bad check. Now watch me get a slew of them when I get back.

Our first Disney vacation. So close. And I'm so tired.

 

[erinch]

I used Frontpage 2002 to do this page:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3415655025&category=15646&rd=1

am fortunate that I can host my pictures myself. I then open the page in a nifty little program called hi-impact email by kmt software, which regenerates the html to give the hard http:// address for the pictures.

I then copy the code (after the head tags) and paste into turbolister's design view, which lets me have a theme for the background.

With 41 minutes to go, the auction is up to $91! It's more than I would have made selling them at a garage sale. {Post sale: went for $122!)

I think if I'd just displayed in one picture it probably wouldn't be running near that much.

If you don't have access to frontpage, and can limit your pictures to 6, there are some things you can do to tweak the turbolister designview to look more "webpage like." I did this page in turbo lister, and would be happy to share a few html tweaks (like table background color and cell spacing) if anyone would like to know. PM me.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3415397325&category=15646&rd=1

 

[DMRick]

Did paypal change their one account policy? Because at one point paypal only allowed one paypal account per household.

When I wrote them..they told me it's one account PER checking account to be verified...and I have two checking accounts, although I use the same snail mail addy (different e-mail addy's), so I guess it's OK...they've not said anything, and I've asked questions about both. I have the second checking account..everything else is the same. I can't find it in their "rules" anywhere that you can only have one. Did you read it somewhere on their site? Most all I know on eBay have two. Please pass it on if they have that on their site.

You must be leaving soon for the Dis..enjoy yourself..and I believe you are using the stroller, too, eh? We "sat" it for a week.

 

[off2disney]

I've been lurking on this thread and getting my nerve up to jump in the eBay stream. I listed 11 items (mostly jeans) and will wait to see what happens. Thanks to everyone who has given us all a world of information on this subject. I'm hoping my eBay account will help fund my WDW trip in December. I'll keep my fingers crossed, and start looking for other items to list.

 

[shovelhd]

DMRick - I was told about this policy over the phone by the paypal CSR when I downgraded my account. He said that it was in their T&C's (i.e. fine print). Setting up another checking account for business is something I've been meaning to do anyway, so maybe this will be the impetus.

Yes, we are leaving very early Friday morning as our flight got cancelled and we were rebooked on one leaving four hours earlier. I've done all of the trip planning including pre-paying for everything except souveniers and meals. I've planned exactly half of the days we are there, leaving plenty of time to go with the flow. My family just isn't the commando-tour type.

I scored my final batch of ebay merch yesterday. My basement is getting very crowded. I'm taking my laptop with me so maybe if I'm bored I'll start setting up the listings for when we return. Right now I hope I have enough brain cells left to remember everything.

Yes, we have the DIS stroller in case my just-turned-seven year old daughter starts whining about being tired. Keep a look out for the lime green ribbons. We are a family of four with a 12yo boy as well.

I'm off to check the forum for that last minute checklist.

 

[C.Ann]

Well as of this morning, I have sold $53.05 worth of goods - with 4 more items ending within the next 24 hours and two of the four having bids on them.. Not a "king's ransom" by any stretch of the imagination, but it's $53 I didn't have before that will go right into my Disney fund - and about $40 MORE than I would have gotten for this stuff in a garage sale.. I have envelopes marked for all of my Disney expenses and so far I have enough for 2 adult and 1 child's admission to Sea World and 2 adult and 1 child's admission to MVMCP - with an additional $45 started in the Universal/IOA envelope, $68 worth of money orders in my purse that I have to take to the bank today, and enough in my eBay account to purchase 1 child's 6-day park hopper pass for Disney World...

Yay eBay!!!!!!!!!!! I can't imagine where I would have come up with this money (quite frankly, I couldn't have) if I didn't finally take the leap and start eBaying..

I can't believe I'm actually going to be able to finance an entire trip for 3 to Disney this way, but if this is the so-called "slow" period on eBay, I can't wait to see what happens in the late summer/early fall!!!!!!!

Come on everyone - and yes, I mean you "lurkers" too - get listing!! You CAN go to Disney this way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[wdwpluto]

I just sold a large item over night with Buy It Now. Listed it last night and woke up $200 richer this morning! Woohoo!

Happy dancing all the way to the post office!
Lori

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by wdwpluto


I just sold a large item over night with Buy It Now. Listed it last night and woke up $200 richer this morning! Woohoo!

Happy dancing all the way to the post office!
Lori

----------------------------------------

YES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't this FUN?????????????????????

 

[DMRick]

I know that if you change your regular accoutn with them down to a free account they only allow that once...but I couldn't find where they wouldn't allow two, if you have a different checking account. So far, so good.

just-turned-seven year old

I'd be interested in your opinion on if that stroller holds up with a child that age/size. At home, for our grands, we have a great stroller with large wheels, etc, meant for a large child, but I thought this stroller was sort of lightweight. It was hard manuvering it around with just the bag of goodies for scrapping in it. It seemed to really weigh it down, and hubby even commented that the stroller wasn't meant for what we put in our stroller, but for more younger kids. Big difference IMO between the two strollers...although it sure is easy to fold the Dis stroller, and without anything in it, it's very light to carry.

CAnn..that's great about what you have earned. Definately you will see a big difference come Fall (August for kids clothes). September is busy, but once October comes, we don't come up for air. Of course we sell items that make great gifts, but even our "junk" does wonderful that time of year. It goes right through end of January (they have Christmas money to spend).