RE: Has anyone tried E-bay for making money?

[NCSunshine]

 
If so, did it work?  Was it hard to get started?  How do you get started?
 
 I m looking for a way to make money from home.  Did have a part-time bookkeeping job, but gave it up when I found a job.  Now the job ends February 28th and I have nothing to fall back on.
 
 With the cost of babysitting, $825 for a four week month and $1007 for a five week month, I would have to have a job making at least $13/hr just to bring something home.  Not that many jobs in the area that pay that kind of money or more.  
 
 Now once again I am going to try to work from home to save the money we would have to spend on babysitting.
 
 Any ideas?  Please let me know.  Thanks!  Julia

[Gamecock Camper]

 NCSunshine
Starting a business on e-bay sounds interesting.... something that I ve thought about myself.  Right now I have too many irons in the fire, but starting a business by selling on e-bay is on my list.   I just don t know what to sell yet!!!   Tell me what you have in mind.

[NCSunshine]

 Gamecock Camper
That is one of the problems, don t know what to sell.  Plus it has to be something that alot of people would like and not just a small group.  I used to have a cross stitch supply store that I ran from home years ago, but that is a specialized group and not a big money maker.
 
 My brain, as usual, is drawing a blank.  Work with a lady whose husband sells classic cars on E-bay and that is all he does, makes pretty good.  I had considered it before but she made me think even more about, just need to get my act together I guess.

[birol]

 NCSunshine
Ummm,
 
 Sure possible. It is time consuming. You have to be very concientious. It involves carrying a lot of boxes to the post office. It involves boxing stuff, packing stuff well. It involves dealing with irritable/impatient people.
 
 The money is not that good, but sometimes one can make a decent amount. It is difficult to find stuff to sell, it always changes. What sells today might not sell tomorrow.
 
 Expect to devote at least 3 hours of your day just for eBay on a regular basis otherwise what you make will be peanuts.
 
 If you are good and can get good stuff You can make 1,000 a month, if not you might make 300 or 500. Please do not ask me what the good stuff is, I do not make 1,000 a month .
 
 Was I helpful ?
 
 Birol

[labontefan]

 NCSunshine
I ve sold stuff on eBay, but it was always just things I had around the house that I wanted to get rid of. For example, I bought a DVD player last year, so I m slowly replacing all my dozens of movies on videotape with DVDs. I sold some of the videotapes I had (some of which had never even been unwrapped) on eBay. Didn t make a huge profit, but I think I put the shipping charges too low, so some of my profit went to pay for shipping.
 
 One of my coworkers sells her son s clothes as he outgrows them. She said she had a name-brand shirt of his that she couldn t sell for $3 in a yard sale that sold for $12 on eBay!
 
 I think some people that sell " professionally"  on eBay go to stores like Big Lots and other discount stores and buy up bulk lots of stuff. Then they turn around and sell the items on eBay.
 
 Collectibles seem to sell well also, but it depends on what the craze or fad is at the moment as to what will sell.
 
 I keep thinking I m going to clear out all the hundreds of paperback books I have around the house by selling them on eBay...just haven t gotten around to it.
 
 Good luck!

[NCSunshine]

 birol
Thank you for your insight.
 
 I might start off with the inventory that I have left over from the cross stitch store, because it would not involve putting out alot of money at this point.  I get a few bunk item books and maybe if I could find something in there that would not cost a bundle I could do that.
 
 Would that help me get started do you think?  Or harm me because it would be small items and that is what they would associate me with?
 
 I have never really been to E-bay much, maybe two or three times, how do you list something for sale or do they have good instructions?

[cyclone]

 NCSunshine
Sounds like you are headed in the right direction:  I don t know what cross stitch supplies sell for on ebay, but I m forever checking out the scrapbooking section and see no reason your stuff wouldn t sell.  Good luck!!

[marybeth1024]

 NCSunshine
NC, my husband restored a  48 Chevy Pickup and now is restoring a 70 Roadrunner. He is always selling and buying parts on Ebay.
 
 It s very easy to list something one it. You basically follow the bouncing ball. And if my husband can add a photo to whatever he is selling, anyone can. LOL
 
 Good Luck!!!!!!
 
 Mary Beth

[birol]

 NCSunshine
It is better to start with small items and build up a good fedback. Once you have around a 100 or so, you can start to sell big ticket items (easier).
 
 Birol

[fivegonefishing]

 NCSunshine
hmmmm, I got some stuff that I could sell; I wonder how easy or secure it is or isn t?  
 

[birol]

 NCSunshine
It is secure if the buyers are not crooks ! I had a few where they wanted to rip me off, takes some negoation skills to twarth them off without loosing money.
 
 Best bet is to only accept MO or personal cheques, but most people use paypal which can be reversed ......
 
 Birol

[Jeffrey]

 NCSunshine
I only have experience as a buyer. But I have had good luck with it so far.
 
 The only problem I had was one seller did a lousy job wrapping something, when they shipped it..... Part of it broke, I was able to get a replacement part.
 It was insured, but IMO it really was poorly wrapped, it didnt have a chance.
 
 Of course you have to be careful, I only buy things I can t find anyplace else.
 The shipping costs can be a killer, plus some sellers like to slap ya with a big handling charge.
 
 I think the key to selling on ebay, you need something that s hard to find.
 
 I know of people that do pretty good selling antiques, but they work alot.
 Spend most of their time looking for things to sell, at estate and garage sales etc.
 So it s really not an " at home job" , they work more hours then I do.
 
 But I have a bunch of things I will sell there eventually.
 You can build your rating by buying things. Just buy little stuff to get a rating started.
 
 And if you have something to sell in mind watch the others for a while.
 I ve noticed there are good and bad times to sell stuff. Right after the holidays was a bad time to be a seller, nobody was bidding, And I found a few deals.
 Same things are selling for 3 times what I paid.

[kathybrj]

 NCSunshine
I sell and buy on ebay, not a lot, but just some stuff here and there. I picked up a good digital camera and was off and running. I haven t been stiffed yet and have always received things I ve bought in the condition I expected.
 
 I only accept money orders for payment, so that can be a problem. People like to be able to make payments quickly, but the online payment places will take a cut of your proceeds in some cases (you d have to read their user agreements).
 
 I ve heard of people that make good money on ebay, but they are the people that go all over to garage sales, etc. and are in the car all day, dragging the kids around. That s just not something I m willing to do.
 
 For the most part, I m happy with how I use ebay, but knowing how I am I know I would never make substancial money at selling on it.

[Firefyter-Emt]

 NCSunshine
Just to throw something else out there.. Have you looked into something like medical transcriptioist (sp?) My wife did that for a while, but she was too busy to deal with it.. There are lots of data entry jbs like that that you work thru a server just entering information.. (Huh, kinda sounds like my job... I have to view the damage cars first, but it is nice working out of your house..) I personaly have not been to out office in a couple months.. [] I do a lot on e-bay, but it is a hobby.. I could not see making a " living"  at it.
 
 And, on the flip side of things.. Have you really looked into the full cost of staying at home and not working?? You have the biggest saving in child care, but there are more.. Sit down and figure mileage, maintiance and wear and tear on your car, Then figure meals and clothing.. How about other buss. related expenses?? You may find it does not really hit you so hard when you figure it all in.. Then you get to add in the bennifit package you get from staying at home.. Your childern! It looks like you have 3 girls, I am sure the benifit package is worth a " lower paying job"  [] Good luck, and if possiable.. cherish the time you have if you can stay home.. it goes quick and then it is gone..  []

[Gamecock Camper]

 NCSunshine
Go to your local library.  In our library there are several books about e-bay and setting up an internet business.   Good luck.