Is this a bad time to sell stuff on ebay?

[summer2007]

I have been cleaning up recently and I found some stuff that I could sell on ebay....but I think this might be a horrible time to do it.

I just wanted to see if anyone else is selling on ebay and if things are going ok or not?

Jim

 

[riskadverse]

I'm not a seller on ebay, but as a buyer I'm inclined to shop more on ebay than bricks & mortar.

 

[mbooth]

I have been cleaning up recently and I found some stuff that I could sell on ebay....but I think this might be a horrible time to do it.

I just wanted to see if anyone else is selling on ebay and if things are going ok or not?

Jim....what's your alternatives? Not sell on eBay because you may not get as much as you might have 6 months ago.....or might get two years hence? What ya gonna do with the 'stuff' until then.......store it somewhere that'll either cost you or take up space?

The fiscal situation is what it is.....sell or not sell [he intones in a Yoda voice]

 

[zxxxt]

I think its the best time to sell on ebay because people will be looking for bargains on this times.

 

[FinanceDude]

I have sold 10 times more stuff on Craigslist than eBay. However, it helps I am near a large metro area........

I just bought a brand new in the box Dell 20 inch LCD monitor for $150. The cheapest I could find on the net was $199.99 plus tax and shipping.......

 

[TromboneAl]

What are some examples of the things you want to sell?

Selling a $200 collector's edition Barbie might be difficult in hard times, but selling a garden shovel might be easier.

Agree with FinanceDude on the craigslist -- and don't forget Freecycle.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Best deal I ever got on eBay was from a seller with bad feedback. Turned out he was only slow to ship, otherwise interesting correspondent. Half the lowest price I ever saw the item; sometimes people bid it up four times that amount.

Summer, I looked at some gift certificates on eBay the other day because a poster (Nords?) here mentioned you can get good deals on them now. Well $25.00 certificates were bid up too high to even consider: numbers like $24.10, without postage.

 

[Bimmerbill]

I sold some collectibles recently. They sold fine. Was about $1500 worth of gaming cards from the 90s.

 

[Nords]

Summer, I looked at some gift certificates on eBay the other day because a poster (Nords?) here mentioned you can get good deals on them now. Well $25.00 certificates were bid up too high to even consider: numbers like $24.10, without postage.

We generally see gift cards on Craigslist selling for 80-90% of face value. We're usually at Home Depot, Lowes, & Wal-Mart anyway so the extra discount isn't much effort. Selling volume should spike after the holidays.

As for eBay, they've made some policy changes that have adversely affected the smaller sellers. For example, less-than-stellar feedback on seller's shipping can actually get them suspended. It's thought that eBay is trying to "encourage" sellers to fold shipping costs into their selling prices, which would raise eBay's commissions revenue. However if you're only selling a few eBay items then that shouldn't be a concern to you.

But Craigslist is free to post (in many areas) and we've even had Mainland buyers query our local Craigslist ads. So if you're not in a hurry, and especially if you're in a major metropolitan area, it might be better to try selling it on Craigslist before eBay.

 

[Moemg]

I sell on ebay . My items are still moving just not as many bidding wars going on . I just sold a few hummels and got decent prices . I also sold vintage holographic rock belt buckles ( for a friend) they sold immediately . For big items I really like Craig's list but most of the items I sell are small and ebay works out great . Nords is right . Ebay has made some stupid moves last year but now they are trying to fix their mistakes since they lost so many sellers .

 

[summer2007]

Thanks everyone...maybe it isn't such a bad time to sell on ebay.

Trombone Al

I have some old Star Wars stuff some still in the box. A telescope and some gutter guard screens that would cover a mid sized house or smaller....and some other stuff.

Cuppajoe

I always check the feedback rating of a seller for number of items sold and the rating itself after one experience. I had no problems with sellers on ebay until I bought an item from a seller with about 10 transactions all buys no sells and 100% positive.

The seller would only accept money order or cashiers check so I sent a money order. The seller never sent the item and disconnected his or her phone and e-mail.

I contacted ebay and they were of zero help they made it seem like it was all my fault. I told them I can't contact the seller I don't even know his or her name....they used a business name. So I gave up seeking any "help" from ebay.

Thanks for the tip on the gift cards. Here is one that I use when getting gift cards. We have a local supermarket that gives you a discount on your gas purchases (they own gas stations also) based on how much you spend at their supermarket. So usually around Christmas they give double points on gift cards. It works out to be like a 10% or maybe a little more discount

Jim

 

[CuppaJoe]

Summer, I sold a book on Amazon.com; buyer claimed to never have received it. Amazon covered it; returned buyer's money and didn't charge me.

 

[Moemg]

I would sell the star wars things on ebay and the telescope and gutter guards on Craigs list . I agree with Cuppa joe that selling on Amazon is so much nicer . Ebay offers no help .Their customer service is non existent .

 

[Martha]

I am trying to buy used baby boy clothes off of Craig's list. Someone always keeps beating me to the punch.

 

[Nords]

I am trying to buy used baby boy clothes off of Craig's list. Someone always keeps beating me to the punch.

It's Moemg... she's reselling them on eBay.

Or I guess it could be someone else in your area... A guy in my neighborhood claims to clear $25K/year off eBay by scooping up kid's clothes from the garage sales.

 

[Martha]

Just scored a dime bag of 3 to 6 month boy clothes!

 

[Moemg]

It's Moemg... she's reselling them on eBay.

Or I guess it could be someone else in your area... A guy in my neighborhood claims to clear $25K/year off eBay by scooping up kid's clothes from the garage sales.

No , It's not me I tried to sell kid's clothes but their is too much competition . I settle for selling clothes to yuppies .

 

[mews]

I have just sold some books on ebay. I think Oct- Nov - Dec are pretty good there.

Craigslist is great for larger stuff someone would want to see / measure before buying.

If you have stuff you don't want to throw out, but don't think is worth the time and energy of selling, Al is right - consider Freecycle.

ta,
mews

 

[martyb]

But Craigslist is free to post (in many areas) and we've even had Mainland buyers query our local Craigslist ads. So if you're not in a hurry, and especially if you're in a major metropolitan area, it might be better to try selling it on Craigslist before eBay.

In the past few months, I've sold 2 desks for $100 & $50 each, and a nice Martin guitar for $1500 on Craigslist. The desks went to locals, but the guitar buyer drove from over 100 miles away to play it, and then he was hooked, had to have it. I've become a Craigslist believer. Nords gets the credit, because of his many posts describing how much he's used it. I plan to list another desk next week.

 

[Delawaredave5]

I've been unloading "kids stuff" on Craigslist - has been great - dozens of $10 and $20 items.

Generally I end up putting them on front porch, and buyer comes pick up at their convenience and leaves check under mat.

Not making much money - but great to see stuff used and not going to landfill.

Craigs: good for "generic" stuff that's costly to ship
eBay: more "speciality" items where you need specific people to recognize value.

 

[soupcxan]

Summer, I looked at some gift certificates on eBay the other day because a poster (Nords?) here mentioned you can get good deals on them now. Well $25.00 certificates were bid up too high to even consider: numbers like $24.10, without postage.

You're currently seeing some dislocations in the ebay market for gift cards, bidders pushing them up to or above face value which normally would make no sense. This is caused by a Microsoft rebate program that is offering up to a 30% discount on some ebay purchases.