Anybody else sell on eBay? Elsewhere?

[redsmetz]

I know someone mentioned this topic once before, but who else sells things on eBay? Not just baseball related, but other items as well.

How have your sales been lately. My sales are down two thirds from three years ago. I thought they were picking up again at Christmas, but they've tanked again.

Are folks selling on other sites with any success. I sell books on Amazon with better success than I find on eBay. I've tried Overstock.com, but with very mixed results.

I've got a lot of stuff to relist, particularly my baseball items since the season's getting ready to start.

How about others?

[Dom Heffner]

I sell on ebay occasionally, and my mother used to make a living at it. She complains now that it's pretty hard to sell anything for even close to what it's worth, which in my opinion is how auctions run in general.

Unless you have something out of sight, it normally goes for well below book value. Mom doesn't do a fraction of what she used to.

Before ebay there was a false sense of rarity. Now, things we thought were rare are listed on there every week, and there is never a shortage of people who just want to give things away.

[oneupper]

Haven't sold stuff for a while. I usually wait till I have a nice lot o' junk and start making sales. I'm oneupper on ebay, too FWIW.

I agree that Books on Amazon is better (done that too). Plus, its free to list.

My stuff is mainly just household junk. The kids' old videogames, old computer parts, plus anything I don't need anymore and is cluttering up the house.

Not a business. What do you sell?

[redsmetz]

Originally Posted by Dom Heffner

I sell on ebay occasionally, and my mother used to make a living at it. She complains now that it's pretty hard to sell anything for even close to what it's worth, which in my opinion is how auctions run in general.

Unless you have something out of sight, it normally goes for well below book value. Mom doesn't do a fraction of what she used to.

Before ebay there was a false sense of rarity. Now, things we thought were rare are listed on there every week, and there is never a shortage of people who just want to give things away.

I know what you mean. I've found things at thrift shops, come back found one on eBay that was getting a good price and then, bam, mine won't sell (I had that happen with some P&G Millenium champagne glasses, still have them, dang!).

BTW, I sell under tscsales - I may try to clear out my stuff and take a bit of a hiatus.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

I used to sell a lot more with my dad. He'd go out to yard sales, auctions etc. and find some stuff, I'd throw it online for him and it gave us something to do together. I have my own account now, but I don't do a lot of selling with it, but every once in a while I will.

[zombie-a-go-go]

I sell OOP D&D and other RPG stuff from my (in my wife's opinion) 'disturbingly-large' book collection, as well as trade paperback comics that I don't read anymore. I'm also a fairly decent painter, so I can occasionally paint up a model and sell it on eBay for more than I paid for it - but if I didn't enjoy the painting itself, I'd never do it, because the ROI isn't exactly white-hot.

I don't do it as a business - just to trade in whatever old geek stuff I no longer dig for new geek stuff - currently the Warmachine miniatures game.

[Ltlabner]

Originally Posted by Dom Heffner

I sell on ebay occasionally, and my mother used to make a living at it. She complains now that it's pretty hard to sell anything for even close to what it's worth, which in my opinion is how auctions run in general.

Unless you have something out of sight, it normally goes for well below book value. Mom doesn't do a fraction of what she used to.

Before ebay there was a false sense of rarity. Now, things we thought were rare are listed on there every week, and there is never a shortage of people who just want to give things away.

It's amazing that you can search for anything...I mean anything and almost always find it or something like it on Ebay.

Not to mention, all the "make a living selling stuff on Ebay" courses/programs. More competition = lower prices.

And I think the rose might be off the Ebay bloom a bit. For a while Ebay seemed to be a "go-to" web desitation. You'd plop infront of the computer and search for stuff just to see if you could find it. Now, I think more people go to Ebay either for (1) niche items (2) as a store of last resort.

Just my $.02.

[macro]

I think the one thing that has ruined ebay more than anything else is that the sellers of new merchandise have taken over the site, thus destroying the uniqueness of it.

Six or eight years ago, searches would turn up a larger percentage of unique, harder-to-find items from a given category, and only one or two of each. Today, 90% of the hits are sellers listing multiples of the same exact items, just in different sizes or perhaps listing all the teams (in the case of licensed sports merchandise). I've grown so tired of clicking and scanning through page after page of mass-produced new stuff that I hardly ever go to the site anymore at all. And this is coming from someone who used to spend at least an hour a day on ebay.

It was once a novelty and unique, while now it's mostly just another outlet (among many) to buy stuff. The choice to accept new merchandise may have paid off for ebay in the short term (more auctions, more revenues), but in the long term, it will make it just one of several players in the same game.

[redsmetz]

Originally Posted by macro

I think the one thing that has ruined ebay more than anything else is that the sellers of new merchandise have taken over the site, thus destroying the uniqueness of it.

Six or eight years ago, searches would turn up a larger percentage of unique, harder-to-find items from a given category, and only one or two of each. Today, 90% of the hits are sellers listing multiples of the same exact items, just in different sizes or perhaps listing all the teams (in the case of licensed sports merchandise). I've grown so tired of clicking and scanning through page after page of mass-produced new stuff that I hardly ever go to the site anymore at all. And this is coming from someone who used to spend at least an hour a day on ebay.

It was once a novelty and unique, while now it's mostly just another outlet (among many) to buy stuff. The choice to accept new merchandise may have paid off for ebay in the short term (more auctions, more revenues), but in the long term, it will make it just one of several players in the same game.

So what other alternatives do folks see for someone not looking to "make a living on eBay" (that's a rare bird there - I know they exist). As I said, I've tried Overstock Auctions, Yahoo Auctions. I did okay on Overstock, but a recent retry didn't perform. I've enjoyed the fun of finding items and also selling some regular items (Skyline Chili, a regular political bumper sticker), but it's down to snail's pace these days.

[FutureRedsGM]

I think an interesting side story is what eBay is doing to "normal" businesses.

Example:

I was recently at the Louisville Golf Show and I was looking for a particular golf club (Cleveland Halo Hybrid). I had done my research and knew that this club could be bought on eBay for around $80 including shipping. I stopped at each booth that had these and no one could go less than $90. I actually had one seller go off on a profanity laced tirade about how eBay is going to put everyone out of business.

[minus5]

I still go to Ebay very often to look for things. The only thing that makes me mad though is the seller that want to sell a used 45 rpm record (for example)for $3.00 and then charge $8 for shipping and a $2 charge for handling. The unrealistic shipping & handling really drives me crazy.

Other than that I still like Ebay a lot.

[justincredible]

Originally Posted by minus5

I still go to Ebay very often to look for things. The only thing that makes me mad though is the seller that want to sell a used 45 rpm record (for example)for $3.00 and then charge $8 for shipping and a $2 charge for handling. The unrealistic shipping & handling really drives me crazy.

Other than that I still like Ebay a lot.

No doubt. The best are the people selling sports cards.

$.50 for the card yet they want $2.50 to ship it.

[oneupper]

Originally Posted by minus5

I still go to Ebay very often to look for things. The only thing that makes me mad though is the seller that want to sell a used 45 rpm record (for example)for $3.00 and then charge $8 for shipping and a $2 charge for handling. The unrealistic shipping & handling really drives me crazy.

Other than that I still like Ebay a lot.

If you sold on eBay you'd understand why they do that. eBay takes its (hefty) fees off the sales price, but not off the shipping/handling fees.

People who sell low priced items have little choice but to structure their prices that way to avoid seeing their margins evaporate.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

Originally Posted by justincredible

No doubt. The best are the people selling sports cards.

$.50 for the card yet they want $2.50 to ship it.

You've got to make up for listing fees somewhere. I'm guilty of doing it too, but when ebay keeps jacking up the prices to list something, it almost doesn't make it worth posting some things unless you think you can get the money back in outrageous shipping.

[zombie-a-go-go]

Originally Posted by FutureRedsGM

I think an interesting side story is what eBay is doing to "normal" businesses.

Example:

I was recently at the Louisville Golf Show and I was looking for a particular golf club (Cleveland Halo Hybrid). I had done my research and knew that this club could be bought on eBay for around $80 including shipping. I stopped at each booth that had these and no one could go less than $90. I actually had one seller go off on a profanity laced tirade about how eBay is going to put everyone out of business.

I buy Warmachine minis from eBay sellers because the two gaming stores in Cincinnati have a craptastic selection and take, like, a month to get anything specific in from their distributor if I place an order with them. I still prefer brick-and-mortar stores for music, books, etc. Even if I end up paying a few dollars more, it gets me out of the house.