Foo - Ebay! Who uses it for selling? Any make a living from it?

So how many of you folks use ebay for selling much? I've always found it a handy source of a few extra quid when i've got some stuff to get rid of or to help someone else get rid of some junk. Is anyone in here making a living from it and nothing else? Just interested to hear what people get up to with it...

So how many of you folks use ebay for selling much? I've always found it a handy source of a few extra quid when i've got some stuff to get rid of or to help someone else get rid of some junk. Is anyone in here making a living from it and nothing else? Just interested to hear what people get up to with it...

I know several people who are "making a living" on ebay. They also happen to be married to spouses with good jobs. :rolleyes:

I did for about 6 years. I had two other people with me, it paid bills, replenished it's merchandise, and gave us some coin. It was a great experience, but illness caused me to let it go. Now I just dabble.

cool, my dad's recently lost his job and I want more free time so i can pursue my other interests so we're going to try and form an elite double team and make enough money to get by that way. Just wondering how feasible it is, we have a few ideas in mind that we've given a lot of thought too.

One of the mechanics that used to work for the shop I take my car to, quit his job and is making a living on eBay selling Civil War memorabilia.. :) When you think about it, eBay did start out as a trading room for PEZ dispensers...

I think it's definitely possible, but it would take a big commitment from you. You have to spend money to make money. I have yet to buy or sell anything on ebay.

My experience is that ebay has become, unless you have something REALLY SPECIAL, a clearing house of stuff that people are willing to w ho re out at the cheapest price.

Example: I just picked up a neck mount humbucker with prewired vol/tone pots and out jack for an acoustic guitar for $20 + $4, I was the only bid. OTOH; a few months back I sold a 1978 Strat neck for over $300. Go figure?!?!

Well my Dad is prepared to stump up a few quid to get us started as a tester and he has all day to work on stuff. The way I see it, even if I ended up working almost as many hours as I work at my job, at least i'll be able to work the hours i like so they fit better around my life. I think the only potential worry is the possibility of slacking off with no one to push you to keep going!

Hey, go for it. I wish you luck. It's noit for the undisiplined. If you'd like some tips, just PM me.

Obviously you can make money on ebay. I have to assume that's why there are millions of sellers. But I've discovered some inherent problems.

You have to have something to sell. Trouble is...where do you get it?

So you wanna clean out your closet and make the money back on all the clothes you purchased in the last 3 years? Good Luck! So does everybody else! Clothes sell for less than a penny on the dollar in most cases.

So if not clothes what else are you going to sell? Go around and buy stuff at flea markets and garage sales and then resell it on ebay? Plenty try this but the value was already determined when you bought it. You can only wish that putting it on ebay will increase it's value. In most cases not very much.

Make something unique and sell it on ebay? I suppose this is a better approach. But what do you make that isn't already out there, being sold more cheaply and at the same quality?

Buy seconds and refurbs from a manufacturer or retailer and then go ebay it? This has always sounded somewhat lucrative to me but I am not informed. Obviously if the market was too great they would do it themselves.

Sell stuff for other people on ebay? Yep, lots of "companies" doing this now. I am sure that this comes with a unique set of headaches and challenges. I don't know how profitable this is either.

I use it to buy and sell. whenever I need something online, I always check ebay first. I don't sell as frequently as I buy. In the past 2 months I have sold 6 servo motors and a bicycle.

I think you need to find a niche, and one that you know something about, like selling Civil War stuff, or certain collectibles. Otherwise you could just resell mechandise you get at cost or cheaper. I came across a lot of items a few years ago that I bought for about 50% retail, and the ended up getting between 90% and 95% retail, sometimes over 100%, which is ridiculous since you could just go to a store and get it cheaper, not pay shipping, and not wait. But thats the craziness of Ebay. After about a month and selling my entire stock, I made about $1000. Not great, but considering the amount of work and I was in school with no job, it was awesome. But finding that lot of items was just luck. Ebay was just an easy way to make money off it.

Obviously you can make money on ebay. I have to assume that's why there are millions of sellers. But I've discovered some inherent problems.

Go around and buy stuff at flea markets and garage sales and then resell it on ebay? Plenty try this but the value was already determined when you bought it. You can only wish that putting it on ebay will increase it's value. In most cases not very much.


Not entirely true. I have an aquantiance who buys at auction in PA and takes the wares (by the truckload) to SC for resale. A lot of it has to do with reigonal values. Something that will fetch only $19 in one area, might bring $100 in another. Box lots are a great place for high dollar suprises. Novelty also plays a great part in it. Another thing, things sold at yard sales are often priced at 'get rid of' prices, not full market values. I have a plethora of anecdotal evidence to support each situation. :)

I'm a regular. Buy a lot of stuff. Sell a little.

Generally, I really like ebay. But occasionally things happen. See my post on finally having a bad experience here in Foo. It could have been worse I could have received and empty box. Gereally, ebay is a good place....generally.