Is it worth it?

[5486pat]

Hello all, I’m having to downsize and have over the years accumalated a lot of ‘stuff’ I was also a crafter but now registered bling I have a mountain of craft goodies

IS IT WORTH ME PUTTING IT ON EBAY?

I don’t want to throw it out as a lot of it is new, but taking the time involved putting it on ebay, then starting at 99p + postage.

ebay charge .35p per item over 20 items - then charge 10% of the selling price and 10% of postage 

Would I make any money or would I just be wasting my time?

pleasei really would like your comments,

kind regards, Pat

[5486pat]

Thank you so very much, because ebay suggest starting at 99p that’s what I stupidly did - taking a lot of time only to find I’m losing money. I appreciate your help and time getting back to me.
Kindest regards, Pat

[thedemon2014]

Like you I have accumulated a lot of ‘stuff’ and don’t like the idea of just throwing it away.  I just sell ‘bits and pieces’ now and again.

Before you start selling it is a good idea to do a little research on the items you are planning to sell.  Search for them on eBay and how many of the items have sold recently, note how much the items are selling for, and how much the seller is charging for P&P.

Once you have found out how much your items may be worth, work out how much it will cost you to send the item.  You can do that on line on the Royal Mail or carrier’s web site.  Factor in how much it will cost you to get the item to the carrier, or how much they charge to collect the item if appropriate.  Factor in your hoped-for profit margin to get a selling price.

If selling at auction plan on getting only one bid, so start the auction at the price you are willing to sell at.  Starting an auction at 99p is usually a bad idea as it will usually cost you more to sell the item than you will receive for selling the item.  Adding a Reserve price is also relatively expensive (4% of whatever Reserve you set, and is payable even if the item does not sell).

Selling at fixed price is not free (50p?) and again is payable even if the item does not sell.  Adding a Buy it Now price also costs, and if selling at auction the BIN option disappears as soon as someone bids on the item anyway.

Decide if you wish to sell just to the UK, or are you willing to send the item abroad?  Again, work out the cost, bearing in mind that new sellers may not be allowed to sell items abroad until they prove themselves reliable sellers.

Finally, private sellers can sell their own items on eBay, but if you make items intending to sell you should register as a business seller.  The number or value of the sales doesn’t come into the question.

I hope these notes help you.

Come back if you need more advice or look at posting again on the discussion boards for a more in depth discussion rather than this Quick Answer board.