My Story - Why I sell on ebay
Ranked #10,665 in Parenting & Kids, #403,297 overall
I'm an Ebay seller because time with my daughter is most important!
Hello and welcome! I'm about to tell you the story of how and why I sell on Ebay. I'll tell you a little bit about what I sell, what I'd like to sell and of course how I ended up selling on Ebay in the first place. The picture to the left pretty much sums up why I stay home and why I sell on ebay.
From 1999 to 2004 I casually bought and sold items on ebay from time to time. Nothing steady just when I was looking for something different or rare to buy or if I had a few extra things around the house to get rid of.
Then in September 2004 my little Amanda was born. I knew from the moment the doctor layed her on my chest that there was no way I could leave this little angel at only 6 weeks old in a daycare with strangers. Not only did I not want to leave her, but my husband and I live in a town where we have no relatives. Anyway, during maternity leave the company I worked for downsized and I lost my job so there was really no decision on my part to have to make.
Sometime around Thanksgiving I was up during one of those late night feedings with the baby and worrying and thinking. With Christmas just a few weeks away what were we going to do. Not just for Christmas but just on a monthly basis? Since I had casually sold on ebay before I decided to give it a try. While the baby was sleeping I began gathering up all the outgrown childrens clothes. Clothing I had bought before getting pregnant that I didn't even know if I'd ever wear again as well as toys my step children had outgrown. This is where it began....
By mid spring 2005 I was running 100 to 200 auctions & store listings combined on a regular basis. The entire time I would try to squirrel away a little of the proffits for new merchandise. The goal was always to eventually move to completly new merchandise with only the occasional used items. Unfortunatly four years later and a steady 300 items, Im still trying to do that very same thing. However, working in business management for 13 years I learned a few things. When there is no capital to start off with it takes some time, and when your feeding children with the proffitts it stretches that amount of time. I'm still selling a lot of used items but I do manage to get a few new things from time to time, hopefully soon it will all be new items.
From 1999 to 2004 I casually bought and sold items on ebay from time to time. Nothing steady just when I was looking for something different or rare to buy or if I had a few extra things around the house to get rid of.
Then in September 2004 my little Amanda was born. I knew from the moment the doctor layed her on my chest that there was no way I could leave this little angel at only 6 weeks old in a daycare with strangers. Not only did I not want to leave her, but my husband and I live in a town where we have no relatives. Anyway, during maternity leave the company I worked for downsized and I lost my job so there was really no decision on my part to have to make.
Sometime around Thanksgiving I was up during one of those late night feedings with the baby and worrying and thinking. With Christmas just a few weeks away what were we going to do. Not just for Christmas but just on a monthly basis? Since I had casually sold on ebay before I decided to give it a try. While the baby was sleeping I began gathering up all the outgrown childrens clothes. Clothing I had bought before getting pregnant that I didn't even know if I'd ever wear again as well as toys my step children had outgrown. This is where it began....
By mid spring 2005 I was running 100 to 200 auctions & store listings combined on a regular basis. The entire time I would try to squirrel away a little of the proffits for new merchandise. The goal was always to eventually move to completly new merchandise with only the occasional used items. Unfortunatly four years later and a steady 300 items, Im still trying to do that very same thing. However, working in business management for 13 years I learned a few things. When there is no capital to start off with it takes some time, and when your feeding children with the proffitts it stretches that amount of time. I'm still selling a lot of used items but I do manage to get a few new things from time to time, hopefully soon it will all be new items.
What I sell on Ebay
We've gotten beyond the why, now lets talk about the what: Currently I sell mostly used clothing, shoes, toys and household items.I do have a complete section of New Cell phone accessories. I try to buy up new items when I have the extra cash to invest in them. Most often the money goes directly to household bills but currently trying to save enough for homeschooling supplies and I'd also like to have my babies pictures taken (its been 2 yrs).
At the time of this update I have several huge lots of childrens clothing and toys to be getting listed. As well as a room full of plus sized womens clothing. I hope to move these quickly and begin the transition into more new and less used items.
In addition to these typical items I also make some handmade goods. I enjoy crocheting and will occasionally have a nice afgan for sale. Presently I have a large quantity of handmade flip flops. I use ribbons for some, many of the most popular at this time of year are the woven ones that resemble a grass skirt. I sell them at a very cheap price when taking into account the amount of time put into them. My daughter loves these, I make them to match most all of her outfits and we never leave the house without getting a compliment on them.
Some of my items for sale
I have items in many categories. I typically have around 300 items total consisting of both new and used merchandise. Here are just a few of the new items that are available in my ebay store.
Because Inquiring minds want to know!
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Toys Toys and More Toys!
I currently have some toys listed and a huge amount of toys to be listed in the next week. When my children outgrow toys and they are no longer age appropriate, you'll find them on Ebay. Many times they are returned to their original boxes before listing.One important note about toys. I am a fanatic about germs. All toys that come from my home are sanitized on a regular basis. They are again sanitized before being sold or shipped.
Recalls is another concern about buying or selling used toys. I keep a constant vigil when it comes to recalled toys. Anything that is found to be lead tainted or otherwise is immediately thrown in the trash. I do not even bother to return these to the store since you really never know what becomes of it once you do. I feel that by disposing of it at once I'm preventing another child in the future from possibly being exposed to it again.
Buying & Selling Practices
I am one of those people who will pay .35 cents more for my bag of coffee at the local grocery store to avoid buying it at Super Walmart. Now, I like Walmart as much as the next person but I try to buy groceries that I can at the local grocery stores! This helps your local economy and it keeps jobs available. Support the little guy you might say! This holds true for ebay sellers as well. I read the 'about me' pages and when the choice is available I like to know where my money goes. If I can buy my toys or other items from Ebay for a reasonable price I will choose shopping from a small time seller as opposed to a large chain store anyday. Why? you might ask. Because I feel like supporting individual sellers is always contributes more on a personal level than making an already super rich company increase the profit margin.Another factor into where I shop has to do with projects and programs they support. For example: If I buy my office products at office depot I get to choose a local school of my choice to recieve 10% of the amount that I spent. I feel like this is a good thing.
Equally I try to let my buyers know where there money went to. I want them to know they are in effect helping to support a family with every purchase. See 'about me' on the link below.
In addition to that, I also look at each of my buyers to see if they also sell. If they do sell, I will save them to favorite sellers. Then, when I am looking for an item to buy, I check those sellers first.
When shipping items I wrap all clothing items in plastic before packaging. This helps to keep out odor causing elements such as rain, mildew or smoke.
Once an item is shipped I generally leave feedback and send a thank you note to the buyer containing the tracking number. I feel that my buyers should know that they are important to me and thier purchase is greatly appreciated.
Packing and Shipping
My shipping method is typically less than 24 hours from the time of recieving cleared payment. Naturally, that isn't possible on weekends and holidays but general rule of thumb is the day the post office reopens. If I plan to be out of town I use the vacation settings to notify buyers of the date that shipping will resume.I package my items a bit differently than some do. I realize that a lot of buyers appreciate having clothing items wrapped in tissue paper. I agree that this does look very nice and makes opening the package pleasant. I do use it on occasion myself. However, my normal form of packaging is plastic. I use plastic to wrap all clothing items in, next I squeeze out the air and seal it. I do this to cut down on the possibility of mildew or smells settling into fabrics. There is always the possibility that a package will be rained on a rainy day delivery or in a humid room. It doesn't make it water proof but it certainly does help eliminate the possibility.
More of my ebay items
New Link List
- amandascloset storefront
- My Ebay storefront with convenient store categories and search box.
- About Me page
- This is my about me page where I post info on shipping specials, free items and much more.
- online Shopping
- Why this is a great time to shop online!
- Ways to Save
- How to save on Ebay & Paypal fees.
Ebay for Income?
I personally depend on ebay sales nearly every day in my home. I'm really praying for a good selling season this year. I do know how to treat my customers! My Christmas wish this year is that in some way I can through my sales I help others to meet their shopping needs on a budget and finance one for my children at the same time.Ebay can help to increase your income, but it must be done carefully. Careless listing without attention to overhead and fees can lead to money loss rather than the extra cash you are hoping for. See the lens how to save on ebay and paypal fees for more info on this.
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Reader Feedback
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steve
Dec 27, 2010 @ 5:38 pm | delete
- i have a number of toy, great condition, original boxes. no toys, just boxes; Barbie & trans sets.
would you recommend trying to sell on ebay?
S
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amandascloset0
Dec 27, 2010 @ 5:46 pm | delete
- Yes I would highly recommend selling those items on ebay. However, I would start my bidding off at the least amount I would be willing to take for the item or go ahead and list starting at the price you actually want for the items just to be safe.
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aquariann
Aug 21, 2010 @ 4:32 pm | delete
- I've sold sporadically on eBay, but it's been over a year since my last listing. Your success has made me ponder trying it again! I have so many gently used clothes and other items that I just don't need anymore.
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jgelien
Nov 28, 2009 @ 11:42 am | delete
- I have toyed with the idea of selling on Ebay. It sounds like something I might actually be capable of trying. Your story is an encouragement and I wish you well.
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poutine
Nov 21, 2009 @ 9:32 am | delete
- I agree with you for the reason you are selling on Ebay.
Good Luck with this Christmas season 2009.
Poutine
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by amandascloset0
amandascloset0
When my daughter was born my life was changed and returning to work in my opinion was no longer an option. This is the story of me and how I started... more »
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