How To Sell Coffee Mugs on eBay
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Selling Coffee Mugs on eBay
If you are looking for a product that is easy to find, inexpensive to buy and potentially very profitable, you might want to consider selling used coffee mugs.
On this page, discover how and why you should sell mugs. Please note that I am an experienced Canadian eBay seller and it is with eBay as my selling experience that I write this page. I talk mostly of used mugs because they can be more readily found at a resellers price. However, I have had occasion to sell new coffee mugs that I happened to find at a significantly reduced price. Being in Canada creates some unique selling challenges, mostly related to the higher cost of shipping.
The average coffee mug sells for less than $20, including shipping, which is not a huge profit but is reasonable, considering the cost of a used coffee mug is under $1. Factor in the fact that the most expensive coffee mugs can sell for hundreds of dollars and suddenly the investment of the fifty cents or a dollar you will pay for most mugs becomes worth the risk.
Once you learn a bit about selling mugs and which mugs to sell, the return on your investment will grow. Selling a mug that you cost less than $1 for $10 actually is a fairly decent return on your dollar and not a bad way to get started selling.On this page, discover how and why you should sell mugs. Please note that I am an experienced Canadian eBay seller and it is with eBay as my selling experience that I write this page. I talk mostly of used mugs because they can be more readily found at a resellers price. However, I have had occasion to sell new coffee mugs that I happened to find at a significantly reduced price. Being in Canada creates some unique selling challenges, mostly related to the higher cost of shipping.
Picture from
Treasures By Brenda's Coffee Shoppe
where I sell mugs on eBay.
Where once people collected
teacups and saucers, they now
collect coffee mugs.
Who Collects Coffee Mugs?
Recently, I started writing online about coffee mugs and as part of a challenge, I created more than thirty pages dedicated to the World of Coffee. I learned during this experience that most of us collect coffee mugs and that there are two types of collectors. There are collectors that I call accidental and collectors that I call intentional. More people fall in the first group than the second, and those in the first group often do not even realize that they are collectors.Who Collects Coffee Mugs?
Learn more about the world of coffee mug collectors and participate in our polls so that we can learn more about who collects coffee mugs.
Coffee mugs are easy to check for damage. Simply check each one carefully for chips, cracks, scratches and stains. Generally, you want your mugs to be in nearly perfect condition.
Pros of Selling Coffee Mugs
- Everybody needs a coffee mug.
- People love their coffee mugs and often seek them out when they are broken.
- Coffee mugs are easy to find. They show up everywhere. Start with your own cupboard and then haunt the yard sales, thrift shops and consignment shops.
- Used coffee mugs are affordable. Most are priced at under a dollar. Occasionally, when someone knows that a mug is valuable, you might spend a bit more, perhaps up to $3.
- As long as you have a couple of shelves to spare, coffee mugs are easy to store.
- Coffee mugs are easy to check for condition issues.
Cons of Selling Mugs
- Coffee mugs are breakable.
- Selling coffee mugs means that you have to be prepared to SHIP coffee mugs, and put in the required effort.
- Many coffee mugs are not particularly valuable.
- In Canada, shipping coffee mugs is fairly expensive.
Collectible Coffee Mugs
Which coffee cups should you buy?
Of course you will want to be on the lookout for the more valuable coffee mugs. However, learning which ones to pick up and which ones to leave behind is a learning process. Here is a simple list to get you started. If you have already had success selling coffee mugs, please feel free to add the types of coffee mugs that you have sold successfully in the comment box at the end of this page.
- Vintage Pyrex, Fire King and Anchor-Hocking mugs.
- Vintage restaurant mugs. Some of these will also fit in the first category.
- Starbucks mugs. Some are extremely valuable, many are not. However, I pick up every Starbucks mug that I see and sell the less valuable ones as sets.
- Mugs with famous places, people, television shows or movies.
- Disney mugs, particularly vintage ones or extremely nice ones. Disney sells a lot of items when they release them so I often find this a category that can be harder to sell in. SHOP CAREFULLY.
- Mugs by fine china manufacturers like Lenox, Villeroy & Boch, Portmeirion, Tiffany, Wedgwood, Adams and Royal Albert.
- Vintage Taylor & Ng coffee mugs.
How To Price Your Coffee Mugs?
A helpful approach to pricing your coffee mugs is to do an eBay search for completed listings with the highest price first. Reading the top few successful listings will give you an idea of the important keywords to use in your listing title and allow you to determine what you might expect to get for your mug.What price to actually start the listing at is a personal choice. Knowing what your mug usually sells for helps you to price it reasonably and helps prevent you from giving it away.
I recently sold this jadite mug. I might have generated more excitement if I had started the price lower but since I am very aware that I often do not have a lot of success in the auction format, I priced it to start at a price at which I knew would cover my shipping costs and allow me to make a profit and I still managed to draw a couple of bidders.
I priced this vintage jadite mug at $39.96 and the final sale price was $45, which I was happy with. My costs for selling the mug, including purchase, shipping, eBay and Paypal fees, left me with a profit of $27.29, which is not bad considering my initial investment of a dollar.
How To Pack Coffee Mugs For Shipping
Packing mugs for shipping is easy once you have the proper supplies.
My shipping method is fairly straightforward and I have yet to have a cup be broken.
Using the bubble wrap with the large bubbles, I wrap my mugs twice using a 12-inch wide strip with the bubbles facing in. Each time I secure the ends with packing tape as scotch tape will not hold.
Then I place the wrapped mug in a box that accommodates the mug nicely and not tightly. If the box is a bit too big, I make sure to fill the extra space with a bit more filler. Depending upon the weight of the parcel, this can be more bubble wrap or newsprint. I take extra care to make sure the handle is nicely cushioned and not near the edge of the box. Placing the handle at an angle toward the corner within the box is usually helpful.
It is critical that no part of the mug touch the box.
I have often thought that purchasing a number of the perfect sized box would be ideal. However, that would add at least a dollar to the alreeady expensive Canadian shipping cost so, at least for now, I recycle boxes that I collect from various sources including the grocery store.
This is the method that online mug retailer Zazzle uses (with the exception of the recycled box) and I assume that they ship lots of mugs and that it is therefore a pretty safe method. I have the added confidence of having shipped mugs in this manner for a number of years and never having had one broken. However, if I ever have the opportunity of selling a particularly valuable coffee mug (like a Starbucks mug for $1000), I would probably increase the level of protection.
Canada Post insurance does not cover breakage of items so it is critical that my mugs be packaged well.
Using the bubble wrap with the large bubbles, I wrap my mugs twice using a 12-inch wide strip with the bubbles facing in. Each time I secure the ends with packing tape as scotch tape will not hold.
Then I place the wrapped mug in a box that accommodates the mug nicely and not tightly. If the box is a bit too big, I make sure to fill the extra space with a bit more filler. Depending upon the weight of the parcel, this can be more bubble wrap or newsprint. I take extra care to make sure the handle is nicely cushioned and not near the edge of the box. Placing the handle at an angle toward the corner within the box is usually helpful.
It is critical that no part of the mug touch the box.
I have often thought that purchasing a number of the perfect sized box would be ideal. However, that would add at least a dollar to the alreeady expensive Canadian shipping cost so, at least for now, I recycle boxes that I collect from various sources including the grocery store.
This is the method that online mug retailer Zazzle uses (with the exception of the recycled box) and I assume that they ship lots of mugs and that it is therefore a pretty safe method. I have the added confidence of having shipped mugs in this manner for a number of years and never having had one broken. However, if I ever have the opportunity of selling a particularly valuable coffee mug (like a Starbucks mug for $1000), I would probably increase the level of protection.
Canada Post insurance does not cover breakage of items so it is critical that my mugs be packaged well.
How To Pack A Mug For Shipping Video
At just over 7 minutes, this is a long video about how to pack a mug for shipping. However, if you want to learn how to ship mugs you may want to take the time to learn from the experience of pomeroysporch. This is, in my mind, the ultimate mug shipping method. I particularly like the addition of the cardboard to protect the handle, which is the most vulnerable part of a coffee mug.
curated content from YouTube
Buy Boxes For Shipping Mugs
On eBay.
Long ago, I figured that the perfect sized box for many mugs would be about 8 inches by 8 inches and I recently discovered that they are available from a seller on eBay. Unfortunately, my location in Canada means that buying these through the mail would be very costly. If you are located in the U.S. and you sell a lot of mugs, having the perfectly sized box on hand might be a good thing.
Buy Bubble Wrap For Wrapping Mugs
On eBay.
Collectible Coffee Mugs
Resource pages of interest to both sellers and buyers of coffee mugs.
The Lovely Whittard Coffee Mugs
Whittards of Chelsea coffee mugs, cups and teapots are beautiful%u2026.
The Best Chaleur Coffee Mugs
Chaleur coffee mugs are definitely popular collector's items!
Vintage Taylor & Ng Coffee Mugs
Vintage Taylor and Ng mugs are sought after cups that date from the 1970s and 1980s.
Collectible Starbucks Halloween Coffee Mugs and Cups
If you love Halloween, you are absolutely, positively going to LOVE these Starbucks Halloween coffee mugs..
The Polar Express Hot Chocolate Mugs
Did you know you can buy the Polar Express hot chocolate mug exactly as pictured in the movie?
The Best Collectible Starbucks Christmas Coffee Mugs
You will love the handsome selection of Starbucks Christmas coffee mugs%u2026
Jadite Coffee Canisters or Jars
Love vintage kitchenware? You'll love these Jadite coffee jars.
Whittards of Chelsea coffee mugs, cups and teapots are beautiful%u2026.
The Best Chaleur Coffee Mugs
Chaleur coffee mugs are definitely popular collector's items!
Vintage Taylor & Ng Coffee Mugs
Vintage Taylor and Ng mugs are sought after cups that date from the 1970s and 1980s.
Collectible Starbucks Halloween Coffee Mugs and Cups
If you love Halloween, you are absolutely, positively going to LOVE these Starbucks Halloween coffee mugs..
The Polar Express Hot Chocolate Mugs
Did you know you can buy the Polar Express hot chocolate mug exactly as pictured in the movie?
The Best Collectible Starbucks Christmas Coffee Mugs
You will love the handsome selection of Starbucks Christmas coffee mugs%u2026
Jadite Coffee Canisters or Jars
Love vintage kitchenware? You'll love these Jadite coffee jars.
Have you ever sold a coffee mug?
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If you have sold a coffee mug, have you had any BIG sales?
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If you have never sold a coffee mug, are you considering doing so?
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Coffee Mugs From Treasures By Brenda
Single coffee mugs.
People often want to buy one coffee mug because they have broken a beloved coffee mug, either of their own or of a friend. Sometimes they buy them because they have a memory of a specific mug, a comment that often comes with vintage mugs like those by Taylor and Ng and of course, sometimes they collect a certain subject matter, like dog mugs or Sandra Boynton mugs.
All of the coffee mugs that I sell in my eBay store include the cost of shipping to locations within Canada and in the United States.
All of the coffee mugs that I sell in my eBay store include the cost of shipping to locations within Canada and in the United States.
More Coffee Mugs From Treasures By Brenda
These ones sold in pairs or in eBay language, as a 'lot.'
These coffee mugs are being sold in groups or as a LOT, as we call them on eBay. As a Canadian seller, I often have to pay as much as $12.41 to ship a single coffee mug so doubling up wherever possible is an economical move plus, of course, it allows the purchaser the opportunity to buy a set of mugs. I do not know what it costs to ship a mug within the United States but I am willing to bet that there would be money to save if you doubled them up, too.
More Information About Treasures By Brenda
A Canadian eBay Top-Rated Seller.
Treasures By Brenda is a small, home-based eBay store located in central Canada in the nation's capital, Ottawa. I was pleased to be able to be a work-at-home mom. I still work at home, although my children are pursuing their own interests in life now.
Most of my coffee mugs sell for $20, including the cost of shipping. Occasionally, they sell for more and occasionally, I find myself with one that is unsaleable. Mugs that are not worth $20, I try to double up, which makes them more attractive. At a cost of just five cents, I can leave them in my eBay store for quite awhile and sometimes it takes that long for the right individual to come looking for a particular mug. I am still working on how long is reasonable to hold onto a coffee mug.
My best coffee mug sale was of two of the most handsome Chaleur coffee mugs. They were interesting to me because I purchased them on speculation (which is affordable when you are talking about coffee mugs) and they sold quickly at auction for $50 each. I learned quite a bit about them through one of the buyers, who has an extensive collection of Chaleur mugs. Unfortunately, I did not save a picture of either one of them. Next time I make a high-priced mug sale, you can bet I will save the picture.
Obviously, I am still waiting for my chance to sell one of the high-priced Starbucks coffee mugs that can sell for up to $1,000. I am sure my turn will come, particularly since my eyes are always on the look out for interesting coffee mugs, and when it does happen, you can be sure to read about it here.
To learn more about my eBay store, you can visit Treasures By Brenda An eBay Top-Rated Power Seller
Most of my coffee mugs sell for $20, including the cost of shipping. Occasionally, they sell for more and occasionally, I find myself with one that is unsaleable. Mugs that are not worth $20, I try to double up, which makes them more attractive. At a cost of just five cents, I can leave them in my eBay store for quite awhile and sometimes it takes that long for the right individual to come looking for a particular mug. I am still working on how long is reasonable to hold onto a coffee mug.
My best coffee mug sale was of two of the most handsome Chaleur coffee mugs. They were interesting to me because I purchased them on speculation (which is affordable when you are talking about coffee mugs) and they sold quickly at auction for $50 each. I learned quite a bit about them through one of the buyers, who has an extensive collection of Chaleur mugs. Unfortunately, I did not save a picture of either one of them. Next time I make a high-priced mug sale, you can bet I will save the picture.
Obviously, I am still waiting for my chance to sell one of the high-priced Starbucks coffee mugs that can sell for up to $1,000. I am sure my turn will come, particularly since my eyes are always on the look out for interesting coffee mugs, and when it does happen, you can be sure to read about it here.
To learn more about my eBay store, you can visit Treasures By Brenda An eBay Top-Rated Power Seller
Where To Find Stuff To Sell on eBay
Have you been thinking about starting an eBay or other online sales business? "Yes," you say, "but what will I sell and where will I get it? Wholesale, drop ship, garage sale finds. How do I find them and where do I start?"
Here's a helpful link to a friend's page about where to find stuff to sell on eBay.
Here's a helpful link to a friend's page about where to find stuff to sell on eBay.
More eBay Selling Resources
Canada Post ~~ Flat Rate Shipping Program
On May 16th, 2008, Canada Post quietly launched a new Flat Rate Box shipping program for items shipped through eBay. " canadian="canadian" ebay="ebay" users="users" ship="ship">
eBay Power Seller
The term eBay Power Seller makes it sound pretty exciting, doesn't it? However, what it really represents is a fair amount of work and determination. This...
Treasures By Brenda, an eBay Power Seller
'Treasures By Brenda' is a small, home-based eBay store located in central Canada in the nation's capital of Ottawa.
On May 16th, 2008, Canada Post quietly launched a new Flat Rate Box shipping program for items shipped through eBay. " canadian="canadian" ebay="ebay" users="users" ship="ship">
eBay Power Seller
The term eBay Power Seller makes it sound pretty exciting, doesn't it? However, what it really represents is a fair amount of work and determination. This...
Treasures By Brenda, an eBay Power Seller
'Treasures By Brenda' is a small, home-based eBay store located in central Canada in the nation's capital of Ottawa.
Here's a warning for anyone thinking of selling coffee mugs. Doing so can cause your own coffee mug collection to multiply when you are not looking.
Picture by Treasures By Brenda.
Do you have any questions or comments about selling coffee mugs?
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EclecticNana
May 29, 2012 @ 8:29 am | delete
- I found your lens on another one that I was looking at. I am soooo glad I had a look! What a great niche. I will be looking for mugs now instead of passing them by when I go treasure hunting! Thanks for a great lens!
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Connie Pickerill
May 19, 2012 @ 7:53 pm | delete
- Brenda, Do you think it's best to have an eBay store or just list without one?
Connie
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Treasures-By-Brenda
May 22, 2012 @ 9:22 pm | delete
- Sorry, Connie. The comments system isn't working properly. I responded but couldn't get my answer to appear so I'm posting it again now.
Connie, it's been so long since I did NOT have a store and I am not very aware of the other side of the coin (not having one.) However, here are a couple of things I do know:
Almost nothing I sell sells the first time around. Even when I have the ONLY listing for a certain item, it takes awhile for the right buyer to come along. (That's a strong argument for a store.)
However, some new sellers are working using the free listings...50 per month plus sometimes there are extra days...at least until they get some practice selling. Since opening a store costs money, you have to have enough inventory on hand to make it worth while.
Pages about opening a store:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/stores.html
http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/subscriptions.html
Hope that helps a bit.
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Connie Pickerill
May 15, 2012 @ 10:01 am | delete
- I have a tote full of mugs from an estate that we received FREE but most of them have the person's name and year received written on the bottom with a Sharpie pen. Are these sellable? I have bookmarked your page. I've been trying to find a niche and this may be it. Thank you, Connie
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Treasures-By-Brenda
May 15, 2012 @ 9:11 pm | delete
- Hi, Connie
My first thought is to get rid of the marks. Since I have never had to do so, I asked on an online forum and these are the answers that were suggested:
Magic eraser
Rubbing alcohol
Lighter fluid
Bar Keepers Friend, which comes in a container that looks like Comet. Cathi said she uses this last product on all of her mugs and dishes that have marker marks and that it doesn't remove the finish or shine.
Be sure to come back and let us know what you try and how it works out for you and thanks for asking, I learned something, too.
Brenda
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Connie Pickerill
May 17, 2012 @ 9:26 pm | delete
- Thanks, Brenda. I'll see what works best. I've decided to concentrate on mugs and books. There are tons of yard sales tomorrow....can't wait to go.
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Brenda
May 15, 2012 @ 9:13 pm | delete
- Hi, Connie
My first thought is to get rid of the marks. Since I have never had to do so, I asked on an online forum and these are the answers that were suggested:
Magic eraser
Rubbing alcohol
Lighter fluid
Bar Keepers Friend, which comes in a container that looks like Comet. Cathi said she uses this last product on all of her mugs and dishes that have marker marks and that it doesn't remove the finish or shine.
Be sure to come back and let us know what you try and how it works out for you and thanks for asking, I learned something, too.
Brenda
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Treasures-By-Brenda
May 20, 2012 @ 7:42 am | delete
- Connie, it's been so long since I did NOT have a store and I am not very aware of the other side of the coin (not having one.) However, here are a couple of things I do know:
Almost nothing I sell sells the first time around. Even when I have the ONLY listing for a certain item, it takes awhile for the right buyer to come along. (That's a strong argument for a store.)
However, some new sellers are working using the free listings...50 per month plus sometimes there are extra days...at least until they get some practice selling. Since opening a store costs money, you have to have enough inventory on hand to make it worth while.
Pages about opening a store:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/stores.html
http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/subscriptions.html
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davespeed
Feb 22, 2012 @ 10:49 pm | delete
- I have always been a bit intimidated by eBay. Selling coffee mugs sounds like something that I could do. And the profit margin is very nice! I'm going to give this some thought. I've bookmarked your lens so that I can return. Thanks for sharing this info!
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Dublinkim
Dec 8, 2011 @ 4:01 pm | delete
- Coffee mugs are GREAT to sell (in fact, my current inventory is getting low)! They are usually .50-1.00 and you will be surprised by the ones that sell for the most. I sold a Hot Air Balloon designed mug for $52 last year and a "Far Side Comics" mug for over $28! You just never know what someone will want, but as long as it's in good shape, has a nice "theme" (Disney, Starbucks, TV, Animals, etc.) it will probably sell. I sell most of mine for $8-9 and that doesn't seem like much, but when I only paid .50 it's a profit margin of 400%! Won't find many items with that kind of margin that are so easy to find, easy to ship and can really make someone's day (I have had MANY a husband buy my mugs because they broke their wife's favorite and were so relieved to find me selling one on Ebay).
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Treasures-By-Brenda
Dec 8, 2011 @ 5:03 pm | delete
- I agree and I, too, have had people thrilled to find a replacement for a mug that someone had just broken. I wish you continued luck with your mug sales.
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mypotlpeople
Nov 18, 2011 @ 4:18 pm | delete
- I never thought about selling mugs before on ebay. It sounds like you are having a successful go of it. I enjoyed reading the packing tips. I always have trouble making sure things get safely to their destination.
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KM9999999
Nov 1, 2011 @ 5:21 pm | delete
- Cool idea. I never would have thought of selling coffee mugs.
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Rhidawn
Nov 1, 2011 @ 10:24 am | delete
- Im a zazzler and I love making the designs for the coffee cups. I think this is an awesome idea. I've never really thought about it. Summer time, with all the yard sales, would be a great time of year to pick up extra coffee cups to stick on ebay...I have a lens on coffeecups as well. You may enjoy it! Great lens!
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kimmanleyort
Nov 1, 2011 @ 10:05 am | delete
- What a great resource. You have got me thinking too about selling coffee mugs on eBay. At least from my own collection, I can figure out which ones might be collectibles. Blessed.
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