Buying and Selling on eBay: Tips, Tricks, Problems & Questions

[sparrow]



Going back to school is a lot harder then just going back. Finish college, fool.

This


Your tuition isn't too bad
Just complete

 

[cdgreg]

I'll do a quick breakdown to make it easier to follow.

Student- 19- second year-

Live at home - Debt = credit card/ family/ School tuition - roughly 15k atm

Financial situation - I work part time atm - can pick up shifts at any point nessecary ( very relaxed workplace with extremely flexible hours)

I don't currently hold any bills that I need to pay consistently other than metropass (no car atm- will work on it if things work out) - and phone bill.

I honestly have it set out pretty well at this point but I think starting earlier rather than after getting a degree can put me ahead, and I can potentially always go back to school to graduate.

EDIT: I understand this may be taken as a "lead me through life", but its more of a personal go to question as I know many of you guys have been stuck in scenarios that I may be in, and would love to have some feedback or suggestions from others.

I have no percentages to support my statement, but never take a break to make some money because odds are you will not go back later. Complete your degree and be sure it is in a field that you want to spend the rest of your life in. I'll bird walk for a moment, do some serious research into the sub-categories of whatever field you are looking into. Let me give you a prime, and easy example, atleast from my world. I originally went to school to be a social studies teacher because I loved studying history. Little did I know that the social studies certification field is a dime a dozen, however, ESL (English as a second language) teachers can name their price. To get a job I had to go back for Literacy and Special Education and at this point I am a district level administrator and have never once taught social studies. High school guidance counselors, in general, do not do their due diligence probing further into your preferred field to set you up for true success. I also severely regret never participating in a trade program, many of these programs end up certifying you and setting you up for a well paying job. Bird walk aside, you're 19, it's not too late to make changes, decide what area you want to be in, study that area so you understand all of your options and their marketabilities, and don't look back or slow down. You can ebay as a hobby on the side. I ran a small ebay business while in college and made enough off $3 bracelets to take my gf and I to England/France for 2 weeks.

edit: Assuming you're in the US, there are some helpful tuition repayment tools at this point, IBR, ICR, and actually public loan forgiveness programs depending on your field.

 

[cdgreg]

Wanted to take a quick moment and say thank you to all the people in this thread (and the less frequented packaging thread) who shared their shipping and handles practices that they have honed over time. Brian, Spoo, Snoogz, Wes, ATLnoob, GMMcl, to only list a handful. The poly bag sizes, specific USPS boxes, packing .gifs, links to ebay stores for packaging labels, and more were all incredibly informative and helpful.

 

[jdrizzy]

I have no percentages to support my statement, but never take a break to make some money because odds are you will not go back later. Complete your degree and be sure it is in a field that you want to spend the rest of your life in. I'll bird walk for a moment, do some serious research into the sub-categories of whatever field you are looking into. Let me give you a prime, and easy example, atleast from my world. I originally went to school to be a social studies teacher because I loved studying history. Little did I know that the social studies certification field is a dime a dozen, however, ESL (English as a second language) teachers can name their price. To get a job I had to go back for Literacy and Special Education and at this point I am a district level administrator and have never once taught social studies. High school guidance counselors, in general, do not do their due diligence probing further into your preferred field to set you up for true success. I also severely regret never participating in a trade program, many of these programs end up certifying you and setting you up for a well paying job. Bird walk aside, you're 19, it's not too late to make changes, decide what area you want to be in, study that area so you understand all of your options and their marketabilities, and don't look back or slow down.

edit: Assuming you're in the US, there are some helpful tuition repayment tools at this point, IBR, ICR, and actually public loan forgiveness programs depending on your field.

In Canada, very valid points to explore the further fields of my major. But i've impusively chosen my major on the whim of a single counsellors suggestion (exactly what you said), but i've invested into a field that does not interest me that much, nor does it stimulate any type of happiness knowing i'll graduate with it. At this point, the sake of graduating is for the satisfaction of others.

I understand the point that taking a year off changes how I will see school, and the income and leisure time will make me stray from continuing school again, but i'm just trying to figure out the pros and cons at the moment. Thank you everyone with input, its nice to have both constructive and strong willed opinions to sway both sides for me!

 

[cdgreg]

Remember, relists count as listings, you can blow through those really quick.

That's a great point, didn't consider re-listing an item 2-3 times in a month. Thanks.

 

[Koala-T]



I'll do a quick breakdown to make it easier to follow.

Student- 19- second year-

Live at home - Debt = credit card/ family/ School tuition - roughly 15k atm

Financial situation - I work part time atm - can pick up shifts at any point nessecary ( very relaxed workplace with extremely flexible hours)

I don't currently hold any bills that I need to pay consistently other than metropass (no car atm- will work on it if things work out) - and phone bill.

I honestly have it set out pretty well at this point but I think starting earlier rather than after getting a degree can put me ahead, and I can potentially always go back to school to graduate.

EDIT: I understand this may be taken as a "lead me through life", but its more of a personal go to question as I know many of you guys have been stuck in scenarios that I may be in, and would love to have some feedback or suggestions from others.

You can do this virtually "full time" and still go to school. Don't quit school.

 

[Fueco]

Stay in school. Do the Ebay thing while you study. I made a similar mistake 1996 (when I got an AS Degree). I didn't go back for my Bachelors until 2010 (graduated in 2012). This has made it incredibly hard to find work. You're far better off sticking with your major (or switching now) than waiting for "a few years".

 

[chogall]

I'll do a quick breakdown to make it easier to follow.

Student- 19- second year-

Live at home - Debt = credit card/ family/ School tuition - roughly 15k atm

Financial situation - I work part time atm - can pick up shifts at any point nessecary ( very relaxed workplace with extremely flexible hours)

I don't currently hold any bills that I need to pay consistently other than metropass (no car atm- will work on it if things work out) - and phone bill.

I honestly have it set out pretty well at this point but I think starting earlier rather than after getting a degree can put me ahead, and I can potentially always go back to school to graduate.

EDIT: I understand this may be taken as a "lead me through life", but its more of a personal go to question as I know many of you guys have been stuck in scenarios that I may be in, and would love to have some feedback or suggestions from others.

Unless your family is as rich as Gates or Zuckerbergs, do not drop out of school to start anything earlier. Finish your degree first.

 

[jdrizzy]

Alright, thanks for the input everyone. I guess I underestimated the potential of just having a degree. I'll do some more research in other majors as well. If anyone else has any other info that they deem important, feel free to pm me!

Probably going to open my ebay store tomorrow, and start pushing more items out.

 

[tonylamer]

Alright, thanks for the input everyone. I guess I underestimated the potential of just having a degree. I'll do some more research in other majors as well. If anyone else has any other info that they deem important, feel free to pm me!

Probably going to open my ebay store tomorrow, and start pushing more items out.

Are there full-time Canadian flippers on this site? I can't see surviving on a flipper's income in Toronto. In three years of thrifting I've not found a single piece of canvassed conservative business dress tailored clothing to add to my wardrobe. I do it for the rare Samuelsohn overcoat or pair of '50s oxhide Dack's that you'll find once every hundred trips. I think you'd probably have to live at the Yonge/Bloor GW and rush the racks to even have a shot at doing okay.

Also, I know for a fact that drivers who do pick-ups from Toronto drop-off boxes siphon off the rare stuff and sell it on eBay before it hits the thrifts.

 

[k4lnamja]

@ridethecliche or anyone send items to South Korea?

About to send a heavy sweater and trying to determine what is the "best" option and what is the most "economical" option. I believe the weight is probably less than 4 lbs. FYI, I do not have a scale

 

[txwoodworker]

Ha, I like the "stay in school, don't be a fool" vibe. It's true to a point, but take people like Gates, Jobs and Zuckerberg who all found something that interested them more than school and pursued that passion and did well with it. The common denominator is that they all worked their asses off, focused on the venture and made good. I did the same thing with my company, took a lot of hard work and hard times but it's a huge success. The flip side is you're investing 100% in a business that you don't really control. It is based on the success of one website and you will be at their (and Pay Pal's) mercy and possibly out of a source of income if they screw you over, if you can add things like a direct sales website, possibly a real brick and mortar "Second Looks" type store, that will help spread the risk. It's also a business model with a super low cost of entry and I see the field getting more crowded and prices dropping dramatically.


My faith has been restored in eBay's customer service.

"We've reviewed your concerns and have reversed the outcome of the case. Within 48 hours, we'll credit the PayPal account used to provide reimbursement for this case. If you used another payment method, please open a PayPal account with the email address we have on file. This will enable you to claim your money.

Because we decided in your favor, this case, any feedback left, and all detailed seller ratings left, will not affect your seller performance. In addition, any feedback left for this transaction will be removed."

Long story short, asshat decides to abuse the system to use me as a virtual fitting room, instead of admitting that he bought something that doesn't fit, opens a case saying that the item is not as described. It's not the $11 in shipping I'm happy about, it's fair play. Hopefully I have prevented this guy from using this as his modus operandi for getting to try things on at our expense.

Do yourself a favor and block:
chapman20007

Follow this link to add people to your blocked list:
Add an eBay user to my Blocked Bidder/Buyer List

The big list:
http://www.styleforum.net/t/279161/the-official-sf-ebay-black-list/0_100

Lots of dead names in there, but totally worth using.

 

[HansderHund]



Real talks on the way**

I'm heavily contemplating purchasing an ebay store, and possibly trialing a year of full time (i'm a student). 

I've only started selling maybe a month and a half ago (first sale was Jan 19, and have averaged somewhere near $8xx, with very minimal work and with moderate guidance as I am quite new. I have a bit to learn, but it's really become a favourable past time/ hobby for me. If I purchase a store now, I was planning on trying to list 15-20x what I put out now, with the attempt to generate a moderate income while working / part(possibly full time).

Does anyone have some experience in jumping straight in without looking back, as that is what i'm thinking right now (with a bit of hesitance and precaution mind you)

Thanks everyone.

Alright, thanks for the input everyone. I guess I underestimated the potential of just having a degree. I'll do some more research in other majors as well. If anyone else has any other info that they deem important, feel free to pm me!

Probably going to open my ebay store tomorrow, and start pushing more items out. 

Ha, I like the "stay in school, don't be a fool" vibe.  It's true to a point, but take people like Gates, Jobs and Zuckerberg who all found something that interested them more than school and pursued that passion and did well with it.  The common denominator is that they all worked their asses off, focused on the venture and made good.  I did the same thing with my company, took a lot of hard work and hard times but it's a huge success.  The flip side is you're investing 100% in a business that you don't really control. It is based on the success of one website and you will be at their (and Pay Pal's) mercy and possibly out of a source of income if they screw you over, if you can add things like a direct sales website, possibly a real brick and mortar "Second Looks" type store, that will help spread the risk.  It's also a business model with a super low cost of entry and I see the field getting more crowded and prices dropping dramatically.

Lots of posts with great advice. I think most point towards finishing your degree and I agree with that.

Like txwoodworker says, starting a business can have a lot of rewards. It's tempting to do so when there are low startup costs and you don't have a lot to lose. You're only 19, so you probably don't know what you want to do for the rest of your life. You expressed a lack of enthusiasm in your current study program and when one feels that way, they often look around at things that they enjoy more. In your case, this is ebay.

At the very least, what a college degree says about someone is that they can stick to something, overcome the obstacles, and successfully finish it. More than that, it gives you an opportunity to learn things you wouldn't ordinarily encounter in life. Beyond getting a job, it really does have its usefulness.

What this might tell you is that you have interests in new/different fields from that which you're currently studying. That can be a great thing. It may mean that you should look into programs that have overlapping characteristics. Maybe you enjoy speculating trends and analyzing numbers. Maybe you like overseeing structure and influencing efficiency and organization. Even the simplest enjoyment of investing an amount and doubling it tells you that you possibly prefer to have your money work for you rather than earning a paycheck. I'm really just throwing ideas around, but your thoughts of taking a break or radically changing your plans should get you to take a closer look at what you'd like to do.

I think a lot of people push aside jobs because they hold onto certain broad stereotypes of what the occupation entails. For example, someone may say "I don't enjoy math, I wouldn't be an accountant." However, they may excel at this line of work if they enjoy applying order and logic to situations.

Drawing a parallel between some of the wealthiest, most successful entrepreneurs is great for inspiration. However, it's just as important to know the differences between you and those people as it is to find the similarities. Many of the common names mentioned are known because they revolutionized their field. Zuckerberg brought social media to the normal person and made it "fun." Bill Gates gave us an OS that could be learned and utilized by anyone. Ralph Lauren took traditional American style and gave it the back-story of British aristocracy. Selling new or used clothing isn't terribly revolutionary and will almost certainly be around when you complete a degree.

 

[Lirum]

Wanted to take a quick moment and say thank you to all the people in this thread (and the less frequented packaging thread) who shared their shipping and handles practices that they have honed over time. Brian, Spoo, Snoogz, Wes, ATLnoob, GMMcl, to only list a handful. The poly bag sizes, specific USPS boxes, packing .gifs, links to ebay stores for packaging labels, and more were all incredibly informative and helpful.

Wait, what?

 

[cdgreg]

Wait, what?

http://www.styleforum.net/t/32416/how-to-pack-clothing-for-shipment-shipping-weights-etc/0_100

Some great information in there, especially post 5 with the image of how to properly fold a suit coat for shipping. Enjoy!