posted on April 1, 2004 01:47:20 PM new
A lot of those shirts look like...well, polo shirts.
What's the difference between a golf shirt and a polo shirt? ( The horse? )
--
Knights of Camelot: [singing] We're knights of the Round Table, we dance whene'er we're able. We do routines and chorus scenes with footwork impec-cable, We dine well here in Camelot, we eat ham and jam and Spam a lot. / We're knights of the Round Table, our shows are for-mi-dable. But many times we're given rhymes that are quite un-sing-able, We're opera mad in Camelot, we sing from the diaphragm a lot. / In war we're tough and able, Quite in-de-fa-ti-gable. Between our quests we sequin vests and impersonate Clark Gable / It's a busy life in Camelot
[solo]
Knights of Camelot: I have to push the pram a lot.
posted on April 1, 2004 02:13:09 PM new
i dont know much about golf and golf shirts,but your profit margin may be below brick and mortar profit,but high by ebay standard.
in general,if the entry barrier is low,you would see more competition and that;s when the prices get lower and lower to the point no one makes much money.
but then you said you have been doing this for 4 years and you do have competition,which way is your margin going??
are you seeing bid amount getting lower or higher or the same??
ebay is getting to be interesting again-it is attracting the mainstream buyers looking for quality and wanting to pay less,less than what the brick and mortar stores charge.
but should someone quit his full time job and do ebay full time?
only you can make that decision.
one thing i must warn you though-many sellers complain that their family and friends do not consider ebay selling a JOB,you dont hear HARVARD MBA students study to become ebay seller,and it may get kind of old for you once the thrill of flex time and entrepreneur fling is gone,you may wish you are back in the mainstream working in proper business attire in an airconditioned office ,conducting business in professional manner among other professionals and come home and leave your work in the office,not to mention the perks you are receiving at work right now.
another point,many of us find out that selling on ebay ,we dont build credentials for ourselves,we build a bigger and better EBAY,if you exit tomorrow with your seller id and feedback,no one will miss you,there will always be another seller to step in and fill the void.
good luck.
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on April 1, 2004 02:38:05 PM new
give up a full time job with good benefits to sell on ebay full time?
Can you say....when hell freezes over??
Why dont you stay at your present job until you retire-you already have 17 years,it cant be that far off-then collect your pension and go ebay full time-then if ebay some how does not work out for you,you will still have your pension.
posted on April 1, 2004 02:45:32 PM new
Harder: Why not keep your full-time job and hire a full-time employee to do part of the eBay stuff?
That way you keep your security and benefits and can expand your business, too.
That's also an inexpensive way to find out if there is room for unlimited growth in your category. We haven't talked about that yet. You're doing okay running, what, about 120 auctions a week, but what if you bump it to 500? Your final price per item could drop with so much for bidders to choose from. There isn't an infinite number of golf shirt buyers out there.
If you get to 500 a week and per-item sales aren't flagging, maybe then look at quitting your job.
--
Knights of Camelot: [singing] We're knights of the Round Table, we dance whene'er we're able. We do routines and chorus scenes with footwork impec-cable, We dine well here in Camelot, we eat ham and jam and Spam a lot. / We're knights of the Round Table, our shows are for-mi-dable. But many times we're given rhymes that are quite un-sing-able, We're opera mad in Camelot, we sing from the diaphragm a lot. / In war we're tough and able, Quite in-de-fa-ti-gable. Between our quests we sequin vests and impersonate Clark Gable / It's a busy life in Camelot
[solo]
Knights of Camelot: I have to push the pram a lot.
posted on April 1, 2004 05:48:55 PM new
"one thing i must warn you though-many sellers complain that their family and friends do not consider ebay selling a JOB,you dont hear HARVARD MBA students study to become ebay seller,and it may get kind of old for you once the thrill of flex time and entrepreneur fling is gone,you may wish you are back in the mainstream working in proper business attire in an airconditioned office ,conducting business in professional manner among other professionals and come home and leave your work in the office,not to mention the perks you are receiving at work right now."
This is the one main thing that I suggest you let go in one ear and quickly out of the other. Please do not let the opinions of other in regards to your status in comparison to theirs determine your happiness in life.
Let me give you an example. I will soon have my bachelor's degree in Biology, minor in Chemistry. I have been doing Ebay for years now and I am in love with it.
A friend of mine, who has a masters in engineering had been noticing what I have been doing and asked if she could join. She goes to a professional job, dresses in a professional manner, and leaves and comes from working for another professional... and she said she is sick of it. She likes the fact that although this is hard work, even harder than what she does, I have flexibility. And mainly, she likes the idea of working and doing well for... yourself.
So, yea, I might get the comments of disdain from some, but money is money when obtained in an honest way. While they are at work all day long for many years of their life, working for someone else, I enjoy what I do working for myself. I work really hard and still have time to spend with those that I love. If I want to do a 9-5, I can still do that, but I definitely wouldn't do it because I am worried about my status appearance. We can't live life that way. Be secure enough with yourself and the money that you are making to know that how you feel about yourself is what matters.
I know Harvard MBA students don't say "I want to graduate and sell on ebay!" I didn't learn about business from Harvard. I learned about it through almost 20 years of real life experience in family business, but, I'll tell you what, I will write a book for the Harvard MBA students to study from for their next exam
posted on April 1, 2004 06:14:54 PM new
Nice post, muzicbox - I actually have a college degree, and had a regular job too. I worked at UCLA. I was always frustrated by the lack of flexibility in my schedule (though they were pretty flexible compared to a corporate job) - The thing I love about being self employed is that it all is based on me. I am pretty driven to succeed, and all the work I did at UCLA went pretty much unnoticed, and mostly unappreciated. Now when I get results, I get them for myself and I gain from that. I should have known this would be my future, as I had my own mail order business when I was 13.
One more piece of advice to the person thinking about trading in a "real" job for ebay - Just make sure you keep up with trends, and always be thinking of what you can do if the marketplace changes. I know my dad got burned by not doing that. He was the king of a product, and for several years in the 1980's he was rolling in the cash. He built up the business big, only to have marketplace changes pretty much make it impossible for a small business owner to succeed. He ended up going bankrupt (and back to the corporate world, where he is doing well) With my other online business (not direct sales) I've had to change my business model a few times, my target clients, etc. I am always thinking to stay a step ahead of become e-obsolete.
posted on April 1, 2004 08:55:15 PM newAny advise to someone thinking of going fulltime. Quitting a pretty good full time job {17 years} with benfits for the unknown world of online auctions with the hope of making lots of $. E-BAY seller id namebrandgolfshirts
How about, not telling other sellers what your main item you sell is. You will have enough competition without advertising for more competition.
posted on April 1, 2004 09:53:57 PM new
Setting your own schedule, dress code etc., is great, but one medical emergency nowdays without insurance and you're bankrupt.
I've seen several people on the news that have lost their health insurance one way or another and then get sick. They lose their house and everything else they've worked for.
Everything thing you've worked a life time for can disappear in a short time if you have no insurance.
posted on April 1, 2004 09:57:25 PM new
You have to be a FOOL to have no insurance. At a minimum, you can get a high deductible policy (i.e. $10,000) that will cover a devistating medical bill, while you deal with the amount less than that. $10,000 will hurt, but if that bankrupts you, then you are in the wrong business anyway.
posted on April 2, 2004 04:01:51 AM new
ebayvet - I agree with you. I'm looking into getting some sort of insurance. However, the company I am working for is having severe financial difficulties. I am in the process of looking for another job. The problem seems to be my age. How can a 47 year old executive assistant/office manager compete with a 25 year old executive assistant? So far, I get told I'm "over qualified" quite a lot. The jobs are not plentiful in Cleveland. Even the hospitals are in trouble. No insured person is covering me. I pay on those bills and yes, I do think I paid a higher amount than those who are insured. Doctor's visits are easy to pay for. It's the hospital emergencies that are not.
Harder - It doesn't matter how much you think you make on eBay. It can take only one medical catastrophy to completely wipe you out if you have no insurance. Ten years ago, 1 week of radiation therapy cost me $6,000. I couldn't imagine what it costs now. It's rare these days that anyone can have the same job for 17 years. Are you that confident that no one will come along with a better deal? If so, go for it.
posted on April 2, 2004 05:11:33 AM new
there must be other reasons the golfshirt seller is not telling us.
bev,
have you considered a health insurance policy with high deductibles,like the prior post said,it covers major illness.
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
[ edited by stopwhining on Apr 2, 2004 05:11 AM ]
posted on April 2, 2004 07:15:59 AM new
I HAVE CHECKED ON HEALTH INSURANCE AND WOULD PURCHSE IT BEFORE LEAVING MY CURRENT PLAN. I PAY $300 A MONTH CURRENTLY ALONG WITH WHAT EVER MY EMPLOYER PAYS. THE BEST INSURANCE WITH LITTLE OR NO DEDUCTABLE IS CURRENLTY $600 A MONTH. YES THERE IS A LOT I'M NOT TELLING YOU. WE OWN 5 RENTAL HOUSES 3 PAID IN FULL WITH MORE THAN ENOUGH INCOME TO PAY FOR THE HEALTH INSURANCE.ALSO I WOULD NOT RELY ON EBAY FOR ALL MY SALES. WITH MORE TIME I CAN DIRECT E-MAIL FROM A LIST OF OVER 6000 CURRENT CUSTOMERS,DIRECT SALES TO BUSINESS THAT NOW PAY TRIPLE FOR THEIR SHIRTS TO HAVE THEIR COMPANY LOGO EMBROIDERED ETC.IT IS TRUE THAT ANYONE COULD JUMP IN AND START SELLING GOLF SHIRTS TOMMORROW, BUT I HAVE FOUR YEARS OF CONNECTIONS THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE AND A UNMATCHED EBAY RECORD. LOOK AT OTHER SELLERS AUCTIONS AND THEY ARE NOT RECEIVING THE BIDS OR PRICES THAT I RECEIVE.
posted on April 2, 2004 07:33:38 AM newLOOK AT OTHER SELLERS AUCTIONS AND THEY ARE NOT RECEIVING THE BIDS OR PRICES THAT I RECEIVE.
Believe me, I did. It's not often that someone comes here and is as forthcoming as you have been about your business. Thank you for telling us as much as you have.
I think you get the bids and the final prices that you do because you start your auctions at $1. Your descriptions are sparse, misspellings are endemic and you still reference BillPoint in your payment options even though it went away a long time ago. So it can't be that bidders are admiring the presentation.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dennis: Come see the violence inherent in the system. Help, help, I'm being repressed.
posted on April 2, 2004 07:49:30 AM new
thanks for telling us MORE !!
yes,if i have 5 rental houses and 3 are all paid for,by all means,tell your boss to take that job and xxxx it!!!!!!!!
by the way,dont mean to pry,your photo on me page tells a lot,figure you are not 21 and did i see one of the houses in the background???
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on April 2, 2004 09:11:05 AM new
reamond.
are you in seatle?
how is the real estate market there?any bargain now that BA is moving .
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on April 2, 2004 09:38:22 AM new
Fluffy, you seem in very good spirits lately! You new work place must be doing ya good. (chuckle at your rudner quotes, btw)
Well, that is the only thing I would add to this discussion is: I think one operates more functionally when they get up and 'go' somewhere to work, and the home is home. (if you all know what I mean). That makes doing an ebay or any home based business more difficult, I think. Especially when their is no accounting dept or shipping dept. to forward the problem to. Einnie Meannie Miney Moe -- Surprise, its you!!
It is so much easier to get up, go to a job, get your 2 week paycheck and have a definative income, too. But, and everybody here knows it; its way more rewarding to have your income on your own terms.
Harder, I doubt you'll have any trouble making the transition.
posted on April 2, 2004 10:11:14 AM new
i get more done at home,i get up at 7 am .
my problem is when i hire someone to do work for me,home environment is just not a good workplace for supervision and rules.
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on April 4, 2004 04:28:04 PM new
If you look at the majority of the public, most people are followers by nature, its easier and most people want what's easy. There are very few people who get up and lead.
Working at home or starting a business is not for everyone. If you are the type of person that needs someone else to structure things for you, that is not highly self motivated, self determined, or disciplined, working at home is not for you. For this type of person, it is much easier to say, "the boss says come in at 8 am", "the boss says stay off the computer and get to work", "the boss says wear your uniform", "the boss says I may go home now"...and that's ok...its not a bad thing.
On the other hand there are those people who are highly self-motivated, self determined, and can structure things for themselves with no problem. Also, those people tend to be highly disciplined. Therefore, working at home or starting a business is not a problem for them....and that's ok too...its not a bad thing.
The first group tends to be the followers and workers of the latter group...it all works together.
Anyone ever read about telecommuting (or see the story on Dateline/60min)? It is becoming more and more popular. People set up offices right in their homes and work from home. It saves the businesses money and on average, the employees are much happier. They especially enjoy that they can spend more time actually seeing their family/children.
Some are realizing that too many people are looking at their spouses and children years later and saying "Nice to finally meet you!"
I agree with the comments about making sure you have good insurance, keeping up with the trends, and doing something like real estate on the side with Ebay. Very good advice
---Think outside the box....it's not that big--- me
posted on April 5, 2004 04:43:58 AM new
Keep your Day Job! You obviously don't watch evening network news. It breaks my heart to see so many hardworking Americans with: zero benefits; losing their jobs to foreign outsourcing; or, seeing their pensions gobbled up by greedy corporate raiders. Do e-Bay part-time as a 'fun' hobby. THINK BEFORE you act - OK? Gordie
posted on April 5, 2004 08:43:54 AM new
Just out of curiosity - What does outsourcing have to do with self employment? Keep your job beause others are losing theirs reminds me of - "clean your plate, their are starving children in Africa"
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
[ edited by fenix03 on Apr 5, 2004 08:45 AM ]
posted on April 5, 2004 10:29:02 AM new
how about more outsourcing to foreign countries lead to more people unemployed in this country,these people become self employed-finding whatever they can do to make ends meet.sometimes they go back to work for their prior employer as consultant,their former employer saves on health care costs and other fringes such as vacation and holiday pays and pension etc.
as for this gentleman who starts this thread,it sounds like he is looking for early retirement.
there is no law which said we have to work till 62 or 65,if you feel you have enough to retire and pay your bills,do it!!
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on April 6, 2004 06:23:31 PM new
In case anyone is wondering. I'm going to have my 16 yr old niece work-near full time this summer and up my weekly auctions to around 200 and see what happens. She is currently working 9 hrs a week for me during the school year.I'll keep my day job and research health insurance costs and build my savings.I'll work on my spelling and remove the billpoint reference in my auctions and try to look 21 again.
posted on April 6, 2004 06:50:22 PM new
Harder, that sounds like a great idea. By September you will be able to establish whether this is something that is doable for you or even if it is something you want to do. Best part is you get to hand some of the insanity off to someone else and will havve two minds working to overcome whatever glitches you find in the system. Plus she doesn't have to deal with the summer job market.
Good Luck - sounds like you found a great solution.
BTW - I love hearing about teens learning ways to do things independently. If she is helping you and learning this game this early, just think of what she can be doing for herself as the years role on. re you teaching her the back-end aspects of the business as well?
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
)
