posted on September 18, 2002 10:53:42 AM new
I sell mostly garbage that I pick up from the trash on ebay, Only a few auctions a month. I use the money to pay for my lunches.
Do you as professional sellers feel that maybe amateurs sellers are ruining ebay due to lack of customer service and low prices?
thanks
posted on September 18, 2002 11:04:41 AM new
I don't know if I am a professional seller, since I do have other businesses, but lately selling online has become a much larger part of my income. I don't have a problem with the part time seller like yourself, because it doesn't matter when dealing with customer service. You can get good or bad customer service from any size organization. I try to provide the best I can, but others don't, and anyone who doesn't will cause problems for all, because it really just takes one bad experience to have a buyer leave ebay.
As far as low prices, I often start my prices out low as well if I think there is a market there to bid it up. Sometimes I do very well, sometimes not as well, but it is perceived bargains that keep people coming back to ebay. I think sellers with low starting bids, and the chance of picking up something at a low price is what drives the ebay market.
posted on September 18, 2002 11:40:57 AM new
ahc: Like you I don't consider myself a pro on eBay, but I am running more auctions all of the time. I used to run 5 to 10 a week, now I am running over 30 & plan to add more in the next few weeks. You are absolutely right about customer service. This where it separates the wheat from the chaff. Do a professional job of packing & ship promptly. I used to use Priority Mail for anything under 10 lbs. Now, I ship all over 2 lbs. by FedEx Ground. I buy & use new boxes, use printed labels(easy to do with Word). Everything is carefully wrapped & packed. I get great feedbacks which helpsto sell. I have nothing against UPS, bur the FedEx Center is less than a mile away & I have a contract with them. UPS is several miles away & by doing all of the paper work at home, I just take in the pkgs. with the paper work & leave. They bill me every 2 weeks. No hassles, works great for me.
[ edited by sanmar on Sep 18, 2002 11:46 AM ]
posted on September 18, 2002 12:31:01 PM new
I always thought it was the other way around. The professional sellers ruined it for the casual sellers with their low prices and lack of customer service.
posted on September 18, 2002 01:12:10 PM new
I sell mostly stuff on eBay my children and I get going door-to-door begging. Is this considered an amateur or professional operation ? I consider begging a wholesale transaction for tax purposes, am I wrong ? I also deduct the cost of shoes and poor people costumes we wear fully in the year purchased, or should I be using a 5 year or 3 year depreciation schedule ? We also purchased a 1982 Buick to use for our begging transportation, I deduct the Federal mileage allowance, but should I consider a lease-back situation through a subsidiary ?
I am glad someone started a thread for these unorthodox business models !!
posted on September 18, 2002 04:12:53 PM new
The car cost $600, however, I was thinking of leasing it back from a subsidiary for like $150 a month. I would quadruple the present mileage deduction, and with overhead and depreciation, the leasing subsidiary would show no profit. Therefore, with no out of pocket expences, I could reduce my taxable income for the eBay business.
Also, a question for other eBay sellers that beg: How do you handle cash that is given to you instead of merchandise ? Do you use a 501c3 set up for cash or do you just pocket it ? And what do you do with food that is given to you ? I usually tell them that I don't want the food as I earn a living from their donation of things I can sell, they just give me a funny look and hand me the food. There is no re-sale value for hand-out food, at least I have never found any sales channel for it, has anyone else ?
I also get alot of old riding lawnmowers offered to me. How do you handle these ? Should we expand and get a truck ? How would you sell and ship riding lawnmowers on eBay ?
And you folks that dumpster dive: I have considered expanding the business into dumpster diving. How do you calculate the cost basis for dumpster material ? Is it $0 or do you factor in such things as Tetanus shots, ruined clothes, gloves, transportation?
posted on September 18, 2002 04:26:55 PM new
FYI last year I was able to acquire a box of items that were designated for trash, but my wife was smart enough to know that they could be something, and she brought the box home. I figure by the time we sell these on ebay, it should net about $3-5 thousand dollars. All profit minus cost of auction...very expensive trash...
posted on September 18, 2002 05:25:53 PM new
I also deal in trash. Best thing next to flea markets. Whether the trash be on the front porch or on the curb it doesn't matter to me. My partners and I just dive in. Oh that's right we also dumpster dive but watch your head when you hang over and the lid falls down. You know skull fractures can occur and then that would require hospitalization. Can that be deducted as an eBay loss? We found lots of goodies doing that but it is getting less and less because everyone thinks their garbage is worth a bunch
The professional sellers ruined it for the casual sellers with their low prices and lack of customer service. 
