posted on March 24, 2004 03:06:41 PM new
Is anyone actually turning a profit from eBay sales?
I recall a time when a seller could make a decent living on eBay, but that was about three years ago. Now, I can't even *sell* much of what I list, much less make a living. With eBay and PayPal fees eating anywhere between 5 - 10 % per sale, my profit margins are slim to none.
We all know there's always a market on eBay for used goods and the like. I guess what I'm asking from a seller's perspective: is eBay dead as far as brand new items are concerned?
posted on March 24, 2004 03:40:32 PM new
I sell new jewelry and I do make my living exclusively from eBay. My business is expanding this month and moving out of my house so I can bring worker bees aboard.
We spent about a year at the this-is-as-much-as-one-person-can-do point before deciding that the potential was there for making more money but that it could not happen without hiring more people.
I'm not going to tell you not to listen to the naysayers. I think there's a lot to be learned in what they say, and any day that you can avoid other peoples' mistakes is a good day.
I think it is possible to start a new eBay business today and make money, so I think you can reinvent your business, but I don't know that it is possible for everyone. You may have to rethink *all* your assumptions.
--
"The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: `If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping Up and Down.'" -- Rita Rudner
posted on March 24, 2004 03:54:01 PM new
Fluffy is so right. I sell antiques and collectibles and had some bad months awhile back. Changed from listing the 9.99 please take it to starting at $50, $75 or $100 and I am amazed how well it is working for me. Plan to start a store soon and get one or two wholesale type items to keep the cash flow going.
Change your buying habits, change your selling habits and you can make it!!
posted on March 24, 2004 04:12:35 PM new
Sure, but I don't sell exclusively on eBay. One of the key concepts to grasp is that not all items are suitable for the online auction channel. I would guess that only about 10% of my inventory is suitable. And while about half of that brings reasonable eBay price, some of the rest goes far, far beyond what I would get locally within any reasonable period of time, if ever.
Hey Ladyjewels we have a brick and mortar antique store, 6,000 sq.ft., I'd love to sell you, fully stocked!
Over the last few years, my husband saw what I already knew and that was the internet was where it was at. We began working harder on the internet, and left the store running to employees. We are at the point now, of just selling the store, inventory and all, and moving our whole operation into our main building.
For a few years, I ran the internet business and my husband ran the store. The few times I HAD to help out at the store, I got an attitude, real fast when customers would ask, what is you best price on so and so, or is that the least you will take, etc. etc., typical antique shop bartering. I told my husband, I didnt have to put up with playing lets make a deal, on the internet, and that Id just rather not have to deal with customers face to face. As our internet business grew, I think he also got tired of the lets make a deal, in person customers.
Prior to 911, we sold a number of large antiques, including sofas, china cabinets, tables, chairs, etc. etc., via the internet. BUT, after 911, shipping drastically changed, and we retreated from shipping large items.
We are now firmly committed to the internet, with 99.999% of our sales coming from web site sales. Neither of us has any desire to dress up every day, get up early, meet customers face to face, etc. The internet isn't the life for everyone, but we are both computer geeks, practically living on line even when we aren't working, and see no reason in heating, cooling, paying real estate taxes on an extra building that we have no real interest in seeing grow, we just prefer on line sales.
We will keep our employees as they do all the packing, inventory, product receiving and organizing, and phone answering. They will move to our other building, and I am sure like us, that they will be happier to never have to deal with a customer face to face again.
So, Ladyjewels, Ive got the building complete ready for you to walk in and take over!
********
The thread asked "is anyone actually making money? I presume you mean on eBay, and my answer would be, I don't post enough anymore to keep my one of my dog's in the way he is accustom to living.....but I believe in the internet - just not eBay. eBay is about dead for us at the moment, sales are extremely slow. PTL for web site sales!!
posted on March 24, 2004 04:46:31 PM new
Hello
I have been to the top and the bottom of Ebay in selling success. I has some rules in that I refused to kill myself and stayed with what I knew. I did very well for a long time.
I am primarily a BUYER on Ebay now as THAT is where the money is.
Their are always exceptions and those who have a rosy view, however Ebays selling is stagnated and will only get worse under present leadership.
I ran my ebay sales. Ebay never ran me however now I am a buyer as Ebay is usually below wholesale. the trick is in all trends is to be there first. I am there.
Good night
David
posted on March 24, 2004 05:43:27 PM new
I am turning a profit, and ebay has become a larger part of my overall business plan. It all comes down to what you sell, and how you sell. Two people can be selling the same thing, and one can do great and the other can go bankrupt. There are just too many variables involved to say it is impossible to make a living on ebay
posted on March 24, 2004 06:33:06 PM new
Reamond - did you play sports in school? You know Reamond, Reamond, He's our man, if he can't do it no one can cheer was not meant literally.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on March 24, 2004 06:47:28 PM new
sabreelectronics,
I'm turning a decent profit off of my eBay sales. I sell about 2/3 used merchandise and 1/3 new merchandise. The majority of my merchandise is in a related area... so the new often complements the used and vice-versa.
I think the key to doing business on eBay is being willing to accept change. Internet business is a rapidly changing entity... and you have to be able to adjust your selling strategies as the environment around you changes. I know that my approach to selling has changed drastically since I started selling on ebay... and I expect it to change more in the future. In the past year alone, I have:
1) Changed major suppliers (found similar products for less cost)
2) Incorporated a mixture of fixed price listings in with my auction listings
3) Created an eBay store with promotional links in each auction and fixed price listing
4) Increased exposure of my fixed price listings by continually re-listing them as soon as they sell or end. (previously... I would list a batch of auctions on Sunday... wait for them all to end... then re-list them on Wednesday... and repeat the process over again...)
5) Broadened my inventory offerings
And I'm sure there's other little things I'm forgetting. You just can't be afraid to re-evaluate your methods... and embrace the changes. Rather than just help me maintain my previous level of sales... I found that these effective changes actually helped increase my profit level. So, don't be afraid to step back... examine your methods, and make some changes. Hey... with your current situation, it can't hurt, right?!? Hope that helps!
posted on March 24, 2004 08:13:09 PM new
Yup Fenix03, if you can't offer factual counter-examples or sound arguments, you make personal attacks.
My argument is sound no matter what my personal situation is or what you may think it is.
Who are the sellers that are making a decent living strictly off of eBay ? Somebody post their user IDs.
Every username that is posted has been proven untrue. The last one was supposed to have made millions and in fact was only grossing $7400 a month, and lucky if they were netting 15%.
posted on March 24, 2004 08:20:43 PM new
My user id is to the left for everyone to see.
Of course, I do have three others that I'm not going to divulge, and that's where the bulk of my sales take place. Vendio's house stalker can probably clue you in.
My life may be an open book, but that doesn't mean I'm going to read it to you.
--
"The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: `If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping Up and Down.'" -- Rita Rudner
posted on March 24, 2004 08:28:50 PM new
Fluffy,,,,,speaking of the house stalker,,,,,Gee, I REALLY miss him,,,, wonder what happened to Him? Hey! He DOES live close,,,,,to the Golden Gate Bridge? Mercy,,,,,I HOPE so......AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA,,,,,,,,,,Splash! Hypicrate!!!!!!!!!!!
posted on March 24, 2004 08:32:04 PM new
fenix: Check your mail, please.
--
"The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: `If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping Up and Down.'" -- Rita Rudner
posted on March 24, 2004 09:16:13 PM new
Fluffy - Done : )
Reamond - For the past four months I have supported myself soley from ebay sales including $1500 a month in rent plus all the normal expenses and my not so normal habbit of eating at least one meal out a day. I am not going to divulge my IDs because I don't need the local account stalker on my tail either.
I stated in the other thread that I support myself off of ebay so you can either believe me when I tell you it is done or you can, as I predicted earlier, call me a liar.
I don't make a million a year but 50K would be ppretty fair if I didn't have a habit of taking more than my share of week longs breaks thru-out the year.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on March 24, 2004 11:51:17 PM new
I am 75 yrs old, make that young & would not even think of doing this if I didn't make $$. I have been at it for over 6 yrs. & have made money since I started. I don't make enough to live on, but I don't have to as I have savings & SSI. It gives me enough to take my honey out for a nice dinner on Friday night & buy a case of "2 Buck Chuck" when I need it. This is NOT a full time job for me, but I do AOK.
posted on March 25, 2004 02:16:22 AM new
Hi jwpc
Thanks for the offer but I was referring to an ebay or website store!!
I do pretty good on ebay but I have a husband with a good job too. We could manage on his income alone but it would be so tight and nothing for extra's at all.
posted on March 25, 2004 08:04:53 AM new
I don't know them personally, but I believe there must be people making significants amounts of money off of Ebay. The 80/20 rule probably comes into play. As in 80 percent of the profits come from 20 percent of the sellers.
(That's actually a rather depressing thought - unless of course you have figured out how to be part of the 20 percent).
I do work with a guy who says his cousin lived off of Ebay sales for 9 months after he got laid off from a job. Considering where he worked, I'd guess it was a $20 - $25,000 a year job that he replaced with Ebay sales.
posted on March 25, 2004 09:53:52 AM new
reamond,
in chatroom,women lie about their weight and men exaggerate their height.
i agree with you,those who said they are doing well have not been selling long.
or they live at home and have no mortgage payment and no family to support.
or they are selling something they found in their attic or their great aunt attic,after they are sold,what do they do for encore??
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on March 25, 2004 10:08:31 AM new
As I said Reamond - If I told you I made a living you would just call me a liar. In the future, don't ask for information that you have already decided you will dismiss out of hand.
I've actually made a living predominately off of ebay for a few years but in the past 4 months I have not taken any of the design jobs that I usually take to suppliment it. I did not have the energy, the patience or quite frankly the need to deal with them.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on March 25, 2004 10:09:30 AM new
'Bye, reamond. You've categorically demonstrated you have nothing of any value to contribute. Bile, envy and bitterness come cheaply; you can find them on every street corner.
--
"The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: `If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping Up and Down.'" -- Rita Rudner
posted on March 25, 2004 10:21:04 AM new
Reamond, like the others, I won't divulge my ID either. There's good sound reason behind that. Those of us that have worked hard to build up what we have don't want to just give away that information away. How do we know that you aren't posing this question just to find out what the hot sellers are so that you can come along and try to do the same thing???
Sorry, but we've done our homework - you do yours.
I am not exclusively on ebay now, but started out that way 5 years ago. After a while, I built a small website with a few products. Now my website is some 140 pages full of over 10,000 products. My business supports it's own facilities as well as 4 full time employees. This year, we'll gross about 600K, with a portion coming from ebay. Do I make a living? Yes! While I am not wealthy by any means, I am doing better now that I did with my previous occupation for which I had a college degree for - my salary is about twice what it was before. My employees are also making a living working for me. Three of the 4 of them don't have additional incomes and support their families as well.
posted on March 25, 2004 10:23:01 AM new
Fluffy, again you are so right. If you have the smarts to do any marketing then you can do alright. I think that you will find out that the ones who are making it \, specialize in a particular field. Mine is china, I can do very well by going to estate sales, auctions & even garage sales. If I can buy a set of china for $45.00 & sell it for $200.00, then I won't complain. I am just finishing up a set that I paid $600.00 for. My gross is over $1800.00. I haven't figured net yet because I haven't thnbe commissions from eBay.
posted on March 25, 2004 10:23:41 AM new
Stop - I live alone, I recieve no income from any source other than myself, I do not have a mortgage but I do have a $1500 rent payment plus cable, phone, power, food and a medical debt paydown. I have not had a traditional job in three years and even that was just a 4 month seasonal situation where they actually paid me to play around with photoshop for 8 hours a night. I have a few design clients but more and more I am trying to phase them out since the income derived from them is not worth the frustration derived from them. I pay my bills thanks to ebay and nothing came from anyones closet. I invest time and energy examining sales trends in different areas on ebay searching out products, examining ending prices and sell thru rates against costs to determine what are viable products. Some or viable for a few months, some on an ongoing basis.
The one thing that irrittes the hell out of my is people who assume that because they have not been able to do something , no one else can. They seem to be blind to the concept that there are people out there that are able to work and think outside the box and find new and profitable ways to do things. When they are confronted with these types of people naysayers find it easier to write them off as liars than to accept that there are people out there that quite simply, play the game at a higher level.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
[ edited by Fenix03 on Mar 25, 2004 10:25 AM ]
posted on March 25, 2004 10:25:43 AM new
I have been supporting myself from eBay sales since July 2001.
"The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: `If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping Up and Down.'" -- Rita Rudner
posted on March 25, 2004 10:48:45 AM new
I am not making millions and not even supporting myself but I am making some money and all of it goes to college tuition ..and youngest daughter wants to go IVY LEAGUE!! That's a whole lotta postcards!!!!
EDited:
Just realized this reads like I am one of Reamond's pampered ladies casually selling on eBay..I most certainly AM NOT! I work like a dog and even from the start, my ebaying has always contributed to, and not drained, the family budget. I have more than paid for college for daughter #1. The additional $40K a year for Princeton or Cornell next year..welllll...YIKES! Guess I will have to have Doodle (my Schnoodle) do without his pedicures!
wonder what happened to Him? Hey! He DOES live close,,,,,to the Golden Gate Bridge? Mercy,,,,,I HOPE so......AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA,,,,,,,,,,Splash! Hypicrate!!!!!!!!!!!