Ebay, Freecycle and other ways of selling or handing on stuff

[soserious]

I got stuff I`m looking to sell/pass on. Anyone had much experience selling on ebay or experience in doing similar?

[ArTee63]

I use Freecycle in my area with geat sucess. I've sold a few things on E-Bay as well.

[soserious]

Yeah, I just signed up to freecycle.org too, do you find that (for collections) people are happy to just pick it up from your doorstep kinda thing?

I have just made an ebay sellers account- one of my biggest concerns though is how to know how much should be charged for postage of various things?
And then too how do you actually send the things off? Just go down to the post office and stuff?
I never did anything like that yet but I`m keen to learn and get used to it.

[Spike]

Get some kitchen scales and a pamphlet from the Post Office with all the rates in - don't forget to weigh the packaging too and then pad it up by 50% - or look and see what others are charging for the same thing.

Cheap small crap send 1st/2nd Recorded, for larger stuff I use www.parcel2go.com - up to 25kg for £10.56 and they come and collect it.

[Clockers]

Kitchen scales are good' plus i go here http://ircalc.usps.gov/ to get shipping prices, I'm sure you have an on line site to go and get your shipping prices from your area. Then i will rack on another buck or so just to make sure i didn't under cost myself in the shipping price, which I have done a few times. :cool

[Shane_Bos]

Only ever bought off ebay. Havent really got anything substantial enough to sell that people would want.

[ArTee63]

The people I have dealt with on Freecycle have been great. They come to my house and pick up my old useless stuff and we'll chat for awhile. Met some pretty nice looking ladies that way. :P

On E-Bay I just look at what others charge for shipping on a similar item, maybe add a bit more to be safe.

[soserious]

Ok, guys. Good stuff.
So Spike, is there a name for the pamphlet or anything?
I think the post office close at 4- damn just gone 3:30. Theyre only round the corner though.
I have some scales from IKEA, use for food sometimes but they`re flat and pretty accurate.

So how do I do it?
Take pics of the item/s-
put them onmy sellers part on ebay-
meantime package the item/s and weigh them so I can quote postage along with the pics on ebay? Sort of all packaged and ready to go just waiting for a buyer and address?
Or better to weigh the item/s and packaging seperatley and add them up?

Sorry, I just like to know what a good tried and tested way is, once I get used to how it works I`m good, it`s just that initial start.

[ArTee63]

Take pics and post 'em.

Don't worry about boxing anything up yet. Figure the weight to estimate shipping costs however you like. Be ready to ship as soon as you make a sale. No one wants to wait around long for their stuff, right?

On E-Bay, the auctions usually run anywhere from 3 to 11 days so you'll have some time to get things packed and ready to go.

Happy selling.

[Clockers]

Anyways good luck ss. :wink:

[Spike]

What's your ebay id Clockers (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SILVER-PVC-Shorts-gay-int-interest-hotpants-All-sizes_W0QQitemZ8369970921QQcategoryZ52740QQrdZ1QQc mdZViewItem) ? :lol:

[Clockers]

Hahah! Very funny, you little shit. :lol:

[Shane_Bos]

Quick Clockie, buy 'em now for £4.99 :mrgreen

[Clockers]

Nah! I'll wait alittle longer, trust'me there go down to $3.99 in no'time. :twisted:

[Spike]

You're not really familar with how ebay works are you? :lol:

[ArTee63]

:lol: :lol:

[Clockers]

I think so! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Spike]

Why has nobody done a price-drop version of ebay?

[Clockers]

Ok'ok why. :cool

[Spike]

It wasn't a rhetorical question - I'm asking why.

[Clockers]

How in the hell would I know. :lol:

[Spike]

You seem to be the type who would be knowledgable about QVC and Price-Drop TV.

[Clockers]

Never bought off tv or qvc. :cool

[Clockers]

Wait yes i did once' I bought what the hell was that called oh'ya it was called pest'offense you pluged it in the wall and the ant's, bugs, spiders you know the creepy crawlers shit like that, it would get them out of the house' some'how by sending a signal through your wires. :cool

[Spike]

Did it work?

[hugh g rection]

Why has nobody done a price-drop version of ebay?

You ever seen a bidding war on Ebay? People end up paying sometimes, 50 or 60 times what you can buy an item at retail.

If you do a price-drop version, nothing would ever sell. You get the exact reverse mentality, and everything would sell for 1/3rd of cost and it would bankrupt everyone involved.

I think that is what you meant?

[Spike]

50 or 60 times?

Surely you exaggerate?

Pricedrop would work I think.

You'd start high, for example you could list your collection of knob-cheeses for $100.

I see it and place a bid of $1.30
Valk later puts a bid of $10
Clockers stumps up $65
Bobo offers $0.01

All these are invisible, it only says 4 bids

Then after x days, the price starts tumbling by say $10 per hour, Clockers wins it for $65 + shipping.

[hugh g rection]

No I have seen items that retail for 10 dollars go for 5 or 6 hundred. It's rare but it does happen.

I do kind of like your idea though Spike, but when the price drops it would discourage bidders from going higher. See, Ebay takes a percentage of your final sale price so they want the bids as big as possible.

[Clockers]

Did it work?


Not sure buddy' never really had any creepy crawlers around the house much, but ofcourse there were some. So who know's maybe it did nothing at all or maybe it did. :?