You Can Get It All on EBAY

I tend to get excited about things I like, and EBAY is one of those things. You can get just about anything and you can sell just about everything. And I DO! I get rid of my old stuff and buy some new stuff - clothes for me, the girls, stuff for the house, coupons and there are good brands that I like, such as Gymboree, Vera Bradley & Lilly Pulitzer! And best of all I can do it whenever I want money to get my new stuff (I'm not one of those people who make a job out of buying discontinued/used stuff and reselling it - I just sell the girls' clothes and my stuff).

It IS more work than consigning. It IS more work than a garage sale. And it is DEFINITELY more work than donating. But you get more money for your efforts, and that means you can get more stuff (and not just eBAY stuff - lots of small businesses use PayPal, like Custom Crops). And with PayPal, you can sit on the money or transfer it to your bank account, if you don't use all that you make.

I don't garage sale because people who do are looking for bargains and probably won't pay $10 for an outfit from Gymboree or $40 for a gently used Vera bag. When you consign, you get 40% of what THEY want to sell it for - where's YOUR input?? And handing down to friends is nice, as is donating to the cause of your choice. But I do that with things that don't sell first on eBAY.

My husband is better at taxes than I am so he tells me we either get the money now or get it back with a deduction. But a tax deduction doesn't mean a refund, and it doesn't help me get the new VB patterns that came out this week or use all my Gymbucks before January 25. So here are some of my tips to help you get started cleaning out your junk and buying new treats when YOU want them!

1. RESEARCH - whether you are buying or selling on eBAY, make sure you research what you want to get or get rid of. To do so, search for your item using a regular search option and then search for it again using the completed sales option in ADVANCED SEARCH. The list populates with all completed sales using your key words, whether they sold or not. Again, being aware of prices makes you a better consumer.

2. SELLING HINTS - first organize all your sale items and then take good pictures. It takes less than 10 minutes to list an item (and borrow the text from me to get started). Describe liberally and accurately. And do it while you are watching TV at night or before your kids wake up or whenever you want. Just keep in mind there are best days & times for your auctions to end, and lures like free shipping motivate buyers (but I don't do any of that and still make money). With few exceptions, everything I list starts at 99 cents, and I try to take advantage of any promotions eBAY offers its sellers (presently sellers get 1/2 price listings for 1 and 3-day auctions). If you aren't comfortable with my way, for a small fee you can put a reserve price on your auction that means you don't have to part with it if you don't get your minimum reserve. You CAN list on eBAY if you can read. It is VERY easy to do - and if you are intimidated, ask me for help.

3. BUYING HINTS - when you search for what you want, select buy it now and then select the dropdown option "price plus shipping lowest first." That should get you the best deal. If there's an option to make a best offer, don't just buy it now, make an offer~ the worst they can say is no thanks. If you want to take a chance with auctions, bid your highest price and don't go over it if you get outbid. It is easy to get caught up in the thrill of the bidding. And chances are another item just like it will be up for auction soon, if it isn't already there. Another hint is to try misspellings for common brands - like Lily Pulitzer or Hannah Anderson - sometimes you get good deals that way.

I just made $275 this week, and after I paid my fees (about $40 I think for both eBAY & PayPal), I bought new Ginghers, a Mirabilia pixie pattern to stitch, a Lilly skirt for Maggie and a Lilly dress for Maggie, which puts about $150 back in my checking account towards the new Vera & my Gymbucks. This helped me, and I hope it helps you, too!