Sunday, November 27, 2011

In eBay Purgatory & My Paycheck to Paycheck Guilt



*  First let me say that I have sold/bought stuff on eBay off and on for more than 13 years now.
I am so OVER eBay already it's not funny.
I am so glad my eBaying days are coming to a close.

In the past, I would dabble in eBay enough to get fed up with dealing with the stuff that happens there(sort of like Vegas but without the booze)and then I'd quit. 

But I wouldn't get fed up enough not to go back....either that or my memory is now so bad that I'd forget the stress and aggravation and just mosey on back during the HIGH SELLING DAYS at the Holidays....sort of like swearing off having another baby but after a few years the memory of those horrible labor pains dissipate and you find yourself back in the delivery room with your legs up in the air and your HooHa smiling out at the room.

In the last week I got 27 new listings up.
I wanted to have 70 new listings up in that time frame, or 10 per day.
Didn't quite happen, did it?lol

This was crunch time for listings since CyberMonday is tomorrow.
You are well aware that Online retailers get slammed tomorrow with orders but eBay also gets slammed on CyberMonday and I sure hope I am one of the lucky Slammees! 8-)

I did sell 5 items so far this weekend so I've got lots of packing/shipping to do today.
Then it's back to trying to get more listings up.

Later this week, I start discounting prices a bit since everyone loves a sale!lol 

I didn't get any atrocious buyers this week.  I did get a MAKE AN OFFER on something but it was a reasonable price so I took it.  And I have 1 potential Deadbeat right now.....and still lots of French folks wanting shipping quotes.....and I fielded a quote question from a new place-someone in Mauritius.  I bet you have no clue where that is either and you have to go mapquest it like I did. ;-)

*  I also relisted all my local Tag Sale site items again on Saturday, hoping some folks would look there for Holiday gifts when they weren't out cruising the mall.
And I have $138 in promised sales and I might have another $15 in possible sales for my efforts.  8-)

I did finally figure out that I need to run the Tag Sale items on either payday or the day before payday.
It appears everyone who uses that board to buy stuff lives paycheck to paycheck.
When I run the ad on weeks/days that aren't pay days I get people wanting to buy stuff but they want to wait to pay me on the 1st of the month or on fridays or whenever they get paid.

It shouldn't surprise me really and you would think I would have figured this out long before now.lol

It sort of makes me feel bad selling stuff to people who are living this way with their money.  I feel guilty that they are spending money they really can't afford on this crap and then when their car breaks or some emergency happens, they won't have the funds to take care of it, because they spent it on toys and dolls and stuff!
I am enabling and not helping them and I feel like a bad fiscal neighbor leading them astray.

But then again, if they weren't spending the money on my crap, they'd buy crap from somebody else, right?lol

So what are you up to today?

 Sluggy


9 comments:

  1. Ah, Sluggy, you have a very honorable conscience about what others use their money on, but really noone's putting a gun to their heads and making them buy on ebay... I would also point out that in the cosmic-karma scheme of things, you more than tip the scales toward the good-n-frugal end of the spending spectrum just by writing this wonderful blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. When I sold at craft shows, the only people who asked me to hold a check until the beginning of the month were teachers. This was their only chance to buy from me. I would not be present at the end of the month. I never had one bit of qualms about selling and holding a check. I figured I would need money in three or two weeks or whatever, so I held the check, knowing a teacher who bounced checks was in trouble with the school.

    When I was paid monthly, bills were paid first. I rarely had a chance to find anything to spend money on because if I weren't working or sleeping, I was driving.

    The only time I felt guilty about selling to anyone was when I was allocated a space in front of Kmart in a mall. People came out of there and stopped to buy, mostly look. This was a depressed area of the state. The people I did not want to buy were lacking in dental care, shoes, and shampoo. I felt sad when they bought. None of the people from the expensive anchor store came down my way, well, not many. Sales were dismal.

    You never know why people buy, but sometimes you know why they buy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have three things up on eBay. Lots of hits, a few watchers, no Buy It Nows yet, but they end tomorrow. I suspect at least 2 out of 3 will sell, but you never know.

    Not doing much today. Kat has a cold and I have a tummy ache, so we're just "layin' low". Shane's processing another deer...third for the season. We have no room for it. This one will go to his mom and step-dad, who are having a rough time of it this fall/winter.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Think of it this way you are saving them money because they arent paying full price somewhere else!

    As for ebay I have never done it. I do list somethings on craigslist(right now I am trying to get rid of a scary clown cookie jar that was my grandmoms)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I meant--"You never know why people but, but sometimes you can know why they buy and need to wait until later to pay." The teachers all said they were through shopping and had spent all their money. I don't know if they were living beyond their means or not.

    Today, trying to stay dry. Reading blogs, thinking about putting laundry in the dryer, more in the washer, and putting dishes in the dishwasher.

    ReplyDelete
  6. May have just had my first unreasonable eBay shopper. Not whacko, just unreasonable. I have an item starting at 19.99, with Buy It Now for $39.99. PLUS shipping in both cases. No Make Offer option available. A shopper just asked, publicly, no less, if I'd take $27.99 shipped. Basically, he's wanting to Buy It Now for the starting bid and shipping.

    Um...no.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Pretty--Thanks for helping me assuage my guilt. ;-)

    AnnieJ--I hope y'all are feeling better soon! And Shane's going gangbusters filling his deer quota, huh? 8-)

    Judy--Some cookie jars do well on eButt....check and see if it's worth selling there. Craigslist still scares me.lol

    PracticalP--I've been avoiding housework today. Listing on eBay makes me feel like I got something done even when I ignore the dishes and the laundry.lol

    AnnieJ--lol...they don't want to be outbid or sit around and wait on the auction to end. I just put a big lot of Thomas trains up yesterday and I've got a guy who wants a couple of pieces so he wants me to break up the lot. At least you doesn't want me to open a sealed package and sell him part of an NIP item...I've had those kind of people before.lol
    Here's hoping no more trolls come out from under their rocks and bother your listings!lol

    ReplyDelete
  8. You're doing them a service. They'd just buy it from someone else anyway, so why not you!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hubby is pretty over ebaying, too. He used to sell a lot but sales dropped off and he has had to deal with some difficult buyers. I think he is winding down, too.

    ReplyDelete

Hey there! Thanks for leaving a comment.
All Anonymous commentors will be deleted.
Please include your name in your comment, or choose the 'Name' option and put your name or whatever you call yourself, in the box. Thank you.

Though I moderate it's partly to keep trolls at bay but also partly so that I read every comment. I don't often respond to comments so if you need me to answer you please write me at my email addy posted on my "About Me" page, linked on the side bar.