I use to sell stuff part time on eBay. Long story short, I stopped back in February of this year. Just needed a break I guess. That was about the time I threw myself into 'Extreme Couponing'. eBay got pushed aside....
I still have tons of 'new in the packages' stuff here & in storage to sell and it IS the Season that folks loosen the purse strings and buy gifts, right?
So I opened my eBay store back up this past weekend.
It's located Here if anyone is interested and is in the market for overpriced collectibles and toys.
I figure eBay is a way to keep me out of the stores BUYING if I am home SELLING. And I'd much rather make the money than spend it. ;-)
While I don't recommend selling on eBay anymore(it use to be profitable for most everyone in the early days, not so now), I use to enjoy having it available as a way to bring in a little spare cash to provide for 'special' things the family enjoyed. And being able to work when I wanted to from home in my housecoat was a big plus too.
But I'm having a rough time listing items using my auction management service. The AMS has changed things around in the last 9 months I haven't used it, so it's slow going. That and I am having to retake photos and dig out the items I had listed in Feb. when I shut down the store. And I am under a time crunch to get everything up, seeing as tomorrow is DECEMBER!
December.....Already!
EEK!!!
So it's going slow and I'm getting the inevitable "I-can't-be-bothered-to-read-your-description-or-terms-so-I'm-going-to-pester-you-with-redundant-questions-and-waste-what-little-time-you-have" customers/potential bidders sending me emails. How many times must I tell you I can't ship something to Singapore before you'll stop asking me??!!lolol
Then I got a person incredulous at the cost of the shipping of an item and asked if the shipping quote that appeared on his page was a misprint.
Excuse me, but this package weighs 19lbs. and measures 34x29x9(an oversized parcel), so yes, it will cost more than $4.95 to ship halfway across the country. I am not Amazon dotcom and I don't offer free shipping.
Now I went to double check the shipping quote on that item I just mentioned and the automatic shipping calculator on eBay is WAAAAY messed up for this listing. eBay is giving me a $15+ quote to ship it to an address near me, while the PO website says it will cost over $60 to ship to that same address!
And eBay is showing that this package CAN go via Priority mail, while the PO website indicates that it is too large in size to go any other way but Parcel Post.
Boy, Mr. Incredulous Shipping Cost Buyer would pee his pants at the REAL shipping quote according to the PO Website!LOL
Wait!....I think that Sonic Boom I just heard was Mr. ISCB's jaw dropping on the floor....
The thought of having to contact eBay(always a FUN TIME!ha)and find out what the heck is going on since their shipping calculator is obviously ON DRUGS, has me so stressed out to the point that it is NOT WORTH IT. So I just unlisted the item rather than deal with all this.
I guess I'm frustrated here. And it's slowly turning into depression and I am losing my holiday spirit.
Now I remember why I use to close up the eBay store in early December....so I wouldn't have to deal with the Holiday Rush Buyers.lol
Maybe I'll just say the heck with it and haul everything up to Salvation Army instead and then go sit with my sullen unappreciative teenagers who don't want to decorate or listen to Christmas music but just want the parental units to dole out stacks of cash to them Christmas morning so they can go immediately back into their caves, lest they be forced to socialize with us old squares.
*Sigh*
Ho-Ho-Ho....
Sluggy
Just an average Gal, older mom, trying to live a simple life & what happens along the way.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
2 comments:
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Ah, yes, the holiday overwhelmed doldrums! I hear that!!! I used to sell gift baskets and then I switched to teapots, all online through my own webstores, and this time of year brought SO MUCH STRESS that I basically shut down to save my sanity. I agree, ebay's a hassle for a lot less payoff than it used to be. It always puts me off to have to box the items up, weigh them, etc, before I can even list them. Then hear the whining about shipping costs.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm with you on all this. Ignore the kids and put the music on (I have an ipod playlist that's just caroling music - I set it for shuffle and ignore everything around me) and relax to enjoy the season. It goes by so fast each year!
Here's Hoping for Happy Holidays!!!
Why isn't it as profitable as before? I've always been interested in this but I have never known anyone that is doing it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hear you about the Christmas cheer! There is one Family Guy where the mom goes on a rampage at Christmas and chucks the tree out the window because she can't take the "cheer" anymore. I laughed until I couldn't breath but no one in this house got the joke!!!