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Thread: Anyone sell stuff online?

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    Default Anyone sell stuff online?

    I'm not talking about dirty panties or things of that nature.

    Does anyone sell crafts, art, clothing, antiques, whatever?

    Lately I've been interested in the idea of running an online store, not to get rich off of, but something that would be fun and new plus some extra cash never hurts!!

    Tell me about it how did you get started? What sites do you use? What's the most fun? What's the most lucrative? What would your best advice be for starting?

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    Quote Originally Posted by whirlerz View Post
    Yes, I have..not worth it mostly. Better off donating & writing it off
    O_o that was vague. Care to elaborate?

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    I don't sell anything, but I would if I was good at crafts.

    Anyway, I know people make good money from Etsy. I love buying things from there and it can be profitable, especially if you're good at jewelry. I think you should try it. I know several people who are really crafty, and for some reason refuse to sell their stuff because they're lazy.

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    I have a lot... A LOT.... of stuff I want to sell. Clothing & shoes mostly. Civillian stuff and stripper things.

    I wish I knew how to get started.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ^What Sophia said.
    Quote Originally Posted by yoda57us View Post
    I wish there was an "auto-like" setting that I could just have applied to all of your posts Sophia....

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    Veteran Member summerbre's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    I am eventually going to launch an Etsy store to sell my jewelry, once I'm "settled" in somewhere (doing a lot of traveling and don't have my own place at the moment, so I only have access to a metal studio 1 day a week, 2 if I pay for classes to use the allotted space).

    I have sold things on eBay once before, and was very disappointed. Since I didn't have any ratings or past sales, my auctions all went for VERY cheap. I don't remember specific numbers because it was back in 2009, but I received some poor advice from an accomplished seller and listed some valuable items with a very low starting bid. Bad idea! So be careful with eBay, do your research first. It may even be more worth it to find a service who will sell things for you, if it's a one-time deal.

    I've been reading a lot about successful Etsy sellers and it seems the overhead for selling crafts is kind of ridiculous. There was one woman who claimed a gross of 6 figures on handcrafted jewelry but was only netting ~30,000 due to the cost of her materials, seller fees on Etsy, and the fact that she paid 2 people a salary to sell at flea markets for her (not sure how often). She was going at the business full time, it wasn't a side endeavor or anything.

    To have a successful Etsy store takes a lot of work. A small niche OR a style in a competitive niche that is unique + proper use of social media/blogs (asking blogs to feature your work!) + regularly renewing your listings + having impeccable customer service, because if you get a bad rating then it won't go away! + taking good, quality images + having an eye-catching brand/banner + being able to write good descriptions (keyword optimized!) + have a coherent store "theme" so to speak.

    Additional advice I've come across is somehow making your product (whatever it may be) customizable, having quick turnover with orders and going above and beyond to build positive relationships with your customers.

    If you're genuinely excited about your product/craft and LOVE making it then I say fucking go for it! I love metal work, I think it's so fun, and I'm so pumped about building my brand and promoting my store!! And I think the Etsy community is really cool, their concept is awesome and even with the age of internet business, their platform is virtually uncorrupted by importers/drop shippers trying to make a buck off of crap. Even the majority of the supplier stores seem to have good quality items and a personal story to their business.

    There are probably some ebooks/guides/blogs that get detailed about the ins and outs of Etsy business out there somewhere!
    “The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating -- in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around like rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.”
    - Anne Morris

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    @summerbre I'm thinking etsy is the way to go! I'm really into crafts but haven't decided exactly what to focus on. It seems like there is a LOT of jewelry and knitted things. I'm thinking maybe cute handmade stuffed animals they're cheap to make and I can use unique fabric and cute little buttons for eyes. I gotta check out a craft store!

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    I had an Etsy and StorEnvy store for a bit but I didn't really sell much. I didn't really try to stand out or market myself cuz I wasn't too serious about it.

    Lots of great stuff on both those platforms though.

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    Quote Originally Posted by whirlerz View Post
    Ebay's pretty easy, they have turtorials..you can sell stuff on here in the for sale section. For outfits in really good condition/new I sometimes took stuff to clubs
    Blehhh. My club doesn't allow selling stuff. The house mom has a monopoly! Dangit!
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ^What Sophia said.
    Quote Originally Posted by yoda57us View Post
    I wish there was an "auto-like" setting that I could just have applied to all of your posts Sophia....

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    I'm not very tech savvy.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ^What Sophia said.
    Quote Originally Posted by yoda57us View Post
    I wish there was an "auto-like" setting that I could just have applied to all of your posts Sophia....

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sophia_Starina View Post
    I'm not very tech savvy.
    Get a service to sell stuff on eBay for you! I've used one before and made more off of the stuff in the long run, even with the fees I had to pay the service, because the auctions went for higher prices due to their valued seller rating. I think I sold a new ceiling fan, a new faucet hardware set and some sort of used gaming console, and got somewhere between $300-$400 total, after seller fees were deducted, which was pretty good for eBay and the items I was selling.
    “The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating -- in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around like rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.”
    - Anne Morris

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    Don't services take 50% of the profit made?
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ^What Sophia said.
    Quote Originally Posted by yoda57us View Post
    I wish there was an "auto-like" setting that I could just have applied to all of your posts Sophia....

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    I sell on eBay and Etsy. I flip stuff for a profit. I scour thrift stores, garage sales, craigslist.

    Etsy you will get a much better return on your investment, but things take longer to sell. A lot of people will favorite your stuff and just use it as almost Pinterest which can be frustrating, but at least you're getting exposure.

    FEEDBACK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

    If you don't have a lot of stuff to sell, I would recommend a eBay selling service or giving your stuff to a friend and paying a commission.

    If you decide to start from scratch, start by selling a few things that have a little value that you were going to get rid of anyway. It is more important to get positive feedback in the beginning.

    Make sure that you describe your items well and list any imperfections, even very small. People will still buy them.

    Take great photos!

    Etsy is good for antiques, vintage clothing, hand made items.

    Ebay is better for designer clothing.

    I don't mess with Amazon but that has been my experience with Etsy and Ebay.

    I definitely make more money off Ebay then Etsy, but Etsy is a lot less work because I can sell things for sometimes literally 100x I paid for them.
    Quote Originally Posted by qurl View Post
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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sophia_Starina View Post
    Don't services take 50% of the profit made?
    Every service is different probably. I can't remember how much my service took, but it definitely wasn't 50%! They were an actual store that was right by my apartment in CO at the time.
    “The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating -- in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around like rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.”
    - Anne Morris

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    Quote Originally Posted by MissSassyPickles View Post
    I definitely make more money off Ebay then Etsy, but Etsy is a lot less work because I can sell things for sometimes literally 100x I paid for them.
    I wish I could sell stuff on Etsy. But the whole "Vintage" requirement precludes 99.999999% of everything I need to sell. *sigh*

    Maybe I'll get a storage locker for 30 years and revisit Etsy then....

    *sad Starina pout*
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ^What Sophia said.
    Quote Originally Posted by yoda57us View Post
    I wish there was an "auto-like" setting that I could just have applied to all of your posts Sophia....

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sophia_Starina View Post
    I wish I could sell stuff on Etsy. But the whole "Vintage" requirement precludes 99.999999% of everything I need to sell. *sigh*

    Maybe I'll get a storage locker for 30 years and revisit Etsy then....

    *sad Starina pout*
    The thing is (which can also be frustrating) is that a lot of people break the rules. I see people selling stuff they claim is "handmade" that I just saw on eBay being shipping from China for 5x the price. It frustrates me! But people still buy it thinking it's something it's not.

    Etsy's rules are that it has to be handmade, vintage, or craft supplies. Perhaps you could get away with clothing or accessories that are designer that have been handmade, like a fancy handbag or something. But in reality, I feel like eBay is just better for most stuff unless it's realize specialized because they have a larger customer base.

    I actually also prefer the auction format. I start all of my listings at $0.01 + shipping costs and let other people compete with each other and make me more money! I honestly don't get the whole bidding thing but who am I to stop it? lol. But again, I wouldn't list anything for $0.01 until you have some feedback.

    Also, you can get feedback by purchasing stuff and paying for it. It's feedback as a buyer not as a seller, but it's better then nothing and can give you a good start instead of having someone see your user id with a big fat 0 next to it.

    As far as the selling services go, some charge on a sliding scale and some do a flat fee. I have never seen one that charges 50%, probably 25-30 at the most?? I have had people pay me to sell their stuff on eBay before and depending on what it was sometimes I would charge them an hourly rate for my services and sometimes a commission, but I don't think most people do an hourly rate.

    Sorry for the tangent, hope this helps some people!
    Quote Originally Posted by qurl View Post
    You are sassy AND smart Miss Pickles.

    "Well behaved women seldom make history." - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    Someone I know regularly sells on eBay, mostly antiques, but also things 'they are done with'. Keys to his success are that he always has 4 items posted, regularly posts up 4 more on the same day every week. Prides himself on accurate descriptions and actual shipping costs. Also it doesn't hurt to have some text about 'contact me if you have an issue to work things out before you post negative feedback'. I think he even has a second paypal or mastercard to make payments to that takes a lower fee. Using the low "$1" starting bid, as someone said, can backfire, no reserve gets you cheap auctions, but if no one else bids you just gave it away. Like anything else, it takes time to develop a regular following.

    The other thing about ebay is people watch and will list their item if you hit on something. I found half a case of 1930s oil cans, sold one for $50, thought I had '$600' more to sell, but lots of other folks remembered that they had the same thing in their attic, listed them and prices dropped to $20...

    eBay does show up in Google searches so if you have unique items it can help, ie if there is a specific part / model number - someones 'junk' may be valuable to someone else. The widget for an obsolete printer may be needed by someone that loves theirs... Sometimes it feels good to just get rid of stuff.

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    yes, through my areas FB pages. I bought some things online (mainly kids stuff) and like them, so organised a wholesale lot, and resold locally. I also sew a little bit.
    I basically cover my own personal spending (so my kids get free clothes/nappies etc) and Im happy with that
    Theres no sense crying over every mistake,
    you just keep on trying till you run out of cake

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    I make and sell knitted cup cozies (like the paper sleeves at Starbucks) on etsy.
    ~Rhiannon~

    Aka Quinn...
    Formerly GothicGoddess
    (old email account got hacked)

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    i used to sell shit on ebay but that site has taken a major turn for the worse
    sellers are at the mercy of the buyers
    token whore

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    Quote Originally Posted by breezzzy View Post
    i used to sell shit on ebay but that site has taken a major turn for the worse
    sellers are at the mercy of the buyers
    Yep,exactly & at the mercy of E__ I have a few listings, now they already pulled one off, b/c picture was not "___" whatever.

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    Default Re: Anyone sell stuff online?

    Quote Originally Posted by breezzzy View Post
    i used to sell shit on ebay but that site has taken a major turn for the worse
    sellers are at the mercy of the buyers
    Yes that explains it.

    I would never sell again with ebay. Everyone knows that if a customer fibs about the condition of the item they receive they can pretty much get anything for free on there and they do. It happened to me. But I closed my bank account so ebay couldn't extract the money back. Since the costumer who bought it was straight out lying.

    Also Ebay doesn't give a crap about costumer service. They're raking in so much money they don't care what happens to you unless you're one of their "power sellers" most likely from China.lol Ebay doesn't even really want you to know they have a phone number.lol And when you call they're not helpful just read from a script.

    I'd go with amazon they have excellent customer service that's easy to get in contact for buyers and sellers (since I do both on there). Plus they don't take much of your money. (a few dollars)

    Also try live journal or forums that pertain to the type of item you want to sell. (For example Cosplay.com is excellent to sell anime costumes, old manga, dvd's, figures, etc)

    Amazon is good if you have expensive items but if one person prices an item cheap it drives down what everyone else can charge. For sites that operate like ebay for instance people are trying to get things for as cheap as possible.

    On live journal or etsy or forums people are already looking for that particular item, know the value, and don't mind paying.

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