What sells on the BAY?

[Michigan Badger]

I've been a hobbyist ebayer since the 90's. I was even a "Super Seller" for a time. I didn't need the money but just enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of finding things that brought people happiness.

I can't say I ever made a real profit. I'd win on one item big and lose on 10 others but always broke even so it was cool. My intended purpose was met.

But today, it's a whole new ballgame. I end up giving away (at a loss) most of what I find. One day I put about 50 items out front of the house and posted a FREE sign. Stuff that cost me hundreds was quickly scarfed up by locals.

I'd like to continue my little "hobby" but really don't want to throw money away either. I (we) already give a lot to nonprofit entities.

Any suggestions on what the heck sells these days? One thing is for darn sure, what I've been buying isn't it.

Badger

 

[Beans]

I used to sell old books, had some success but then it went down hill and I stopped. I am finding it very difficult to sell anything on ebay these days. One item you should keep and eye out for is polariod film. Sometimes I have to buy the camera with the film, I just toss the camera unless it is the polariod sx 70 Land camera, that one is a keeper.

 

[packerbacker]

what makes polaroid film so great? Why would an ebayer want it, doesn't it go bad?
Badger, talking to folks lately it's like Craigslist is taking the place of ebay. Seems like more and more people were getting ripped off on ebay and also, with the economy still screwed up, folks don't have that "extra" money to spend on frivolous items.

 

[Beans]

what makes polaroid film so great? Why would an ebayer want it, doesn't it go bad?

I do not know why polaroid film sells, maybe because it is not made anymore? Each pack has an experiation date on it. When I find polaroid film I buy it and it sells. I even list the exp date.

 

[Michigan Badger]

I used to sell old books, had some success but then it went down hill and I stopped. I am finding it very difficult to sell anything on ebay these days. One item you should keep and eye out for is polariod film. Sometimes I have to buy the camera with the film, I just toss the camera unless it is the polariod sx 70 Land camera, that one is a keeper.

Thanks for the tips. I've seen polariods but never gave them a second look. I had about 6 old 16 and 8 mm movie cameras from the 30's to 60's and finally had to send them to the thrift shop. I couldn't even give them away with cheap postage. Back just 5 years ago buyers killed for these.

The thing that really surprised me is the decline in dug relics. I used to get dug Civil War artifacts from different THers down south and I sold them on ebay. Last year I finally got rid of what I had left and I sold it all at a loss. I had gun parts, buttons, etc. I had a really nice fresh dug 1860 Enfield hammer I sold for a few dollars (wish I had kept it). I've noticed a few Civil War relic ebayers are still doing okay but they're located down south and have built a following over years.

General merchandise is crap on ebay now. A few years ago old 1930's lamps, vintage 20's jewelry, excellent paintings by unknowns, hand colored 18th century prints, etc., sold for big bucks. Today their mostly good for trash pickup.

 

[Michigan Badger]

what makes polaroid film so great? Why would an ebayer want it, doesn't it go bad?
Badger, talking to folks lately it's like Craigslist is taking the place of ebay. Seems like more and more people were getting ripped off on ebay and also, with the economy still screwed up, folks don't have that "extra" money to spend on frivolous items.

I've heard about Craigs doing better these days. You're right on about the economy affecting sales. Frivolous items are crap today with the exception of those things with a high potential investment value.

 

[poorhunter78]

Ebay was good to me for a short run I had.. I dealt in vintage Abu-Garcia baitcasting reels, I would buy them unusable condition, Then rebuld them for selling.. I sold off my own personal collection.. The market was booming for them at the time.. Unsure about it now.. I see alot now being stripped and sold off as parts.. Also I sold Old vintage lures.. Now ebay is over run with lures.. I am gonna give it a go again.

The toughest thing I ever dealt with while selling on ebay.. was figuring out shipping cost?

I have an sx-70 land camera, It has film in it also?

Poorhunter

 

[Michigan Badger]

Ebay was good to me for a short run I had.. I dealt in vintage Abu-Garcia baitcasting reels, I would buy them unusable condition, Then rebuld them for selling.. I sold off my own personal collection.. The market was booming for them at the time.. Unsure about it now.. I see alot now being stripped and sold off as parts.. Also I sold Old vintage lures.. Now ebay is over run with lures.. I am gonna give it a go again.

The toughest thing I ever dealt with while selling on ebay.. was figuring out shipping cost?

I have an sx-70 land camera, It has film in it also?

Poorhunter

I usually lost money on shipping. People don't realize how expensive postage is today. I recall a set of Heathkit 1960's Walkie Talkies I sold. They brought about $20 in bid and I charged $10 for shipping. They ended up costing $21 to ship Priority Mail (California is very expensive from Michigan). After ebay and Paypal charges I ended up losing about $30 over what I originally paid for them.

I used to clean and sell ancient coins on ebay. Back in 2003 I'd get from $10 to $150 for common bronze Roman coins (the larger, the more money). Today these same coins are lucky to bring 35 cents to $15 on the bay.

 

[bigscoop]

Badger,
I am still active in selling items through several different sources and there is no doubt that the market for used goods has changed so you have to change with it. What use to be rare or hard to get isn't all that rare or hard to get anymore and the competition is very stiff, which ultimately determines the value of everything. Having said that, the only items I focus on now are those items that people can justify, meaning useable products that put to good use in some justifiable way. People will still spend money if it is a justifiable expense. After moving to Florida I noticed a huge demand for good used marine parts so this is the majority of my focus now and it has been doing pretty well as long as I don't put too much in any of it and try to deal in only the best select items. A few weeks back I bought an old aluminum bass boat & trailer with a 40hp commercial grade Yamaha motor on it for $500.00. Everything on the boat, trolling motor, depth finder, ect., wasn't working because of poor and old wiring. I brought the boat home and stripped it out, sold the stripped boat and trailer a few days later for my original investment of $500.00 and I still have a great running 40hp Yamaha, trolling motor, depth finder, trailer jack, anchors, fishing nets, flare gun, dock bumpers, and a few other items. The motor alone is worth about $1500.00 without too much problem down here and the rest of the items are all in demand if the price is right...which it will be because I want to turn it over quickly due to the lack of storage space. You just have to find a few areas that provide justifiable purchases and then figure out a way to get your hands on the stuff. People are still spending money on the things they can justify.
Scoop

 

[Michigan Badger]

Badger,
I am still active in selling items through several different sources and there is no doubt that the market for used goods has changed so you have to change with it. What use to be rare or hard to get isn't all that rare or hard to get anymore and the competition is very stiff, which ultimately determines the value of everything. Having said that, the only items I focus on now are those items that people can justify, meaning useable products that put to good use in some justifiable way. People will still spend money if it is a justifiable expense. After moving to Florida I noticed a huge demand for good used marine parts so this is the majority of my focus now and it has been doing pretty well as long as I don't put too much in any of it and try to deal in only the best select items. A few weeks back I bought an old aluminum bass boat & trailer with a 40hp commercial grade Yamaha motor on it for $500.00. Everything on the boat, trolling motor, depth finder, ect., wasn't working because of poor and old wiring. I brought the boat home and stripped it out, sold the stripped boat and trailer a few days later for my original investment of $500.00 and I still have a great running 40hp Yamaha, trolling motor, depth finder, trailer jack, anchors, fishing nets, flare gun, dock bumpers, and a few other items. The motor alone is worth about $1500.00 without too much problem down here and the rest of the items are all in demand if the price is right...which it will be because I want to turn it over quickly due to the lack of storage space. You just have to find a few areas that provide justifiable purchases and then figure out a way to get your hands on the stuff. People are still spending money on the things they can justify.
Scoop

Thanks...awesome advice!
I have been trying to do what worked 10 years ago. Like you wrote, I need to get practical and update.

The boat deal you got was a killer. It's not easy to get a good deal on any boat rig in Michigan. Up here that setup would have been priced at $2500 to $3000.

People are still doing restoration projects so old hardware and various vehicle parts do well I know. The thing is one has to be knowledgeable enough to spot these things and get them at the right price.

 

[rockhound]

I have been buying Russian made cameras, especially the Zenit 35mm slr's. They have cloned most of the German cameras, the best made cameras in the world. The prices have gone up over the last 8-10 years and there seems to be not end in sight as these are not produced anymore. They are built like a tank, no flimsy plastic to break and have stood the test of time. Predicitions from those who collect them claim that as they become scarcer they will bring premium prices, especially the mint or new pieces. The Leica clones are alreay bringing high prices across the board. When Russia invaded Germany during WWII, they captured the Leica company and dissasembled and numbered the pieces. It was taken back to Russia by train and reassembled. They then started producing the exact clones of the Leica camera. Germany rebuilt the Leica comapny after the war and both countries then produced Leica cameras. Russia has ceased their production of Leica cameras, as well as Zenit and most other cameras, as the digital revolution has taken over with lighter and cheaper plastic throwaway cameras. Other than the cameras, the lens for these cameras are also at a high rate and climbing. Now the word is out, I guess they will go even higher. Good Luck. rockhound

 

[Michigan Badger]

I have been buying Russian made cameras, especially the Zenit 35mm slr's. They have cloned most of the German cameras, the best made cameras in the world. The prices have gone up over the last 8-10 years and there seems to be not end in sight as these are not produced anymore. They are built like a tank, no flimsy plastic to break and have stood the test of time. Predicitions from those who collect them claim that as they become scarcer they will bring premium prices, especially the mint or new pieces. The Leica clones are alreay bringing high prices across the board. When Russia invaded Germany during WWII, they captured the Leica company and dissasembled and numbered the pieces. It was taken back to Russia by train and reassembled. They then started producing the exact clones of the Leica camera. Germany rebuilt the Leica comapny after the war and both countries then produced Leica cameras. Russia has ceased their production of Leica cameras, as well as Zenit and most other cameras, as the digital revolution has taken over with lighter and cheaper plastic throwaway cameras. Other than the cameras, the lens for these cameras are also at a high rate and climbing. Now the word is out, I guess they will go even higher. Good Luck. rockhound

Thanks for the info on these cameras. I know some cameras still have a market. I had an old Canon AE-1 and sold it on ebay for about $100. That really surprised me.

 

[cheese]

How are you guys losing money on shipping? You put the item in a box, weight it, measure it, and enter that data into the shipping part of the listing, and it shows the price of shipping in the shipping calculator to the address of the person who is looking. I don't lose money on shipping. I usually get exactly or slightly more than the actual cost. If I use flat rate, it's the same price no matter what it weighs or where it goes. You should never lose a penny on shipping.

 

[diggummup]

One of the biggest mistakes by new or inexperienced sellers is not charging enough for shipping. I usually offer free shipping on anything first class (13 oz. 0r less), as long as i'm not trying to sell a $5 item that is. The key to making money on Ebay is buying for pennies on the dollar. You have to go to a lot of garage sales, thrift stores (not so much lately), estate sales (family run) to accomplish this. Bundling or buying in bulk also helps, I use this method alot in estate sales. You have to have an idea of what your looking at too though. Reading and researching is paramount.

 

[jerseyben]

I have had the most success selling on ebay by picking and choosing the stuff that "isnt obvious". The obvious stuff is often too good to be true and the market is flooded with that kind of stuff.

 

[rockhound]

I shouldn't be telling all but if you watch the jewelry section of Ebay, you will see that some jewelry items are going ridiculously cheap. The reason being that sellers sometimes buy one piece and list it to see what kind of market is for it. They will always sell one to get a feel for the activity it causes. They will do this before purchasing a lot of the same pieces to sell. You can usually purchase the one piece at a steal. The next week they may have many of the same piece at much higher price, or they may decide there wasn't enough interest to warrant buying a lot to sell. Good Luck. rockhound

 

[Michigan Badger]

I shouldn't be telling all but if you watch the jewelry section of Ebay, you will see that some jewelry items are going ridiculously cheap. The reason being that sellers sometimes buy one piece and list it to see what kind of market is for it. They will always sell one to get a feel for the activity it causes. They will do this before purchasing a lot of the same pieces to sell. You can usually purchase the one piece at a steal. The next week they may have many of the same piece at much higher price, or they may decide there wasn't enough interest to warrant buying a lot to sell. Good Luck. rockhound

Yes, I can believe this. Good post and thanks.

Ebay is a buyers goldmine now that 95% of the frivolous bidders are gone. That is, it's a gold mine for the educated consumer who knows what he's doing. It's great for resellers if they have good retail outlets. If you have to resell on ebay it gets real tricky. Once in a blue nose I find a rare item for cheap online and after properly attributing it I may relist it on ebay for a nice profit. But there are lots of people looking for these sleeper deals so it's not easy. If you find one and somehow the competition misses it...you're home free.

One time to get super bargain deals is when some major event happens and most of America is watching TV. I pity sellers who'll have their auctions ending on election night!

 

[AU24K]

For the last two or three months or so, I've been selling off some of my common date silver coins, US and foreign.

I've gotten a tiny percentage over melt, and counting the fees, shipping etc., I think I've made a small profit.
I loath the fees and restrictions associated with ebay and Paypal, but what's the alternative for a worldwide market?

Best,
Scott

 

[bigscoop]

I use to buy "a lot" of southwest jewelry through ebay, just so I could relist it on other sites at a pretty good profit margin. I'm sure the price of silver has driven the cost up but I use do really well on the large vintage sterling & turquoise cuff bracelets and rings. Also did pretty good on vintage gold and coral rings, and some cameo settings. For me ebay was a good place to buy but a poor place to sell.

 

[AU24K]

I use to buy "a lot" of southwest jewelry through ebay, just so I could relist it on other sites at a pretty good profit margin. I'm sure the price of silver has driven the cost up but I use do really well on the large vintage sterling & turquoise cuff bracelets and rings. Also did pretty good on vintage gold and coral rings, and some cameo settings. For me ebay was a good place to buy but a poor place to sell.

AMEN, Brother!!!

Best,
Scott