After my annual closet-cleaning ritual, I have some nice brand-name items to sell or donate.
Reading some of the posts from STers, it seems like Ebay can sometimes be more of a hassle than it's worth. All in all, would you still recommend trying to sell items through Ebay? Or should I just save myself the trouble and donate my clothing to a good home?
STers with real-world Ebay experience welcome to share their opinions!
sure. i've never had major issues with any buyers, and it's quicker than consignment. i look at it as a nice way to recoup funds for new purchases. (and to offset my guilty conscience!)
i hate it, but i still do it. i'd say it's ONLY worth it if the items you are selling are somewhat expensive... i generally don't sell anything that i think will go less for than $25 or so. i just can't bear to give stuff away that i know i can make money off of! everything else, i donate and take a tax deduction.
oh, also, it's pretty time consuming, so just be prepared.
That's how I feel about it. It can be really annoying dealing with people on there and I get paranoid whenever I sell anything expensive because I don't want to get screwed by the buyer - eBay and paypal almost aways rule in favor of the buyer.
That being said, it's the best way to make money off your clothes. Stores like Buffalo Exchange and the like give you a fraction of what you can make on eBay. It's also better than just giving away nice stuff.
I also agree with erin, it helps off-set newer purchases!
i have sold a whole 2 items on ebay, and i don't think i will ever sell anything on ebay again. after hearing how much they bend over backwards to protect buyers, it leaves sellers open to fraudulent claims against them. i did a lot of reading about ebay policy over the weekend and i don't think i will be selling there anymore.
re: paypal's shitty buyer friendly policy. after reading about that, i have started to include extra for delivery confirmation for anything i send out.
for international bidders, you can always require insurance if you are nervous.
i'm a big fan of selling on ebay. it's definitely a hassle but imo worth it, b/c you get more money than if you just donated to charity. (on a side note, i'm not against donating to charity but getting the write off is only worth it if you can itemize your deductions instead of taking the standard deduction.)
i usually tend to wait until i have a ton of stuff to list and then i sell. i personally am more concerned about something's sellability than how much i'll get. i.e. i know i won't necessarily make a ton of money, but the odds of it selling are greater than the odds of some stuff by other brands (even higher end brands) selling.
also i think you encounter more problems with higher end stuff. in general i shy away from selling sevens and true religion stuff just b/c there are so many fakes you will get a ton of questions, even when you list all the information in the description. i personally find it annoying to answer the same question 1000x's (i.e having 5 different people email me to confirm authenticity when i state in the auction that they are authentic).
as far as general tips one of the best ways to avoid chargebacks is to use paypal's shipping. it's actually cheaper than just going to the post office & delivery confirmation is free. i will also say that even with all the problems of the 80 some odd items i've sold on ebay, i've only gotten burned once, and mainly b/c i didn't save the receipt from the post office...hence the reason i always use paypal b/c they track it for you.
other than that i just make my minimum bid, the least amount i'd be willing to part with an item for, and set aside a day to list stuff on ebay.
If your a busy person it may not be worth your time. It's more like a hobby/entertainment to see how much I get for something.
The only option I give buyers for shipping is usps priority and purchase it online through paypal since it has the free delivery confirmation and paypal sees that you paid for shipping. I save the receipts until the buyer leaves feedback.
Another reason I use usps priority is the free mailing supplies.