Selling on eBay not really worth the effort.

[neuvecottage]

I have been selling on eBay for over a year. I always envisaged that I was only going to make beer money. But I dreamed that perhaps I could make a substantial contribution to our household income if I offered a viable product at a fair price. It appears I was dreaming. The amount of time I spend making eBay money and dealing with their customer expectations, is not worth the stress.

[eol-products]

I have been doing this for 17 years and would not say it is hard to sell on ebay as such. Rather it is hard to get products to sell on ebay and make money. I still have boxes of items stashed away from when I started that I could not sell and make money. 

Maybe use what you have started and try different things to see what works. I am still learning  today of products sell well and many still surprise me.

[jellybirddesigns]

Are you drop shipping the items, or do you have them physically in your home?

I ask that because often the quality that is sent to the customer from China does not match the listing. There are many sellers who pick a few cheap products from AliExpress thinking they'll make money, but often what the customer gets leads to more headaches.

Also, you are practically giving stuff away at the prices you ask for, plus you're offering free postage.  For example, the glasses pouch for $3.50 with free postage. Assuming you're not drop shipping and that you have the item yourself and send it in a padded bag, the minimum cost is probably around $3.50 (smallest bag + postage). How can you possibly make money?

[digital*ghost]

Before I post anything else, I thought I better ask...

Is this a request for assistance for successfully (profitably) selling on ebay, or a closing down announcement?

I ask because I would be prepared to offer some advice in the hopes that it will be helpful, but don't want to spend the time if you've already decided to move on. 

[*sons_and_daughters*]

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@jellybirddesigns wrote:

Are you drop shipping the items, or do you have them physically in your home?

I ask that because often the quality that is sent to the customer from China does not match the listing. There are many sellers who pick a few cheap products from AliExpress thinking they'll make money, but often what the customer gets leads to more headaches.

Also, you are practically giving stuff away at the prices you ask for, plus you're offering free postage.  For example, the glasses pouch for $3.50 with free postage. Assuming you're not drop shipping and that you have the item yourself and send it in a padded bag, the minimum cost is probably around $3.50 (smallest bag + postage). How can you possibly make money?

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Not to mention the reader glasses for $5.50 and free postage. They would be over 20mm thick, so would be minimum $9.15 to post. I have no idea why anyone would want to sell on here and actually lose money. Is it purely to gain a sales figure? Why would you go to the effort, only to be totally out of pocket?

There's also some pretty broad damning statements in that glasses listing. 

[gutterpunkz05]

Look on the Bright Side,  with your current strategies, you are not going to make enough beer money

to get a hangover.

[jellybirddesigns]

I looked more closely at your items and you mention you do have the stock and you use Aus Post.

All you're doing is digging a financial hole as you are deep in the red with your current method. Some of your items would have had to go as parcels due to thickness and yet you're offering free shipping?

[p9games]

Selling on eBay not really worth the effort FOR YOU

It's certainly worth my effort

[stoph-88]

Selling on eBay is not a viable option.  One major reason for this is the rort they practise in charging the seller a % based on the total price including shipping.  So the seller pays a commission on somebody else's profit.  (I.e. Auspost)  This is blatant gouging and shows how fundamentally corrupt ebay is.  Boycott ebay.  

[jellybirddesigns]

@stoph-88 - if you want to boycott Ebay, why are you buying thing here?

Other platforms such Amazon and Etsy do the same thing and charge a percentage of the overall transaction.

In fact Amazons fees are even higher than Ebay.

Smart sellers know how to work out their item and postage prices to not be out of pocket.