[boglehead]

I have a storage unit I am trying to shrink. I have snowboard gear, tools, and everything in between I am looking to sell. I will be listing a handful of items, therefore I have ruled out listing locally on CL as I just do not have the will or time meet up for numerous items of lower value.

So I figured Ebay would be ok, however I wanted to ask as I know everyone complains about the fee's. How is eBay these days?

Thanks guys.

[happyjack]

i still use it usually occasionally...maybe 2-3 times per year for the exact kind of stuff you've mentioned. i've had no issues...

[DETRoadster]

I always seem to screw myself over on the shipping somehow. I just chronically underestimate the costs and end up losing a few bucks on the sale. Other than than never had any issues. As a seller you are pretty well protected.

[ddk632]

I've been doing some eBay selling here and there (enough to get above standard seller rating and 61 feedback), and for sure the answer is - it depends on what you're selling.

For example, electronics such as laptops, computers, phones, VR gear, computer parts (hard drives, SSD, RAM, etc.) usually sell fast. I parted out an entire laptop and every single item sold quickly, usually at my full price (I research the prices of similar items).

Been selling Blu Rays and the popular Disney ones go for good money, but others sit for a while.

The larger/heavier items is where it is more of a challenge. Shipping costs can be prohibitive. Example, I had 2 Mi-Fold car seats that with the shipping box weighed 5lbs. They sat for months, because shipping would be like $20+. I ended up doing free shipping, and they sold for $50 for the set. After eBay fees, PayPal fees, and shipping, I think I got like $20 from that deal.

Fees tend to be close to 20% all said and done, per item. Just factor it in to your pricing. eBay also has a shipping calculator that you can use in advance to determine shipping cost, but you need to be accurate with box dimensions and weight.

I suggest to look on eBay for the similar items like you plan to list, see how they sell and what they are priced at. eBay search can show you "sold" items only, which is a better indication of the actual value of the item(s). All of my listings are Buy It Now - usually eBay gives some promotion for "free listings" which means there is no listing fee, but there is still the 10% fee of the final sale price, the shipping label fee, and the PayPal fee which I think is 3% or 5% maybe?

And yeah, beats the crap out of CL tire kickers. All I do is go to the post office and drop a box (not even wait in line).

Last note, sometimes items you think will sell, end up sitting for a long time. Other times, items you think might never sell get scooped up quickly. I had a scratched billet kickstand from an obscure motorcycle that I listed and it got sold super quick. I was like, wow, someone needed that?!

-dk

[aboutsize14]

There seller fees are crazy high. Ebay's fees doubled around the great depression of 08. Sucks handing off around 20 percent of your item to eBay and PayPal as a seller. What it does give you is great exposure on a national level for your item as a seller. Might be able to get more money for your item because of this.
Cl does suck with tire kickers and lowball offers. Cl is spotty, for I've had some luck selling local, but its hit or miss.I do like selling local though due to the fact shipping is crazy expensive these days unless you have account or some hookup.

[shimmy23]

I'd go CL or offer up. eBay, sucks for selling unless you're a business. Buying is still good tho

[upstatedoc]

garage sale

[euro*]

I still use it, and had good luck with it.

[jimbobiggens]

It's like anything else on the internet -it's open to all kinds of people, good and bad, so buyer (or seller) beware. I buy and sell on ebay all the time. No matter how cautious you are, you will still get stuck every once in a while. Cost of doing business. Always pay with Paypal, never do business outside of ebay if working on an ebay transaction. As a seller, make sure to use enough clear, detailed pics in the ad. Accurate descriptions too. If it has a bad spot or a scratch, show it. Don't let the buyer have any grounds to say you tried to fool him.

[bigrum]

The fees seem to have gone up a lot so I don't sell on there any more. Offerup has worked pretty well for me now.

[lsturbointeg]

I buy a lot of crap from Ebay so I would say yes. however, I would post on CL local to you first that way you can arrange for pickup and what not

[Dogeeseegod]

Absolutely have tracking and signing on everything you ship. I ran a home business for awhile and lost my entire years profit one month because I didn't have packages require signing. People will just say they didn't receive it and get a refund and get to keep your stuff. I tried to make a case with eBay one time about a WoW trading card I sold that they said they never received. They posted it back on ebay 2 weeks later with the EXACT SAME identification number and a copy of my exact posting and eBay would not defend me on it. I was LIVID!

[qba335i]

I like electronics/toys so upgrade my stuff pretty often. This year I was cleaning up my house and listed about 10 items using auction style listing. The outcome: 3 bidders never paid so had to relist, 1 was unauthorized charge (hacked account) and 1 buyer reached out 2 months later claiming that the product was defective.. I sold everything as is with no warranty and no returns accepted.

When I sell items now I just list as fixed price with immediate payment required + signature required shipping. Just sucks cause there is so much fraud now. It used to be a good place to sell stuff...