EBay

Wondering if anyone is selling on EBAY or are you using other selling platforms? Also, wondering what you are selling if successful at it. I have some Fisher Price toys from the 80’s that I would like to sell and wondering if that’s the way to go. I sold Vintage Barbie things years ago, but gather the fees have changed. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Bessie Bessie
Apr '21

I sell my old junk on eBay. It’s better then a yard sale. On occasion some one will state not as described and you either need to refund and pay return shipping or just refund and let the person keep the item if it doesn’t pay to ship it back.

Sacks cousin
Apr '21

The fees have gone way up. You have to get a good $ but the good news is you pay nothing if it doesn't sell. So I just mark stuff up another level and don't care if it doesn't sell. It's still the place that's so much larger than anywhere else.

I'll try stuff here on HL, and Craigslist. It all depends on what it is. Craigslist isn't bad for bigger items that people will travel for. For your Toys the other place to try is FB market place.


eBay recently forced all users to use their in house payment processing. No more getting funds sent to your PayPal. The basic feeling I’ve seen is it’s OK (not great) for full time sellers, pretty bad for occasional sellers. The fee structure has changed too.

I was pretty much done as an eBay buyer long ago ( when it stopped being like an online garage sale and just turned into Amazon junior only with crappier quality) but now I also won’t list anything for sale there.

Mark Mc. Mark Mc.
Apr '21

Yes Mark- that's why I stopped using eBay. I still buy, but not sell.

JeffersonRepub JeffersonRepub
Apr '21

I use Offer Up, to buy and sell often. Works for me.

Roywhite Roywhite
Apr '21

I regularly buy and sell on eBay and PayPal is still an option.

Real1 Real1
Apr '21

I'm an occasional ebay seller...also buy. My last sale I was shocked the item I sold in Feb went for double what I expected. Only issue is the buyer paid and I shipped.. and then they filed a claim. They said they never got the item even though UPS tracking showed it dropped on her porch ( possibly stolen?) Anyhow it was a hassle to file a claim with UPS but in the end they paid the claim. Just a hassle. It is not what it used to be. Tip there is insure it for all your costs perhaps a bit over to cover your claim hassle if it comes to that.

I have since tried other options.. like "Decluttr" for selling my old phones...and other tech items. I used Samsungs trade in program for my older tablet. ( I got as much as it was selling for on Ebay). No hassles easy deal. Also for any camera gear I sell my old items to "KEH". I also started buying used camera gear from KEH... I just sold them a lens that went for exactly what they are selling for on Ebay also. So there are other options depending on what you want to sell.

Grascal
Apr '21

“I regularly buy and sell on eBay and PayPal is still an option.”

To buy, yes... eBay’s new “managed payments” system (for sellers) are deposited directly to one’s checking account now, not PayPal - and they aren’t instantly available.

Mark Mc. Mark Mc.
Apr '21

FB Marketplace now has shipping option. I prefer to use option "Use your own shipping label" and print shipping labels thru PayPal instead of "use prepaid shipping label". FB takes 5% fee from item price and shipping charge. Surprisingly have better luck than on eBay.


“I regularly buy and sell on eBay and PayPal is still an option.”

"To buy, yes... eBay’s new “managed payments” system (for sellers) are deposited directly to one’s checking account now, not PayPal - and they aren’t instantly available."

This must have started in April because I sold several items in March and the $ went to my PayPal account.. Also, as far I know, Ebay does not have my checking account information. I'll see what happens after my next sale.

real1 real1
Apr '21

You should have been getting nasty-gram emails from eBay saying their terms have changed. Managed Payments have been rolling out for a year or two, but I would have had to convert by the end of February or March to continue to sell. Maybe you’re just in the last batch...

eBay will need your checking account # and SSN in order to get paid going forward.

Mark Mc. Mark Mc.
Apr '21

I opened a separate bank account just for ebay During the changes with removing paypal. It's nice because if you sell something on ebay Chase Bank will count it as direct deposit when payout from item is sent. So you can get the $200 account opening reward with chase linking to ebay. And no minimum balance penalty

Forcefed4door Forcefed4door
Apr '21

I haven't gotten any notices on payments changing. I just checked my selling acct. It states my payment method is paypal. Also test listed an item and gave me paypal option. Maybe they just haven't gotten to me yet.

Grascal
Apr '21

In house? Ebay has owned Paypal for awhile, no?

I sell occasionally, buy more regularly. Have had good luck with both, though one item I sold recently never made it there, even though USPS said it did. Wasn't a bunch of money, so wasn't worth the time for a claim.

MeisterNJ MeisterNJ
Apr '21

https://www.salehoo.com/blog/ebay-breaks-it-off-with-paypal

JeffersonRepub JeffersonRepub
Apr '21

I regularly sell cross stitch patterns on ebay. I do well been selling for 3 years. I also sell a bunch of random things to declutter my house. I did have to change from PayPal or I couldn't sell anymore. However my daughter sells some stuff she just started and she never got a notification to change from PayPal. Maybe depends on how much you sell or have been selling. I was not happy with the PayPal change but the money now goes directly to my bank account which is ok.

Mrs803 Mrs803
Apr '21

"I was not happy with the PayPal change but the money now goes directly to my bank account which is ok."

I guess that's good in theory, but I would not like to give eBay my checking account and SSN information. Yes, PayPal had it, but I trust PayPal more so than eBay.

Also, from what I understand, getting the funds from a sale can now take 3-5 (or more) days from the time of the auction completion (PayPal was pretty much instant). So you either have to delay shipping (and potentially get complaints - for which eBay could actually charge you more money) or take a risk and ship it before you have the funds in your account.

Mark Mc. Mark Mc.
Apr '21

Hmmm. Didn't know/realize they split. Thanks.

MeisterNJ MeisterNJ
Apr '21

Also something coming to ebay and all online sales sites I think, is staring next year if you sell more then $600 worth of stuff in the year it will automatically generate a tax form (I forget the exact type) and will need to be claimed as income on your taxes. In the past and possibly currently depending on the state, it’s 20k or 200 transactions to trigger the sane thing. In other words it’s going to be a lot harder to “forget” to count ebay sales in your income tax.

MakoMiller1984 MakoMiller1984
Apr '21

1099-K if you have $600 or more in sales.

The government wants their cut of your garage sales!

Mark Mc. Mark Mc.
Apr '21

The 1099 is already in place. I received it (2020) from PayPal. $2000 triggered it for the federal and $600 for the state (VA).

real1 real1
Apr '21

I've been selling on eBay for years just as a hobby for a little extra pocket money. I have not received any notices on payments changing. Perhaps it's directed to the larger sellers that have "a store" on ebay. I did not sign up for a store. I've been researching it and I really can't find a definite answer to why some have to switch and some don't.

Betty Boop Betty Boop
Apr '21

Years ago there used to be a lady in the area who would sell items for you on Ebay. She would take a box of things from you that you wanted to sell (especially new clothing with tags) and sell them for those of us who did not have the ability to do it ourselves.. Of course, there was a contract involved and what percentage of the profit she received and what you would get from the sale of your item as well. She did the pricing on them too which was good so you did not have to do any research.. I believe every month or so...she would return the unsold items...pay you for what sold and pick up another box of things...If anybody out there is interested in doing this...or currently does, please let me know as I am definitely interested in your service...

joyful joyful
Apr '21

I'm on the same page as joyful. If there are still folks who will pick up and sell items for me on eBay with payment being a percentage of the sale price I would be interested. I believe quite a long time ago there used to be eBay stores that did just that. I think those type of stores fell by the wayside many years ago. I am interested if there is somebody who still does this type of service.

Mrs. Pipes Mrs. Pipes
Apr '21

eBay is a lot of work. Fees have increased over the years, and the eBay seller guarantee will almost always side with the buyer so it is not a sellers' paradise anymore. But, not much other option except Etsy if you have art or vintage items. This is a good opportunity for someone to create the eBay 2.0 which is long overdue...


iJay you are so correct. This coming May 2021 it will be 25 years since we started selling our "stuff" on eBay and stuff for other members of our family who we taught how to sell for themselves. They dropped out years ago, but we kept plodding along through all the changes many/most of which were not good for small regular sellers. The work has increased and the competition comes from many places where small sellers just cannot compete. It was not a "business" for us but a place to rehome items we no longer wanted or needed or updated. About 2 years ago we sold a Christmas Card that was signed by Pierre Omidyar and Jeff Skoll. eBay was about 9 months "old" at that time. Really, it used to be a lot of Fun "back in the day." Not so much anymore if at all.

Mrs. Pipes Mrs. Pipes
Apr '21

Mercari is an easy one to use especially when it comes to shipping. I just started using it in march and made over $700 so far

Ghost Ghost
Apr '21

What makes shipping easier on Mercari? I’ve heard of it but never went on their website. Do you buy from there too?

Bessie Bessie
Apr '21

Idk about easier but its definitely easy and this is my first time selling stuff online. I haven't purchased anything yet but mercari gives you the option to use one of their shipping labels for items up to 50 lbs, provides tracking number and insurance up to $200 or you can ship on your own. You get to choose between post office, ups, and FedEx and whether the seller or buyer pays for shipping. The seller has 3 days to ship the item and the buyer has 3 days to review the seller after receiving the item. Then the seller must rate the buyer before the funds are actually released into your account. If the buyer doesn't rate you then mercari provides am automatic 5 star rating. Mercari does have fees too though. It's a 10% selling fee and a 2.9% processing fee which is deducted from each sale you make

Ghost Ghost
Apr '21

Ghost, that's the same as ebay basically with the 10% fee. And ebay has all the shipping options as well, print label and go. They do give a hefty discount on flare rate envelopes. Think I pay $7.18 for items that fit

Forcefed4door Forcefed4door
Apr '21

Finally got the notice today. As of May 21st all sales will be paid to bank accts for all sellers. Not sure it is worth it for what little I sell.

Grascal
Apr '21

How are shipping costs? Mercari charges bout $4 for 4 ounces, $5 for 8 ounces, and it's 5.99 up to a pound if im remembering correctly for USPS. And what about the rating system? I can't see a rating that a buyer gives me until after I rate them and then I don't have the option to edit a review or leave feedback on a negative review. It's annoying because it's more buyer friendly and people can say whatever they want. I just had a review on an item stating it smells like cigarette smoke and I don't even smoke! The lady was mad because i couldnt make it to the post office the same day of purchase. I give all my buyers 5 stars and then regret it for these types of transactions. They can say it was damaged and mercari will always side with the buyer -going off of what I read from other sellers- and there doesn't seem to be a way for a seller to get into contact with any kind of support.

Ghost Ghost
Apr '21

Use Priority Mail with eBay as much as possible. It includes $50 insurance and doesn't suffer long delays.

Every sales site will side with the buyers. Without buyers the sites cease to function.


Best thing about USPS, throw package in mailbox with flag up, or request a pick up. That alone is worth it over fedex or ups.

Forcefed4door Forcefed4door
Apr '21

When do payments hit your bank account? When the buyer receives the item? Have several items up for sale for the first time in awhile. 1 sold, haven't seen the $$ yet.

MeisterNJ MeisterNJ
Apr '21

A few days after you ship the item with tracking number you get paid in your bank account. The change has been working fine for me.

Sacks cousin
Apr '21

Thanks SC.

MeisterNJ MeisterNJ
Apr '21

Bessie -

You may be interested in an on line meeting the Warren County Library is running. It's going to explain about eBay buying/selling. It's May 5, 7PM on Zoom:

Details are here:

https://warrenlib.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=35656&backTo=Calendar&startDate=2021/05/01


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