Full-time Auctioning???

**2cutekids** · 01-13-2003, 12:53 PM

Anyone out there make a good income from selling at on-line auctions? If so how much(a range of income is fine) and what do you sell, and where do you sell it? I will be graduating from school(AS)in May(hopefully!), and I really want to be with my kids full-time while I take on-line courses for a BS. Any tips, advice, etc. that you can give me would be appreciated.

**Daphne** · 01-13-2003, 01:11 PM

I don't have any advice as I'm also trying to get started in this so I'll be keeping my eye out for any info. But I do want to say congrats on graduating this May - it's such an accomplishment!!

**2cutekids** · 01-13-2003, 01:29 PM

Thanks... the new semester starts tomorrow and I don't wanna go back

I have enjoyed being w/ the kids over xmas, and going to school is so stressfull. My brain was MUSH after the last semester.

**Patchworkgirl** · 01-13-2003, 01:54 PM

Although I don't do this full-time, I did sell off my antique button collection about 2 years ago on e-bay. It took me a year to sell everything off, and I made a very nice sum. I could not believe what people paid for some of those buttons. In my opinion, you can make a net profit of 20,000 and up if you devote full time, and sell the right thing.

**2cutekids** · 01-13-2003, 02:14 PM

I am thinking about vintage household/sewing collectibles. Is this feasible?

**MJsLady** · 01-13-2003, 07:29 PM

Yes I have been looking at the sewing notions auctions. There is a market there. One thing to look out for, make sure you start the auction high enough to cover what you NEED to get from the item. Also do not short yourself on shipping. I did that alot when I did ebay.

**tunasalad** · 01-15-2003, 06:07 AM

Good money is out there to be had. ESPECIALLY if you have access to good products that you can sell. I know people who are making a killing on ebay!!

**Patchworkgirl** · 01-15-2003, 06:25 AM

I think the vintage sewing notion idea is a great one. My idea is to do vintage fabric (check out some of the going prices) and antique and vintage quilt pieces and blocks. I have been watching the going prices on this whole line of things (vintage notions included) and it's been doing very well on e-bay. I want to start this year by haunting antique shops and flea-markets looking for these items. Next year I will start selling, and then maybe a year from then I would have the business built up enough to quit my part time job.

**heavensent_7** · 01-15-2003, 07:53 AM

I only do eBay UK so I don't know how helpful it will be? But I think eBay is the only one worth looking at (although many disagree) and I've done very well selling on eBay.

I sell anything and everything! Some specialise I know but I have enough stuff to keep me going forever!

Plus my Favourite hobby is going to car boot sales so it's a handy outlet!

I doubt you'll need a year to quit your part-time job unless you want it that way? You could carry on doing both? It all depends how much listing and answering e-mails you are prepared to do.

Obviously, Like anything you meet some idiot people that you just can't please and if you take things personally (like I do) that can be a real downer but mostly I have met really lovely people on eBay.

It can be easy or really hard work, depending on where you want to take it.

I suggest you ALWAYS post a pic. Lots of people won't buy what they can't see (I won't) and even if you sell you won't get a really good price without pics (although there are SOME exceptions) Post the P+P IF you know what it is beforehand (actually I only do this sometimes) Always be as honest and give as full a description as possible. Post something in the title that will bring people doing a search to your item, for example 'Wow - look at this bargain!' isn't going to be seen by very many people, where as Vintage, Ivory Silk - Bride? N/R will be seen by people searching vintage/silk/bride etc. I also always put N/R (no reserve price) Some start their selling at 0.01 but when you get onto their item there is a reserve of £100 or something that is VERY annoying! And people can see that won't happen if you put N/R. Wait for the cheque to clear before you send the goods and then post ASAP and if possible give MORE than they expected in terms of quantity or quality or customer service = repeat customers.

Shall I just shut up? LOL

**heavensent_7** · 01-15-2003, 07:56 AM

Actually I just thought of some other things also LOL but I won't keep boring you all

**SewCrafty** · 01-15-2003, 08:07 AM

Please, please bore us Bev!

Alot of us want to know how to get started...............

**Daphne** · 01-15-2003, 10:53 AM

Yes please tell us!!

**heavensent_7** · 01-15-2003, 11:47 AM

Well here I am again

I probably told the most important stuff but things that came to mind are,

I have a programme that tracks items being bid on/sold/posted/postal costs/what I paid eBay in commision etc (you have to remember that one although it's minimal to what you make it can add up if you only pay once a month as I do) I got the programme on line and although I had a trial period I had to buy it but it saves me LOTS of time and headaches, sends pre-printed letters (with my eBay shop web address

) I thought it was well worth the money but it does depend how much eBay you are thinking of doing. I did auctions for over a year without using anything more than a book and pen.

There are also web sites that offer nice templates to type in your advert, you want your advert to look nice but you have to be careful with these some take forever to load and people won't wait, they have a buying head on they don't want to sit for an hour and wait for one advert to load when they could have seen another 10! BUT if you know basic html (I say that coz mine is VERY basic lol) that's Great. If not doesn't matter - what I think is important is that you space it out nicely (not all clumped together and hard to read like I'm typing now!) and that you spell check it and re-read it, there is nothing worse than buying from someone that can't spell (honestly) my spelling isn't hot, that's why you have to watch it, you are trying to get people to buy your goods and this is your one chance something like 'Relly nice vintag dres' really doesn't do the job (I know this sounds bad but you start imagining that they are really thick, maybe it's stolen, dirty, not right somehow) don't have a go at me for this I CAN'T spell and my Brother, who also does eBay is dyslexic so I'm NOT predjudice or stuck up it's just the way it is (trying to help would be sellers!)

Try and make the pic as appealing as possible, I'm no photographer either but if it is too blury to see, or clothes are all screwed up or you photograph edible stuff next to your cat litter tray - you get the pic!

Always try and polietly answer e-mails before the end of auction, this is a potential customer (more bids?) and however stupid (and some really are!) be NICE. Dear Sally, Thank you for your interest in my auction, P+P for the vintage teddy bear - item # 12345678 will be £2.50. If I can help you any further please don't hesitate to contact me. Best Wishes Bev. (heavensent_7)
Is soooo much nicer to receive than £2.50 it says on my auction!

All common sense stuff really.

Wrap items well, always leave feedback, (and don't be scared to leave neg if it's called for)

Oh - If you have items that go together ie. Collectable vintage Robertsons Golly figure and Robertsons Golly Badge - nurse RARE. Stuff the SAME person might be interested in try to list them at the same time BUT if you have the same item ie 2 Cut Glass Rose Vases (?) Identical, unless they are a pair and you're selling them as such, list separately otherwise the possible two only people that want one and WOULD otherwise be bidding against each other will have two options.

People surf quickly when they are buying and have hundreds of options to choose from (as on eBay) FIRST they have to click on your description or NO sale - So 'brown jumper' isn't very exiciting - Monsoon Chocolate Sweater BNWT (brand new with tags) is better (I'm working hard here my ex husband to be just rang and enraged me!

) But I hope you get the point? Anyway then once you have you have to make them BID. So nice honest description - not five pages long (they'll get bored) but not - Jumper size 12 (they can SEE that!) Make them WANT it!

Like I say all common sense, if I think of anything else I'll let you know

Have to go now and steam!!!!

Mostly have FUN - if it's NO fun at all give it up and do something else lifes too short.

**SewCrafty** · 01-15-2003, 02:02 PM

Thanks Bev, great tips!

**Patchworkgirl** · 01-15-2003, 02:46 PM

These are great tips Bev! I think the reason my buttons did so well is that the pics were good, and I really tried my best to make the description as exiting as possible. The reason I said it would take a year to quit my part time job is that I make good money at my part time job, and I figure it would take me a year to build up my business to that level. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised!!