Thursday, August 31, 2017

Ties Are Easy to Sell on eBay

I love selling ties on eBay. I don't have a lot of extra storage room in my house for eBay items so I find ties a very easy thing to store and sell. Ties fold up nicely and although they may not sell for a LOT of money, I like the fact that they sell easily and also are easy to ship.

When I first started selling items on eBay, I watched a few YouTube videos about what to sell on eBay. If you sell men's clothing, a good guy to watch on YouTube is "Raiken Profit." I watched some of his videos on selling men's clothing, including ties and added ties to my list of things to look for at Goodwill and thrift stores to purchase to resell on eBay.

When I actually started looking in stores for them, I was thrilled. I can purchase ties in the thrift stores I shop at anywhere from 25 cents up to $2.99. But since I shop on Senior Day at Goodwill, I get 25% off, and never pay more than $2.25 for a tie. I am fortunate to be able to find brand name men's ties at the thrift stores in my area. Names include Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ermenegildo Zegna. I price them at a range of $12.95 to $14.95,include free shipping, and often use Markdown Manager to put them on sale. I don't make a huge profit but can make between $6.00 and $8.00 per tie. And that works for me. Could I sell ties for more money? Maybe, but I might have to wait a long time and I like the quick turnover.

The photo above shows the container I use to store my ties. It's compact and can hold 40 ties.It measures 16 1/2 inches by 11 1/2 inches and is 6 inches deep. When I sell a tie, I just pull out the box, find the tie that sold, put it in a plastic bag, put it in an envelope and ship it for less than $3.00.

I sell a lot of clothing on eBay and my prices range from $15.00 to $100.00. It's great to have some items that are easy to sell and ship that are lower priced items that will attract eBay shoppers who may purchase something more expensive while they are in my store. I think having a variety of prices on my eBay items attract a larger number of eBay buyers so selling ties on eBay works great for me.

Do you sell ties on eBay?

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Here's An Example of Why You Should Always Research Before Listing on eBay

The other day I listed an Orvis shirt on eBay for $26.95 or best offer. My best offer was anywhere from $19.95 and up. It sold in approximately two days...oops, I immediately knew that was a mistake. And it was a mistake on my part.

Here's what happened: I buy a lot of Orvis men's shirts at thrift stores to re-sell on eBay. This one I found was $4.99 and it was a nice heavy Orvis shirt. I thought because it was heavy and in very good condition, that I should list it higher than I sell most of my Orvis shirts for, which is usually about $18.95. It was also a bit unusual looking because it was a pullover with snaps at the neck and sleeves. Most of the Orvis shirts I sell button up the front. But I was in a hurry and so listed it for $27.95 with the best offer. The thing that I missed was that on the label it had the word "Malpai." I used it on the description of the shirt, but that should have alerted me to the fact that it was a bit unique and therefore may be worth more money. You can see the word Malpai on the label below.

After it sold, I checked comparative listings on eBay. They had the same types of shirts in different colors for between $31.49 and $49.99. Then I checked the "solds" category and that showed me that the Malpai shirts had sold for between $18 and $59.99, with most of them selling for the $30 and higher range. Ugh, I could have kicked myself.

But it's just a reminder that if you find something a bit unusual to sell on eBay that is unlike items you usually sell, always do your research and check what similar items have sold for before you list it or you could lose money.

I am sure I could have gotten at least $10.00 to $15.00 more for that shirt. "Live and Learn" as they say. Have you ever sold something on eBay and then realized after the sale that you sold it too low?