What I sell on eBay - what do you sell?

[johnnyleeds]

Hi Folks!

Sorry about this but I have just been replying to somebody who messaged me through the forum and I thought I might just post my message on here for anyone who is interested, it just about what I do on eBay and why, if anyone else wants to have a chat about what they do on eBay then drop me a line, it can be bit of a lonely business (boo hoo!) when you are sat on your oddy knocky typing away at the PC, so i am always happy to hear from fellow traders, plus share news / stories / tips etc, anyway check it out below:

Hi Sam (name of person I originally sent this message to)

I have been working in the antique and collectables trade ever since I was a kid helping people out at antique fairs, flea markets, boot sales etc, there is a good living to be made from buying and selling antiques and collectables but its not easy money by any means, for starters there is a lot of knowledge to learn, I have picked this up over 20+ years in the game, you can also read about whats hot / not in antiques and collectables by researching the Millers guides, other books, using the internet - even from watching TV programmes such as The Antiques Roadshow, Bargain Hunt and Flog it etc. It helps that I am quite passionate about collecting and I am also interested in history and how things are made.

The antiques and collectables area is massive, its basically dealing with everything that was ever designed and created throughout human history, people collect everything from coins to telephones and from vintage cars to vintage clothing. Most people choose to specialise in a few niche areas and they become experts in their own area, thus gaining specialist knowledge and knowing when and where to spot a bargain that can be sold on for a good profit. For the uninitiated it can be a little daunting, and there are a lot of things to beware of - buying expensive ⊗⊗⊗⊗ and getting ripped off etc.

If it is something you are interested in it is a fascinating and rewarding trade, but you (the person I was sending this message to) mentioned that you are studying for a degree in business, which would probably set you up for earning bigger bucks in a shorter amount of time. I am returning to selling antiques and collectables now as I have just worked in IT as a Systems Analyst for 5 years, I also did a degree but mine was in Digital Media, an while the money was good I found that I wasnt enjoying the work as much as I would have liked and sitting staring at a computer screen for 8+ hours a day, especially during the summer months was becoming depressing. And so when my contract ended recently I have decided to properly start up my own antiques and collectables business as a full time venture.

I get an enormous amount of enjoyment from travelling around the country buying and selling, there are antiques fairs, second hand and flea markets plus car boot sale, jumble sales and even charity shops all over the country and on every day of the week all year long. I visit these places to pick up items to sell on - mostly on eBay, and although you cant exactly predict what profit you will make on each item, you gradually develop an eye for what sells and roughly what for, so if there is a chance of a decent profit in it then I will buy it.

That is one of the most thrilling parts of the week, watching my auctions end - usually on a Sunday evening, when most people are at home to make bids, and its very exciting watching the last minute bids come rolling in, items that have only had a few minimum bid on can go from £5-10 up to several hundred pounds all in the space of 60 seconds as people try and sneak in at the last minute. So selling antiques and collectables is not a precise science as people will pay what they are prepared to pay for an item, but (touch wood!) I usually do fairly well out of it. My longer term plans are to create an eBay shop, buy myself a motorhome / trailer to travel around the country in and store any stock I buy, maybe buy / rent some business premises when I start making more money, pay my taxes! and start getting some job satisfaction from my work. After all if you hate what you do for a living, whats the point? Its what we spend most of our lives doing, so even if I do end up earning less than my IT career was earning me, the smile on my face from spending time doing what I love is more than worth it. Anyway sorry to have babbled on for a while, hope this explains a little but more about what I do and why.

Best Wishes!

Johnny

So if anyone else - especially Yorkshire / Leeds folk wanna have a yap about stuff anytime then feel free to get in touch. - Ta! Johnny

[lucrative]

Interesting post but im afraid eB being the competative market place that it is most people wont want to go into details of what they sell.

Sounds like you love what you do though and in my experience that coupled with great product knowledge is a sign of a business that will do well.

Good luck.

[oompaloompa]

oddy knocky ? is that a Yorkshire term? I had some housemates at Uni from yorkshire, odd things they came out with...I just smiled and nodded....

I sell a little vintage too if i see it at the markets or online, but mainly in health and beauty catagories, do odd small electronics as well. I will take a chance on anything I see that I think will sell well though, some lines have worked out and some really really have not...I have to understand the product and find it interesting, or i cannot answer questions or get a thrill from a sale...never make a big first order, regardless of MOQ price incentives....

[planes]

I have dabbled in the collectibles and have had some good success. Had a bunch of fair condition language books which sold recently for over 2 bills on eBay. You'd be surprised what sells these days. And the gentleman that purchases them was a great chap. Totally educated and classy.

[johnnyleeds]

Hi folks!

Thanks for the replies, Lucrative, I understand what you are saying about people not wanting to give away their trade secrets etc, I dont really wanna know that, I was just interested to know what other people get up to roughly, Oompaloompa, I think that i got that 'oddy knocky' thing from reading 'A Clockwork Orange', it does sound like a bit of Yorkshire dialect tho which is why I like it.

Cheers!

Johnny