How to Sell on EBay

If you are looking for a way to make a little extra money, have you ever thought about selling stuff on eBay? I know, just the thought of it probably conjures up images of some crazy lady with a house filled with tcatchkes.

But I’ve been reading this blog called My Dear Trash, which has seriously caused me to rethink my bias.

The amazing blogger started selling on eBay 16 weeks ago with a singular goal in mind: To raise $4000 to take her family of 7 on a one-week trip to Disney World. (Her oldest daughter is a Disney intern — cool, huh?!) I’ll save you the suspense and tell you that she more than met her goal.
So, what did she sell? What didn’t she sell, is more like it! Her two primary arenas were used clothing and used furniture. She would go to Goodwill and garage sales, picking up treasures on the cheap and relisting them on eBay (or Craigslist) for a huge profit. Think $1 pair of second-hand Old Navy overalls, resold for $10, $15 or even $25 on eBay. At the same time, she picked up free or almost-free furniture from garage sales or garbage dumps and transformed it into elegant, high-end-looking pieces with a little paint and a lot of elbow grease.

I gotta admit, I was so inspired by her that the other day, at a garage sale, I picked up a super cheap baby bouncy seat for $2. I washed the cover and listed it on Craigslist. $20, I’m thinking that was a pretty sweet profit.

Here’s the rub: I’m wondering how much time it really takes? Clearly selling a $1 item for $25 is an awesome profit margin, but how much time was she spending laundering, repairing, listing, corresponding with bidders, packaging her goodies and waiting in line at the post office? I have a feeling that she’d say the time investment was more than worth it — especially since she’s in the Happiest Place on Earth right now!

If you want to learn more about selling on eBay, can I suggest that you stalk My Dear Trash’s blog… It is an awesome primer in becoming successful at this work from home opportunity. You can also read our JobMonkey article on Internet businesses and eBay sellers.

Have you ever made a living — or just some extra pocket money — by selling things on eBay or Craigslist? Tell us about your experiences!