Community Chat

[gidgetgh]

I haven't done a lot of reading yet- that's one of my projects for today, but I briefly read that Fed Ex is offering a service where you can take an item you'd like to sell and they'll research the price (I think), list it and ship it and the funds are deposited in your paypal account. I believe they take 30% for this.

Has anyone tried this? I only have a few things I'd like to sell through Ebay and it's a fragile item (18 pieces) and I thought I'd try this.

Does anyone have experience with this?

[Qwackertoo]

Haven't tried this particular arrangement with them listing and researching.

But a couple of months ago I had a particularly larger and heavier item(s) and eBay must be partnering with FedEx as the shipping rate was less than half the price USPS or UPS calculated rates were . . . I just had to drive it to the nearest "drop off" location.

I'm not so sure I'd trust FedEx to list my item in the most lucrative to attract the most buyers for a particular item in a particular category . . . so many to choose from . . . or to list it with the ending time or day of the week that I feel would garner the most bids/interest.

eBay & PayPal are so easy to list now, I'd do it myself vs. forfeiting the 30% of whatever final bidding price might be plus eBay fees and PayPal fees. Even 5 years ago, everything wasn't as automated and checks and money orders and waiting for them to clear before shipping . . . it is such a piece of cake now. I'm guessing the 30% is in addition to the usual eBay & PayPal fees.

Good Luck with whatever you decide!!!

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[gidgetgh]

Qwackertoo- thanks for your comments. I've just been toying with the idea. I've actually sold quite a few things through Facebook Yard Sale pages and that's been great, but I don't think this item would sell on there.

It's a set of 9 china demitasse cups and saucers that belonged to my grandmother. I've looked at the sold listings on Ebay and some that have sold individually have done pretty well.

Maybe I'll look into selling them myself on Ebay. I just was a little hesitant trying to get 18 individual fragile pieces where they need to go, but I could always use Fed Ex to pack and ship them.

[Qwackertoo]

Last year I ordered my MIL a few items from Replacements Unlimited or something like that. OMGoodness . . . lots & lots & lots of packaging. They did an amazing job.

Would you maybe do better . . . or easier to ship . . . and sell two sets of four and then sell the 9th set that someone could buy as a replacement/spare for their set?

Good Luck!

[KathyPet]

I have just started to use EBAY To sell. I have bought things on EBAY But never sold. I always thought it was a difficult and cumbersome process. I have a IPHONE and EBAY has a mobile app that I downloaded. I am sure they probably have a App for other phones like Android phones. The new mobile app is so easy to,use. It just takes you through the listing process section by section with a menu broken into all the steps (description, pricing, photos etc.). I researched my items looking at what is for sale and checking what has sold recently. So far I have listed three items and one is sold and paid for. I am awaiting payment on one that I took a Best Offer on and I have two pending offers on the third. I will be happy to try to answer any questions if I can. I would definitely list them yourself and let Fed Ex pack and ship. Believe me if I can list on EBAY anyone can.

[Qwackertoo]

Also . . . these days with savvy buyers . . . you could list for 30 minutes in reality . . . as you only see a lot of action for the most part . . . in the last few minutes of an auction.

My sister had come across some silverware, not silver but apparently collected by many . . . and it sat at 29.99 or something all week long . . . and in last couple of minutes ended at almost 400.00.

So . . . don't fret too much during the 3 or 5 or 7 days of your auction until close to the end. Well not all items go like that but many do. I love a good ole bidding war when I'm the seller though.

I'm de-cluttering and my tastes change over the years so I'm selling a few collectibles here and there. Or I'll re-list an item that doesn't sell and the next time it does. The 50 free listings a month for insertion fees helps. I have some Christmas collectibles I need to get moving on and taking photos of this week to have them ready to go for November & December sales.

[kittymomNC]

My son has an eBay "store" and sells quite a bit of delicate breakable glassware, dishes, etc. He has a 100% positive feedback rating.

His method of "getting it there in one piece" is a combination of lots of bubblewrap, taping the bubblewrap so it won't come loose in shipping, and using a box within a box. He bubblewraps several items, puts them in a box, and then puts that box in a larger box and stuffs newspaper etc. around it so it won't move. He sometimes puts two boxes in a larger box. It seems that most of the time, if something gets broken in transport, it's because something hits the outside box and damages it, but packing this way, it doesn't damage what's in the box within. Does that make sense? He doesn't do that all the time, but if it's a particularly delicate item, he does. It's a little more expensive, but he thinks it's worth it to keep customers happy. Besides, that 100% rating keeps his eBay fees lower.

[Qwackertoo]

Another tip as shipping and rates are ever changing!

Be sure and plan on what box you are planning to ship the items in and take into consideration the measurements of said box . . . especially IF you do the above with the box in a box.

I was shipping a North Face down full length coat to a friend, new with tags a couple of weeks ago . . . long story, I bought on sale and decided not really cold enough here so offered it to a friend for what I paid for it 75% off . . . who lives in much, much colder & harsher climate than I do . . . so I packed it nicely and in tissue paper in a 15 x 21 x 4 box . . . and due to her regional zone from my regional zone . . . even though it ONLY WEIGHED 3.5#'s . . . it was going to be something crazy like 52.00 to ship. OMGosh I about fainted. The postal guy at the counter who is always very friendly and helpful gave me a 12 x 12 x 8 cube style priority box . .. I came home . . . repacked . . . went back within a few minutes and the new price was TEN BUCKS and some change . . . luckily since it was a down coat it could easily be folded more compactly into the much smaller box and of course it wasn't a fragile item.

So just be very careful on shipping weights and box dimensions as you don't want any expensive surprises!!! Which is why I now set most of my auctions up to use "calculated rates based upon buyers zip code" . . . priority shipments to the West Coast . . . . I was always under estimating costs with flat rate shipping and having to "eat" a few dollars each package.

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[kittymomNC]

On 10/26/2014 Qwackertoo said:

Another tip as shipping and rates are ever changing!

Be sure and plan on what box you are planning to ship the items in and take into consideration the measurements of said box . . . especially IF you do the above with the box in a box.

I was shipping a North Face down full length coat to a friend, new with tags a couple of weeks ago . . . long story, I bought on sale and decided not really cold enough here so offered it to a friend for what I paid for it 75% off . . . who lives in much, much colder & harsher climate than I do . . . so I packed it nicely and in tissue paper in a 15 x 21 x 4 box . . . and due to her regional zone from my regional zone . . . even though it ONLY WEIGHED 3.5#'s . . . it was going to be something crazy like 52.00 to ship. OMGosh I about fainted. The postal guy at the counter who is always very friendly and helpful gave me a 12 x 12 x 8 cube style priority box . .. I came home . . . repacked . . . went back within a few minutes and the new price was TEN BUCKS and some change . . . luckily since it was a down coat it could easily be folded more compactly into the much smaller box and of course it wasn't a fragile item.

So just be very careful on shipping weights and box dimensions as you don't want any expensive surprises!!! Which is why I now set most of my auctions up to use "calculated rates based upon buyers zip code" . . . priority shipments to the West Coast . . . . I was always under estimating costs with flat rate shipping and having to "eat" a few dollars each package.

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Good advice! Since the post office changed some of their pricing and calling different ways of shipping something entirely different now, my son was having some problems figuring out the best ways to ship. That, along with the shipping that eBay discounts and what it doesn't ... he uses a calculated shipping a lot now. And he's always hoping someone on the West Coast doesn't buy the heavier or more difficult things to ship, especially if he didn't have it set up to calculate!

The other day he was "constructing" a box to ship a pair of skis in - I'm sure that was fun!