Most of us have things around the house that we no longer need, use or want. One way to earn a little extra cash is to sell these things Online. There are many great sites that are available to do just that. For now, I'll concentrate on my favorites.... Ebay, Etsy and Ecrater.
Ebay - In my opinion, Ebay has the biggest following. What may not sell in Bedford County, may sell in another area of our country or in another country altogether. I have 3 Ebay accounts, all selling different things. One for antiques, one for designer and vintage clothing and another for general items. To date, I have sold approximately 1200 items. Ebay has a big following but the highest fees. One advantage is that you can list 50 items per month for free. For me, that means 150 free listings. But they charge a 9% final value fee for each sale up to $100 and that fee includes your shipping charge. If I sell an antique dish for $20. and the shipping charge is $5.00 (an actual cost), my fee with be $1.80.
Etsy also has a big following but you can only list vintage, handmade items or art & craft supplies. On Etsy, you set the price - it is not an auction. They also have a good-sized following. Most of the following are repeat buyers from what I can see. Etsy charges 20 cents to list each item. The listing lasts 4 months. They charge a fee of 3.5% if your item sells. Their fee does not include shipping charges. If I sell that same antique dish from Ebay for $20, my fee will be .70 plus my .20 listing fee - for a total of .90 cents. That's half of the Ebay fee.
Ecrater has been in business for a while but has a small following. I have 2 Ecrater stores. On Ecrater, you set the price - it is not an auction. While the following is small, I have sold about 20 items - mostly vintage jewelry. Ecrater has NO FEES. You set up a little store with pictures, categories, etc and upload your items. It's lots of fun. Now if I sell that antique dish on Ecrater for $20, the entire amount is mine.
When I decide to sell something online, I generally start it out on Ecrater. If it doesn't sell in a few weeks, I put a hold on the item and list on Ebay or Etsy. I've had interesting results. I had purchased a cookie jar at a resale shop for $3. I knew it was the same as my grandmother's but wasn't sure of the value. I listed it on Ecrater at $25. I figured I'd be happy to get that amount. After 2 weeks, it did not sell so I put it on hold and listed it on Ebay. It sold for $125. on Ebay with heavy bidding. I was thrilled and didn't mind paying the fees associated with that auction!
Online selling is a fun way to earn a little extra cash. Open an account, build a store and try listing a few things. Remember, one man's trash is another man's treasure!
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