eBay - is it worth it anymore?

[jazzactivist]

Hi all, do any of you shop or sell on eBay? This used to be a very good place for buying useful items at affordable prices from other people, but now seems to have been taken over by dealers and traders. For example, I just had a quick look for a jewellers bench and the ones on eBay are double the price of nice ones to buy new. What is your opinion of eBay?

[Oola]

It really depends what you're looking for. I find it really irritating when you're looking for an item, and the same seller floods each page with multiple items, all the same price. So you end up having to trawl through pages to get to a different item.

I still think there's loads of bargains to be had, jewellery and computer parts seem to be some of the biggest problematic items in terms of searching for 'genuinely' good prices.

I still use it as one of my first port of calls when looking for a book, wool or something as I think even with the merchants you can still get a really good price. Furniture and collectables are still good, I was looking a while back for a sit up and beg bicycle and there were no shops, just individuals auctioning their bikes. You just have to watch that they don't hike the shipping prices up as a means to make pure profit.

I think eBay ought to try and stop merchants flooding the pages, only allowing a certain number of items posted from one account within an hour. That would go some way to making it more user friendly.

[franbee]

I'm quite disillusioned with ebay, for the same reasons as Oola, and also because I seldom hear anyone say they've sold anything for a good price, only when they've got things really cheaply.

[sheddie]

Think ebay could now do with a bit of healthy competition, they've had it all their own way for too long, so now it's just anything goes. X

[SummerSkye]

I still use EBay a lot. I usually do a detailed search and bypass most dealers. It is still the only place where I know I can find just about anything I am looking for, Fast!! I always check postage cost first before bidding on anything. It is excellent for finding good vintage kitchen equipment, books and loads of things NOT made in China.
I collect old rosary beads and most of them are from Belgium and Canada so EBay is essential for this.

[Healing Hands]

I have for the first time today put some curtains up for sale on ebay, I brought them for the spare bedroom to find that they are not the right colour, but I took them out of the packaging and also brought them in a sale and could not take them back, so while they have been sitting on the spare bed and I have been pondering if they would go or not, I decided today after my mother said why not put them ebay. So I have and I am quite pleased with myself that I have done it, I doubt I will get what I paid thats if they sell but if they do it is better then just sitting in a cupboard.

[SummerSkye]

Hi HH, good luck with your curtains. I have recently been buying curtains on EBay, the last pair I was bidding on , with a shabby chic look went for over $70 and a pair exactly the same sold the next day for $9 so it is luck of the draw and also how well they are presented. I did buy an Austrian blind complete with track in as new condition for $50 that was a real bargain!

[Katelb]

I agree with what most of you have said about ebay,I go through phases of selling on it,the last one being to raise enough money for me to buy this computer off my son-in-law;I succeeded with £100 left in the kitty so to some extent,I got bitten by the selling bug.I went on to sell a few other items before christmas and used the proceeds for christmas presents ,so was well pleased with that too.I have never bought anything off ebay though largely because I'm not bold enough if it is something important that I'm looking for,but I often browse through the various categories and I agree,dealers who flood the market should at least be limited to just a few items.
They have also put their listing prices up which is annoying. I found myself involved in a money laundering excercise a while back but unfortunately for the buyer,they picked the wrong person in when they chose me,and I reported them to both ebay and paypal who also got involved. It put me off a bit.
I do however sell books on Amazon and usually manage to keep a steady trickle coming in!!

[Pippa]

Hi Kate, have just read your thread above about selling books on Amazon. Is it easy to do this and how do you know what to charge for postage and how do you receive th money? I have never used E-bay as it all seems so complicated with pay-pal and everything, I wondered if Amazon is easier. Thanks.

[Katelb]

Hi Pippa,I have always thought that Amazon is much easier.You initially sign up with a seller account and you provide them with an account number unto which you would like your proceeds paid,once you have all this established,you organise a 'seller name' and that can be whatever you like,then find a book/s that you wouls like to sell and go to "sell your stuff" page list the book by the ISBN number (usually found in the front somewhere) fill in the details as requested making sure you describe your book truthfully,eg,any tears,with or without dustcover etc. you can then view other peoples copies of the same book to give you a guide price,and Amazon include a statutory postal fee which they add to your charge to the buyer (mostly it covers the postage) and list your book.When someone buys it,Amazon send you an email telling you who has bought it and where to send it etc.and your away! it must be simole if I can do it!! so have a go. Any further assistance,you know where I am,or email me through RM.

[sheddie]

Have any of you heard of the police site called bumblebee it's worth a look and also Friday Ads. X

[Katelb]

Sheddie,I just had a look at the bumblebee site ,it's absolutely fascinating and I have bookmarked it thanks for telling us about it. Going to try the Friday Ads now.xx

[Healing Hands]

Last week I put a pair of curtains on ebay for the first time, they were brand new and I brought them thinking they would be right for my spare room so my mother said put them on ebay and today I got £129.50 for them I was so shocked I never thought I would get that much for them, I just hope the person who has won them really likes them at that price. But I chuffed to bits. :D

[baab95]

I've had some success selling on e-bay, mainly books, and vintage garage treasures from my mother-in-law. I'm not timid in most aspects of my life but seem to have an e-bay purchase block so consequently I haven't yet bought anything. My OH has bought a bike, and lots of other sporting gear.