According to statistics 200,000 people in the UK now have Ebay as their sole source of income, and 'Ebay millionaires' are now evident in every City in the UK. Would like to hear from any active EBayers out there in Sheffield who are making a living from Ebay, and especially the high earners, as quite a few people in SHeffield are going to be living purely off Ebay profits. That is a guess, but if 200,000 people in the UK are Ebay self-sufficient, 5000 of them must be in the 4th largest City...AT LEAST.

So you Goldenfleece make 30k (that's £30,000 a month)?
Is the tax man aware of this profit?

When will you hit the Millionaire mark then?

Sorry - but I'm very sceptical at this story which reads similar to the web promotions of get rich quic schemes to me. :P

What's your eBay user name, so we can check out your selling prowess?

Soundz a bit too good to be true to me!!

I just edited the original post as it DID read like a sales pitch!!! It was not supposed to

A friends dad dug up a bottle 15 years ago, they recently discovered ebay and thought they might be able to get a tenner for it!.

I am gunna go home a dig up my garden!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=69604&item=6127120003&rd=1

SInce I edited the first post it STILL reads like a sales pitch. Hmm..anyone want to buy my fabulous book HOW TO MAKE A MILLION IN 3 EASY STEPS....(LOL)

but whats your username on it??

Originally posted by goldenfleece
Its not a get rich scheme........just something many people are doing all over the world. And yes, the taxman knows.......and he loves it. I wonder what he does with it all.......

I just edited the original post as it DID read like a sales pitch!!! It was not supposed to. I thought it would be difficult not to make it read like a promotion. I also thought it might sound a bit patronising so tried not to do that either. Tricky....

So what's your Ebay user ID? Post a link to something you're selling :)

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek
A friends dad dug up a bottle 15 years ago, they recently discovered ebay and thought they might be able to get a tenner for it!.

I am gunna go home a dig up my garden!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=69604&item=6127120003&rd=1

Looks like a good potential market there.........Ebay is full of collectors who will pay massive amounts for this sort of stuff. Massive amounts for ANYTHING in fact......

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek
A friends dad dug up a bottle 15 years ago, they recently discovered ebay and thought they might be able to get a tenner for it!.

I am gunna go home a dig up my garden!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=69604&item=6127120003&rd=1

Bugger my...anyone know if this is a particularly rare bottle? Where Im from in the North East, we would did up old bottles along the riverbank all the time....then line em up and smash...they looked much like this!

Im going home to set up shop.....

Is the original posted aimed from your personal experiences Golden Fleece? If so what is your ebay username so we can all see.

Or have you just copied the post from somewhere else?

Originally posted by Robbie_Lovin
but whats your username on it??


Currently former user names, many many of them, are all offline as I am working on a new dedicated Ebay store front which is taking quite lot of planning. Been working on it for 3 weeks now in conjunction with its own stand alone web siteand it wont be online for a while.

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek
A friends dad dug up a bottle 15 years ago, they recently discovered ebay and thought they might be able to get a tenner for it!.

I am gunna go home a dig up my garden!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=69604&item=6127120003&rd=1

FH, that is one decent find, people are mad. Think I might take advantage of the free listing this Thursday

I am guessing it was rare, it did not have any beer in it!.

Originally posted by goldenfleece
Currently former user names, many many of them, are all offline as I am working on a new dedicated Ebay store front which is taking quite lot of planning. Been working on it for 3 weeks now in conjunction with its own stand alone web siteand it wont be online for a while.

Forgive me for being sceptic, but this doesn't sound realistic

Why have a number of different usernames?

Also you can still read feedback from former users who have been banned. etc.

So come on put some pervious usernames up.

I can smell bovine excrement ;)

urrently former user names, many many of them, are all offline

Why would you change usernames many many many times???

Unless you were ripping people off?

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Forgive me for being sceptic, but this doesn't sound realistic

Why have a number of different usernames?

Also you can still read feedback from former users who have been banned. etc.

So come on put some pervious usernames up.

Most ebayers will have different user names associated with different products or services. I, like many have experimneted with many products in different categories to test the market potential, and then dispensed with the User ID if the products were of limited appeal. At least I work that way and so does everyone I know.

I have actually bought things off Ebay then resold them on Ebay for more money.

Originally posted by nick2
I have actually bought things off Ebay then resold them on Ebay for more money.

Thats what a lot of people do. I also tried my hand at buying off Ebay and selling a few days later 16mm film projectors about 4 years ago, forgotten the ID for that now. Managed to make at least 100% profit on every one at the time but then the market got a bit flooded and prices crashed. Ive expeirimented with selling 16mm feature films, Videos, DVD, clothing, antiques, general rubbish, art, clocks, old watches, vintage TG times magazines, comics, rare books, etc.......all been tried. You have to keep trying things until you hit upon the right products and the appeal is not just temporary

Most ebayers will have different user names associated with different products or services. I, like many have experimneted with many products in different categories to test the market potential, and then dispensed with the User ID if the products were of limited appeal.


I don't know anyone who works in such a bizzare fasion? What is the benefit? Have you got a different bank account for every product you sell?? All sounds very strange to me!

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek
I don't know anyone who works in such a bizzare fasion? What is the benefit? Have you got a different bank account for every product you sell?? All sounds very strange to me!

Any Ebay ID can be linked to the same bank account. The advantage is that if you experiment selling a certain item and it turns out to be a total failure, you just wipe the ID and put it down to experience. otherwise using just one ID you appear to be selling all kinds of stuff, much of it failing to sell, which never looks good. When you then hit upon the ideal product/s, you can start with a fresh ID and then have continual streams of sales of related items without looking like a jack of all trades. Well, it works for some anyway.....

Its like opening a shop and not knowing what to sell. It looks cluttered and untidy. Once you work out what your products are and what sells best, you change your shop with a new name and look more specialized. Thats all it is.....marketing strategy.

My marketing strategy at the moment is to open a new ebay storefront linked to a commercial site, but such a decision has taken years of selling all kinds of stuff via many IDs to test the ultimate market for such a specialized ebay store. So I have now left the traditional auction bidding listings, and will be running a BUY IT NOW based ebay store, which is highly specialized in abstract European painting. A strange product you may think, but over the years it appears for me to have been the most stable source of income, and people generally pay high prices for art, especially as my store will be targeted at Corporate appeal level. There is BIG money is selling complete sets of paintings which are themed as office furnishings to executives. They pay a fortune if they like something, Americans especially.

What is the benefit?

Some of the things you can do with multiple IDs:

* Sell cheap value items to yourself to raise the feedback ratings on all your usernames

* Place bids on your own items using your other usernames in order to raise the prices for legitimate bidders

I'm not suggesting you do either of these, just why some people may want to use multiple IDs for dishonest purposes.

Originally posted by ncrossland
Some of the things you can do with multiple IDs:

* Sell cheap value items to yourself to raise the feedback ratings on all your usernames

* Place bids on your own items using your other usernames in order to raise the prices for legitimate bidders

I'm not suggesting you do either of these, just why some people may want to use multiple IDs for dishonest purposes.

Yes I agree people DO this for their own purposes.

However, my only use of multiple IDs over the years was to test the market for specific sets of products, ie DVD's, CLOCKS, CORPORATE ART FURNISHINGS, etc.......Rather than havw one ID as stated previously which appears to be selling everything (and therefore nothing), and which looks cluttered and untidy with pictures of all different manner of items unrelated. Look at all the most successful sellers and you will see they specialize in one or a grouped product with a common theme. The ones that appear to be selling everything (and nothing) tend not to be the most successful.

Feedback on Ebay is easily forged, everyone knows that. But for experimental sales of certain items over short test periods, feedback is not really useful as the ID has a limited life span. If the products are desirable to the buyers, they buy egardless of feedback in my esxperience anyway....

Originally posted by goldenfleece
to test the market for specific sets of products,

Its no different to Dixons Group marketing itself as Dixons, Currys, PC World, The Link, etc for different types of goods/markets. I suppose it makes sense for professional ebayers to do this too.

Myself, ebay is just a convenient way of buying and selling old junk, so I don't mind if my sales history has some old clothes, computer bits, books, etc.

:D

I make a few quid out of ebay from time to time. Not exactly an ebay millionaire though!
Got through a lot of Import video games usually for a good profit on there. Also did the buy cheap computers at Carboot and sell on ebay for profit too. Made quite a bit on them. Actualy have a Commodore 64 with about 200 games to go on right now!

(user ID is killauea)

Originally posted by goldenfleece
you appear to be selling all kinds of stuff, much of it failing to sell, which never looks good.

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't care what someone hasn't sold before me bidding on their item. I am only interested in the item I want, and as long as the seller has positive feedback that is all I care about.

Multiple ID's just sounds Dodgy to me, and I would stay away from people with them.

Originally posted by kilauea
Actualy have a Commodore 64 with about 200 games to go on right now!

How much do these sort if items fetch?

Another good one, that I tried my hand at and made a few quid, is buying stuff from TKMaxx and flogging it on Ebay.
You do kind of have to know what is in fashion and what will sell well though.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
I don't know about anyone else, but I don't care what someone hasn't sold before me bidding on their item. I am only interested in the item I want, and as long as the seller has positive feedback that is all I care about.

Multiple ID's just sounds Dodgy to me, and I would stay away from people with them.


I think you will find most people have multiple ID's. It is allowed on Ebay to have as many as you like. As I have pointed out, you may not be bothered about all the clutter on a single EBay ID auction list, and just want the item you want regardless, but I believe that you are exceptional.

The majority of people like things to be focused. ie they buy branded jeans from a certain store, which stocks only certain brands and not everything under the sun. And its all about having a professional and corporate look......Ebay started off as a general "lets sell all our car boot sale leftovers crap in one long list" type of service, but has grown into now, very specific and highly specialized segments. It pays to market yourself to certain categories of buyers, ie someone buying a DVD may click on SELLERS OTHER ITEMS FOR SALE and then see a few more titles they want, and spend more cash, rather than be put off with a long list of antique potatoe peelers or whatever.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Multiple ID's just sounds Dodgy to me, and I would stay away from people with them.

I would agree with that - but since there is no way of telling if someone has multiple IDs - how would you know?

Originally posted by ncrossland
I would agree with that - but since there is no way of telling if someone has multiple IDs - how would you know?

Multiple IDs is just the same as someone owning ten different shops selling different products. DOnt see what is dodgy about that.......its just specialized selling, each shop focused to a given target market and area. One might sell brand new books, the other Victorian antique potato peelers.....now why would you want them both in one store? Look rediculous...thats why, its no different with Ebay.

It's not dodgy in the context you're doing it in (professional sellers) - but it could be perceived as dodgy in the sense that Skatiechik means (con merchants).

That's the ultimate dilemma of ebay isn't it? It's now a 2 headed hybrid with these two classes of seller, and there is no perfect system to police either.

Originally posted by ncrossland
It's not dodgy in the context you're doing it in (professional sellers) - but it could be perceived as dodgy in the sense that Skatiechik means (con merchants).

That's the ultimate dilemma of ebay isn't it? It's now a 2 headed hybrid with these two classes of seller, and there is no perfect system to police either.


I do agree with you there. A friend of mine bought two Glastonbury back stage passes on Ebay. I was horrified and told them to contact the seller at once as they paid him via Paypal. The guy turned out to be a con-man, had sold dozens of Glastonbury back stage passes, all non existent, which faked pictures of them on EBay. They never received anything for the £700 they paid out. AFter numerous complaints to Ebay and Paypal, the seller turned out to have provided a fake address in Birmingham which was a betting shop, and fake contact numbers and names, and had used stolen credit card to sign up. Too much of this is happening on Ebay now.....

SOrry mate (if u are viewing) but you were a bit of a mug there and I told you so!!!! Unfortunately too many buyers are mugs and will pay silly money for things which dont exist just because they see a pretty picture on EBay. The site attracts con men by the truckload for this very reason.

I mean, would anyone here pay out 700 for a back stage Glastonbury pass (the real ones were like gold dust)

I suspect in a few years it will indeed be split into 2 distinct [sub]sites, one for professional sellers such as yourself, who will possibly pay a subscription to ebay and are vetted - and one for private sellers who want to just sell the odd bit of junk on an ad-hoc basis. Much the same as Amazon has done.

Otherwise the private seller / scare stories / con merchants are going to tarnish folk like yourself and undermine the whole system.

It's already hard enough to search for products on there without being bombarded by spam and obvious cons. Ebay is now at the critical mass where it risks imploding unless it puts some QA measures in place.

In many people's minds the Ebay brand is associated with con men and selling old junk. Not the kind of brand values that growing reputable traders want to inherit.

I also use multiple accounts, it makes it far easier to organise what you're doing if you sell different items at the same time, I use one for buying and selling general crap and another for just selling bulk lots of OEM operating system CDs, usually to computer stores. I've built up a few customers who regurlarly buy from me and we now skip ebay altogether and payments are made to me via paypal and all correspondence is done via email. I can make about £1000 every few months doing this but unfortunately I cannot supply the demand so can only do it a few times a year.

I find ebay is full of items that aren't items at all making it flooded with [censored] IMO.

Say I'm looking for a mobile phone - eg a Nokia 7610.
I go on ebay and the first 8 billion auctions are £0.99 - find out where to get a Nokia 7610 for £20 (links to pyramid - sorry matrix - scheme sites).

Anything you look for has these types of auctions in abundance.
Ebay should be employing people to filter out this cack - they make enough £££

Also they could make it easier for the general public to 'Report the Auction' kind of like Sheffield Forum does to get rid of items that are against the rules.

There is far to much cack on Ebay for me to warrant looking through that site. If I want something - I'd rather go direct to a company website (i.e. play.com for DVD's or Phones4U for Mobiles) if I want something. At least I know I get warranty with it.

Also Golden Fleece I'm sorry but I don't believe a word of your sales pitch mate. If you truly make that much money - (a) you wouldn't tell people what field of sales you're in (b) you'd offer proof of past user ID's we real feedback. If you're a power seller (and anyone making in excess of £30k a month must be - you'd surely have some AMAZING feedback).

I call your bluff and say you're telling us all porkies mate!

I agree 100% Dirk. A good businessman never gives away his secrets.

Also, it's all a bit vague about not being able to remember the eBay user names. How about letting us have the current username - the one that's making £30k a month.

Originally posted by mojoworking
I agree 100% Dirk. A good businessman never gives away his secrets.

Also, it's all a bit vague about not being able to remember the eBay user names. How about letting us have the current username - the one that's making £30k a month.

Have not given much away actually. And THAT is the very reason why my most recent ID is not being revealed.

But how can you make so much profit?

I'm not asking for your secrets, as i'm sure you wouldn't tell them, but to make that much profit a month you must have 100,000's of autions happening all at the same time.

As "normal" ebay selling only makes a small profit unless it's some hidden treasure, like a lost art antuiqe.

I'm trying to make money on ebay and it seams so difficult.

Originally posted by goldenfleece
Have not given much away actually. And THAT is the very reason why my most recent ID is not being revealed. I used some very advanced selling techniques which are highly innovative involving the use of subliminal advertising (legal on Ebay)by carefully embedded HTML cues activating external audio and video to play within the item description itself. It is still possible to access the old item numbers on that and examine the HTML embedded deep in the listing and I would rather keep this little known technique little known at the moment.

And 30K a month is NOTHING compared to the big American powersellers. I know one as I buy from him from time to time, and that guy is loaded up the eyeballs and makes Michael Jackson look poor! Ebay has made many people all over the world incredibly wealthy, I am just starting out!!
Sorry mate - you're not making a believer out of me and to be fair if you're that loaded I doubt you'd care.

I know if I were making that sort of money - there is no way on this earth I'd tell people even the slightest what it is.

Good luck with your venture! :lol:

I am totally addicted to buying and selling on eBay and only ever make a profit when selling things. I have my own secret to how I do this and not so sure if I wanna share it here :) but there definitely is some money to be made on eBay and it is just hitting the nail on the head in finding what does it for you and you're off!!!

There's a free listings day on eBay on Thursday 4th Novemeber so look out for my many bargains heading up there!!! Honestly though, there's some serious cash to be made and I genuinely believe you can give up work after a period of time of finding out what sells and what doesn't sell... that's my plan anyway.

angelgirluk

Originally posted by oasismark
But how can you make so much profit?

I'm not asking for your secrets, as i'm sure you wouldn't tell them, but to make that much profit a month you must have 100,000's of autions happening all at the same time.

As "normal" ebay selling only makes a small profit unless it's some hidden treasure, like a lost art antuiqe.

I'm trying to make money on ebay and it seams so difficult.


Its taken me five years to work it out and I am not going to part the secret. As stated by others, no successful businessman gives away the secrets of the trade. Whatever you do DONT buy one of those rip-off HOW TO GET RICH ON EBAY books........I have read them all and they are all a lot of balloony. If such techniques worked on Ebay the market would have crashed years ago....those books make one person rich only, and that is the person who wrote the book!!!

Its a hard slog, I was making only relative peanuts for some time....you have to get lucky and work out a system for yourself.
I dont care if anyone believes me or not.....but the fact is 200,000 people make their sole income from Ebay in the UK, and that is a very signficant percentage of the population.

Originally posted by angelgirluk
I am totally addicted to buying and selling on eBay and only ever make a profit when selling things. I have my own secret to how I do this and not so sure if I wanna share it here :) but there definitely is some money to be made on eBay and it is just hitting the nail on the head in finding what does it for you and you're off!!!

though, there's some serious cash to be made and I genuinely believe you can give up work after a period of time of finding out what sells and what doesn't sell... that's my plan anyway.

angelgirluk


200,000 people agree with you and live solely off Ebay selling. Everyone will have their own tricks of the trade, and to stay in business, it means not revealing them to the real or potential competition. But, its not an overnight rags to riches......its hard slogging away for some time, finding the right market, right products, right suppliers, right pricing, and building a customer base that will follow you with almost religious devotion, while at the same time attracting new customers by the bucketload. Its also about image.....in a BIG way.

Hmmm I've just bought s stock of aromatherapy stock which I intend to sell on e-bay and I was worrying about whether to change my name to reflect my new stock.
I think I won/t though.
I've got a pretty great feedback and my username is fairly general and it won't matter if I sell an old coat or new aromatherapy gear under that name.
I've pulled a few good moves with selling car boot stuff for large profit as well as clearing my own stuff and I sell things I buy specifically from shops when I spot a bargain or something I think will sell.
My partner is a real demon for it and often asks if Im buying for me or e-Bay LOL.
I'm planning on making E-bay a secondary income if I can.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
How much do these sort if items fetch?

Will split the games up and sell a C64 (actualy there are 2 64's with 1 datasette and power supply and joystick) with a number of games for about £50.

Some of the other games will fetch up to £5 on their own and the others will sell in packs for £5 for 10-20 games.

I got the lot for £45 so that gives you an idea of the profit involved.

I rekon golden fleece works for e-bay.
I definately rekon he's a yank. Americanized Bolony?

i dont think the persons username means anything. i/we were at it for about an hour before we found an username that wasn't already taken. I'd buy a jacket off DVDMAN1234*if it seemed realistic and the feedback was good. I can't see a reason for mulitpule usernames. i sell everything from model planes to motorcycle parts to P.C. components under 1 username.



*( made up name by the way. sorry if it's a real name.

does anyone or know anyone that makes a living off e bay?

not just conning people though!

just a query out of interest.

There's a few in this thread: http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20289

Threads merged.

Have just tried to start a new feed but did not know this one was up and running, does any ony know anybody who is making a living on e-bay as I would love to giveit a go, but how does someone selling a book for 99p make any money,as it must cost them that to list it,
Any good advice welcome Skiprat

i am not making a living on ebay but i am using it pretty good to pay off some debt! since january i have made about £1000 profit from selling things on ebay, there are a lots of ways to make money on it,,,
and anyone who works for the tax office yes it is declared and i have a friend who does my books!!!
skiprat if you wanna pm me i can tell ya more

for all budding ebayers, here is a little tool which helps you work out your profit margins, the only problem is it doesnt take into account any charge that arise from paypal.

http://www.netoutpost.f2s.com/auction/

I've turned to ebay because its less hassle then using the ad-mag or doing car boots.....but I've not made millions yet!!

First the only reason people have two names or more on ebay is to bump up the prices, on their own products. fact.
and second more how many of these people claim benefits?

Fact. ebay have listed people that sell prescribed drugs. do they have a licence to do this. i think not.

I've helped setup a few people to sell on ebay as its very cost effective and has a tremendous following.

I cant mention anyones username but ebay is just one tool in the arsenal. Its frowned on to have your own shop linked from ebay and so you can use auto responders to do that for you.

Froogle is free but takes time to setup, Google ads are increasingly expensive but the revenue is instant. Overture smart ads are cheaper but you do not receive as much traffic.

You can earn a decent living from Ebay, its just there is alot of competition. you need to have something unique or cheaper than anyone else. Buying direct from manufacturers in bulk is the only way to survive but you live on a knives edge.

Do you think it is better to start small and build up , or just go for it, how do you get people to look at the stuff you have for sale, and do you charge less then put it on the postage, or do you ask for a fair price and fair postage?, if you have something that cost you a fiver, starting the bidding at 99p would be mad, but you can not put a reserve of less than 50 on it so would you start the bidding at a fiver or gamble, some of these people must be loose money, keep the advice comming, its great.
Skiprat

I've known people put items for sale at £1 and then ask for £4+postage as the item should really sell for £5. It comes unstuck when someone asks for 10 items and only want to pay a single postage charge.

You're rated each time someone buys from you so you have to give good service and feedback. This takes time and you can get through a few usernames if you hit some bad spots when people send negative feedback.

Starting small as a hobby i'm sure is a good way and then increasing on your experience make more time for it. People have used redundency money to set themselves up and haven't look back since.

Don't know if this question has been asked, but if you want to sell some stuff on ebay, do you have to find out the postage cost of all your items before you try to sell ?

Can't realy understand it yet, how do you figure postage costs befor ehand if you don't know where you'll be posting it to?

thanks Guys for the advice, been doing some research and starting this weekend.
Poppins the postage thing is usually on weight, you can get a chart from the post office, and your kitchen scales and work out the postage, uk mainland is usualy the same cost if you were to send it to your next door or to cornwall, it only comes unstuck when you want to send bigger items or ship them abroad.
For bigger items you have to use a courrier which can be exspensive,
has any one found a cheap way to send stuff abroad, including heavy or large items?
Skiprat

has any one found a cheap way to send stuff abroad, including heavy or large items?
Skiprat [/B]


There is no cheap method. I send stuff to Australia quite a lot, weighing up to 10Kg, and it costs a fortune. Cheapest method is Royal Mail International as a general rule of thumb, but it depends on the country in question. Also, encourage overseas buyers to buy several items at the same time with postage incentives, often sending ONE package weighing 10Kg is much cheaper by a long way than sending multiple smaller weight ones, but it depends on what you are selling and how many the customer wants of course.