Hey, frens. I was talking to a relative I hadn't seen in a very long time. She is now retired but having worked mostly in sales doesn't have a good retirement scheme. She wants to continue working, but needs to do so from home and asked if I knew of anything she could do. I really don't. Do any of you have any suggestions for something a nice, reliable lady could do? She didn't finish college so she doesn't have a degree, but she's sharp and gets things done. With so many employers needing dependable help, surely there must be something for her. Please post any ideas you have. Thanks!
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Sell stuff on eBay, it’s easy, been doing it since 1998.
Did you have something specific that you started out selling, or just ride it and see where it took you? I have long been curious about ebaying.
I’ve sold a little of everything: sterling silver jewelry, scrap gold, guitars 🎸vintage fur coats, vintage bedding and other antique linens, cars, motorcycles, drag race gear, designer label clothing, lamps, books, perfume, pottery, barware, primitive antiques, glassware, dishes, flatware, serving pieces, ammo (those were the good old days 😂) golf gear, car parts, collectibles etc etc etc. Literally anything that strikes my fancy or things that I think someone else might want/need.
I scour thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, pawn shops and estate sales. The thrill of the hunt has never worn thin and a person can make GREAT money or use it to just get rid of some household crap. Once an account is open you can search to eBay to see what’s selling. The key is taking great pictures, writing accurate descriptions, use key words in titles and mail out sold items safely and in a timely fashion. I find free packing material everywhere. You don’t need a computer if you have a good phone.
Thank you. I asked some follow up questions before I saw this. Very interesting. Your interests fun the gamut! Haha. Some of those things seem very hard to pack and ship, like guitars and fur coats! But if it's worth the profit, I can understand why. Great post. Thanks.
Fur coats are super easy because they aren’t fragile, just throw in a box and mail out. Shipping a Gretsch White Falcon is a little more detailed.😂
HOT TIP: Lots of crafty folks are repurposing fur coats (making hats, mittens, vests, bags, pillows etc) so even a coat with splitting pelts due to improper storage has some value for the right buyer. Beaver (shorn and unshorn) is a fave as well as mink.
Thanks for the depth of answer. My wife was just moved to part time as a dyslexia specialist. It's just as well with what they are doing to the last of the teachers with brains and experience, but I would like to supplement her income. I don't necessarily have to, but we were at a place after a great number of years where we could begin to put money away. We are both, and have always been, hard workers. I have a small aluminum construction business which I have not yet optimized. I preferred the time at my kids games and being an active part of his life as he grew. Money don't buy happiness, but having a car in the driveway certainly contributes to my happiness. Oops tangent. Point is I want to supplement her income with something we can share and that sounds perfect.
Family comes FIRST, for sure.
Selling stuff online is immensely rewarding, and not just financially. I’ve met the nicest people telling me their stories of why a certain teapot or belt buckle they bought from me had very special meaning for them, so much gratitude. Plus I LOVE the idea of recycling/repurposing, it’s always such a win/win for me as well as my buyers. There’s literally a never-ending list of things to learn about.
I wish you and your wife MUCH LUCK, BLESSINGS & PROSPERITY in your new journey 💕
Wow! That's a long time. Is it easy to learn how to do it? There's probably a book somewhere she could get. I'm not sure she's even got an ebay account, lol. But she could learn. Do you sell new or used stuff?
I sell both new and used. Yes, it’s very easy. Lots of little old ladies sell on eBay. My aunt is in her 70’s and she started selling to make a little extra side money. There are How To tutorials on the website. It’s been a God-send for me. I was able to stay home with my kids and homeschool them even as a single parent.
Thank you so much for this info! I'm sure her first question would be, what would I sell? Then, how much can I make? If you're able to actually support your family with the income, it must be pretty good. So glad you found a solution that allows you to be with your kids and raise them as you see fit (home-school). That's fantastic. I have even thought of selling off a few things I no longer need, but to be honest, the thought of figuring out things like how much to charge for shipping and doing all the packing up and lugging down to the post-office has stopped me. (I don't have that much around the house to sell, lol)
You can use the search feature on eBay to see what similar items have sold for in the past and you can use their “Sell One Like This” link as a template to sell your own item. ALWAYS use your own pictures and descriptions though, never copy someone else’s listing.
These templates help with the learning curve on shipping charges and categories etc. It’s best to start off selling small items and non-fragile items until you get the hang of it. I’ll never forget my first sale, I was THRILLED and have been addicted ever since.
If you sell used, where do you find stuff, if you don't mind me asking? Garage and estate sales? Do you sell anything and everything or do you have a niche? Does stuff stay around for a long time? I'm asking because when I used ebay as a buyer, I remember putting stuff on my watch list and coming back a year later and the stuff was still available!
I have sold literally everything except real estate on eBay. I’ve shipped items all over the world. Japanese folks LOVE anything American from Civil War era carpet bags, to jadeite dishes to old Levi’s. And they’ll pay almost anything for saphiret pieces.
I guess if I had to pick one niche Item that I sell the most of it would be sterling silver charms. You can buy sterling jewelry at pawn shops and thrift stores at the spot price for scrap silver. But the charms are highly collectible and are worth FAR MORE than sterling scrap. For instance I buy a charm bracelet at a pawn shop and then I take it all apart with needle nose pliers and sell each individual charm and the bracelet separately. Super easy to ship in a padded bubble envelope mailer. I did spend time learning which charms were the most valued.
Vintage costume jewelry in general is insanely collectible. There are many books on the subject.