Tag: eBay

Posted in lessons

How about five bucks?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

In hindsight, it was foolish to volunteer to sell a bunch of a friend’s stuff on eBay. I only say that because it’s harder than it sounds, it’s not as profitable as you might think, and it’s, frankly, a pain in the ass.

Some of the items I tried to sell were QVC Christmas figurines. Pretty, but not all that expensive. One listing included a pretty nice nativity with about sixteen pieces. When it didn’t even have any views last fall, I deeply discounted the asking price.

In November, I got some interest. One potential buyer wanted to buy several items together to save on shipping costs. No problem. We worked it out, I gave her a good deal, I boxed it all up and sent it out.

A month later, I got a message. “Oh, one of the shepherds had a broken head that had been glued back. Disappointed.” News to me. Everything was in the original form-fit styrofoam packaging. Was it that big of a deal?

I offered to send her other items that would match the set. I just wanted to clear my shelves. Plus, my wife had said, “If it doesn’t sell, it’s going to the thrift store.”

She didn’t want that. She wanted some kind of refund. One of sixteen pieces was damaged. You only paid about $25. What do you want? I offered her some other pieces I was trying to get rid of. Nope. She wanted cash. “How about $5?” Deal.

So, she got a sixteen piece nativity. She got it for $20. A repaired piece? I’ll bet almost everyone has a piece of their nativity that has been glued back together. And I’ll bet you put it out every year and don’t even think about it.

The good news: I’ve got almost everything I tried to sell off my shelf. Some I sold. Some I donated. Some I threw away. All that stuff found a home somewhere.

Posted in lessons, Life

Listing ended: better luck next time

Posted on by William Douthwaite
I could have had this watch for $3.25

I’ve begun doing some running again after a few years off. My feet still ache a little, but not enough to keep me away from a few miles here and there. I started carrying my iPhone with me so the Map My Run app could figure out the time and distance of each run around neighborhood streets.

I don’t especially like carrying anything on a run, so I thought I’d look into getting a GPS-equipped running watch. I had a bare-bones Garmin Forerunner 10 a decade ago. It did the job, but had lousy battery life. Some of the latest model Garmin watches can set you back more than a thousand dollars. Surely I can find something in-between on eBay.

And I did. Someone was offering a Garmin triathlon sports watch. Had some wear and tear, but fully waterproof and had nice battery life. It had one bid for $2.25 with five days to go. It was tested, working, included a charger, and could be returned for a refund if I wanted to send it back. What did I have to lose? I bid $3.25, with automatic increases up to $10.

With a day to go, I was the highest bidder at $10. But you know how that goes. Bidders lurk until the last minute to out bid you. No problem. There were lots of other watches for sale.

Then I got an alert that the auction had been cancelled. The watch was no longer for sale. A note said, “The item has been lost or broken.” Oops. But, an hour later, it was listed again, with the same $2.25 bid and a buy now option of $39.95.

The seller either didn’t know what he or she was doing, or they weren’t getting the bids they anticipated. Or, they were messing around and broke the watch. Or the dog chewed it up. Or they started working out again. Or they lost it. Who knows?

I know I’ll find a bargain. I’ll bet there are as many unused running watches out there as there are unused gym memberships. I come across new listings every day.

This happened to me once before, when I was bidding on a vintage Monopoly game. The price was low, I was the winning bidder, but the seller suddenly ended the auction. I found another one in minutes. Their loss.

Posted in Life, Stories

The case of the missing package

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The message caught me completely by surprise. “Have not received. Tracking shows still in Florida.”

I sold a used Diaper Genie with a few extra supplies on eBay. I had packed it up and shipped it out on a Thursday with the promise of delivery to the buyer in South Carolina by Monday.

When I checked the tracking number, sure enough, the package had been sitting in Jacksonville for a week. How could that be?

I used a third party shipper, so I went to their website to see if I could get more information. Sure enough, I found this gem of a notification.

How does that happen? How does merchandise just disappear from a box in a truck? Was this an inside job? But then, why would anyone steal a used diaper bucket?

Here’s what I think happened. I think someone tossed the box a little too aggressively, it hit the ground and broke open, spilling the contents. No one wanted to repack it, so they just threw it in the trash and reported it missing. Problem solved. Let insurance handle it.

I will be able to file a claim and get my money back. I just have to send a bunch of info to my shipper.

The Diaper Genie had been sitting in the back of a closet for over a year. No one in my family wanted it, so I asked and got twenty bucks for it. When I went to pack it up, I discovered it still had some used diapers in it! Yes, I wrapped them up and threw them away. But if I knew someone was going to steal it, I would have left them in there!

Posted in Life

Sold! The dopamine rush

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Sticker Mule on Unsplash

I picked up my phone, it came to life and greeted me with an eBay notification, “Your item has sold. Ship now.”

So I sold a book for a couple of bucks. No big deal, right? Who knew something so simple could produce such a dopamine rush?

It’s addictive. What else can I sell? We don’t have to throw stuff out to “minimalize” our home. We’ll just sell everything! Books, shoes, clothing, kitchen utensils, knick-knacks, jewelry, picture frames. It’s like having a garage sale that goes on for months rather than just a Saturday morning.

I’m not making a whole lot of money. A couple of bucks here and there. But I love packing up an item, labeling it and dropping it off at the post office or shipping store. I’ve started collecting boxes, padded envelopes, bubble wrap, and packing tape. I’m ready.

Most days, nothing happens. Sometimes nothing happens for a month or two. Just when I think, “Well, I guess that’s not going to sell,” a buyer pops up. I don’t know that person. I don’t know why they’re buying my merchandise. Who cares? A complete stranger triggers that rush that makes me look and think, “What else can I sell?” On trash collection day I see items on the curb and think, “I wonder what that would sell for?”

It’s easy to find out. I can “shop” for just about anything on eBay and find it for sale. We had an antique wooden butter churn that too up too much space amongst out farmhouse decor. I knew nothing about it. I searched eBay and found a dozen just like it for sale. I priced mine a few bucks cheaper and sold it in a week. I’ve sold a yucky looking five gallon lard can (another antique), a gently-used instant-read thermometer I didn’t need anymore, collections of toys the grandkids weren’t interested in anymore, costume jewelry, and cheaply made clothing not worth returning to somewhere in China.

I’m not the only one who’s into selling. There’s a special bin at the post office for pre-labeled boxes and it’s usually filled to the brim. Many of the items are in eBay envelopes and boxes.

I’ve bought a few things, too. Again, there’s that rush when you get a thirty-dollar book for a buck plus shipping. Or when you win an auction and get those once-worn hundred dollar shoes for $19.

It’s like a game with over a hundred million players. Whether buying or selling, I feel like I’m winning!