Ya' know? A guy could make a living at this ....

[Thumper]

I enjoy playing around with e-Bay because it gives me something to do other than staring at the walls or attempting to watch daytime television (which REALLY sucks BTW). It's also an enjoyable "hobby" to hit the estate sales digging up stuff I might be able to sell and make a buck. (sounds like "American Pickers", huh?) I can't take too much activity because my back just won't take it and if I overdo it, I end up in bed hurting. BUT ... it doesn't take a lot to throw stuff up on e-Bay, then sit back and wait for an e-mail (can check on my phone) to inform me I've made a sale. Then I throw it in a box or envelope, use one click to print a shipping label (at a discounted rate), tape it on the package, then stick it on the porch and wait for the mail lady to pick it up. Easy-peasy.

I just received my e-Bay ledger sheet for last month. Now remember, we took a little trip early last month, so I tapered off my listings so I wouldn't have sales closing while I wasn't home to handle shipping etc. I also tapered off my listings for my surgery a couple weeks ago (in case there was a problem and they kept me in the hospital). Even through all that, I still had a pretty decent month. I think if a guy got serious about this stuff and treated it like a business, he could probably make a pretty fair living at it.

Here's last month's ledger (mind you, this is my gross ... I have $460.00 total expenses to deduct):


Totals:

Current Listed 29

Sold (last 30 days)

Listed 102
Sold 102
Amount $3,092.60

Payments (last 30 days)

Received $3,027.15

Pending $65.45

Total sales: $3,092.60

[BarryBobPosthole]

That ain't too bad. and just think about it, you're still a novice. Wait till you've got some real experience and I'll bet you're right, you could make some real money doing that.

BKB

[Thumper]

Basically, it's just a hobby for me ... something to do that's actually kind of fun. Sometimes I don't even realize what's been made until I check the statement. You can actually set up a business with e-Bay ... they call it an "e-Bay Store" and you get special incentives, price breaks and things like that ... I'm just not all that serious about it and right now, it's just a "hobby". If one got serious and tackled this thing like a business, I think you could do pretty well at it ... considering you could run the whole thing from your bedroom with "basically" ... zero overhead.

[Trav]

Thump, I have a friend who's father owned a small weekly auction here in Tulsa in the early 90's and he made a deal with my friend and his siblings that if they could raise 50% of the funds he would pay the rest for them all to get new cars. I am thinking the limit was 18K or something like that. So every weekend we would all hit the estate sales and garage sales and buy things to resell at the auction. It only took about 6 or 7 months and they had all the cash they needed. It was a lot of fun so i can see why you enjoy it so much.

[Chicken Dinner]

That's a pretty good month for a retired guy on disability! How's your back doing since the last surgery? (I've been meaning to ask.)

[Captain]

That is cool and I've been a "picker" all my life finding and acquiring all sorts of antiques and Indian artifacts. If I had the time I bet I could make a mint on selling them on eBay.
Neither of my kids are interested in any of my old junk so I should convert them to cash....
That is an impressive monthly total for a hobby. But you forgot to include the $9,544.00 profit you made on the wrench you sold me that month! :D
Take Care, Captain

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[Chicken Dinner]

I used to work with a guy that did like Jim. (He's now retired.) He traveld a lot for work and knew everybody who worked here spread all over the world. His main thing was beer bottle caps. It turns out that collectors and hobbyist love these things and he'd bundle them up and sell them on eBay. He was also always finding stuff in the trash and selling it. We had a deal where I'd have him sell stuff for me and we'd split the net 50/50 which was a pretty good deal for both of us.

[Thumper]

Yep, trash can be a goldmine too. Heck, I dug a piece of paper out of the trash a while back and sold it last week for $705.00! :D

Estate sales, yard/garage sales and thrift shops ... they can all pay off. Heck, I found another (had one many months ago also) stainless steel outboard motor prop at a garage sale last week. I paid $50 for it. Stuck it up on e-Bay Monday night at 11:00PM and it sold for $130 (my asking price) the next day before 9:00 am! I don't deal with auctions much, unless I have no clue what something is worth. I usually just assign a "buy it now" price and sell that way. I don't have the patience for auctions as I like to move stuff as quickly as possible. I may lose money that way ... I just get bored listing something, then waiting a week to sell it.

[Thumper]

Oh CD ... it FEELS the same ... but looks better. Thanks for asking. There's a good chance this may have been the final surgery. Time will tell. Prob. is, I'm the most "out of shape" I've ever been in my life. I've always been a bit "bigger" than I'd prefer, but I was always active and got plenty of exercise. I'm the heaviest I've ever been in my life right now and just walking around the block knocks me on my ass. I just hope the back pain eventually subsides so I can get back into better shape if possible.

[Buckrub]

Ya know, if Carni's group can spy on us, how do you know that the IRS isn't also? I mean, you have been known to say one or two conservative thoughts before (not often, but some), so you are probably persona non grata with them.

And getting old sucks..........for all of us. For you it's worse. Sure hope you find a way to get better. I still say you oughtta sue the VA for elebben grazillion...........

[Thumper]

Ya know, if Carni's group can spy on us, how do you know that the IRS isn't also?

I do keep an eye on that. The way the law reads, nothing under $20,000 gets reported to the IRS. Actually the way the law reads, it's only required to report if it's over $20,000 AND over 200 paid transactions/year. In other words, if you sell a car/truck for $30,000 ... you're not required to report it because there were less than 200 transactions.

I figure if I ever get close to the reporting threshold, "Lynn" will start selling on e-Bay. ;)

[Buckrub]

Yeah, but it turns out the IRS doesn't need to be 'reported to'............turns out they are nefarious snoopers who target otherwise civil folk, both to generate max income and to apparently make a social statement. :usa2

[Thumper]

I have a "friend" at NSA who will take care of it for me. ;)

[BarryBobPosthole]

I see a new reality show on A&E. The Pumphead Picker. or Pecker maybe.

BKB

[Thumper]

Beats bein' a Peckerhead Pumper I suppose! ;)

[BarryBobPosthole]

Or a Peckerwood Picker.

BKB

[Chicken Dinner]

Peckerwood. Now, there's an insult that just isn't used enough any more.

[Buckrub]

Sure he's not a 'bud'????

:usa

[Big Skyz]

Thumper, I just have to say you have impressed the heck out of me with all your ebay success. I've never listed or bought anything off ebay and don't really have a clue how it works. Wish I did, but I'm not sure I'm savvy enough to figure it all out.