selling work on ebay?

[mike s]

hi i was wondering if anyone has any success selling their work on ebay?
i have read the lecture about how people dont want to pay the premium that comes with handmade furniture online etc etc but i looked on ebay and there is a fair bit of expensive furniture on there
so does this actually sell?
it seems like a good, inexpensive way of selling especially on free-listing days!

 

[RogerP]

......looked on ebay and there is a fair bit of expensive furniture on there
so does this actually sell?

Best way to find out is to go to the category you saw this furniture in and then go to "completed listings" and see what stuff sold and for how much.

 

[mike s]

](*,) doh!
should have thought of that!
it turns out that the furniture doesnt sell
every now and then a relatively expensive piece does sell but that's the minority
it seems that doll's house furniture does sell though
interesting

 

[Lord Kitchener]

I expect that most of those adverts (on ebay) are there as advertising the bespoke service, rather than to sell that specific item.

Having said that, if you want to sell bespoke furniture you need to find something that sets you apart from other woodworkers, and something that the people you want to sell to will recognise.

 

[wallace]

I tried selling a dolls house four poster bed made from oak, it was all nicely turned and finished well. Didn't sell and I wasn't asking a fortune.

 

[OPJ]

it seems like a good, inexpensive way of selling especially on free-listing days!

You may think so but, you'd still have to pay your 'Final Value Fee' (currently around 10% of the final sale price, IIRC) if your item did sell. To be honest though, I'm not sure that eBay is the correct 'marketplace' for finding the right kind of customers for bespoke furniture, etc. If you could get your costs right down (overheads, batch production, etc.) then, you may be able to generate something selling smaller items.

 

[RogerP]

it seems like a good, inexpensive way of selling especially on free-listing days!

You may think so but, you'd still have to pay your 'Final Value Fee' (currently around 10% of the final sale price, IIRC) if your item did sell. ................

.....plus most people will pay with PayPal which is another 4+%. I reckon on 15% deductions overall selling on eBay.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

Added to which there's the very real chance that they will receive the goods and then claim that they did not, in which case paypal will repay their money and deduct it from your account.

 

[RogerP]

Added to which there's the very real chance that they will receive the goods and then claim that they did not, in which case paypal will repay their money and deduct it from your account.

In just over 2000 sales and 12 years that has never happened to me.

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Free listing day isn't always offered to business members either.

 

[RogerP]

Free listing day isn't always offered to business members either.

Good point, but the listing fees are a very minor part of the overall costs. I always start at a low bid (say 4.95) and that's only 15p.

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Personally I find eBay an expensive place to sell.

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

It's an instant market if you've got something to sell, no website to create and no shop or show to have to attend. But folk are all after a bargain. I've had business on there from people asking me to build something similar to the item that I have listed. As has been said above, Ebay take 8-10% of the final value fee and then PayPal take 4%. I was losing 12% on everything that I sold, unless you can get them to complete the sale out of Ebay, then you get it back. But if you're found out then I think they chuck you off.

Add in the listing that you will deduct 2% from the final value fee if they pay via Bank Transfer, that's what I do, but folk still like to pay with PayPal for better protection (even though most debit cards have protection up to a certain limit these days, and credit cards do.)

If you've made something that is very niché and expensive then get it listed. You'll only pay anything noticeable if you sell it.

Hope that's of some help. Good luck with it. Cheers _Dan.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

Added to which there's the very real chance that they will receive the goods and then claim that they did not, in which case paypal will repay their money and deduct it from your account.

In just over 2000 sales and 12 years that has never happened to me.

I'm glad to hear it, it has happened to plenty of other people, though.

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Its happened to me in the year I was selling loads on eBay.

 

[RogerP]

Added to which there's the very real chance that they will receive the goods and then claim that they did not, in which case paypal will repay their money and deduct it from your account.

In just over 2000 sales and 12 years that has never happened to me.

I'm glad to hear it, it has happened to plenty of other people, though.

Perhaps they used a postal service without delivery confirmation? I always use Recorded delivery, International Signed For or Airsure as recommended by PayPal and eBay.

 

[Jacob]

Personally I find eBay an expensive place to sell.

When you consider how long it takes to get the item on line, and how much markup you have to add to cover costs as compared to 30 to 100% mark up in shops, or compare it to setting up a stand at a craft fair, then ebay is amazingly quick and cheap.
Madness not to try it first, if you are selling simple off the peg items. Even then they might track you down for services.
There seems to be a lot of businesses using it for direct sales or promo so it must be working for them. Ask Matthew at Workshop Heaven?

 

[DIY Stew]

I have sold quite a few things on ebay and now I always use a courier who requires a signature when the item is delivered.

I did once overhear a distant in-law relative say he would contact paypal and say the goods he had bought hadn't arrived as the seller was stupid enough not to request a signature on delivery, I brought to his attention that I considered that theft and would report him to ebay!

For some unknown reason I never get invites to any parties thrown by my daughters in-laws wonder why because I did nothing wrong!!!! :-k

Stew

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Personally I find eBay an expensive place to sell.

When you consider how long it takes to get the item on line, and how much markup you have to add to cover costs as compared to 30 to 100% mark up in shops, or compare it to setting up a stand at a craft fair, then ebay is amazingly quick and cheap.
Madness not to try it first, if you are selling simple off the peg items. Even then they might track you down for services.
There seems to be a lot of businesses using it for direct sales or promo so it must be working for them. Ask Matthew at Workshop Heaven?

Not saying it don't work. I know it does and for most things there is already an audience in that market. I used to be a power seller. But I do still think compared to stalls at markets/fairs and online shops its expensive. I sold something last year for £50, the total fees was just over £10 .

Anyhow im off to upload some stuff to a well know auction site :lol: