Getting the Items Ready

I can come take a look at the items you have, or you can bring them to me. I encourage you to clean the items before selling them. Since I don't want to damage the item, I will sell the item in the condition in which I receive it. If you already have pictures of the items, I may be able to use them in the auction listing. Otherwise, I will take the pictures with my digital camera at no additional charge.

Once I take a look at your item, I will do some basic research to determine what I think the final sales price might be. I am not a licensed appraiser, so if you are concerned about getting the absolute best price for your item, I encourage you to get it professionally appraised. The advantage to selling the item online as opposed to at a local auction is the reach you can achieve. I have personally sold and shipped items all over the US, and I'll also sell to the UK, Australia, and Canada. However, shoppers on online auctions expect to get a bargain, so there is a chance that you would receive a better price selling locally. You can also choose to set a reserve price for your listing.

Selling

I will sell your item on an online auction service of my choosing, and we will share in the profits. For any given item, I will make recommendations about which services you should use, and you have final approval of the services and the text of the ad. Because of this, all auction charges (including the Final Value Fee) will be charged back to you. My fee will be 20% of the total final price of the item. Whoever buys the item will pay for shipping costs, and because I am a business Paypal member, the buyer can pay me using Visa, MC, Discover, Amex, or their bank account. I will pay for all Paypal charges, which vary, but are currently 2.9% + $.30.

Because there are many fees involved, I will only choose to sell items which I believe will make a profit for both of us. Because Paypal charges me service fees on the total amount I receive from the customer, which includes shipping, I will be selective on what items I choose to sell.

Here is a breakdown of an example transaction (fees are estimated and are subject to change):

 

This transaction assumes that the item was between 1 and 2 pounds and was shipped via USPS Priority at a cost of $5.75 (this does not include insurance). The sample fees shown include 2 pictures, including one preview picture. Due to Paypal fees, we would make $.99 on the transaction.

I will also talk to you about adding the "Buy It Now" option and/or adding a reserve price for your listing.

I can also suggest charitable organizations that may be able to take your items, and/or help you with finding recycling facilities.

Shipping

I will package the item and send it via USPS or UPS. If your item is too big or bulky to ship, I will likely recommend doing a local/pickup auction only.

If it doesn't sell...

If your item doesn't sell, all you will owe us are the listing fees (all fees, not just the insertion fee), and I will return the item to you. Alternatively, I can arrange for it to be recycled or taken to a charity. You may also choose to re-list the item, but if so, I will only re-list it if you make the changes I recommend in the listing.

Payment/Customer Relations

I will send you payment for your items after I have received payment from the buyer and the buyer has safely received the item. I have a policy of allowing returns within 30 days of the auction end. However, since I am responsible for providing an accurate listing for the item, and because I am particular about what items I will sell, if the customer returns the item, I will simply re-list the item on my own terms and/or dispose of it as I choose.

If you have a Paypal account, we can simply transfer your profit to you using Paypal. Alternatively, we will send you check. You are responsible for reporting this income as your accountant recommends.

My Record

I started selling on Ebay in early 2004, and I have built up a solid reputation. As of now, I have 100% positive feedback. I have been selling items from my own home and have been using this time to learn about Ebay. In particular, my customers are happy with how safely the items are packed, and how quickly I communicate with them. There is nothing more important on Ebay than one's feedback record, so it is important to me that this positive trend continue. You can read my feedback comments here. As I sell more and more items online and receive positive feedback, I can provide more services at better rates to you.