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Hi Lauren, I bought one of those vases full of watches that the Goodwills sometimes do about a year and a half ago.
I paid $38 for about 50 watches. I paid that much because I saw one that I was able to look up and knew it alone went for $50-$80 so I took a chance (a 1990s Peter Max Design watch). After sorting through all of them I sold 43 in a bulk auction AS-IS untested, and they were mostly worth $10 or less, and made a whopping $27.00 total. The Peter Max watch I sold for $60. I sold a Disney Frozen Watch for $17 and another watch for $15.00. I took a few more to my consignment shop and got $20 total for them. So all in I spent $39 and sold them for $139, so maybe $80 profit after expenses and fees.
So, not sure if it was worth it, money or time-wise, but it was a fun lot to go through and I learned a little. Obviously, if there had been a home run in there (like a $100+ watch) it probably would have been more exciting and the profit numbers would jump. Since that buy, I do still glance at these bundled watches in thrift shops, and occasionally in auctions, but unless there is a sure thing in there, I pass.
Thank you @temudgin! That was more what I was hoping for! Probably list it for $90-100 and see what happens.
I did some searching also and found nothing. If you have a reddit account, the sub-reddit r/whatisthisthing is a possibility (or just make a throwaway acct). I’m sure someone in Asia will see it and tell you.
My guess is not to link your ebay listing there, but put in the front shot and the underside at a minimum.
PS: for a while I thought it might be one of these: https://www.google.com/search?q=temaki+roll+holder but I don’t think so.
I sold a white version for $30 in 2018. Take @debitendcredits advice and price higher than that. If you have no action in a month or so, you can send out offers. Your color is much nicer than the one I sold.
Other small items that I like: vintage patches (if less than $20 sales, lot them up), vintage playing cards (same, mine usually go for $15-20 with some occasional big prices), vintage ephemera of any kind (so easy to store!). But she might not be into things like that like I am.
If she already thrifts, ask her what her favorite sections are to shop in and then help her narrow in on what she can find there that would work as small and slower selling items, or large and faster turnover items. If she likes the actual hunt, she will like the selling more and be better at it.
Also, obviously teach her look for things at thrift stores that are new with a UPC code whether big or small. Easy to start listing for a newbie, usually faster sellers, especially if you price just under going sale prices. Just remind her to check for damage, it is actually sealed, etc. Like Retro says if it goes fast, size isn’t as big of a deal. I pick up weird stuff like a new sealed swimming pool filter (which I could care less about and normally never look for) for $2.99 and it’ll sell quick for $19.99 and it took me only 5 minutes to list.
All good advice for future use, thanks @Timo. Once they opened the case, I couldn’t stall until the 45 days (would have been a few days short). Maybe I should have sent some messages before to stall, I guess I didn’t figure a neg feedback would stick and I would have to do that.
I do wonder what would have happened if I didn’t respond at all to the refund request. Maybe after my time period ended, eBay would have automatically closed it, and like @zach says below that might lock the sale from feedback. I didn’t want to take the chance that somehow eBay would have approved the return outside of the 30-days though but I could try this next time (if there is one) and see. Or maybe someone on the forum has and will comment.
Well they didn’t remove the feedback, just got the message. So that sucks. I had a good run (1 1/2 years of 100% feedback)
Closing it out by a rep probably would have worked @zach, I of course like the newer automated tools and am trying to use them but in this case, probably should have called a human.
Now wondering if I reply to his negative with something like:
“Buyer wanted refund well after my 30-Day Free Returns period claiming damage”
Seems factual, and highlights that I do have free returns.
Follow up. Person somehow was allowed to pay for the item (even though in one part of eBay it said it was cancelled, in another part it was pending payment!). I took @debitendcredits and @Temudgin’s advice and cancelled using that shipping address issue. It closed the sale, refunded the buyer and relisted without a problem. I’ve not heard from that buyer, but I’m guessing he knew it was to good to be true.
I’d still like to figure out how a $34.99 item sold for $2.00 without me putting an offer out. So weird
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Follow up. Buyer today opened a case requesting refund saying he only is now getting around to opening packages after a long trip and found this broken (possible, but not my problem).
First I’m surprised he can even open a return after the 30-day window! That is stupid, eBay! But one of the options given to me was just to close the return, which I did and I stated my policy clearly (per @joe’s) suggestion in the message box to the buyer.
That closed the case without issue and I immediately got negative feedback from the buyer. I just submitted the feedback removal form ( which is here: https://www.ebay.com/help/seller-help/feedback I bookmarked it for future use ) and we will see if eBay agrees that this was a form of retaliatory negative feedback. (I mean had the guy emailed me immediately after it arrived broken I would have of course refunded and that would have been that. Waiting 36 days is suspicious and out of the policy).
This thread I hope is a cautionary tale to sellers to be careful you don’t give a return outside your return window (unless you want to) because eBay unfortunately makes it easy for buyers to try and “fool” you into giving them one.
What I would like eBay to do instead is if someone tried to return, it would say “This item had 30-day hassle free returns {or whatever your policy is}, but you are past the date to return this item. If you need to reach out to the seller feel free to do so here” and have them message us. Then it would be in the system (and if I wanted to be nice I could be) but I’m not obligated to waste my time like I am on this today.
Agreed Sonia, we need two categories. The one I mentioned was stuck in one place for 17 days, it was bought on Dec 1st and arrived Xmas eve for 23 days total! So it “wins” both categories.
I do have one I already refunded that was bought on Nov 18th, so if that showed up eventually it would be over 37 days and counting!
Appears to be this one:
https://www.yojoe.com/action/92/eel2.shtml
There is a version 1 and a 2. This one looks like a 2.
I did it by accident this past Monday. Put it in the drop box inside my go-to post office. Didn’t realize it until the next day when I was shipping another Fed Ex box and it hit me. I went to that post office and had someone look for it in the back but they couldn’t find it. They figured it went to the main processing center and who knows what happens to it then.
It was Smart Post so I have been hoping they either just dealt with it, or they swapped packages with FedEx and they would now have it. Every day I check tracking and nothing. Tomorrow is one week, and I’m not very hopeful any more.
It was three different items (total about $60) that I combined shipping on. Interestingly the buyer hasn’t noticed or contacted me yet. I figured I’d wait until sometime next week and if it doesn’t show on tracking I’d just refund them and move on. The bad thing it that it is 3 items so they each count as a hit on the “tracking uploaded on time metric.” I went from 99% to 97% because of these (must stay above 95% for top rated status I believe).
Customary? I don’t know but I do think it is a good practice. I don’t believe there is an auto message option on eBay but that would be nice. What I do is a I have a template in my phone (in my memo app) and on my laptop and I just copy/paste it into a message to the buyer usually within hours of a sale.
Here is my example, feel free to use/modify:
Hi, thanks for purchasing this item. I hope you noticed that I have extended handling time on my store because I am out of town and will not be returning until {insert date here}.
Therefore any items bought until then will be shipped out first thing {insert date here, usually +1 or +2 business days past other date}. If this is a problem and you need to cancel the sale, please just let me know and I will do that for you.
Thanks, so much for your understanding,
mickdog
I get less than 10% cancellations, probably 5% (1 in 20). That is fine with me.
Thanks @mycottage! Cheaper than I thought but I’ll probably still price high and take offers a la Ryanne!
