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hi Jay – keep in mind that the way i am doing my numbers is slightly different – the top line of 1400 includes what i charged (or did not charge) the customer for shipping and then i subtract by shipping cost. For me i find this is a better way to run the numbers every week because sometimes i offer free shipping, sometimes i may charge shipping that is less than my cost by purpose, sometimes i make money on shipping etc.. This way just gets to the truth for the way i do things.
But i guess your statement is true if you keep in mind that shipping goes into my per unit cost as well…
A couple items below were not included in this weeks numbers but would be in next weeks due to buyers who will likely pay but have not yet.
Priest preparing Communion worshiping Crucifix of Jesus Christ – vintage frame $15.00
SONY 300 DISC CD PLAYER CDP CX355 WITH Original REMOTE & Manual $154.00
Bose Wave Radio CD Model AWRC1G Player with Remote $152.50
2 cast iron items $101.00
Sony CDP-CX200 CD Player w/ Original Remote $31.00
Vtg Coty New York Perfum L’Aimant .16 FL OZ bottle mostly full Horseshoe Charm $20.00
Pioneer Elite PD-F27 301 Disc CD Changer Player Carousel W/ Remote & Manual $159.00
set of 2 Brubaker Tool 1/4-20 h3 3f p sp p1 hp $7.00
Antique Print “Little rogues in trouble” WL Ormsby – F Greiner in 9″ x 8″ frame $1.19
Yamaha DTX430K Electronic Drum Set $300.00
Large Burnett Nude Beauty Oil on Canvas Portrait Morning Lover 45″ x 33″ Frame $99.00
Antique Large Copper Candy Kettle Cauldron Pot w/ Hammered Wrought Iron Handles $37.00
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS HOME COMPUTER TI-99 99/4A CASSETTE CABLE CORD $12.99
Salomon Large Body 400 LT fr 154 Snowboard w Switch step in Bindings K817 8922 $12.88
Sony CD/DVD Player DVP-S300 Dual Discrete Optical Pick Up Dolby Digital $6.65
Genuine 1PK PGI-72 (Photo Black Compatible) Ink Cartridge Canon PIXMA PRO-10 $9.00Really cold up here in the North East. Family has recovered from the flu like thing we all had and just cruising into 2019 routine. My oldest son is the ‘star of the week’ in preschool this week so i am excited to go to that tomorrow.
Still a long ways to go in New England before yard sale and flea markets pick back up. I am really looking forward to the spring all ready and only just recently got a first snow storms… heard there may be more this week.
As always looking forward to listening to the podcast — will plug it on this AM while i crank out my shipments / look at my “real job” for a while.
1/13/19-1/19/19
Total items in store (beginning of week): 408
Items sold: 16
30 day sell through (rate): 17.32%
Gross Sales: $1,400.47
Cost Paid for Items sold: $388.72
Shipping Cost: $360.53
Ebay Fee’s: $102.04
Paypal Fees: $36.53
Total Costs: $887.82
Net Profit: $512.65
Profit % Rev: 37%Second that – put another way – Ebay should not err on the side of dinging sellers due to lack of reporting or function within their own processes. If they do not have a data point that proves the seller did something wrong it would be better to leave it alone.
The outboard motors went well — one sold for mid 300.
ZENITH 13″ VHS/VCR/TV COMBO – MODEL TVBR1322Z
Parker Quartz MCM Art Deco Watch & Native American style USA Watch – not working
Lot of mixed Antique and Vintage Screws — many wood screws, bronze Flat head
Genuine 1PK PGI-72 (1-Pack Photo Magenta) Ink Cartridge for Canon PIXMA PRO-10
Lot of Antique Brass Screws
Genuine Canon PGI-72 10 Color Pack for Pixma Pro-10
Salomon Large Body 400 LT fr 154 Snowboard w Switch step in Bindings K817 8922
ILCO PK755 Vintage Key Fitchburg, MA w Brass Key Chain
Louisville Slugger 125 Genuine M110 PRO STOCK LITE Powerized TPX 33″ 28.8 ounces
1939 or 1940s Evinrude Elto mate 4263 1/2hp outboard motor
1970 JOHNSON 1.5 HP Outboard Engine Model 1R70R
Urinary Catheter Coloplast Self-Cath FR 14 Straight Tip Male Ref 414 Exp 10/19
Vintage Wooden Folding Chairs Mid Century Modern – needs restoration
Franklin Mint Limited Edition Wayne Michigan Centennial Proof Coin Medal Bronze
Sony CDP-CX400 CD Changer w/Remote & Keyboard – Nice condition Fully Functional
90 Urinary Catheter Coloplast Self-Cath FR 14 Straight Tip Male Ref 414 Exp 2020
Quasar VHQ-940 4 Heads VCR With Remote Control
Lot of 66 CDs Rock Country Pop Sinatra John Mayer Jazz please see photos
Five (5) Antique door knob rosette / Plate / Backplate appx 2″ x 2″ 2 holesMan – got nailed with some flu like bug. First the kids and then me. Have not listened to the podcast yet but looks like a good topic.
1/13/19-1/19/19
Total items in store (beginning of week): 418
Items sold: 22
30 day sell through (rate): 23.22%
Gross Sales: $1,333.97
Cost Paid for Items sold: $155.03
Shipping Cost: $301.02
Ebay Fee’s: $105.45
Paypal Fees: $46.96
Total Costs: $608.46
Net Profit: $725.51
Profit % Rev: 54%First off – I went full time and ‘failed’ – so right there may prove your point. I had lost a job and had a hobby and tried to get off the ground with not enough runway. But right there in itself can make a point as many folks here have succeeded with a longer term strategy. The most important trait i have picked up from the longer term sellers is consistency and having an even way about the business over the long term…
But I did not give up. I would not say I am part time as I put a lot into it – but I have two gigs both sort of businesses – the other being sales related from my old world. I would like to be full time reselling but need to make some pretty good money to do so because of the stage of life I am at and life choices.
My inventory had been up to about 1800 a while back. Now it is 400 ish (i posted then weekly here and do now as well) I plan to keep my inventory lower in the future. I sell both fixed price and auctions — typically i do not do good to cancel – i use shorted sales prices even when fixed price and use automation through Auctiva to reprice without having to touch them again. Auctions are almost never 99 cents — usually a price that is more than 2x — what a good profit is and likely to sell. I definitely use auctions for items that are super rare.
I source every day almost. I try to take a “science of hitting” approach and try to buy less stuff and only what is in my sweet spot. I try to remind myself the benefit of passing on the smaller stuff or only picking the smaller stuff up in line with a bigger thing.
I list most every day.
If I stop listing sales would slow way down. In the future if my inventory keeps on shrinking they would stop. The goal would be to make money to have aside.
Ebay is not my only source of income. This past month it did pay a lot of my bills though and would have had a very tough time without it based on how i allocate my time and earnings. For me currently I do multiple jobs – I am literally working whenever not with the family – mostly because I really enjoy doing the Ebay thing and would love to see how well I can get it going for myself. Like many I keep a leg in with the traditional career – but very much admire what J&R have built for themselves as well as others on the forum — for whatever reason i have just found myself gravitating to a slightly different strategy after starting to emulate the long tail one.
Agreed. Just because I prefer folks to know where I am coming from…. I tend to do some of both but side on fast because it’s right for me. You hold a gun to my head and ask which is better…. I would say the long tail for reasons mentioned – if one’s life can support it. Both have a lot of consequences.
Hey Inglwood: I agree with everything you said – all sorts of methods have their benefits and there is no right or wrong way – but I disagree that you are costing yourself profit by selling quickly. I imagine you may actually making a BETTER return in most cases.
Doubling your money in two weeks is a better return than getting 10X in 6 months especially if the 10x in 6 months is uncertain.
I agree Mark — I do not think i will ever get away from buying some boxes — as you cannot beat having the right box to ship that hard to package thing. I just try to remember the whole fiasco when actually sourcing big items — i now pass on way more than i used to for the ‘pain in the but’ factor and the costs that kind of creep up with getting the packaging material.
During my days of traveling all across New England selling things to companies I made it all too close justifying to myself buying a car with that kind of technology for way too much and more money than i actually had to buy a car…. the thought of actually having the car drive for me was so intoxicating. That would have been such a gigantic mistake but the excel spreadsheets i had justifying the cost were scary in hindsight….. it did not take into account THE JOB GOING AWAY : )
when affordable i too look forward to an electric car.
Nice title – looking forward to listening. A couple of weeks ago I felt a little silly when other folks on the forum pointed out that they do not pay for boxes (and i like pay a lot of money for boxes.) Anyway, it felt good grabbing free packing peanuts off craigslist this week as that tends to be a large packing cost for me typically — trying to keep all of those packaging costs close to zero excluding gas for the car. I don’t suppose anyone has figured out how to get around that one?
1/6/19-1/12/19
Total items in store (beginning of week): 424
Items sold: 18
30 day sell through (rate): 18.72%%
Gross Sales: $999.49
Cost Paid for Items sold: $212.75
Shipping Cost: $352.90
Ebay Fee’s: $84.57
Paypal Fees: $32.59
Total Costs: $682.81
Net Profit: $316.68
Profit % Rev: 32%Had one very high sale item that also had a high cost (actually a loss) – kind of made both numbers look big.
12/30/18 – 1/5/18
Total items in store (beginning of week): 454
Items sold: 20
30 day sell through (rate): 19.39%
Gross Sales: $1,168.11
Cost Paid for Items sold: $569.41
Shipping Cost: $257.86
Ebay Fee’s: $98.34
Paypal Fees: $40.41
Total Costs: $966.02
Net Profit: $202.09Profit % Rev: 17%
ROI: 35%
