You can use this article and the others in the series to learn what to sell on eBay, how much it’s worth, and how to sell. The focus of the examples in these articles is retro because it is the niche the authors know best and because selling retro items on E-Bay is a proven way to generate income. Read the articles and learn not only about how to sell on E-Bay, but also about the retro era from the 1950s to the early 1980s.
The term retro means a fashion that is reminiscent of the past. Fashion, in the retro sense, includes everything from an era, including: clothes, cars, music, furniture, dishes, lamps, radios, etc. the term retro these days refers to the time period from the 50’s to 70’s.
A renowned retro designer is Eero Saarinen, who was born in 1910. Saaainen is most famous for designing the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO. His interests in design went beyond architectural icons, as his furniture and designs sell for an arm and a leg or two. Saarinen is just one of many designers of the retro era. If you are interested in or interested in retro, you will become familiar with names like Eames, Panton, Wright, Nelson, Castigliano, etc.
One of the fun things about collecting retro is that there were a lot of “copycat” products from that era that may not have the designer’s name or logo on them, but are collectible and have significant value just because the style is unbelievably fabulous and in demand. . For example, you can find what is described as a star-shaped wall clock at real estate and garage sales, auctions, and in stores. The watch you find may or may not have the name or insignia of a manufacturer or designer. You can recognize this style of clock because there are 12 to 18 spokes made of wood or brass, or both, radiating from the round clock face. Some of these starburst clocks are as large as 2+ feet in diameter. You can find them in styles that are battery operated as well as electric.
A Starburst wall clock, with no manufacturer or designer name that is in good working condition, can sell on E-Bay in the $50-$75 range. If there is a name like Elgin, the price goes up to $100 -$200. Add a designer name like Nelson and the price can go up to $350-$500.
A “rule of thumb” to apply when looking to buy a Starburst watch, or anything, to sell on E-Bay is to find and buy a Starburst watch that will bring you at least 3x its cost. So if you find a Starburst watch that is in good working order, but without the watchmaker’s name or designer’s name, for less than $10.00 buy it. This watch will most likely exceed the 3 X rule of thumb. This type of find is fairly easy to come by as many people sell these watches without realizing how cool retro has become.
Now suppose you find a Starburst watch that is in good working order and also has a manufacturer’s name on it, such as Elgin or Westclox, given the sales ranges identified above, you could pay up to $30 for the watch and get at least all 3 X. benefit you want.
It would be a retro collector’s dream to stumble across a George Nelson Starburst watch at a garage or estate sale because it will most likely be a bargain since people don’t know it’s famous and don’t know what it can bring. at a resale.
When you start thinking about selling items from your hobby or collection on E-Bay, it’s important that you know the E-Bay value for the items. There is a difference between the E-Bay value and the value the item would fetch if it were sold at an antique store, mall, or flea market. Many items sold on E-Bay cost less than at a retro store or antique mall. This is due to the large number of similar items that can be found on E-Bay. People from all over the world have discovered the fun and ease of selling on E-Bay so the market is flooded pushing values down.
You want to make sure you don’t make a loss when selling your prized items on E-Bay and this brings us to the first step in the Make Money Fast on E-Bay process: develop a list of what you want to sell on E-Bay. -Bay.
To protect yourself from underselling or overpaying for an item, make a list of what you want to sell. If you have a collection or hobby with items available, make a list of the items you are willing to sell and give it to another collector. We suggest that you take a sheet of paper and draw 2 vertical lines going from the top of the page to the bottom of the paper making three columns. At the top of the left column, write “Things I want to sell.” Then start listing one by one the items in your collection that you are ready to sell.
At the top of the middle column, write “Item Information.” Then start identifying things about each item, such as condition, size, manufacturer, date, defects, what you paid for the items, and what you want to do with it when you sell it.
At the top of the third column, write “E-Bay Information.” The third article in this series explains what will go in this third column. Be patient. You really need to think through this first step in the process and create a list that includes the recommended information.
Here is a sample of what a list like this might look like.
things i want to sell
Item Information
ebay info
1.Vintage fur coat
Long Sleeve, Full Length, Black Rabbit Fur, Good Condition, No Rips or Tears, Made by Furs Unlimited, Chicago, Size 10
I paid $15 I want $45
2. Starburst Wall Clock
24″ diameter, good condition, works, no rust, slightly dull varnish, takes 1 “C” battery, Elgin, 1965
I paid $15 I want $150
3. Betty Crocker Recipe Library Box
1971, good condition, all recipes in place, box measures 10″ x 8″ x 6″
Paid $2.59 I want $15
Enid Collins – Singing in the Purse Rain
Signed Enid Collins, all jewels are in place and sparkling, bag measures 12 x 10 x 5
I paid $20 I want $75
If you don’t have a collection or hobby, but want to make money selling on E-Bay, you can do the same process as above, but at the top of the right column, write “Things I Want to Collect.” Then start listing items or collectibles that interest you. List as many items as you can dream of collecting from the ad sale. You still won’t fill in the other columns. You should read article 3 to know how to take the next step.
This may sound like a lot of work and in a way it is, but if you don’t know what to look for when you start the next step, you can lose a lot of money when you start selling on E-Bay. Once you know your market and what items are selling for you, you won’t have to go through this process.
Veteran or experienced buyers and sellers intuitively know what items they collect can sell on E-Bay. It is important that you develop this intuition as well. You don’t want to overpay for items because you’re not familiar with what’s selling in your area of interest, so you need to make it your business to know why what you want to sell is selling.
It’s not hard to turn your hobby into a business if you love what you do. The more addicted you are to your hobby, the easier this start-up background job will be. You’ll have to spend hours on E-bay researching what’s selling and what’s not selling in your area, but it’s great to have an excuse to spend time on E-bay.
In the past, it might seem like spending too much on E-Bay was a waste of time; after all, you should have been cleaning the house or doing the laundry. Right? Now you can justify spending time on E-Bay because it will generate additional income. Keep an eye out for item 3: research the value of your items on E-Bay.