eBayers - how are you finding "trade" at the moment?

[fruittea]

Am having a clear-out and listed a few things over the last couple of days, with lots more to come. Women's clothes so far but girls' to come. I only seem to have picked up a couple of watchers so far and wondered what your recent experiences have been. Do you think it's a good time to sell or would I be better waiting til after the school holidays?

Thanks

[Flibbertyjibbet]

IME nothing happens on ebay till the last day unless something is rare/collectible/particular brands bnwt.
I think if you just get rid of a pile of stuff its better to look at how much you have made in total rather than fret about individual prices for things. Ie if you can sell everything for 99p but after listing fees and paypal charges when people pay you end up with 30p per item, then I look on it as 30p in my purse that wasn't there before!

Currently I am stuffing things in the loft to have one massive clear out when we move in a couple of months. I have noticed that prices for things I usually shop for have come down a bit - think a lot of people are feeling the pinch and selling, whereas before they would be buying.

[MummyLovesPrams]

I don't think it's great at the moment.

But then again I think it depends on what you're selling - I had about 4/5 things lited about a fortnight ago - 1 of the items sold within minutes of me listing it whereas the other things didn't sell until the last day & I had lowered the price (I was just desperate to get rid of it so thought sod it I'll just reduce it to get it gone).

I've listed 2 things today but won't be holding my breath - if they sell fab, if they don't one of them I will just keep & try selling again later in the year & the other I will stick in my mums bootsale!

I do think things have slowed down & things are definately going for far less - I've picked up to serious bargains in the last 4 days - I would have paid probably double for both items a month or so ago!

[blueshoes]

This is the wrong season for selling clothes.

The selling months are April/May for summer clothes and September for winter clothes. This is also when clothing stores bring out their new collections too - for good reason, because it is when the weather starts to change.

Now is the sale season because it is coming to end of season.

So yes, better to wait until end of school hols, provided what you are selling is warm clothes. For summer clothes, wait till next spring.

[snorkle]

I listed 2 childrens shortie wetsuits 10 days ago. One of them has one watcher & I've just looked now & the other has at last got a bid on it (no watchers). I'm not a regular seller but was a bit demoralised by the lack of interest right now. Still a few hours to go though, so fingers crossed!

[fruittea]

Thanks all, doesn't sound all that promising I must say! To be honest this was sort of what I was thinking, but I've had stuff sitting in my "ebay cuboard" for, in some cases, a couple of years, waiting for me to feel like I can be bothered at the right time of year to get them listed. I'm going to go for it anyway, a bit like MLP said, as I just want it gone now.

I tend to just sell the better stuff as it's not always worth the effort for a pound or two, and I tend to think that Boden etc sells for good money - well, at least, it used to when i first started ebaying

The stuff I'm listing is mostly ladies' spring/summer (Boden flippy skirts, a cardi, some Bravissimo tops) and the girls' stuff is Monsoon and Boden summer dresses and shorts. DD is 13 and some of it is age 5-6, that's how long it's been waiting, but it's too good to just give away!

Wish me luck - and thanks again

[MummyLovesPrams]

Fingers crossed that as it's good brand names you'll get good money for them!

[Flibbertyjibbet]

Snorkle! Quick! Links please! Or let me know sizes and prices pleaseif I am too late to bid but you have one unsold. ILs have a holiday home near a lake and I'd like items like this for when my boys go out on the boat with their dad.

[MrsThierryHenry]

I think it prob depends on what you're selling. I'm selling a Quinny buggy and have lots of bids + watchers at the mo.

Good luck!

[lindseyfox]

i sold some bits yesterday and today and some went for a lot less and some more than i expected but that was my first experience of ebay selling.

going to list some dvds and some new tagged underwear this evening, hopefully will sell am putting dvds in job lots of 4 and starting them at 99p so they sell better.

[fruittea]

Well, it's all up now so fingers crossed. Can't believe the age of some of it - DD is 13, as I said, and once of the dresses was 5-6 . It is beautiful though, and it makes me sad to see it go.

Listed most things for 99p start. Monsoon dresses seem to go quite well, so will just have to wait and see.

Am I the only one who feels the need to obsessively refuresh "My eBay" to see if I've picked up any watchers?! Will be wearing the keyboard out by next weekend

[northernrefugee39]

I've found that people are only going for the named stuff...Boden, Jigsaw Hobbs Noa Noa etc always goes and usually reasonable prices.
I really think people are cutting back, not just buying for the sake of it. I know I'm not!
Also, agree with blueshoes- April hols or May half term the very latest to sell summer stuff. Sept/Oct latest for winter selling, because then people are thinking about spending at Christmas...

[snorkle]

Flibberty missed your post, sorry. They both went in the end though. Holiday home by lake sounds lovely - I'm sure you could get other e-bay wetsuits quite cheaply if you look. Don't buy new ones like I did - they're so much more expensive.

Good luck with your stuff fruittea.