selling plates and the like on ebay - and raising money for charity?

[Kveta]

Hi, just wondered if any lovely people here can offer me some advice?

a local charity I am involved with has been given some vintage plates and a cake set (cake plate, 6 side plates, milk jug, sugar bowl) from the 1920s, and we have been told to sell them to raise some funds for our group.

so I have a couple of questions - firstly, is it possible to indicate that an item for sale is to raise money for charity, and if so, how?

secondly, what is the best way to post china?

I am so clueless, sorry!

Hi, I tried doing this when I had some nice leftovers from an auction box (Portmeirion etc.), and thought I'd make a few £s on Ebay. However, it was a bit of a disaster, as although they sold ok and I got some money, one woman claimed that the butter dish she'd bought arrived broken. I had packaged in all of the bubblewrap and tape and done everything I could, but of course I couldn't do anything about it, so had to refund, plus the postage cost (which I's studpidly underestimated so overpaid as well, not that it made any difference in the end).

Anyway, sorry that's a rather negative view of it, but I did make a mental note never to Ebay breakables again, as it's just impossible to prove that something isn't broken when they say it is, and the postage can be an expensive loss too.

I would try to sell where there's no postage involved if it's valuable china. Collection only? Good luck!

I sell china all of the time on ebay send it to australia chile USA and even UK , I could not say I have never had a breakage but it is my ebay business and I pack well

first wrap each item individually in bubble wrap every cup plate saucer etc you need a big box so items do not touch each other in transit and you need lots of packing peanuts scrunched up newspaper is not good enough, if weighs more than 2 kg you need a double walled box

you should pack on the basis that is you hold it out at arms length and drop on the pavement it will survive if it does not you did not pack well enough

if an item arrives broken you will have to refund, ask for a photo of breakage then refund, do not ask for someone to return broken china ( it is against rules of all couriers and Rm to send broken china / glass)
if you sell a set of 6 cups and 1 breaks a partial refund of 1/6 is in order bearing in mind a cup breaking renders the saucer useless

good luck I charge 50p for packing a single small item of china and upto £2 for a whole teaset

thank you both very much!

I hadn't even thought about packaging costs, d'oh! better look into that :)

I guess we've nothing to lose if we do have to refund, so I will go for it later in the week!

just need to think about the charity angle, and see if there are any special labels we need

using the advanced sell form you can select charity put the name of charity in and whether they get 10-100% of proceeds though remember with 100% you maybe out of pocket because of packing material costs and ebay/ paypal fees they do not waive them for charity also same conditions able re returns etc

if you have to refund broken china you will be out of pocket by postal costs as that will be refunded too and you will not get it back from courier or RM