Do you trade on ebay to earn an income?

[2babies2tired]

I have 2 pre school dc so its financially unfeasabile for me to go back to work with childcare costs. Dp earns a decent salary but works very long hours so evening work isn't possible. I am fed up of having no money!

I love shopping and am addicted to hot uk deals so regularly pick up/spot great bargains. I wondered if it would be possible to trade these bargains on ebay to make a profit. Does anyone have any experience of this?

Im sure it would be!

I've never used ebay before so wonderd what types of things sell easily. Toys?? Or do postage costs of bulky items put peope off? What % discount would people expect to pay for a brand new item on ebay compared to the shop price?

You see these power sellers with high ratings so I'm sure some must do it all day.

Don't forget that you can buy lots of clothing cheaply now in some high street stores for next to nothing, so do some research on ebay and see what sells for how much etc.

I only sell my own kids outgrown clothes, that have hardly been worn, if want some spends to buy something else on ebay. So for me now and then.

The best money I have made, was when I sold their old fancy dress outfits. Mad prices.

I sell all DC's old stuff and just buy more. Its a way of spending money to satisfy the 'urges' without actually spending any IYSWIM.

I have a business on ebay that allows me to stay at home with ds6 and dd4. It started off with selling my baby stuff and somehow I ended up specialising in bras for girls who are cup size dd & up.

I now have a shop on ebay and am a powerseller with a feedback of almost 6000. I spend a couple of hours a day doing it and it brings in enough money for the nice but expensive extras like swimming lessons, my gym membership and more than 2 holidays a year.

A note of caution - if you a buying to resell (even at carboots, nct sales etc) you have to register as a business with the taxman and keep accounts / complete a tax return every year. You will also have to pay your class 2 national insurance (£2.50ish per week). However if it's your only income and you make less than around £5500 profit per year you won't be hit with a big tax bill. You have 3 month from the time that you start buying to resell to tell the Inland Revenue that you are self employed.

I know it sound daunting but in reality I do my accounts on a excel spreadsheet and submit my tax return online.

Re what to sell all I can reccomend is that you find a niche or something that you are interested in. And NEVER pay for a list of wholesalers / suppliers as they can be found on google anyway. Reasearch is key before you sink any money into stock.

Hope that helps
Nikki (Big Beautiful Bras is my ebay shop name if you want a nosey
)

How ould you find the time to put it on ebay?

This is what I never understand. I have loads of stuff I would like to put on, but never have the time to do it.

Photographing, uploading, writing spiel, answering emails, wrapping it up, posting it. It really stressed me out when I tried to put a bit of stuff on

I do, I wrap at night(mn thru the day unless im really busy) answer emails as they come in, and sell anything that comes my way.

Thanks for the advice nikkid21, thats really useful. Will definitely look at your shop as a girl who is over-endowed in the breast department!!!

Understand what you mean about the time fizzbuzz as I put 1 thing on today and it took me about 2 hours to figure it out. I guess it must come easier with experience .

At the moment every penny is accounted for so I'm after something that just gives me a bit more freedom like being able to afford days out and be able to afford swim/gym lessons etc for the kids.

I think you get quicker the more you do it. I've now come to the conclusion that more photos are better than words. So I take a load of pictures, crop them nicely in Paint, and then upload them via Auctiva so I don't pay Ebay a fortune in fees.

Here is one of my auctions. Excluding the photo taking and editing, the actual listing took about 2 minutes.

I listed everything that is on now (49 items I think) in 4 hours.

Do you have to inform Inland Revenue and pay tax on stuff you sell on ebay?

yes you do if you buy to sell. Not if you are offloading your own stuff.

laura032004

Your listings look very nice - the photos etc but just one thing I had to mention - Ebay don't like the use of "as new" in the title and you may even have these listings removed for this reason.

Thanks for that MsP. For some reason I completely forgot about that when I was doing the listings. Most of those items are new, but I'm always scared to say that in case somebody finds a tiny mark on them and complains.

How would anyone know if you have bought the stuff second hand to sell?

I am toying with the idea of trying to sell the things we dont need on ebay to make a bit of pocket money, but I am a total computer idiot so will have to open an ebay acount and a paypal account, then i havent a clue what to do next

well noone would know, but one you have the ebay bag its hard not to buy to sell! and tho you could justify your kids clothes your old cloths and some clutter, its not so easy to pretend to own 30 bags all the same etc
theres a how too on ebay on how to sell

thanks cc, it all seems really complicated to me

once you have got started its a doddle, you can also save your first listing as a template...so if you are selling age 4 clothes it keeps that option and you dont have to go through it all again.

What's Auctiva?

DH has an ebay shop, specialist stuff for DJ's etc.

He has good feedback and enjoys it but because it's a non-necessity it can be hard at times, he also has a FT job atm- this i the start of a long term plan.

He loves it, but although the vast majority of people he trades with are alovely peole, he can get very upset by the odd scammer and they do happen, also people who amde a msitake and want to blame him.

Go for it, but be aware.

Dh is also registered with taxman as someone said, easy enough to sort though

this sort of thing is what DH does

If you have lots of the same thing its hard not to be an obvious trader, anyhow there is value in honesty!