Selling on eBay -- worth it?

[LambChopsMcGee]

Hiya!

So I am having a good clear out and I have a few things that are in really good condition. Dresses from places like Coast, & Other Stories, a suit from Benneton, a Radley handbag I've never used...and I am wondering if it's worth selling them on eBay.

I've not really used it before -- are the selling fees quite high? Can I set a reserve or does that make the fees higher? Is it worth it to do that anyway?
I don't desperately need the money, the main thing is to clear out some space in my small flat, but if I could get a few quid for things that would be good. Things in less mint condition and from cheaper brands will go the the charity shop.

Any advice appreciated. I know I can google what the fees are but I value the opinion of you lot more than objective facts

I've only recently started selling on eBay and it's gone ok so far.

You can set a reserve, but I think it does increase your fees. You could just set the starting price as the lowest amount you would accept.

They also do offers on selling fees, e.g. pay no more than £1, whatever the final selling price. Might be worth waiting for something like that if you have some good pieces; should help to keep fees down.

I try to do as detailed a description as possible and do photos from lots of angles. This is what I like to see when I'm buying so it hopefully helps pieces to sell.

I'm no expert but hope this info is a start. I'd definitely go for it. You have pieces from retailers who I always search for.

I sell a lot on ebay in fact it is part of my business however I don't sell clothes more collectables vintage antiques etc

the lowest reserve you can set is £50 and it costs, everyone can list 20 items a month free whatever starting price is I suggest you start at the lowest possible price you would accept

for personal / private sellers the costs are ebay 10% commission on item and postage charge and paypal take 3.4% plus 20p per transaction as crazy said sometimes they do a £1 deal

so if item sells for £10 with £ 3 postage, ebay takes £1,30 and paypal takes 64p so you end up with £8.06

postage includes packing materials however if you overcharge on postage you will get bad feedback my personal suggestion is you add no more than 15-20p to actual cost, royal mail small parcel with label purchased through ebay costs £2,85 ( it is 2.95 at post office) and gives you a tracking number so you can print it at home.
Anything bigger than small parcel size (45 x 35 x15cm and upto 2kg) is cheaper by courier

if selling clothes place on coat hanger on the back of a plain white/wooden door or against a white sheet make sure nothing else in photo no perfume bottles mugs etc, if clothes take photo of label that says make, brand and size and say if it is dry clean only

selling things for 99p is not worth it

look at sold prices for an idea of prices as you are a new seller you will not get the highest prices so if 4 items have sold previously ranging from £7-19 assume you will get £7 and certainly don't start auction at a higher price than £7, if there are lots of them on ebay sometimes a fixed buy it now works best

you need a sensible price good photos, and once purchased they need posting the next day or at a stretch the day after, if doing auctions don't end them on a monday if you can't post till friday
if it has a fault say so, don't say worn once when worn a dozen times people like clothes from smoke and pet free homes so mention this if true

if it is just something that can go in a mailing bag ( a 10p bag for life inside out will do) then I think it's worth it if sells for £4 plus if it needs a box bubble wrap and packing peanuts it needs to sell for £10

I sell a lot of china, I know how to pack to avoid breakages assume your parcel with be dropped from shoulder height onto concrete pavement it needs to survive

Thanks guys for the detailed replies -- I think I'll do it. Seems worth it especially for the bag. If the clothes don't sell they can go to the charity shop.

Best thing I did was buy a mannequin, (local Facebook, £25), and set up a nice light spot to take photos. I've sold several hundred pounds worth this year of decent branded clothes. I always give at least 4 photo's and measurements. Also have a stash of mailing bags and stickers. I usually price items around £10.

This is how I do my pictures. Skirts on a hanger and trousers folded sideways on a nice clip hanger.

Don’t have low starting prices, as you will loose out. Remember, both ebay and PayPal take a percentage, so you can Loose £1+ on any sale you do. Also, don’t under estimate postage. For first class, I do a minimum of £3.99 (£3.45 postage, plus 50 p towards packaging).

If it doesn’t sell at first, hold,onto it, and sell at a later date.

Also do a quick search before listing to get an idea of realistic prices.

Also, it’s worth considering local Facebook sites. I”’ve been less successful with these, but have sold the odd bit, and you have the added advantage of no fees.

What size are you OP?

I sold a lot of large size clothes earlier in the autumn - all were moderately known brands (Cos, Seasalt, a few from Toast) - and all went quickly except for 1 top from Jaeger that I couldn't shift. I made enough to fund all the clothes I wanted to buy for the autumn, so I was happy! My tips, as a real newbie: get your eye in beforehand and set your own starting price not the one they suggest - I pitched a Toast silk shirt far too low. If what you're selling isn't enormously valuable, then 2nd class posting is fine - if an item goes astray you get £20 back. I bought packs of small parcel plastic envelopes and tissue paper from bargain shops to keep the packing costs down. I was also v honest - I sold one top and found a hole in it when I was packing it up, so I messaged the buyer and asked if she still wanted it, which she didn't - much easier than her finding out later and raising a dispute. I'd also recommend a local dress agency if you've got a good one near you. Mine takes 50% of the cost, so you get slightly less overall, but its a painless process (except for the risk that you buy clothes from them whilst you're trying to sell your own..)

I don't do auctions. I sell everything buy it now.

Also, be aware of what day and time you list the item. I'm not regular ebayer but was advised to list on Sunday evenings so that's when the 7 day listing ends and it's a popular time for buyers.

What a lot of people seem to do is copy a photo of the garment from the original site and use that as the main image in their listing. A tad unethical but it gets the attention of potential buyers and you can always put additional photos of the actual garment in the listing too.

Yes, i’ve Also heard that Sunday is the best time for an auction to finish, as it’s the most popular time. Although I try and never time it to coincide with a Strictly result, for example, as I feel people’s attention could be focussed elsewhere. Most bids are made in the last minute of an auction,

I have just started selling on ebay too, not a lot yet, but my daughter managed to make over £1000 towards getting a new car, selling good quality clothes and especially bags

Thanks all!

I set up an auction last night as I had also heard that about Sunday nights, so we'll see how it goes.

Lovely pics NotMeNoNo -- acquiring a mannequin might not help my decluttering but it's tempting!

I'm a 12ish RedCoffins, some things size 10, some 14.

It’s totally worth it! I sell my old clothes that way. I don’t put a ‘buy it now’ on the listing, I just let the auction run for 7 days starting at a really low initial bid. I find things tend to go for about 15-30% of RRP, for items that are in good condition and well photographed/described.

Taking measurements of the clothes really helps - people always ask for armpit-to-armpit width on tops/dresses, and the length between waist and hem (for a skirt) or neck and hem (for a dress). It takes seconds to do and seems to generate a lot more interest.