looking to start my own ebay business

[commandercool]

ok so i'm 18 and i have about 48 feedbacks on ebay now so far i've had no luck finding a job..especially here in nyc so i'm turning to my next best thing and skill..ebay now i'm gonna get some start up money to buy some things then sell them back i don't know if anyone on here uses ebay often to sell things but what kind of items do you think fetch the most bids on there? i know blu-rays and cellphones and such go for a pretty penny on there any tips or advice you guys have? thanks in advance

[camper]

EVERYONE who wants to start an ebay business wants to sell cell phones, blu-rays, DVD's, and video games. You're much better off looking for a job first and foremost, and doing the ebay thing part time. The unemployment rate in NYC is only SLIGHTLY more than 6%. At 18 years old if you can't find a job, you're either not looking hard enough or you have your sites set WAY too high. Trust me, I've been there and done that so I know where you're coming from.

Still, do ebay on the side and if you can make enough to support y ourself then you can go full-time, but going after what EVERYONE else sells will net you less money then standing on a corner begging for change.

camper

[Purplegrasshopper]

Go to college instead?

[toef]

Well if you are from NYC, why not go to Chinatown, and then stock up on purses, watches and perfumes?

Though I imagine that would eventually get you kicked from eBay.

I'd be surprised if it's at all possible to make a living on eBay, especially given the current state of the economy.

So count me in as another that says do this as a part-time thing on the side, don't count on making a living from it yet, and continue looking for some other work.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Purplegrasshopper

Go to college instead?

That takes money. Lots of it.

[jw]

ebay isnt the way to go for sure, you will lose money, Christmas time is the only time to do that to get premium for stuff

[SHines-IT]

Originally Posted by jwbbud

Christmas time is the only time to do that to get premium for stuff

Yes, I made a premium on my Xbox and iPod. Only true time I see selling major electronics. Media, I think will be alright year round. The other thing, that may be worth it, is collectables.

[tommyboy81]

Originally Posted by jwbbud

ebay isnt the way to go for sure, you will lose money, Christmas time is the only time to do that to get premium for stuff

my old boss quit and got with one of his friends and tried to start there own e-bay store. Rented out a place and everything. Lasted about 3 months.

I wouldn't do it unless its a second income.

[Purplegrasshopper]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

That takes money. Lots of it.

You're joking, right? People always say this, and I don't understand why. With the tens of thousands of scholarships available each year (most go unawarded because no one applies for them), the free money available from the federal and state governments, the offerings from the schools themselves, part time jobs you can work while in school, tuition reimbursement from employers, etc., going to college shouldn't cost a dime.

You may not be able to afford Harvard, but any reasonably intelligent high school graduate can easily fully fund their college education. All it takes is a little effort, which sorry to say, most Americans are too lazy to put forth.

[Clark Kent]

I would only go the Ebay route as a side job to another job. Ebay has become increasingly hostile to the small-time seller and seems to be dominated by professional shops now that all they do is sell on Ebay.

[toef]

Originally Posted by Purplegrasshopper

You're joking, right? People always say this, and I don't understand why. With the tens of thousands of scholarships available each year (most go unawarded because no one applies for them), the free money available from the federal and state governments, the offerings from the schools themselves, part time jobs you can work while in school, tuition reimbursement from employers, etc., going to college shouldn't cost a dime.

You may not be able to afford Harvard, but any reasonably intelligent high school graduate can easily fully fund their college education. All it takes is a little effort, which sorry to say, most Americans are too lazy to put forth.

True, but depending on where you go to college, and what you go for, it may end up being a waste of time and money. Of course some college (at any college) is still probably better than no college. Unfortunately, grad school is the new college, because it seems like everyone goes to college, so you need a masters to help set yourself apart. So that means even more time and money.

If college isn't really an interest, I'd recommend looking into trade schools, and making a career out of one of those. With so many "colleges" churning out tons of graduates (which floods the job market), it seems like taking up a trade might be a more lucrative career. I had an electrician recently come to replace a circuit breaker for my dryer, and 25 minutes later, he walked out almost $250 richer. Granted, I know he doesn't keep all of the money for himself, but whoever owns that company must be doing ok. And I'm sure the electrician finds his job a little more rewarding than a person who sits in a cubicle all day.

[jamclaur]

I have 2 friends that work from ebay.

One sells TONS of out of print movies and limited edition movie stuff.

The other is the LARGEST supplier of Star Wars stuff in the WORLD. He knows George Lucas and sells to HIM!!!

BOTH HATE IT. They say it's a head ache. Ebay has almost NO protection for the sellers, and now you HAVE to go through paypal, which means you're forced paying all those fees. for BOTH ebay and paypal.

Go to college and get something real.

Besides ebay is already laying people off, it's not like they're still thriving.

[Teabaggins]

College is a scam, rob a bank instead. College is good for nerds and drunks only

[nbxfan]

I know it sounds dumb but, I know people that run a business selling XXL clothing on ebay. Also, my GF used to work at an adult store and, the owner decided to close the store to sell exclusively on ebay as she was doing so much more business there. Just ideas not guarantees....

[Purplegrasshopper]

Originally Posted by nbxfan

I know it sounds dumb but, I know people that run a business selling XXL clothing on ebay. Also, my GF used to work at an adult store and, the owner decided to close the store to sell exclusively on ebay as she was doing so much more business there. Just ideas not guarantees....

Adult stores do very well actually. Got a friend in NY who owns one, and his take home pay is around $100k a year. Who woulda thunk?

[SHines-IT]

Originally Posted by Purplegrasshopper

Adult stores do very well actually. Got a friend in NY who owns one, and his take home pay is around $100k a year. Who woulda thunk?

I know, speaking from experience... Toys cost allot of money... That some of them don't last long.

I am trying to keep this on topic, so not going to name this toy. But Adult toys, could bring in a good penny.

PS: Ship in plain box, we have judging neighbors...

[toef]

Originally Posted by SHines-IT

PS: Ship in plain box, we have judging neighbors...

I know a guy who works for UPS, and he said it's funny how obvious plain boxes are when they come through, because you know what's in them, yet the whole point of the plain box was to disguise that. I guess most business use boxes that clearly identify themselves.

[My_Two_Cents]

Originally Posted by toefer

I know a guy who works for UPS, and he said it's funny how obvious plain boxes are when they come through, because you know what's in them, yet the whole point of the plain box was to disguise that. I guess most business use boxes that clearly identify themselves.

That's why you just have your wife invite a gang of girls over and have a "Delights" party (or whatever they are called) where they get to view and order all sorts of interesting...things....

BTW, the girls really don't like it when a husband comes in and crashes their party.

[nbxfan]

Might be more helpful than ebay...my GF was out of work for almost a year and, the best leads for job hunts she got were all on craigslist. They were updated daily and, provided excellent leads. Yeah, it still took a year to get a job but, that was due to the fact that alot of the jobs were to far away to justify the drive versus pay and the jobs she did apply to had massive amounts of people applying. So, it may sound like it's a bad deal but, after the year of looking on all the various sites...hotjobs, monster, ocjobfinder, snagajob etc....craigslist was still the most current and best source.