Is selling on eBay really worth it?

Over the last couple of months I have starting selling all items that we no longer require around the house.  I started selling books and then moved onto the kids and wife’s old clothes.  Now I’m starting on the the kids old toys.

I’m at a point now where I am wondering is the time and effort really worth it. Let me give you a scenario that is pretty typical.

We listed some clothing and have a starting price of 99 cents (as recommended by eBay to get more buyers).  Typically there is only one bidder with the occasional 2 or 3 bids on some items which push the selling price up to about $2.50, but typically with one bid the item sells for 99 cents.  With clothing weighing in more than 500 grams you need to send the item in a 3 kilogram parcel for $9.90.

So the person pays 99 cents for the item plus $9.90 for postage, totalling $10.89.
It will cost you 30 cents to list the item on eBay.  If the buyer then payees by PayPal then there is a  56 cent fee (commission) involved.

So that 99 cent sale just made a profit of 13 cents.

Wait a minute, you meant I made 13 cents that cost me in time about 20 minutes to list on eBay.  Now there is a really good hourly rate.  By the time I take photos of the product, crop them and make it look presentable, select the correct category to list the item in eBay, select and entered all the detailed category information, and then write a description about the product I can make 13 cents.  WOW.  That doesn’t even include the cost and time of driving to the post office and then waiting in line to post the items.

I also forgot to take into account of the commission that eBay charges for selling an item.  On a 99 cent item they take a further 5 cents which leaves only 8 cents for me.

Sure this is the worst  case cenairo (but most typical).  Unless you can list items that are going to be popular and there is going to be a lot of interest I think you are wasting your time.

What really gets my goat is when you add $2 for Postage and Handling how people get upset and feel they are getting ripped off.

Don’t even get me started on how people pay 99 cents for a couple of items and they want to come around to pick them up. They expect you to bend over backwards to accommodate their needs and having to put up with the bull shit of them changing the times.  When you have to deal with a few pickups at the same time it becomes a full time job just for a few cents.

I have had some success selling on eBay.  The biggest was a split system air conditioner that I listed for $200 which  ended up selling for $470, even though I paid $600 and it was never used.

I think unless you can sell an item for over $10 plus postage with a small handling fee it is not worth the hassle.