|  If you haven't already noticed, MyLot enjoys an advertisement link with eBay. It's that thing above the discussions that shows you something that you might like to buy -- and asks you to "Learn more" or "Sign Up For eBay".
I am both a buyer and seller on eBay, and I've had my ups and downs with it. I started by selling junk that I found in my local dumpsters.
Yes, I said dumpsters. I live in an apartment complex that has seven dumpsters. I check them three or four times a week using an alligator-type grabber and a headlamp. Nobody has ever bothered me after dark, so that's when I go out on my hunts.
What have I found?
Here's a small list:
Guitars
Stereo components
Boom boxes
Wireless Home Theatre Setups
Speakers
Televisions
Computers and computer boards
Those are the easiest to test and sell. Many have been dumped because the owner found a flaw (for instance, a CD player/switcher that slipped it's motor belt) and that I can fix because I'm a little more technically oriented.
I used to sell these items all the time as "used" or, in some cases "barely used". Usually I got about 33% of the original sales price, but sometimes I got more. The trouble with that sort of a business is that I was at the mercy of the residents of the community. Some winters there is nothing out in the dumpsters, and I mean NOTHING. People tend to hoard possessions after the Christmas rush, or simply don't clean until the Spring. Summer is the best for junk, although this year I scored lots of housewives for myself after Christmas. Everyone replaced their cooking implements, and I even had a few winter movers. People tend to toss out everything when an older relative goes to a nursing home - I think that's why I got such quality. Someone's Granny really had good stuff that Sonny-boy just didn't need. So into the dumpster it went, and into my kitchen it went after a good washing.
Now I've graduated to buying guitars and guitar parts for resale, and unfortunately they cannot be turned around without a little extra repair work, repackaging, and reconditioning. I am still getting more than I paid for them, but I need to expand my business in the next month or I'll have to get a side job to pay my rent. Well, I'm sure you're interested in the eBay side of things, so I'll give you some pointers:
Get yourself and eBay account. You can start by not having a PayPal account and paying by check or money order, but eventually you'll do better by getting an electronic payment source.
Next, find something that you like and know the usual sales price of. Find several on a "Buy it now", check that the seller is reputable by checking his feedback score (click on the number beside the seller's nick). If the seller has no negative feedback and is over 100 feedbacks, you can be pretty sure he's reputable. Buy the product, and use the checkout, even if you are paying by check. Be careful, some Buy-It-Nows are Paypal only - don't use those auctions.
Next, make sure to pay FAST. Get that check or money order in the mail the VERY NEXT DAY.
In this way, the Seller will like you, and tend to give you good feedback. By building good feedback, you build your reputation on eBay.
It's sort of similar to MyLot. The more you buy and the faster you pay - versus MyLot's posting often and including good information.
Once you've got over 5 or so feedbacks, you can start to sell, too! Do you have a good digital camera? Take a picture of something you don't need, look up a few on eBay to get an idea of a good starting price, and sell it! Once you start using eBay's selling tools, you'll get used to the ins and outs of selling. You must also set up Bidding Rules. Go to the eBay Discussions Bboard in "Community" and read what other eBayers recommend! I've been set up for about four years now, and I'm still learning.
About bad experiences on eBay:
Everyone has one or two. Mistakes can be made! I had a situation with a Canadian seller who used a Post Office box o receive his payments. Bad mistake. I didn't know that the addresses for PO boxes in Canada looked different from ours. He took my payment, stalled on sending my item, and cashed my money order before I could get my money back. eBay eventually gave me about 20% of what I paid under the "eBay Protection Policy", but that was not enough to compensate me. What did I learn? Be very careful when buying out-of-country. Never pay by wire or send to a PO box. Never buy more than $250 worth of merchandise. If It's broken, you will only get $225 back (that's minus a $25 eBay processing fee.)
Always know your seller, and always be prompt and courteous. Always contact the seller or buyer if you think there's a problem, before hand! Don't bid on an item if you don't want it or can't pay for it, and enjoy yourself!
The advantages of buying on eBay are numerous, but the biggest surprise is how cheaply you can get items that you'd normally pay top-dollar for. Only today my Hubby was marvelling at a soldering iron that is being sold at about 5% of it's actually worth. Oh, yeah, it'll be coming from China, but - we'll be paying less than $20 bucks for it, and we can survive that loos should anything go wrong. So far in our dealings with overseas purchases, we have not been let down. Some had American addresses, and came from Hong Kong! (Who knew?) Still, for the amount of stuff that we've bought, we've gotten way more than we paid for.
The same goes for selling - we're doing okay, and hope to go bigger in the months to come. eBay offers tremendous opportunities for those who can pay and ship quickly, have a good rapport with their buyers and sellers, and cam handle a little technology on the Internet.
By all means, try eBay, buy something that you want, and see how it turns out for you. If you've read my little story here, you'll do well.
***If you're having trouble with eBay and need a little advice, please message me, or post it here. I'd love to help, and I'm sure that many of you would like to relate their experiences, too.
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