How to Sell Your Expensive Stuff on eBay
We come across many people who seriously want to get rid of their stuff and live simpler lives. But again and again, we hear the same refrain: “My stuff is too expensive to give away.”
It’s important to be honest about the value of your stuff. Often, giving stuff away for free–even expensive stuff–is a good idea. The loss of initial investment is usually offset by the hidden values of not living with clutter and not paying storage real estate.
But some of us have really expensive, valuable, high quality stuff–stuff we spent a lot of dough buying. Stuff we won’t give away for free. For that stuff, the question is, “How do I sell it?”
EBay is the resource most of us think of when selling our stuff. But if you’re like me, you don’t have the time or patience to navigate your way through the intricacies of establishing a seller profile, taking pics of your stuff, creating return policies and so forth.
For those of us with lots of valuable stuff and little patience, there is eBay’s Trading Assistant Program. Through the program, you can find individuals and storefronts who will take in–and even pick up–the stuff you want to sell. EBay provides a feedback profile so you know the TA is legit. TA’s offer insurance on your goods and many specialize in particular types of goods (which you specify in your search).
Of course none of this is free. Fees and commissions vary from seller to seller. Some charge standard commission rates ranging from 10-60% depending on the expense of the item–more expensive item = lower commission. Others charge flat fees. And read the fine print: you might have to incur PayPal fees, eBay fees, shipping, etc.
If this sounds steep, consider that we paid 100-200% above wholesale when we bought our stuff (didn’t seem to bother us then). Also, consider that our stuff isn’t very valuable sitting in our basement or storage unit, so getting a 30-40% return is 30-40% more than 0%. Lastly, because of the large volume of people who use eBay, you are much more likely to fetch a good price than you would selling the stuff yourself or at a local consignment store.
Have you used eBay’s Trading Assistant Program? Let us know if you have any tips or suggestions. If you have any other tips for easily getting rid of your valuable stuff, let us know that too.