The Brutal Reality of Being a Small eBay Seller
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
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I have gone back to taking off "Free Post" and charging the customer the exact postage..especially on larger items. I haven't noticed this affecting my sales in any way and I find that the majority of customers don't mind paying the postage costs if they really want a certain item and it also shows them the true value of the item they are buying.
So I weigh and measure everything now at the time that I list and this also helps me to be more discerning about what items I source to sell on eBay too..
As a rule of thumb, unless I am getting a really large item at an absolute bargain or if I have a market on Facebook for it, I just don't touch larger size items now - I zero in on small items that I know will make a good profit and will be cheaper to post. I find that selling larger items are a bit harder to sell to customers on eBay too because they tend to buy from Facebook Market Place to avoid postage costs therefore less market for larger items on eBay because of that..that is not to say that larger items don't sell on there..just as resellers we need to make sure what we pay for the item is going to justify selling it on eBay.
Well done to you Kate!
Awesome! Whatever works for you!!!
At 7:34, Kate had her hands on some gorgeous (hugely profitable) Spell dresses in that rack, before you dragged her off to see a Geelong Cats clock! Noooo! Also - Sass & Bide sizing (like the top she found) is on the smaller care label on the side bottom hem. One more thing... It's totally fine & accepted to charge for postage when selling women's clothes / shoes on eBay. Most sellers do. Most buyers pay without thinking about it. Will save you squillions!
I only offer free postage on big ticket items, say around $100 or more. Small value items are not worth the seller including free postage and only making net profit less than $10 or $15. Normal online retailers (not ebay) always charge postage separately, and ebay sellers should be no different to ensure good financial returns. Small value items are best sold through FB where buyer picks up and the money is all profit.
Sold my 1st Box set DVD’ this morning.(3rd rock from the sun)
Bought for $15, Sold for $89.95.
$40 total profit.
Took about 2 months to sell.
Thanks Matt and your content for helping achieve that.
Incredible work mate, plenty more to come!
Once of my favourite all time shows
@ same!
I sold Casteel for $35 + postage back in August.
I also think as a starter, if you’re including postage in the mark up, you need more of a buffer, you can always send offers. I also think you need to be more diverse to find your lane. Like DVDs /Shoes - but add your uniqueness to you… adds an extra layer. Us chicks know other things… let your GF add some of her own flare.
I agree! What does Kate love or have an interest in?
For sure I’m not restricting her in any way she’s just unsure and happy to go off my eye on a lot of things.
@@TheAussieFlipperDoing the right thing. I've sold 10,000 cards on my eBay store and I can assure you it takes thousands of sales to realize what sells best and has the good margins. Saves you from being stuck with hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of stale inventory.
@@kaypgrowth agreed. So true. I have vintage store at a warehouse, & it’s super hard to know what sells as every month is different and also it’s also the hunt & find vs margin. It a fabulous business to play in, I’m just part timer, but love it. I need to spend more time selling on eBay using Matt’s tips.
Not enough to pay bills as a small time seller. Really just a hobby. Loads of people are on a no-buy. Let's talk about the wastage all the only spent on things that no one buys.
that's a great point.. we make it hard for ourselves as beginner sellers. Buying items that don't sell and cause out inventory spent to balloon with no chance of return!
Hey Kate, try something your boyfriend doesn't, keep your asking price the same but add on postage so the seller pays it.
Agree with this comment! Focus on clothes or activewear or something you enjoy buying and selling … dvds aren’t it
I agree she can sell whatever she likes.. but to say DVDs aren't it????? Come on MANNNNNNNN whatttt
Free post is TERRIBLE
It’s never free
Hi Matt and Kate.
I have a question that’s holding me back from listing my huge death pile.
Should I start by listing all of my dvd series then move on to my tubs of sneakers then my stockpile of vintage toys /cards etc.
Not to mention my crates of jeans , men’s shirts and ladies dresses etc .
What order should I start ??
It’s really holding me back and my piles are getting bigger.
Luckily we have now bought a house with a huge double shed so I have plenty of room to set up in ☺️☺️
Start with either 1) Whatever is likely to sell quickest OR 2) Whichever group is the smallest so that you get a sense of accomplishment ...to get your motivation going
@@abcdefgh1Mel ( Back from Burnout) mentioned this recently. She said she tries to list different book genres for her eBay store. But I also think that getting that death pile listed is the priority. Don't over think it!
Sorry, replied to the wrong poster 😮
Do the shoes first. They will deteriorate faster than the other things you have listed ie: the rubber.
Remember the listing goal is a set $ value per day. Start with high ticket stuff and work through it. You’re finding reasons not to simply start Laura, action will alleviate the stress 🙂
I use media rate for DVDs books ect . The Hornblower set would cost around 5.00 to ship in the USA . I charge the customer for shipping always . EBAY does not take a percentage of the shipping. If you put the boots on at 60.00 with 20.00 shipping you would make way more money. Good luck .
Thanks for the feedback
You seem to be the type of American fella that doesn't understand that not everyone is American. Ebay Australia absolutely takes the seller fee out of the postage as well, and it makes no difference whatsoever if you charge extra for postage or build it in to the price. It's also obnoxiously expensive to post in Australia and so losing that seller fee from the postage is crippling.
@@jakecooper5855 Thank you for explaining SORRY if I came off as an American . I an not I am Pikuni member of the Blackfeet Nation. Maybe someday we can meet and have a welcome to country ceremony . Plus I now understand your system . THANK YOU
Australia does not have media rate. Everything is charged the same. Weight and dimensions included.
@@emersongarcia7128 Well I just learned something new thank you. In America USPS has a discount rate for businesses of up to 56% plus we have a super cheap media rate ect. lot of options .They charge cheaper for packages under 22". But the real issue was I watched about ten EBAY videos and just finished my second round of Delmore 12. Lesson learned did not realize it was Australia . Ya went back and watched it again so much for being helpful . Hey I did give it a thumbs up.
I'm just a small time seller decluttering things from home. I have so much more to list but amazed at what I have sold. Got good feedback so hopefully, I can keep it up 😅
You got this!!!
If u tell each vendor they have the best flea mrkt… one day they’ll be on to u bc some of them are ‘neighborly’ to each other 😁
Try to spread the nice words evenly.. you get my point
Oh boy those shipping costs are brutal. Watching you get those small profit margins are killing me
I know right! A profits a profit though at the end of the day I guess
Carrara seems to have dropped off this time of year, mate.? The personal picks must be keeping your stock filled, which, like all businesses, supply, and demand to keep the customer base returning is a must. Great advice in explaining tactics on negotiation when it comes to stall owners, although the idea of winning people over with a fake demeanor 4:33 only goes against further relationships when it comes to business deals in the future. Nice to see you both enjoying time together while running your businesses. Hope to see you both soon, and good luck Kate.
Lol note: please don’t give fake demeanour.. genuinely build a connection with the person. It goes along way! Hope you’re well mate
All is well out at Mount Gravatt, we got sick of the Kleptomania down the coast. Had a $150 Daiwa reel stolen the day you came to our stall last. The perils of flee markets. Love to all.
Yeah that's definitely the thing that's taken me the longest to adjust to is their slow payouts. It's weird cause I've had it where it said "funds are available" on a holiday (this past MLK day) and the next day the money was direct deposited into my account. There are the times (LIKE NOW) where there's no holiday and it's said for 3-4 days straight that the funds have been made available for payout, however no money has been sent to my account. It says tomorrow/ Monday morning the payout will be sent. So their certain ways of doing the payouts can definitely get annoying. I've found you definitely CANNOT under any circumstances be depending to use your profits on a certain day because it just simply may not be there yet. As you said it's the brutal reality of it. I've started thinking of it as some kind of savings in a sense, it's helped my frame of mind much better when it comes to their lackadaisical payout system. Lol
Hi guys, quick question about DVD and Blu-ray - do you have to play / check them before selling?
I don't have any devices to play them in, so I havent been game to buy any.
Thanks 👍
No scratch no worries is the process for us :)
Hey Matt, I think a lot of us got the Australia post email today, what are your thoughts? How is it gonna work with the tracked or untracked envelopes for games/dvds?
I spoke to my local aus post agent and they assured me that it is fine to use the trackers enveloped for dvds and media so that's awesome
What I’m struggle with: How to not undercut the price (if that means what I think it means, but get the item sold to a buyer.
I feel like everyone wants the best price and that’s it. I’m 100% feedback but also new so only about 30-35 rating
example: comps are saying $50-$100. if you're a new seller I'd price at $55 and accept $50 on offers. You're not undercutting the market and creating a new floor for the product but you're attractive enough to get the sale as a newbie. Over time you grow receive me views and impressions on your listings and can price higher ($90-$100). Hope that helps
We get the lesson about expensive post everytime we post a sold item.
well said.
I feel Kate’s pain in term of the profit made from books. Unfortunately I’ve recently sold some book sets and made approximately $16 from one set that sold for $50 and approximately $6 from another that sold for $35. I don’t think it makes much of a difference by charging buyers for postage, as you’d simply have to lower the buy it now price to compete with other sellers offering free postage. I prefer to stick to single DVDs / video games that are at most $6.60 to post. Keep up the great work Matt. I’ve noticed the new content on your channel has dropped off a little over the past few weeks. Have you done any big picks lately?
Private picks for me! Going steady
@ but looking forward to the videos.
Hey, chatting from Canada. Just a question, how long do you keep an item you purchased before you get rid of it.
Cheers.
Andrew
I never get rid of it. Price it to sell and it should turn within months. If I doesn’t promote it at a higher % or drop the price. If that doesn’t work it’s a lesson because it should never have been bought for eBay
@@TheAussieFlipper Thats what he is talking about the ones the ones that are eventually a lesson - how long before you dispose of them?
Definitely need upfront capital to get you through the first month. Expecting to get started on the money you get from selling a few things around the house doesn't work, you won't have any cashflow for at least 4 weeks.
Correct
Car temp is the temp under the car, so heat from the road is picked up
true
incorrect it is usually a sensor on the passenger mirror.
@@narkd_5175 Probably depends on the car. Many of them are under the vehicle
@@narkd_5175 we got a temperature war goin on here
I hope you let Kate use your band 5 discount for that lego. That postage is nuts!
Nope we put it through on her’s I can’t have my business numbers effected
At least it will boast her band discounts up
@@emusaurus I was thinking Matt should have let Kate sell the stuff from her dad's holiday home, that was a gold mine, but he's not about inflating her sales, he's trying to teach us through Kate
@ spot on!
@@TheAussieFlipper Hey Matt the only way it would affect your numbers is if you paid for it through your business account. I was told by Australia Post officer that I can use my MyPost account for anything, including personal purchases etc..all you need to do it scan your Australia Post bar code thingy and then you can pay for the item any way you want to - so Kate can pay through her account after scanning. It will "affect" your Australia Post numbers in a good way..just adds to the volume of postage that you are putting through them. But good lesson learnt too for this exercise!
Why do you categorize inventory as an expense? It's an asset.
It is but you’ve still had to pay for it so it’s a cost to the business
Tax deduction so its an expense (even though hopefully an investment)
who has the time to type all their items into yet another system
Someone who’s serious about treating there selling like a business
Great video Matt ur content & videos keep just getting better well done👏👏 Loving this series with Kate u guys bring out the best in each other 💕 it 😃😃
thanks for the kind words Kimberley!
Been watching your videos for just over a month, I've always thought you reminded me of someone but couldn't think who. My girlfriend watched this video with me this afternoon and she said you remind her of me. I guess you remind me of myself.
Love your content, and i credit you with giving me the motivation to start my own ebay store! 👌
hahaha that's so cool thanks so much for watching mate hope the sales are flowing!
@TheAussieFlipper Thanks mate! Just joined as a member of your channel and signed up on flippedit. Looking forward to what's ahead!
@ amazing stuff Andrew! Would love your feedback!
I wouldn't have picked up the Lego Coliseum for that price. Too much hassle and the profit margin to cost of goods ratio is a risk. Spending $300 (plus hassle time packing it) to make $100...would only do that if it was guaranteed to sell in a week.
I guess it did sell in a week which is what I thought it would. $$$'s in our pocket, i'd do it all over again in a heart beat
@@TheAussieFlipper yes you would because you're an experience seller, but I wouldn't recommend a noob seller take such risks with cashflow
@ I don’t think it’s a risk when the sold history shows a 3.5x on the investment and multiple solds.. the numbers don’t lie. Whether you sell on Day 1 or Day 1000 that product is going to sell
Tip..take a small clothes tape measure with you when youre out n about...good for boxes, sizing clothes without tags, hard goods for shipping sizes.you can get keyring sized measures fo4 even easier handling and less likely to forget them.
Good advice
Totally agree. Get that 1st 100 sales...and feedback. VIP. I have been selling for 20 years, big initially, but now in my 70s am able to list only what gives me joy. Use the profits for holidays and bucket lists. Consistency is paramount. Customer service is huge.
well said!
A week into it and I must say I am already feeling very disheartened. Almost 50 items listed (over $1400 in value) - most items with no views or very few. Sending offers, replying quickly, all paid promotion. Diligent research. Not pricing any higher that the most recent "sold" items. Covering a wide range of categories : dvd's, toys, runners, sporting goods, collectibles, games. So many ops shops, flea markets. Only 2 sales. I think I am probably in the red just on time and petrol.
are you putting up listings each day or putting them up all at once? It is a slow grind in the early days. A week just isn't long enough to say it doesn't work. With pricing price your items in the bottom half of the sales history for a more appealing price point. Stick at it.. it gets easier as you go. If it makes a profit take the offer.
@@TheAussieFlipper yes each day adding at least $100 value. Ok will see how I go
You need to stick at it over time, a week is nothing. Make a few sales, provide great customer service, get some good reviews, learn lots of things and persist until things start to fall into place.
@@TheAussieFlipper OK so I took your advice and yesterday it paid off. Day 7 and we had 5 sales!!! Learning a lot as I go - yes patience is the key. Thank you
@@LianaUkr you've got this!
Did you manage to get a promo code for Australia Post?? I went in the other day to ask and its new owners at my local and they where not helpful and said no to promos.. I started my ebay journey the same time as Kate and scored a complete goosebumps today on Marketplace.. and 130 other goosebumps titles. 211 all up for $150... I have only had one sale and it was an international, jumped right in the deep end.. Love following along with this series..
So cool! Nope we haven’t checked yet! Will do it this week
I asked my local PO also and they didn't really know about it. Just Google it, the code is online somewhere, changes occasionally.
Hey guys, I’m fairly new to resale. Can u pls explain what u mean by ‘bread & butter’ & when does it stop being bread & butter & becomes a good one? I hear it a lot & I just wanna understand the terms. I appreciate you guys 👊
Amazing to find Merlin complete set for $5 normally op shops are charging per disc and it would be more like $20 plus
Crazy
hey mate, haven't been past for a while... your platform sounds interesting!!! keen to know how it was built, ive been hopeless at trying to do them myself. You should definitely integrate it with ebay to automate that bad boy though, but there's loads more PII you need to be wary of aroudn that I guess. good luck with it!
Good mate of mine is a software developer.. he’s been a wizard creating this over the past 6 months. I think it’s turned out great and will help a lot of people!
my guess on c to f is take the c then times by 2 then add 20 and that's the average f .... so Cx2+20 = F
Hi Matt, would flippedit work for us kiwis with trademe or only eBay? just wanna double cheak before i sign up cheers
Yes! It's suited for any ecommerce platform, Trademe included!
@TheAussieFlipper your a legend. I enjoy the content keep it up
@@SALTYFARK Only thing will be we don't have a NZD currency so select AUS for now and enter the $ value per your $ value. We'll add a NZD soon which you'll easily be able to swap too
Matt, did you have any success getting the promo discount (Band 3 rates) for Kate for her myPost business account?
It’s become a job to do for this week! Interested to see what they say
Would you include the answer in one of your videos please?
Great advice & tips for new sellers. It can be a bit disheartening when starting out, especially with Aust cost of postage but it does get more profitable as sales increase.
absoolutely! got to stick to the plan!
Hi, many thanks for all your great vids guys. I have a question about your books is that when you list them on eBay do you tend to keep hardbacks together and paperbacks separate for your listings? Or mix them if in a bundle of Lee Child books for example. Cheers
I always mix them in and explain the breakdown in the title and description
domyou use a box sizer for your shipping..i can send off a $30 US down to $15 as i compact the boxes with the box sizer...one of the best supplies i have is that box sizer...then cheap take.. collecting shopping bags for packing finding free boxes, flat pack found boxes for storage reduction and reusing shipping bags as much as boxes....if you have an ebay shop then use their quarterly coupon to buy tape if you sell a lot of hardware.
Good thoughts thanks for watching
I always weigh my items before I list them so that I know the postage cost.
Smart
pro tip: to get to top rated seller status quick, post a 100 $! items and have a friend buy them all or buy them all yourself lol
Not meaning to give you a hard time, but you need to work on the volume of your videos. They are so low compared to others.
May i suggest you re-watch your video and take notice of the volume difference to you speaking and when an ad comes on.
Mayne your microphone volume is on a lower setting to what you think it is.
I really enjoy your content when im driving, looking forward to future uploads. Take care bud.
If you're going to play music in your videos, use audio leveling. You're already editing the videos, do your viewers the service!!
I use a basic editing software that doesn’t allow me to balance
Thanks for answering about the payout rate and postage it was something I was wondering about as postage is my biggest cost
26:00 thats one of the best series, is that still up on the ebay store?
Yep still for sale :)
@@TheAussieFlipper thank you ill buy it later today
@ awesome!
Does your software allow for other currencies. I see in your clips it shows AUD, but can it show British pound or USD etc? I’d love to use this software it’s perfect for what I’ve been looking for with my business.
Yep, we have both US and Pound as well as Canadian and euro.. more currencies to come
Can you use it on iPhones
You can. We have a modified version on the iPhone
@ can’t find it on the App Store
Good hunting both 🎉 you guys are super lucky to have such an amazing flea market (just looked at website) No trading cards or pop vinyls allowed, this due to fakes?
keep up the good work.
PS. my OCD is killing me 😅 can you please repaint the white wall so no more black marks 🙏🏻
Sure thing haha
I have found since the new year sales have dropped off.
Normal, best time to study market, study whats selling and not selling. Picks up in March.
Same
Enjoying the journey, love a new store series :)
Thanks for watching!
Loving this series and watching Kate start her journey. Will you do any videos on the FlippedIt dashboard and any figures involved in that?
I'll have a demo video done shortly on flippedit.com.au ! :)
can you wipe your macbook screen... my ocd could never work with that
Haha for you I will
Aus Post does my head in... I have a slow month and they bump me down a band as quick as looking at me. #AusPostSux !
I agree they are shit lol
What is your eBay store name?
Can’t say 🙃
Sass n bide sizing is always next to the care tag not the label 😊 nice finds today 👍
Found it!
I am 12 weeks in and I hit top rated a couple weeks ago I just have to get reevaluated
Unbelievable work - congrats! What was the toughest part?
@ convincing my mom to let me use her social haha no actually it’s keeping the death pile low/listing a lot even though I know it means more sells
Let her use your QR code? Then she can send it cheaper? Why wouldn't you let her use it?
In last years starting from scratch series i got alot of hate for bending the rules and using my advantages of a seasoned seller to grow from scratch ( accessing private picks was the big one) so this series I really want to play it by the book. It seems you can't win on the internet however when comments like this roll in saying you should give her your discounts????? i dont know...
@@TheAussieFlipper oh there is nothing wrong with letting someone share your discount code. It is good that you want fair game though...but not necessary. Screw the haters!
@@gabbenitez8039 kKtes doing a great job but to be fair if you going to call a video The Brutal Reality of Being a Small eBay Seller then paying shit postage costs when your new is a apart of the game.
Hardly worth your time or cost of satchels etc
We'll keep selling while you keep being negative then :)
@ ok if you have a paying job to supplement while starting off
@@outbackchick5111 I hope you do!
Is Kate paying for printer and other consumables or are you spotting her for those too? Not a true representation of starting out.
So Matt it looks like I have to Pay to watch your channel. Long term watcher, not ANYMORE. 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
All videos are free Steven, we have a members group who gets additional content.. they also get first access to new things like Flippedit
Should have gone to specsavers.
Just woke up didn't have my glasses on, just been to specs avers. Keep up the grind. Steven. Scotland. It's 6am here. Lol
@@emusaurus 😅
Hey Matt, love the RUclips channel, just a thought is being successful at balance of volume of products, and what's selling at the time. The amount of random stuff I thought would never sell to the things I thought were gold, is pretty even, only been selling for a month
Good stuff! Knowledge is power. All comes down to the numbers at the end of the day but I’ve been amazed by what sells
Well done Kate, ticking along good with you're sales.
Perry just lying there waiting for that 25% of his cut of the profit.
Maybe a new Toy.🐕😅
Great job Matt in guiding Kate, she has a great Teacher.✊✊✊
Thanks so much for watching and the idea to get perry a new toy! He’ll be happy
Love Lee Child, especially the Jack Reacher series.
so popular!
Also a series on Apple ?
Season 3 coming in February 👏👏👏
@@ljulcoq I've read all the Jack Reacher novels from Lee Child. Saw the first 2 seasons. Love this character. The books are a fast and "I can't put it down" kind of book. The series is very much like the books.
I love your content keep up the good work
Thanks for watching!
I know you guys are in QLD with pretty lax laws on it but doesn't reselling using second hand goods essentially fall under secondhand sellers and pawnbrokers act requiring registration for a licence in NSW and VIC unless you're selling exempt items like clothing, shoes and video games?
Electronics, bikes, computers fall under the above Act.
Could say same about Facebook auctions.
Flippers should get a real job and do something to actually contribute to society
Thanks for being here
I’m enjoying your videos mate and following Kate’s journey. It is hard to hear what Kate is saying in the videos, not sure why this is the case. Keep up the great work both of you.
She’s softly spoken but I also think I might to buy new microphones we’ve had issues with it for weeks and they’re a costly thing to buy. I might dial up her volume in the edit temporarily moving forward
For my first two years i never made a dime personally, reinvesting everything....but now i have over $30k US in stock from a staring point two years ago of $100 in my first month, put in $2000 and my last years saleswere $22k and this year im up over 30% from last year for january.
Congrats that’s so good
New subscriber here. Catching up on all your old content and loving it. Have you done or talk much about the pros and cons of promoting a listing. Would love some more info on this please! Keep up the hard work
Thanks deejay yes plenty of chat on the importance of promoted I do 3% but if you’re new to eBay 5-8% is recommended. 80% of my sales come through promotion
@@TheAussieFlipper Wow 80% ! appreciate the tips. Ive been a seller off and on for 15 years. I just think its so slow now. Ill give it a go thanks.
Well done i thought 500 dollars was good for the Lego set but 640 is awesome. You called it by waiting it out!
high ticket item plenty of interest
first viewer, YAY!
Thanks for watching!
With the tax laws changing in the UK because the government hates us earning money, all my profit margin is gone as of yesterday so I'm stopping before I have to start dealing with HMRC and declaring it all.
How can I contact you re: a private pick? I’m based in Canberra
Shoot me an email - address in description. :)
Congrats to being closer to being in profit Kate 😊
Your advice to get top rated seller is spot on. I sacrificed average sale prices to achieve number of sales and that's what worked for me. Keep going kate 💪
Definitely the answer!
@TheAussieFlipper also helped having those cheaper satchel at the start to
KEEP IT UP!!!
Thanks for watching
38 degrees C is 100 F.... copping that here in Canberra today, in fact.
Woweee cooking!
oh we beat you by 2 degrees here in Melbourne today....and the same tomorrow :(