How did I get started on E-bay??

Today, I am going to discuss how I got started on E-bay. Back when my son was an infant until he was a toddler I dabbled in selling on E-bay. I sold my maternity clothes, his newborn-toddler clothing, old toys, some of my daughter's clothing, etc. After awhile I lost interest.

Well we must fast forward 5 or 6 years. I was needing to make some Christmas money. I have a friend, Nelda who has been selling off and on for 12 years. She had inspired me to get back started on E-bay. So I hijacked my husband's e-bay account (we had long ago closed our original account) and started selling some of my daughters clothes she had outgrown, some of the kid's toys they no longer played with and other miscellaneous items I had just stored away. I was pleasantly suprised I was able to make around $500 over the course of 5 or 6 weeks plenty to provide a nice Christmas for my family.

I eventually actually ran out of things of my own to sell (which really was amazing as I have a lot of stuff!) Nelda introduced me to the local Goodwill Outlet (I will discuss this store more in a later post) and we started going thrifting at area thrift stores almost every Saturday. I was at the time working full time in Client Services for a major manufacturer of scrubs, but I had been desperate to get back home to be a full time mom. One year after I began to sell I set a personal goal of getting back home by that spring. My husband and I discussed it and knew what I had to do financially with E-bay to make that happen. When I set my mind to something I will accomplish it. Well in March 2010 I was able to leave my job and go back to the best job of all full time mom.

How do you get started?

My suggestion is to first start out selling things from around the house. This really is a win/win situation. You can make much more then you would at a yard sale or consignment store & you are clearing out clutter. Once you have thinned out your own items you should start looking at thrift stores/yard sales for things you are comfortable/familiar with. I sell mainly clothing and shoes. I was not a "connoisseur" of brands, but I discovered I have an eye for fashion (which if you knew me in person you would never guess I am a jeans and t-shirt kinda gal). I also dabble in some vintage collectables as well. What are you interested in? What do you know a lot about? These are some questions you should ask yourself if you are going to get serious about selling.

Have a great day!
Betsy :)

My name is Betsy...

and I am a "Thriftaholic". Some people love to go shopping at the mall, some people adore Walmart or Target, some people like to shop online, but I love to shop at thrift stores, yard sales and estate sales. Saying I love to thrift store shop is an understatement! I love the thrill of the hunt, digging through bins, racks, shelves and boxes. I do not mind the occasional odd smells (a cross between old lady perfume and feet), the weird people (hey, I figure I am just as strange) or the occasional screaming child (my son Parker HATES thrift store shopping - he does not scream, but he would rather be poked with hot pokers I do believe. No worries, I rarely subject him to his own personal hell.) I have been known to squeal, giggle and on a rare occasion do a funky dance that is a cross between "The Chicken Dance" and a very scary form of John Travolta's Disco dancing.

I mainly focus on selling clothing and shoes, but I always look through the toys, household items & textiles. One of the best finds ever was when I found 3 handstitched vintage quilts in beautiful condition I paid $3 each for these (all 3 are pictured). They were appraised at a value of between $500-$700 each. They are now proudly displayed in my home. I have clothed my children, my husband and myself and furnished my home via thriftstores and yard sales.

I never thought the day would come I actually made my living doing what I love! There is certainly money to be made on E-bay and other online ventures, but you have to be patient and dilligent. For me this is the best of both worlds. I get to do what I love while being able to be home with those I love!

Happy Thrifting,
Betsy