I joined the eBay online auction community in January 1997. I actually discovered eBay one night in October 1996 as I was surfing on my brand new personal computer. At the time I was part owner of a small antique group shop (specializing in dolls, teddy bears and vintage toys) that was struggling to stay afloat with a huge overhead. Ebay seemed like a viable alternative to sell our items so after a couple of months of watching the action, I signed on. In the beginning eBay actually kept count of the members. There were only a few categories and all dolls were in just one category! I bought and sold a few items with much success. At that time there were many more buyers than sellers so it was very possible to have a bidding war on fairly ordinary items. Today is quite a different story! There are hundreds of categories and thousands of members (perhaps even into the millions!). The categories have subdivisions and to me it is mind boggling how it all works (software is not my "forte"). It has developed into the current giant that now owns many other companies.
I now enjoy selling as a hobby and sell approximately 80-100 items a year. Some items sell very well realizing a profit while others bring a loss. At this time, I have learned quite a few things. I always search an item on eBay before I list it. This gives me an idea if the item will sell and for how much. There is a listing fee and a final value fee so the item much realize a profit to cover these costs. I also try to sell items that are very good to excellent condition and it helps to be a very rare item. It is still possible to make a large profit if the item is rare and pristine. Knowledge of the item is essential. I have definitely learned not to waste my time on items that are common and not desirable. There are other online sites to sell items but I still remain faithful to eBay. I believe that it still draws the largest audience and is a true global outlet for selling quality items. I would love to hear some great eBay success stories.
I have two sweet sue dolls that I am interested in selling. One is, I believe, a sophisticate, the other is a bride. Both are in excellent condition. I received them both in 1957 when I was recuperating from Polio. Please advise. Thanks.
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I joined the eBay online auction community in January 1997. I actually discovered eBay one night in October 1996 as I was surfing on my brand new personal computer. At the time I was part owner of a small antique group shop (specializing in dolls, teddy bears and vintage toys) that was struggling to stay afloat with a huge overhead. Ebay seemed like a viable alternative to sell our items so after a couple of months of watching the action, I signed on. In the beginning eBay actually kept count of the members. There were only a few categories and all dolls were in just one category! I bought and sold a few items with much success. At that time there were many more buyers than sellers so it was very possible to have a bidding war on fairly ordinary items. Today is quite a different story! There are hundreds of categories and thousands of members (perhaps even into the millions!). The categories have subdivisions and to me it is mind boggling how it all works (software is not my "forte"). It has developed into the current giant that now owns many other companies.
I now enjoy selling as a hobby and sell approximately 80-100 items a year. Some items sell very well realizing a profit while others bring a loss. At this time, I have learned quite a few things. I always search an item on eBay before I list it. This gives me an idea if the item will sell and for how much. There is a listing fee and a final value fee so the item much realize a profit to cover these costs. I also try to sell items that are very good to excellent condition and it helps to be a very rare item. It is still possible to make a large profit if the item is rare and pristine. Knowledge of the item is essential. I have definitely learned not to waste my time on items that are common and not desirable. There are other online sites to sell items but I still remain faithful to eBay. I believe that it still draws the largest audience and is a true global outlet for selling quality items. I would love to hear some great eBay success stories.