Ebay....

Updated on January 21, 2009
K.F. asks from Middleburg, FL
17 answers

Has anyone ever opened up their own Ebay store? How did you go about starting up your business, and what items did you decide to sell? How did you incorporate taxes into the price when listing at your ebay store? Do you think that it is worth it running your store?
I live in SC, and am thinking of starting up my own ebay store, but I am really unsure of where to start. Do you need a small business liscense to do this, and the taxes thing really confuses me.
If anyone has opened their own store on ebay, please let me know what your experience has been like, and how you got started! Any and all ideas and advice would be greatly appreciated!

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S.B.

answers from Norfolk on

If you are serious about it you should go to the library. They have a lot of books there about ebay and other auction sites. They have the pros and cons of each site and tax info etc.

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T.W.

answers from Spartanburg on

Am in the same boat so far as working outside of the home goes,but I have gone to the BBB of SC and it states that you should never put up money to get a job.Am not sure about opening a store on e-bay ,but if you have anything you want to sell you set up an account with some type of bank account so they can take out fees and deposit your funds for the items you are selling. GOOD LUCK!

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R.C.

answers from Spartanburg on

I don't have any information that you're looking for, but as a tax preparer during tax season, I'd suggest waiting until 2007 starts to begin your business. That way, you won't have to mess with taxes for it for 2006. Good luck! What are you planning to sell?

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J.R.

answers from Raleigh on

K., I tried it... but found EBAY fees to be expensive. Not only that, you have to deal with entering lengths, widths, measurements, etc. for clothes that you sell, and it ends up not being worth the time or effort, or at least that is the way it ended up for me. I have switched over to a home-based business that I love. Not only are the products great for my home and family, the income has proved to be a huge payoff as well. There are alot of different home-based businesses out there and you have to find something that "clicks" with you. Just make sure you check out the marketing plan and do you homework. I would be more than happy to chat with you if you are interested.

Check out my website at www.jhowell.ownanewbusiness.com

J.

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C.M.

answers from Charleston on

I'm not sure of the Ebay store, but I know of a lady that does a lot of yard selling and makes money by posting "good finds" on Ebay. I really think if you tried to post an ad in the paper or some other source stating you will sell items on Ebay people will most likely call you. I've had a friend of mine sell several items for me b/c I just can't do it. Call me lazy or old fashioned, but Ebay just wasn't for me. It made it much easier to have him post it and deal with all the shipping, etc.
If that isn't an option for you...I have recently started direct sells (you know the Home parties. like Southern Living at HOME or Party Lite..Mary Kay..) I actually do well (income) considering my hours and time away from other obligations. Good luck!

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

You only have to pay taxes if your income exceeds more than a certain amount. Here in VA that amount is $600. But as a former ebay-er let me tell you it's not worth it. They just did a major across the board fee increase. To sell something just as regular inventory is minimum .35 cents. You pay that whether or not your item sells. To open a store the basic one costs $15 a month and you still have to pay fees on items you list. Once again whether or not that item sells. I recently started selling my sons clothes on a place called BidVille (www.bidville.com). There's no fees to list your item (unless you go for the REALLY fancy stuff) and you only pay a small amount if your item sells. You can open a store for under $10 a month. There's even community boards where you can go in and talk to other sellers and promote your items. If you want more info email me @ ____@____.com.

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A.B.

answers from Raleigh on

Hey,

Have you ever considered becoming an Independent Consultant for Arbonne. You could still stay at home with your daughter and earn a supplemental income while doing it. I began my Arbonne business just a few months ago and am having an amazing time meeting other people and building a home based business to boot.

Check out my site www.abriggs.myarbonne.com.

My number is on the site please feel free to call or email me with questions.

The compensation plan is amazing.

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S.

answers from Spartanburg on

There is a book that you can probably get at Barnes and Noble regarding how to start up your own ebay business. It will give you all the information you will need from business licensure to taxes and everything in between. I know there is also a company called www.west.com and you would be a contract employee for them doing at home customer service on your schedule anytime of the day including nights. Basically you fill out all your information and when they have a position open they will contact you. another lady on this website said it took a couple weeks, but she was contacted and is now working from home, so maybe that would be another avenue for your to explore. good luck.

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S.J.

answers from Mobile on

If you're thinking about buying used items at yard-sales and reselling them on Ebay, it can take a lot of work. I have a friend who gets up to hit the garage sales every Friday and Saturday at 6:00 am. She knows what's collectible, and what brands to look for, like Fisher Price, Gymboree or Ann Taylor. You'll also be busy packing items up and going to the post office frequently during the week. She's actually done pretty well, but stays surprisingly busy to keep her business running smoothly and her customers happy.

There are also companies like SMC that promise to help you open an Ebay store and they'll store and ship the items for you. These kinds of deals require money from you to start, and you have to remember there are lots of other people already on Ebay selling the same items, so you lose out on the unique factor.

You can always start small selling your baby's used clothes on Ebay to get the hang of how it works. Good luck!

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L.D.

answers from Sumter on

If you are not having any luck with an e-bay business, I know where you can earn extra income without having to sell, stock or ship anything. You do not have to collect any money or deliver any products. There is no large investment and there is a ZERO RISK guarantee.
Please check out www.4thedinkins.fourpointmoms.com to get more information.

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G.S.

answers from Fayetteville on

Hi K.. I never tried opening up an e-bay store but I did try to sell some of my daughters clothes on e-bay and that just didn't work out for me. Now I have purchased items on e-bay. That has!!

If you're looking to make $$ go to www.naagsantosbanks.com
If it's something that may interest you e-mail me. I'll assist you.

Good Luck!!

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A.T.

answers from Norfolk on

Yes Ebay is great. But it will take some getting use to. I have a store on ebay...I see it as fun. Many people are looking for great deals...I suggest pulling together items that you would give away to like a thrift store and post them first and let the money build up in your account then use that money to build the store. Always have twice as much in your paypal account then you could possibly lose that month (long story) I started selling stuff I had (and stuff that other peole wanted to get rid of). They pay for the shipping and you start at change. I then got my business license and called around to dist. of products that I use and some of them were willing to set up wholesale accounts with me and I went from there. As for the tax...ebay is like selling an item through your local newspaper. If you are going to go full speed ahead it will be in your best interest to get a license down the line. Just put some stuff up and invest that money into it...when you go to get your license they will tell you all you need to knw about taxes etc...hope this helps...oh I got my license for retail sales...

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P.D.

answers from Charlotte on

Hi K.!

I've had an ebay business for about 3 years now. I've been a stay at home mom and have tried EVERYTHING!! If your selling something very marketable then it would be great. If not, then you are going to start building a lot of monthly fees and such. People can be very demanding and it can be very frustrating trying to run it while taking care of your house.

I was at my wits end and didn't know what else to do. With 3 small children, going back to work just wasn't an option. The M.O.M. Team gives me the best!! I'm improving the Health and Wellness of our family and working to become financially stable while being home with my kids.

There is No Sellng, NO inventory, NO parties and NO RISK!! What do you have to lose? Check it out and I'll be glad to give you a call to go over it in more detail.

http://www.themomteam.com/priscilladavis

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T.W.

answers from Fayetteville on

I just got off ebay. Its real easy when you log on go to the top where it says sell and create your own selling account. you will need downloadable pictures and your banking or credit card routing and account numbers. You must sign up for paypal too. Its free for the first pix and like 40 cents each additional. I only paid 6.40. The paypal and bank info is so the money may be directly deposited when a customer buys.

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E.H.

answers from Norfolk on

I sell on Ebay all the time. Its very time consuming but its worth it. Now I dont have a store on Ebay I just list here and there whenever possible, but I really like it. Got to Ebay Tuturials and they will help you.

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L.D.

answers from Spartanburg on

Hi K.,
Wow! You're right in my back yard. I'm in NC.

Now for Ebay, you can just sell without actually opening an "ebay store". I recently started selling to get rid of some items that we didn't use anymore. All you need is a credit card for fees (they charge it automatically once a month or you can pay yourself through paypal) and a paypal account. Make sure you upgrade the account or they will hit you with fees for random things - which can add up fast!

For taxes, keep things organized and documented. Have a good email service and keep all the email notices from paypal that let you know when payment is received and how much. Also keep all your receipts for shipping - you want to be able to write that off!

At the end of the year you just file as a self employed person and list the income and expenses of your business. It might be a good idea to open a tax account to keep 25% of your earnings in. This is good because otherwise you might get a surprise and owe a lot when taxes are due.

Overall, I think checking out some books on ebay selling is a good idea. Make sure it's not more than a year old though because the internet changes so rapidly.

Good Luck!

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A.C.

answers from Montgomery on

Hi K., I have 2 children (9&6) I have for the most part been a stay at home mom. I've tried to work out of the home before, and either I was paying out more for child care than I was bringing in orsomething(always). I now have my own business. I am an Independant Beauticontrol Consultant. I'm sure you've heard of Mary Kay, well this is a little like that except much more fun. We do in home spas. You make your own schedule. My work time is around my husbands schedule so that he can be home with the kids when I am working. And right now it is around my sons football practice and games. I personally love it. If it is something that you might be interested in check out my web page at www.beautipage.com/andrea_cook.

Hope this could help you!
A.

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