Discuss the Flog Your Junk For Cash guide

13

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  • I've sold empty perfume & aftershave bottles £5-8each on ebay, somebody actually messaged asking if they could just buy the top of 1 of the bottles!! Over the years I ended up with a collection of 20 old mobile phones & various chargers some working some not, listed them on Gumtree sold in bulk stating they were "untested selling as spares/repairs got £45 plus extra £20 by asking the buyer if had any use for old untested electricals which were collecting dust in the shed he took them all, a printer, e-reader, digital camera, wifi router, portable dvd player most were missing the lead or plug and would of eventually gone to the tip. Other bits of junk found in drawers such as odd old buttons and broken jewellery sell for a fair amount. The list is endless really what junk items many people are willing to buy, where others just simply class it as junk and in the bin is where it belongs!!
  • Just seen the thread and want to add to the loo roll discussion.


    I used to save my loo roll middles and donate them to my local village Primary School who were always needing bits and bobs for various things. One day I took some in and the teacher showed me a directive that all the County's schools had recently received from the LEA stating that, for health reasons, used loo roll middles should not be handled and used by the children:eek:.


    Not sure if this was ever rescinded but Elf & Safety regs have taken a lot of fun out of life IMO:(
  • Greenqueen_2
    Greenqueen_2 Posts: 400
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    Yes, I work in childcare. We changed to only accepting rolls from kitchen paper that we can cut down, however I believe the "health and safety" ruling is actually an urban myth.
  • Greenqueen wrote: »
    Yes, I work in childcare. We changed to only accepting rolls from kitchen paper that we can cut down, however I believe the "health and safety" ruling is actually an urban myth.

    The teacher at the school I used to donate loo roll middles to showed me the actual circular that the school had received from their Local Education Authority. The staff were pretty annoyed about it as they used loads of loo roll middles in craft projects. Certainly not an urban myth in my neck of the woods;)
  • Cazza
    Cazza Posts: 1,165
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    I tried selling milk bottle tops on eBay not long after this article was written, no takers. There's a local charity that collects them so I now send them there.
  • Plus the added disadvantage of selling anything on ebay where the buyer gets to leave negative feedback but the seller has to remain silent if they have a bad experience (and theres plenty of those to be had nowadays on ebay) Ebay has completely changed and not for the better
  • Sold via Ebay auction: 20 jam jars

    Final auction bid: £1.04

    Net receipts inc payment for p&p: £4.66

    Actual p&p costs: Free recycled packing materials (phew!) + £16.40 postage (aaaarghgghgh!)

    Result: Misery (Aka an £11.74 deficit).

    Question: Is there really any type of relatively ordinary jar - or any amount of such jars - for which the payment is genuinely likely to outweigh the cost of postage that any buyer will be truly likely to tolerate?

    (Before answering, please take into consideration that glass is an exceptionally heavy material, and the p&p costs charged in this case were fixed relative to other sellers on Ebay offering similar items in similar quantities.)

    I have to admit I did not, in this instance

    KnowWhen2FoldEm :(
  • Wizzbang
    Wizzbang Posts: 4,716
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    Well, sorry but it's your own fault. It's easy to calculate the weight of an item BEFORE posting using your kitchen or bathroom scales. Then, you get quotes and put the ACTUAL cost of postage on your listing. Also taking into account fees that will be deducted, so that you don't make a loss.

    Next time, Freecycle them.
    Minimalist
    Extra income since 01/11/12 £36,546.45

  • Wizzbang said: It's easy to calculate the weight of an item BEFORE posting using your kitchen or bathroom scales.

    Which again begs the question I was asking (and which remains unanswered): Do all the sellers on EBay, offering similar items with similar p&p, know something I don't? Or are they as deluded as I was? Is there really NO viable market for old jam jars, such as MSE suggests?

    After all, if I HAD correctly calculated the postage at £16.40 and marked that up as part of my offer alongside those other sellers quoting p&p at £3.99 or similar, then pretty obviously I would have been unlikely to make a sale.

    So I still wonder what's really going on here.

    Wizzbang also said: Next time, Freecycle them.

    I gave up on Freegle (as the breakaway group from Freecycle is now called) after losing rather MORE than £11.74 of value in unpaid time waiting in for 3 different callers who agreed a pickup and then never turned up!

    "Buyer and seller", or let's say "giver and taker", etiquette on Freegle is terrible. People do not bother to answer messages if their item is already spoken for, do not trouble to tell you if they've already found something else suitable and no longer need your item, and seem to put no store in turning up on time, or even at all if it doesn't suit them, without apology or explanation.

    The reason, of course, is the stuff is free. When money isn't at stake, neither is reputation in future dealings, unlike EBay. So - who cares? Freegle proved to be one of my less inspiring insights into human nature.

    Those items I now give to charity or dispose of responsibly, which sometimes entails costs.

    But I haven't entirely given up on the jam jars. I have another 35 or so, and I notice a local couple are asking for old jars for homemade jams they sell alongside hen and duck eggs.

    Now I wonder if they could be persuaded to barter some eggs for some jars...:easter_ba

    Yours in eternal optimism

    KW2FE
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,545
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    Wizzbang said: It's easy to calculate the weight of an item BEFORE posting using your kitchen or bathroom scales.

    Which again begs the question I was asking (and which remains unanswered): Do all the sellers on EBay, offering similar items with similar p&p, know something I don't? Or are they as deluded as I was? Is there really NO viable market for old jam jars, such as MSE suggests?

    After all, if I HAD correctly calculated the postage at £16.40 and marked that up as part of my offer alongside those other sellers quoting p&p at £3.99 or similar, then pretty obviously I would have been unlikely to make a sale.

    So I still wonder what's really going on here.

    Wizzbang also said: Next time, Freecycle them.

    I gave up on Freegle (as the breakaway group from Freecycle is now called) after losing rather MORE than £11.74 of value in unpaid time waiting in for 3 different callers who agreed a pickup and then never turned up!

    "Buyer and seller", or let's say "giver and taker", etiquette on Freegle is terrible. People do not bother to answer messages if their item is already spoken for, do not trouble to tell you if they've already found something else suitable and no longer need your item, and seem to put no store in turning up on time, or even at all if it doesn't suit them, without apology or explanation.

    The reason, of course, is the stuff is free. When money isn't at stake, neither is reputation in future dealings, unlike EBay. So - who cares? Freegle proved to be one of my less inspiring insights into human nature.

    Those items I now give to charity or dispose of responsibly, which sometimes entails costs.

    But I haven't entirely given up on the jam jars. I have another 35 or so, and I notice a local couple are asking for old jars for homemade jams they sell alongside hen and duck eggs.

    Now I wonder if they could be persuaded to barter some eggs for some jars...:easter_ba

    Yours in eternal optimism

    KW2FE

    I think most of us have had the same problem with Freegle, although I have found several very grateful recipients, some who e-mailed or phoned to thank me for the items after collection.

    Regarding saleability, I would suggest that it is luck more than anything. You may just find the one person who wants to buy the item you wish to sell, or you may not. After several attempts at trying to offer 10 unopened blank and about 25 pre-recorded audiocassettes on Freegle, eventually a father took them as his teenage son wanted them. Very prompt in collecting and very grateful. And that is giving items away, not selling!

    My attitude is now that for small value items, e-Bay or similar is just too much time and effort for minimal return. Either recycle, charity bag or Freegle.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
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