Nearly new sale or eBay?

angelpye · 26 February 2013 at 1:17PM

Hi all,
Long time no see. I was ok for a while then denial hit and over the past couple of days I had my latest and hopefully final LB moment! Came back to this lovely little community to get me back on debt free wagon. :beer:
My budget is such that everything is covered but no breathing room for extras and I have a trip for dd1 coming up but can't stretch to it so I need to make some cash fast!
My question is this...
I have 3 years worth of baby paraphernalia to sell and can't decide how best to do this? eBay? I have sold little previously so have plenty free listings for 99p or under. Or a nearly new sale, there is one very soon it costs £5 to register and they take 30%.

I would appreciate your thoughts and comments on experience.

Ruthy1604 · 26 February 2013 at 1:26PM

Hi,

I tend to list everything on ebay first on a free listing day (not 99p), then take whats left to a NCT NNS. This means that the prettier/ more sought after stuff goes for the highest possible price with a lower commission rate. Its no big deal if it doesn't sell has you still can take it to the NCT sale. This works well with clothes and other things that can be posted easily.

The 30% NCT commission is quite steep but IMHO you have more chance of selling stuff there as they buyers are specifically looking for baby things. Make sure you put all clothes on hangers & bag up all bits for toys. Presentation is paramount!

Hope this helps

angelpye · 26 February 2013 at 1:42PM

Thank you, the selling is new to me and dd2 had some lovely things bought for her. It's a minefield of working out postage etc...is it best to take it to post office to weigh before posting?

FallenArcher · 26 February 2013 at 2:27PM

Hi angelpye, use the royal mail's price finder http://www.royalmail.com/price-finder - weigh your item (and packaging materials) and then work out what postage to charge based on that. 30% commission seems huge (especially as on top of a table charge), what about a carboot sale for anything that doesn't sell on ebay? Especially if you have non-baby stuff to sell too.

LannieDuck · 26 February 2013 at 2:33PM

Was going to say NCT since prices are higher there than on ebay... but didn't realise there was a 30% charge.

Given that... probably e-bay. Good baby stuff goes well on there.

Edit: Would it be worth checking with a second NCT sale to see if the commission stays the same regardless of which area you're in?

Ruthy1604 · 26 February 2013 at 6:40PM

I do a few Nct sales and tbh 30% is not unusual. Prices are higher though and the commission goes to fund the National Childbirth Trust which is a registered charity. I still manage to sell loads more there than on eBay !

I got totally put off car boot sales by all the people offering 10p for my best things that were worth way more than that. At least at the Nct sale, you just drop off your stuff in a big box and they do all the selling for you. I just pick up what's left at the end and wait for my cheque. Easy peasy.

Good luck whatever you decide Angelpye - selling is addictive !!

DaisyChainMaker · 26 February 2013 at 7:51PM

I would suggest you advertise on Gumtree, and also if you are a Facebook user check out buy and sell pages for your local area. Both Gumtree and Facebook pages are free to advertise and will ensure your items are viewed by local people who will collect items saving you hassle of posting and of course cost. Win\Win

[Deleted User] · 26 February 2013 at 7:57PM

Be careful on Gumtree - allegedly there are some unscrupulous people on there.

Lomast · 26 February 2013 at 8:12PM

My wife shifted a load of our baby stuff at a non NCT baby goods tabletop sale, not sure if there are any in your area but the feeling she had was you still got people there specifically for baby and young childrens clothes but the cost was a fixed table charge (£8 she thinks).

angelpye · 26 February 2013 at 9:54PM

Hi all, thank you for all the tips and advice.

The sale locally isnt NCT (they book up months in advance and are a little difficult for me to get to with no car) but it is local and like one of you said it does provide a captured audience. It's only two weeks away so thinking maybe I will do that and then whatever doesn't go can go on ebay - we have some lovely coats and outfits from decent shops and then the usual moses basket, baby chairs and toys etc.

It is a little bit of a pain to get things there although only five minutes walk and when I have gone to buy the prices seem reasonable. I too have had nightmare carbootists insisting on haggling to very low prices. Some I will send to charity anyway as there is lots of it.

I will also try places like gumtree etc if sale sends back big items but facebay in my area is not very well subscribed to but I guess still worth a go.

I am always astounded that people out there come on and give advice and offer encouragement - it really helps when things feel so tight.

I'd like to add that although ultimately my finances are my fault I recently became a lone parent and sole mortgage payer and although my ex is generous with maintenance and pays more than CSA would get from him, it is a shock to the system to back here again. I am lucky, I have a good part time job that pays well and secure for the foreseeable future and I am well thought of so not likely to loose it and I have a very nice home, beautiful girls and my health. It's just hard sometimes and dd1's father has never paid a dime so when it comes to her needs its all me - there is pride behind that statement too though as I know I can take all the credit for the amazing if challenging young lady she is growing into.

I have a couple of debts to beat down but as long as I stay committed, keep an eye on the pennies it wont beat me and that's what counts. I need to work out how long things will take to pay off and to keep a spending diary.

Again thank you guys for being exactly where I need you to be and also for all the amazing support you are giving others on here....I lurk quite a bit (MSE quickly becomes addictive again too

) and I can see the really bad times people are having, and I am cheered that there is so much warmth out there and no criticism (well, not as much as there could be

).

Nearly new sale or eBay?

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