Hmm to sell or not to sell

mudgekin

As some of you know I have decided it is time to start ebaying partly due to the fact that I am being forved into medical retirement and so I seriously need to declutter and also to raise a few pounds to get some new things for the house that I just will not be able to afford when I stop working.

Many years ago DH and I bought 2 items when we worked abroad. They languished in a box of things that lived in the loft that has been packed and shipped home when we came back in the early 90s.

Last week we discovered them and thought that they may go for a couple of pounds and that would be great to the saving fund and I then suggested getting them valued first. We contacted a reputable online valuation house and they have come back as being worth around £300 - 400 each and because they are slightly different from the ussual items of that kind they may get more.

The question is, to ebay or not to ebay? I suppose that if we put them into a regional auction it may well cost us more in fees in the long run and as long as they are dispatched and insured properly if they do sell then we shouldn't be at risk?

What are the opinions of the dear folks here please. DH is still not convinced of ebay at all even though we (I) have sold a few bits and pieces, he thinks it is just for clothes and anything else is scams. He just looks on it as my latest hobby rather than something that we can seriously declutter and make a few quid from.

thanks

KrazyKel

Maybe if you are going to put them on ebay, put them on with a reserve or start price of around or just below what the estimate for them is. Might cost a couple pounds to list etc but at least you wont be risking a lot if they sell for a low value!
Also if they do sell make sure however you send them they are fully covered for insurance etc too

seashore321

I would put them into a reputable auction house that has on line bidding with a fixed reserve. You then get on line worldwide. You will pay fees, Commission and VAT if they are vatable items. However you can discuss this beforehand with the auctioneer.
if you are new to ebay as you say you are open to scams and problems, IMHO I would only sell something like that on ebay if I was 100% sure of what i was doing. Good luck!

soolin

Yes a b & M auction will be dearer but I agree with seashore it may be safer and worth sacrificing some money for. It will save you worrying about packaging etc as well.

9217niall

I'd try them on eBay at 99p with your reserve price close to the valuation. If they don't meet it, you won't have wasted much and you can still get them off to the auction house.

Best of luck :money::beer:

amcluesent

Hard to say, without knowing what the items are - presumably object d'art of some kind? You'd need to see if there was any history of sales of similar items on Ebay, indicating that buyers were about.

Crowqueen

With what eBay is currently like, and the direction it is going in (mostly consumer durables, low-value collectables and bric-a-brac) something for that amount of money would probably be worth looking at an ordinary auction house. Despite the fees, you know the people who are bidding have seen the item, are going to be chased up for the money, and will be prevented from trying to spuriously return it or cannibalise it and defraud you on a return.

Not all eBay buyers are like that but high-value items may not even realise the full price so a reserve is almost mandatory.

I bet you were pleased to find out the value of those items but eBay is possibly not the best place to try and realise it.

fridayschild_2

9217niall wrote: »

I'd try them on eBay at 99p with your reserve price close to the valuation. If they don't meet it, you won't have wasted much and you can still get them off to the auction house.

Ooh, don't do that, 1) it's annoying 2) it doesn't look very professional 3) Would that be classed as fee avoidance?

I know it's different to other things out there, hence the rarity value, but have you actually looked online to see if there are others around? Check for completed listings on ebay to see if any have sold recently (or not sold)

'Google' it as well because that way if there were any around it would appear in seller's feedback pages.

I have never listed anything on an outside auction but having glanced briefly at those endless tv programmes I must admit that their fees are quite pricy. 20 - 25% it seems.

If you do send it to auction though, make sure they put a reserved price on it.

Crowqueen

fridayschild wrote: »

Ooh, don't do that, 1) it's annoying 2) it doesn't look very professional 3) Would that be classed as fee avoidance?

I know it's different to other things out there, hence the rarity value, but have you actually looked online to see if there are others around? Check for completed listings on ebay to see if any have sold recently (or not sold)

'Google' it as well because that way if there were any around it would appear in seller's feedback pages.

I have never listed anything on an outside auction but having glanced briefly at those endless tv programmes I must admit that their fees are quite pricy. 20 - 25% it seems.

If you do send it to auction though, make sure they put a reserved price on it.

No, the only fee avoidance/risk of being a non-performing seller would be if they put it on at 99p with text in the listing saying "I am not prepared to let this go for under £400". Using the reserve option and a 99p start, they don't have to sell. It is fairly common to use reserves with a 99p start price, as if people bid higher than the reserve the price immediately jumps to the minimum reserve, regardless of any other bids placed.

What is foolish would be starting an item at 99p with a Buy It Now of £400. Someone would just bid to get rid of the BIN. However, if you put a 99p start, a BIN of £450 and a reserve of £400, the BIN stays until the reserve is met.

With a normal auction house you also get charged VAT on the commission.

macfly

Stick it on ebay at a buy it now price you would be happy with. Bricks and mortar auction houses vary immensely in their ability to promote your goods. Unless it is a niche collectable and the auction house knows collectors. The benefit of ebay is it's a large market, and figures in google searches.
Properly insured, loads of photos, you would lose 40p if it doesn't sell.
Scammers on ebay are few and far between.

soolin

macfly wrote: »

Stick it on ebay at a buy it now price you would be happy with. Bricks and mortar auction houses vary immensely in their ability to promote your goods. Unless it is a niche collectable and the auction house knows collectors. The benefit of ebay is it's a large market, and figures in google searches.
Properly insured, loads of photos, you would lose 40p if it doesn't sell.
Scammers on ebay are few and far between.

A little more than 40p I think.

Over £100 would cost a basic £1.30 before any additional services.
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/fees.html#Auction