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Decluttering and money making tips
Comments
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Thanks everyone - some really helpful advice.
It is a bit of minefield.
It is amazing what you can accumulate over the years and it was made worse by the fact that despite our house not being particularly large, we have a massive loft and garage - everything just gets thrown in either of those. Often, the premise is either "that will come in useful one day" or "this is certainly worth something - I shall get round to selling that one day".
I wish I had the ability just to indiscriminately bin everything but it is difficult - there is some genuinely valuable stuff in there, plus there is the guilt of putting stuff into landfill that could be genuinely useful to someone (especially at the moment, given the world economy).
The problem as I see it, having had a look at Ebay, is that the fees and p&p mean that low value items are just not worth the effort, so I can see why it is worth trying to have a look at items (that have sold before) and perhaps only consider selling something on there if it is worth, say, at least a minimum value.
I also had a look on MusicMagpie and Ziffit and whilst nearly all my books and DVDs were worth 10p, if anything at all, there was an old book that was worth £5.00 and some random CDs that were worth the same - unexplainable but better than nothing. I am sure I could get more on Ebay but it just not worth it.
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bit_by_bit said:
I have a sheet with prices and measurments on. I always get proof of posting but sometimes the PO person will try to charge for a small parccel rather than a large letter etc. Know what you should be paying and get by weight and size and always get proof of posting. I have only had one thing not arrive in the last year although some have been late due to postal strikes and general delays.
I say 'small parcel, 2nd class, not signed for £3.35'. etc.
I did once have a PO clerk try to tell me that I couldn't send large letter heavier than 100gms.
Wrong!
LL goes from:
up to 100gm
101gm to 250gm
251gm to 500gm
501gm to 750gm
I wouldn't budge and she ended up calling a supervisor (this was in a WHS which is not our town's main post office) who confirmed I was right.3 -
elsmandino said:
The problem as I see it, having had a look at Ebay, is that the fees and p&p mean that low value items are just not worth the effort, so I can see why it is worth trying to have a look at items (that have sold before) and perhaps only consider selling something on there if it is worth, say, at least a minimum value.
It takes extra time but I always check if an item I'm thinking about listing is likely to sell by looking at similar/same items.
I have a stone necklace that I bought from a flea market years ago for a couple of £s.
It would either go to our local hospice shop or on eBay.
I found the exact same item on eBay at a price that means mine will be worth listing, even if I list at half what the same item is currently listed at.
Also, consider offering combined postage for items that are ending at similar times.
For example, 2 pairs of shoes with P&P £3.35 each in the same parcel (you need to be sure of weight and size) so just charging £3.35.
It makes no difference to me if I send in the same parcel. In fact, it's easier.
But it can make the difference between a sale or none.2 -
I hate throwing stuff away that could be useful, and try to divide stuff by value, and by whether it will be easy or hard to sell.Anything I think will be relatively easy to sell but low value goes to charity shop - eg most clothesHard to sell but low value I offer on a free local site - eg clothes hangers, broken electronicsEasy to sell but higher value I sell (or leave sitting around to get round to it someday, and sometimes move my boundary for value and give to charity)Hard to sell but higher value I may get round to leaving an advert somewhere and may accept offers after it has been listed without sale for ages - or get frustrated after I have given it a fair chance and give away - it is better than landfill.What I find strange is people's reaction to whether I might entertain an offer - which is time based, and I am quite open about this. If I have just listed something and you swoop in, I will not consider an offer. If it has been listed for a couple of months I might reduce a bit. Which seems obvious and straightforward to me, but apparently not by many of the reactions I get!But a banker, engaged at enormous expense,Had the whole of their cash in his care.
Lewis Carroll3 -
theoretica said:What I find strange is people's reaction to whether I might entertain an offer - which is time based, and I am quite open about this. If I have just listed something and you swoop in, I will not consider an offer. If it has been listed for a couple of months I might reduce a bit. Which seems obvious and straightforward to me, but apparently not by many of the reactions I get!
I'm happy to accept an offer if I think it's reasonable and the item is destined for the charity shop if it doesn't sell.
For clothes, shoes etc I usually do the free relisting for 7 weeks and then end the item.
It then goes to the charity shop or back in the cupboard for relisting later.
What I'm not keen on is a potential buyer asking if I'll accept an offer when there is no 'best offer' option if the offer is way below the starting bid price.2 -
Just to add a couple of points. Firstly it is cheaper to buy RM postage online either via eBay or from the RM site, my most common used size is small parcel 2nd class which is £3.35 at the post office but only £2.85 online. There is no saving though for large letters.
Also private sellers with good or higher rating tend to get FVF offers every other weekend, there’s currently one on where FVFs are reduced by 70% or 80% , if you subscribe to this thread you will get notifications https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3824175/free-listing-email-alerts-no-chat#latest
For any specific help do come over to the eBay board .
I’ve personally just started using Vinted, it’s taking me a little time to get used to it as it is completely different from eBay , but I’m doing quite well .I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.2 -
Pollycat said:I use Royal Mail as I have 2 Post Offices that are convenient.
It's really simple, I use this:
Get a price | Royal Mail Group Ltd
although I can now assess the postage costs accurately.
For example, a pair of shoes - with or without box - will go RM small parcel 2nd class for £3.35.
A pair of earrings will go RM large letter under 100gm 2nd class for £1.05.
A more expensive item of jewellery will be sent RM large letter 2nd class signed for £2.45.
2 things I do in addition to what I've posted above is overwrite eBay's suggested starting price. I'll decide how much I want the starting bid to be.
I always check eBay's suggested posting cost/courier. If it's not what I want, I change it.
So you don't always get thing signed for?
What happens if the item is apparently not received?4 -
elsmandino said:I also had a look on MusicMagpie and Ziffit and whilst nearly all my books and DVDs were worth 10p, if anything at all, there was an old book that was worth £5.00 and some random CDs that were worth the same - unexplainable but better than nothing. I am sure I could get more on Ebay but it just not worth it.
I've bought a couple of CD's and DVD's over the year's from ebay, when it gets delivered I see music magpie have sold it through eBay. So I guess they are buying from us only to relist it at a higher price anyway.3 -
Thanks so much, everyone.
That last post is very insightful - never occurred to me that MusicMagpie are actually using Ebay themselves!
I think I am going to grab my highest value items and give Ebay a go to see how I get on with it - can then take things from there.
I have a few specific further questions but I had better post them in the Ebay forum, to avoid going off piste.
Thanks again.1 -
Coffeekup said:Pollycat said:I use Royal Mail as I have 2 Post Offices that are convenient.
It's really simple, I use this:
Get a price | Royal Mail Group Ltd
although I can now assess the postage costs accurately.
For example, a pair of shoes - with or without box - will go RM small parcel 2nd class for £3.35.
A pair of earrings will go RM large letter under 100gm 2nd class for £1.05.
A more expensive item of jewellery will be sent RM large letter 2nd class signed for £2.45.
2 things I do in addition to what I've posted above is overwrite eBay's suggested starting price. I'll decide how much I want the starting bid to be.
I always check eBay's suggested posting cost/courier. If it's not what I want, I change it.
So you don't always get thing signed for?
What happens if the item is apparently not received?
I've only had one purchased item go missing and the seller refunded me.
Curiously, the identical item was relisted soon after (it was a used item of jewellery and imho highly unlikely for the seller to have 2) for quite a lot more money.3
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