Unusual Ways To Make Money

Sell On Ebay Without An Account

Unusual Ways Newsletter
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Would you like to sell things on Ebay (even as a business), but without the trouble of taking photos, filling out forms and monitoring auctions? It can be done. In fact, you don't even need to have an account. Just find an Ebay Trading Assistant.

My wife and I first discovered this when we had some leftover tagua figurines. Tagua, also known as vegetable ivory, is a very hard nut that is carved into little turtles, birds, frogs, and more (it is also used for jewelry). We had brought many of the hand-carved animal figurines back with us from Ecuador. After a summer selling for $7 each alongside our other products, at flea markets and craft shows, we had some unsold pieces.

A friend mentioned that there was a new business in town, a service that sold things on Ebay for customers. I dropped off five pieces of tagua and filled out a simple form. They took photos, listed and auctioned off the figurines on Ebay, took out their fees, and sent me a check a couple weeks later. If I remember correctly, after the fees, the check was for just $10 or so.

That may sound bad, but on the other hand, at that time we were able to buy the tagua figurines for around a dollar each (they normally retail online for $12 to $20). I did no advertising, packaging or shipping. It was easy.

Now, it wasn't enough to motivate me to start a business selling tagua on Ebay, but it does suggest some possibilities. After all, there are probably some products that sell closer to their retail value, and can be obtained cheaply. For that matter, maybe a different service would have been able to get twice as much by listing our carvings differently.

The Garage Sale Ebay Business

One way to make money with this idea is to visit a dozen garage sales with a notebook, and make a list of things that are commonly sold in your area. Find those items or similar ones on Ebay and see what they are selling for. Put those sales prices (the averages) on the list. Determine what the fees will be for a Trading assistant to sell them for you, and what other costs you'll have (gas for the car).

Finally, start shopping every weekend for saleable items. Make offers on things that leave you with room to cover your costs and make a profit. For example, if a certain type of doll sells regularly on Ebay for $13, and the fees will be $3, you might offer $3 for any such dolls, which leaves you a decent profit.

As you make mistakes and have successes, you'll learn what kinds of things are easiest to find and sell, and you can concentrate on fewer categories of items. With this kind of business, you don't have to do any work on Ebay (other than watching auctions to get educated on prices), nor any packaging or shipping. You just go shopping at rummage sales and perhaps antique shops and junk stores, and then drop everything off at the office of the trading assistant. They do the rest, and the checks are mailed to you.

Not all certified Ebay Trading Assistants have offices. Some operate from home, and others do this as a sideline to another business. To find one in your area, go to Ebay.com and search for "Trading Assistant Directory." You can enter your zip code and find the ones nearest to you.

One last thought: Even if you have no interest in doing this as a business, now you know how to get rid of the old and unused things around your house. Just drop them off with your local Ebay Trading Assistant.

Note: This is part of the "Unusual Ways" Newsletter.
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Unusual Ways To Make Money | Sell On Ebay Without An Account