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[Sparkletastic]

It hardly seems worth trying to sell a lot of the things I don’t want on eBay or FB marketplace.

Question for the group: Do you have a minimum value under which you just donate or pitch items (vs. selling)?

I’m going to hold the next few big delivery boxes that come in and take most of my unwanted items to a charity. If something is less than $100, I don’t want to waste the time on it. In my experience, cheaper items draw the absolute worst buyers. I used to consider selling as a mindless but fun hobby - but now it’s just a hassle. So, I think my new minimum may become $250.

Thoughts?

 

[chowlover2]

I hadn’t sold on EBay for quite awhile, then started selling again in late September. All I can say is collectibles do not move in today’s market. And shipping has gotten very expensive. So I listed some stuff, but what didn’t sell is going to get loaded up and dropped off at my local church. I will hold the Christmas stuff and donate that before their big Christmas Bazaar next Dec. I do pretty well with beauty items, but some stuff is just a hassle. And everyone seems to want stuff for nothing these days.

 

[whateve]

It hardly seems worth trying to sell a lot of the things I don’t want on eBay or FB marketplace.

Question for the group: Do you have a minimum value under which you just donate or pitch items (vs. selling)?

I’m going to hold the next few big delivery boxes that come in and take most of my unwanted items to a charity. If something is less than $100, I don’t want to waste the time on it. In my experience, cheaper items draw the absolute worst buyers. I used to consider selling as a mindless but fun hobby - but now it’s just a hassle. So, I think my new minimum may become $250.

Thoughts?

Not really. It depends on how easy I think the item will be to sell and ship. I evaluate whether I think there is a market for the item. A lightweight small item is worth more to me than a heavy one in terms of selling on some sites, but if I'm selling on Poshmark, it just has to weigh less than 5 pounds. I put up a lot of cheap books for sale, thinking people would bundle them so the combined total would make it worth it, but not very many people have bought bundles. I have a hard time donating items with tags even if I won't make very much on them. It's like giving up and admitting I'm stupid for wasting the money on them. I really have a hard time giving up on things I bought specifically for resale.

I never used to think this way. I donated things I no longer wanted and never thought about them again. I wish I could get back to never considering resale value.

 

[Sparkletastic]

Not really. It depends on how easy I think the item will be to sell and ship. I evaluate whether I think there is a market for the item. A lightweight small item is worth more to me than a heavy one in terms of selling on some sites, but if I'm selling on Poshmark, it just has to weigh less than 5 pounds. I put up a lot of cheap books for sale, thinking people would bundle them so the combined total would make it worth it, but not very many people have bought bundles. I have a hard time donating items with tags even if I won't make very much on them. It's like giving up and admitting I'm stupid for wasting the money on them. I really have a hard time giving up on things I bought specifically for resale.

I never used to think this way. I donated things I no longer wanted and never thought about them again. I wish I could get back to never considering resale value.

I’ve gone the opposite direction. When I was younger, in grad school, raising kids, etc, money was much tighter. So, buying errors represented lost opportunity for my family and brought ridiculous amounts of guilt. Also, selling online in the past was easier because there were fewer scam artists. So my efforts to list items came with a more reliable reward.

Now, I know myself (and my family’s needs) better so I rarely make as many non handbag buying errors. And the scrimping and saving paid off so I don’t have to worry about lost $ outlay on any one item. Lastly, high site fees, scammers and slower overall sales turns makes online selling a pain.

But, most of all, as I’ve gone through life’s trials, I’ve learned (ok, I’m very much still in process of learning ) that my time and peace of mind are precious. So I’m just not going to let these need-to-go items affect my psyche.

In the time since I posted my selling questions over the past couple of days til now, I’ve decided to send anything under $200 to charity. If they were going to sell, they would have. That will leave me with just these last 5 handbags to sell and nothing else. I already feel “lighter”.

 

[Tomsmom]

It hardly seems worth trying to sell a lot of the things I don’t want on eBay or FB marketplace.

Question for the group: Do you have a minimum value under which you just donate or pitch items (vs. selling)?

I’m going to hold the next few big delivery boxes that come in and take most of my unwanted items to a charity. If something is less than $100, I don’t want to waste the time on it. In my experience, cheaper items draw the absolute worst buyers. I used to consider selling as a mindless but fun hobby - but now it’s just a hassle. So, I think my new minimum may become $250.

Thoughts?

My minimum is 100.00, I usually sell on Posh, so to find a box/packing and then go to the post office it’s got
To be worth my time.

I work at a school and there are quite a few co workers that we admire each others Clothing and styles. I have given away many items I don’t want to donate/sell.

 

[squeakyrose]

This is such an interesting discussion, OGs. Without changing the topic of minimums, could I also ask how folks feel about selling on eBay vs Posh vs FBM?

 

[whateve]

This is such an interesting discussion, OGs. Without changing the topic of minimums, could I also ask how folks feel about selling on eBay vs Posh vs FBM?

I've never sold on FBM. I don't even have a Facebook account.

I've sold on ebay for many years, from back when it was the main option. I still have some stuff listed there but not as much as I have listed on Posh. I resisted Posh for a long time because of the higher fees and the sharing, which I thought required too much effort. These days Posh is my favorite. On ebay, if someone want to, even if you don't take returns, they can make up a reason to force you to take a return, and then you are out the shipping costs to the buyer and back to you. Someone can get you negative feedback that can affect your ability to sell in the future. Buyers have at least 6 weeks to decide whether or not to complain, and often much longer. On Posh (and Mercari) buyers have 3 days after receipt to either accept or complain. Once those 3 days have passed you get your money and you don't have to worry.

Lately the way the fees are structured, ebay's fees aren't much lower than Poshmark's. Sometimes they are higher because Ebay charges fees on the shipping charge.

The main reason I love Poshmark is the shipping. With every other site, you have to figure out in advance how much the shipping is going to cost to put it in the listing. That means you need to know what type of packaging you are going to use and how much it will weigh. Unless you are using flat rate shipping, you may endeavor to find the lightest weight packing materials and will have to weigh that against how securely the item is protected against damage. With Poshmark, as long as it is under 5 pounds, I don't have to think about it beforehand. I can use any packaging I have lying around and pack things very securely without having to worry about cost. Things that I would ship in an envelope on ebay get put into a box for Poshmark.

Because of the way shipping is structured on Poshmark, I can list things on Poshmark that wouldn't make sense to sell on another site. Like books, since the shipping cost is often more than the value of the book. The buyers pay a flat rate for shipping and the seller isn't charged any fees on the shipping, unless the seller chooses to offer a shipping discount.

It turned out the sharing aspect of Poshmark isn't really a problem. I can share if I want but don't have to. I like sharing because it makes me feel like I'm doing something proactive to get my items to sell.

There is one thing you should be aware of. Mercari and Poshmark control their shipping labels and only provide insurance up to a certain amount. There is no way a seller can buy additional insurance. If the package is lost, you won't be reimbursed for more than their insurance level. On ebay, where you buy your own shipping, you can buy as much insurance as you need.

 

[squeakyrose]

Thank you so much for this incredibly thoughtful answer. So interesting to hear the comparative experience and the pros and cons from an experienced seller.

Truthfully I threw in FBM bc people seem to say good things about it — but I don’t have a FB account either! I think you and I might be the last two people in the country (planet?)! 😁

Interested to hear if others have similar (or different) exoeriences — and I also really don’t want to accidentally detour the conversation about minimums.

Thanks so much everybody as always for sharing your insights for knowledge and discussion.

 

[renee_nyc]

I've never sold on FBM. I don't even have a Facebook account.

I've sold on ebay for many years, from back when it was the main option. I still have some stuff listed there but not as much as I have listed on Posh. I resisted Posh for a long time because of the higher fees and the sharing, which I thought required too much effort. These days Posh is my favorite. On ebay, if someone want to, even if you don't take returns, they can make up a reason to force you to take a return, and then you are out the shipping costs to the buyer and back to you. Someone can get you negative feedback that can affect your ability to sell in the future. Buyers have at least 6 weeks to decide whether or not to complain, and often much longer. On Posh (and Mercari) buyers have 3 days after receipt to either accept or complain. Once those 3 days have passed you get your money and you don't have to worry.

Lately the way the fees are structured, ebay's fees aren't much lower than Poshmark's. Sometimes they are higher because Ebay charges fees on the shipping charge.

The main reason I love Poshmark is the shipping. With every other site, you have to figure out in advance how much the shipping is going to cost to put it in the listing. That means you need to know what type of packaging you are going to use and how much it will weigh. Unless you are using flat rate shipping, you may endeavor to find the lightest weight packing materials and will have to weigh that against how securely the item is protected against damage. With Poshmark, as long as it is under 5 pounds, I don't have to think about it beforehand. I can use any packaging I have lying around and pack things very securely without having to worry about cost. Things that I would ship in an envelope on ebay get put into a box for Poshmark.

Because of the way shipping is structured on Poshmark, I can list things on Poshmark that wouldn't make sense to sell on another site. Like books, since the shipping cost is often more than the value of the book. The buyers pay a flat rate for shipping and the seller isn't charged any fees on the shipping, unless the seller chooses to offer a shipping discount.

It turned out the sharing aspect of Poshmark isn't really a problem. I can share if I want but don't have to. I like sharing because it makes me feel like I'm doing something proactive to get my items to sell.

There is one thing you should be aware of. Mercari and Poshmark control their shipping labels and only provide insurance up to a certain amount. There is no way a seller can buy additional insurance. If the package is lost, you won't be reimbursed for more than their insurance level. On ebay, where you buy your own shipping, you can buy as much insurance as you need.

You’ve convinced me to go back on Posh. They should give you a commission 😂

 

[Vintage Leather]

This is such an interesting discussion, OGs. Without changing the topic of minimums, could I also ask how folks feel about selling on eBay vs Posh vs FBM?

I am not a professional seller. Not even an enthusiastic amateur. However, I find it more convenient to sell things than donate because the mail comes to my door, and the charity shops do not.


On eBay, I’ll sell collectibles. It’s such a large marketplace, and I don’t have to worry about finding the buyers for Jurassic park coins, ect.

Posh is where I sell the bulk of my items - they handle shipping, buyers have three days to quibble over if they want something, posh handles it if something is lost in the mail. Buyers can’t come back six months later for weird reasons. Yes, I pay a 20% fee for this - but it’s a peace of mind tax.

I signed up for Mercari when they had a promotion. It’s like a more inconvenient posh, with slightly lower fees. One package was lost in the mail, and Mercari basically said, “so, what are you doing about it” which, since the shipping was paid for through their site, not much. V frustrating. But it’s been helpful in moving cheaper items. Contemporary purses seem to sell fairly well.

Facebook. I don’t like marketplace. Lots of flakes, and I don’t mind my postal worker knowing where I live, but a stranger is a different thing. I have sold in specialty bst Facebook groups, however. Because it’s a targeted audience, I can usually get the higher end of market value, and no commissions. Of course, no outside protection either, but I just factor in the cost of flat rate shipping into my listing.

 

[squeakyrose]

I am not a professional seller. Not even an enthusiastic amateur. However, I find it more convenient to sell things than donate because the mail comes to my door, and the charity shops do not.


On eBay, I’ll sell collectibles. It’s such a large marketplace, and I don’t have to worry about finding the buyers for Jurassic park coins, ect.

Posh is where I sell the bulk of my items - they handle shipping, buyers have three days to quibble over if they want something, posh handles it if something is lost in the mail. Buyers can’t come back six months later for weird reasons. Yes, I pay a 20% fee for this - but it’s a peace of mind tax.

I signed up for Mercari when they had a promotion. It’s like a more inconvenient posh, with slightly lower fees. One package was lost in the mail, and Mercari basically said, “so, what are you doing about it” which, since the shipping was paid for through their site, not much. V frustrating. But it’s been helpful in moving cheaper items. Contemporary purses seem to sell fairly well.

Facebook. I don’t like marketplace. Lots of flakes, and I don’t mind my postal worker knowing where I live, but a stranger is a different thing. I have sold in specialty bst Facebook groups, however. Because it’s a targeted audience, I can usually get the higher end of market value, and no commissions. Of course, no outside protection either, but I just factor in the cost of flat rate shipping into my listing.

Again, so helpful and just plain interesting to hear all these experienced insights. Thanks!

 

[Sparkletastic]

This is such an interesting discussion, OGs. Without changing the topic of minimums, could I also ask how folks feel about selling on eBay vs Posh vs FBM?

I despise FBM. People waste your time with low ball offers and questions and then ghost. They will even set up time to meet and not show. So I no longer list there.

I try to like Poshmark but something always goes wrong with my account. Last week it wouldn’t let me fulfill a sale because it said my phone number was “wrong”. That took 5 days to resolve. Now just yesterday all my listings but one have DISAPPEARED so I’m, yet again, waiting for customer service () to respond and put them back on my page. If they can’t restore my listings, I’m done with PM forever.

So, that means I sell most of my items on eBay. The return policy is a hassle but overall, it’s been 90% of my sales with only a couple of issues in over 20 years of selling.

I’ve listed on Vestiaire and never sold anything. And, I still miss Tradesy which was a great selling platform.

Now, I’m moving more and more to consignment and use Ann’s Fabulous Finds as they do all the work and still give a very respectable share of the proceeds to the seller.

Honestly, I’m working hard now to avoid any future selling on the feobt in. I’m going to be much slower to pull the trigger on buying so I don’t acquire anything I don’t want to keep forever.

 

[squeakyrose]

I despise FBM. People waste your time with low ball offers and questions and then ghost. They will even set up time to meet and not show. So I no longer list there.

I try to like Poshmark but something always goes wrong with my account. Last week it wouldn’t let me fulfill a sale because it said my phone number was “wrong”. That took 5 days to resolve. Now just yesterday all my listings but one have DISAPPEARED so I’m, yet again, waiting for customer service () to respond and put them back on my page. If they can’t restore my listings, I’m done with PM forever.

So, that means I sell most of my items on eBay. The return policy is a hassle but overall, it’s been 90% of my sales with only a couple of issues in over 20 years of selling.

I’ve listed on Vestiaire and never sold anything. And, I still miss Tradesy which was a great selling platform.

Now, I’m moving more and more to consignment and use Ann’s Fabulous Finds as they do all the work and still give a very respectable share of the proceeds to the seller.

Honestly, I’m working hard now to avoid any future selling on the feobt in. I’m going to be much slower to pull the trigger on buying so I don’t acquire anything I don’t want to keep forever.

Yet another super interesting and useful share, thanks! I just looked at Ann’s Fabulous Finds — wow!! Gorgeous stuff.

 

[thegirlwhoflies]

I walked into a consignment store Deep Ellum in Dallas on Tuesday afternoon and found this preloved Chanel Square Mini (2021 collection) for $700 USD. I died!! For that price, I feel like I stole it! I'm still absolutely astonished. Going to send her off to Leather Surgeons for a spa and condition in the next few weeks.

 

[Peggy Bundy]

I don’t know what this is but it folds flat and opens to hold “something” I liked it and thought it was nice

View attachment 6115724

It's a folding fruit basket (of course, you can use it to hold whatever you like!)