Well, not quite a thousand, yet.
Though tedious, listing items on eBay becomes easier after the first few. Then, like any repetitive process, you find a groove.
I refused to donate all my unwanted pieces, since so many of them were expensive and in good condition, despite being up to ten years old. And, labels sell. Diesel, John Varvatos, Burberry. A pair of Louis Vuitton loafers I bought in 2006 sold for $150, a 70% depreciation over nine years.
In the 2000s, when I first joined eBay, payment and shipping logistics were a wide field of unknowns and pitfalls. Paypal was in its infancy; protecting both buyers and sellers from fraud challenged the online currency exchange industry to develop more robust processes.
Today, the process is padded and lined with virtual stopgaps that prevent anyone involved from diverting too far from the prescription.
In partnership with eBay, couriers have modernized and integrated too. USPS offers discounts on direct postage purchased within eBay, even on flat-rate packaging, an ingenious creation in itself. “If it fits, it ships” eliminates the uncertainty of weight, dimensions, and tracking or insurance costs. And, the packaging comes as part of the postage price!
SO. EASY!
I am fascinated by the shipping industry in general. How rates are determined. How items arrive faster or slower, depending on innumerable circumstances. The environmental cost of all the corrugated cardboard we buy, use, and recycle.
At a deeper level, having to handle my prior purchases and questionable style choices induces some reflection. How often do we compromise on a purchase, because of a discount, or because we feel the need to acquire, rather than hold potential purchases to a consistent standard?
You can’t know up front, with perfect accuracy, what will in some years time turn out to be a favorite. But, healthy detachment from emotionally-charged shopping is probably helpful to avoid regrets later.
Modern advents like eBay help soften the blow of ‘mistakes.’ What’s my old hat is someone else’s treasure, and for that I am thankful.
Contrary to common belief among my friends, I will soon run out of my own clothes to sell on eBay. If you have some key, higher-end items you’d like to unload without the tedium of photographing, listing, and shipping, I would be happy to offer my services for a 20%Â percentage fee of the final selling price.
Contact me for details!