I have sold a bunch of stuff on Ebay lately. It started with the fork from the Heckler, and then once I got all into it I listed a few other old mp3 players, wireless gear, and snowboard gear.

With the fork, I had to recoup a couple hundred, so I studied what they went for at the cheapest retail outlets as well as used and new on ebay. The best bet of moving something is to offer it below everyone else with a “Buy It Now” option. A buyer might get it cheaper, they might wind up paying more, but at least its done with no screwing around. Apparently this is a pretty decent strategy, since I moved 4 items this way within a few hours of listing. To figure out your price, I’d hit the bottom edge of the market\ebay prices, and then back out the fees   to arrive at my listing\shipping prices.

The strategy worked great for the fork, where it went for $455 w. shipping, and I had about $45 in fees. For the other items, the strategy was sound but the results less pleasing. My items were worth about $20-30 w. shipping. but after fees for ebay, paypal and UPS (which have gone up lately!), I was making around $12-$15 an item. The time to research, photo, list, box and ship an item was about an hour each. Not bad when I cleared $410 for the fork, but stupid when I made $40 for the other 3 items combined.

So why sell your crap on Ebay?

Financially, $12 an hour is stupid for me. A business is in a different position, they have their process streamlined. Or, I guess if yer sitting home with time on your hands, its a different story. But for me, Ebay tickles my notion of found money! I had crap, now I have almost 40 clams!!

This also feeds the idea that my shit is not worthless. Something I had, and used, and valued…I do not want to throw out. Even if it is almost worthless (or worth only $12), the idea of selling makes us feel better about upgrading or sending it away. The value is preserved, on some level, along with your pride.

Finally there is the idea of The Game! How MUCH can I get for this? How smartly can I work the system? Its the Seller’s version of “YOU WON!” How do you win when the only lazy-ass thing your lazy ass did was hit the button to “buy it now”!?! Ebay convinces you that you have vanquished and conquered — its brilliant!!! Next time I’m checking out at the grocery store, I’m going to shout “I WON!!!” “Congratulations! I’m a Winner!”

The most important question: does my selling on Ebay benefit the economy as a whole? My $25 of gross per item contributed about $11 to Ebay, Paypal and UPS. Instead of going in the garbage, it spurred commerce. Is this better than giving it to Goodwill? I thought most things I give away to Goodwill probably go wrongly labelled and become junk; the financial incentive for me is the tax benefit. My $25 dollar item gets claimed at more like $50, netting me the same $12 or so when all is done. So the economy is probably a wash. Byron acutely suggested, however, that well-run charities have experts who know how to pick through your stuff and get the most value for it. I hope so — that way I could get all the benefits of Ebay, make the same money in write-offs, spend none of the time, and genuinely help someone who needs charity. I like this interpretation!! I must run it by my genius wife.