It’s hard to find a good home business because there are so many scams out there.
Making the rounds in recent years are business frauds involving pay phones, vending machines, 900 numbers, Web site visits and a whole lot more.
Typically they promise big earnings, no risks, prime locations and other nonsense.
And typically those who bite on the promises wind up with some worthless junk and a smaller bank account.
Yet more than ever, people need to make some extra bucks these days, Maybe it’s to pay off some bills or credit card debt or to get some money coming in while looking for a permanent job.
What to do?
It’s not for everyone, but one answer for a few might be selling stuff on eBay, the big online auction site.
More and more these days, I’ve been running into people who are doing just that.
A coworker with a spouse whose job was eliminated says she’s been doing quite well selling a lifetime of accumulated items on eBay. My own sister-in-law, who has a full-time job, has been using eBay to boost the family income.
I spent a little time watching her work on a recent Sunday.
First, a little background.
My brother has long been fascinated by koi, Japanese carp that have been carefully bred over time to show off various colors and patterns. We’re both readers, and his library of koi books and magazines is truly impressive. Many of his magazines – all of which he’s read numerous times and long since committed to memory – are difficult to find, but still popular with koi hobbyists.
Before we went on an afternoon walk, my sister-in-law posted one of the more sought-after editions for instant purchase. My brother hoped to get $15. She thought they should ask $20. They compromised on $18.
Before we got back from out walk, someone had snapped it up. They both wished they’d pegged the price at $20.
Of course my sister-in-law has other stories of items put up for instant purchase or auction that didn’t really do well, so eBay is no road to riches. And there’s also no question that she’s putting in a lot of effort to learn the ropes.
It also takes a lot of time.
Once she decides on an item to sell, she has to figure out what to charge for shipping and handling, take a digital photo and do the work of posting the photo and information on the auction site with a detailed, accurate description.
She monitors the various items up for sale, answers e-mailed questions from potential buyers, runs to the post office regularly to send off purchased items and keeps a full accounting of all the transactions.
She noted that while she hadn’t figured it all out, she probably wasn’t earning all that much per hour. But she doesn’t mind putting in the time because she’s learning more and more as she goes along.
She’s learning what sells and what doesn’t, whether to package things in groups or sell them one at a time, whether to go for an auction or an instant sale.
And along the way, she’s clearing some of the clutter out of the house and garage and simplifying her life.
It looks like a lot of hard work to me, but there’s some satisfaction in plotting a strategy and seeing it succeed.
And at the end of the day, you’re not left with a pile of worthless vending machines or pay phones.
Mike Benbow: 425-339-3459; benbow@heraldnet.com
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