Found In the Woods

I’m a long time eBay user. Since 1998, I think. I’ve got a Seller rating of 160, 100% positive feedback. I use Garage Sale on my Mac to expedite multiple listings. I love digging the junk out of the basement, snapping a pic and putting it up as an offering to the scavengers of the world. It is so pleasing; purging. I once sold two empty beat-up Transformers boxes for $40 in a matter of hours after a buyer PayPal’ed the money to me. Something for everyone.

But, it doesn’t come without cost. Sure, you’re going to sell your junk and make a little money on the side. That’s sweet. But on Saturday I suffered a nearly mind-frying experience as I tried to manage packing, payment & shipping for nearly 20 of the 40 or so auctions I’m running right now. The worst part of eBay is the shipping process. Weighing stuff takes time, as does negotiating with buyers once the auction has closed. Some folks have special requests – others are foreign and the cost of shipping can nearly quadruple the cost of the item. Thankfully, on a tip from a friend, I’ve been experimenting with flat rate shipping – so far, so good. USPS will mail you, for free, all sorts of Priority Mail supplies – and you can print labels online.

So, next time I try to list 40 items on eBay all at once remind me of the babble-inducing Monday home from work in the basement surrounded by boxes, packing materials and my laptop where I nearly lost my mind.