An Introduction To eBay Consignment

After I started selling on eBay, I was approached by friends without computers who wanted me to sell their items for them. They had heard stories about the outrageous prices items some ebay auctions brought. They knew I could get more money for them on eBay than they could get selling the items themselves. An added incentive to them was I did all the work. All they had to do is say "I don't want this anymore, sell it for me;" and within a few weeks I converted their castoffs into cash.

I was already selling on eBay, and I had developed a system for listing and dealing with sales that allowed me to list lots of items in a short time. The chance to make a few dollars without any investment was too much to pass up. I made some good money doing this and because I didn't have to tie up my money buying inventory I was able to use it to grow my train business.

Consignment Selling Is The Perfect Way To Start Your Own eBay Business.

There are no set up fees or investments. You won't need to risk your own money buying items to resell. You don't need a detailed knowledge of antiques and collectibles. You only need to know how to find the right category, write an adequate description and take some high quality photos.

Selling on consignment allows you to learn about antiques and collectibles without risking your own money. By selling other people's items you learn the value of items in the most practical way. By handling them and selling them. No matter how many price guides you read, and antique shows you attend, you will never get the feel for items until you sell them.

When you sell on consignment, you provide a service that makes your clients additional money. When most people sell something, they sell to a dealer who needs to mark up the item to make a profit. This is not what happens on eBay.

On eBay the END USER is the buyer and will always pay more than a dealer would. Even after paying a consignment fee, the seller makes more money.

This is the true benefit of eBay consignment selling. Finding the END USER. Before eBay this was a difficult and daunting process. With eBay, a simple listing placed in the correct category, with a good description and some high quality photos, is enough to get a few END USERS to fight over the item.

Things You Need To Succeed With Consignment Sales:

1. You need to take possession of the items. When you sell items on consignment you risk your eBay name and reputation. You take these risks when you sell your own items, but you are in complete control of your actions. In order to lower your risks you need to get complete control of the items you are going to be selling. This prevents sellers from changing their minds, and allows you to ship the items as soon as you receive payment.

2. You should always have a written contract. One of my friends was sued by a consignor who felt the commission was too high. The consignor agreed to pay 20 percent of the selling price, then when the item sold for $8500, got upset about paying $1700 to someone for doing 30 minutes of work. While my friend won in court, it would never have gotten to court if he had a written contract.

3. You'll also need to perfect ways to get items. At first your friends and co-workers will provide you with a good stream of salable items. After a while this stream will dwindle and you will need to go out and find consignors. This is not as difficult as it may seem. Remember, by consigning with you, the seller gets more money than they would otherwise.

Terry Gibbs is a collector/dealer of old toys and trains, and teaches others how to buy and sell antiques and collectibles. Gibbs is the author of two best selling eBay books "The Auction Revolution," and "The Complete Guide To eBay Consignment Sales." He has also written numerous other books about buying and selling antiques and collectibles. Learn more at his website: http://www.news.iwantcollectibles.com

http://www.iwantcollectibles.com/consign5.html

Copyright 2005 IWantCollectibles LLC used with permission.

---

PARLOT.COM: Turnkey Money Making websites

How Drop Shipping Works

One of the most frequently asked questions on the Net... Read More

eBay Motors : Buy or Sell a Car on eBay

Are you having trouble finding a great deal on a... Read More

eBays Hot Selling Books, Find Out Which Books Sell & How To Find Them

Selling books on eBay can be a very lucrative business!... Read More

Be Realistic When Selling on eBay

As some of you know, I spent many years buying... Read More

Just The Ticket - How To Make Hundreds Per Day As A Ticket Broker On eBay!

It should be simple - your favourite team/band/theatre play is... Read More

Boosting Your EBay Auction Profits: Just Add Audio

According to a recent report, adding audio to your eBay... Read More

Use Auction Templates For eBay Success!

Auction templates are simply a must for successful online auction... Read More

Ten Sure Fire Ways To Lose Bidders

The way some auction sellers approach their auctions, it's clear... Read More

When You Need Extra Cash Ebay Fits the Bill

We all have items in our closets and stuffed in... Read More

To eBay or NOT to eBay

FACT: eBay's Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS) 2003 - GMS, the... Read More

12 Tips To Make Your eBay Business More Profitable

Sometimes it's the simple things that can make your eBay... Read More

Target Potential Bidders With Laser Beam Precision!

When a potential bidder (customer) is looking at a specific... Read More

How to Win on eBay

I've bought over 100 items on eBay over three years... Read More

Starting an eBay Home Business

Do I need to explain what eBay is?If 'Yes', where... Read More

Start Your Own Business: Sell Things on eBay

The popularity of online auction site eBay has been legendary.... Read More

How To Cut Your eBay Fees By More Than 90%

Now, are you ready for the REAL TRUTH about selling... Read More

The 3 Minute Auction and Minute Auction Explained

Am I the only person who doesn't know what a... Read More

5 Reasons Why Playing Music On Your Auctions Is A Bummer Of An Idea

There are 147 million registered users on eBay, and tens... Read More

EBay: No Way?Yes Way (Ten Seller Themes)

Hearing that there are more than 1.2 million registered eBay... Read More

So, Can You Really Sell EBooks On EBay And Make Cold Hard Cash?

Selling eBooks on eBay, and making any worthwhile profit from... Read More

How Pop-Culture Collectibles Can Increase Your Online Auction Profits

How Pop Culture collectibles can increase your Online Auction profitsWith... Read More

Dont Be A Victim Of Online Auction Fraud

The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) reported that last year... Read More

Is Selling On eBay Just A Hobby Or A Real Business?

Q: I made extra money selling things on eBay last... Read More

Why Ebay Is The Best Place To Make Your First $1000 Online

I'd like to begin with a question ? and I'll... Read More

Mistakes to Avoid in your eBay Auctions

Online auctions continue to grow in popularity as an easy... Read More