ebay Shop Re-Opening (& the ebay vs Etsy debate)

ebay_sept

View the shop here!

Well! After 4 years of putting it off for various reasons (primarily inertia) I managed to finally start listing things on eBay this weekend. It feels good. I’m going to try to keep listing pretty consistently, with more going up on the weekends. The mobile app eBay has now makes listing go pretty quickly. I actually have an entire room (technically, it’s our very large laundry room) of vintage clothes and shoes and have been trying to figure out how to deal with it – I’ve been asking around about trying to get a space in a local “antique mall” to sell from a storefront!

If anyone is looking for anything in particular, please ask – there is so much. So much. I’m a little ashamed of my hoarding habit right now. Ok, a lot ashamed.

Also, the eBay world has definitely changed in the time I’ve been on hiatus, so I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been selling consistently with any tips on how to get back in the game. For a long time i preferred Etsy’s “curated shop” feel, but I wonder if that’s how people are shopping these days. Are you? I feel like I just grab my phone and search when I think of an item I want, or see something I feel like I could find for a better deal on eBay. I would love to hear people’s experiences – are the big “vintage sellers” still going strong? Do you need models? Does an Etsy shop make more sense than eBay’s short term auctions?

9 Comments

  1. Ooh! Thanks for sharing. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the eBay shop. I like the look of Etsy more, and find it less stressful than eBay auctions, but that’s just me.

    Stalker-ish question: I’m in Vermont, too. Would you ever consider selling a few things in person? I’m also so nervous about size and fit with online vintage shopping…

  2. I like Etsy better, too. I only really like auctions in person. However, I rarely shop at all — online or in real shops — so don’t take what I say too seriously.

  3. yay! looks good, it’s a shame that sending stuff to europe is so expensive… I prefer etsy over eBay as well, just for the look of the site, and I do like a good ‘curated’ shop – just to have a sense of the aesthetic of the seller, and what kind of goods I can expect when I’d come back. but I think people have a pretty good sense of your taste. I don’t know, I’d go with what is easiest for listing.

  4. Late to the discussion but I find that the Ebay fees are *killing* me every month. It’s gotten especially bad in the last few years and now they’re even charging a final value fee on the shipping we charge the buyer. I don’t sell vintage there, though, just newer labels. I sell all my vintage on Etsy. Buyers seem a lot nicer on Etsy too. I like Etsy because I can ask what I want for my better vintage stuff (like the Ossie Clark jacket I have around here somewhere) and eventually someone will buy it. It’s slower than Ebay for sure so not great if you rely on it for income but as a part time gig I say Etsy wins out.

    1. Oh my god, you aren’t kidding me. I can’t believe they take a cut of the shipping costs!! Once I have cleared this stuff out, I am done! No more hoarding!

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