posted on January 24, 2001 09:46:39 PM
I still haven't done the final tally, but I must say I was able to pay for many expensive radiation treatments for our family pet, which otherwise would have been impossible without Ebay. She would have died a horrible death, or would have had to be put down. It also enabled me to donate to the Race For The Cure Breast Cancer Foundation, more then I normally could. Thanks to my *partnership* with Ebay, I am still enjoying puppy kisses from a very special member of our family!!
posted on January 24, 2001 09:57:39 PM...I was wondering if any sellers here would admit how much they actually made off of ebaY last year.
I won't admit how much I made but I'm very satisfied. I could never have come close to the same amount via classified ads, or any other auction site. eBay does some things wrong, but they do a whole lot more of them right. In some cases eBay doesn't have to do much of anything, they were first and unless they totally screw up it is an advantage that remains in their favor.
posted on January 25, 2001 12:07:05 AM
The Cheshire cat's grin wasn't as big as mine when I looked at my balance sheets for 2000...and ebay's take was less than 10%!
posted on January 25, 2001 12:16:14 AM
My gross revenue was around six digits. However I had sales off eBay that had nothing to do with eBay which are a part of my gross revenues. My eBay fees as a percentage of eBay gross revenues were 4.48%.
posted on January 25, 2001 12:36:51 AM
The ebay fees come out of my losses so I can't say I'm an ebay cheerleader. However, I've made enough in gross to pay my bills, buy more profitable inventory, and generally live happily. Ebay isn't the magical answer but it has allowed me to work from home and unload a boatload of inventory. Can't complain too much, but can't jump up and down and scream to the world, "I did it." Ebay serves it's purpose for me and that is good enough, and I don't mind not contributing to the burgeoning of the government, so a tax loss is fine and dandy.
posted on January 25, 2001 12:59:53 AM
I don't think Darcy's 4.48% "eBay fees as a percentage of eBay gross revenues" is typical AT ALL of the AVERAGE ebay seller. MOST have auction averages in the $20 range, where fees on successful listings are more like 8%, and unsold listings bump the average up to 12-15% of GROSS sales. As a percentage of PROFITS, it's higher.
posted on January 25, 2001 04:19:53 AM
Wouldn't it be hard to compare? Some of us do it for hours a week, others full time. Some want "fun money", others are trying to earn a living.
With that disclaimer, and not having finished crunching my December numbers, I brought in $10,000 while doing this several hours a week. The net is less, of course, though it's hard to figure my "true" earnings because I sold a lot of my own stuff and put fairly high dollar values on them for tax purposes, bringing my taxable net down quite a bit. Once the accountant factors in the new computer, I am hoping the tax bite will be very reasonable.
I am striving towards a goal of $1000 net per month this year.
posted on January 25, 2001 05:06:33 AM
Being just a very small seller, my earnings were very small but memorable.
My 6 year old grand daughter needed dental work and I was able to sell a set of dishes for $500 which helped. That is just a small example but meaningful.
I am 60 years old, work full time, head of a household with little time to spend now. BUT, when the 65th and social security come around, perhaps I will have learned enough to really supplement the SS income. This board is a learning tool and I want to thank all of you who have contributed ideas.
posted on January 25, 2001 05:14:52 AM
I can not say that I have made a fortune on eBay, but i really don't think that is your point. I think you want us to consider if we are being fair in griping so much about eBay's fees. Well all I know is that 1/3rd of what I have made from eBay has been returned to eBay in fees. And that is the truth. I am looking over everything to see where i can improve because only about 20% of what I list sells the first time. That is the problem. All those listed items with no sale unless they list 3 or four times. For me, the only choice this year I think is to cut way back, list only those things that I have found to be popular sellers, consistently. If I do not do that, considering the increase in fees, next year eBay will be getting 50% of my sales.
posted on January 25, 2001 05:21:14 AM
As I posted in another thread, I make several hundred dollars a month in sales, and my profit is also in the hundreds of dollars. I just recently ran a sales report from www.vrane.com which states that my eBay fees ran about 13%. I'd like to get that down some and it has made me try to think of creative ways to do so.
But, all in all, I'm not complaining. Better than 50% of my items sell the first time around, usually a few more on the second.
posted on January 25, 2001 05:23:35 AMnoshill Egads! I thought the first RUR was impressive, but when I put it though the calculator, I am even MORE impressed with Dollars! Wow! Congrats!
posted on January 25, 2001 05:44:59 AM
I have not done my taxes yet but my gross sales were about $80,000. Trouble is almost all in the first 3 quarters. It went down the tubes for me right when it should have been picking up in the fall.
posted on January 25, 2001 05:54:01 AM
I'm just a part time, small seller. It's more of a hobby than anything else. I didn't do a whole lot this year as compared to last, kinda needed a break.
The report on www.vrane.com indicated 8.98% went to eBay fees. Not too bad in my opinion, any local consignment shop here would want 25-35% of the sale.
For me, the thrill is watching the hits and the bids. It gives me a good excuse to do the things I like to do....like going to garage sales every Saturday in the summer time.
I truly enjoy seeing something I've picked up for a dollar sell for $50 and up. For example, I picked up two brand new, mint in the box Spode Christmas Tree dated plates for a dollar a piece. Thought what a fool I was sitting on them for months. Listed them the beginning of December....one went for $51 and the other for $46. That's what makes this all worthwhile for me.
posted on January 25, 2001 06:05:53 AM
My eBay fees are 4.45% of my eBay sales and overall I made roughly $10000.00 last year net. I'm not done figuring, but that's pretty close.
Someone mentioned this was a low percentage based on the fact that this percentage represents most sales are under $20. My sales are much higher than $20 and I still paid the same average.
I don't usually use gallery, bolding, feature auctions either, so maybe that's why my percentage is low, but my average sale is well over $50.00
posted on January 25, 2001 06:23:40 AM
Wow lots of reply's here.As was mentioned my intent was to see how fees compare against profit and that they are probably lower than
selling through other methods.
This is what vrane came up for me though I am not sure how accurate they are.
Total sales 145,000 this was off last year by quite a large amount nut turned out our net profit went up by 10% so that was good.
Total ebaY fees ran 18564.56 or 11.19% of sales and here is why.
Category featured 5023.00
Final Auction Val 4959.45
Insertion fee 3164.75
Super featured 2698.00
Gallery fee 1796.00
Bold listing 508.00
Reserve auction 412.00
Some of these areas I have taken steps to eliminate in the last few months.I have cut out Super featured alltogether.Found another to effectively sell the same number of items at the same price without that feature.
The gallery fee I just took steps to eliminate that feature as well.
Average sales per month ran just over 12,000
We had a total of 4115 succesful auctions last year.
Typically our fees against sales where almost 11% as you can see above but I was able to get them too about 8.5% for December.
Our average sale is 36.62
As mentioned before this is our only source of income.SO overall the year was better than I thought.
adrian: I don't care HOW MUCH M-O-N-E-Y you make, and I assure you that it is NONE of your business how much actual income I make from online e-sales activities.
Besides, the GROSS amount of sales means DIDDLEEEEE!
The Net Profit is what counts, and a public messageboard is an inappropriate place to discuss same.
posted on January 25, 2001 08:55:15 AM
According to vrane.com, our ebay fees were 15% of our ebay sales. Fortunately, ebay only accounts for 20% of our sales. The other 80% comes from our ecommerce websites.
posted on January 25, 2001 09:10:53 AM
Oh radh, you're so radical!!
I've been able to make great money on the side through eBay, but for me this is only part-time.
I think it boils down to how eBay treats everybody after they've paid their due fees. Their product is pretty good, but their "customer service" could use some people that have ears. Money Rules....the rest is secondary for them.
After what maui said about the way she was treated by eBay (she WAS a Power Seller), I don't have as much respect for eBay as I used to, but I do love their "product".
posted on January 25, 2001 09:15:12 AM
My ebay costs averaged about 8-9%. I didn't do extremely well, but this was actually my 1st year. On a whole I am please with performance, not necessarily the fees as that will further reduce profits!!
I would definitely have to say that had the site been more stable and less down time performance would have been better I am sure. I couldn't count the people who said they would have bid had they been giving the opportunity, so those costs and losses aren't figured in the total of ebay cost either!! It would be hard to place a figure on those also as that would be speculative as to whether they would have actually bid or just venting.
[ edited by jfpnatl on Jan 25, 2001 09:29 AM ]
Adrian: I sincerely hope that if any investigative journalist writes a FACTUAL history of eBay, that you consent to an in-depth interview. You are aware it deeply grieved me when a seller of your high finesse and EXPERTISE, decided that a 3-D job was mandatory, in addition to eBay.
Technology and the growth of the Internet have brought a deflationary cycle to eBay merchandise, very similar to some of the events in the book entitled, Tulipomania.
As to the Tulip mania are you reffering to the pyramid type scheme that was created in the 17th cent I think that involved speculation of tulip bulbs.That later collapsed.
There are too many things within the ebaY system that a seller cannot control that makes it very much like a roller coaster ride for a seller.
Reminds me more of the stock market in the last year up one minute down the next with big swings.
Getting back into a full time job selling has taken some of the presurre off but for the time being we still need ebaY to support us.Till the job starts taking off which it will soon in the next 30 days.
Besides it does get boring after a while just looking at a computer screen all day.
No matter how much you like what you sell its
still kind of boring and not very challenging at times.
