I'm an E-Bay Addict

It's like a new sport for me. Back in August I saw something at a consignment store that I thought I could make a profit selling on E-bay (reason being I had bought the exact same item for MUCH more than the store was selling it for shortly before I stumbled across it) so I bought it and I did make a profit (not as much as I would have liked but it was worth my while). The stress of waiting to break-even almost killed me though; so I’ve abandoned that practice.

Last week we started clearing out our basement and I waded back into E-bay territory. They had a 10 cent listing day for Canadians on Monday and that prompted me to get off my keister and list a couple of things (my old/"like new" breastpump and the "breast bottles" that Kamryn summarily rejected as a newborn). Okay, I check my listing 80 gazzillion times a day watching it "grow" and hoping for questions. I watch other similar auctions like a hawk, as if it's a race. I stalk my bidders to see if they are bidding in the other auctions. I make little comments to myself or Daniel on those I think have shown their hands too early. Why do people bid on day 2 of an auction that is going to go 7 days. Are they saving their place in line? Or perhaps they are reassuring me that they care. I need that reassurance so I guess it’s good that they do it. :)

I feel bad for people auctioning items that I think are better than mine and that aren't being bid on. Daniel says I shouldn't feel bad for being better at "marketing" my stuff than other people (you have to wonder what some people are thinking when they compose their auctions). I'm not a marketing genius or anything, I’m simply a better researcher than some, I think (and with weaker scruples). I simply find a similar auction that is doing well and copy EVERYTHING that I think is doing it for that person. I think it has really worked for the Pump In Style breastpump because it’s doing REALLY well compared to similar articles. I was nervous when I put it up because my ad was almost identical to the one I had copied from (why I worry about not being liked by someone who will never meet me and probably could care less about me I don’t know). Luckily though their listing ended almost immediately after mine went up and they were a US lister so in most cases we were MILES apart in the category and the two listings were unlikely to be watched by anyone other than me. Hopefully, they never noticed the copycat following their every move. They got an AMAZINGLY good price for their pump to. I think someone really overpaid.

I’m looking forward to selling other stuff around our house. This seems much easier than a garage sale. I think we will have a garage sale in the spring anyway to get rid of the junk that I don’t think I could sell on E-bay. No way I would have gotten anything for these items at a garage sale. Okay off to gaze at my own listing once more. Cheerio.