Anyone here sell full time on eBay?

[livealoha]

Anyone here sell full time on eBay?

seems like a dream job, but also seems like alot of work. just wondering who here actually sells full time on ebay or makes a living selling cards on ebay? thanks

[shrevecity]

Anyone here sell full time on eBay?

seems like a dream job, but also seems like alot of work. just wondering who here actually sells full time on ebay or makes a living selling cards on ebay? thanks

Since 2008 but I don't sell many cards anymore but could easily go back to them as full time. The biggest hurdle anyone has to overcome is themselves. The op shows you may not be cut out for it. You see it as work.. it's not work if you enjoy it

[discodanman45]

Anyone here sell full time on eBay?

seems like a dream job, but also seems like alot of work. just wondering who here actually sells full time on ebay or makes a living selling cards on ebay? thanks

I used to sell quite a bit, but it is a hard way to make any type of living. I actually found selling used electronics way more profitable.

Right off the bat, eBay will take their 15% cut. Then you will need to be fully prepared for taxes. You will also need to find cards to buy well below comps. All of this is extremely difficult.

[premium1981]

The op shows you may not be cut out for it. You see it as work..

Agree with this 100%.

[livealoha]

The op shows you may not be cut out for it. You see it as work.. it's not work if you enjoy it

Im not asking or looking for opinions about if I am cut out for it.(im not looking to sell on ebay as im a collector not a seller) Im asking/curious who here sells full time on ebay. Thanks

[mc1]

https://media.tenor.com/ZuxSyq5n_EMAAAAC/cop-what-are-you.gif

[livealoha]

no, I just always had a dream of having a full time sports card business on ebay. I always thought that it would be cool to wake up everyday and just sell sports cards for a living, then I started thinking its too much work and would it even be possible to pay all the bills just selling sportscards full time. and then I started wondering if it is even possible for people to make a living doing it. I dont know anyone that does (part time selling yes, but not full time selling) so was curious if anyone A is living the dream and ACTUALLY sells full time.

[premium1981]

so was curious if anyone A is living the dream and ACTUALLY sells full time.

Yes, there are a good number of people who fit this description.

[livealoha]

Yes, there are a good number of people who fit this description.

I wish when I was younger, that I followed my dreams and sold sports cards full time on ebay. I didnt because I always thought that "no way I can sell enough cards to pay all of the bills" I didnt think it was possible to make a living selling cards.

[JeffG1954]

https://media.tenor.com/ZuxSyq5n_EMAAAAC/cop-what-are-you.gif

More likely IRS!!

[prospectorgems]

no, I just always had a dream of having a full time sports card business on ebay. I always thought that it would be cool to wake up everyday and just sell sports cards for a living, then I started thinking its too much work and would it even be possible to pay all the bills just selling sportscards full time. and then I started wondering if it is even possible for people to make a living doing it. I dont know anyone that does (part time selling yes, but not full time selling) so was curious if anyone A is living the dream and ACTUALLY sells full time.

I think in order to do it full time a person needs to start out with a ton of capital whereas they can buy collections and of course, have a bit of luck on their side as well with market shifts.

I share an ebay side business with my brother and we do pretty well but it will never replace our full time jobs because there isn't enough profit to sustain between our current salaries.

I would like to think that if we had 100K in buying capital we could probably make a good run at it in a year or two but there will also be bad purchases/investments along the way let alone how the economy does as well.

[shrevecity]

I think in order to do it full time a person needs to start out with a ton of capital whereas they can buy collections and of course, have a bit of luck on their side as well with market shifts.

I share an ebay side business with my brother and we do pretty well but it will never replace our full time jobs because there isn't enough profit to sustain between our current salaries.

I would like to think that if we had 100K in buying capital we could probably make a good run at it in a year or two but there will also be bad purchases/investments along the way let alone how the economy does as well.

Maybe with cards but to sell full time on ebay you do not need alot of capital. I do 65 to 75 and started with less than 100 dollars. Took me about 5 years to get to full time level. Got a friend who started in 2017 with about 500.00 and now does 6 figures a year on ebay. It takes effort and knowledge but it can be done. I had some near catastrophic failures over the years but using my basic knowledge I have always managed to rebound better than before

[discodanman45]

I think a parallel with real estate agents is valid for card dealers. When times are good, it is easy to make a living even for new people in the field. When times are hard, only the experienced people that have seen the hard times can be successful. Sure, there are exceptions to this, but right now is a difficult time to be successful.

[jamcas997]

no, I just always had a dream of having a full time sports card business on ebay. I always thought that it would be cool to wake up everyday and just sell sports cards for a living, then I started thinking its too much work and would it even be possible to pay all the bills just selling sportscards full time. and then I started wondering if it is even possible for people to make a living doing it. I dont know anyone that does (part time selling yes, but not full time selling) so was curious if anyone A is living the dream and ACTUALLY sells full time.


:doh:


:coffee::coffee::coffee::coffee::coffee::coffee:

[livealoha]

Thank you to all of you that were cool and responded with helpful comments and thoughts (not to the class clowns and jokers here that want to be cute and funny in front of everyone). I appreciate the adults here.

I definitely dont have a lot of cash to start a ebay business, so I was wondering is it/could it be as simple as I just go to walmart and target and buy packs/boxes and just start by listing those cards for $1 each? (to build ebay inventory)

I ask this question because ive read somewhere how burbank sports cards literally started in the back of a coin shop, listing cards one at a time. Card collector2 (another great ebay card seller) started small and built a tremendous empire card by card and 2bros on ebay started by buying a pack of cards at walmart and listing it. All three are multi million dollar card empires that had humble beginnings so I was wondering if it is realistic to build a big ebay card company like that or if they were the exception to the rule (meaning not everyone will be THAT successful)

thank you guys again. I appreciate you,

[QuinEarlyDoucet]

You are thinking of buying packs and boxes at Walmart to start getting inventory?
Please don’t start your “business” ………..just take my advice.


Thank you to all of you that were cool and responded with helpful comments and thoughts (not to the class clowns and jokers here that want to be cute and funny in front of everyone). I appreciate the adults here.

I definitely dont have a lot of cash to start a ebay business, so I was wondering is it/could it be as simple as I just go to walmart and target and buy packs/boxes and just start by listing those cards for $1 each? (to build ebay inventory)

I ask this question because ive read somewhere how burbank sports cards literally started in the back of a coin shop, listing cards one at a time. Card collector2 (another great ebay card seller) started small and built a tremendous empire card by card and 2bros on ebay started by buying a pack of cards at walmart and listing it. All three are multi million dollar card empires that had humble beginnings so I was wondering if it is realistic to build a big ebay card company like that or if they were the exception to the rule (meaning not everyone will be THAT successful)

thank you guys again. I appreciate you,

[livealoha]

You are thinking of buying packs and boxes at Walmart to start getting inventory?
Please don’t start your “business” ………..just take my advice. one of the largest sports card sellers on eBay (2bros collectibles) got their start that way and now they are a multi million dollar company, so that’s why I asked.

[shrevecity]

one of the largest sports card sellers on eBay (2bros collectibles) got their start that way and now they are a multi million dollar company, so that’s why I asked.

Years ago maybe but not now unless you have the midas touch. You can start with a small bankroll but doing it as they claim is either based on incredible luck or a little exaggeration. In 2020 I was spending 300 to 400 at Walmart and turning it into 1500 or so on cards but that day is long gone

[livealoha]

Years ago maybe but not now unless you have the midas touch. You can start with a small bankroll but doing it as they claim is either based on incredible luck or a little exaggeration. In 2020 I was spending 300 to 400 at Walmart and turning it into 1500 or so on cards but that day is long gone

Got it. I appreciate your advice and thoughts on this. What about buying a case of cards and breaking it? Thank you

[jamcas997]

Go to shows, estate and garage sales buy them out if you can. I bought a couple dealers out at a Raleigh show in early 2021. Made my money back at the show and also have been listing and selling it still. It was a monster effort and keeps paying.

[dbackschamp2001]

I think having multiple avenues would be the wise way to go. Just selling cards and just selling on ebay would probably be difficult to make a living off of. I'm not full time, but that's just my thought.

[Jolten Joe]

Just like any other job selling on ebay fulltime takes commitment and organization skills. If you are wanting to do it fulltime you need to sell high end cards which takes money for inventory to sell because you aren't pulling $50-$60K worth of cards out of packs. You will find real fast that listing hundreds of cards a day and thousands of cards a week gets old real fast plus you then have to buy shipping supplies and ship all of those cards out in a very timely manner which means if you are moving any kind of volume you are going to want to hire someone to do the listing and shipping for you. Then if you manage to succeed at this by some miracle then you have to deal with arsehole buyers who send 15 messages within 24 hrs of paying wanting to know why their card hasn't arrived yet or want to cancel because their dog supposedly bought the card by mistake.

[Bosoxfan5990]

If you’re serious about this, you need to start small, learn what works and what doesn’t, and scale as you go. You’re not going to be a massive operation when you start, or you’ll be destined to fail. Make sure you’re always willing to review your processes for ways to improve them and improve your margins.

[shrevecity]

Just like any other job selling on ebay fulltime takes commitment and organization skills. If you are wanting to do it fulltime you need to sell high end cards which takes money for inventory to sell because you aren't pulling $50-$60K worth of cards out of packs. You will find real fast that listing hundreds of cards a day and thousands of cards a week gets old real fast plus you then have to buy shipping supplies and ship all of those cards out in a very timely manner which means if you are moving any kind of volume you are going to want to hire someone to do the listing and shipping for you. Then if you manage to succeed at this by some miracle then you have to deal with arsehole buyers who send 15 messages within 24 hrs of paying wanting to know why their card hasn't arrived yet or want to cancel because their dog supposedly bought the card by mistake.

Most of that is an overexaggeration. Rarely do you get those messages and who cares if you do as long as youvship in your stated handling time ebayvwill remove feedback for slow shipping.

It does not get old listing low value stuff. As I have said if you view running a business as work you have probably already failed

You can make a very nice living on cards that are below 20.00. I would rather sell 10.00 items than 100 dollar items any day of the week. Problem is loses are going to happen. Loses on 20.00 items are easier to absorb than loses on 500.00 item. I won't typically sell anything over 500 on ebay myself. I have a friend I will do a consignment with so I send those items to him.

[BGT Masters]

Most of that is an overexaggeration. Rarely do you get those messages and who cares if you do as long as youvship in your stated handling time ebayvwill remove feedback for slow shipping.

It does not get old listing low value stuff. As I have said if you view running a business as work you have probably already failed

What I do is absolutely hard work and I view it as such and I’m doing just fine. Worst part is paying all them eBay fees and self employment taxes. If I were to really knuckle up I could easily clear 6 figures.

[shrevecity]

What I do is absolutely hard work and I view it as such and I’m doing just fine. Worst part is paying all them eBay fees and self employment taxes. If I were to really knuckle up I could easily clear 6 figures.

There are things that have to be done but I enjoy doing them most of the time. If you enjoy doing it it's mot really work.

[premium1981]

Got it. I appreciate your advice and thoughts on this. What about buying a case of cards and breaking it? Thank you

I don't mean this in the wrong way, but the questions you are asking shows you don't have the knowledge (at this time) to succeed if you attempted this. You need to start slow. Think small lots of cards until you get a feel for what the work is like, and your sell through rate, etc. Stay away from cases or anything expensive. You are most likely going to lose a lot of money.

[Raleigh504]

I think a parallel with real estate agents is valid for card dealers. When times are good, it is easy to make a living even for new people in the field. When times are hard, only the experienced people that have seen the hard times can be successful. Sure, there are exceptions to this, but right now is a difficult time to be successful.

very true in any type of self-employment. When market/product sold is hot then its easy. I knew several people quit there 9-5 during COVID to sell real estate or something similar to only now come back to a 9-5 or still looking for something close to as they had before.

[Raleigh504]

I don't mean this in the wrong way, but the questions you are asking shows you don't have the knowledge (at this time) to succeed if you attempted this. You need to start slow. Think small lots of cards until you get a feel for what the work is like, and your sell through rate, etc. Stay away from cases or anything expensive. You are most likely going to lose a lot of money.

Definitely need to build up your store and knowledge before taking on any new types of business (breaking/opening cases/sending in cards to grade yourself). Starting with low end first is an easy and cheap way to see if this is something for you. Then you will need to separate the collector in you vs the business. If it isn't for you to sell cards even part time, then you won't be out much money.

[solt0131]

You can do it full time. I have friends who do nothing but cards full time and have been doing it for years. It's a good gig. Most of their best buys come from shows though because this is where you meet people and start to develop a network of guys you know that want to sell.......

[livealoha]

Thanks guys for your responses, I appreciate it.

I was looking at eBay and was wondering how do sellers that sell .99 cent cards with free shipping make any money? I would think between eBay fees and cost of shipping they would be losing out money. Even if they do volume selling they would have to sell slot to make any kind of profit. Not sure how they do it as it would suck and seem like they would lose money if people just bought one card from them. (Instead if buying multiple cards)

[shrevecity]

Thanks guys for your responses, I appreciate it.

I was looking at eBay and was wondering how do sellers that sell .99 cent cards with free shipping make any money? I would think between eBay fees and cost of shipping they would be losing out money. Even if they do volume selling they would have to sell slot to make any kind of profit. Not sure how they do it as it would suck and seem like they would lose money if people just bought one card from them. (Instead if buying multiple cards)

They are breaking even on those for the most part but they rely on multiple item purchases a buyer just buying 2 raises it from basically even to closer to 1.00. It goes up from there.

Even if the buyer only buys one the transaction benefits them in search rankings and other measurements the algorithm reads

[discodanman45]

Thanks guys for your responses, I appreciate it.

I was looking at eBay and was wondering how do sellers that sell .99 cent cards with free shipping make any money? I would think between eBay fees and cost of shipping they would be losing out money. Even if they do volume selling they would have to sell slot to make any kind of profit. Not sure how they do it as it would suck and seem like they would lose money if people just bought one card from them. (Instead if buying multiple cards)

A lot of these sellers bought huge rolls of forever stamps, so shipping is really cheap. Unless you do this is bulk capacity and have a process where it is partially automated, it is definitely not worth it. People have scanners that automatically feed cards for images and print shipping information on envelopes. For myself, I won't deal selling a card under $3. Just not worth my time.

[Budler]

It is odd the OP asked if anyone is doing it full time and making a living on it. No one has said YES I'm doing it now and have been for X number of years. It is all about this and that.

You can look at it as the same as football. How many kids in PeeWee football think they will be in the NFL. A big number think they could, but very small number does. Then what is the average length on an NFL career. (4 or 5 years)

I have seen a lot of people wanting to do it and trying. A few have done it for a few years but maybe there is one or 2 out there that is their lifetime career. Talking about only selling sports cards on E-Bay for a living!

[wood minis]

as someone who is at a stage in life where selling some of my collection makes sense, I have these thoughts about my ebay experience so far.

I love selling a card that is going into another collection and the collector is excited to have the card.

I don't love when someone offers half or less of what an average comp is for a card. I get that it's nice to get a deal, but...

Ebay has the eyeballs, no doubt about that. And that's why they get to rake in the fees.

[Raleigh504]

The issue talking about CC2 and other instagram/youtubers that do it full time is they get money outside of sports cards sales, people want to deal with them aka give them good deals so they can get a shout out on their video or just give them cards for free.

It isn't comparing apples to apples with saying social media people are successful doing it and it is the same as someone else who goes to yard sales, shows, etc and doesn't film but does it for a living.

[livealoha]

It is odd the OP asked if anyone is doing it full time and making a living on it. No one has said YES I'm doing it now and have been for X number of years. It is all about this and that.


Agree! I do find it odd as well that no one has posted that they do it full time, which leads me to believe, like you said, it isnt something most of us could do full time.

[pskell02]

I make $3-5k per month in supplemental income on ebay sales of $1-10 cards. Mix in a couple higher dollar cards a month and you can walk away with a good chunk of change. I have a store and pay for the 500 auction listings a month. That number isn't terribly hard to make when you give it a little focus. I also recently picked up a Fujitsu FI-8170 card scanner that cuts the imaging time by a lot. Pop those scans into Card Dealer Pro and I can get through a couple hundred cards a day.

As others have said, it's just putting in the effort. If I can pick up $1-2 cards for $.10 each in bulk, I'm making a great margin considering expenses and time.

[mc1]

Thanks guys for your responses, I appreciate it.

I was looking at eBay and was wondering how do sellers that sell .99 cent cards with free shipping make any money? I would think between eBay fees and cost of shipping they would be losing out money. Even if they do volume selling they would have to sell slot to make any kind of profit. Not sure how they do it as it would suck and seem like they would lose money if people just bought one card from them. (Instead if buying multiple cards)

:confused:

Theres a few people that have already told you they do it full-time. Maybe not in this thread but others.

[shrevecity]

:confused:

Theres a few people that have already told you they do it full-time. Maybe not in this thread but others.

I am a full time ebay sell have done so for several years now but I don't limit myself to cards if I had to I could I just choose not to as the variety is what keeps it interesting foru me. I love going to garage sales and thrift stores too much

I dont think most people could do it in any area. Running your own business and doing it well takes dedication,ability to adjust and a thick skin that I feel many people do not possess..

[cholodolo]

OP, you were pretty active in the Ebay Sales Down thread:

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1537596&page=38

I think alot of people are leaving out the truth of selling cheap cards on ebay. they are only telling you the fluff!

example, when people are saying they can list hundreds of cards on ebay an hour. come on! thats not true. have you ever scanned a card?, it takes that long to just scan cards. how do people scan so quick? it takes forever to scan.

people also forgot to mention all the scammers on ebay. the sports card market on ebay is the biggest scam category in the world, everyone says they "never received their cards" especially if you use a PWE or ESE. no tracking means most people will take advantage and scam when they can.

also, not mentioned is the amount of people that dont pay.

everyone wants to quit their day job and stay home and become the next burbank sportscards, or the next multi million dollar ebay sports card store but in reality, thats not very realistic for most of us.

selling sports cards on ebay is not all rainbows and unicorns as many try to make it out to be. there is a reason many people fail at it.

What's going on here, exactly? Do you have a head injury? The names you seek interacted with you in that thread.

[Bosoxfan5990]

OP, you were pretty active in the Ebay Sales Down thread:

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1537596&page=38



What's going on here, exactly? Do you have a head injury? The names you seek interacted with you in that thread.

:coffee::coffee::coffee:

[livealoha]

OP, you were pretty active in the Ebay Sales Down thread:

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1537596&page=38


What's going on here, exactly? Do you have a head injury? The names you seek interacted with you in that thread. oh I forgot about that! My bad!

[premium1981]

OP, you were pretty active in the Ebay Sales Down thread:

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1537596&page=38



What's going on here, exactly? Do you have a head injury? The names you seek interacted with you in that thread.

Good catch. I didn't make that connection. I think we know all we need to know now.

[mjordandagoat]

I use consignments on Ebay instead of sell on my own, it's the same net results with less headaches.

[Bosoxfan5990]

oh I forgot about that! My bad!

Welcome back.

[premium1981]

I use consignments on Ebay instead of sell on my own, it's the same net results with less headaches.

Fixed price consignments where you set the price? Or are you talking auctions? Less headaches for sure, but most consignors just auction everything off and you get a fraction of what you could selling it yourself.

[Swipe79]

The guys you see on Youtube are going to tell you part of the story only. There are other/better/realistic guys on Youtube to check out if you do a little leg work on it.

If I was a single dude with no responsibilities, I would for sure be doing what I do full time. I have a family and one kid with pretty significant medical issues, just too much risk in my situation to do it. I've built up what I have over time and reinvest part of what I make in the business. I do very well considering the amount of time I spend on it.