[PrairieMule]

I have never tried ebay but I'm nuts about craigslist. In the last two weeks I have added $400 to the "Prairiemule Cattle Fund" from junk in my closet and garage.

[Eli]

Were they local buyers or did you ship your stuff to them?

[PrairieMule]

All deals done locally in Dallas.

[oowolf]

ebay is the best thing that ever happened in my life. I've made more money, easier, on ebay than anywhere else. It sure as hell beats working in a goddam sawmill (as I did for many years). The peak years for ebay (to me) were around 2002-03. My specialty was antique glass and pottery, but I would try anything. I once sold an old highway sign that I picked up off the ground at the local dump for $1354!!!--I had 3 bids over $1500. Books were especially good. I bought a 1911 Book of Mormon for 20 cents and got close to $200. I bought an old plate by the famous potter Polia Pillin for $2 and got $3787--that was my best sale. And never paid a cent of tax.

ebay really started down right after the hurricanes of 2005. I saw it immediately. The market for $4000 plates dried right up. I always thought a Dow Jones-like index could have been made of various commodities sold on ebay-that would give a measure of the economy. Also ebay eventually hit the brick wall of market saturation. There really is a finite amount of people who want $500 Griswold skillets--I just searched--there's currently 225 Griswold skillets on sale-and completed items shows a 90% sale rate--but nowhere near the ridiculous prices they were going for in 2000-02.

I started out selling empty beer bottles. I could buy a sixpac of local beer like "Moose Drool" for $5 and sell the empty bottles for $3. I quickly gave up on $3 sales, though. My goal was to get a minimum of $100 profit per sale and I GOT VERY GOOD AT IT. I would usually make a $1000 profit at nearly every estate sale I attended.

ebay is still a great place to get homestead items like scythes and honey extractors and scarce technical books like college textbooks that can cost 200 or 300$ new.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gg3', '
')The thing I don't like about CL is the apparent necessity of inviting strangers to your home to do transactions. Strikes me as a possible feeding-source for home invasion robbers and similar scum. OTOH in places that aren't so thick with predators, it probably works out fine.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('oowolf', 'e')bay is the best thing that ever happened in my life. I've made more money, easier, on ebay than anywhere else. It sure as hell beats working in a goddam sawmill (as I did for many years). The peak years for ebay (to me) were around 2002-03. My specialty was antique glass and pottery, but I would try anything. I once sold an old highway sign that I picked up off the ground at the local dump for $1354!!!--I had 3 bids over $1500. Books were especially good. I bought a 1911 Book of Mormon for 20 cents and got close to $200. I bought an old plate by the famous potter Polia Pillin for $2 and got $3787--that was my best sale. And never paid a cent of tax.

[vision-master]

I sell quality items every now and again. Some markets are still pretty good (ain't saying). As a hobby Ebay is still a good place to sell some stuff, but I don't like listing any item that I can't make at least $50 on.

One important thing is you need to know the product your selling really well, have excellent feedback & not over charge shipping costs.

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('oowolf', 'T')here really is a finite amount of people who want $500 Griswold skillets--I just searched--...90% sale rate--but nowhere near the ridiculous prices they were going for in 2000-02.

[I_Like_Plants]

You do not want to buy anything made of glass on Ebay, ever.

You can take vacations, drive around, find those same lanterns and no shipping or scams, ID theft, viruses, etc all the wonderful cornucopia of Evilbay/Thiefbay.....

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TommyJefferson', 'T')hat's what I'm talking about.

[vision-master]

I picked up a nice set of old "time" racing bicycle pedals shipped to my door for $15. They where state of art in the 80's. Still great pedals, but they ain't "hip" no more.

Glass is ok to ship. Insurance is required and the item must be packaged correctly.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') have a weird fetish for old kerosene lanterns. I just love the damn things the way some people love China dolls or rare coins. I enjoy looking at them on Ebay, but I never buy them because the prices are so ridiculous.

[oowolf]

What's really rare are the mid-19th century "vapor lamps" that (attempted to) use GASOLINE as fuel. Unfortunate tendency to blow up. Reference: Guide to Sandwich Glass by Barlow and Kaiser.

[oowolf]

gasoline vapor lamps illustrated:
http://members.aol.com/lumiara/en/miscen.htm

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('oowolf', 'W')hat's really rare are the mid-19th century "vapor lamps" that (attempted to) use GASOLINE as fuel. Unfortunate tendency to blow up.

[vision-master]

Burning fluid - nasty stuff!

[smallpoxgirl]

Hey! Burning stuff is all that separates us from the animals.

man=pyromaniac ape.

[Chuckmak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', 'H')ey! Burning stuff is all that separates us from the animals.

man=pyromaniac ape.

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', 'I') buy a lot of utilitarian stuff off ebay, and have done pretty well. Medical equipment, power tools, reloading supplies, canning supplies, radios, etc. I just got a 45 day supply of Mountain House freeze dried food off EBay for $200. Where else can you buy a gas mask for $20? Last winter I got a new-in-box copy of Peachtree Accounting 2006 for $25.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TommyJefferson', 'W')ill you marry me? I'll do all the cooking, and massage your feet after a day at the office, and clean your rifles.