Side Hustle Advice

By way of my Granny, I have become an eBay seller. She has been selling old toys for some extra money. She isn’t technologically savvy enough to get them posted, so I help her in that area. She doesn’t drive, so my mom handles the shipping for her. We’ve been doing this side hustle for about a month and I’ve learned a few tips and tricks for those just starting out.

• The items have to be clean and organized before posting. 

• Use eBay’s recommended shipping as a guideline. - I thought shipping would be a lot cheaper than it actually is. This hurt our profits at the beginning. 

• Be happy with whatever it sells for if it’s an auction. - We are happy to be making anything on old toys since it is all profit. If you want a specific amount to feel comfortable selling, consider a buy it now or starting your auction at or near that price. 

• Treat buyers how you would want to be treated. -This means giving refunds if appropriate and combining shipping where available. 

• Consider shipping insurance on items that sell for a high price. - We had something sell for $50 and it got damaged in transit. That ended up being a return and loss of those funds. 

• It will be a time investment. - How many items you sell and how quickly will determine exactly how much time it will take. 

Lastly, put your profits towards debt. My Granny always borrows from us to pay for Christmas. I would rather her borrow money from me than a PayDay lender like the previous year.