I'll never forget my first time . . .selling an old dress on eBay
Something old, something new: Tina puts her dress and hat up for sale on eBay. Photo by Martin Maher
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Thursday May 13 2010
I bought the dress in a weak moment and it's stayed in the wardrobe unworn and unloved. That is, until last week, when I plucked it from its hanger, took a picture of it and the next thing I know it had moved on ...
Yes, I was no longer an eBay virgin and, even better, I was €78.50 richer -- Result!
All it involved was taking a few photos of them (while I was at it, I decided to try and offload a hat too), uploading these with a description and then waiting seven days.
It seems you really can sell anything on eBay.
I have a friend who has sold old copies of Vogue magazine (yes, people buy them) and even a Michael Jackson headband bought at a concert in Parc Ui Chaoimh years ago!
That one sold after his death for over €30 to an Australian. Sadly, in the end, that buyer didn't pay up and the headband remains here, but it just goes to show what you could sell.
The best place to start looking is in your wardrobe. According to eBay.ie the most searched categories in the first quarter of this year all related to clothes and accessories.
They include ladies bags; ladies shoes; t-shirts and tops; coats and jackets and in fifth place wedding dresses and gowns.
If you have an old debs-type dress, that could be a good seller too, as searches for debs dresses are in 15th place on eBay.ie's list.
When you're sorting out the clothes and accessories you want to unload, bear in mind that dresses sell the best and ones with a recognised brand sell best of all.
The most bid on item on eBay.ie in the last few months was a Karen Millen cocktail dress.
Karen Millen tops the list of clothing brands most searched for in Ireland, so if you have an item you don't wear you know what to do.
Likewise if you have clothes or shoes by River Island, Abercrombie and Fitch, Christian Louboutin and Uggs, you could get a good sale as these are all in the top five.
The dress I sold also carried a recognisable label; that of Anna Sui.
It was purchased a few years ago in a sale for €50, in one of those weak, should-have-known-better moments
The hat was a used man's tweed flat cap, which had been dry-cleaned and looked as good as new.
Once you have set up your account with eBay -- and also with Pay Pal, because it's the safest and recommended way to receive and send payments -- start researching the site to see if there are any similar items to what you are selling and check how much they are listed for.
I decided to hold an auction for both items, but you might choose to sell at a fixed price, as eBay.ie says sales of 'Buy It Now' items are now three times higher than those sold by auction on the site.
When you click to list your item for sale, you are prompted to enter a title, ie "Anna Sui pure silk dress, never worn", the size and specifics, such as the dress type, exact colour and garment care.
Take pictures from various angles, including a close-up of the label or make.
If you are selling shoes, take a picture of the soles (especially if they were never worn), and of details like stitching and embroidery.
When it comes to describing your item, be clear: include lots of detail such as measurements, and employ some marketing- type language such as 'can be worn from beach to bar'. It can't hurt.
Deciding on a price will be made easier by knowing what other similar items are selling for.
Start low to get people interested (my dress was listed at €30), and take into account any fees you're paying, such as postage.
There is no listing fee if the item is priced at less that €1.49, but there is a listing fee of 35c for items at €7 to €19.99 or 70c for items at €20 to €49.99 for example.
I also paid 15c to make my potential market bigger by "adding US and Canada visibility".
You will also be paying a PayPal fee when the item sells (mine was €2.93) and I was charged a final fee of 10pc when the sale was concluded.
List your postage charges and do it carefully.
Weigh the item you're selling, then go to An Post's website and get the price for a large envelope or packet of that weight and add in the cost of the envelope.
If you intend selling items abroad, be sure to note the different postage charges for domestic and international delivery.
After several bids my dress sold for €71.50 and has found a new home in Wales.
The hat wasn't as popular but sold for the listed price of €7 to an Irish buyer. So whether it's a 'bad buy' dress, an old but working laptop, or a bag you're bored of, see if you can make yourself some easy money.
- Tina Leonard
Irish Independent
