The Why Behind Being a Reseller
I sold the above Simpson's Duff knit cap on eBay for $15 and since I sourced it from an after-garage sale free pile, it was all profit. Minus the eBay fees of course!
Not a lot of work, but still a bit of work to photograph it and get it listed; plus the five minutes or so to package it up and print out a label. USPS will pick it up for free, so that's an additional thirty seconds it took to schedule a pickup through their website.
So why go through the effort for such a small reward, when I've often written that I try to only list on eBay when I can make at least $50? Well . . . I hold myself to that general standard when I'm buying something to resell, as it's not uncommon to wait weeks if not months to find a buyer. It makes zero financial sense to have money tied up in inventory, unless the payoff is significant.
However, my motivation for reselling isn't just about the money. I personally choose to buy used whenever possible, which is how I stand up against rampant consumerism. By selling thrifted and randomly found items, I can help other people in their journeys against a consumer driven society.
Did I want my own Simpson's Duff Beer knit beanie for myself? Nope, not really my style, but it turned out that some random dude in Texas did, and I got to be the middle man woman. Without resellers, there'd be no secondhand market for people who also want to step away from that Schmeff Schmezos guy.
Taking a stand against consumerism, one goofy cap at a time.
I like selling on Ebay. It's a fun hobby that earns some extra cash.