I am looking at starting a ebay shop: good idea or not

[Danilou1910]

I am wanting to earn a little extra income while doing something I enjoy.

My idea is to sell wedding favours not the usual boxes and organza bags.

But more unique including food box (happy meal style) favours for children both great for extra special favours and as a entertainment to help keep them occupied. there are great for both weddings and children's parties. They will have toys and goodies in and will be personalised for the couples colour scheme and have each child's name on.

Also small soap and candle favours, I will have a selection to suit different themes, eg seaside, butterflys, wedding cakes, flowers etc. With amazing sents some actually wedding themed and sweet. Either presented in a favour box or organza bag with a personalised tag with couples names and dates on to suit colour scheme/theme as well.

And also similar as above but chocolates. Presented either in foil or in a clear cellophane bag with curling ribbon and tag again to suit theme as well as the chocolates themselves.

I was also thinking of working markets and carboots/fairs with them as well as I think alot of theme will make great gifts as well.

Any imput or feedback would be great,

Thanks for looking

 

[Purpular]

A market stall would be great and they're a lot easier to get into than people think.

eBay shops are okay but you do encounter lots of problems with eBays leaning towards the buyer, paypal taking chunks of your profit and buyers trying it on. You only have to have a few people try it on and give you bad beedback (not necessarily negative either, just by the stars bit) and your account gets blocked.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

 

[Seraphim]

I used to run an ebay store and it was great.
Best trick I found was to set up a spreadsheet with your unit cost, ebay and paypal fees, plus mark-up calcs, and that generates your start price every time.

 

[Danilou1910]

Thanks for your replies girls! What do you think of the actual product idea's???

I am gonna do a bit more research first before I jump in head first and proberly test the water before paing shop fee. My dad works the markets for a lot of my childhood but I don't think my items would be appropriate for big markets more specialitie like craft fairs of school fayres.

Seraphim, what kind of products did you sell and how did you manage stock levels and postage etc???

Thanks

 

[Seraphim]

Love the product ideas - although candles and soaps (which I sold because I enjoyed making them) are harder to get the profit on. I really wouldn't try and compete here - people don't give a stuff about the unique factor and there are far bigger fish spewing them out at very low costs. If you want to make them for your own fun and sell on then that would work.

For the favours - I wouldn't think about markets so much as Bridal Shows and marketing hotels and wedding shops etc.

See what product packages you can come up with.

Scour ebay.
Know your competition.
(In the old days you used to be able to see the bidders, and I'd always email other peoples bidders with links to my stuff, when I had a spare 5 mins )
Keep it streamline so you can order in larger quanitities and keep your (start)prices low.

I sold all sorts of jewellery, new age items, handmade gifts - lots of things that were simply packaged up and presented in a lovely way - some things that took skill and an arty imagination to create. (Ex. My best handmade item was a dreamcatcher I used to make with silver and crystals - low material cost, overlapped with jewellery so could order in bulk - loved making them, got skilled and reduced time input - was so unique people paid an absolute fortune for them)

I'd stick to the wedding route, you've got a great opportunity to upsell and co-sell other items 'because it's all from one place' - be imaginative and creative and you'll grab your slice of the pie.

HTH

 

[Danilou1910]

Thats great advice seraphim, Thanks

 

[Kirstin]

Love the product ideas - although candles and soaps (which I sold because I enjoyed making them) are harder to get the profit on. I really wouldn't try and compete here - people don't give a stuff about the unique factor and there are far bigger fish spewing them out at very low costs. If you want to make them for your own fun and sell on then that would work.

For the favours - I wouldn't think about markets so much as Bridal Shows and marketing hotels and wedding shops etc.

See what product packages you can come up with.

Scour ebay.
Know your competition.
(In the old days you used to be able to see the bidders, and I'd always email other peoples bidders with links to my stuff, when I had a spare 5 mins )
Keep it streamline so you can order in larger quanitities and keep your (start)prices low.

I sold all sorts of jewellery, new age items, handmade gifts - lots of things that were simply packaged up and presented in a lovely way - some things that took skill and an arty imagination to create. (Ex. My best handmade item was a dreamcatcher I used to make with silver and crystals - low material cost, overlapped with jewellery so could order in bulk - loved making them, got skilled and reduced time input - was so unique people paid an absolute fortune for them)

I'd stick to the wedding route, you've got a great opportunity to upsell and co-sell other items 'because it's all from one place' - be imaginative and creative and you'll grab your slice of the pie.

HTH

If you dont mind me asking why did you stop?

 

[Seraphim]

I took on renovating houses instead, then I sold my soul to the devil and got salaried

I had long periods of being house/bed bound with surgery, so making things suited me.