As promised, I’m going to start blogging Sell Their Stuff bit by bit, in order, for you to read here on the blog. Here’s the Introduction to get us started.
I’ve added a new series functionality to the site to hopefully make reading a series like this easier but let me know if anything looks wonky.
-Hillary
Introduction
I started selling on eBay in 1997 when the site was only a few months old and, in the two decades since then, I’ve built up my online selling to be my primary source of income. I mention this not to brag but to let you know right from the start that I’m not some random person talking out of my nether regions about something I know nothing about. I’ve been both a full-time seller and earned a living off of my e-commerce experience not just for a fluke minute but for many years.
And when I tell you that starting a Selling Assistance service isn’t just lucrative but easy to do, that’s not just talk either because I started my SA business when I was a 17-year-old high school student. If a teenager on dial-up can not only start a business like this but become successful in it, imagine what you could do with your experience and the wealth of superior e-commerce tools available today!
While I may have the benefit of experience behind me today, I was once likely even greener than you are right now.
Like most of the early sellers, I didn’t start selling online with the intention of making it a business. I started selling partly as a hobby but mostly out of necessity; I had a house full of junk that I wanted to get rid of. Of course, in 1997, online sales were new and e-commerce options few. eBay was one of the only options out there, but even that hadn’t yet become the cultural phenomena it is today. Back then, the very idea of selling online was a curiosity, a way to earn a few extra dollars. Now its reputation precedes it, and many sellers approach a site like eBay or Etsy with dollar signs in their eyes, fueled by tales of the riches they can make with the junk in their attic.
Can you make money selling online on a site like eBay? Yes! eBay, Etsy, Craigslist, or the marketplace of your choice can all be fantastic places to earn some extra income and can definitely be built into a full-time business. The evidence of successful sellers using these platforms and others as a full or part-time source of income is everywhere. But it takes work to be a successful seller, and it’s not the get-rich-quick scheme some people view it as.
Maybe you’re already doing some selling, or maybe you’re looking to get started. Veteran or newbie, it all comes down to one thing: where do you get the items to sell? There are dozens of ways to find products. On one end, you sign with a wholesaler, strike deals with suppliers, or manufacture your own products. On the other end, you go to thrift stores and scour discount bins, garage sales, flea markets or even sites like eBay themselves for collectible items to resell. All of these methods are proven ways to make money online, but all of them are a lot of work.
There is an easier way. You can let people who already have a product to sell come to you. You can sell their stuff on consignment and piggyback on their profits in a process known as Selling Assistance.
Unlike starting a traditional retail business, there is no need to contract with wholesalers or purchase tons of inventory you may never sell; you’ve got complete control over the clients and items you agree to, putting you in charge of your profits. And unlike a traditional store that’s locked into regular hours, it’s easy to adjust your workload to fit your situation. If you’ve already established an online business, adding Selling Assistant services is a simple process that can increase your profits.
Acting as a Selling Assistant is one of the most versatile ways of earning income online, and it is easily adaptable to be either full or part time depending on your needs. It’s also an ideal work-from-home opportunity, an easy additional income stream for a full-time worker, or an excellent way for stay-at-home parents, students or retirees to make some extra cash. Whether you decide to keep it as supplemental income or build your service up into a full-time business is up to you.
How do I know this? I have successfully served as a Selling Assistant for two decades. I’ve sold on sites like eBay and Amazon as well as on my own website. I’ve shifted my Selling Assistant services back and forth between part time and full time to suit my current needs and have adjusted my workload volume to be anywhere from 5% of my income to 90% depending on my current work situation. I can assure you first hand of both the profitability and flexibility of being an SA.
In the chapters that follow, I hope to share with you the wealth of my own experience as a Selling Assistant and to guide you through the process of starting your own consignment business. But before those dollar signs pop back into your eyes, remember, there’s going to be work involved. Luckily for you, you’ve got someone who’s been through it all before and knows how to get you started the right way.
Let’s do this together…
Sincerely, your Selling Assistant assistant,
Hillary DePiano
DISCLAIMER
The following text is provided for informational purposes only and is intended to be used as a guide prior to consultation with an attorney familiar with your specific legal situation. Hillary DePiano and Priced Nostalgia are not engaged in rendering legal or other professional advice, and nothing advised herein is a substitute for the advice of an attorney.
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