27 Jun
2024
27 Jun
'24
1:13 p.m.
On Thu, Jun 27, 2024 at 8:22 AM Jim Brain via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
wrote:
On 6/27/2024 9:36 AM, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk
wrote:
Bill, I empathize with your comments.
As you note, to successfully realize financial value from these items,
one needs to be willing to put them into the various marketplaces,
potential customers need to be comfortable with you as a seller, and
customers need to find your pricing reasonable.
I'm a business concern and even I am loathe to try to list items I have
on the various marketplaces, for the reasons you note. Some people on
this list have the "presence" and patience to see good results, but I
don't think many of us do.
Over the years I have more often than not been critical of eBay for one
reason or another, but since I re-established an account and began selling
off my remaining collection (aside from a slightly rocky start due to
PayPal always withholding payments because of the newness of my account,
and similar with eBay for sales over $1,000) I've had pretty much nothing
but a positive experience with it. I don't know if I've hit the right
formula or am just very conscientious with my listings and sales (I am) but
it works for me and I really have no complaints. eBay has actually been
very good to me with disputes as well (pretty much haven't lost any, even
when the stupid buyer in one instance tried to do an end-run around eBay
and cancelled the transaction through his bank), especially after I became
a "Top Rated Seller" (I only lost that status due to inactivity from being
in and out of the hospital for most of the past 9 months).
I actually first began selling from my own "website" (the afore-linked
Google Sheets "store" I set up) which I would flog here and on VCFed
forums, and through which I initially sold quite a bit. I then learned
that there was a lot of vintage computing activity on Facebook, so I logged
in there and started finding all the vintage computing groups, set up my
own page to sell, and started advertising it around, as well as my Google
Sheets page, and met with a lot of success there. My terms were always
payment through PayPal via "Friends & Family" (based on my previous
reputation) and it worked out fine, I never had a problem with anyone.
Anything that didn't sell on FB within a certain amount of time I would
eventually list on eBay (for much higher).
The idea of leaving the
se items behind and thinking our loved ones will
see any value from selling is ludicrous, though, and I
question the
sanity of those who seriously believe this. While I am sure there are
exceptions to the rule, I do not believe there are many.
I don't think it's as bad as you and Bill make it out to be. But then, I
have a vision.
I still say, if you think it is worth something, make
sure you sell it
yourself while you are still alive.
Not bad advice at all.
Sellam