Make Some Money: Ebay

So in order to support my shopping "research", sometimes I need some extra funds.  When I need to make some extra cash, I turn to Ebay.  It allows me to clean out my closet to make room for my new finds, make money, and I don't have to be bothered with the hassle of a yard sale.  You can make some extra money on Ebay, too, you know.  Here are the basics.

1. Go to ebay.com and sign up for an Ebay account.  As long as you have an e-mail address, you'll be all set.
2. Go to paypal.com and sign up for an account.  Paypal is how those buying your goods from Ebay pay you.  Using PayPal, no one gives out any private information.  Money is transferred from one person's PayPal account to yours, and then you can have that money sent from your PayPal to your bank account, or have a check sent to you in the mail.  Very simple, very safe.  PS- PayPal is now taken by many merchants, too, so you can use PayPal to shop!
3. Pictures, pictures, pictures: whatever you're selling, take plenty of pictures.  You are allowed to post up to 12 pictures of an item without being charged by Ebay, so make sure you use them all.  Buyers like to see every angle of what they're buying.  If an item is damaged, make sure you post pictures of the damage so the buyer knows what she's getting.
4. Search your item on Ebay before you list it: This way, you can make your price competitive.  What you think it is worth and what is actually worth might be two very different numbers.
5. List your item: My suggestion is to put it up as an auction.  Ebay has a "Buy it Now" feature that allows people to buy the item immediately at a fixed price, but if you put it up for auction you might actually get more money for your item if there is a bidding war.  Make sure you describe it accurately- the condition is important and you want to have a good reputation as a seller.
6. Calculated shipping: You might choose to be super nice and ship your item for free, but chances are you want the buyer to pay shipping.  Figure out approximately the item weighs, and choose calculated shipping so that Ebay determines the shipping amount for you.  You can print shipping labels directly from Ebay.  My suggestion is to use USPS or FedEx.  UPS tends to be expensive, no matter what Ebay calculates I always spend more!  Also, make sure you package the item well, you don't want it to arrive damaged.

You are allowed to list up to 50 items on Ebay at a time for free.  After 50 items (and/or if you choose special listing features), there are listing charges.  Ebay does take a small percentage of your sale price if you sell the item (and only if you sell the item), and PayPal takes a small percentage also.  So while these services are "free", they're really not- but your stuff is worth more sold than it is sitting in your closet, isn't it?

You can find me on Ebay as user pinksparklezoxo.  Right now I'm selling a Coach wristlet I no longer use and some fine china for my mom.  Let me know if you try to sell something and what your experience is!

Vera Bradley Online Outlet Sale

Newsflash:

If you do not have a Vera Bradley Outlet near you (if you don't live in the southern or western U.S., you probably don't), they are offering 48 hours, that's right, 2 days of outlet buying ONLINE.  Go get your Vera Bradley while its hot!

Tip: You can buy some things from the outlet and then sell for a profit on E-bay.  Even if you mark it up 10%, people will still be paying you less on E-bay than they would in a regular store or for regular online prices.

Click here to get to the outlet!

Score!

I just felt I should share:

Lord & Taylor is having a shoe sale.  Besides generous markdowns on their sandals, their clearance shoes are 50% off, and then there is a coupon for 20% off (You can print the coupon here: http://lt.lordandtaylor.us/ltdocs/coupons/SP13_JULYCLEARANCECOUPON.pdf, good through 8/6).

I needed some back to school shoes, and I scored 2 pairs of shoes for $68.  And one of the pairs of shoes is Coach.  That's right.  I got Coach pumps for $47.99 (regular price $158!).

I really love Lord and Taylor's sales.  I always do very well at the end of the summer and on Black Friday.  My suggestion is to sign up for their text messaging- they send the coupons right to your phone so that you  never leave them at home.

Daily Deals Sites: My super faves!

Listed below are a few of my favorite Daily Deals Sites.  A Daily Deals Site is a website that has special offers of brand-name merchandise at discounted prices.  Typically, if I need something, I prefer to go to a store to try it on, etc. However, the returns policies at these sites are fair, and $30 for a pair of $120 Birkenstock sandals is worth it to me.

Each of these sites is a membership-only site, and will e-mail you daily (or on the interval you set upon joining).  Depending on how often you buy, sites like Gilt will personalize the deals just for you!

Some examples of products I've bought from these sites (just do you can see how good some of the sales really are):

Coach Factory: www.coachfactory.com -- I have bought wristlets for $10-$20 as well as $300 bags for less than half price.  Coach Factory often runs specials so you can get coach bags on the cheap and no one would ever know.  Around Black Friday they also do an extra 30% off sale.

Zulily.com: www.zulily.com -- EXCELLENT site for women's wear and kids' wear.  This is where I bought the Birkenstocks as well as Crocs for my son for $14 (regularly $35).  What I like about Zulily is that they do free shipping all weekend after your first purchase, so if you buy one brand from Zulily on Saturday, you don't pay shipping again until the following Monday.  They also have a lot of great steals for plus size women and occasionally they have kids' and womens' UGG boots!

Gilt.com: www.gilt.com-- For designer finds daily, GO HERE.  They have sales for men, women, kids, home, and travel. While you used to need a code to join Gilt, now there is no wait; it is instant registration.  Gilt often has high end stuff for low prices.

Fabkids.com: www.fabkids.com-- I originally joined Fabkids because I am a petite woman and I thought the outfits were oh-so-cute for girls.  Right now, Fabkids only offers girls' clothing, but for $39.99 (and sometimes when there is a sale, $19.99), you get a COMPLETE 3 PIECE OUTFIT.  How fab is that?!  Boys' outfits are coming soon for your little guy, too.  I think that this site is totally worth joining, especially if you're small, or you have a little one at home.  Did I also mention that they have free shipping AND free returns?  Double score!

Hello!

After a very, very long hiatus, I am glad to say that I am back in action.  Having a baby sure made it difficult to find any time to post sales (but trust me, I still found them!  I'm sorry I didn't share).  In any case, my new mommy shopping knowledge will now allow me to include kids' stuff in this blog, something about which I'm very excited.  Everyone can use savings, especially those of us with kids!

I'd also like to take this blog in the direction of product reviews and reviewing some local businesses where I see fit.  I'm in the Northern New Jersey area in case you're interested.

So, now that we've had that quick hello and "welcome back", let's get shopping, shall we?