Amanda Piccirilli-Hall

I’ve always fancied myself as a bit of a bag lady. Not the mumbling under her breath, pushing a shopping cart filled with empty candy wrappers and old shoes kind, but a tried and true collector. I love shopping as much as the next gal, and its been in the Smith blood since before June Laverne made it a hobby. I cant help myself at the store, I see something I have to have, and then its over. Money doesn't matter when you have your heart set on a new pair of jeans, or a watch that would match your favorite Anthropologie sweater. Although I have come to terms with being an obsessed shopaholic and borderline hoarder, I also on occasion, feel the need to be cheap. I am always coming up with a new money saving idea, or plan, that some how always fails me. Its smooth sailing for about a week, then I end up at Macy’s with a shopping bag over flowing with Clinique and Lucky Brand Shoes at $80.00 a pop, but I digress....

Enter E BAY, my newest obsession. In 2008 I came up with a plan to help my brother, Tyler buy car parts for his then, souped up Scion. I set up an account for him, and Tmoney3333389, was born. It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. But, at the time, we were just consumers looking for a deal. Since then, I have been an avid E Bay buyer, finding simple pleasures in discounted Nike workout gear and new sneakers at 60% off what I would pay at DICK’s.

In April, I got the bright idea to try to sell some of my old clothes that I no longer feel compelled to wear. I cant begin to tell you, how much money is just sitting in my closet taking up space. My first E Bay sale was an In Styler hair straightener that at the time, I absolutely needed. It had since, resided in the closet collecting dust. In pristine condition, I shipped and sold that beauty for $60.00. Since then, I have sold countless items that include the following random items, an old bathing suit I never wore, workout bras that I didn't like, jeans that I cant squeeze into and shorts that I am too old to wear.




I love E Bay for many reasons that go beyond the obvious making money. You can find anything at anytime. Its a great place to browse when your board and an awesome place to turn when you want to make some cash :) I can’t say that it has all been smooth sailing, I’ve made a few rookie mistakes so below I will share my tips for E Bay beginners.


1.    List it - no matter how strange, or weird I guarantee there is a buyer on E bay. Don’t think about it, just list it.

2.    Make a fair price and offer free shipping- People don’t troll E Bay to get ripped off. They want a deal! Free shipping will take you far.

3.    Take several pictures of your items and be honest- People wont mind if there is a water mark on the Coach bag they are buying as long as they know its there. The more pictures the better.

4.    Ship Smart- I made the mistake of buying envelopes with padding at the Post Office. Paying $1.89 an envelope seemed cheap, but after a while I discovered polymailers. You have to order them online, but they are worth the trouble. At 10 cents a piece, you cant go wrong and the items get there just the same! Save your money!

5.    Calculate your costs- E Bay has advantages, but everyone wants a piece of the pie. Be sure you know how much you are paying for listing fees, and extras on the site. Pay Pal also charges a fee, for services and shipping and mailing envelopes and boxes need to be factored in.

6.    leave positive feedback- E Bay sellers rely on feedback to make sales and continue to do business. Its best practice to leave feedback. Negative feedback is a last resort, its always best to contact a seller with any problems or concerns before leaving negative seller feedback.

7.    Have fun- E Bay is a great place to buy a car, ice cream scoop or a can of 20 year old cream corn! Enjoy it! Find things you want at a discount, or things you never knew you needed.

If you are thinking about trying E Bay, give it a whirl. It won’t disappoint, I promise  - tmoney333389


http://myworld.ebay.com/tmoney333389