Selling on eBay®: A Love Story
By Judith C. White
Love may be blind, but it can’t overlook the sight of a 12-foot canoe in the living room. That’s what Beth Colaner-Kenney discovered a few years after her marriage to Don Kenney in 1994.
Beth explains, “When we met and married, we were both employed full time. I worked as a graphic artist at the University of Michigan, and Don was a professor of business and teacher education at Concordia University.” At the time, she had no idea that Don was a “closet shopper,” unable to resist a bargain at auction or at an estate or yard sale.
Beth says that the extent of Don’s “addiction” did not become apparent until his retirement in 1998. That’s when he began shopping openly and frequently at auctions and estate sales. For Beth, coming home from work on a Friday night meant coming home to a packed house that included countless books, CDs, audio tapes, and much, much more. She recalls that in addition to the canoe, “Don’s more unusual early “finds” included a motor scooter, 45 cribbage boards, and dozens of antique ear trumpets.
“Before I met Don, I had lived happily in a very small space with the proverbial ‘place for everything and everything in its place.’” Finding herself surrounded by so much stuff everywhere was overwhelming and frustrating, to say the least, and Beth and Don both knew something had to be done.
‘eBay Gave Us Something We Could Do Together’
Fortunately, in 1999, the Kenneys discovered eBay, an opportunity that became another “marriage made in heaven” for the couple. Don learned that as much as he loved shopping, accumulating, and collecting, he had no trouble getting rid of things on eBay. Those 45 cribbage boards, for example, sold quickly for $35-$45 each, and the ear trumpets sold for hundreds of dollars--each!
All of a sudden, Don’s compulsive need to shop became a marketable skill and a profitable venture for the couple. More than that, eBay launched them on an exciting journey that continues to take them around the world today, both literally and figuratively.
‘I’m No Longer an Artist; I’m an eBay Queen!’
Upon Beth’s retirement from the University of Michigan in 2000, selling on eBay became a full-time job for the couple. While the work is labor intensive and very time consuming, both believe it’s worth it. Beyond additional income, they view selling on eBay as a unique way to see the world, foster cross-cultural friendships, and help the environment through recycling.
The Kenneys enjoy shopping together, usually on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and both find interacting with customers rewarding. Says Don, “To us, the work feels more like an adventure than a job.” Adds Beth, “We’re excited to get up in the morning to see what happened at auction on eBay overnight!”
Division of Labor
According to Beth, “Don does better at picking out things that are likely to sell quickly and easily, and I am better at writing ads and getting things out the door.” Having been in the business now for ten years, Beth finds using eBay and PayPal much easier and safer that it was at the beginning. With a smile, they recall an early financial miscalculation in the sale of a bowling ball to an eBay customer in Spain. Because of the exorbitant postage costs, “the transaction amounted to us paying the customer for taking the bowling ball off our hands!”
Since then, Beth has worked out an efficient system for managing domestic and international shipping requirements and costs. She prints out her own postage and customs forms from her computer and schedules specific wrap and ship days during the week. She has also become well acquainted with the people who work at the U.S. Post Office close to home in northeast Ann Arbor. Says Beth, laughing, “I’m no longer an artist; I’m an eBay queen!”
‘We Make Friends All Over the World’
In addition to sending items to customers in all 50 states, they have sent goods to China, Sweden, Australia, Spain, England, Ireland, Austria, Germany, and France. Since they began, Beth and Don have successfully completed 40 to 50 thousand transactions (this is not a typographical error). Adds Beth, “We keep our vast inventory in what we refer to as our ‘e-basement.’”
With their earnings from eBay (and a laptop computer in hand), the Kenneys have also been able to travel to and conduct business from England and Australia; closer to home, they have also set up temporary eBay headquarters in San Diego, California, and Cedar Key, Florida.
It’s easy to see why the Kenneys consistently maintain their 99.9% customer satisfaction rating on eBay. On a trip to Australia a few years ago, they personally delivered a Le Creuset® frying pan to a customer. They live by the principle that “the customer is always right,” and more than a few customers have become lifelong friends.
Tips for Selling on eBay
Generally speaking, the Kenneys estimate that people probably have anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 worth of unused, unwanted goods in their attics, basements, and garages. Before readers start ringing up hefty sales in their heads, however, Beth cautions them to exchange their “retail mentality” for an “auction mentality.”
She explains that unless your item is an especially desirable antique or valued collectible, “what you purchased originally for $400 is just not likely to sell on eBay for $800.” Shoppers are looking for bargains and like to believe that they’re getting the best deal on whatever they’re bidding on, so it’s better to start low and see what the market will bear.
At the same time, people need to be careful not to undervalue what they have. Beth cites an example in which an acquaintance was about to dispose of a rose-colored glass and silver pickle castor that she didn’t want, use, or even like. Beth offered to help her sell it on eBay, and it promptly topped out at auction for $600.
To learn more about getting started on eBay, Beth suggests taking advantage of the free courses offered by the U.S. Post Office and local libraries. Looking at similar items for sale on eBay and checking the “completed listings” found on the left-hand side of the screen also can help readers determine a fair price for their goods. The Kenneys’ eBay ID is dond6; a full array of goods will become available in October.
What Sells Best?
As everyone knows, just about anything and everything is up for sale on eBay, including planes, trains, and automobiles. Though you may not have a flight-ready 747 for sale in your backyard, that “Desk Model Aero Mini American Airlines Boeing 747 Plane” in your attic could command as much as $130. And those little Matchbox® cars from the 1950s and ’60s? Interested buyers are often willing to pay hundreds of dollars for the one car needed to complete a collection.
Other items that seem to be selling well right now include vintage children’s books; old china, pottery, and wooden utensils; Le Creuset kitchenware; pre-1940 postage stamps; American Girl dolls and accessories; plus-size women’s apparel; Hummel® figurines; name-brand children’s clothing; rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia; bridal gear; electronics; and used exercise equipment. In fact, according to a recent Ladies Home Journal article, “A used Sole F85 treadmill offered for pickup in the Atlanta area had four people interested and sold for $970.”
What To Do With the Stuff that Doesn’t Sell?
Of course, not everything sells on eBay, and there is simply no guarantee that whatever you have to offer will appeal to anyone on any particular day. Because the market is so unpredictable, you may want to try rewriting your ad and listing your item again in a few weeks or months.
Perhaps the best “win-win” way to get rid of unwanted items is to donate them to a charitable organization and take the appropriate tax deduction. The primary beneficiary of the Kenneys’ hard work is the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor, of which Don is a proud member. Having sold used goods every Saturday morning since 1927, the Kiwanis Club’s Thrift Sale remains an Ann Arbor tradition.
An Unexpected and Delightful Adventure
While Don and Beth would be the first to say that selling on eBay is not for everyone, especially on the international level, their post-retirement career has not only brought them closer together as a couple, it enables them to pursue two of their shared passions: seeing the world and visiting world-famous casinos. Beth concludes, “We’re now on the same page, and we’re still in love.”
|
)
)
)
)