Convenience & Value for your dollar at eBay

eBay Shopping for the best price

If you haven't already, now is the best time to buy and sell on auction sites such as eBay! Shopping in Australia during a down turned economy could be difficult, but not with eBay! Why not sell your unwanted goods to pay off debt or purchase something you 'want' or 'need' right now?

eBay's latest survey has shown that the average Australia could be more than $3,000 better off. Australians are sitting on a potential fortune of unused and unwanted goods. Empty out your drawers, under your bed and in the back of the cupboards and start selling, selling, selling! What you don't want, someone else might!

Of those surveyed, 71% could immediately name one unwanted item they had that they could sell. 11% of people put their unwanted goods out on the curb for council collection, what they do not know is that they could actually make money by selling them online!

Electronics, fashion, furniture and toys are just some of the best selling items on eBay. The number of unused household items have increased over the past few years, 46% of Victorian and ACT residents and 44% of South Australian residents have electrical goods they no longer use, so I bet you have an item stashed in the back of your kitchen that you don't use that someone else is willing to pay money for. You can practically sell anything you wish on eBay.

Why not search eBay for a birthday gift for that upcoming kids birthday party! 42% of West Australian residents have toys their children no longer play with that are still like new, some are actually New With Tags (NWT) that you could give as a present!

Furniture is fetching high prices and eBay allows you to have 'pick up only' on your item. Why not upload your old couch on eBay and sell it, have the buyer pick it up and it's out of your way; you're decluttering and making money!

We are all known for having unwanted clothing and accessories in our cupboards, 58% of us have a cupboard full of unwanted items. On average these unwanted items could sell for approximately $725 all up, another survey by eBay found. Whilst 20% of Australians have a pair of jeans they don't wear and everyone is searching for the perfect pair of jeans, online.

Most women admitted the reason their clothes were unwanted is because they didn't fit into them or they don't like them any more. Rather than leave these clothes in the wardrobe Australians should turn to eBay where they can quickly be sold and be worn as someone else's feature piece.

85% of women admit to having clothes that still have tags on them! These are eBay gems! Sell your New With Tags (NWT) item for more because they are brand new and never worn!

By selling your unwanted clothes you can have more money to pay of debt, decrease the financial pressures of high petrol prices and buy new clothes for the season! With the money you have made by selling your unwanted goods you can hunt for auction bargains! Someone else will be cleaning out what doesn't fit them anymore, but is your size! eBay is easy to use and has more than five million Australian members.

We asked Sian Gipslis, an eBay spokeswoman about eBay Australia:

Why are more and more Australians turning to eBay for buying and selling?

Sian Gipslis : The simple answer in regards to buying is that on average when purchasing on eBay you can buy things for 25% off RRP. At the moment people have less money so buying on eBay is a great way to extend your money. It is all about bargains. Another reason people like to buy on eBay is because of the convenience. You can buy practically anything at any time you want to buy. It is great if you have a really busy job or if you are a stay-at-home-mum, and don't want to cart the kids around the shopping centre. You can shop in the comfort of your own home at whatever time suits you.

In regards to selling, it is easy and you can do it for a relatively low cost and you can turn stuff that is lying around your house into some extra cash.


What sells for the highest on eBay Australia?

Sian Gipslis : Practically anything. We have more than fifty thousand categories and more than a hundred million items on the site at any one time. Everything from your standard consumer electronics such as mobile phones or iPods through to everyday fashion items through to more of the quirky and fun items that you do occasionally see on eBay.


Are those who sell there unwanted goods on eBay then using that money to buy 'wanted' goods on eBay?

Sian Gipslis : We are definitely seeing more people buying on eBay or choosing eBay to spend some of their cash. I would anticipate that those who are selling items on eBay are also buying items on eBay because they know the value they can get. My gut feeling and what we are hearing from our members is that they are choosing to both buy and sell.

People do sell to buy. They will have their eye on something and they will go and find something to sell to afford to buy the other item.


Has eBay sellers and buyers increased during this economic downturn?

Sian Gipslis : Definitely. I think people are looking to extend whatever money they do have, and eBay is a great way to do that. Also if you are looking to make a little bit of extra cash to pay of a credit card debit or something like that, it is a very easy way to do it. We are seeing more activity on our site from people who are visiting. It is definitely something I think more and more people will try and do over the coming months.


How often do items 'not sell' on eBay?

Sian Gipslis : The majority of items, we find, do actually sell. A lot of people, if you have an auction item, a lot of the activity happens in the last couple of minutes. When you find something you like, a lot of people will wait and watch it and wait till the last couple of minutes to bid on it, hoping to get more of a bargain.


Are people selling their cars on eBay now, because it is cheaper than other car-selling sites?

Sian Gipslis : It is really interesting. Towards the end of last year we saw more luxury cars on our site, which is obviously people who could no longer afford them and opting to sell them, rather than have them repossessed. We have started to see more activity in all the different car categories, because of what you said, it is actually cheaper to sell your car on eBay. You can also reach the five million plus visitors that visit the site each month. You do reach a really broad group of people that you don't necessarily reach with some car selling sites.


A recent survey by eBay showed that Australians could be $3,000 better off if they sold their unwanted goods, are most of the sellers making this amount of money?

Sian Gipslis : Absolutely, we have members that have made ten to fifteen thousand dollars, from items just around their house. It does depend what life stage you are at. So I know, you can definitely make more money if you have things like toys and baby items. I know a lot of friends that have sold strollers and cots and those sort of items. They have made an absolute fortune and then they have turned around and purchased a new bed to replace the cot and a new desk for the babies room. What they do is turn over the items as they become unwanted and buy something that is wanted.

When I think about it I can say we probably have an old computer screen, a old laptop and two or three mobile phones. The idea is to go through your home and look at what you do have. In terms of clothing and accessories it was shown that 32% saying they had things that were unwanted in their wardrobe, I would say that, that number is probably a bit higher. It has to be.


Useful Links:
How to use ebay & paypal - www.girl.com.au/how-to-use-ebay-and-paypal.htm
What items could earn you cash? - www.femail.com.au/blog/index.php?/archives/113-What-items-do-you-have-stashed-away.html#extended