My Sales Experience on eBay

This past summer, I worked as an intern for my neighbor who owns a business. In addition to completing assignments relevant to his business, I helped him sell some of his old stuff on eBay and Facebook marketplace. A lot of the items that he wanted to sell were old automotive toys from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. There were lots of toy cars, model trains, and various parts. Many of these items were still in their original packaging, making their value as antiques rise tremendously. The people who often want to buy these items are very knowledgeable about them. This meant that I needed to at least match their level of knowledge in order to effectively engage in sales and conversation about the toys. The hardest part about this process was the week or two that I spent familiarizing myself with the items. Meanwhile, I had never sold anything via eBay or Facebook marketplace before. I also was forced to learn those seller interfaces inside and out. A few of the items I belonged to the same model train set. This particular set is worth over $2,000. Selling an item this expensive to someone felt super high stakes. When selling collectibles, there is an extensive process in proving to your buyer the legitimacy of your item. When it came to the big ticket items, I had a few people come to me and heckle me about pricing. I had never experienced anything in the ball park of heckling before. It was super awkward to navigate these interactions, but fortunately they always ended in a civil manner. Overall, my experience selling to individuals on eBay and Facebook marketplace was fruitful. I got some money in my boss and I’s pockets, but that wasn’t even the most important part. The most important part was the front line experience that I gained interacting with and selling to buyers.