Student Guide to Ebay

eBay’s Student Guide to Surviving the Credit Crunch

With the current economic climate, millions of Brits are beating the squeeze by making the most of eBay. From finding your own ‘untapped income’ to shopping neutral, the UK’s largest market place offers lots of ways to be frugal and save cash. Here is eBay’s guide to surviving the credit crunch: 

SOME INTERESTING FACTS AND FIGURES

• 14m – the number of Brits who buy & sell on eBay every month
• 178,000 – the number of Brits now making a primary/secondary income on the site
• £2bn – the amount this ‘alternative economy’ is worth – and it’s booming  
• £325 – the value of saleable items in a typical British home
• 10m – the number of items up for sale at any one time on ebay.co.uk
• 20m – the number of unwanted books lying around British homes
• 14.5m – the amount of pieces of unworn jewellery being hoarded by Brits
• £113 – the average selling price for items of dining room furniture over the past 3 months on ebay.co.uk

EBAY SELLING TIPS

• Find Your ‘Untapped Income’

Rummage around your house, under the stairs and at the bottom of your wardrobe, to find unwanted items that you can sell. With approximately £325 worth of saleable items in the average British household, you could be onto a winner

• Do Your Research

On eBay you’ll find a number of research tools that help you plan your selling.  For example, with eBay Pulse you can find out which items are most in demand, while eBay Market Place lets you research average selling prices and recent sales activity

EBAY BUYING TIPS

• Buy To Sell

Think about possible resale value when you buy. If you only need those shoes for one event, of that carrycot for the next three months, choose wisely and you could make your money back by selling it on  

• Do Your Research (part 2)

Make sure you’re getting a good deal. You can check average selling prices for the item you’re after, so you know how much you should be paying.  Then, simply set your maximum price and stick to it

In addition to the above, eBay can provide:

• Average selling prices (ASPs) for any item listed on the site, which can be compared with high street prices.
• Case studies (members of the eBay community) who can discuss their own experiences of saving and making money through eBay
• Comment from eBay spokespeople and experts