Here is a conversation I read recently about a new eBayer's concerns over selling on eBay:

Bob S.: I just listed four items on ebay. It's been three days now, and only on interested. Should I give up, it just doesn't look good at this point.

Kat: Bob, If you are ready to give up that soon, eBay may not be for you? Trust me, it's still worth selling, but you have a lot of learning ahead. . .

Suzie: DON'T GIVE UP! DON'T GIVE UP! You really need to give it 3 YEARS not 3 days.

Karen: I agree ... don't give up! What can you expect after 3 days? You need to give it a chance. It has taken me quite a while to get to where I am now. You have to have patience.

Bob W: Actually, I disagree. eBay is NOT for everyone. If someone does not have the patience and perseverance then they will probably not be successful. (many times you won't get a single bid until the last minute of the auction). Also, the people that always have excuses for why NOT to do something, normally does not do well. And the people who get too nervous watching their items, and get worked up over what something sells for. Not every item is going to make a profit, your AVERAGE should work out positive, but not necessarily every single item. Some people this would bother immensely. Like the person who buys a stock and gets an ulcer watching price fluctuation, they would probably not do well on eBay.

I agree that 3 days into an auction is too early to really have a clue what is going on. At 3 months, you will basically have an understanding of what you are doing, but still have lots more to learn. But with the ever-increasing pressures on eBay (more items, more sellers, less buyers, lower prices on common items, higher costs of selling on eBay now than a few years ago, etc.) it makes it a more difficult business to run now, than even a few years ago. It takes a lot of work, a tremendous amount of RESEARCH (if you don't want to research then you will likely fail...) and a lot of patience and understanding. But YES, you can make money on eBay, and if you really want to, you will likely succeed and do well.

Marilyn: Great post Bob, and one I agree with whole heartedly. If one doesn't have a basic understanding of business concepts--and not every one does--then a lot of ebay is going to be a steeper learning curve and not everyone can handle it. Basics like sell-what-sells, not necessarily what you have or love, polite professional customer service, emotional detatchment, professional shipping, etc. are not second nature for many and it's hard to be a successful business owner without developing those skills. No one becomes an overnight millionaire selling online. Most people don't even make a living selling online. It *can* be done, and it's being done--but it's a LOT of hard work and there aren't any short cuts. In many ways, it's harder than a "real" job, because you need a lot of self-discipline. The rewards are also great, and it's worth doing, but no one should think it's easy money.

Karen: Excellent said, about the hard work and being a full time job. This is my FT job. I work a lot more than 40 hours a week on this. I am fortunate enough to have a DH that has a good FT job in the 'real' world. But, I have found out that to make the money I want to make, it is going to take more than 40 hours/week. I am self-disciplined and put in the hours needed. I do reap the rewards with more time involved. Just my 2 cents worth.

David: Remember most activity happens in the first 24 hours or the last 2 minutes. As a new seller, expect slow activity until you build up a customer base and following! There is a learning curve here,,, once you learn that 85% of the people selling on the internet are not good at it, you will be that much ahead of the game!