Yes, You Can Make Money on eBay… As Well As Make a Life.

The question I am asked most often is, “Can you really make money on eBay?”

The answer is, “Absolutely.”

But between you and me, you can make so much more than a living on eBay. You can make a life.

Hold on tight, because it can be quite the ride. Allow me to share with you the latest twists and turns on my very own eBay roller coaster…

The last time I wrote about eBay was in November, right as the holiday sales season was amping up. I found myself so busy with my eBay store that I had to step away from my eBay Selling for eParents channel at eMoms at Home, the previous version of our current Sparkplugging. Even having hired part-time help to assist in wrapping and shipping, I was absolutely swamped with eBay work from the moment I woke up until the moment I went to bed.

I had to drop everything, including my personal blog, and hunker down with all things eBay.

Unfortunately for our lovely Sparkplugging host, Wendy Piersall, about the time that the holidays wrapped up was exactly the time that my offline life took on, well, a life of its own. All within days of each other, I lost a family friend, gained temporary responsibility of his son, permanently crashed my computer, and insanely began the process of buying our first home since losing utterly everything in Hurricane Katrina.

I was quite happy to not even hear the name “eBay” whispered in my presence, I was so overwhelmed.

Funny how life works. As it turns out, the sole reason we were ultimately able to purchase this longed-for home is because of one tiny, ubiquitous word: eBay.

As it turns out, an eBay store is considered a viable job by some mortgage lenders. Some very large and respectable mortgage lenders, in fact. Furthermore, based on my credit and my eBay records, my family was able to secure a sound mortgage based on my eBay store income alone.

Had you told me two years ago that I could turn a case of baby lotion into a home for my family, I would have laughed. I would have rolled my eyes. I would have written you off as an infomercial hack.

But that is precisely what I did.

And you can do it, too.

So many months later, I find myself back online, understanding the in’s and out’s of this business better than ever. While I am still unpacking in our new home, I am preparing to relaunch my eBay store and see where I can take it this time.

You up for the ride?

This time around, our eBay channel will be more all-encompassing as an eBay and eCommerce channel, co-authored with Kristie McDonald, the owner of Nitro Toyz. While I will most probably spend most of my posts sharing personal stories and experiences, Kristie will finally deliver what you have been asking for all along: the nuts and bolts how-to of eCommerce.

In the meantime, for those looking to catch up, a few of my favorite eBay posts so far (imported from eMoms at Home, so the formatting may be a bit funky, but the content is still solid):

Tell Me About Your Big eBay But…

Savvy eBay Sellers Think Like Customers First. Savvy?

eBay Sellers and Completed Listings Search: Best Friends Forever

Deal or No Deal? Will it sell on eBay? Volume 1.

eBay Marketplace Research. The third wheel to you and your Completed Listings Search dynamic duo.

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Caught up on the highlights, so far? Look, here’s the main point:

If you treat selling on eBay as a job, if you approach it professionally, but also personally and with humor, you can make a living on eBay. And that living can free you to live your life.

Take a deep breath and believe yourself when you say, “I can make real money on eBay.” And then hold on to your seats… Or throw your hands above your head and just scream. Everyone has their own roller coaster riding style, after all.