Too Big To Ship When Selling On eBay? Part It Out And Increase Your Profits Along The Way

There is a lucrative opportunity to sell large items on eBay that are difficult to ship. Let me share an example of how I made the most of such a situation.

I purchased a three-bag lawn mower bagger from a local auction site for $15. However, when I tried to list it on eBay, I realized that shipping through UPS would cost around $500, making it too expensive for potential buyers. Considering that the brand new baggers were selling for about $450 to $500 in stores, and I was asking for $250, the total cost would have exceeded $750.

Feeling unsure about what to do, I initially listed it for local pickup only. However, this turned out to be a mistake as three different buyers ignored the local pickup only condition in my eBay listing.

But then, I received an inquiry from a buyer who was interested in purchasing just the weight kit from the bagger. This gave me the idea to sell the parts individually, and I started researching the values of the pieces. To my surprise, some of the parts were worth almost what I had initially asked for the complete kit. Although shipping some of the larger parts was still expensive, it was within a reasonable range compared to shipping the entire bagger.

I realized that my competitors were unlikely to buy such large and bulky items, which is why I was able to purchase it for $15 in the first place. But by parting it out and selling the pieces individually, I could potentially make five, six, or even seven hundred dollars, instead of just $250. Another advantage of not selling it as a whole unit was that I didn’t have to worry about the risk of having to eat the shipping shipping costs both ways if a buyer claimed ” not as described” and requested a return that eBay would force me to take. This could put me at risk for covering $500 to over $1000 in shipping costs.

In conclusion, due to the high shipping cost and the risk of covering shipping expenses and returns, it made more sense to part out the bagger and sell the pieces individually. This strategy allowed me to make more money than selling it as a whole, as there is a demand for replacement parts on eBay.

When out sourcing items for resale, it’s important to consider if there are parts that can be sold individually, which may be worth more than selling the item as a whole and if that you make iems too large to ship shippable.

When selling items on eBay, it’s crucial to think creatively and explore different options to optimize profitability.