The one downside to going private is that, obviously, we have to pay for it ourselves. This of course totally outweighs the positives (which include such well thought out points as; they have locking toilets there, they give you loads of information up front, and it doesn't really feel like a hospital there), but as negatives go, it is rather an expensive one.
We've been saving up for a little while, but what we have so far won't cover it all. What would cover most of it would be if we could sell the van. I'm not sure exactly what was putting people off there, perhaps the bad weather on Arran which the news was reporting as though everywhere was affected by it, or the fact we're on the island despite the fact that we're offering to pay for the van's ticket off. Certainly other similar vehicles, in poorer condition or without an MOT have sold for as much as or more than what we were looking for.
In the meantime, I'm selling bits and pieces on eBay to keep adding to the fund. I started off selling some old OU set texts and then hit on the idea of selling some of the actual OU course materials. They went down a storm and I wish I had more I could list. I'm torn because I want to keep the linguistics stuff but I think it would probably sell really well too.
While I debate what to do there, I've made the decision to try selling some of my Lord of the Rings collection. I'm testing the water somewhat by selling a Captain Jack Sparrow figure that I got one day when I'd gone in hoping to get a Lord of the Rings figure to add to my collection but found they didn't have any. He was a compromise because Pirates of the Caribbean was one of my other great loves at the time.
I've also got an old Lord of the Rings duvet cover and pillow set and a full over-the-head, latex Gollum mask. I think it's hand painted and the hairs have been individually threaded. It has lived in no less than three different cupboards in three different properties and it's really not the sort of thing that I'll ever wear myself. I've looked on eBay already and no one else in the UK seems to be selling one so hopefully that'll give me an edge.
I quite enjoy selling things on eBay. There's a bit of a thrill watching the bids mount up, though I find the actual process of listing things a little bit dull. I've got a little template I use now which does make things a bit easier but it's still time consuming and sometimes you feel like you're just not saying enough about an item. That's why I like listing things in boxes so you can just copy the info off the box!
The postal system also doesn't help much. It seems like they're constantly changing things to make it harder to calculate what your postage will be before you list an item. You used to either have a letter or a parcel; now you've got letters, large letters (which some thin books or packets will qualify as) and parcels (which have various different price bandings depending on the size and weight).
The problem is, sometimes you don't know what something will be until you've actually packaged it up. And I don't like packaging things until I know they're sold; I'm always paranoid I'll send the wrong thing to the wrong person! There have been a couple of times when I've used a postage calculator, like the one on the Royal Mail site, only to find I've got to take a hit because the item is a couple of millimetres out on the large letter scale.
Aside from the odd frustration though, I do enjoy getting rid of things via eBay. It's nice to know that they're going to people who really want them, and it's nice to know that I'll have more space in my spare bedroom and cupboards. Not to mention that each pound I get via eBay is another pound I don't need to get via a loan! If you're interested in any of the stuff I'm selling, feel free to check it out here.
My sister in law has made a business of e-baying. Her and her brother go to auctions where they are selling old school equipment. Then they turn around and sell it for way more than they paid.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck.
I know quite a few people who make a fair bit from selling stuff online. In fact I was reading the other day about a company which started life as an eBay shop but which has now become a chain of stores because of the demand.
DeleteI'm just pleased to be freeing up space in my cupboards and getting some money which I can put towards the fertility treatment, basically each time I sell a figurine that's paying for another trip off to the fertility clinic. :-)