Is this really hell to sell on Ebay ?

[tremblay514]

Hi,

Over the years I have accumulated several hundred Canadian stamps and I think it's time to clean all this but with everything I read on this forum, I see only hassle coming, starting with the taxes due.
I do not want to become a dealer, I just want to sell my surplus.
As a buyer, I had several problems and I try other website like Delcampe and they all look the same. Even Canada post is not reliable, I had to return shipment last week because the package was wet !!!

Is this really hell to sell on Ebay and if not, should I use a new identity as seller to do so ?

[pierrelebel]

"Is this really hell to sell on Ebay"

Not sure what you mean by "hell".

Selling online has never been "easy".  It is a business and, like any other business, you will find costs and frustration attached to the business.

"hassle coming, starting with the taxes due."

Income tax only comes into play if you sell your stamps (or anything else) for a profit, meaning where your selling price exceeds your cost.  Income tax is payable on all net profit (from the first dollar - no exemption).

HST/GST only come into play if your annual worldwide sales exceeds Cdn$ 30,000

As a seller, it is your responsibility to get the goods to the buyer in satisfactory condition.  If the items do not get there, the payment you received will be reversed.  If the items arrived and the buyer feels they are not as described (or damaged by the carrier), they will file a claim and you will find the original payment reversed and you may be responsible to pay the buyer for the return postage.

As a new seller (even if you have been registered on eBay for seven years as an active buyer), you will experience a delay in getting your money from PayPal.  Typically 21 days.  For more information: http://pages.ebay.ca/help/pay/payment_hold.html 

(note: the rules are slightly different on eBay.com for sellers shipping from the USA).

"should I use a new identity as seller to do so ?"

A new User ID will not make it any easier.  Your responsibilities are the same but many potential buyers may be reluctant to purchase and send money to a seller without eBay experience (zero feedback).

Good Luck.

[tremblay514]

Seller responsibility you describe is hell for me because I don't control all the steps of the transaction and it all come because I don't trust postal services. I had thought I could sell without warranty, no returns except because of error in my description but I understand that it's not possible.
I sell houses for years now and I like to be in control of the situation that is why I never work with buyers, always with sellers only.

I think I prefer to keep my surplus rather than having to deal with troubles. Anyways, I will think of that more seriously before making a move.

Thank you for taking the time to reply and have a good day.
Yvon
Luck is the sum of all the work we have done.

[rose-dee]

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@tremblay514 wrote:

"I sell houses for years now and I like to be in control of the situation that is why I never work with buyers, always with sellers only."

---

If that's how you're used to selling, then yes, eBay will probably seem like "hell" to you, so to be frank, it might not be the best place for you to sell off your collection.  

Sellers on eBay have had a lot of the direct control over transactions taken out of their hands and much of the process is now automated.  I'm sure there will be more automation to come in 2015. 

If you have a substantial collection, you might try selling it to a professional dealer.  You'll probably sell it at a lower price, but at least you'll get all the cash at once and with no hassles other than signing a contract and shaking hands.  

EBay is definitely not an easy place to sell, it's full of pitfalls for sellers, and all it takes now is a few defects to either downgrade your seller status (and put you at the bottom of searches), or have your selling privileges restricted. 

You're quite right to give it some serious thought. Best of luck, whatever you decide! 

[berubegirl]

Well hell might be a little bit of an overstatement,

We refer to it as a minefield and we are trying to navigate it.

Like any minefield a seller needs the right tools and with the right probing here and there eventually a path seems to develop.

But like any explosive removal expert in real life, expect to lose a few fingers and toes and maybe even worse through your travels.

Learn all the rules and policies that ebay loves posting every so often and also you may need an old World War II Enigma machine to decipher some of these encrypted rules and policies.

So just like a minefield read the sign that says ENTER AT OWN RISK!!!

[photosalp]

I'm a few days short of one year selling stamps on eBay (also a few bricks short of a load, but that's another story). It's been a learning curve, but I sure wouldn't call it "hell". For the most part it's been fun. But if you've only got a few hundred stamps to get rid of (not sure if I'm allowed to say this here) you might want to look at Stamps 2 Go. No where near the traffic of eBay, but the site is devoted to stamps and costs nothing to list. American and Canadian stamps move fairly well, foreign not so much, at least for me. But don't list the same stamps on both sites. However, don't be afraid of eBay. Stamps are an easy category to sell in. Most of the horror stories you read on the boards are from people selling merchandise that is difficult to package and ship, runs into customs hassles, is more prone to fraud, etc. Stamps are a comparative breeze! And there are lots of good people here to help you along. 

[tremblay514]

Thank you all for your kind answers.
Have a merry christmas and I wish that next year will be great year for you all.
Regards,

[2014sportsterguy]

There are a million ways you can make money and loose money on this venue, best advice I can say is don't list any sale your not willing to loose in mail lloss,,CC reverse,are plain old scams.

[tremblay514]

It is the Ebay version of :  Never travel with some things you cannot afford to lose. 

Thanks,

[tremblay514]

The first year I start buying stamps on Ebay I lost a lot of money not receiving the stamps I bought. I ask merchand and they say it was normal to loose around 10% than I stop buying at Ebay. There were no real buyers protection at that time and I cannot afford loosing 300$ a year in stamps so I start buying from local dealers and realise that I was paying more that 10 % for their stamps so there were no real solution. Then I decide to ask sellers not to put nice, fancy and old stamps on the envelope and made a complaint at the Canada Post postal station about the many lossses of mail. It reduces considerably the number of lost. You are free to think whatever you want but it is my experience.

[pierrelebel]

"I ask merchand and they say it was normal to loose around 10%"

That is nonsense.  Someone sold sold a bucket of rubbish.

"There were no real buyers protection at that time"

Actually, buyers always had the protection of a credit card if purchases were made through PayPal paying with a credit card.  That protection still exists today.

"Then I decide to ask sellers not to put nice, fancy and old stamps on the envelope and made a complaint at the Canada Post postal station about the many lossses of mail."

Over twenty-five years selling millions of dollars worth of postage stamps by mail - worldwide - always putting older stamps on the mail and my postal losses have always been well below 1%, from the "old days" of mail order business, from my website, through eBay and other online venues.

[femmefan1946]

I lost a lot of money not receiving the stamps I bought. I ask merchand and they say it was normal to loose around 10% than I stop buying at Ebay.

You were lied to. Most of the horror stories you hear are from people who did not do their homework before buying or selling. Losses are much much lower when the seller knows how the eBay service operates.

You need to picture and describe your items carefully. Just as you did when you were selling houses. It's fine to draw attention to the picture window, but you still have to mention the mould in the basement.

You need to package your items carefully. Use poly envelopes, cover protectors or postcard sleeves, rigid stiffeners. For stamp sellers, water is the greatest danger.

Read the introduction to the Scott catalogue. Read it again.  You now know more than most collectors and many stamp sellers. Read it again.

Get certificates for the high value items. Expertisation starts around $25 an item and can add hundreds of dollars to the selling price of your items.

If you are unsure of the site you are selling on, of the shipping service you plan to use, and the customers you will attract, don't even try to sell yourself.

Go to a local stamp dealer, preferably one who belongs to the Canadian Stamp Dealers' Association, and get a cash value appraisal. Which is an offer to buy. Sell and don't look back.

[widgetc]

"Expertisation starts around $25 an item and can add hundreds of dollars to the selling price of your items. "

For very expensive items V.G.Greene cirtificates are the way to go. They are highly regarded and the maximum cost is $40 for stamps and $70 for covers (plus possible extra cost if you want a courier to return the item).

They certified the recent 2 cent green on laid paper find.