What to Expect from a Consignment Sale

The great thing about using a Trading Assistant to sell your items on consignment is that the TA handles all the details for youtaking photographs, creating item listings, managing the auctions, collecting payments, and packing and shipping the items. All you have to do is deliver the merchandise to the seller (or have him pick it up from you); he'll do all the rest of the work for you.

When you hand over your merchandise to the TA, he'll take a quick inventory of the items and their condition. A good TA will also do a little research to determine the items' probable resale value; he wants to make sure you have realistic expectations as to whether the items will sell, and for how much.

Caution

Some TAs will only accept higher-priced items for consignment sale. It may not be worth their time to try to sell items priced under $50 or so.

Most legitimate TAs will present a consignment sale contract for you to sign. Make sure everything is in order, and pay particular attention to how and when you'll get paid. Naturally, you won't be reimbursed until the TA is paid; some TAs only write checks once a month, or wait a specified amount of time after the auction close to pay their clients.

You should also review the TA's complete fee schedule. The TA's fees may range anywhere from 10% to 50% of the final selling price; some TAs also charge an initial listing fee, or a fee if the item fails to sell. You'll also be expected to pay all necessary eBay and PayPal fees on the transaction.

When the TA has the merchandise in hand, he'll use a digital camera to take professional-looking photos of the items. He'll then use his research to help write the item description. This description and the product photos will be used to create the item's auction listing, which the TA will then post to eBay at an appropriate time. (You may have to wait a week or so for the TA to launch the auction; TA's have their own auction-listing schedules to adhere to.)

Note

If you'd like to become a Trading Assistant yourself, see Chapter 29, "Opening a Trading Assistant Business.

Once the auction is underway, the TA should email you with details about the auctionincluding the auction's URL, so you can follow along with the auction progress. Expect another email when the auction closes, notifying you of the sales status and final selling price. Don't be shy about contacting the TA with any questions you may havebut try to remain patient during the course of the auction itself!

The Absolute Minimum

Here are the key points to remember from this chapter:

• If you don't want to sell your items yourself, you can use a Trading Assistant to sell your items on a consignment basis.

• Trading Assistants can be individual eBay sellers, small businesses, or franchise stores in a national chain.

• All registered Trading Assistants are listed in eBay's Trading Assistants Directory; you can search this directory for a TA near you.

• Some Trading Assistants will pick up items for sale at your location; others offer a drop-off location that you can visit with your merchandise.

• A Trading Assistant will handle all aspects of the auction process, including taking digital photos, writing the item description, launching the auction, and packing and shipping your item to the winning bidder.

• Expect to pay from 10% to 50% in commissions to the Trading Assistant, based on the item's final selling price.