Ebay shop - anyone done this?

What is that as opposed to eBay? They have marketplace things on Facebook, usually very cheap .

Loads of stuff on YouTube that would give a much clearer idea of what’s involved

How old is he? A person under 18 can’t be held liable under a contract except for their purchase of what the law deems necessary items so I would be surprised if eBay allows people under that age to sell.

Until he is 18 (not far off) I would do it in my name. I need to know pros and cons. Will definitely look on YouTube - I hadn't thought of that. I need honesty not bluff promising instant riches which is the trouble with a lot of videos.

I am thinking about starting one too. Either Ebay or Etsy, so would also be interested in any tips.

Are the parents ok with you representing a minor?

Remember to think about tax.

GSM I would love to think he/I could make enough to have to pay tax. Hithere yes the parents think this could be a good idea. I myself have sold privately on Ebay dozens of times but have never had a shop and I know the criteria are different. I suppose what I really want to know is whether or not it is worth it? I know fees can take a big chunk of any profits. Also one has to try to stand out from the crowd. Has anyone any experience they are willing to share?

I’m thinking on top of your existing tax bill Skydancer if you’re doing it for him initially. I would chat to an accountant about that.
I’m afraid I’ve never sold anything on eBay but have bought a number of things, some from individuals and some from shops. I always look for the seller’s rating, which I expect can only be gained over time, if more than one person is selling the same thing for the same price.

I suppose it depends whether you would enjoy doing it, as long as it doesn't actually lose any money. I want to keep my skills in practice and my mind active so as long as I at least break even it would be o.k. for me. Would your grandson have fun doing it? Would it be a good connection between the two of you?
It's not just about hard cash.

I sell on eBay but don’t know about a shop what’s the
difference ?

There are actual businesses with lots of offerings Bluebelle, you click on something you like and are offered the choice of seeing everything they have for sale. Proper online shops as opposed to people who just sell one or two things at a time. My experience of buying from them has always been good.

I’ve always thought it must be a pain photographing everything, working out postage charges, wrapping it up and taking parcels to the PO or getting the postman to collect but that’s probably because I’m lazy!

To have a “shop” the biggest problem is finding enough goods, cheap enough, to sell for a profit. Until you get supply contacts it’s slow going, everyone expects it delivered free quickly too, I buy on EBay regularly, how they make money on many items I don’t know.

With some companies goods are shipped directly to the buyer you just take the profit

Ilovecheese. I read recently that Esty keep hold of your money for sometime before passing on to sellers.

interesting Jodieb

What will he be selling? If it’s clothes, you’re better off on Depop.

I have no personal experience, but have a good friend whose 17 year old son (his dad has the account) is positively raking in the money. His focus as far as I know, is football shirts and coins. Sorry I don't have more details, but if he is good at maths (for quickly figuring out profit margins etc) and a good feel for what's on trend, tell him to go for it!!

With ebay shops you don’t get the offers that you do as a normal ebayer. (eg 80% off sale fees)
The cost of running the shop can be quite expensive and if you don’t have sales for a month it can really hurt you financially.
Also when there is a dispute with a customer you will never win the case, they always side with the customer. This is why I stopped my shop. (I was selling antiques so we are talking decent amounts of money)
I would suggest he sells through a normal account and they he just keeps spreadsheets of his sales to print out for his accountant.

I too have heard that eBay retain money for some time.

I agree with Katie, I would think that if you want to have a shop on eBay you need a lot of stock, which means having somewhere to store it in addition to storage for all the packing materials. The ones I have used on eBay are also standalone online shops from which you can buy direct. It’s difficult to compete with Amazon I think.

I used to sell on e bay. You need to be aware of the charges. They charge for various things including listing items and they also take a percentage of the price each items sells for. I think they charge for other things as well, you will need to look into it carefully. You also get the buyers who want something for nothing. Try facebook marketplace which may be better for you. My daughter uses it a lot and prefers it to e bay.

Vinted is easy to use if you’re having a clearout - it’s a simple process to list items, but it’s only for private sellers, not businesses. I used to sell on eBay, but they take a percentage whereas with Vinted the buyer pays the costs.
There’s lots of info on eBay regarding businesses selling new goods, but it could be time-consuming, and, as someone pointed out, you need to keep sufficient stock and you need to find out which items sell well.
I believe Etsy is good for home-made crafts.

I have a "proper" shop on Ebay selling antique and vintage jewellery and accessories. I wont be any more specific than that.

There are dozens of books on Amazon which will give you the basics of how to set up, tax etc. I recommend buying one of those as I do not give personalised advice

Running a shop is very different to selling the odd few things from your personal goods that you no longer need and the rules can be very complex. Some buyers are scammers.

To make it worth your while financially you need to ship worldwide as you then have a much bigger audience. My shop is on the USA site so I trade in dollars. Ebay handles all the state taxes at source.

Buying in stock to resell can be challenging. I buy stuff on Ebay to sell on higher end sites and also stuff at auctions to split up and sell in my various shops. You will need a good knowledge of your proposed area. I have been involved in antiques since the 1960s and began trading in the 1980s.

I send everything tracked.

I dont recommend Etsy. I closed my shop there 2 years ago. They have diffent rules for different people and their customers service people are rude and patronising.

Vinted is pretty down market so I use that for buying stock - not for selling. If you are into a particular area there are private groups on Facebook where you can trade person to person. Its much more informal. I belong to about 10 different special interest groups in the antiques/costumes/props area.

You will need a Paypal business account.