Internet business

[DaveP67 is back!]

We have a number of successful businessmen on this forum, and as someone who is looking to step further back from the corporate world any advice welcome, I am thinking about general vintage item online trading, which seems to be on the up, anything from comics, pinball, video games, signs and general ephemera. Cheers

[mickd1961]

We have a number of successful businessmen on this forum, and as someone who is looking to step further back from the corporate world any advice welcome, I am thinking about general vintage item online trading, which seems to be on the up, anything from comics, pinball, video games, signs and general ephemera. Cheers

Evening mate,

I’m more than happy to meet up with you for a chat the next time you’re passing my way.

Best advice I can give to a new start up is to not get wound up about spending big money on a website, if you don’t put huge money into Google Ads sponsorship nobody will ever see it anyway.

Start on third party platforms such as eBay and Vinted (or the antiquities equivalent) and of course Facebook.

Established third party platforms are the quickest way to reach the public and although you’ve got your 10% plus vat eBay fees etc, THEY are doing all the advertising for you.

I started on eBay alone in 2004 and now turnover around £5m a year, without eBay I’d never have got this going.

Here to assist if you need me at anytime.

[phild]

I've been running an internet business for around 15 years after I got into first edition books. I expanded into buying all kinds of books from many sources ie bankrupt stocks from closing down stores, warehouses etc. I often drove to many areas around the WMids negotiating good prices to buy their stock. I used many platforms such as Facebook where a lot of the shops advertise wanting to get rid of bulk items.

I had a unit not so long back for storage purposes and sold my stock mainly on Amazon and many of the more exclusive first edition stuff on abebooks. I've had a good run over the years and made a fair bit, far more money than I earned has a civil servant in my previous job.

It's hard graft but worth it if you enjoy what you are doing. But all good things come to an end. In my case soaring overhead costs as cut my profits year on year and competing against the bigger boys on these platforms as become increasingly more difficult. Postage, rates, rent, fuel costs, platform fees etc made me reassess and I decided sadly that it was now no longer viable to continue.

So over the last few months ive sold off a lot of my stock and the unit has now gone. Ive submitted my last tax return for the business and called it a day. I am now doing something more interesting and enjoyable but without the hassle especially from Amazon who are an absolute arse of a platform, the hoops you now have to jump through is extraordinary, pity anyone who is a newbie and wants to use this platform to sell, its a nightmare. I'd use any other platform to sell, but for books Amazon is always the go to site.

Nevertheless I wish you all the luck in whatever you decide to do.

[mickd1961]

I've been running an internet business for around 15 years after I got into first edition books. I expanded into buying all kinds of books from many sources ie bankrupt stocks from closing down stores, warehouses etc. I often drove to many areas around the WMids negotiating good prices to buy their stock. I used many platforms such as Facebook where a lot of the shops advertise wanting to get rid of bulk items.

I had a unit not so long back for storage purposes and sold my stock mainly on Amazon and many of the more exclusive first edition stuff on abebooks. I've had a good run over the years and made a fair bit, far more money than I earned has a civil servant in my previous job.

It's hard graft but worth it if you enjoy what you are doing. But all good things come to an end. In my case soaring overhead costs as cut my profits year on year and competing against the bigger boys on these platforms as become increasingly more difficult. Postage, rates, rent, fuel costs, platform fees etc made me reassess and I decided sadly that it was now no longer viable to continue.

So over the last few months ive sold off a lot of my stock and the unit has now gone. Ive submitted my last tax return for the business and called it a day. I am now doing something more interesting and enjoyable but without the hassle especially from Amazon who are an absolute arse of a platform, the hoops you now have to jump through is extraordinary, pity anyone who is a newbie and wants to use this platform to sell, its a nightmare. I'd use any other platform to sell, but for books Amazon is always the go to site.

Nevertheless I wish you all the luck in whatever you decide to do.

What have you moved into doing now Phil?

[baggieal]

Remember turnover is vanity. Best to turn over 300K and make more profit with less hassle than 3/4 million and less profit and more staff!

[DaveP67 is back!]

Thanks lads for the advice and offer Mick to meet up, I have collected a reasonable amount of stock and really it’s which platform you think would best suit, eBay was my first thought and as it’s vintage one off stuff probably not suitable for Amazon, have any of you used Etsy this seems to be growing?
Cheers
Dave

[mickd1961]

Thanks lads for the advice and offer Mick to meet up, I have collected a reasonable amount of stock and really it’s which platform you think would best suit, eBay was my first thought and as it’s vintage one off stuff probably not suitable for Amazon, have any of you used Etsy this seems to be growing?
Cheers
Dave

Without knowledge of your product Dave I can’t make a judgement tbh mate, all I know is that eBay is easy to use and PayPal covers your a r s e on payments.

I don’t know enough about Etsy.

[DaveP67 is back!]

Without knowledge of your product Dave I can’t make a judgement tbh mate, all I know is that eBay is easy to use and PayPal covers your a r s e on payments.

I don’t know enough about Etsy.

Will be mostly British comics from the 70’s and 80’s 200AD etc, enamel advertising signs, pinball machine back glass (framed and illuminated) vintage US car number plates and UK tax discs, which believe it or not are quite collectible.

[baggieal]

Thanks lads for the advice and offer Mick to meet up, I have collected a reasonable amount of stock and really it’s which platform you think would best suit, eBay was my first thought and as it’s vintage one off stuff probably not suitable for Amazon, have any of you used Etsy this seems to be growing?
Cheers
Dave

Vintage is the place to be if your product fits Dave as eBay lost its way! My wife does loads on this platform so she tells me!

[mickd1961]

Vintage is the place to be if your product fits Dave as eBay lost its way! My wife does loads on this platform so she tells me!

You mean Vinted surely, not “Vintage”?

Vinted is good for clothes and bags, especially women’s stuff but not for much else.