I ditched my job to hunt through car boot sales and now I earn £50k from selling on eBay

Scottish Sun

4 days ago

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SAVVY seller LUKE Warder has made so much money from flogging unwanted items on eBay that he was able to leave his 9-5 job.
The 30-year-old from Hertfordshire began to sell items on eBay after watching YouTube videos of American re-sellers buying secondhand items and selling them on for profit.
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Luke Warder made £50,000 last year by selling items on eBay
Luke was inspired and began to visit car boot sales, where he bought bargains to sell on himself.
His business took off and four years ago he was able to quit his job to start selling on eBay full time.
Last year he made a staggering £50,000 from selling clothes on the auction website.
He now shares his tips on his YouTube channel, which is called @WardersClobber.
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BAG IT I bought a real Louis Vuitton handbag from Japanese eBay & saved £1,050
Luke also hosts a live podcast on the channel each Wednesday for his 1,300 subscribers.
"It became so addictive and fulfilling, and I thought I could definitely do it full time," he said.
At first he bought items that he was personally interested in, including gadgets, video games and golfing equipment.
But he later realised that he would make more money by buying clothes.
Luke said: "If you know what brands and labels to look for and have in-depth knowledge, you can find some great stuff."
He recently found a designer Brunello Cucinelli linen suit for £40. The same style suits have been sold recently for £1,000 on eBay.
Luke also paid £60 for five pairs of Levi 90s jeans, which sell for between £120-£150 each on eBay.
He said: 'Last year I bought a Irvin sheepskin flying jacket for £20 and sold it for £600 - that was pretty cool.'
Meanwhile, for just £10 he bought a Chelsea football kit, which he sold earlier this year for £150.
Luke said he always goes to car boot sales on a Sunday as this is where you can get the cheapest deals compared to searching for items in charity shops or on apps such as Vinted or Depop.
My five second tips make it easier to list on eBay
MONEY saving blogger Holly Jay-Smith shares her tips to sell items on eBay.
Before you list an item, check if another seller has listed the same one.
If you find a listing with lots of detail about an item then there is a super easy trick you can do to lift the information and include it in yours.
"Click 'Sell Similar', which fills in a lot of the details for you and gives your listing a better chance of selling because it's based on something that already worked," she said.
Think about when you upload items to increase the chance they will sell quickly, she says.
"Sunday evenings are a really popular time for people to browse, so try to have your listing go live or end then.
"Always use keywords that someone might actually search for – think like a buyer, not a seller."
Another way to sell items quickly is to turn on the 'Best Offer' option on your listings.
This option allows buyers to directly negotiate a price with you, instead of having to bid on an item.
Buyers who think they're getting a fantastic bargain will be more likely to buy from you again.
Holly uses this button on all her listings.
She says: 'Some people just love to haggle. You stay in control, but they feel like they're getting a deal."
Luke said: "Sundays are the best day - the car boots are gigantic, and bigger than on Saturday."
But he warns: "You have to get up crazy early though."
When it comes to selling the items online, Luke has a formula to make sure each one sells quickly.
He gives as much information about the product as possible, to avoid a back and forth with the seller.
He explains: "Customers want to know exactly what you are buying, so if you give them all the information, it's a more seamless process.
"For me, the most important thing is to increase your knowledge of the items you want to buy and are planning to buy to sell on.'
Meanwhile, Luke also takes at least eight pictures of each item, including tags, and always gives measurements.
To make sure the items sell quickly he regularly lists new clothes on his profile.
This is because the algorithm favours sellers who list each day, which he believes pushes his items to buyers.
"When I was listing two items a day, I was selling two items - now I'm listing 12 a day, and I get eight to 12 sales a day," he said.
Once an item has sold, Luke makes sure to deliver it as quickly as possible, which buyers see as a selling point.
He advertises 'same day dispatch' on every item, which means once someone has bought it he needs to send it by the end of the same day.
Your rights as a buyer or seller
GET clued up on your rights before buying or selling on eBay.
Here's what you need to know.
Buyers
Buyers are covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee (EMBG).
This means you'll be covered if your item doesn't arrive, is faulty or damaged, or isn't what was advertised.
Complain to the seller first, but if you're not offered a refund in three days, escalate your complaint to eBay.
You will be issued a refund if the seller doesn't provide a solution.
If you're not happy with the item, check the seller's return policy. Some may not accept refunds - so take this into account before buying an item.
Sellers
You must ensure that the items you sell are of good quality and are as described.
You can set your own returns policy and decide who pays for the return postage.
If the item is returned damaged, you can deduct up to 50% of the refund to cover the lost value.
Use eBay's own delivery service, or use a service like Royal Mail, to get tracked delivery service.
EBay's own delivery service is Simple Delivery, which costs around £3.38 for a 1-2kg parcel.
When you upload valid tracking information about your item, and it is delivered as promised, you are protected if a buyer claims the item has not been received.
Take pictures of you packaging and posting the item, so you can prove that the item was sent safely.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [e-mail].
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories