EBAY Expenditure Audit 2021

For anyone who didn't already know, I'm an avid eBay spender. I used to be a seller on eBay and was always grateful for the support of buyers, so subsequently I've always tried to buy things on eBay where I can.  I like to spread my money around lots of small sellers and not just hand it over to large corporations. (I realise that eBay is a large corporation and takes a cut of each sale, but it also is a great enabler for people to earn money online and I respect this about the platform).

Anyway, I like to look on eBay before I buy elsewhere. Not so much when it comes to buying clothing, as I learnt the hard way in 2020, that buying clothes on eBay, especially vintage clothes, is a bit of a lottery, unless you know the brand and it's sizing well. I made many mistakes during lockdown and subsequently ended up donating some things that I bought, as they didn't fit well.

For almost everything else, I turn to eBay first, i.e. items for the dog, items for work, stationery, ppe, diy, crafts, cycling accessories, collectibles, books, vinyl, other accessories, etc., etc. I absolutely love the fact that you can find so many very niche items on there, that you probably could spend months trailing around trying to find.

For example, some of the things I have bought this year include: a rubber bung to fit a vintage ceramic money box, various vintage Christmas brooches for my collection, a phone case for my 5 year old Samsung Galaxy DS, a hanging crystal for a feng shui moment, labelling tape for an ancient Brother label machine that has been in the shed for a number of years, mounts for pictures, a hula hoop and tape to decorate it, litter picking equipment, moth traps, window film, shelves, garden chairs, cycling accessories including helmet, saddle bag, hi vis jackets, etc., face masks, a face mask case, cycling parts for OH's bike, velcro, sewing patterns, various gifts for Xmas, including a vintage Juicy Couture handbag for LB - you get the drift.

Very occasionally, I have a not so great experience with sellers, but I'd say that in probably 95-98% of transactions, I am very happy with the outcome, hence why I continue to use it on a regular basis.

The other day, I randomly decided to total the amount I'd spent on eBay in 2021. I spent a lot in the lead up to Xmas last year and I also spent quite a bit during Lockdown at the beginning of the year, as I couldn't always find things elsewhere and I make a conscious choice not to buy on Amazon where possible.

Anyway, the total came to £737.53, which was divided between about 80 different purchases. That probably averages to about 6 or 7 per month. This is less than I spent in 2020 when the total was more like £1200, but this did include a bike for £120. I was able to glean this total from a previous post I wrote in November 2020, by the time Xmas was over this figure was probably more likely to have been £1500, so I think I curtailed my spending on eBay by quite a bit last year. 

(So far this year, I have only purchased one item, which was for work, as I'm on a very low spend month. I  just haven't been able to justify buying anything else. I know, however, that as soon as I get through this month, there are a number of small (i.e. less than £10 items in my watch list, that I would love to place an order for. I think I may resurrect my old series about the random things I buy on eBay, when I do eventually buy a few things.)

On occasions, I've probably paid a bit over the odds when postage has been taken into account, but the ease of clicking a button and getting something sent to you, is so much more convenient and is worth paying extra for sometimes. Besides, you can't expect small sellers to soak up the postage costs. I try to buy items with free postage where I can, but it isn't always possible and the price usually includes an adjustment for postage anyway.

I know that eBay have made lots of changes in recent years, that have made it harder for sellers to use the platform. I think this is regrettable and it would probably put me off ever selling on there again, but I still think that it is a very useful tool for finding what you need, especially the more obscure things in life.

How do you feel about eBay?