After I retired from the Navy I sold on ebay full time, 12-15 packages a week. As a former ebay seller I can tell you it's a lot of work. You do not make money on everything you sell and the money coming in from everything has to compensate for this or why bother? On average For every 12 items I sold seven buyers would pay right away, 3 would have to disputes filed and 1 or 2 would just make up excuse like "my kid" or my wife bid on it by "mistake" One guy was so persistent about it being a mistake and was so worried about getting a negative for not paying he sent me the auction fees and I gave him a positive for at least correcting a wrong.
I sold a single big block Chevy head once and didn't put a reserve on it thinking it's pretty rare and should go for close to $100.00. It sold for $20.00 and the buyer wanted me to call around to get him the cheapest shipping! I told him I ship FedEx and if he didn't like it he wasn't getting it as the shipping price was CLEARLY stated in the ad as were all my listings.
I had a couple of close calls as a buyer also. I had bought a set of Hooker super comp headers for my 70 Buick new in the box and sent him a Postal Money order, certified with return signed receipt. He filed a non-paying bidder against me trying to say he never received payment. I sent him an email saying I have a SIGNED slip of paper here with your signature on it and I'm going to file a complaint with the Postmaster for mail fraud. I had my headers in less than a week.
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“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
― Calvin Coolidge
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