This is Definitely the Best Way to Sell a White Wicker Fan Back Chair!

Over the years, I've bought and sold thousands of items on eBay. Recently, eBay has had more "Buy it Now" listings and fewer bid auctions than when I started in 2002. To me, the thrill of buying on eBay was the auction. It was like a horse race with the crazy adrenaline rush you get, never knowing when someone might make a last-second bid (snipe) and steal the win. Of course, you can still list your items as a bidding auction if you want, but buyers seem too impatient to wait three to five days, never mind seven, to see an auction through. "Buy it Now" listings that accept "Best Offers" dominate the site. I've gotten a lot of lowball offers using that format, and there's not much of an adrenaline rush in that.

Seller fees on eBay have continued to rise, reducing profits and forcing sellers, including me, to start listing items on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Most of my recent sales have been on those platforms. Although I've offered shipping, most sales are in person, usually in my driveway. The buyer texts me when they arrive, and I walk outside and complete the cash transaction. No seller fees, no sales tax, easy-peasy! Of course, the buyer could be a serial killer…

As I've gotten older, some of my most valued collections have become less important to me, and I've started selling them off. Recently, I sold six vintage baseball gloves I took great pride in owning. I can't say I was happy about it, but it was time.

Beginning in May, I sold a mint Rawlings Tony Conigliaro autograph model. I got top dollar for it, but eBay took a good chunk of it for themselves. I've always been a big Tony C fan!

When you sell on eBay, you have to account for the selling fees by listing items at slightly higher prices. eBay deserves its cut. With unique, desirable collectibles, that's not a problem. There's always a customer willing to overpay. But with regular items, you can price yourself out of a sale if you're not careful. 

I sold my Carl Yastrzemski "Triple Crown Model" on Craigslist to a guy from Rhode Island. He was my age and one of the toughest-looking dudes I ever met. He boxed and was into MMA, and he was ripped. We spent 40 minutes chewing the fat in my driveway. He used to work out with Rocco Baldelli. And like me, Yaz was one of his favorite players growing up. He was looking for a cool glove to play catch with his grandson. The Yastrzemski model was exactly what he was looking for.

I sold a vintage Whitey Ford and a vintage Nellie Fox on Craigslist. The guy who bought the Nellie Fox came for my Wilson A2002, not realizing it was the left-handed version of the A2000. I immediately ran downstairs to my Mancave, grabbed the Nellie Fox off a display rack, showed it to him, and he bought it for $40. Sometimes, you have to react quickly to make a sale. It's a lot like turning a double play.

I sold my vintage Tom Seaver on Marketplace to a guy whose dad left him an identical glove when he passed. He wanted the Seaver badly, and after hearing his story, I was more than willing to ship it to him. He included a $25 gratuity on PayPal.

Last week, I sold a vintage Rawlings USA Wally Moon on eBay, but with fees, it wasn't a very profitable sale. The buyer loved the glove and immediately gave me positive feedback.

I sold a new custom-built Capitol Road Bicycle on Craigslist. I bought it in 2018 and never used it. It was worth a lot more than my asking price. I had it for sale for over two years without much action. Then, out of nowhere, a guy who worked in the cycling industry for most of his life and knew its value, came by, took a short spin, and paid cash. It should've sold for $1,300, but I let it go for just under a grand…

Over Labor Day weekend, I sold a new Ted Williams replica jersey on Marketplace for $50 to a guy from out of state working locally and staying in Franklin until his work is done. He's going to Fenway Park for the first time and wants to be dressed appropriately. You can never go wrong wearing a Teddy Ballgame jersey at Fenway. He's going this Saturday, game two of a three-game series with the White Sox, who have already lost 109 games (sorry, White Sox Dave). But, during their last series with the Red Sox, who are playing horrible baseball right now, the White Sox ended a 14-game losing streak by beating the Red Sox 7-2. Anything's possible. At least my guy will be dressed to kill…

Ultimately, buyers on all three formats, eBay, Craigslist, and Marketplace, want to steal items for next to nothing. They make lowball offers, wait for prices to drop, and pounce when they do! I can't fault 'em too much; I've done the same thing as a buyer. 

The last girl I used to pitch my goods was Roberta. I found her on eBay, and she was with me in my Barstool Store on Black Friday back in '21. 

Roberta did a hell of a job helping me pitch my merch. But now, the time has come to set her free. Find her a new home, and what better place to do it than on eBay, where I originally found her? She wasn't cheap, but none of the other girls had her credentials…

She has aged very well and suffered no physical damage while under my care. Well, maybe there was that one time… Oh, forget I mentioned it. It was a one-time thing, an isolated incident, and she wasn't hurt. She's perfect and still a virgin. Honest! 

I'm gonna list her as "Mint Condition, Like New" and see what happens. I don't want to, but if she doesn't sell on eBay, I'll be forced to put her on Craigslist and Marketplace, where there's a good chance she could end up in an abusive relationship. 

My wife wants her out of the house…

I'll continue selling my collections on all three formats because who the fuck wants to kill a weekend having a yard sale? And besides, if I stuck Roberta on my front lawn, I could get arrested…

I don't get my money for nothing or my chicks for free…