From a supermom of 9 to a top-rated eBay seller, Terry Wilcox takes us through her challenges with book resale and how she’d made a regular profitable turnover per year on the platform. She shares with us her dreams and aspirations as well as hot tips on how to start your very own resale books business!

From Homeschooling to E-Commerce: The Pivot

Being a super mother of 9 kids, Terry wanted to ensure that all her children received the best quality education. So she began buying and selling curriculum materials and before she knew it, she had a solid physical inventory with her. She then thought to herself, instead of throwing it out, why not give back to others and start an eBay store?

This was back in 2013 and the store has only grown. She regularly visits yard sales with her friends and spends her time sourcing these items to sell on e-Bay. While she started with books, her sourcing journey brought her to sell many things, including shoes and clothing. She does regular research online, follows influencers in the space, and has a good group of friends with who she does her thrift shopping. With the help of these, she’s able to strategize and re-strategize with the listings on her eBay seller account.

“I got to the point where I had probably about 1200 physical items in my house. It finally got to the point where it was like, I am running out of room where I can put my physical inventory. And I said, there’s got to be a different way to be able to sell online.”

When her husband lost his job in 2018, the two tag-teamed and help scale the eBay account three times the revenue in the past 3 years. The extra pair of hands helped supermom Terry to get time to source for more products and with the help of AccerlerList, she was able to cross-list the products in her store onto Amazon and start selling there too!

The Success Formula

Terry attributes her success to her routine amidst her hectic schedule and her support network. She ensures she wakes up by 5.30 am every morning and follows a morning routine inspired by the Hal Elrod Morning Miracle. Her morning routine starts with meditation, affirmations, and visualizations, followed by exercise and some reading. This gives her a solid start to the day and allows her to get some me-time in for the day. She likes the headspace this gives her and recommends anyone who’s looking at improving themselves to adopt a morning routine. As for her support network, Terry first started watching videos on YouTube about setting up an eBay store and is an active member in multiple online reselling communities.

Terry adds that she believes in having multiple streams of income and reselling books and other stuff online is just one part of her day. She works in a day job, which in turn supports her sourcing ventures for her online re-selling stores!

Giving Back Through Coaching

In the future, Terry mentions she intends to learn more about online more so that she can eventually give back by coaching online. She intends to schedule some time off to learn all the amazing tools relating to video editing and social media so that she can make these coaching videos seamlessly. She mentions that she’s lucky she got a good support system, with her daughter understanding how to create TikTok videos.

“Having someone to walk you through it is easier than trying to learn all of it. Because it's all been done. It's just like, we just need to find the right people to teach us how to do some of these steps. And that's where I think those Facebook communities have been helpful,” Terry mentions. She intends to give back in the same way, despite her hectic schedule with a job and raising 9 children. She believes that there are lots of opportunities still in the re-selling market, and people can still find their place, and she intends to guide future re-sellers.

“Oh, well, I guess I never really consider myself an expert on these things. But since I'm in ahead, then, and I do like being able to help people. So, there are two sides to this, this business. You know, there's the part where we're making money, and then there's the part where it's satisfying on both sides.”

She shares this and many other gems on The Sellers Corner. Listen to her podcast interview below to get the whole story and more helpful tips!

eBay Managed Payments vs PayPal

Ever since eBay rolled out its managed payment system in 2018, buyers/sellers on the platform have shared mixed views about the leap. In short, discussions around the eBay managed payments vs PayPal comparison have driven (and still drive) massive engagement across blogs and in the eBay Community.

eBay's 180+ million users share no collective preferred payment system. While some buyers/sellers appreciate PayPal's services, others believe that the birth of eBay-managed payments is a step in the right direction.

An overview of the PayPal and eBay payment systems

PayPal is a leading payment system offering payment solutions to users in over 200 countries. With a massive customer base of over 390 million active users, the platform meets the financial needs of individuals and businesses.

On the other hand, eBay-managed payments is a payment method that grants eBay total control of the end-to-end payment process. This payment method, which uses Adyen, keeps transactions on the platform (rather than redirecting users to a third-party website).

Pros and cons of eBay managed payments

Pros of eBay managed payments

1. Direct transfer of funds to sellers' bank accounts

eBay handles payment transactions, and payouts are transferred directly to the seller's bank account.

2. Lower processing fees for most sellers

With eBay-managed payments, you can spend less and save more when you sell just one item per transaction (since eBay calculates fees per listing sold).

3. Ease of buying

You don't need to create a PayPal account before purchasing an item since you can directly use your debit or credit card. eBay reduces the stress that accompanies payment processing—helping buyers make payments easily.

4. Variety of accepted payment methods

eBay's payment system allows buyers to pay through various channels, including credit/debit/gift cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and PayPal Credit.

Cons of eBay managed payments

1. Delayed fund deposit

eBay assures sellers of a two-day fund transfer period. However, sellers still experience occasional delays extending to 48 hours or even a week.

2. Shipping delays

eBay's occasional delays in the release of funds may cause the shipping of goods to take longer than necessary, especially in cases where sellers ship goods only after confirming deposits. Unfortunately, repeated shipping delays could make a seller lose a significant number of customers.

Pros and cons of PayPal managed payments

Pros of PayPal managed payments

1. Optimum account security

PayPal goes the extra mile to ensure that accounts are secure. So, the chances of a buyer making a fraudulent purchase are very slim. Even if this happens, PayPal has a system that helps buyers recover their money fast.

2. Ease of use

It's pretty simple to process transactions using PayPal. Its simplistic model makes it easy to use and understand on both ends.

3. Zero maintenance fee

PayPal will never charge you for owning an account. Charges only apply when you initiate a transaction.

4. Diverse currencies support

PayPal enables users to make payments in 26 different currencies across various countries around the world.

Cons of PayPal managed payments

1. High transaction processing fees

PayPal's fees are considerably higher than other online payment methods and traditional payment systems.

2. Account freezing issues

PayPal is known to block sellers' accounts without prior notice. In many cases, PayPal withholds funds, freezes accounts temporarily, or even shuts them down permanently at the slightest suspicion or buyer dispute.

The future of PayPal and eBay managed payments

While the comparison between eBay-managed payments vs PayPal has long remained a hot topic among eBay's buyers/sellers, the narrative seems to be changing quickly—in favor of eBay-managed payments.

eBay recently rolled out new terms that present the managed payments system as "compulsory" for sellers (starting June 1, 2021).

Following the new terms, buyers will still have the option to pay via PayPal Credit and PayPal (alongside other payment methods like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and debit/credit cards). However, unlike before, sellers will have to embrace eBay-managed payments to continue selling on the eCommerce platform.

A significant downside to eBay's new stand is that, from now on, sellers will have to wait two working days to receive payments (unlike PayPal that processes funds on the same day).

Processing fees have also changed. Previously, sellers paid a 10% final value fee plus PayPal fees plus $0.30. The new system excludes PayPal fees but attracts a 12.8% final value fee plus $0.30.

Keep buyers' eyes on your products with AccelerList

eBay's decision to make the managed payments system mandatory has raised heaps of dust amongst sellers. While some users now threaten to ditch the platform, others are still counting the cost.

Even though buyers have no cause to worry yet, it's easy for sellers to be distracted following the company's new terms and controversies. Thankfully, AccelerList can help get your products in front of your target customers at all times (whether you sell books, DVDs, or anything else).

Want to keep growing your eCommerce business despite all this payment noise? Start your 14-day free trial with AccerlerList today and overcome the hassle of product listing, repricing, cross-listing, and accounting.

Choosing between selling on Amazon vs. eBay can make the difference between building on your business's success and bringing your online sales to a screeching halt.  

While they both have long histories as online marketplaces, the two are drastically different from one another.

So, is it better to sell on eBay or Amazon?
In this article, we'll go over the pros and cons of both platforms to help you decide which one will work best for your business.

Amazon: Pros and Cons for sellers

Pros:

Massive market share

Amazon boasts of a sizable advantage over the competition when it comes to sheer market share—the online retail giant practically controls the space.

Just take it from analysts at Bernstein: “In typical Internet fashion, a winner-take-most model played out with Amazon now accounting for 40% of US [gross merchandise volume].”

Thanks to Amazon's large number of regular customers, it’s much easier for sellers to make sales than it would be on other platforms. Amazon has a reported US ecommerce market share of over 49% in stark contrast to eBay’s 6.6%.

You need visibility on such a crowded marketplace—and AccelerList can help. It combines competitor pricing research and optimized product listing solutions in a single, seamless suite.

On a huge platform like Amazon, scanning and listing products manually can be an unavoidable time-suck. Not to mention, restricted product categories don’t make it any easier for sellers. AccelerList helps here, too, with intelligent alerts for restricted products through the Profit Print Chrome extension as you scan.

Flexible fulfillment options

Ensuring customers receive the items they’ve ordered on time—and in working condition—keeps them coming back for more, while shipping slip-ups can cause them to close the door for good.

Amazon shines by offering sellers the choice between fulfilling their own orders or using the company's in-house shipping solution. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) covers all bases of the shipping process: picking, packing, shipping, returns, and even customer service.

To use FBA, you simply set it up in your account and send your products to one of Amazon's warehouses. This can easily expand your business's reach to countries around the world, while incurring a minimal base fee as well as shipping fees.

The Cons:

High(er) fees for sellers

Amazon charges fees as high as 45% for some product categories. Clothing fees, for instance, are as high as 17% of the price and artwork fees can reach 20%.

Navigating Amazon’s varied fee structure is difficult to do manually. Fortunately, you can simplify the process with special pricing utilities like AccelerList’s Profit Reprice, which helps you set appropriate pricing with ease.

With clear integration in your AccelerList dashboard, Profit Reprice gives you a simple minimum profit protection option that can be changed quickly as you list items. You can also access detailed reporting options, featuring visualized repricing events and sales figures to simplify strategic adjustments.

Mixed reviews of seller support

Some sources say Amazon’s seller support has improved over the last few years, while others insist it’s as bad as ever for sellers new to the space. Generally, it seems as though many sellers may have a hard time getting through to the support team at Amazon whenever an issue arises.

eBay: Pros and cons for sellers

The Pros:

Open to (almost) any product

While sellers may be dismayed by Amazon's restrictive product quality standards, they should feel more than welcome on eBay, where used and unrefined products are sold to happy customers every single day.

eBay makes it easier to sell items that wouldn’t be allowed on Amazon (such as used parts, used clothing, etc.); however, not all items can be sold on eBay. Among many other things, most forms of alcohol are prohibited (with the exception of wine).

Low(er) fees for sellers

The selling fees on eBay are fairly straightforward and lower than Amazon's by about 3% on average.

By using eBay, you can take advantage of the platform's smaller percentage with or without an "eBay Store," though setting up a store further lowers the base fee from 10% to 9.15%. An important difference between eBay and Amazon's fee structures to keep in mind, however, is that eBay uses PayPal, leading to an additional 2.9% fee plus $0.30 getting added to the base fee.

The Cons:

Risk of buyer scams

Malicious buyers (and sometimes competitors) can negatively impact your account's overall rating with unfair negative reviews. This tactic is especially effective against new sellers who don’t have many sales or positive reviews to preserve their score on the website.

New sellers can sometimes even be forced to issue refunds by customers falsely claiming an order never arrived. They may also threaten to leave negative reviews if they don’t get a refund.

Protection against these types of malicious buyers is a bit lacking on eBay, leaving sellers to navigate a complex system of buyer-leaning legalities and policies. Most buyers aren’t malicious, but those who are pose a real threat to new sellers' success.

Opaque product visibility practices

When companies choose eBay, they’re thrust into a marketplace ruled by the platform's mysterious "best match" search algorithm which may arbitrarily erase their products' presence for browsing buyers, leading to lost sales and revenue. Worst of all, there’s not much sellers can do when this happens.

Selling on Amazon vs. eBay

If you need flexibility, lower fees, and a wide-reaching customer base, eBay might be for you. If you’re looking for an established platform that can help with order fulfillment and customer service, you’ll find it on Amazon.

When you're ready to start selling and want to fast-track your product listings on either of these two retail giants, AccelerList can help. Start your trial today to see how!