Nah, not as thin as you think.  I pay less in shipping since I use my company's shipping account to receive discounted rates, which I am allowed to do.  The prices paid include tax.  I keep a detailed spreadsheet of all my sales and know exactly how much profit I make on each transaction.  If I can not make a minimum of 40% profit after purchase costs, ebay/Paypal fees, shipping, and packing materials, I do not bother selling an item.  I'm usually online for my job anyway and frequent stores regularly anyway so I do not account for the time involved in finding my stash to sell.

there is no way you're making 40% on sales from Ferris wheel, pet shop, and palace cinema at those sales price listed...

there is no way you're making 40% on sales from Ferris wheel, pet shop, and palace cinema at those sales price listed...

You're right, I did not make 40% on the big sets.  I failed to say 40% on small sets or $30 on bigger/current sets.

Orc Forge is starting to get some love on Amazon, sold one so far for $95.

Sold 2 more 75021 - Republic Gunships on EBay for $190 to a repeat buyer in my shipping zone.  It only cost me $10 to ship them insured.

Edited August 25, 201510 yr by exciter1

Orc Forge is starting to get some love on Amazon, sold one so far for $95.

For the horde!

Orc Forge is starting to get some love on Amazon, sold one so far for $95.

Sold 2 more 75021 - Republic Gunships on EBay for $190 to a repeat buyer in my shipping zone.  It only cost me $10 to ship them insured.

That's awesome that the Gunship is nearing 200...

Orc Forge is starting to get some love on Amazon, sold one so far for $95.

Sold 2 more 75021 - Republic Gunships on EBay for $190 to a repeat buyer in my shipping zone.  It only cost me $10 to ship them insured.

 Nice!  75021s are definitely rising.  I sold one earlier this month on eBay for $170, and the box was about a 5/10.  Only paid $90 for it at Walmart.

Sold a 5918 and 5920 (Adventurers cars) from my childhood collection to the same buyer for $42 shipped last week. 

Sold a King Theoden minifig today from a used Helm's Deep (+2 bonus Castle sets) I purchased for $100 on CL. Also, ironically for this post, for $42 shipped. 

 

As I'm sure some of you can deduce, shipping cost on the minifig was far less than 2 sets.   Pretty damn stoked with the result, especially considering it was an extra Theoden and I get to keep my own still for my Helm's moc. 

Sold a Charlotte Grand Opening minifigure set for $85 (inc ship), but was troubled that it was going to Denmark. I guess I irrationally (?) think that country is full of QFLL spies.

Amazon

60059 - City: Logging Truck - $63 (is there an end in sight?)
7913 - Clone Trooper Battle Pack - $45

Damn Dang... I bought 1 logging truck for myself, but it's sitting in a box unopened. Maybe it's time to sell.

Edited August 25, 201510 yr by biking_tiger

Damn Dang... I bought 1 logging truck for myself, but it's sitting in a box unopened. Maybe it's time to sell.

I have zilch of this set.

Damn Dang... I bought 1 logging truck for myself, but it's sitting in a box unopened. Maybe it's time to sell.

I never expected it.  I had less than 10, since I never really found an abundance of them on clearance.

Edited August 25, 201510 yr by exciter1

Some people love to hate on City but if you pay attention there are some winners...

Sold some random Harry Potter parts and instructions for 30 euro cash. 

Damn Dang... I bought 1 logging truck for myself, but it's sitting in a box unopened. Maybe it's time to sell.

Doh, just sold another as we speak.  Folks are looking for this one now.  ...and then someone just drops in at $55.  Ok, have at it...

Edited August 25, 201510 yr by exciter1

Amazon

60059 - City: Logging Truck - $63 (is there an end in sight?)
7913 - Clone Trooper Battle Pack - $45

Woah how did you sell the battlepack for that much!

Woah how did you sell the battlepack for that much!

That's the going rate right now.  Sold one the other day for $43.

That's the going rate right now.  Sold one the other day for $43.

Really 7913 only says that it's been sold for the highest of 22$ on the brickpicker stats

Really 7913 only says that it's been sold for the highest of 22$ on the brickpicker stats

It's sometimes best to compare rates on the different selling avenues and list, trade, or sell accordingly.  If I could sell these out of my jacket on the street for this price, that's where I'd want to be.

Edited August 25, 201510 yr by exciter1

It's sometimes best to compare rates on the different selling avenues and list, trade, or sell accordingly.  If I could sell these out of my jacket on the street for this price, that's where I'd want to be.

The lazy approach would be to just follow Exciter's lead. ;-)

It's sometimes best to compare rates on the different selling avenues and list, trade, or sell accordingly.  If I could sell these out of my jacket on the street for this price, that's where I'd want to be.

Hmmm I'm not sure if this is allowed but can I show you my eBay page to see whether my listings are fairly priced?

The lazy approach would be to just follow Exciter's lead. ;-)

I liked your post, because I somehow feel obligated.   I would never advise anyone to follow my lead.  Sometimes I even run into brick walls.

Hmmm I'm not sure if this is allowed but can I show you my eBay page to see whether my listings are fairly priced?

In all fairness, EBay, Amazon, Bricklink, BrickOwl, Craiglist, Toys 'R Us parking lot, etc. All have different going rates for different products at the same time.  Sometimes the price shifts radically within just a few hours.  It's nice when you are fortunate enough to have stock in-hand when the prices are in your favor, but sometimes they can shift the other way just as quickly.  Looking at all the marketplaces and setting your prices does help.  It also pays to be patient, for me at least.

Edited August 25, 201510 yr by exciter1

Hmmm I'm not sure if this is allowed but can I show you my eBay page to see whether my listings are fairly priced?

Sure, but if it was me I'd pm it.

I liked your post, because I somehow feel obligated. I would never advise anyone to follow my lead.  Sometimes I even run into brick walls.

Brick walls?....and here I thought it was just eBay's algorithms that were abusing my sales.

and no you shouldn't feel obligated. ;-)

Hmmm I'm not sure if this is allowed but can I show you my eBay page to see whether my listings are fairly priced?

You can sometimes tell by how fast your items sell...

You can sometimes tell by how fast your items sell...

That is true I'm a new member to here and eBay and I had a Harry Potter set sell within the first 8 hours of it being listed and I used the brickpicker to base my price and I was the same as the highest from the previous month but then there was a whole lot of nothing until a Star Wars set sold on it's last day.