Would you guys be interested?

[morfa]

I just see no validation in looking on eBay at prices as they always appear to be unrealistic!

Looking at the ebay prices, how are they unrealistic?

Most of them look to be fairly sensible. Admittedly the margins are low, but the prices are fair.

 

[petermillard]

Gosh guys, thanks for stamping on my interest in earning some extra money!

Honestly, I don't think anyone here's done that - as Pete Maddex says above, they've simply pointed out errors in your proposals which would have had you working at a loss. But good for you for trying to turn a shilling over the summer; my son's just finished his first year at Uni and is making himself useful locally by doing a jet-wash service for patios, driveways, garden furniture etc.. etc.. Telling potential customers that he's a student trying to make a few quid over the summer (rather than, by implication, just dossing around and sponging off his family!) has proved to be a *big* hit with all the mums around and about; really seems to strike a chord, so don't be afraid to make your promotions personal.

As for the planter idea, it just so happens that a gardener pal of mine has asked me to make a couple of 'Versailles' planters (Google it for images and commercial prices) for a customer of his. Never made them before, pretty simple to do, and I could have made the construction simpler than I have, but they're a decent size (500mm cube) so will be pretty weighty when they're full. I'm charging £280 for the pair, painted, and tbh I'm not going to be making much on them when all said and done; but it's more of a favour for my pal, and his merchant banker (really) customers - who also really liked the summerhouse I did earlier in the year, and are interested in having something similar made for their garden...

I don't know if they the kind of prices you can get in South Wales, but my pal the gardener said that I was cheaper than the 'ready-made' planters his customers had looked at - so I guess I underpriced this one, lol!

I just see no validation in looking on eBay at prices as they always appear to be unrealistic!

Not sure if that's unrealistic expensive, or unrealistic cheap??

HTH Pete

 

[Mr_P]

Blimey maybe planters isn't a good idea

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Square-Outdoo ... 53f9371d29

£15 delivered, ok it might be rubbish but how can you compete with that ?

£1.50 for ebay, if he's selling lots of these and other things maybe he has a great deal with a courier so another £5-£7 on that. Packing costs and time another pound or two. So best case scenario £15 - £7.50 = £7.50

So how much does he buy them for ? £5 maybe giving him £2.50 profit.

Have you considered a bit of tool dealing ? Get yourself to a carboot and buy a few things , fettle then sell. Or my preferred method buy a job lot. Can be dangerous though, I've being doing this for over a year and I still make costly mistakes.