Selling Coins on EBay

by Dana
(Atlanta, GA)

There was the 1990s. Auction sites were just coming on the scene. They all said it was impossible... until they looked at their computer screens. Now, NO ONE is laughing.

It all started out with just a handful of coins, a cold wintry weekend, the Internet and a dream. Well, you see, one cold, wintry evening there was nothing to do, no where to go and the brother-in-law was over playing video games with my hubby and three sons. I was doing the usual 'surfing the web' when I pulled up an advertisement on Ebay and thought, "Okay, why NOT?"

After doing some massive studies and feeling desperate to be a stay at home parent (I was working full-time in a corporate setting at the time), I had noticed there were some sellers making some pretty decent money selling coins. Knowing my husband had a small jar of collectible coins stored in the laundry room that he once purchased with his allowance shopping at an antique mall with his grandma, I thought THIS would be my ticket to freedom.

"HONEY!" I exclaimed, "You just GOTTA see what I have been discovering on the Internet!" "Not now!" he replied, "I'm a little busy here!" After doing some prodding, he finally put the game on pause and sauntered over to our computer desk that was once in the kitchen. "What?!" "Are you crazy?" he says after he hears my story. "There is NO WAY you can make a business with just that jar of coins."

We argued a little back and forth for a little while. I blurted out, "Well, can't we just put a couple of auctions on and try it out?" He said frustratingly, "Yeah, I guess you could, but I don't want to get burned." I excitedly replied, "You won't!" "I can COUNT on it!" Well, days had passed and a few auctions were placed. My husband thought he would fire up the computer while I was at work and to his surprise there were bids on every auction I had placed on!

On an evening ride after I got home from work, he said, "Maybe we SHOULD look into this more seriously." So, we started purchasing some coins here and there at flea markets, antique malls, etc. to start stocking up inventory. Before you know it, the auction sales we profited started paying some small bills on a consistent basis. Then...there was ANOTHER long wintry night. This time, everybody's ears perked! "Honey!" I exclaimed. "I think I have a way where we can start making a little more money." He said, "How's that?" I replied, "I think we can start putting on some dutch auctions and sell POUNDS of WHEAT PENNIES!" He pauses and says, "But, we don't HAVE any wheat pennies!"

I told I knew of a place where I could get some. He says, "But look how much fees you would have to pay if it fails!" "$150!" "We don't have $150 to shell out for something that might fail and keep us from paying some bills!" I quietly replied, "I saved up $150 in my purse." "If it fails, I will pay for the loss." "At least we could give it a try."

After much thought, he reluctantly gave in. ..7 days later. My husband and I went over to my sister's house and she was doing some housecleaning. She heard we were starting to sell a few items on Ebay and was wondering if we could sell some of her inventory of Mary Kay makeup for her. After an hour or so of talking and helping her clean, my husband says, "Hey, can we check our auctions on your computer real quick?" Happy-go-lucky as she is she says, "Sure!" Seconds later, I thought I would have to readjust his jaw because it really did drop to the floor! He was SPEECHLESS!! All he could quietly say is, "Um, Kathy, you gotta come here!" "WHAT??" I was fearing the worst, as usual.

He points his finger to the screen and says, "LOOK!" 2 Dutch Auctions out of 10 COMPLETELY sold out in 2 days and each auction had 50 pounds on a piece. I scrolled up and down in mere disbelief as I was staring at all the usernames. It DID work!

Needless to say, 8 years later, $150k in my pocket that year and now with a new auction site and tons of coins on several others, I realized that day that ANYTHING is possible! And it can ALL start with just a little jar of coins! Oh, and by the way, the in-laws AREN'T laughing ANYMORE! :)

Realize; we were made fun of a lot being called 'penny king' and 'coin man' in disbelief that we were try to make a living by selling money! Not anymore! It may not be coins for you, but you can still live out your dreams however you see fit. This is for someone out there that thinks it's impossible - it IS possible. And I am continuing to further out my dreams as time goes quickly by. My kids have enjoyed stay-at-home parents and will be leaving for college in a few years. I was able to give them things I wouldn't have been able to give them working next to minimum wage jobs. I also made other people smile and blessed them when they didn't have money for Christmas or food to put on the table. Bragging? Nope! I am just telling you what a little jar of coins did for me, and what may seem small starting out could end up someday being great big.