eBay Seller Journey - Month 0: Auto Parts and Tools Reselling Baseline and Plan

If you’re a newer seller (or you feel like your store is inconsistent), this series is for you.

I’m going to share this journey month by month because writing things down forces clarity. I chose to post it on the MyListerHub blog because I landed here looking for better systems. Hopefully, your comments help me tighten my process, overcome my fear, and maybe one day you’ll see me in front of the camera too.

Who I am and what I’m trying to build

My name is Leo. I worked for 20 years as a plumber, and now that I’m getting closer to retirement age, I want to build a sustainable source of income on eBay.

I started selling part-time on eBay back in 1999, and I’ve learned that “selling here and there” is not the same as building something consistent. That’s what I’m trying to do now.

Not hype. Not a fantasy plan. Just a real routine that produces:

• More consistent listings
• More consistent traffic
• More consistent sales

What I buy and sell

Right now I buy and sell:

• Auto parts
• Tools
• Books
• Medical equipment
• 3D printing supplies

About 62% of my sales come from auto parts and tools, so that’s where I’m leaning harder.

My current snapshot

Here’s where I’m starting right now:

• Active listings: 714
• 90-day sold: 129
• Average sold price: $29
• Current listing pace: ~30 items per week

Where I list and why eBay is my focus

I also list items on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp, but eBay is far more productive for me.

So even though I’ll still use other platforms when it makes sense, the plan here is simple:
eBay is the main focus because it’s where the results are.

What hasn’t worked

The biggest mistake I’ve made is buying cheap items and hoping volume will save me.

In reality, cheap inventory often just:

• Sits on the shelf
• Eats time
• Makes you feel busy without making you money

I’m not saying cheap items never work, but for me, “cheap and easy” tends to turn into “dust collectors.”

Bundles and sets (one lever I’m pulling harder)

To increase ROI and make older inventory move, I create bundles and sets.

This helps with:

• Improving average order value
• Reducing shipping cost per item (when it makes sense)
• Turning slow singles into higher-value listings

One thing I have to stay on top of: when a bundle sells, I need to remove the individual listings from eBay to avoid overselling.

Stale listings and how I’m going to track them

For me, a stale listing is 90+ days with no meaningful engagement.

The problem is eBay’s visibility is limited, so it’s hard to confidently identify “true stale” listings without extra help.

That’s why I’m going to start using MyListerHub to see engagement beyond what eBay shows me, so I can identify stale listings faster and optimize them in batches.

Next month, I’ll share how many stale listings I actually have once I pull the number.

My promoted listings setup

I’m currently running Promoted Listings at 2.1%.

I’m not claiming it’s the perfect rate. I’m sharing it because promoted ads affect margins, and beginners should understand that upfront.

Pricing and profit reality

My average sold price over the last 90 days is $29, but profit depends heavily on category.

The mistake I’m trying to avoid is pricing too low and convincing myself I’m “moving inventory” when I’m actually getting crushed by:

• Shipping
• eBay fees
• Promotion cost (2.1%)
• Returns risk and handling time

For lower-priced items, if you sell too close to the floor, you can end up basically working for free. So part of this journey is getting more aggressive and more intentional with pricing and tracking what actually converts.

Next month goal

Next month, I’m focusing on a few specific tests and habits:

1. Be more consistent with listing

• I want to see if more listings actually equals more traffic for my store.

2. Be more aggressive on pricing

• I want to test whether lower prices convert into more sales without killing ROI.

3. Create more bundles/sets from old inventory

• My goal is to improve ROI and stop letting slow singles collect dust.

4. Source more rare items

• Less “cheap and common,” more “harder to find and worth listing.”

My supplier plan (longer-term shift)

I’m looking for a wholesale supplier or distributor that can provide:

• Consignment inventory, or
• Dropshipping options

If I can get a consistent catalog, I can scale faster by listing in bulk using MyListerHub’s:

• CSV upload
• Photo-to-listing AI tool

When I evaluate suppliers, I’m looking for:

• MOQ (minimum order quantity)
• Pricing tiers
• Return terms
• Shipping terms
• Lead times
• Defect policy
• Marketplace resale allowed or not
• Consistency and condition

Over the next month, I’m researching potential suppliers and aiming for 2 serious conversations.

What I’ll report every month

Each monthly update will include:

• New listings added
• Total active listings (start vs now)
• Items sold that month
• What I improved on older listings (and how many)
• Bundle/set results (what sold, what didn’t)
• Pricing changes I tested and what happened
• Progress on sourcing more rare items
• Supplier research progress

What’s coming next month (Month 1)

Next month I’ll share:

• How many stale listings do I actually have (using MyListerHub data)
• What I changed first when optimizing stale listings
• Bundle results and what I’ll stop bundling
• What pricing tests I ran and what moved
• What I sourced that was actually “rare,” and whether it paid off