As gas and food prices started to soar this year, Chicagoan Ron Derby was thrown another unexpected curve — his work hours were cut by 15 percent.
The father of an 18-year-old daughter who just started college needed to find a way to make up for the lost income, and he turned to eBay in May to help make ends meet.
He has been averaging $400 to $500 a month in sales as a result, he said.
“The very first thing I actually sold was a lighted beer sign, which I bought for $5,” he said. “I put it on eBay and I sold it for $75. That’s what kind of got me hooked.”
“You’re on a budget; you have to basically try to keep that going,” said Derby, 44. “I couldn’t find a part-time job. Someone suggested to try eBay as a way of making extra money, so I did.”
Derby has plenty of company. According to a survey in April from eBay, 59 percent of adult respondents said they’re selling items online to earn extra income.
The supplemental income Derby has received from his eBay sales has helped him absorb the 30 percent spike he has seen in his grocery bill and higher gas prices, which at their peak sent the cost of filling up his Buick LeSabre to more than $90, he said.
Photo by John J. Kim.
cassy on September 9th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
He is lucky enough to sold his product on ebay at $75 when he originally bought it at $5.