I’m thinking about trying to sell cookies and brownies on ebay. I
know that some people won’t eat anything that a stranger made even if it’s free. So, I’m just wondering if I should even bother.
I wouldn’t, and I don’t know many people that would.
Can you even sell foodstuffs on eBay?
The auctions I saw were doing pretty good.
Well, the whole point of homemade cookies and brownies is to get them fresh and hot. Unless there’s something special about your baked goods, I don’t see too many people paying good money plus shipping and handling for something they can get at the local bakery. I think you’d have better luck packaging them up as Hillbilly Queen’s Ozark Treats and seeing if you could get some local delis/sandwich shops to sell them as a next-to-the-register impulse item.
No.
Make that: HELL, no.
Wait, make that: AW, HELL, NO!
Ditto what Finagle said about the local deli shops. Although God knows people will buy anything on eBay, so you may as well give it a shot.
I’ve thought about this too, hq. Every Christmas I buy about $15 worth of ingredients and then churn out a few dozen dozens of “buckeyes”, which for those not in the know are peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate. They’re relatively easy to make, and yet every year I see them in the store selling at $4.99 for a half dozen! Which means someone’s making a hell of a profit. Why can’t it be me?
What kind of foodstuffs have you seen on auctions? Do you have a gimmick for yours that would make them enticing to all those no-baking fools out there? Were the auctions that were going well unusual items, or just run-of-the-mill cookies and stuff?
bella–curious
Ozark Treats? Wrong part of the country.
I wouldn’t buy homemade food from eBay only because there are too many nutcases out there.
Never, never, never, never, never.
I don’t buy a lot on ebay, but I have considered doing something similar in my town. Maybe you can do something like this?
Make up a bunch of samples, and spend a day dropping them off at all the local businesses and offices. Of course, you’ll be dropping off your flyer at the same time, offering fresh, home-baked goodies whenever they want them. (I was thinking of starting a Monday Muffins biz myself, so I would deliver every Monday.) A lot of businesses seem to designate a “treats” person, so you might be able to pick up a little business that way.
As far as ebay selling goes, I think you’d probably do better if you were able to package up some of the ingredients (especially if you can find something unique to your area, and you gotta call it "Hillbilly Queen Something, because that will be a big selling point), put them together with a couple of your best HB recipes, and sell it as a kit. I’ve found that I can’t sell soap or candles on ebay, but I have good luck selling soap colorants and other ingredients.
Now THAT would be cool. (I’m getting all excited about the idea.) Email me if you want to jabber about it, and good luck!
<<envisioning Hillbilly Queen Heap o’ Brownies kit…>>
~karol
As an ebay seller, I can offer this much:
I think that it will be more trouble than its worth.
A lot of people are saying that they would never buy food from a stranger (I wouldn’t).
however,
I don’t know that I would want to sell food to a stranger either.
I sell buttons on ebay and I get the occasional nut bag.
worst case scenario:
what if someone claims to have gotten sick off of your food?
food selling, to me, is something that needs to be approached with caution.
however, if you do decide to go that route remember one thing:
packaging.
it’s ALL in how you present the product.
you might want to have stickers made, etc. (the old spend money to make money). You have to give people a reason to buy your stuff vs. getting brownies at a local bakery, for example.
I think selling the stuff locally is a much better idea.
But what ever you do, you may want to look into laws in your area regarding food handling.
You would have to be completely insane to eat food from Ebay.
IMHO of course.
My first reaction was “no”, but then I realized I buy cupcakes and stuff from random bake sales around town all the time. I still wouldn’t because my budget doesn’t have room for things like cookies, but I’m not opposed to the idea, either.
Thanks for the input, that’s kind of what I figured.
belladonna believe it or not some of the auctions were for chocolate chip cookies and regular fudge brownies. Maybe the sellers had a lot of friends.
bodypoet actually I have been thinking about making up “cookie kits”. Some cookie ingredients can be costly if you buy them at the grocery, like $4.00 for a pack of macedamia nuts. But If I can get them wholesale, then divide them into kits, it might work. And if it doesn’t, my family and friends will be eating a lot of cookies. 
normally, no way, but since it you hilly-billy, YOU BET! 
(by the way, sweety, look for my stuff on the bay-- username is the same!)
Beer: Its not just for Breakfast anymore!
Well, now, you never said it was macedamia nuts. White chocolate macedamia cookies? I think I’d risk the nutjob for that, the greatest of all cookies
Max, you don’t have to take any risk. If I make any, I’ll send you some.
I’ve sometimes thought about selling my chocolates locally if the need arose, but the food laws give me a lot of pause. I doubt that the gummint would approve of me that easily, despite the scary restaurants in existence…
And no way would I buy homemade goodies off of eBay. No way, no how, no nuthin’.
Nope nope nope nope.
And HELL NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!
Sorry, it’s just not worth the risk.