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Success Stories

Seller Success Stories

For Ron Hirsch of NuRoad Collectibles, selling antiques on eBay is an extension of the family business honoring his mother's memory.

Ron Hirsch sells on eBay under the member ID nuroad68. He chose the name to represent the new road he embarked on when he started selling on eBay at the age of 68—a road he sees leading to a fulfilling retirement.

Motivated by his early sales, Ron began selling other items, soon focusing on the unusual paper collectibles-postcards, maps, music sheets, and more-that have become his mainstay. "I seek out the odd and different. I've got a good feel for it," he says. "I once found a postcard with a WWII Japanese Zero and Japanese characters on it. I thought it was unusual and put it up for sale. It did extremely well."

The part-time eBay Top-rated seller
Now an eBay Top-rated seller with an eBay Store, NuRoad Collectibles, Ron has upwards of 1,000 items listed at a time, with inventory doubling year-over-year. "I've been able to cut back on my day job to three days a week," he says of the success. "It's changed my life."

To source items, Ron buys on eBay, attends estate sales, and gets personal referrals from nearby eBay sellers.
"Make avid use of the resources and information on eBay. Know what's selling, and what your competitors are doing."
- Ron Hirsch
Many are members of the largest eBay community in the Dallas area, where he participates regularly. "They give me product ideas, education on the best ways to ship, the best programs to use. We share so much information."

Ron has also enlisted the help of a mentor who's sold similar items on eBay for 10 years, and recommends every new seller make an effort to get better educated.

"Make avid use of the resources and information on eBay. I research the marketplace to gain better insight into what sells, and into what my competitors are doing. It's given me the ability to choose what I offer more intelligently," he shares. "Also make those real-world connections. Attend events like eBay: On Location and get involved in an organization in your local area. You'll get a real-world sense for what you need to do to be successful. It's great to put faces to names and experience the enthusiasm of people sharing ideas."

Ron looks forward to continuing his eBay sales well into retirement, not only to supplement his income, but also to keep his mind sharp by researching items. "When my father retired, he had nothing to do. It drove everyone crazy," he laughs. "Me, I'll have plenty to do."