Tips for Selling Coffee Mugs on eBay

When I firs t started selling on eBay I would soak up every tip for what to sell. Other members in several groups I joined in the early days of my selling career would post BOLO's (Be On Look Out), and one of the most consistently mentioned was coffee mugs.

Coffee mugs can be purchased really cheap from thrift stores, and are often given away on the likes of FreeCycle and CraigsList. In an inexperienced excitement I bought around 2 dozen different coffee mugs and was all set to make money. Most of them cost less than $1 each.

Coffee mugs are easy to list on eBay. Provided you take good photos and provide measurements (especially capacity), along with an accurate description that mentions any flaws if there are any, then there is very little that can go wrong. Apart from poor wrapping before shipping.

The first mug I sold went for $40! Boy, was I excited. Particularly as this was a mug I had actually owned and originally paid 10 cents. Unfortunately I packed it poorly and it arrived at the buyer's address in several pieces. So not only had I sold my first mug, but I had also had to deal with my first refund. As I was paying the bills with the money I was making from eBay, a $40 refund was going to hurt me badly. Fortunately, even though the mug arrived broken, I had sent it Priority Mail and therefore it was covered by USPS insurance. I ended up not having to pay any money back myself because the customer filed a claim. (This was NOT the customer's responsibility but I didn't know better at the time).

If you are new to selling online, whether it be eBay or any other selling site, please do NOT run out and buy up every pretty coffee mug you see, no matter how cheap it is. While coffee mugs DO sell on eBay it is only certain ones. It is important that you know which ones they are. If you read articles written by sellers who have had success with selling coffee mugs you will most likely realize that these sellers are very particular about which ones they buy and sell.

Starbucks mugs are one of the more popular mugs to sell because there are lots of people who like to collect them. Starbucks releases new mugs quite regularly, but they are not always considered desirable by collectors. However there is one line of Starbucks mugs that are highly sought after, and bring exceptionally good money.

Here are just a few types of coffee mugs that sell well:

1. Starbucks City mugs. These are easily recognized by their signature place names and are usually colored inside. With thousands of Starbucks locations worldwide, collectors are keen to get their hands on these mugs to add to their collections. The more obscure location the better, with some mugs going for anywhere from $50 or more and even some going for several hundred dollars.

2. Disney mugs. Disney collectors go crazy for anything that has Mickey Mouse on it, but what they prefer is merchandise that can only be purchased at Disneyland parks. These items have more perceived value because they are harder to come by. Mickey isn't the only character that is sought after though. Some Disney collectors prefer to collect particular items such as Tinkerbell or Winnie the Pooh and friends.

3. Advertising mugs. Older, vintage mugs that feature advertising of products and / or services. Some are more valuable than others based upon age, how famous the product / service being advertised, and if the mug has advertising of a product or service no longer in existance. Some older, rare mugs can go for several hundred dollars.

Once you sell a mug, the next challenge is how to ship it. There are several methods for doing so safely. Whichever method you use price and ensuring it arrives at its destination in one piece are usually the primary concerns.

If selling cheaper mugs (under $15) the weight of the mug can cause shipping costs to eat up most of your profit. You can use a box of your own, use a box supplied by USPS or ship it in a padded flat rate envelope. All of these options will work, but the first two are likely to be expensive, whereas the padded flat rate mailer can be shipped for as little as $6, and even less if you are a Top Rated Seller and ship through eBay.

You are probably thinking that a flat rate padded mailer is not going to provide enough protection to ensure the mug arrives at its destination in good shape, and I can understand why you would think that way. After all, it is going to require more than a thin layer of bubbles to prevent damage. If you haven't heard of the FOMO method of shipping then check out this video:

Think it won't work? I have shipped mugs using this method many times since that first disastrous mug that I mentioned above, and not one of them has arrived broken, chipped or in any other way damaged. Provided you follow the instructions in this video to a 't' you should be fine.

With more expensive mugs I recommend you use either the USPS supplied box (you can order them online free) that is perfect for mugs, or a box of your own. Whichever you choose, because the mug you are shipping is more expensive, I believe it is worth the cost of shipping in order to have your sold mug arrive at the buyer's location looking professionally packaged and shipped. When your buyer has paid $50 for a mug they have been looking for for months, or maybe even years, they will not be impressed to have their collectible item turn up in a padded flat rate mailer.

In conclusion, you can make good money selling coffee mugs, but please do not just buy random mugs just because they are pretty. Believe me, you will be disappointed if you do. I know because I now have a lovely collection of pretty mugs that no one wants to buy!

#mugs #ebay #starbucks #disney