1 Trade only in big brand names. This is important - there's no margin in crap. If you want any old no name shovels, follow the signs for Golf Sale held by the bloke standing next to the traffic lights. Titleist, Mizuno, Callaway, TaylorMade, Nike, they're all up there on eBay and with a bit of research and some judicious bidding, you can buy cheap, turn it straight around and sell high. This is the simple philosophy.
2 Leave the stuff alone when you get it. This can be harder than you might think. But when the DHL man calls and asks you to sign for that new set of blades, resist the temptation to take them for a spin. Keep your heart out of the way: this is your stock, not the practice net at McGuirks. Otherwise go trade something you don't care about. There's plenty of double glazing or caravan parts on eBay, things you will feel perfectly able to resist. The problem is so will everyone else. It's because golf clubs are sexy to you that someone else will find them irresistible too.
3 Keep several bids going at the same time. Most bids take a week. Do one at a time and you'll be queuing for your bus pass before you see a €1,000.
4 If you value your marriage think about storage. Once you are up and running, you'll need a revolving front door, and you'll be on Christmas card terms with the man in the An Post storage unit. If you're trading in clubs, make sure you have a way of monitoring what you have, how much you think they're worth and focus on getting it shifted back out the door as quickly as possible.
Every club sitting in the spare bedroom represents cash tied up that you could be using to buy more. Likewise, packaging materials are a hidden cost. Best buy bubble wrap by the roll and industrial-strength tape. The last thing you need is a buyer whining down the phone for a refund because their Sasquatch driver arrived with an L-shaped shaft.
5 ebay.ie, co.uk or .com? This takes a bit of thought and probably is a decision to be left until you have some experience under your J Lindeberg belt. There is an enormous number of items on ebay.com, the American site, at a great price, made even better by the weak dollar. But there are complications. First, the postage is high, around $70 for a set of irons. This can be manageable, particularly on a high-value set of irons, or top-line driver which you know you can put out on the British site and get a decent return.
But keep an eye on taxes - the Revenue are as interested in your online haul as they are the stuff you bring through Dublin airport. Time is another negative. It can take a few weeks for the stuff to get through. This is okay if you're trading heavily, but can make things sticky if you're waiting for several big deliveries from the States to free up cash.
6 Think about hot product areas. You're going to go hungry if you start trading in one-irons. Look at the equipment section of the glossy magazines. What are the big areas at the moment? Hybrids, big name drivers, wedges, blades, Pro V1s: all carry a premium among serious golfers, the sort of people you need to attract. There's no money in hackers. Let them go find a starter set at Argos.
7 Get to know the pros. There are some serious players out there, traders who make a living as power-sellers, who are using eBay as another distribution channel. They can be club pro shops, or high street retailers who are off-loading stock. Because they are trading in quantity they can afford the odd loss-leader. Be the one who takes advantage. Also, learn from how they work. They are recognisable by their patter and the quality of the presentation, which is a cut above the rest.
8 Don't forget the small stuff. Yes the head-turning, big-ticket deals are great fun, the ones where you make a couple of hundred on a set of irons. But this won't happen every day. The margins average out and a profit of between €30 and €70 per big item is acceptable if you can get some quantity through. But sets of balls can be good too, or shoes, or T-shirts, stuff that on its own makes you wonder if its worthwhile, but put together over a few months starts to make sense. This tenner here or 20 quid there is the bread and butter that keeps you going when the big headed drivers are hard to find.
9 Don't be a mug. Sounds simple, but just like any auction, it can be hard to stop yourself over-paying in the heat of the moment. Keep a top stop in your head, or write it down. And do the maths. How much are you expecting to sell this for later? What's the margin? If you overpay, or even pay what would be a reasonable price in normal circumstances, everything starts to unravel.
10 Finally, think hard whether you really want to do this, because it will take over your life. Yes, you can do it along with a full-time job, but there will need to be sacrifices. Say goodbye to time wasting activity, like having friends or meaningful relationships. It takes time to track the best deals, to know instinctively what is good value, where there is a margin to be squeezed. You have to be the one out there who knows when to stay up and bid in the middle of the night because you sense you can get something for less, or because you want it more than the bloke with a career and a pension and a girlfriend who looks like one of the Corrs.
