How I Store My eBay Inventory (and Still Have Room to Live)
The reality is that if you live in a small home, like I do, you simply cannot have an inventory of 1,000+ items like many of the top selling stores you’ll see on Ebay. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t still have a good sized inventory. I typically have around 100 items listed in my store at any given time. Now you might be thinking, how on earth could I possibly store 100 extra items in my apartment or condo? Well, the way I do it is by getting very creative with my storage. I use every extra nook and cranny of space I have in my home … along with a good system for inventorying everything.
One thing that works well when you are first starting out is to purchase or make some dedicated storage containers for your inventory. If you have some extra closet space, you can go with some classic plastic storage tubs with lids, like these. If you don’t have space in your closets and need to store your inventory out in the open, you’ll want to go with some nice, decorative boxes that have lids. When I was getting started, I wanted to keep my costs as low as possible, so I made my own decorative boxes by covering cardboard boxes in Contac paper. You can see how I did it here. I made two boxes and stacked them under my desk.
That worked well for a few months, but then my inventory grew, and I had to find additional spaces to store things. I cleared some space in the linen closet in my bathroom and put a storage basket in there for shoes. I got some under-bed storage containers and use those to store clothes. When I needed even more space, I started keeping dishes in a plastic storage tub outside on my balcony. I even keep some larger items, like crutches, in my HVAC closet. You have to get creative!
I know all those big time sellers seem to have entire bedrooms or basements with elaborate shelving units where they keep row upon row of boxes and bins, but we are not in competition with them. We live in small homes, and we make them work for us. Your inventory may end up spread out across your home. That’s fine, as long as you have a good system to keep track of everything. I use a spreadsheet with each item listed along with its location (I use descriptions like “green plastic tub,” “top closet shelf,” and “linen closet.” Some people like to number each box or bin, but I am just not that organized. Maybe one day …
Final thoughts
One thing that has helped me is to remember that I do not need to worry about what other people think when they come over. My home is my own, and I get to organize it in the way that works for me and my life. And anyway, anyone I invite into my home needs to be a judgement free sort of person anyway.
