When to Do It Yourself, When to Hire a Pro

Selling on eBay

Problem: Your china cabinet is full of unused mint-condition heirlooms.

Enter: The eBay drop-off store. These independently owned stores handle everything from photographing to shipping. Stores known as Power Sellers, such as iSold It, may fetch a higher price than you can, and there’s usually no charge if an item doesn’t sell.

Cost: A commission of up to 35 percent of the sale.

To find one: Go to i-soldit.com for stores, or look under Consignment Services at auctionbytes.com.

Consider doing it yourself when: You are comfortable uploading digital pictures and have time to pack and ship the goods. Setting up an eBay account and posting a picture is free. If you sell, eBay keeps a commission of 5.25 to 1.5 percent of the sale, depending on the selling price.