Ebay shops.

[knbsallotment]

Hi all, I am trying to get my ebay shop off the ground. I am selling a wierd combination of craft and fruit n veg seeds/plants. I was just wondering what kind of allotmenting stuff you guys would buy online, ie strawberry plants etc.

Your ideas would be much appreciated.

Not all for my benefit of course, but a large part of what I make will be going towards getting our local schools allotment project off the ground.

[knbsallotment]

[caroline7758]

I'd buy veg plug plants if they were a good price- they're such a rip-off in the garden centres.

[emmy1978]

Yes me too. I'd also sell seed starter packs as one of the most common newbie questions here is what should I grow. So maybe a pack of seeds with maybe a little user friendly leaflet (when & how to plant, maybe basic crop rotation advice)
I don't buy much lottie/garden stuff online as I mostly pick up my bargains in lidl etc, but I know people do. Good luck

[spaf69]

this makes much more sense in my head so I apologise now if this doesn't come across as well as it should.

as a newbie to allotments I would like to be able to buy a pack which contained basic seeds of plants that are successful and well suited for an allotment. For example peas, lettuce, beans, beetroot etc. you could even offer different packs for earlies and lates small 3x3 plots or larger.

as there are so many varieties of seeds out there I don't know which ones are the best to grow until I came onto this site of course.

I hope this makes sense :D

[dtw]

You'll be more successful by selling stuff which nobody else sells.
Ebay is pretty flooded with loads of people selling the same stuff and undercutting each other just to sell.
The worst day for selling is a wednesday, so make sure your listings don't end then.

[knbsallotment]

Yes, your ideas are excellent, and also very logical. Have started off with strawberry plants etc. Didn't think of beginners kits though, I have to admit.  Although I definitely like the idea. Have so many spares of the basics that I harvested last year.

Thanks!!

[bennettsleg]

plug plants seconded.

[Melbourne12]

We buy loads of stuff online.  Seeds, plants (including fruit bushes, trees, roses), compost, irrigation equipment, fleece, weed suppressant, netting, weedkiller, some specialist tools (though I prefer to handle before I buy), screws and fixings, greenhouse fitments.  That's from a quick review of the past year.  I've probably forgotten several things.

Oh, shelving for a shed.  Greenhouse heater. The list goes on.

Edit: It's just occurred to me that a nice idea if you're selling plants and crafts is to offer a gift card service.  I recently bought some rose bushes for someone as a house warming present.  The website was set up to take a different delivery address, but I would happily have paid another quid or two for a card to say what it was for and who it was from.

[sutton girl]

what a good idea to have plug plats that we can buy a a good price i would buy some of them

[knbsallotment]

I like the idea of both the plug plants, and the gift service. Can anyone give me an example of what they think would be a good price for plug plants?

[Uncle Joshua]

Plug plants would be great.

[dtw]

Wouldn't they be difficult to pack to stop the compost going everywhere?

[Jeannine]

I often notice on e bay the fact that the rarer tomatoes sell for quite high prices on a buy it now,so do the hot chilli seeds and the  more unusual squash, even the rarer beans get a good price.I guess people will pay over the odds for what they can't get here. One day I may do just that. I think the rarer seedlings would do the same. If I was to do it I think I would offer a 8  pack of different rare tomato plants, or perhaps a 8 pack of  all different Brandywine strains as plants.Even perhaps an 8 pack of differnt coloured  toms. 1 red,1 orange,1 pink,1 black,1 green,1 white.1 yellow,1 multicolour and 1 purple. I think that would sell well  as plants.

Good Luck XX Jeannine

[cambourne7]

I would have loved a selection of peas and beans maybe 15-20 of a couple of variatys where you can save the seed yourself next year.

but then i would have less swaps  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Rarer tomato plants might well sell well, as a lot of people don't want to bother raising their own from seed.

[caroline7758]

Re prices, guess you'd have to give it a try and see what people would pay (maybe not use Buy it now and see what bids you get). If you look on T&M site, you can see the rip-off prices- 6 tom.sungold for 7.99 plus postage! (Doesn't say how big).

[coznbob]

Jeannine's idea of the different varieties of toms etc. seems a great idea.

Not sure how you would package them cost effectively, but sure someone will have some cunning plans!

Also would second the idea of basic seed packages. Maybe aimed at different target buyers. eg. Childs pack (sunflower, pumpkin, toms), first growers, etc.

Good luck...

[knbsallotment]

So many great ideas! As for packaging the plugs, could I perhaps place each individual plant in small resealable bags, with their compost etc, bubble wrapped, in small, strong boxes? Would they survive the journey?

[dtw]

Woody stemmed plants may do, say chillies with a few sets of leaves.
But being bounced around, being held upside down for long periods etc. may not be good for tomatoes.

Filling the air space in the bag above the compost with vermiculite or that other stuff (white granules used for drainage, I can't think of the name now) would reduce the bouncing around damage.

Why not try posting a few to somebody far away.
Posting to yourself would be pointless, as they would just go to the local depot and back again.

[grotbag]

have you got a link for your shop ?