Aloha from Kaneohe, Hawaii! That's the beautiful place where I live!

eBay can present a great opportunity to buy items that would be difficult otherwise to find in our Islands.

But it also presents occasional hurdles and frustrations. Some arise primarily to issues of distance and delivery expense -- a fact of life when you reside thousands of miles from most other Americans and at least as far from international points.

Some of it stems from misunderstandings -- convincing a seller, perhaps, that Hawaii qualifies for U.S. postal rates, often no higher than other domestic destinations. Or an Isle seller may have to persuade a potential buyer that media mail may be cheaper but takes even longer than he or she imagines.

There may be times when you'll have to ask a seller to offer an alternative shipping rate that's more affordable -- UPS and FedEx are, in fact, much more expensive to Hawaii. Andy you may have to settle for the harsh reality that the seller likes the door-to-door shipping of these services and really can't be bothered selling to Hawaii.

But there are joys, too. We have items here that are sought all over the world, both by local-born "ex-patriates" and by frequent visitors who want something they can find nowhere else but in Hawaii.

So we all sell Hawaii items as part of our broader selection. And some of us even specialize in them!

I've posted some thoughts here about what I've learned about eBay buying and selling from Hawaii. And I've established a new eBay group as a place where we can meet and chat..

It's called The Gathering Place -- check it out! After you join, click in the Discussions area, and sign in!

Meanwhile, here are a few tips.

Shipping/handling issues

And there are some. You have to decide which battle to choose... and how to "fight" it!

• Buyers: If sellers say they won't ship to Hawaii and it's something you really want, it doesn't hurt to ask. (You can tell a lot about a seller's attitude by the way they answer you... and IF they answer you!) Suggest something to make it easier for them... willingness to pay USPS Priority Mail so they can arrange home pickup, perhaps. Above all, make sure you're clear on the full cost, including handling.
• Sellers: You can charge a handling fee to cover costs, of course, but watch to see that your rate is competitive. When sending by Priority Mail, postage will be at the maximum zone rate, regardless of where you send in the U.S. The down side is that this leaves a narrower margin for handling costs. The up side is you can post a single flat rate for ALL U.S. buyers -- and bidders really like that clarity!
• Everyone: Think carefully before buying or selling via Parcel Post or Media Mail. It takes a long time, usually a month or more, to make the transit. (It goes by boat to the coast, you know!)

Packing

Well, EVERYONE should follow these rules, but in that our items are often in transit a little longer, we have to be especially careful. Consider whether the item will be damaged if it gets wet. That's why you should consider a lined mailer, a bit of bubble wrap or some other protection. If it's a breakable item, LOTS of bubble wrap is your friend. The bottom line is, the item should be packed so it doesn't move if you shake the box.

Sources

I won't go into dropshipping or wholesalers here -- that's a whole other kettle of fish!

But you can't beat garage sales, especially on Oahu, where we have families coming and going all the time.

Even if you don't have the patience -- or the gas money -- to do the weekend garage sale thing, there are online options. Hawaii has a great chapters in the Freecycle.org and Craigslist.org networks -- check them out! There are other online "garage sales," too, mostly through the Yahoo! Groups network (groups.yahoo.com). If nothing else, these are great sources of boxes and packing materials -- and sometimes inventory!

One little note: You really shouldn't grab things to sell from Freecycle that some poor family REALLY needs! For example, I sell books, and I may tell a Freecycler that if nobody else claims their books, I will take them. But with the "for-sale" online lists, the gloves come off. Lots are large items that are problems to deal with on eBay, but there are small things now and then, too.

All pau... for now!

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to visit my group -- or just send me a message. See you on eBay!