But you have to register for an eBay account, take pictures of what you want to sell, post the information and images on the site and then ship the stuff to someone who will give it a good home. That seems like way too much time and effort.

Luckily, there are folks who will do it for you.

A number of new businesses let you drop off goods you don't have the time, energy or know-how to sell on eBay yourself. They ask for a listing fee and a cut of the selling price.

One is AuctionReach, which opened in a West Chester Township industrial park in March; other similar eBay consignment companies are beginning to have a presence in the Tristatetoo.

We tagged along as Brian Eastman, 55, a pastor and performer who lives in Northside, brought to AuctionReach an assortment of items, including 1950s and '60s comic books, a 1934 wax cylinder Dictaphone, a Royal typewriter, a Fisher turntable and an electric rock tumbler.

"You get to a point in your life when your wife's saying, 'Get rid of some stuff,' " Eastman says. "I had sold stuff (on eBay) before, but it was just too time-consuming."

Here's how the business works:

 Declare a worth for each item, and sign a sales agreement. AuctionReach can give you the names of appraisers but can't tell you how much it's worth.

"I constantly say, 'I'm not an antique dealer, I'm a listing agent,' " says AuctionReach marketing director Bill Parker. "We can't do this if you don't know what it's worth."

• Determine how much you want for each item to set the minimum bid. Then Parker and director of operations Jeremy Lidman do some research on the item so they can thoroughly and accurately describe it for eBay's buyers.

• AuctionReach charges a $9.95 fee to list each item on eBay. If the item sells, the fee is credited to the commission. AuctionReach collects a 30 percent commission on items that sell up to $100; a 20 percent commission for $101 to $500 items and a 15 percent commission for $501 to $2,000 items. (Commission is negotiable on items over $2,000.) Because of the listing fee and commission, most people bring in only those items that they expect will sell for at least $50, Parker says.

• Each item is assigned a number, photographed and posted on AuctionReach's "store" on eBay's Web site, along with detailed descriptions. The online auctions usually last from three to 10 days - "long enough for a critical mass of people to see them," Parker says.

• AuctionReach collects money from winning bidders and mails the items out. The company then sends you a check for your profit, minus AuctionReach's commission and the fee it must pay eBay.

Eastman's Royal typewriter, originally listed on eBay for $19.99, sold for about $42 to an aspiring writer, Lidman says. Eastman's ultimate profit was about $25.

"It is happening, and given that it's happening without me having to take the time to do it, I am extremely grateful," Eastman says.

Sometimes items sell for much more than expected. One of Parker's friends recently brought in a trumpet and a flugelhorn, hoping each instrument would sell for $300. The trumpet ended up nabbing a high bid of $404, and the flugelhorn fetched $500.

But that was nothing compared with a metal model riverboat that contained a decanter, two shot glasses and a music box that played "When the Saints Go Marching In." The owners would have been happy with a $20 high bid. It sold for $260.

• If items don't sell, AuctionReach and the owner discuss whether to try selling the items again, donate them to charity or give them back to the seller.

eBay doesn't have a stake in any of the drop-off eBay consignment stores, but it's been watching their growth in the past year with interest, says eBay spokesman Chris Donlay.

"They are reaching consumers that I don't think we are reaching right now," he says.

Eastman says he'll be back to drop off more stuff.

"Every time I walk through the house, I find a few more things," he says. "They're things I've enjoyed all my life. It's time to let someone else enjoy them instead."

Source:auctiondrop.com