I have recently registered as a sole trader again in the UK after being out of work due to illness and the grief of a loss—something I may talk about another time, but for now let’s get to the good stuff.
I wanted to document my experience of self‑employment, the ups and downs and what I learn along the way from, probably, many failures. My first big adventure is selling some of my own items and personal collections on eBay, which I hope will kick‑start my business & use some of the profits to grow my stock or fund my next big idea.
I have grown a TCG collection over the years from different franchises since I was young, although they have been in storage for quite some time, unloved and unappreciated. So, since the start of 2026, I have been on a clearing‑out spree, I finally decided to dust off the boxes and have a look at what I have accumulated, which includes collections of Doctor Who, World of Warcraft, Yu‑Gi‑Oh, and, of course, Pokémon cards. Some of these I believe to be quite valuable.
A note on strategy. I’ve been quite nervous about scammers on eBay—consumer laws often side with buyers, and for good reason. I’ve heard horror stories about new sellers being targeted, so to protect myself I’m not starting with my most valuable items. Instead, I’m listing cheaper, smaller goods that can generate a modest profit and help me build a reputation. If a refund is needed due to a bad actor or me making a mistake, the loss won’t be too great. I’m also taking as many photos as possible to document each item. Once I’ve earned positive reviews on the platform, I’ll move on to selling higher‑value cards and collectibles.
check out my eBay listings if you are interested, it will slowly grow as I aim to make a new listing each day.
That’s it for now, wish me luck!
