Solmu said:
I disagree that it's no problem - there is a direct correlation between a person's feedback rating and the amount of money they receive for an item.
In short though, it's imperative you get over 100 as soon as you can, and the quicker you can get to 1000 the better. After that it doesn't matter much whether you're 1000 or 3000 or even 10,000 - just make sure you maintain a respectable percentage (99%+).
Sarafina,
I would disagree with the above.
I'm an active Ebay buyer and seller. It is not my experience at all that a seller's feedback rating has a lot to do with
how much the item sells for. It may be the case that a seller with a zero or low feedback rating attracts
less buyers, simply because buyers may have less confidence in a seller who has no track record (understandably), in which case they might decide not to bid at all. But those buyers who are willing to take a risk on a zero or low feedback seller are not going to pay any less for the item being auctioned. They're either prepared to buy or not prepared to...the price is unlikely to be a factor with inexpensive items where the financial risk is not significant (your Tshirts, for example, are unlikely to be a problem...I have no doubt that anyone willing to take a risk on a zero or low rating feedback seller will risk $10, $20, $30 or $40 or whatever on a Tshirt...I say this as an active Ebay buyer and seller).
That stuff about getting over 100 etc is just not true, and the 1000, 3000 and 10,000 claims are just ridiculous.
It is far more important to have good, positive feedback than notching up hundreds of ratings. I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to put an actual figure on it, but I can say from my own experience that I have never had the slightest problem selling anything on account of not having thousands or even scores of feedback ratings. I know, too, as a buyer, that for an item I wanted that I thought was good value towards the auction close and was relatively inexpensive, I would not hesitate to bid and take on trust a seller with a score of, say, 10+ (yellow star) and excellent feedback comments. As a yellow star Ebayer (meaning I have a feedback rating of more than 10 but less than 100), I have had no problems selling any item I have listed, ranging from cheap household knick knacks for under $10 to guitar processing units, a Dimarzio pickup and various other musical items to $200. Tshirts will not be a problem for you.
I do think it is a good idea to get a little bit of Ebay experience buying and/or selling a bit of stuff you don't want (unwanted presents, etc), and acquiring a few good feedback comments. Once you've got a bit of a feedback rating, go for it with your tshirts. Post back here and let us know how you go. I'll be most surprised if your Ebay experience is other than mine, providing you always treat people courteously, communicate promptly when asked questions about items you're selling, pay promptly when buying, post promptly when selling, and leave appropriate feedback as soon as practical after a transaction is complete. Ebay is no different from other areas of life, where in most cases quality is far more important than quantity.
Good luck!