Tim,
Orchid is right. Read the concepts on this site, and apply them to your marriage. Ask your wife for her help, and brainstorm a solution together, although it sounds as if your wife is probably right about your having to get another job.
That being said, I also sell on Ebay. I don't make a whole lot of money because I simply don't have the time to type up as many listings as I need, but I do earn a nice piece of change each month. If you like doing so, brainstorm with your wife about what the problems are, and see if you can come up with a solution that might allow you to pay your debt with actual income from Ebay. If she has input into that business, she might enjoy it, as well.
I have to wonder why you're in debt from selling on Ebay. You said that you buy and sell on Ebay...using your credit cards? Well, as you've found out, that's not a good idea. I can tell you what I do, and maybe it will help you.
1.) I never buy on Ebay to sell on Ebay, although some people seem to do so and say they do well at it. What I sell on Ebay is already paid for.
2.) Buying: Pay attention to what sells. I sell mostly things that people need and actually use. My DD and I have a small $1 store in which we sell items that we buy in pallet loads, paying attention to the condition of the items in the loads and the piece count. We can sell everything on the loads for $1 and make a profit. What I sell on Ebay are the pricier items that are in the loads (that we'd have to be really stupid to let go for only $1), and I am "ticky" about making sure the packaging is in good shape before I sell on Ebay, although I have sold some really expensive items with less than perfect packaging...and noted the packaging flaws in my description. Anyway, it's best to sell things that you know about, and the secret is to buy REALLY CHEAP! Oh, and FORGET about drop shipping!
3.) Pricing: I try to price my items so that they're about half, or a little more than, the regular price in stores, INCLUDING shipping/handling costs. I also research the going prices in business websites on the internet, and try to price my items a little less. I do
not do the 99 cent pricing with inflated shipping/handling costs. I start my prices off with the least amount I am willing to take, and only charge a small handling fee above the actually shipping cost. Most of my items start at $9.99 or less. Oh, and that's another thing...if you want $10 for something, don't list it at $10. List it for $9.99, because the cost of the listing doubles at $10. Another thing is that it's best to start off with selling inexpensive items until you get your feedback rating up and establish a good selling reputation. People are leery of buying more expensive items from a seller with low feedback.
4.) Writing your listings: From your post, it appears that you have the capability to write very good listings. I make sure that my descriptions are absolutely accurate and complete as possible. As I mentioned earlier, I am "ticky" about the condition of the items I sell, as well. I also learned html code and created my own listings template with our logo and terms of sale. All I have to do is enter the information for the item I'm selling. The reason I do this is because I can insert as many pictures as I need into the listing without paying Ebay for extra pictures. I just use the free picture, that Ebay allows with the listing, in the gallery feature. I don't use all the fancy additions because that can run up your costs really fast. Gallery is the only extra that I use, and I don't always use that. I use TurboLister (free) because it allows me to upload multiple listings and to preview the listings for errors before I upload them.
5.) Have a good refund policy. You may as well, since people who pay with PayPal and/or credit cards can do a charge-back anyway, if their items are not as described or arrive in a damaged condition. Because I'm so "ticky" about what I sell, I've never had a chargeback, and my feedback absolutely glows. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
6.) Packaging and shipping: I ship a lot of items by Priority Mail, and you can get the boxes for free at the P.O. Most light-weight items can be put into a bubble envelope and shipped fairly cheaply. If I send something by Parcel Post, I wrap the package in shipping paper, and tape it very well. I use foam peanuts and/or bubble wrap to cushion anything that could be damaged in transit. Anything fragile is packed into a box with cushioning, and then packed inside a larger box with more peanuts between the boxes. I print out my postage online, which gives a better rate on shipping confirmation, which I always use. Before I list the item, I package it up as if I'm going to mail it, and weigh it on a digital scale. That way, I KNOW what my shipping costs will actually be. Oh, and my policy is to ship as soon as possible after I receive payment. That's usually the next day. Since I already have the package ready to go, I just print out the shipping label, spray adhesive on the back, stick it onto the package with clear tape over the address part (to protect from smearing) and off it goes.
7.) The books about how to buy and sell on Ebay are a waste of money. You can find all the information and advice you need on the Ebay discussion boards. I got a lot of help from other sellers.
Maybe you and your wife can sit down and pinpoint the problems with your Ebay selling, and maybe you could eventually get back into it...without going into further debt.
Right now, though, your wife is not going to be happy until this debt is paid off. I have to say that I can't blame her. I just found out about some business debts that my H has racked up behind my back <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />, and I am not a happy camper <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />, either, especially since I am already trying to get ourselves out of the financial hole resulting from lack of capital and his business expanding too fast and too suddenly.
