it.

Writing Descriptions

Give accurate descriptions. While you're familiar with the item that you're selling, the buyer isn't. Describe your item in detail. The more information a buyer gets, the more comfortable they are bidding on the item.

The description is an advertisement. Sell. Keep your description positive. Remember that one person’s junk is another treasure. Talk your stuff up. You may not want it anymore, but others will.

Give full disclosure. No one likes surprises. If the item is used, say so. If it is damaged, describe the damage. It's the right thing to do and it's just good business.

Use pictures. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures sell. Use them.

Screen Your B

Starting a business from your home has never been easier. With the marketing power of eBay, anyone can sell through eBay at retail prices. Many people have gone beyond simply selling the stuff that was collecting dust around their house and have purchased goods for resell on eBay. This can be a part-time supplement to your income, or as others have done, a full-time business. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of selling on eBay:

Obtain Inventory

Attic, garage. You probably have hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars worth of stuff sitting around your house collecting dust that you could sell.

After you've sold all of your extra stuff, you can take one of two routes. The first is to sell other people's stuff for a commission. Once your friends and family see how successful you've been selling your own items, you're bound to be asked by them to help sell theirs. The other route to take is to purchase goods for resale. You'll need to experiment with which items sell the best and the best places to get your items to sell (garage sales, estate sales, wholesalers/manufacturers, etc.).

Build Your Feedback

As a seller you need creditability. Build your feedback by purchasing a few low cost items on eBay. Then list some low cost items to build your feedback score before listing your more expensive items.

Choosing a Starting Price

How do you determine the starting price for your item? If you don’t expect to get many bids, using a minimum starting price or reserve can be a good idea. Keep in mind that eBay is a very efficient marketplace. Normally your items will sell for what they are worth. Starting your listings at a penny, therefore, is a good strategy as 1) it keeps your listing fees low, 2) it encourages people to bid on your item, and 3) your item will almost always get bid up. The warning about listing at a penny is that you need to be willing to sell it for that if only one person bids.

Auction Duration

Should you have 7 day auctions, 5 day, 3, or 1? How do you decide? The auction really takes place within the last 60 seconds of the auction. That’s when the bidders duke it out to buy your item. Listing an item with as a 5 day auction really means that your notifying people that there will be an auction in 5 days. Sure, people can bid (and they do) on your item as soon as they’re listed, but the real action happens within the last few minutes of the auction. If you item has no bids or a low bid and there’s still more than a few hours left in the auction, don’t worry. You’ll be amazed at how fast items get bid up in the last minute or two. To decide on auction duration, think about how much advertising you need to do for your item. If it’s a unique specialty item, a long duration (7 – 10 days) is best. For hot items that should get numerous bids, 3 days is usually the best.

Writing Titles

Use words that buyers will use to search for. Double check your spelling. If they can’t find your listing, they won’t bid on it.

Writing Descriptions

Give accurate descriptions. While you're familiar with the item that you're selling, the buyer isn't. Describe your item in detail. The more information a buyer gets, the more comfortable they are bidding on the item.

The description is an advertisement. Sell. Keep your description positive. Remember that one person’s junk is another treasure. Talk your stuff up. You may not want it anymore, but others will.

Give full disclosure. No one likes surprises. If the item is used, say so. If it is damaged, describe the damage. It's the right thing to do and it's just good business.

Use pictures. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures sell. Use them.

Screen Your Bu

ssion. Once your friends and family see how successful you've been selling your own items, you're bound to be asked by them to help sell theirs. The other route to take is to purchase goods for resale. You'll need to experiment with which items sell the best and the best places to get your items to sell (garage sales, estate sales, wholesalers/manufacturers, etc.).

Build Your Feedback

As a seller you need creditability. Build your feedback by purchasing a few low cost items on eBay. Then list some low cost items to build your feedback score before listing your more expensive items.

Choosing a Starting Price

How do you determine the starting price for your item? If you don’t expect to get many bids, using a minimum starting price or reserve can be a good idea. Keep in mind that eBay is a very efficient marketplace. Normally your items will sell for what they are worth. Starting your listings at a penny, therefore, is a good strategy as 1) it keeps your listing fees low, 2) it encourages people to bid on your item, and 3) your item will almost always get bid up. The warning about listing at a penny is that you need to be willing to sell it for that if only one person bids.

Auction Duration

Should you have 7 day auctions, 5 day, 3, or 1? How do you decide? The auction really takes place within the last 60 seconds of the auction. That’s when the bidders duke it out to buy your item. Listing an item with as a 5 day auction really means that your notifying people that there will be an auction in 5 days. Sure, people can bid (and they do) on your item as soon as they’re listed, but the real action happens within the last few minutes of the auction. If you item has no bids or a low bid and there’s still more than a few hours left in the auction, don’t worry. You’ll be amazed at how fast items get bid up in the last minute or two. To decide on auction duration, think about how much advertising you need to do for your item. If it’s a unique specialty item, a long duration (7 – 10 days) is best. For hot items that should get numerous bids, 3 days is usually the best.

Writing Titles

Use words that buyers will use to search for. Double check your spelling. If they can’t find your listing, they won’t bid on it.

Writing Descriptions

Give accurate descriptions. While you're familiar with the item that you're selling, the buyer isn't. Describe your item in detail. The more information a buyer gets, the more comfortable they are bidding on the item.

The description is an advertisement. Sell. Keep your description positive. Remember that one person’s junk is another treasure. Talk your stuff up. You may not want it anymore, but others will.

Give full disclosure. No one likes surprises. If the item is used, say so. If it is damaged, describe the damage. It's the right thing to do and it's just good business.

Use pictures. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures sell. Use them.

Screen Your B

e or reserve can be a good idea. Keep in mind that eBay is a very efficient marketplace. Normally your items will sell for what they are worth. Starting your listings at a penny, therefore, is a good strategy as 1) it keeps your listing fees low, 2) it encourages people to bid on your item, and 3) your item will almost always get bid up. The warning about listing at a penny is that you need to be willing to sell it for that if only one person bids.

Auction Duration

Should you have 7 day auctions, 5 day, 3, or 1? How do you decide? The auction really takes place within the last 60 seconds of the auction. That’s when the bidders duke it out to buy your item. Listing an item with as a 5 day auction really means that your notifying people that there will be an auction in 5 days. Sure, people can bid (and they do) on your item as soon as they’re listed, but the real action happens within the last few minutes of the auction. If you item has no bids or a low bid and there’s still more than a few hours left in the auction, don’t worry. You’ll be amazed at how fast items get bid up in the last minute or two. To decide on auction duration, think about how much advertising you need to do for your item. If it’s a unique specialty item, a long duration (7 – 10 days) is best. For hot items that should get numerous bids, 3 days is usually the best.

Writing Titles

Use words that buyers will use to search for. Double check your spelling. If they can’t find your listing, they won’t bid on it.

Writing Descriptions

Give accurate descriptions. While you're familiar with the item that you're selling, the buyer isn't. Describe your item in detail. The more information a buyer gets, the more comfortable they are bidding on the item.

The description is an advertisement. Sell. Keep your description positive. Remember that one person’s junk is another treasure. Talk your stuff up. You may not want it anymore, but others will.

Give full disclosure. No one likes surprises. If the item is used, say so. If it is damaged, describe the damage. It's the right thing to do and it's just good business.

Use pictures. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures sell. Use them.

Screen Your B

t there will be an auction in 5 days. Sure, people can bid (and they do) on your item as soon as they’re listed, but the real action happens within the last few minutes of the auction. If you item has no bids or a low bid and there’s still more than a few hours left in the auction, don’t worry. You’ll be amazed at how fast items get bid up in the last minute or two. To decide on auction duration, think about how much advertising you need to do for your item. If it’s a unique specialty item, a long duration (7 – 10 days) is best. For hot items that should get numerous bids, 3 days is usually the best.

Writing Titles

Use words that buyers will use to search for. Double check your spelling. If they can’t find your listing, they won’t bid on it.

Writing Descriptions

Give accurate descriptions. While you're familiar with the item that you're selling, the buyer isn't. Describe your item in detail. The more information a buyer gets, the more comfortable they are bidding on the item.

The description is an advertisement. Sell. Keep your description positive. Remember that one person’s junk is another treasure. Talk your stuff up. You may not want it anymore, but others will.

Give full disclosure. No one likes surprises. If the item is used, say so. If it is damaged, describe the damage. It's the right thing to do and it's just good business.

Use pictures. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures sell. Use them.

Screen Your B

it.

Writing Descriptions

Give accurate descriptions. While you're familiar with the item that you're selling, the buyer isn't. Describe your item in detail. The more information a buyer gets, the more comfortable they are bidding on the item.

The description is an advertisement. Sell. Keep your description positive. Remember that one person’s junk is another treasure. Talk your stuff up. You may not want it anymore, but others will.

Give full disclosure. No one likes surprises. If the item is used, say so. If it is damaged, describe the damage. It's the right thing to do and it's just good business.

Use pictures. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures sell. Use them.

Screen Your Buyers to Avoid Problems

When you buy on eBay, a best practice is to always check the seller's feedback. The opposite is true as well. As a seller, check your bidders feedback

The best way to avoid deadbeat buyers is to simply avoid them. Check the bidders feedback record on your auction. If there’s a lot of negative bids, you can either wait for them to be outbid or if the auction is closing soon simply reject their bid. The extra amount they are willing to pay isn’t worth the hassle of dealing with them.

Good Service = Good Feedback

You're not only selling "stuff" on eBay, you're also selling your good service. Answer emails promptly, be courteous and professional, ship your items promptly, and package them with care (use sturdy boxes and peanuts or bubble wrap). Remember to keep your buyer happy.

Wait until you get paid to ship

The nice part about being a seller is that you are in control of the money. The buyer is the one taking the risk in the transaction. Wait until you receive payment in full for the item before shipping it. If the buyer pays by check or e-check, wait until the check clears. A best practice in selling on eBay is to require buyers to pay by PayPal .

Leave Feedback

The best way to get positive feedback is to give positive feedback. If your buyer forgets, send them an email to kindly remind them.