Ebay Selling Question

[DustyShadows]

So I am thinking of starting to sell on ebay (textbooks... CDs, etc.) Any things you all think I should be aware of before I start? Common beginner mistakes? Thanks!

 

[Chim Chiminy]

Check out the ebay thread on this board, lots of info there.

One tip I would give is don't charge too little for shipping. Make sure you weigh your item and charge accordingly. Lots of people make the mistake of undercharging shipping and it eats up their profits.
I also include a $1 S/H fee on everything now. It takes time to ebay and you use lots of tape, printer ink, and gas to get to the Post Office.

If selling Textbooks, I would sell those on Half.com. I have had great results selling textbooks there, for really good prices.

 

[rflorek]

One tip I would give is don't charge too little for shipping. Make sure you weigh your item and charge accordingly. Lots of people make the mistake of undercharging shipping and it eats up their profits.

Also try to get an idea of the size of the box you are mailing. A lot of the postal rates are based on both size & weight now.

 

[CajunDixie]

With books I give various shipping methods. Media mail is cheapest usually but can take the same or longer than first class due to media mail being loaded last into mail trucks. First class and priority can sometimes be faster but do cost more. I give my bidders the option of choosing the method of shipping with the various costs listed up front.

 

[AnninIowa]

Do searches on Ebay on the items you want to sell to see what they are going for and what policies those sellers offer. For books and CD's, most people will want to only pay for Media Mail....but then you need to get the packing materials yourself rather than using the free USPS boxes, so be sure to include a handling fee per order. I do 50 cents per order, not per item, to cover tape and bubble wrap.

Good luck!