How to get started selling on Ebay

[LaLinda]

I am thinking about starting to sell a few things on ebay. I have bought items before, but never have sold anything.

What do I need to do to get started?

Thanks for the help!

Linda

 

[singnring]

Read ALL of the seller rules and regs and then list your items.

I would give serious consideration though.

A lot of sellers are being burned on Ebay because of Ebay's pro-buyer stance on disputes.

Essentially, buyers are getting away with claiming bogus issues/complaints, and Ebay normally sides with them.

We have been burned twice by dishonest buyers.

Not a friendly venue anymore.

 

[minnie10]

First pick about 5 to 10 items that you want to try to sell. Take a good pic. Just click on the sell icon and follow the steps. Make sure you choose a good title. For instance if you are selling a child's clothing item size 5 your title might be "gap boys shorts size 5 clothing" always put a name brand items with the name brand first-Your title will be the most important in getting your item found in a search. I use all caps to make the title stand out. After you sell a few items purchase a cheap digital scale under $12 from ebay so you can weigh at home. Make sure you don't list on friday or saturday nights as your item would go off then and very slow on these nights. Hope this helps. Good luck! I do pretty good even with all the fees. You just have to try it to see how it works for you. I wouldn't start my items for .99 like some do. You could end up selling a great item too cheap. Start the bid at the lowest price you would be willing to sell the item for. As far as shipping. You should always be safe putting shipping at $4.95 for lightweight items and go up from there. Jeans are always $5.95. I fold them tightly and place in a priority mail envelope. For lighter weight items click to ship them first class mail which is the cheapest. Feel free to contact me if you need any help. I am currently teaching several friends to sell on ebay.

 

[LaLinda]

Thank you all so much for the info. Still thinking about it...

 

[lck33]

Thank you for asking this OP. I was wondering/thinking of doing the same thing for quite some time now. Seems pretty easy. Hoping to de-clutter.
And save some for my trips.

 

[mafibisha]

I've considered selling on ebay too, but from what I've read here and other places, not much is moving lately. Is that true? I would think Christmas brought increased sales, but is anyone buying much now?
And if so, what sells well? Kids' clothes? Collectibles and memorabilia? Household? TIA for any info

 

[Lex87]

I had to do this all on my own recently too and I found this great easy guide that covers all the basics on a Telegraph article. I can't post links but I found the guide again, here's the best bits:

1 HOW TO BECOME A SELLER

To begin selling on eBay, you will need to register and then create a seller's account.

To open an account, visit ebay and click on the "Sell" link at the top of every eBay page. Then select the link marked "Create a Seller's Account" and enter your details.

For verification purposes, you will be asked to provide credit or debit card details and bank account information.
2 RESEARCH FIRST

Before you place anything for sale, remember that preparation is key – make sure you do your research and be realistic.

To get an idea of how much you can expect to sell your item for and to find out how other sellers have sold similar items, check eBay's "Completed Items" search.

This is an easy way of gaining great insight into how to write a successful listing in order to get the best price possible.
3 WHEN IN DOUBT, CHECK IT OUT

There are a number of items that are prohibited from sale on eBay. For example, train and plane tickets, alcohol and tobacco products are banned from being sold on the site. Be sure to double check you are allowed to list something beforehand, or you may find your account closed.
4 CHOOSE A SELLING FORMAT

There are two ways to sell your stuff, either through an auction-style listing or at a fixed price with "Buy It Now". For beginners, the auction is generally the way to go as with the fixed price option you will need feedback from at least 10 sales in order to list.

It is now free to start your auction-style listing at 99p and keep in mind that the lower you start the bidding, the more likely you are to sell your item.

The next step is to decide the duration of your listing. You can list items for up to 10 days.

Many sellers list their items for seven days, in order to include a weekend to capture weekend shoppers as Sunday evenings are the busiest for shoppers.
5 CREATE A LISTING

To maximise the number of potential bidders, write a descriptive title using all relevant keywords to describe your item. Imagine you are the buyer – what information would they type in to find your listing?

Your description needs to provide buyers with all the information they need on details like brand, age and condition.

Honesty is definitely the best policy here as if you withhold information or falsely advertise, you may run into major problems later.
6 TAKE A PICTURE

A picture really does paint a thousand words, so always include a clear, digital photo of your item. Buyers like to see what they are getting, and the better quality photo, the more likely you are to make a sale. Make sure it displays all the features and highlights any flaws.

The easiest way to do this is to use a digital camera. However, if you have a traditional camera, use a scanner to save them in a digital format. Alternatively, most photo processing services now offer this service. You can save these pictures on your computer, naming them clearly so you can locate them later when you start to list.
7 CHOOSE HOW YOU WANT TO GET PAID

Before you make a listing, you must choose how you would like to accept payment, for example cheque, credit card, money order. Buyers want a safe and easy way to pay so consider accepting an online payment system such as PayPal.

PayPal is a secure online payment method, which allows you to pay or get paid quickly and easily without sharing any of your financial information.

Sellers pay up to 3.4pc plus 20p per transaction, so the cost is minimal and the more you sell, the more you can save.

As a seller, when you get paid with PayPal, the funds are sent instantly to your PayPal account. You can then either withdraw the amount to your bank account, or use it to pay for other items directly from your PayPal balance.

Another advantage of using PayPal is the "seller protection policy" which covers you against unauthorised payments, claims, chargebacks and reversals. To sign up, visit paypal.
8 REMEMBER TO ADD POSTAGE

Make sure you include all postage and packaging cost in the listing – buyers want to know exactly what they will be paying for your item. It is worth buying a set of scales, so you can price packaging costs accurately. The post office website has a dedicated section for eBay users which gives postal prices and sells packaging.

If you are willing to ship internationally, make sure you include all of the relevant international postage costs.

Be fair with your postage and packing prices and do not try to make money on them – this could cost you a sale.
9 COMPLETING THE SALE

To keep track of your items on sale, use the online tool "My eBay". This is especially useful if you have more than one item for sale or if you are selling and bidding on several items.

Once the listing ends, it is time to contact the buyer to arrange payment and get delivery details.

But remember, only post the item once you have received payment.

Once the sale is complete, leave feedback for your buyer and encourage them to do the same for you.
10 DON'T GIVE UP

If your goods fail to sell immediately, don't despair. It costs nothing to try again – although it may pay to look at your listing again and ask yourself why it didn't sell. Perhaps new photos will help.

 

[jms920]

It seems I remember someone telling me that someone provided the packaging supplies, free of charge. Is this true? If so, how do you go about getting a supply of what you need?

Another question, how do you know what wording to use to cover yourself. (other than an accurate description of the item).

Thanks for all the help, I've been considering cleaning out my closets too.

JoAnn

 

[prncess674]

I use all caps to make the title stand out.

I never buy from anyone who lists in all caps. All caps is like screaming and is generally done by unsophisticated sellers.

If you are looking to sell an item, do a search and find a similar/same item and see what makes that ad clear and searchable. Price your item at a reasonable amount. I personally like buying from smaller sellers and find that more and more ebay items are businesses. Read thru ads and copy and paste the pertinent information into your own ad template.

 

[kittycatalina65]

It seems I remember someone telling me that someone provided the packaging supplies, free of charge. Is this true? If so, how do you go about getting a supply of what you need?

Another question, how do you know what wording to use to cover yourself. (other than an accurate description of the item).

Thanks for all the help, I've been considering cleaning out my closets too.

JoAnn

Priority mail supplies are free from the Post Office.
If you print out labels online you can get delivery confirmation for free.

I guess I don't understand what you mean by covering yourself? Clear pictures and accurate description is the best advice I can give.
Combine shipping for multiple wins, and maybe they will bid on your other auctions too.
Be professional and treat it as a business. Ship quickly and maintain contact with the buyer. Leave feedback.

 

[jms920]

Thank you for all the great info. My cover myself I was referring to things like returns and refunds mostly.
Thanks again,
JoAnn

 

[kittycatalina65]

Thank you for all the great info. My cover myself I was referring to things like returns and refunds mostly.
Thanks again,
JoAnn

If you take many clear photos and write accurate description you shouldn't need to refund anyone's money. Just be aware that ebay in a dispute tends to side with the buyer.
It pays to have good documentation. I had a buyer refuse insurance, then try to say she never received it. After emailing the receipt, it was amazing how fast she "found" the item.
You can also block bidders with low or poor feedback. Some sellers refuse international shipping since it is ripe with fraud. The items I sell tend to have serious bidders from Japan so I don't do it, but thought it was worth a mention.

 

[Shreggor]

You will not get rich selling Ebay and very likely will lose items and money along the way. Ebay is not the money maker it used to be and it is often very frustrating. As a seller you no longer have ANY rights whatsoever on Ebay so there is a lot of risk involved.

I only sell now because I will be moving at the end of the year and I have nowhere to store my things. I’ve tried Craigslist but collectibles do not sell on Craigslist in my area. I would never purchase items specifically to sell on Ebay.

Prepare to lose money. If the shipper breaks it, even if you bought insurance, you have to count on the buyer cooperating with the claim instead of just charging you back. If they do not cooperate, you are outta luck. And money. And your now broken item.

And the only time I have ever successfully been refunded when a shipper broke something was when UPS packed and shipped the items. (which was both times I used UPS to pack and ship… that’s right, used them twice and twice they broke my items). And that service can cost a lot more $$$ than people are willing to pay.

I have purchased insurance through USPS and never been refunded when they broke something. And I use a LOT of bubble wrap and foam when I pack. My BFF is a professional packer and manages a mail room for a living and helps me with this. I know what I’m doing.

I once had USPS blame “poor packing” when the buyer sent me a photo of a gaping hole in the package. It looked like a forklift went through it. Generally buyers are not willing to cooperate with the claims process and will do things to corrupt the claim investigation (such as throwing away packing materials) and then just charging you back on Paypal. You will lose. It’s not even worth the fight. Ebay does not care about sellers.

Most shipping costs more than most people are willing to pay. I charge actual cost for postage and people complain all the time.

As for what sells:
I personally sell Disney snowglobes, figurines and ornaments, along with comic book collectibles and graphic novels. Sometimes, I list the occasional dvd or cd.

Snowglobes with actual shipping charges simply do not sell unless they are extremely rare. The cost to properly package and ship them is too high so you have to decide if it’s worth losing $10-$20 (depending on weight/distance) to sell. I’ve had a few like this where it was worth losing the shipping charge.

DVDs are hit or miss. All of mine sold but for a few dollars each. I did make about $300 selling my entire collection of Disney DVDs a few months ago.

One of my globes sold for over $200. UPS packed, shipped and broke it. Thank god the buyer blamed UPS and cooperated with the claim. The buyer was furious with UPS because they apparently did not even put bubble wrap around small protruding parts and they snapped off. I was refunded and was able to refund her. UPS confiscated the item. I felt horrible because she was the nicest buyer I ever worked with and it was an irreplaceable item.

Graphic novels sell insanely well. Seriously. People like their comic books. I sold at least 50 of them. They are old and I got them for free so those are 100% profit. My BFF sells comic books, sometimes entire series, and he makes a lot of $$ off those.

I have 4 auctions going right now. The only one that is selling is a set of 7 PVC figures, brand new, from the comic book series Sandman. That is going for $49 currently.

If you do decide to go ahead, prepare for stupid questions. People will ask them. You can list in huge bold font that you do not ship outside of the USA, and people from everywhere from Mexico to Japan will email you and ask you how much you charge to ship to them.

People will also ask you very odd questions. When I was selling the Disney dvds, which were sealed and clearly described as such, people would email me and ask me if certain coupons were inside… um, I’m not going to devalue my item by opening it to check and see.

I don’t know. It used to be a great way to make extra money in the late 1990’s but nowadays it’s really a huge gamble.

 

[jms920]

WOW, Thanks Shreggor, for all of the detailed info. And thanks for taking the time do do this. The main thing I want to sell are paperback books, small unused household items and some clothing items. I do know how customers can be as I own a small retail business. The unfortunate thing is they LIE to get what they want. That's why I asked about covering myself.

I've been buying on ebay for a few years now. Usually things like books, dvd's, cosmetics, aftershave and other small items.

I'm wondering, do I have to set up a different pay pal account to sell or can I use my existing one? Also, does e-bay charge if the first few items are sold and nothing new is listed? Or would the account be considered closed?

I see no point in taking the time to sell something on e-bay that shipping will cost me more than what I'm making. I may give it a try one of these days.

Thanks again for all your helpful information,

JoAnn

 

[Shreggor]

Ebay charges a listing fee (but you get the first 5 per month free). If nothing sells, you won’t get a fee. Paypal also takes a fee.

Personally, I’d keep it separate to avoid chargebacks.

Not sure about household items. I won’t even bother with electronics. I was going to sell a new GPS and a new video camera that I got for Christmases a few years back and never used but after reading about selling electronics, decided it’s not worth the hassle.

Clothing generally doesn’t sell well unless it’s vintage or designer. I’ve heard young childrens clothes sometimes will do well in large lots. I’ve tried selling a few designer items (Betsy Johnson, Tripp NYC & Funhouse) but no hits on either worn once OR new with tags items.

The books might do better on Amazon Marketplace. I’ve had good luck with the graphic novels but they are new and I think the comic book buyers are a bit more liklely to check Ebay than regular book buyers, as comic book people tend to be more “collectors”. I don’t know if that makes sense. I hope so. I have the graphic novels because several of my friends used to work for DC/Vertigo and were gifted copies of new trade paperbacks which they had no interest in. So they gave them all to me and I planned to read them but never got around to it. Since I have to downsize my living space, books I have not yet read are the first amongst my things to go. Non- comic style books I have sold to used book stores for a little bit of extra cash. If you have a used book store in your area, check there first.

 

[kittycatalina65]

In all honesty, I don't know if those items would be worth putting up on ebay. If you have children's clothing I would suggest putting them in a consignment sale like Just Between Friends, or one of the many others. Sometimes they do an offshoot sale during the year of women's items.
Books, as pp said, try half.com or amazon marketplace.
I sell collectible and/or vintage dolls and toys mostly, and that's getting harder to make a buck with. I have a friend who does it full time and does well, but she is constantly at it, and is very knowledgeable about her stock.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

First time selling on Ebay, have a lawn mower I no longer need.. have a price of $1800 and it ends in 27 hours, so far no bids but there are 44 people watching... think I will sell it????

 

[Shreggor]

First time selling on Ebay, have a lawn mower I no longer need.. have a price of $1800 and it ends in 27 hours, so far no bids but there are 44 people watching... think I will sell it????

How are you planning on shipping it?

 

[jms920]

Thanks for the info. It sounds like it's not worth the effort these days.
I have a ton of books and thought because I buy them on ebay that a lot of others might also. I don't have a lot of household items. Just some linens that are new and a new shower curtain, I will never use. I'm beginning to think the clothing would be more valuable donated to Goodwill and taking the tax deduction (which is what I usually do). Anyone doing that, make sure to keep a list of the items and their original cost and I'm not sure how the deduction is figured, my accountant does that.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

How are you planning on shipping it?

local pickup or will deliver up to 100 miles for a little more...

Sold one last year for $3800(on Craigslist) after I hoped to get $2000 for it, but this one is a little more used... Hopefully it sells, its paying for part of our WDW trip..