How to Sell on EBay

EBay is the leading online auction retailer in the world. You can buy items listed from far off lands and sell to others located just as far away, or limit your listings to your local area.

This service is wonderful for clearing out those random items in the garage that are too good to toss but no longer needed. With a few minutes of your time you can easily list an item for sale on this auction website and share the excitement of watching others bid for the stuff you no longer want.

Step One:
Log into your account at eBay .

Step Two:
Click the "Sell" link on the top right hand side of your page and select "Sell an Item" from the drop-down menu.

Step Three:
Click the green button labeled "List your item."

Step Four:
Enter a name, UPC or other method of identifying your item in the box and click the "Search" button.

Step Five:
Select the category that best suits your item and click "Next."

Step Six:
Enter a title in the field. Use something that is descriptive and eye-catching, but avoid descriptions like "HOT," "Great Deal" and the like.

Step Seven:
Add a subtitle if desired. Note that eBay charges extra if you desire to use a subtitle.

Step Eight:
Use the drop-down menu to select the condition of the item.

Step Nine:
Click the "Add Pictures" like to add photos to your listing. The first photo is free, while there is a charge for additional photos. Some seasoned sellers upload their photos to sites like Photobucket and link to them in the description to save the fee of adding additional photographs.

Step Ten:
Describe the item that you are selling as accurately as possible. If there are any good selling points, highlight them in your text. Use the rich-text editor to format your listing to your satisfaction.

Make sure to highlight and show pictures of any flaws that the item might have. This will prevent any misunderstandings between yourself and the purchaser. If you suspect a certain feature may be a flaw be sure to disclose it here.

Step Eleven:
Place a check mark in the "Add a Theme" box if you desire to pay the extra fee to change the way your item is displayed.

Step Twelve:
Place a starting bid in the "Starting Bid" field and a "Buy It Now" price should you choose to have one. Note that currently (as of January 2011) eBay allows sellers to list up to 100 items for free if the start the bid from one cent to 99 cents without a Buy It-Now or a reserve price, and ten cents a listing for each qualifying listing after that.

Step Thirteen:
List the quantity of the item available (usually 1) by inserting a number in the "Quantity" section of the form.

Step Fourteen:
Select a duration using the drop-down menu provided. The longer duration of the auction gives shoppers a greater opportunity to see your item, but if you are selling something popular a shorter duration may breed urgency in your listing. Note that eBay charges a fee for listings longer than 7 days.

Step Fifteen:
Place a dot in the radio button beside "Schedule Start time" if you wish to pay the extra fee to have your auction start at a certain time. This feature is used by some sellers to arrange for their auctions to end near high-volume times (like Saturday night). Otherwise, leave a dot in the radio button beside "Start listing immediately."

Step Sixteen:
Place a dot in the radio button next to the eBay Giving Works nonprofit you wish to support with a portion of the sale price or leave a dot in the radio button beside "I do not wish to donate at this time."

Step Seventeen:
Select an electronic payment Method by placing a check mark in the appropriate box. If you have never sold anything on eBay in the past you may need to click "Add or remove options" to select your preferred payment method. If using PayPal (recommended) place your PayPal account email address in the form provided.

Step Eighteen:
Use the drop-down menu to choose your preferred shipping method and the cost. If you choose to offer free shipping place a check mark in the box beside this option.

Step Nineteen:
Place check marks into the appropriate boxes if you wish to offer local pickup or combined shipping discounts.

Step Twenty:
Click on the drop-down menu under "Handling time" to inform buyers how long it will take you to ship the listed item.

Step Twenty:
Click on the drop-down menu underneath the "International Shipping" heading to determine how you will ship to International customers, or if you will ship at all. Fill out the appropriate information for your selection.

Step Twenty-One:
Select your Buyer Requirements using the "Add or remove options" hyperlink.

Step Twenty-Three:
Use the drop-down menu provided to indicate whether you charge sales tax and how much. If you wish to charge tax on the shipping & handling costs place a check in the box beside this option.

Step Twenty-Four:
Click on the drop-down menu to select whether or not you accept returns. Complete the required information for your choice.

Step Twenty-Five:
Enter any additional checkout instructions in the form provided.

Step Twenty-Six:
Once you are satisfied with your selections (eBay will show you your initial listing cost if any) click the blue "Continue" button at the bottom of the form.

Step Twenty-Seven:
If eBay flags your listing as missing a required piece of information, correct the oversight and press the "Continue" button once again.

Step Twenty-Eight:
Review your listing, select any premium services desired to make your auction stand out and press the blue button labeled "List your item" to let the bidding begin!

Step Twenty-Nine:
Answer any questions about your item in a prompt manner to speed the bidding process.

Step Thirty:
Ship your item promptly to the winning bidder after you receive payment.

References:
Personal Experience