Insider's Guide to Selling on Ebay

When I first started listing on e-Bay I didn't know what to do. It seemed like everyone else was selling, and I was struggling just to get people to look at my product! I actually stopped selling on e-Bay period for about 3-6 months before I came back with a new attitude, and some "insider" information. I'm going to share with you the tips that have helped me make over $1k+ on the largest auction site on the internet!

Tip #1: Always Put it in Writing.
-Can't get to post office except on Tuesdays & Thursdays. Inform buyers it might take additional 5 business days for shipping and handling.

-Don't want that quilt you sold for $75 returned with new "stains" on it. List that all sales are final.

-Item got lost in the mail and now the buyer's screaming for a refund? Should've told them to purchase insurance.
If you don't list your selling policies then you'll find yourself in for a whole world of headaches when you start selling. Or when you start selling big, as not all customers are the ideal customer.

Tip #2: List on Sunday & Wednesday evenings.
These are the 2 times I've heard mentioned over and over as the best times to list your items, and they ARE! Mainly because people are at home, off of work, and more than likely, on the internet looking at e-Bay because they're bored.

Tip #3: Don't waste your money on extra's.
Listing fees are what eat up most of your profits in the end. While e-Bay will tell you that things like BOLD, highlighted, and other such additions will increase your bids, often they just put you into more debt. Now, the only exception I've found to this is *gallery* images which show a picture with your text listing during searches. This is always great because people don't have to click to see what your item looks like. (And if it looks good, they might just click it to find out more!)

Tip #4: It's all in the TITLE!
If I was listing a pair of sneakers, what do you think would grab your attention more. "Pair of Blue Sneakers" or "BRAND-NEW NIKE BLUE AIR JORDAN'S MINT IN BOX"? The great thing about this, is by adding descriptives like "Nike", "New", or "Air Jordan" your making finding your item in the sea of listings a lot easier because you're now doing effective keywording!

Tip #5: Sell Low.
Nothing attracts someone's attention like having a low starting price on something they can easily see is worth more. By doing this, you'll also entice more people to click on your listing who otherwise might have passed it up. This also promotes early bidding in an auction that sometimes leads to bidding wars in which you are financially the winner!

Tip #6: Read e-Bay's Seller Trends & Other Similar Postings.
Believe it or not, e-Bay wants you to make money on their site which is why they offer newsletters that tell you what's hot right now and what's not. These messages are often sent out either once a month, or right before a busy buying season (like Christmas). Take these guides into deep consideration as they're often never wrong.

Tip #7: Beware of Collectibles...
Many people think they can just log-on, and list that comic book collection they got from their Uncle, and make a mint, but unless it's a VERY RARE, LIMITED EDITION PRINT. You'll be lucky if you can sell it for how much you bought it. Ebay is no longer a Sellers market for many collectibles.

Tip #8: Check it's Selling Pattern before you List.
Before I list anything, I click "Buy", type in the name of the item, and then I click "Advanced Search", and click "completed listings". This allows me to find out whether or not that item is a) selling, b) how much it's selling for, and ultimately c) whether or not I want to list it. This will save you a ton of e-Bay fees in the end because you won't be listing items that aren't going to sell at the price you want!

Tip #9: Check out the Competition.
By looking into other's who are selling what you're offering you can figure out how to offer a better deal. Or, see what they're doing wrong, so you can do it better. It's always best to learn, not just from your own mistakes, but from others as well.

Tip #10: Specialize.
If you're the only one selling a market, or if you continue to sell the same items, buyers who enjoy that product will know to look for you FIRST when they're bidding. Combined with good service, specializing can help you earn more than what you would if you were just selling anything you could come by.

Now, as I'm from Louisiana, we believe in what's called Lagniappe (or "a little something extra"), so let me give you one last tip. Just about any book you read on "How to sell on e-Bay" is going to tell you what I've just told, but maybe a little more. Having read most of them, I recommend that if you're going to do further research into this (which I applaude), that you only buy one book, and save your self some money in the long run.