Make Extra Money by Selling on EBay

Selling on eBay is an easy way to make a little extra money and clean up some of the clutter around your house. It's easy to sell on eBay. Here's how:

First you need to set up an account on eBay. It's easy to do and doesn't cost anything. You should also set up a Paypal account to ensure you can receive money.

Do a little research

Look around your house. Do you have anything that is a name brand? Coach, Waterford, Ed Hardy, any famous brand is a potential seller. It's amazing what sells on eBay. What some people don't want, others will pay a lot of money for. Even if the item is used, it's still potentially worth money. Go to the eBay site and search the items you have. You can see is anyone else is selling the same item and what the going price is.

Advanced search

Click on advanced search. Type in the item that you have in your house. Scroll down just a little and look for a little box that says completed listing. Click this box. Now press search. By doing this you will be able to see how much your item sold for or didn't sell for. Any price in green means it sold. If the price is in red, it didn't sell.

Take pictures

After you find a few items that might potentially sell, you are ready to list. Find a nicely lit area to take a picture of your item. I like to take pictures outside if possible because I think the natural sun light is best. If there are any flaws in the item take a picture of it. Don't try to hide the flaw because the buyer will be upset later. Be as honest as possible in the pictures.

Start selling

After you take the pictures you are ready to list the item. Use a lot of key words in the title. Avoid words like "cute" or "nice" because when you search eBay you don't search for cute pants. You look for "green pants", so use relevant words in your title.

Be as descriptive as possible in your description. Now is your time to tell all about your item.

Starting price and shipping

You can start your auction at any price you want. Sometimes it seems that a lower starting auction attracts attention. You can also set a reserve price. The reserve price is the lowest you are willing to sell the item for.

Set your own shipping cost, but don't go overboard on the shipping costs. I find that buyers often get upset if you charge $10 for shipping and they can clearly see the $2 stamp on the package. You can add a little extra for packaging, but don't pad the shipping too much.

Waiting time

It's fun to go to My eBay and watch how many views, watchers, and bids your item gets.

End of auction

Be sure to ship the item in a timely manner. The post office tends to be a little slow, so don't delay the process by keeping the item around your house any longer than a day or two. I always send the buyer an email thanking them for the purchase and letting them know when the item is being shipped.

Have fun

Before you know it you will get feedback (hopefully positive) and gain more trust with potential buyers. Selling on eBay can be a fun hobby, as well as a way to make a little extra money. Good Luck!!