My Trip Down E-bay Lane

Lately my husband and I wanted to get rid of some of our stuff--we had too much of it, and we figured we could get some money for it. Plus, you know what they say about one man's trash being another man's treasure and all that (hence why there are garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores).

His sister is an avid Ebay user, having a store and making quite a business out of her selling/buying/re-selling. But I had never delved into the world of Ebay.com, though I had sold a thing or two online before through other avenues.

So we figured we'd give it a shot--how hard could it be?

Well, I can tell you it's not always easy to start a new venture of any kind, even selling just one item on Ebay!

My husband was the first one to open an account, but quickly lost interest when he realized how time-consuming it would be, and how complex it looked to list an item. He simply didn't have the patience or time.

I, on the other hand, did. So finally I opened my own account. It was easy for me to get the hang of the PayPal part, already having a PayPal.com account of my own due to writing. I enjoy the PayPal aspect of Ebay, because it gets rid of the middle man, and is very quick and safe.

So off I went to join the ranks of sellers on Ebay.com! I realized there are important aspects to getting something sold on Ebay, and that you have to take into account the shipping of the item, especially if it's something oddly shaped.

Our first trip to the Post Office, to ship out three items we'd sold, had us a bit frustrated; we didn't have our own shipping materials, or an idea of how much things might cost to ship. Things such as records can be quite expensive, and it is hard to find a padded envelope at the Post Office that is the right size.

But there are always resources to make things easier! The USPS website has many free materials you can order to ship your item/s! You can also have your items picked up right at your house door, with the right packaging, and they'll take care of all the shipping for you.

Although it is tough to know exactly what something weighs, which is important when shipping items, you can find out the weight of many items just by looking them up online, or if they are heavier, weighing them on your own bathroom scale even. You can weigh yourself, then hold the item, weigh yourself again, and deduct the weight.

Smaller items can be weighed on kitchen scales etc. You can even buy a postal scale for a bit more, which would be a positive investment if you're planning to sell many things on Ebay.

I enjoy the responsibility of putting together the listing "profile" on Ebay.com for each item we sell--picking colors and fonts, taking the photos (I use our digital and put them right on the computer), deciding how many days, how much to sell the item for, etc...

Another fun part of listing the item is picking a border/backround. There are over 60 pre-set themes to choose from on Ebay.com, and this gives your listing a nice touch.

There is a $.10 fee for this option (doubled if you choose 2 categories to list your item in), as well as for each picture after the first one that you use.

The fees on Ebay.com can wrack up if you're not watchful of them, as I found out early. There are listing fees for each category, fees for the border, pictures, subtitles, bold type, larger pictures, etc. Of course, these are all added options, and often help sell an item, so once you get the hang of Ebay, it's easy to see what would be worth it, and what's not.

I usually always use the pre-set themes, and include at least 2 pictures with my item.

If I feel it really does fit into more than one category, I will use the two to help it sell.

I usually choose 5 days to sell something, and it's worked out well so far. It's neat to see a listing get "watched." This can have big pay offs in end for the seller, or the buyer, because often a bunch of people will watch an item right to the end and not bid till the last minute, therefore keeping their bidding to a minimum price. But sometimes, the closer it gets to an item's closing, the higher the bids go up, and quickly! I like that part, heh...

The main thing I've learned about Ebay.com, and listing/selling/buying things--is that you need to be on the ball, and check your account every day, to make sure you watch for questions from buyers (this happens quite frequently to me), or an item selling, or a listing you are watching coming to a close.

It takes some dedication and time, but if you have it, Ebay.com can be a good way to sell your items.

There are also forums, and "what's hot" listings, so you can see what is in demand. Sometimes you can find items in your local superstore that others may not have in their state/country. I also keep my eyes open when I go to thrift stores, or for toys, etc. on the sale racks. Things like a store's closing can be a gold mine if you know how to work it!

I enjoy my daily trip down Ebay.com lane, and the extra cash and opportunity it brings me! And I'm hoping to keep selling items on Ebay for a long time.