post off: have you sold stuff on ebay?
Like a lot of people, I’m a little short on cash these days. I’d like to try to sell some items on eBay, but I’m a little overwhelmed by the process. It seems like there are so many different choices when designing your post. Should I pay more to post extra pictures of my items? How should I choose my starting bid? Has anyone had success as an eBay seller? Do you have any tips you’re willing to share? I’d appreciate any advice. Thanks! –Erica P.
I’ve sold many, many items on eBay over the years – mostly small stuff, but some large lots as well. Here’s what I usually do:
First, search for your item or something similar to it to see what people are charging, and also what people are bidding.
I never add any extras to my listing, like a 2nd category or “gallery listing” or whatever, mostly because what I’ve sold was not that expensive and didn’t really warrant the add-ons. The most pictures you can post, the better – but you can use a service like flickr to upload your photos and then add links for them in your listing instead of paying for extra photos.
If you’ve never really sold anything before and don’t have any “seller ratings”, you’re probably going to have trouble getting anyone to bid with confidence on your item. Maybe you can find a friend who has sold before and have them sell it on your behalf.
Good luck!
I sold a pair of jeans recently (I bought them on ebay but then they didn’t fit). The only thing I found very confounding was the postage. I wanted to make it open to any country and have ebay calculate the amount depending on where the buyer lived, but I just could not get it to work properly. There were so many postal options and I wasn’t sure which one to pick–that might have been the problem. I ended up just going to the post office with the jeans and then making a standard rate for US and Canada. Other than that, it seemed pretty easy.
I started selling stuff (mostly shoes!) on eBay when I was laid off during the *last* recession. Here’s the scary thing: I did really well back then, quite enough to supplement my unemployment insurance.
This time around? Things that used to cause bidding wars, like Camper or Dansko shoes, aren’t selling *at all* even for opening bids of $9.99 – I consider this to be a pretty accurate barometer of the economic mess we’re in.
I agree with Erin. Whenever I’ve sold stuff I always search to see what others are selling that item or a similar one at. What will give you a good idea of where to start. If there are a million on ebay it might not be worth the effort if you’re only going to get a little bit for it. But it can be really fun to see how much you can sell!
I sell far less than I buy, but have found it to be easy. First, search for something similar. Not only will it help you gauge the value, it also shows you what category you should be listing your item in. Pay the extra for pictures — it’s worth it! When you do list your item, make it a seven-day listing ending on a Saturday or Sunday. You’re far more likely to get bids, especially as most people on eBay are sophisticated enough now to snipe at the end. What else? Just me, but I only do US sales. I hate getting to the post office!
So how do people who’ve sold stuff one Ebay get past the fact that they’ve got no sales history? Everyone must have started somewhere yes? It’s the single biggest fact putting me off starting on Ebay. I’ve got excellent Ebay buyer ratings, but is that enough?
It would be for me as a buyer. You could always build a little seller history with low-value items. People might be more willing to overlook no sales if the item is under $25 or so.
Paola, I’ve sold some on eBay and like Sarah says, I had a 100% rating as a buyer already, so people tend to trust that I think. I try to not buy from anyone with less than a 99% rating. We’ve been burned though thankfully not often. And eBay has good policies about recourse if someone rips you off. So if someone has a low rating, it’s good to avoid them.
I just want to hit on the importance of PICTURES. No matter what you are selling, you can’t have too many pictures. They should be of the exact item you are selling (stock images always make me wonder what I’m really buying) and be taken in good light. Highlight positive things, like pretty details, and do not attempt to lie about flaws, like dents or scratches. Doing so will only get you negative feedback in the end.
Also be sure to include any measurements and use something for size comparison in your photos, like a coin.
Some cash is better than no cash! Everyone knows that eBay is a great source for most of these items, but I have found another useful twist on this. Whether you are a prospective eBay seller, an active seller on eBay trying to keep an eye on the competition, or an Ebay buyer trying to spot the right item, you may want to try out a new service, http://www.itemalarm.com. Enter your favorite searches and get real time email alerts when a matching item is listed on eBay. This way you are can be the first to see items, first to a “buy-nowâ€, or first to negotiate a price with a seller. This tool is active on eBay 24/7/365 and does the searching for you! Happy Hunting!