~Successful Tips for Selling On Ebay~

YES! YOU CAN STILL MAKE CASH ON EBAY!

BUT

CHECKOUT THESE HANDY TIPS FIRST...

1. RESEARCH THE HECK OUT OF EACH ITEM YOU LIST: Dig through eBay to find what similiar items fetch(and how often they sell). When you click on the items, choose the option at top to see 'items ending soonest' that way you can see what has bids and what they sold for.
2. CONSIDER CHOOSING A 2ND CATEGORY WHEN LISTING: For instance, when I had a gold bracelet to list, I first chose the category 'jewelry-bracelets' and my second category was the maker's name. Buyer's prefer a maker's name on almost everything. I ended up selling it to a collector of that maker.
3. USE LOW STARTING BIDS: Low starting bids cost less to list, and they may encourage participation. The more popular you expect an item to be, the lower you should set the starting bid. If you expect only a few bids, start bidding closer to your minimum desired sale point. I had a sealed jar of a pricey brand name skincare moisturizer. Someone else had it listed for just under the retail price and never got a bid. I knew it would sell and listed it for $5.00. The bidding went crazy and I sold it easily with a nice profit. Remember it's best not to use a reserve bid. It turns potential bidders off.
4. START YOUR LISTINGS ON THURSDAY AFTERNOONS AND EVENINGS. ALSO RUN 10 DAY LISTINGS. Time your auction to end on Sunday evening between seven and ten Eastern(four and seven Pacific). This gives two weekends to attract bids.
5. IF NEEDED, PAY EXTRA TO PREPARE LISTINGS IN ADVANCE AND SCHEDULE THEM TO START ON THURSDAY EVENINGS. Prepare a group of listings in advance, then schedule them to start within a couple of hours of each other. Don't have your listings end closer than within two minutes of each other.
6. HONESTY IS A MUST IN YOUR LISTING. If an item as a chip, a book page is torn, whatever the problem, make sure you mention it in the description. Take clear photos, especially of the problem and eBay offers a one free photo. Be sure to have a photo that appears on the main page listing. Be specific about your refund policy and how long you will wait for payment. Buyers want to know what to expect from the seller.
7. OFFER FREE SHIPPING AND DELIVERY CONFIRMATION: You could charge for these, but free shipping builds goodwill. Delivery confirmation gives you peace of mind. Free insurance is of dubious value; I sometimes offer it, but generally only on expensive items. You might offer it as a customer paid option. (Hint) Offer Priority Mail shipping for those in a hurry. Buyers will pay more but get their items generally in 2-3 days. Bonus for the seller is the USPS will send all packing materials for Priority Mail shipping to your home free of charge:) that includes sized boxes, labels, tape and you can request the boxes picked up at your home by them as well. Setup an account with USPS and print your shipping labels, paid or unpaid for added convenience.
8. INCLUDE A FREEBIE, IT BUILDS GREAT PR: When I was selling bath and shower products, I always included samples in the box along with my business card. This personal touch led to many repeat customers. People love getting freebies.
9. WRITE A GOOD DESCRIPTION: Imagine you are the buyer, include details that would be of interest and make the item sell itself. The description is the backbone of the sale with excellent photos a close second. Place keywords in the description and sprinkled in conversational sentences. When selling an animated video, I included the names of major stars who did the voiceovers. Check and double check your spelling and grammar.
10. BE THOROUGH: Many people advocate short descriptions...I disagree. I think that long descriptions are best, especially if they use bold text and highlighting to emphasize the important aspects of your auction.
11. ATTENTION TO GREAT PACKING: Be sure to have the right box for the item. Have a broad selection of sizes and allow for enough room to include packing materials. Wrap any item no matter what it is in tissue paper first. It protects from any marks from newspaper print, bubble wrap from leaving an imprint. I always used bubble wrap and didn't skimp either and used shredded paper as added filler. Use strong wide packing tape, not thin cellophane. Whether using mailing labels or writing on the package, use a black Sharpie. Hint: cover your return address and buyer's address with cellophane tape. It helps keep the ink from running in case the package is exposed to rain.
12. ENCOURAGE QUESTIONS: At the end of your description, request all questions be sent prior to end of auction. You must be monitoring your email to make sure you get them answered promptly. If it's a question that many people might be likely to have, such as shipping weight, post the response publicly. Hint: be sure you have a digital postal meter to have the shipping weight handy. They can be purchased reasonably at eBay.
13. BE FRIENDLY: Having an easy going persona is going to receive a better response than a brusque, business-like persona. That's why it is necessary to have all your instructions in your description so any unpleasant questions will not be necessary later on.