One of the easiest ways I’ve found to earn a little extra cash is to sell things on eBay. There’s no upfront investment since I can pay the eBay fees out of my PayPal account after the listing has sold, and I get to clear a little extra “stuff” out of our house. In my book it’s a win-win situation.
Just in case you’re ready to try your hand at selling on eBay, I’ve composed this list of things I wish I’d known when I first started selling.
Get a true idea of shipping costs before you list your time. I guessed on shipping charges on my first few eBay sales and lost money on them. Weigh your item ahead of time and check out the USPS website to get an idea how much you will actually pay to ship your item.
Look at completed auctions for similar items before you list your items. Anytime I list an item I do a search on eBay first for successful sales on similar items. This research allows me to set a fair opening price and get good ideas for writing my listing.
Take lots of pictures. If you don’t have a digital camera, borrow one from a friend. Being able to see an item before they put a bid in on it is very important to potential buyers. I only actually upload the free picture that comes with the listing, but I always include the statement that I have additional pictures and will email them upon request.
Skip extras. I’ve tried a few of the extras like “bold” listings or “buy it now” listings. Most of the time, though, I don’t think I really benefit from those types of add-ons. Skip those extras and keep the fees associated with them in your pocket.
Have a PayPal account. Years ago, I sold some things without PayPal. I actually waited for money orders or checks to come in the mail. Although I was never burnt by this process, there is no real reason to mess with it anymore. Almost everyone has a PayPal account. I only accept payments through PayPal now.
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1 response so far ↓
1 Annie Jones // Apr 17, 2009 at 11:53 am
I agree with most of your points. However, I do have a lot of luck with the Buy It Now feature. I’d say at least half of my sales are from buyers “buying it now”. (I know I prefer a fair-priced BIN over waiting on auction when I’m buying.)
Also, I’ve found that Friday evening is the worst time for my auctions to end. For the type of items I sell (general household merchandise) I have the best luck when my auctions end on Monday evenings.
If I’m not mistaken, eBay no longer lets sellers accept checks or money orders. I liked that they didn’t have the attached PayPal fees, but you are correct that they often took a very long time to arrive.
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