How to sell on eBay

Learn how to sell on eBay and turn your unwanted items into cash!

We all have stuff around that we no longer want, don't we? It seems a shame to throw it away when there is nothing wrong with it. Instead list it at eBay and put some pennies back in your pocket.

If you are looking for a way to earn money online, eBay and other top online auction sites can certainly provide an opportunity worth investigating.

It is simple to set up an account, just watch the video below.

Start by buying

Once you have your account it is best to begin by bidding on some items to see how things work. Be sure to pay promptly for any auctions that you win. All transactions are "scored" by means of customer feedback and getting some good comments early on can prove valuable when its your turn to sell items.

Your buying experience will give you an insight to the "other side" of the transaction. But be careful not to get carried away! It is easy to keep increasing your bid if you think someone else is going to win your coveted item! You don't want to end up paying over the odds for something, do you?

How to place your bids

Decide the maximum you are willing to pay for an item, and stick to it! Enter that amount into the bid box. You may not have to pay that amount if you win, it depends on what other people are prepared to pay. Bids will be placed for you, in small increments at first, until you have outbid someone else without reaching your upper limit.

For example if your maximum bid is $10 and the starting price is 99c then your first automatic bid could be for just $1.49. Then perhaps someone else will bid up to $5. You will still be the highest bidder but the amount you will need to pay may have gone up to $5.50. If no-one else bids, the item is yours for $5.50 plus postage. If someone else bids $11 then you would no longer be the highest bidder and you would have to decide whether you are prepared to bid higher or bid on something else.

It is worth being near your computer when the auction for the item you are bidding on is due to end. This is the time that most bids are made, often in the last seconds, and if you are not there to react you can lose to a higher bidder.

When it comes time to pay for your products most eBayers will list PayPal as one of the payment options. This is an almost instant way to pay for things and paying in this manner, right after an auction ends, gives you the best opportunity to get 100% feedback from the seller.

Once you receive your items, don't forget to go back and leave feedback for the seller. Were you happy with the condition of the item you bought? Was it as described? Was it well packaged? Did it arrive quickly?

How to sell on ebay - Do your research

OK, now its time to start learning how to sell on ebay.

Your first step would be to do a search for the type of product you want to sell, so that you can see how much competition there is. If you are offering something that people can buy anywhere, you don't want to price yourself out of competition. If your item is unique, then you have more leeway.

I am a keen needleworker and one of my favourite purchases was a young girl's school exercise book from her needlework class back in the 1930s, filled with samples of her stitch work. It was a one of its kind purchase and as such I was prepared to bid higher than I would have done for an easy to get item.

Before I list an item I like to run an advanced search, as in the screenshot above.

I enter a keyword in the search box, pick a category and tick the completed listings box. Clicking on the Search button will then bring up a page showing the prices that recent items eventually sold at.

In the case of my search above, it would appear that collectible frogs are not in fashion right now! Therefore I would hold onto mine and try later.

If on the other hand there were few auctions, and the products had sold for a good price, then it could be well worth listing my frogs.

You might also want to take a quick peek at the list of items that you cannot sell at eBay.

How to sell on ebay - Timing it right

If you have decided that you stand a good chance of selling your items, you need to think about how long to run your auction for.

Most people opt for from 5 to seven days, but do take into account the day on which you list them. Will your target audience be around their computers in 5 or 7 days time? Or will that turn out to be a Friday evening when many people will be out enjoying themselves?

If it does, then you might prefer to hold off and not list the item until the following day. You want people to be near the computer when your auction ends, so as to hopefully get a flurry of last minute bids.

Of course the time of day has a bearing on this as well. Don't time your auction to end at 10pm if you are selling things of interest to young children. They will be in bed!

Choosing a starting price

You will get more bids if you set your starting price low, even as low as 99c.

However, if there is a price below which you would not want to sell, you can also choose to set a reserve on your item. If no-one bids high enough then the item remains your property. You can always re-list it to try again.

Describing your product

An important part of learning how to sell on ebay is to writing enticing sales copy. You must keep it honest, and point out any imperfections, but you want to give your auction as much chance as possible so give as much information as you can.

It is well worth paying a little extra to add a photo to your listing. I give tips on photographing your objects on the top online auctions page.

How to Sell on eBay - Dispatching the goods

If your auction is successful and you have a buyer, do ensure that you send out the goods as soon as possible. The same day is nice (if your auction ends early enough) but certainly within a day or two is best.

Package the item so it is safe and won't be damaged during transit. This is obviously more important with something breakable such as china or glass. Use plenty of bubble wrap or polystyrene chips (or peanuts) to cushion the item inside a box, so it cannot slide around.

By the way, there is a great place to buy packaging materials at good prices. You may have heard of it? Its called eBay!

I hope this has helped you, and that you will think about learning more about how to sell on eBay in order to supplement your income after retirement.