Being successful and making money on eBay is not as hard as it may seem. I’ve been eBaying for about 10 years now, and I have made some pretty decent money just listing stuff from around my house. I have 2 growing boys and they are constantly outgrowing their clothes and toys. The best way to clean out the closet and make a little coin at the same time is to list these things on eBay. I give away a lot to the local Goodwill as well, but I try to list the majority of very good condition items.
The KEY to eBay Success:
As with most things in life, you have to devote some time and effort into listing items on eBay. Once you have the basics down though, you can bang out a few listings in just a few minutes. I developed a “template” that I use for most of my listings. This way I can focus on the product description and less on the design of the posting. I make a few changes and it’s ready to post. I try to spend at least 1 hour a day on eBay… listing items, relisting unsold items, and shipping items. There have been times when I’ve gone on an all out eBay marathon… listing items from morning to evening. But those days are rare as I have other things to do most of the time, like general housework, taking kids to school, and eating and breathing. But you get the idea…. spend TIME working your eBay business and you will see success.
Take detailed pictures:
I take about 4-5 pictures of each item I’m going to list. Then I upload them to the computer and only keep the ones that turned out well. I also make sure that I capture any unique part of an item. For instance, if a piece of jewelry has a magnetic closure instead of a typical lobster claw closure, I make sure to zoom in and get it on camera. Your words can be descriptive, but pictures don’t lie. Many potential customers will find pictures very useful, so snap as many as you can.
Disclose any flaws:
While you may hesitate to admit that there is a small pinhole in one of the shirts you are trying to sell, you will find that customers appreciate the honesty and your feedback will reflect it. Just because an item has a flaw (small or large) does NOT mean that no one will be interested. Just be honest about the flaw and try to describe it as best as possible. Once again, pictures help to convey the extent of the damage so that customers can make an informed decision to purchase or not to purchase.
List at the right times:
This isn’t an obvious tip to most people. But I have found that if you stop and think about your target market and where they are and when they will most likely be online (and subsequently on eBay), you will know when to list your item and have it end. Statistically most items sell or receive bids when the listing is about to end, so if you can have your listing end at the right time, you will reach the biggest number of people. For instance, if you are selling baby clothes, your target market is young mothers with babies. They are not likely to be online in the morning or during prime time in the evening. However, they might be able to sneak online in the afternoon (during baby’s nap time) or in the late evening when baby is down for the night and daddy is home to give mom a break. Another example is if you are selling outdoor camping equipement… you might not want to have a listing end during a weekend, when most prospective buyers will most likely be outside or camping. Obviously you can’t know for sure when someone is going to be online, but you can get closer by thinking like your target market.
Ship quickly:
Once an item sells, you should immediately prepare the item for shipping. Wait to actually ship until you have received payment, but once that transaction occurs, get the item in the mail. Your feedback score will reflect the speed and carefulness that you take when shipping.
A final word:
Don’t assume that because you no longer want something, that someone else out there doesn’t want it. Give it a try and you might be surprised at the demand for some items that you thought were junk. What’s that old saying… “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure”… eBay proves this time and time again.
Feel Free to visit my eBay store!! I am always adding new listings!
