The Very Basics of Ebay - Getting Started
So you want to sell stuff on eBay, but you have two minor problems: you
don't know how and you don't have stuff. Not a problem. Keep reading
for some tips to get you pointed in the right direction.
Before you begin you’ll need some basic equipment: Computer, Internet
access, digital camera, and some space to put your stuff. That’s really
all you’ll need to get started. You’ll also need shipping and packing
supplies but that is addressed later.
Next you’ll need to learn how to list auctions. Go to the eBay sellers
overview: http://pages.ebay.com/education/sellingtips/index.html.
This will be your lifeline. There is a plethora of information there on
everything you always wanted to know and more. Don’t be overwhelmed;
just take it one step at a time. You’ll see there is information on
listings, on bidding, on photos, on feedback – it’s all there.
Next you’ll need to figure out what to sell. Before you zero in on a
particular niche you need some experience and some feedback. Buyers are
generally leery of buying from someone who is brand new and has a
feedback rating of less than 10 evaluations. While you are getting your
feet wet, look around your own house first. You’d be amazed at what
people buy. You could list outgrown clothing, magazines, candle
holders, CD, books, flannel sheets, recipes, the ugly old lamp that was
Aunt Mildred’s, all those goofy Christmas gifts sitting in your
basement, that old baby gate with a stain on it. Get the idea? You
never know what someone will want.
Although you need experience, you don’t want to list something that
isn’t likely to sell. Do your research first before you invest the time
in putting together a listing. An easy method to use is do a “search”
on eBay, then look up COMPLETED ITEMS, then sort by HIGHEST price. Then
you’ll see if your Tommy Bahama shirt is really worth anything. Or
you’ll see that your old baseball cards had 23 listings and not one of
them sold.
Pricing is another challenge. Again, you’ll need to do your research.
See what they’re going for. Don’t have overly high expectations. You
know how you feel when you go to a garage sale and you see a pair of
jeans for $15 or books for $4 each. Many people come to eBay to look
for a bargain. Consider how much you have into the item. If you have an
item from around the house, you may consider that something is better
than nothing, so you may be inclined to start the bidding quite low. If
you bought it with the specific intention to resell, you will, at the
very minimum, want to break even, so take the price you paid for it and
consider other costs, i.e. listing fees, final value fees (all
explained in your lifeline – eBay seller overview above). People are
much more apt to bid if the bidding starts LOW. Sometimes though, you
will have collectibles that are worth a chunk of money. Don’t give away
that vintage postcard that is worth $56! Do your homework.
The next big question is how do you get paid? You determine what you
would accept. Online payments such as PayPal (paypal.com) are very
convenient. You can also decide that you’ll accept money orders or
personal checks. The more options you leave your buyers, the more
likelihood you’ll get more bids.
You also need to decide how you want to ship your items to the winners.
Many sellers use USPS, others prefer UPS. If you use USPS and ship via
Priority Mail, you can get your envelopes and boxes free from USPS. If
you ship First Class or Parcel Post or UPS, you’ll have to shop around
for deals on boxes or envelopes and bubble wrap or packing peanuts.
Overwhelmed yet? Yes there is a lot to learn, but it’s not nuclear
science. Just take it one step at a time. It’s a learning process. Some
yahoo groups (or MSN or AOL, or whatever your preference) are great
sources for support and camaraderie with others who are doing the same.
So in summary, if you want to just “start pushing buttons” and learn on
your own, YOU CAN DO IT. If you do better chatting with others, those
resources are available too. Use what is available
Success !
Leon Edward
Home Busines IT
P.S. SUCCESS UNIVERSITY FREE TRIAL
don't know how and you don't have stuff. Not a problem. Keep reading
for some tips to get you pointed in the right direction.
Before you begin you’ll need some basic equipment: Computer, Internet
access, digital camera, and some space to put your stuff. That’s really
all you’ll need to get started. You’ll also need shipping and packing
supplies but that is addressed later.
Next you’ll need to learn how to list auctions. Go to the eBay sellers
overview: http://pages.ebay.com/education/sellingtips/index.html.
This will be your lifeline. There is a plethora of information there on
everything you always wanted to know and more. Don’t be overwhelmed;
just take it one step at a time. You’ll see there is information on
listings, on bidding, on photos, on feedback – it’s all there.
Next you’ll need to figure out what to sell. Before you zero in on a
particular niche you need some experience and some feedback. Buyers are
generally leery of buying from someone who is brand new and has a
feedback rating of less than 10 evaluations. While you are getting your
feet wet, look around your own house first. You’d be amazed at what
people buy. You could list outgrown clothing, magazines, candle
holders, CD, books, flannel sheets, recipes, the ugly old lamp that was
Aunt Mildred’s, all those goofy Christmas gifts sitting in your
basement, that old baby gate with a stain on it. Get the idea? You
never know what someone will want.
Although you need experience, you don’t want to list something that
isn’t likely to sell. Do your research first before you invest the time
in putting together a listing. An easy method to use is do a “search”
on eBay, then look up COMPLETED ITEMS, then sort by HIGHEST price. Then
you’ll see if your Tommy Bahama shirt is really worth anything. Or
you’ll see that your old baseball cards had 23 listings and not one of
them sold.
Pricing is another challenge. Again, you’ll need to do your research.
See what they’re going for. Don’t have overly high expectations. You
know how you feel when you go to a garage sale and you see a pair of
jeans for $15 or books for $4 each. Many people come to eBay to look
for a bargain. Consider how much you have into the item. If you have an
item from around the house, you may consider that something is better
than nothing, so you may be inclined to start the bidding quite low. If
you bought it with the specific intention to resell, you will, at the
very minimum, want to break even, so take the price you paid for it and
consider other costs, i.e. listing fees, final value fees (all
explained in your lifeline – eBay seller overview above). People are
much more apt to bid if the bidding starts LOW. Sometimes though, you
will have collectibles that are worth a chunk of money. Don’t give away
that vintage postcard that is worth $56! Do your homework.
The next big question is how do you get paid? You determine what you
would accept. Online payments such as PayPal (paypal.com) are very
convenient. You can also decide that you’ll accept money orders or
personal checks. The more options you leave your buyers, the more
likelihood you’ll get more bids.
You also need to decide how you want to ship your items to the winners.
Many sellers use USPS, others prefer UPS. If you use USPS and ship via
Priority Mail, you can get your envelopes and boxes free from USPS. If
you ship First Class or Parcel Post or UPS, you’ll have to shop around
for deals on boxes or envelopes and bubble wrap or packing peanuts.
Overwhelmed yet? Yes there is a lot to learn, but it’s not nuclear
science. Just take it one step at a time. It’s a learning process. Some
yahoo groups (or MSN or AOL, or whatever your preference) are great
sources for support and camaraderie with others who are doing the same.
So in summary, if you want to just “start pushing buttons” and learn on
your own, YOU CAN DO IT. If you do better chatting with others, those
resources are available too. Use what is available
Success !
Leon Edward
Home Busines IT
P.S. SUCCESS UNIVERSITY FREE TRIAL
