Things to Know About Selling on eBay

I have a friend who is a self-confessed shopaholic-an eBay shopaholic, at that. Whatever she needs, she gets on eBay. “It’s convenient”, she says. But this time, she wants a different breath of fresh air-instead of being the shopper, she wants to be the seller.

Here are a few tips that I told her about that she will have to do:

Reputation is power. The better reputation you have, the more shoppers will pay more for your items. Plus, if you have a good reputation as a responsible eBay buyer, you’ll place higher in eBay’s listing results-that’s being charged less for being a highly rated seller. Choose PayPal as an option of payment because then you can avail of its seller security options. Delve in to current prices by visiting past auctions on eBay and prices on Amazon.com so you’ll know how much your item should be sold for.

Categorizing your item is crucial. Put your item in the wrong category and only a number of interested shoppers will see it. However, make sure you choose a less crowded category so your item can take center stage. Placing an item in two categories is possible but you have to pay for each listing. Try to sell what is in demand. If you’re planning on selling seasonal items, wait for the right season.

Misspellings are huge blunders. They can result in lower prices.

Low starting prices attract more bids. And more bids attract more bidders. People prefer auctions with lower prices but higher shipping fees. But high shipping fees can will cause your listing to be taken down. Shrouding turns off buyers. Be honest about the shipping price you set. Ship quickly and carefully.

Accuracy in description is a must. Be honest about defects so they won’t haunt you in the future.

Take multiple photos of your item. But use free services like photobucket in posting photos. Consider also having gallery photos. They may have an additional charge but it’s worth it because it allows shoppers to browse through categories with a picture in sight.

Finally, use eBay’s internal email to keep careful records of your eBay interactions and activity.