So you've found items laying around the house that you want to list. Where do you go from here? Where to list it? How much should I charge? Auction or buy it now? This can be a little intimidating the first time. I'll try my best to get you headed in the right direction.
The first thing you need to find out is if your item is selling, is it selling well, and for how much. This can be time consuming, especially if you are selling one off items. Research is really the key to being a profitable seller. Notice I didn't say successful. You can be a successful seller and not make a lot of profit. What we want to focus on is getting as much profit from your items as possible. So let's dive right in.
First, open ebay on your computer. Now type in the name of the items you are searching for. For our example, we are going to search for a Kodak Disc 4000 camera. When your results show up, you will notice some options on the left side of the page. Unless you camera is brand new, never opened you will want to select used. The next thing we want to know is how many have been through the selling cycle. Check the completed listings box. At the top of the results, you will see a number in bold print. This is the number of items that have ended. For this camera, the number is 17. Now we want to check the box that says sold. We want to know how many of these 17 cameras sold. 5 of them sold. So now we divide 5 by 17 to give us the sell through rate, which is almost 30%. My rule of thumb is the item has to have at least a 25% sell through rate in order to make it viable. Of course a lot of this can hinge on condition, accessories and anything extra that would make it stand out.
So we know 30% of the Kodak Disc 4000 cameras have sold. So how do we determine the price? Look through the prices these sold for and try to estimate the average selling price. It doesn't have to be perfect, we just want a ballpark. As we can see, these average around $10. If you have accessories such as a case or the manual, then we know from the results we can charge more. Find one that matches your item as close as possible. Hover your mouse over that item, and you will see a link just below the picture that says sell one like this. When you click the link, it will open a listing page with most of the data you will need to list this item.
As you can see, the title is pre-filled as are some specifics. You will want to adjust these to match your item. In the condition field, you will want to list any condition issues. Put terms like Good condition, or great or excellent. List any flaws such as small scuff marks on the side. End it by saying see pictures. If your home is smoke and pet free, ensure you add that as well. Click the drop down box next to condition and select the appropriate selection. Don't try to pass off a used item as new unless you know for sure it is in fact new. Scroll down and click the add picture box. Find your images and add them, then click upload. Scroll down to the next area and add any specifics not checked. If you have accessories, they will be listed under bundled items. Add as necessary.
Details is where you can embellish. Tell your story about the item, but don't over do it. You can say something like "I used this only a few times and it worked great". Add other pertinent information such as the height, length and width. Just imagine trying to describe your item to a blind person. What details can you include to give them as clear a picture of your item as you can. Details can really make your listing stand out from the crowd.
Now you need to decide how you are going to sell it. Are you going to list it as an auction, or as buy it now? Typically, auctions will get you a quicker sale, but it will also get you a lower price. If you choose auction, list the item either Saturday or Sunday night around 9pm EST and for 7 days. That will give you the greatest exposure to auction buyers. They know that is the prime time for auction endings. If you are using buy it now, it really doesn't matter when you list it. Set the duration for 30 days. It costs the same whether you list for 3 days or 30 days, so take advantage of the time to get the most bang for your buck. If using buy it now, you have the option of requiring payment when they click the purchase button. It's up to you whether to use this or not.
You will also need to specify how payments will be made to you. If you do not have a paypal account, now would be a good time to sign up. 99% of transactions on ebay use paypal. It's quick and easy to sign up. Once you have created your account, put your paypal email address into the required field, and check the paypal box.
Next comes shipping. There are two schools of thought, and the jury is out as to which one works best. Just follow your instincts on this one. I will only do free shipping on items I can ship via first class mail. It is usually around $3.00 for first class. If shipping priority, try to use flat rate packaging to minimize the cost. Most items can ship in either a small flat rate box, or a padded flat rate envelope. Figure out what works best for the items you are selling. There are a number of youtube videos that will teach you about shipping. It will probably be worth your while to watch a few of them. As a side note, any shipping packages you need can be ordered from the USPS.com website. Most of them are free. Order a sampling of their packaging until you figure out which ones meet your needs.
International shipping is also another area that has two schools of thought. You can opt into the Global Shipping program, or ship yourself. If you are new to selling, I would go with the GSP program until you get more familiar with shipping. Then I would just move to shipping on your own. If you decide to do the latter, make sure you sign up for Shipsaver insurance program. You will find it under the applications link on your my ebay page. It costs $1 for insurance to ship international packages. Follow their guide to exclude nations they will not insure to. If your items are under 4 lbs, then use First Class International as your shipping method.
Next, put your item in the package you will be shipping it in and weigh it. You can pick up a postal scale fairly cheaply at Walmart or Staples. Choose your weight range from the drop down menu. If you guess at the weight you run the risk of having to pay more for shipping than what the buyer paid you. It will happen, and could cause you to lose money on a sale. Don't try to take short cuts on this. This is the one thing that bites people.
Next you need a return policy. In order to qualify for Top Rated seller status, you must accept returns. It's a good idea to do this at any rate just so you stand apart from any other seller selling the same thing you do, but don't accept returns. I use 14 days, and specify the buyer has to pay return shipping. You can also opt to charge a restocking fee. I don't typically charge this unless it is a very expensive or new item.
Now just click continue. This will take you to a review page where you can click a link to preview your listing. This is your chance to make sure your listing has no errors prior to listing. It also shows you any fees incurred for this listing. If you are satisfied with your listing, click the submit listing link.
Congratulations! You have just listed your first item!
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