Selling On eBay^®

Whatever IT is, you can find IT on eBay. That’s what they say … and I’m pretty sure they’re right. Do you ever wonder how so many people learned to make money from random gadgets, toys, equipment, and novelty items by selling on eBay?

People who do it regularly say selling on eBay isn’t tough. Perhaps. But, selling on eBay is intimidating! If I have a choice between having a garage sale and selling on eBay, I think I’d feel more comfortable sitting outside in the sweltering heat for eight hours hoping to get $1 for the stuffed monkey I’ve had since I was two.

I’m not one of those Internet-phobes who thinks only riff raff lurks online. Quite the opposite … I met my husband online. My problem is that I’m so behind the times when it comes to selling on eBay that to learn to sell on eBay seems to be an excruciatingly daunting task. Instead of taking a how to sell on eBay class, I opt to use Craigslist® or even donate.

I’m guessing that by selling on eBay I’d make more money than I ever will selling on Craigslist. But Craigslist is so easy. You post your ad. People call or e-mail you. No bidding. No shipping. Money changes hands face-to-face. Selling on eBay requires a lot of trust for someone I have never and likely will never meet face-to-face.

Perhaps if I ever learn how to sell on eBay, I’ll realize that I should never have been so intimidated. After all, the horror stories I’ve heard about buying and selling on eBay are really only from people buying on eBay.

A friend of mine once paid $1,000 for a computer some guy was selling on eBay. He saw the picture online and did what research he could. When he received the package, it was only a CD explaining the computer’s features. That’s an expensive CD!

Certainly, not all people selling on eBay are crooks. In fact, there are probably no more crooks selling on eBay than swindlers on the streets of most metropolitan cities. However, while I’m street savvy enough to not get swindled, I’m not sure I’d know whether or not to trust someone selling on eBay.

Buyers, I’ve heard, can also scam the people selling on eBay. In one case, a buyer will have a broken item. They’ll search for someone selling the item on eBay and will bid on it. If they win the bid and receive the product, they’ll send back the broken one saying that the person selling on eBay sent them a broken product. There really is no way for someone selling on eBay to avoid this, which makes it scary. However, I’m certain this type of scam is the exception rather than the rule.

Perhaps if I learn how to sell on eBay, I’ll feel more confident about buying and selling on eBay without getting completely ripped off. But how do I learn to sell on eBay? There are dozens of books about selling on eBay. There are millions of web sites dedicated to learning how to sell on eBay. In fact, if I want to learn to sell on eBay, I might spend more time choosing a resource to help me than I would if I just jumped on and started selling on eBay itself!

The best resource I’ve found to get started is WikiHow’s article titled, “How to Sell on eBay.” Someone has taken the time to list the basic steps and has even provided some helpful eBay tips. Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to selling on eBay.

Based on the research I’ve done, here are the most important tips to being successful at selling on eBay:

Write a strong headline.
The headline is your best form of marketing because it’s what will either entice a potential buyer to click on your ad or make them skip it and move on.

Provide a detailed and accurate description.
Detail in the description gives you more credibility. Accurate details will ensure that the buyer gives you a good rating, which will be helpful to you as you continue selling on eBay.

Use high resolution pictures of the exact product.
Many people pull a photo off the product’s web site. Buyers want to see the product they are actually bidding on.

Ask the right price.
As in any marketplace, setting the right price is crucial. When selling on eBay, it’s especially important. The start price should be high enough to cover your costs, but low enough to encourage bidders.

List accurate shipping information.
If you say shipping will only take a couple of days, the buyer will likely get angry if it takes more than that. They’ll also be angry if they pay $20 for shipping and handling and see the postage on the box is $3.82.

Now that I’ve learned this much, my next step will be to order a learn eBay tutorial either on CD or through online learning. Hopefully, that tutorial will be enough to get me over my fears and get me started selling on eBay!

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