EBay Selling Tips

Tips for Selling on eBay

A good reputation brings higher sales. (Photo by Carlos Zaragoza)

1. Build a good reputation. Be a responsible eBay buyer and you'll earn a good reputation. Shoppers pay more for items from sellers they trust. eBay charges less for listings from highly-rated sellers. And if you have a good reputation, you'll place higher in eBay's listing results.
2. Get a PayPal account. eBay sellers need to offer the option of payment by credit card or PayPal; choosing PayPal means you'll have access to its seller security options.
3. Research current prices. Check past auctions on eBay and prices on Amazon.com and you'll know about what your item can sell for.
4. Find the right category. Put your item in the wrong category and fewer interested shoppers will see it. But check if there's an appropriate, less-crowded category where your item will stand out more.
   • You can place an item in a two categories at once, but you have to pay for each listing.
5. Sell what's in demand. If you're selling something seasonal, wait for the right time to put it on eBay. Fewer people think about purchasing patio furniture in December.
6. Check for typos. Fewer people see misspelled listings, which results in lower prices.
7. Set a low opening price. Auctions with low starting prices attract more bids, and having more bids attracts other bidders.
   • As long as your shippings fees are not exorbitant, people usually prefer auctions with lower prices and higher shipping fees.
   • Don't have too high a shipping fee, however! If buyers complain about excessive fees, your listing could be taken down.
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     Check for typos in your listing! (Photo by Sanja Gjenero)
8. Be honest about shipping. Whatever shipping price you set, don't try to hide it: such "shrouding" turns off potential buyers.
9. No reserve prices. Bidders tend to avoid reserve price auctions. If you can take the risk of a low selling price, do it.
   • The exception to this is for auctions with prices over $25, which are not hurt by reserve prices.
10. Offer buyers options. Having multiple shipping methods and insurance can attract more buyers.
11. Write an accurate description. If there are flaws, be honest about them. Stretch the truth and it can come back to haunt you.
12. Take good photos. Have multiple photos, showing a clean product from different angles.
13. Avoid photo hosting fees. Use a free service like Photobucket or TinyPic to host your photos and you don't need to pay eBay to host them.
14. Include a gallery photo. This way eBay shoppers browsing through categories will still see a picture.
    • Please note that eBay charges a small additional fee for gallery photos.
15. Hold a longer auction. If you can wait, longer auctions usually result in higher prices.
    • Please note that eBay charges an extra fee for 10-day auctions.
16. Time your auction ending. Think about what you're selling, and who you're selling it to, when starting and ending your auction. You don't want to miss sales because your auction ends at a busy time, but you want your potential bidders to be awake and online.
17. Use eBay tools. Free tools like Turbo lister help you create more professional listings.
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      Pack your items carefully! (Photo by Steve Woods)
    • These tools are especially helpful if you're going to list multiple items.
18. Quickly answer questions. Make sure to respond quickly while the auction's in progress, or buyers may lose interest.
19. Ship as promised. When you make a sale, ship your item quickly and carefully. You'll keep the buyer happy (and be more likely to get positive feedback!).
20. Handle disputes professionally. If a buyer has a problem, try to resolve it amicably.
21. Keep careful records. Use eBay's internal email for your interactions, so you have a complete record of your eBay activity.

• For more information, please see Mahalo's guide to How to Sell on eBay for Beginners.

Resources for eBay Selling Tips

• About.com: Quick Tips for eBay Photos  
• BusinessWeek.com: EBay Sellers Go Back to School: 10 Tips (September 7, 2006)
• CNET reviews: Insider Secrets: Sell smart on eBay
• CNN: Shortcuts: How to sell on eBay (November 28, 2006)
• CSMonitor.com: Why we do what we do on eBay (July 16, 2007)
• PayPal: How We Help Protect Sellers
• Get Rich Slowly: My eBay Method: 13 Steps to Profitable Auctions (May 15, 2006)
• Bits (NYT): The End of eBay’s Egalitarianism (February 7, 2008)
• Bits (NYT): John Donahoe’s Plan to Save eBay: Better Search (January 24, 2008)
• WashingtonPost.com: Top 10 eBay Selling Mistakes
• Photobucket
• TinyPic

eBay Resources

• eBay: Selecting Payment Methods You’ll Accept
• eBay: Seller Tips
• eBay: eBay.com Fees
• eBay: Excessive Shipping Charges Policy
• eBay: TurboLister

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