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What You Need to Know Before Getting Started On eBay
So you've decided that you want to get started as a seller on eBay. There are a
few things that you really need to know before you go and throw yourself in at
the deep end.
What to Sell
First off, you need to know what it is you're going to sell: what's your speciality?
You'll do far better on eBay if you become a great source for certain kind of
products, as people who are interested in those products will come back to you
again and again. You won't get any loyalty or real reputation if you just sell
rubbish at random.
When you think about what to sell, there are a few things to consider. The most
important of these is to always sell what you know. If you try to sell something
that you just don't know anything about then you'll never be able to write a good
description and sell it for a good price.
You might think you're not especially interested in anything, but if you think about
what kind of things you usually buy and which websites you go to most often, I'm
sure you'll discover some kind of interest. If all else fails mention it to your friends
and family: they'll almost certainly say "Oh, well why don't you sell…" and you'll slap
your forehead.
Out of the things you know enough about, you should then consider which things
you could actually get for a good enough price to resell, and how suitable they
would be for posting. If you can think of something of that you're knowledgeable
about and it's small and light enough for postage to be relatively cheap, then
that's great!
Don't worry if you think the thing you're selling is too obscure - it isn't. There's a
market for almost everything on eBay, even things that wouldn't sell once in a
year if you stocked them in a shop. You'll probably do even better if you fill a
niche than if you sell something common.
Tax and Legal Matters
If you earn enough money, you should be aware that you're going to have to
start paying tax - this won't be done for you. If you decide to sell on eBay on a
full-time basis, you should probably register as a business.
Prepare Yourself
There are going to be ups and downs when you sell on eBay. Don't pack it
in if something goes a little wrong in your first few sales: the sellers who are
successful on eBay are the ones who enjoy it, and stick at it whatever happens.
Anyone can sell on eBay, if they believe in themselves - and if you do decide it's
not for you, then the start-up costs are so low that you won't really have lost
anything.
If you're ready to start selling, then the next thing you need to know is the
different auction types, so you can decide which ones you will use to sell your
items.
5 Easy Steps to Posting Your First eBay Auction
It's surprisingly simple to get started posting your very first auction on eBay.
Here's what you need to do.
Step 1: Open an eBay seller's account.
If you've bought things on eBay, then you already have an account - just log
in with it and click 'Sell' in the toolbar at the top of the page, then click 'Create
a seller's account'. If you've never used eBay before, then you'll need to open
an account first using the 'register' link underneath the toolbar, and then click
'Sell' and 'Create a seller's account'. The eBay site will then guide you through
the process. For security, this may involve giving card details and bank
information.
Step 2: Decide what to sell.
For your first little experiment with eBay, it doesn't really matter what you sell.
Take a look around the room you're in - I'm sure there's something in there that
you're not all that attached to and could put in the post. Small books and CD's
are ideal first items.
Not sure where to get items to sell? A great place you can pick up items to
Try picking up a couple of items cheaply and see if they sell, then a couple of
different items, and then a couple of different items. This way you don't get
stuck with a lot of items that you might have trouble getting rid of.
Step 3: Submit your item.
Click 'Sell', and you're on your way to listing your item.
The first thing you need to do is choose a category - it's best to just type in what
the item is and let eBay choose for you. Next, write a title and description. Include
key words you think people will search for in the title box, and all the information
you have about the item in the description box.
Now set a starting price. $0.01 is the best starting price, as it draws people in to
bid who otherwise wouldn't, and items will almost never finish at such a low price.
The next thing to set is the duration of the auction: 3, 5, 7 or 10 days. This is up
to you: longer sales will usually get more bids, but will also seem to drag on forever.
If you've taken a picture, add it now - items with pictures always sell for more.
Finally, tick the payment methods you will accept (just PayPal is best for now),
and where you will post to (limit yourself to your own country to begin with).
Submit and you're done!
Step 4: Wait for it to sell.
This is just a matter of sitting back and letting eBay do its thing - buyers will find
your item and leave bids on it. Some bidders might email you with questions about
the item, and you should do your best to answer these questions as quickly as
you can. ** Remember that if your item doesn't sell then you can list it again for
free. **
Step 5: Collect payment and post it.
eBay will sent your buyer emails guiding them through the process of sending you
payment for the item. Make sure you have the money before you send anything.
Once you've got the payment, all you need to do is pack the item for posting (make
sure to use some bubble wrap), take the buyer's address from the confirmation email
eBay sent you, and write it on the parcel. Put some stamps on, post it, and you're
done, you are an eBay seller!
More information on selling on eBay:
I have more information on selling on eBay at my blog, why not go and check it out
right now. And there are several excellent books on starting your own ebay
Barnes, a great book that lays everything out for you in a simple step by step
process that any one can follow. The other that I really like is John Thornill's
program, which actually gives you ebooks that John himself is selling on eBay
right now, so, in a sense he is getting you started in a Niche on eBay right from
guarantees you will become a Power Seller in 90 days or your money back. Can't
beat that!
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