Ode to eBay: Selling for Beginners

Oh, eBay, the holy grail of cheapskates and thrift-seekers. Doesn't everyone have a pile of things in the back of their closet to sell on eBay? I started selling a few years ago and I love it. It takes re-gifting to a whole new level. There are many sites with tips for eBay beginners, but here are my five basic tips for sellers:

1. Divide and conquer your closet. With a few exceptions, the best things to sell on eBay are brand name items. If the item is of exceptional quality like a cashmere sweater or a fur coat, you may be able to still get a good selling price, but you'll get the most hits with well known brand names.

2. Take quality photos. It doesn't matter how great the item looks in person if the photo is blurry or taken with a view of your messy basement in the background. Put the item on a black or white towel or against a wall and take a closeup photo. If there are any flaws or special details you want buyers to know about take a photo of those, too. Tell the truth when it comes to flaws or imperfections and don't try to hide them from a buyer. It's better to inform everyone than to have an unhappy buyer who will leave negative feedback.

3. Research what similar items are selling for by using the advanced search option on eBay. Search all completed listings to see what sold in the last 30 days and to find out details like what starting price and shipping price other sellers listed. It's tempting to start an item at .99 cents because the selling fee is low but I find it better to start at a higher price. You can get 20 bids on a low priced item and it will end up selling for less than a reasonably priced item. If you find many similar items, set your item a dollar or two lower than their price and people may be inclined to bid on yours first.

4. Don't get hung up on fancy details. Adding a pretty border and 10 photos probably won't make your item sell any better than if you have a clear and concise listing. Use simple terms in your title and think about what you would type in to search for the item. No one searches for exclamation points or LOOK NOW@@@ and you could be wasting space for useful descriptions such as the material, size, color or condition.

5. Don't be afraid to communicate with people. If a potential buyer emails you a question, use the option to post the question and answer on the listing in case others have similar concerns. Transactions can get heated quickly when people don't communicate. Try to resolve issues like an unhappy buyer or delayed shipping with the buyer before reporting them to eBay or leaving negative feedback.

Bottom line: Selling on eBay is easy, so just do it already!