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eBay(UK) | eBay(US) If you haven't sold on eBay before it can be understandably a daunting prospect. However with just a few tools, a bit of hard work and a busy marketplace you could well be on the road to earning extra cash! eBay has of course become a phenominal success with millions of items bought and sold through it every year. You may have seen on the TV or in the local press of the incredible success stories of some eBay sellers. Many have started with no or very little knowledge of the eBay marketplace yet despite this have developed very profitable businesses. Still more sellers use eBay simply as an avenue to earn extra cash to suppliment their regular jobs. Whether your aims are to grow an existing business, start a new one or to pay for lifes little luxuries then you will find eBay provides opportunites for all. Ok so you want to get started on eBay and are not sure what to do next. We have compiled a very basic checklist of things that will help you get started and also things that you may not have thought of. [1] What to sell? Whilst it is true that a lot of people start off selling bits and pieces that they have around the house and garage this will not always be possible. It is a good place to start though and you will be amazed at the returns you can realise for items that you thought had no value. My first tip would be not to sell only the things you like or know about - there are lots of profitable product lines out there and you do need to spend a little time finding out what these are. If you have an idea of what you would like to sell then search to see if it is currently available, also see how many people are selling the same or similar items. Of course with such a big marketplace it will be unusual not to find someone else offering the same item. You goal though is to find a product line (or lines) that are not currently on offer by loads of other sellers. Start Searching eBay By [Clicking Here] [opens in a new window] See Popular Searches On eBay [eBay Pulse] [2] Where to buy? If you are going to resell an item on eBay then it follows that you have to purchase it for the very best price to make a profit. Some sellers continually look for one off products whilst others look for items that can be repeated many times. For one-off items here are the top 5 places to look that have been recommended by users:
* Of course buying on eBay to resell is pretty difficult unless you get a bargain - one tool that may help is: AuctionSpeller it finds misspelt auctions that often close without bids at rockbottom prices. [3] How should I accept payments? There are many different ways to accept payment with the simplest (and slowest) being by cheque. Most people like to pay for winning bids via Credit or Debit Card though simply due to it been a quick and safer method of payment. No need to worry about visiting a bank and paying large setup fees for you to accept payments. Simply open a free account at one of the following online Payment Providers:
The above reputable companies offer services that are affordable for businesses of all sizes. Fees are applied only when you accept a payment - if you don't receive money, you don't pay a penny. [4] What about packing & Shipping? You need to find out how much you will be charged to ship the goods to the winning bidder. You will be asked for the cost when you create your listing so it's always best to be prepared in advance. For larger items there will be many couriers available in your local area to choose from. You may be asked to provide the weight and/or dimensions of the package before they can provide a quotation. For smaller items I always recommend the Royal Mail - they have a good selection of services on offer and are usually very cost effective & reliable. Please do remember to use an insured service with whomever you should choose as this will cover any damages or should the parcel be lost. It is imperative that the item arrives in the same condition that it was sent and therefore proper packing is essential. You may need to purchase bubblewrap, boxes, tape etc - please remember to include a small charge on top of the delivery charge to cover the packing costs. [5] Getting Started.
So are you ready... well not quite - we are not finished just yet ;-) You need to write a clear, concise and appealing description for each different item that you are going to offer for sale. A good clear picture of the item will definately increase your chances of not only a sale but at a better price than if you have no picture. Research proves time and again the importance of including a picture - if you don't have a digital camera then a manufacturers stock photo will suffice. See the info links below for further Start Selling on eBay information and tutorials. Finally Good Luck!! We hope that the above information, although basic, helped to get you started and wish you the very best! Free Tools & Links To Help Listed below are a small selection of free auction tools & links to further information that should help you getting started on eBay:
Article Written By: Steve Durkin
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