Need some Ebay Help?  Ask an Ebay Power Seller (aka Me!)

If you are like me, hopefully just a little bit, you might be saying, “Thanks grandma for the ___ for my ___, I’ve always wanted one of these,” but in your head, you are thinking, “dang, what the heck is this and why would she buy this for me?  Is there anyway to sell this and get some money for the ____ I really want?”  The answer is yes, and you can sell it on Ebay!

Never sold something on Ebay before?  No problem, we all have to start somewhere.  If you want to learn how to sell your first Ebay item, check out this post: Sell your First Ebay Item.

If you are in a hurry, I recommend download the Ebay app for iOS or Android.  You can take pictures on your phone, edit with the Ebay app, and list it in a matter of minutes.

Pricing

One of the trickiest and most important part of Ebay is the pricing strategy you decide to use.  You can have an auction run from 1-10 days or have a buy it now listing run for 30 days.  In general, if you want to sell an item faster (but for less money), use a buy it now listing.  If you want to get the most money possible and don’t mind waiting a few days, go for the listing.  If there is a lot of demand for the item you are selling, I would have a small starting bid, like 99 cents.  If you have a unique item with not much selling history, go with a higher starting bid, close to the amount you would like to sell the item for.  From my 9 years of Ebay selling, I always prefer having an auction end on a Saturday, either morning or afternoon.  Please remember times zones when starting an auction.  7AM Eastern Time is not considered morning for us West Coaster bidders.  And likewise for West Coast sellers.  Do not have an auction end after 7PM, since most East Coasters are in bed or out on the town.  

Photos

Have you ever bought anything online before?  Was there a clear photo of the item you were buying?  Probably yes.  Same thing goes for Ebay.  Buyers do not like bidding/buying items that do not have good pictures.  Most cell phones have pretty good cameras, but a digital camera is preferable.  Use good lighting and do not have junk in the background.  Think of this as a Facebook profile picture for the item you are selling.  No one wants to buy something that is half in shadows, from 50 feet away, with trash on the floor behind it.

Shipping

There is no shortcut for shipping, but if you have a small, easy to ship item, I recommend USPS Priority Mail.  You can get free boxes at your local post office and they will help you with packing (maybe).  If it is a heavy item, larger than 8 pounds, I recommend UPS Ground.  It is usually the most cost effective way to ship large, heavy items.  No matter how well you pack an item, always buy shipping insurance if you are worried about an item being lost or damaged.  UPS Ground comes with $100 of free insurance built into the cost of postage.

Payment

Use PayPal.  End of story.  Unless someone wants to pick up the item from you, then only accept cash.  You can withdraw the money from your PayPal account to your bank account or use the funds to buy something else on Ebay, or some other online retailer than accepts PayPal.

Feedback

I always leave feedback or the buyer as soon as they pay for the item.  Do not bug them about feedback, they have a million other things going on besides leaving feedback for a seller.  “No news is good news” – if you do not hear from a buyer, assume the transaction went well and they are happy with their purchase. Unhappy buyers will always let you know right away.

Live in Orange County?

If you live around Orange County, CA (preferably close to Irvine) and need some professional Ebay help, let me know.  I can sell just about everything (not a guarantee) for a 15% selling fee.  All you do is bring the items to me, I sell the items for you, take my 15% commission, pay all Ebay, PayPal, and shipping fees, and send the rest to you.  I can write you a check or send the money through Amazon Payments or PayPal.

Any last questions?

If you still have questions, please leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer your question right away.  Happy selling and happy holidays!