There are probably more people buying and selling things on Ebay than at any other auction site in the whole world. Needless to say, because of the popularity of this auction giant, everybody and their grandmother wants to sell on Ebay. However, unless you know how to do this properly, your auction can turn into a nightmare. In this article and the series to follow, I’m going to give you some tips on selling on Ebay. Hopefully, after reading this series you’ll be prepared to tackle this monster.
The first thing you need to know about Ebay is that contrary to popular belief, this isn’t a place where if you build it, they will come. In order to have success on Ebay, you have to build a presence there. Not only that, you have to have something to sell that people are going to have an interest in. Building a presence on Ebay is not something that happens overnight. The way the Ebay system works is basically what I call the reward system. The more sales you make with positive feedback, the more of a presence you establish. But you have to start somewhere. The question is, where?
In spite of the fact that most people want to start off by wholesaling tons of inventory, it is best to start on Ebay by selling some odds and ends that you have laying around the house. There is an old saying that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. This isn’t to say that you can sell things on Ebay that are falling apart. Anything you sell must at least be in good condition. Plus, you better make sure you wrap it up well for shipment. The last thing you want is for your item to arrive in pieces.
As far as finding things to sell, this shouldn’t be too hard. Unless you have been living in a cave all your life, you should have been collecting things over the years such as comics, cards, china, electronics and a number of other things just from day to day living. Maybe you just got a new stereo to replace the one you were thinking of getting rid of, even if it is still working. As long as it’s in good condition, there’s no reason to throw it out. Sell it on Ebay and make a few bucks.
As you begin to establish a presence on Ebay by building up positive feedbacks, you’ll be able to move into more advanced selling such as wholesaling. The key is to take your time and do things the right way. When I say the right way, I mean that there are certain steps that you are going to have to take in order to get your Ebay career off the ground correctly, from the actual opening of your account to writing your ads to shipping your items. Each step must be done just so or you run the risk of turning your Ebay selling career into ashes before it even starts.
