EBay is one of the internet’s most successful marketplaces. Many people make their entire living while most users do it part time. Whether you’re just getting started, or you’ve been using eBay for years, this guide can help you to be more successful.

ebay is one of the internet’s most successful marketplaces. Many people make their entire living while most users do it part time. Whether you’re just getting started, or you’ve been using ebay for years, this guide can help you to be more successful.

Step 1: Register With ebay

This step is pretty straight forward. ebay makes registration simple and easy. In order to register you must be at least at least 18 year old. When choosing a screen name on ebay consider that if you wish to specialize in a certain type of goods that it is a good idea to have a screen name that relates to the items you’ll be selling.


Source: https://scgi.ebay.com/ws/

Step 2: Find Out What’s Selling

Each month, ebay produces several reports regarding the most successful products one ebay. This report can be an beneficial tool in making sure you know what to sell. The report is located at http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/whatshot.html. It includes calendars about which items will be featured on their home page, and what has been selling the past month.


Source: http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/whatshot.html

Step 3: Find Your Product –At Your House

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Everyone has things around that they don’t need and will never use again. ebay is the perfect place to sell the things you aren’t going to use. Your house is a great place to find items to sell on ebay. Make sure the items you are going to sell are in good condition however.

Step 4: Find Your Product –At The Store

Based on the report of what is selling on ebay. Go to your favorite store and bargain hunt. This is one of the most successful strategies on ebay. Look for items that will sell and find them at lower prices. When you find a super-deal, buy a few of the items and then try them on ebay. It may be tempting to sell the item before you buy it at the store, however, don’t sell them before you buy them as they may be gone from the store and leave you in serious legal trouble with the buyer and ebay.

Step 5: Find Your Product –Drop Ship

Drop shipping is a great tool for ebay buyers and Sellers. The way drop shipping works is a company gets wholesale prices from distributors and you register for an account with them. They manage the inventory and you sell it. Once you have collected payment, you pay them the wholesale price for the good and then they handle shipping. A good website for this is www.doba.com. For around $30.00 a month they can give you access to 250,000 products and they take care of shipping.


Source: http://www.doba.com

Step 6: List The Product

Using ebay’s listing service you can quickly and easily list your product on ebay. There are many features that you can add to your auctions but many of them may not be worth the value to your item. For instance, you may have a cheap item that would not be worth a $1.00 extra in fees to make the title of the item bold in the listings. Make sure you don’t spend too much money on enhancing your item or it will lower profits. It is crucial to give an accurate item description. If the product is damaged, say so otherwise it may reflect badly on your feedback.

Step 7: Wait For Buyers

The next step is to wait for all the buyers to come to you. If after a few days there aren’t many people that have looked at your item or are watching it, it may be a good idea to revise your item and place it in another category on ebay. If a buyer sends you a question, answer promptly as he/she is a potential customer.

Step 8: Wait For Payment

While it is the buyer’s obligation to pay you can lessen the wait time by offering as many ways to pay as possible. PayPal is the ebay’s most common method of payment. They offer free services with the charge of a fee per transaction. They are a great resource and can be found at http://www.PayPal.com.

Step 9: Shipping

Except in the case of drop shipping, you are responsible for shipping the item. It is important for your ebay feedback that you ship quickly after you have received purchase from the buyer. When listing your item you may wish to use the “Calculate Shipping” feature because it gives a more accurate cost breakdown. You can make a lot of money on shipping if when you list it you add a packaging and handling fee to shipping. The cost of shipping can make or break your profit margin so it is important to price the shipping enough to cover the costs. This is sometimes difficult; however, it is much easier if you have a good scale to use.

Step 10: Communication With Buyer

Communication with the buyer is crucial. Make sure you let him/her know that you have shipped the item. This can lessen any anxiety the buyer may have about shopping online. If possible, send the buyer the product tracking number via email so that he/she can view it’s progress shipping whenever he/she wants.

Good luck and happy ebaying!