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I have been an eBay member since 2000 and I was an eBay PowerSeller for over one year.
eBay Basics
I recommend before you start selling on eBay that you sign up for an eBay account and buy a
few items. To sell on eBay you need to be understand the eBay buying process which includes
how to bid, pay with PayPal, and leave feedback.
eBay Wisdom
type, learn before you start your eBay business
Is Your Item Worth Selling on EBay?
Selling items on eBay may not make you rich. In fact, selling on eBay may actually cost you
more money than the items are worth. You should make informed decisions before you sell on
eBay and research your items first. Be aware of all the associated selling costs before you post
to eBay.
Before you start selling:
1. Use the income/ expense formula to determine what you could make selling on eBay. This
basic formula also can assist you in determining how much you may owe in taxes.
Income/ Expense Formula
Income minus Expense = the amount of money you made or lost selling on eBay
Income:
Shipping cost included with your eBay listing (if item sells)
plus
What person pays for the item they won (if item sells)
equals? $$$$
Expense:
Cost of purchasing the item
minus
Initial eBay listing fees
minus
Percentage fees after item sells eBay fees (if item sells)
minus
Cost of shipping materials (if item sells)
minus
PayPal fees (if you use PayPal and if item sells)
minus
Cost of gas to drive the item to the post office or FedEx etc (if item sells)
minus
Actual cost of shipping an item (take this from your shipping receipts after you mail your
package if item sells)
equals? $$$
2. Know the Cost of Selling. Conduct research of eBay and PayPal rates.
EBay rates include how much you pay to post an item and how much you pay once/ if an item
sells. EBay bills you monthly seller fees based on your sales per month.
PayPal is the preferred method for eBay buyers and sellers to transfer money. PayPal acts as
an intermediary between you (the seller), your bank, and the eBay buyer and their bank. Money
electronically moves from the buyer’s bank account into a seller’s account. You and the buyer
must sign up for PayPal and link it to a bank account before you can use it.
PayPal takes a percentage of your auction earnings for the privilege of using their services and
takes their fees from you for each transaction.
3. Look at past eBay sales to determine the auction worth of your items. Actively check
completed items on eBay. This will give you an idea for how much similar items sell, and if they
are actually selling. Stay competitive with your pricing. You should not ask for an unreasonable
amount as the item probably will not sell.
My son is a great example. He wanted to sell his baseball card collection and looked up active
auction items. He saw a similar card listed for $100 on eBay and was convinced he would get
that price if he listed his. I showed him the same item in the eBay completed items section. The
card sold for $20. No one was buying these cards at $100. He wasn’t happy with me but we
saved some disappointment by researching the item sale history before we listed.
You should consider actively use this eBay feature.
To research completed items you must have an eBay account and you must be signed into it.
Completed items are a checkmark box option in the advanced options tab and prices show up
as red and green. The red did not sell, the green sold.
Completed items only go back two weeks, however, so it may be worthwhile to research
regularly. You may see the price go up and down throughout the year and selling when the
price is high will mean more money for you.
A while ago a new Nancy Drew movie came out and the selling price for vintage Nancy Drew
book sets listed on eBay doubled for about a month. They normally sell for $150-$350 but
because of the movie they sold, for a brief time, from $700-$900. Nice, although I had already
sold my set and I wish I’d had another.
4. Find your niche. A lot of people specialize in certain types of items on eBay. They do their
research and find items that sell well. There are collectors of baseball cards and Three Stooges
bubble gum cards. Some people collect antiques and college textbooks. Find the items you want
to sell and hopefully they will sell well.
eBay Basics
I recommend before you start selling on eBay that you sign up for an eBay account and buy a
few items. To sell on eBay you need to be understand the eBay buying process which includes
how to bid, pay with PayPal, and leave feedback.
eBay Wisdom
- You should like using the Internet and checking and answering your e-mail. If
type, learn before you start your eBay business
- You need to be organized
- Have a good camera and take good pictures because a picture speaks a thousand
words. Learn to resize your pictures and do light photo edits (such as cropping and
lightening up a dark image). A good picture is very important. - Know how to research your items (completed item search) on eBay before you sell so you
know if people want to buy them - It's not about making money on shipping and handling, it's about not losing money
Is Your Item Worth Selling on EBay?
Selling items on eBay may not make you rich. In fact, selling on eBay may actually cost you
more money than the items are worth. You should make informed decisions before you sell on
eBay and research your items first. Be aware of all the associated selling costs before you post
to eBay.
Before you start selling:
1. Use the income/ expense formula to determine what you could make selling on eBay. This
basic formula also can assist you in determining how much you may owe in taxes.
Income/ Expense Formula
Income minus Expense = the amount of money you made or lost selling on eBay
Income:
Shipping cost included with your eBay listing (if item sells)
plus
What person pays for the item they won (if item sells)
equals? $$$$
Expense:
Cost of purchasing the item
minus
Initial eBay listing fees
minus
Percentage fees after item sells eBay fees (if item sells)
minus
Cost of shipping materials (if item sells)
minus
PayPal fees (if you use PayPal and if item sells)
minus
Cost of gas to drive the item to the post office or FedEx etc (if item sells)
minus
Actual cost of shipping an item (take this from your shipping receipts after you mail your
package if item sells)
equals? $$$
2. Know the Cost of Selling. Conduct research of eBay and PayPal rates.
EBay rates include how much you pay to post an item and how much you pay once/ if an item
sells. EBay bills you monthly seller fees based on your sales per month.
PayPal is the preferred method for eBay buyers and sellers to transfer money. PayPal acts as
an intermediary between you (the seller), your bank, and the eBay buyer and their bank. Money
electronically moves from the buyer’s bank account into a seller’s account. You and the buyer
must sign up for PayPal and link it to a bank account before you can use it.
PayPal takes a percentage of your auction earnings for the privilege of using their services and
takes their fees from you for each transaction.
3. Look at past eBay sales to determine the auction worth of your items. Actively check
completed items on eBay. This will give you an idea for how much similar items sell, and if they
are actually selling. Stay competitive with your pricing. You should not ask for an unreasonable
amount as the item probably will not sell.
My son is a great example. He wanted to sell his baseball card collection and looked up active
auction items. He saw a similar card listed for $100 on eBay and was convinced he would get
that price if he listed his. I showed him the same item in the eBay completed items section. The
card sold for $20. No one was buying these cards at $100. He wasn’t happy with me but we
saved some disappointment by researching the item sale history before we listed.
You should consider actively use this eBay feature.
To research completed items you must have an eBay account and you must be signed into it.
Completed items are a checkmark box option in the advanced options tab and prices show up
as red and green. The red did not sell, the green sold.
Completed items only go back two weeks, however, so it may be worthwhile to research
regularly. You may see the price go up and down throughout the year and selling when the
price is high will mean more money for you.
A while ago a new Nancy Drew movie came out and the selling price for vintage Nancy Drew
book sets listed on eBay doubled for about a month. They normally sell for $150-$350 but
because of the movie they sold, for a brief time, from $700-$900. Nice, although I had already
sold my set and I wish I’d had another.
4. Find your niche. A lot of people specialize in certain types of items on eBay. They do their
research and find items that sell well. There are collectors of baseball cards and Three Stooges
bubble gum cards. Some people collect antiques and college textbooks. Find the items you want
to sell and hopefully they will sell well.
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Good eBay pictures most likely require knowledge
of photo editing techniques
It's not as much about getting the picture right when you take it, but more about being able to
use PhotoShop to edit, crop, rotate, and perhaps lighten it up an image. Be careful not to
misrepresent or change your image when you photo edit. These images were taken on a
desktop in a nice sunny room. Be a little creative--you do not need a huge investment in a
photo studio. Some nice digital camera equipment and a few good lenses is recommended,
however.
Unedited eBay auction images
Click on any image to see a larger version of the images
of photo editing techniques
It's not as much about getting the picture right when you take it, but more about being able to
use PhotoShop to edit, crop, rotate, and perhaps lighten it up an image. Be careful not to
misrepresent or change your image when you photo edit. These images were taken on a
desktop in a nice sunny room. Be a little creative--you do not need a huge investment in a
photo studio. Some nice digital camera equipment and a few good lenses is recommended,
however.
Unedited eBay auction images
Click on any image to see a larger version of the images
Edited Images
These are better than the
unedited images. I cropped
the image so they are
easier to view. You can see
the brand name and the
detail on the front and back
of the image.
These are better than the
unedited images. I cropped
the image so they are
easier to view. You can see
the brand name and the
detail on the front and back
of the image.
