If you have a lot of antiques, old books or other items that you're looking to get rid of, you might want to try to sell on eBay. An online auction marketplace eBay provides a venue where people sell everything from cars to sports memorabilia to vintage clothing and furniture. It's easy to sell on eBay and it might be a good way to clean out your house.
Getting Started on eBay
If you've never used eBay before, you might want to take a look around and maybe even make a purchase before you start to sell on eBay. This will give you an idea of how the system works and the wide variety of items that are available to buy.
Signing up for an eBay seller's account is free. To create the seller's account you must first be registered with eBay. To do this click on the registration form and fill in the required personal information. At this time you will:
- Choose an eBay user ID and password
- Verify your identity by providing credit or debit card information and/or checking account information
- Become PayPal verified
- Choose how to pay your seller fees
- Select the payment methods that you will accept for the items you sell
Opening a PayPal Account
If you do not have a PayPal account you must open one. PayPal is an online system that allows you to send and receive money without directly dealing with credit card transactions. A lot of people prefer to buy online using PayPal because it is safer than sharing credit card information. If you do not have an account visit PayPal to open one.
How to Sell on eBay
Once you've spent some time looking around eBay and tried your hand at an auction or two, it's time to get down to selling. Selling on eBay is actually a very easy process and the company provides you with all the help you need to get started.
- Click on the "sell" link at the top of the page and you'll be taken to a page that outlines all the steps and makes it easy for you to make your auction attractive to potential bidders.
- When you go to build your listing, there's a search box where you can input what you are selling, such as a 1900s antique table or a Coca-Cola figurine. The site will give you a variety of categories to choose from. Pick the one that is most suited to what you're trying to sell by clicking the checkbox next to it and then hit the "save and continue" button.
- As you continue with your listing you must choose the title of the auction. The title should be as descriptive as possible, because people often search for specific antiques or collectibles that they are looking for. Avoid misspellings in your titles, or you might not get any bidders because they will not be able to find your auction.
- You then provide a detailed description of the item. It is important to provide accurate information including measurements and any known flaws or damage that item may have.
- You also choose the starting price of your auction, how long the auction will run, the time you want the auction to begin and a reserve price if desired.
- Additional items you must fill in on the seller's listing form include information on shipping costs, areas where you will not ship and whether or not you have a return policy.
- Before you complete the posting, you'll want to add some digital pictures of the item you want to sell (or take film pictures and ask your photo processing center to give you copies on a disk). Pictures help items to sell on eBay.
The Importance of Pictures
In most auctions the photographs you include with your listing play an important part in the item's final price and in some cases whether or not the item will even sell. Your pictures should be of good-quality and show:
- Views of all sides
- All of the details of the item
- Any maker's marks, hallmarks or signatures
- Any identifying tags or features
- Any flaws or imperfections in the item
Tips and Tutorials on eBay
There are many helpful tips and tutorials on eBay in the Answer Center and Discussion Forums to help sellers in many areas such as:
- Posting a listing
- Doing research on eBay for pricing
- Learning how to figure out the various shipping costs
- Deciding which shipping costs to offer and how to add them to your listing
- Understanding the fees page so you know how much eBay will charge you for your auction
- Choosing the best selling format such as auction, buy it now, fixed price or eBay store
- Taking the best pictures
Fun and Profitable
Selling on eBay is a great way to turn your unwanted items into cash. Just be aware that not every auction listing results in a sale. Remember to always include your listing and selling fees in the price that you set for your items. Once you learn how to sell on eBay and make your first sale, you will find that it is a fun way to clean out your unwanted things and add money to your bank account.
