so i have finally got over my irrational fear of ebay and decided that i need to start selling stuff cause a) i have too much stuff that i don't need anymore b) i am so unbelieveably broke i have no idea how i'm going to pay my rent or school fees next month.

but i need some advice before i start cos i'm scared i'll screw up and i don't want a bunch of negative feedback.

what's your ebay selling routine? do you figure out the postage ahead of time, just estimate it, or say you'll figure it out when the auction ends? do you require mail insurance on all auctions? how long do your auctions usually go for? is it worth it to pay for the 'buy it now' option or listing in more than one category? how is paypal? is it okay to just use a personal account or do you need one of the other ones? (i'm confused by the whole 'personal accounts can't accept payments from credit cards)

i would really appreciate any advice from ebay pros. i'll post my auctions when i finally put some stuff up...

Ebay can be a great way to make money! It's always fun to check your auctions and see a new bidder. :) (can be a headache, too, like everything else) Ok. Here are my answers to your questions: (this may be toooooo long)

*Ebay Selling Routine:
-find items to sell at thrift stores, garage sales, own closet
-take pictures and load to server
-do research & find proper category to list
-write descriptions using the mr. lister free program from ebay http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/mr.html#1
-be very thorough with descriptions...better to describe worse than better. Always include measurements for clothes!
-I don't like buy it now, pain in the ass for me

*Postage, I only ship priority. That way you get all supplies free. http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/display_products/productCategory.jsp?cat=Business+Use&prodCat=/Shipping+Supplies/Business+Use/2.+Priority+Mail&BV_UseBVCookie=yes&appName=SSOL
Anything under 2 pounds is still a flat rate of 3.95 to all zones. For things over 2 pounds I put the calculator found at the following link in all my auctions. http://www.cgi-supply.com/zonalyzer/
-Insurance, unless it is a high dollar item, is a rip off. The post office will not pay out on most claims, especially ebay claims since it's very hard to prove value. In over 2000 sales I have had 2 items arrive broken and 1 item lost. They do a very good job, in general.
**note: be very sweet to your postal workers. Treats & thank you cards are not out of line...they will love you & not bitch when you come in with 40 packages.
-I normally list auctions for 7 days, starting on Sunday evenings.
-Paypal is kind of pricey but very worth it. You will need to get a business account so people can pay you with their credit cards, see their sites for fee structure. www.paypal.com

When I first started I learned a lot on the ebay message boards (you have to wade through all the bitching and moaning, though)>http://pages.ebay.com/community/chat/index.html

And finally, in case you're curious, here are links to a couple of my current auctions:
>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1761735365
>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=954456863

Finally, I am done. I hope some of that helps you. :)

hello,
i don't want to rain on your parade, but i felt the way you do a couple months ago, compunded with unemployment and fear of never having any $$, and so took the plunge. basically what i came away with: its a lot of work for not a lot of money, unless you possess those items which everybody seems to want (i don't really know what those things are). if you have a digital camera and like computer skills, you are probably better off than i am. lots of my stuff didn't sell, some sold for like the starting price (too low), and one skunk won an auction of mine but never paid up.
personally, i will never try this again, but if you have things you think will totally sell, are better with technical shit, and have an organized brain, you will probably do a lot better than i did.
(just my 2 cents)

I have only one experience and have learned a bit from it.
I put up for auction 4 items. A gorgeous no name "mandarin" style shirt, a cute floral broomstick skirt (no name again), a "granny/geek chic" lot consisting of 2 sweaters and a polyster floral print shirt, and then a North Face fleece vest. The only one that sold was the North Face vest. Brand names sell.
I have a feeling some people must attach brand names to their clothing just to get people hooked into looking.
Another thing---if you ever think that you will have a situation where you can't ship the exact day or day after the auction closes, be sure to include that in your listing or buying information. People get far more anxious than i recall getting as a buyer---i.e. 2-3 days after the auction closes the person emails you saying they thought they'd get their item by now etc...
Also, take very clear pictures of the item. I have a feeling my no name items had a harder time selling b/c the pics weren't as vibrant.

Keep in mind that you have an audience out there looking for particular things, teenyboppers are looking for the 'emo' look, housewifes are looking for 'shabby chic' stuff, the word vintage helps, it's all about details.

Edit - 'shappy' to 'shabby'

What is "shappy chic?"

I think "shappy chic" is what people are calling rusty, stained, broken crap that they sold as "shabby chic" before the woman who wrote the book "Shabby Chic" started hassling them. Just kidding, I just searched for "shappy chic" and came up with 0 listings! I think she meant shabby chic (7305 items listed currently).

I have three friends who support themselves through selling on Ebay. A digital camera is a must (or a scanner for flat items). My husband bought a really rare Vespa repair manual dirt cheap (less than $10) because it didn't have a photo with the listing. Another copy sold for something like $80 and it did have a picture.

heh! Sorry, yeah I meant shabby chic.
Here's an example, I bought about 7 wire baskets at the Swap Meet at the Sports Arena for a buck a piece and listed them on Ebay (I arranged the basket with shappy chic looking fabric around it) and got a tons of profit. >http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=885486554
I hope this picture still shows up. Anyways, last month we made over a thousand in profit.

I agree with VespaBelle, you could have the crappiest item but with a good digital camera it looks 10 times better.

I've only sold a couple of skirts and a top on ebay but I plan on selling more stuff after I get settled down. I had positive experiences with them all, though I only made a small profit. But lately I've been finding such good clothes at thrift stores that I'm inspired to try it again. I don't have a digital camera so I got my pictures developed on a cd and uploaded them that way.

what's your ebay selling routine?
-I host my pictures at andale. This is only a good deal if you are doing lots of auctions (at least 20 a month.) I like it though, because I get really good looking auction templates, I can set what time I want my auction to start, and they have a postage calculator your buyer can use.

do you figure out the postage ahead of time, just estimate it, or say you'll figure it out when the auction ends?
-I've always had buyers pay exact postage, but managed to miscalculate on my last two auctions, and lost money! So, I may go to flat rate postage. You can also calculate postage at the usps site: http://www.usps.com.

do you require mail insurance on all auctions?
- I extend an offer of insurance, but I don't require it.

how long do your auctions usually go for?
- I opt for the 7 day auction. I don't think the 10 day auctions are worth the extra fees.

is it worth it to pay for the 'buy it now' option or listing in more than one category?
- I've had buy it now work for me -- I once sold a painting before I even got the confirmation form eBay that it was listed. I usually don't bother, tho.

how is paypal? is it okay to just use a personal account or do you need one of the other ones?
-PayPal is great. You can probably get away with a personal account at first. I have a premium account. I have a paypal ATM card where I get cash-back, so that helps cut down on fees.

I have a good digital camera for pictures. I have also, in the past used a cheap polaroid digital and a webcam, and had pretty decent sales with those as well. If you have a friend with a digital camera, ask if you can borrow those while you get started.

Good luck & let us know when you have your auctions up!

Lara

Hi
i've got quite a lot to say on the subject, but will try and narrow it down. I just took a two-month break from doing ebay, although it's one of my main sources of income, because I was totally sick of dealing with it. Having said that, it has it's pros and cons.
I agree with a lot of what everyone else has said. (some) Buyers can be a pain in the ass, but it's better to just grin and bear it and be super polite and helpful. At least some of them appreciate that.
It's true. Brand names DO sell way better. You will learn with time what people want, and other times, you'll be surprised what does and doesn't sell.
Pictures make all the difference. The clearer the better, including extra pics of interesting details.
I upload my pictures onto a host i use for other webstuff - that way I can make them bigger than the standard ebay ones and they're free.
The more description you give the better. Choose your keywords for the title carefully.
I think buy it now is well worth it, but it depends on the item. it's only 5c so i use it on 95 % of stuff. I also almost always use the gallery pic as I've found that it makes a difference. Feel free to email me if you have more questions. stylishgear@hotmail.com. Good luck!

Ebay is great, but it can be a pain in the arse. Definitely start with just a couple of things, don't put like 20 things up and then end up sending them to the wrong people. Make sure you have boxes ready to go for when the payment arrives, so you can just ship it right away and not procrastinate.

My husband found a watch for practically nothing and it just sold for $355. So... yeah, eBay works. On the other hand my Pyrex only fetched a paltry $3.75 and I paid $3 for it, not even worth the trouble.

Oh, and eBay charges to post photos after the first one. You might want to find a free picture-posting service.

Susannah

one thing i've done is paste two pictures together in photoshop & save as one file. then i had two different views of the item but didn't have to pay for the extra picture.

a friend of mine just sold a blythe doll for over $800. she bought it a couple of years ago for $50. if you happen to have one, they are super-hot right now . . .

thank you all for your advice/stories. you are guys are awesome! i checked out the ebay boards but i didn't want to ask anything cos it isn't the friendliest environment.

i'm feeling kinda weird about the whole thing. i mean just want to get rid of some stuff i already have, not start doing it as a business but getting it set up and getting to the post office and downloading programs and finding an image host etc. makes it seem like if i'm going to it at all i might as turn it into a little business!

i'm sorta stupid about most computer stuff, even really easy stuff. i do have a digital camera though.

i'm kinda worried that people won't buy what i'm selling. i'm planning only to sell stuff that's easily shippable and that has never been used or is in really really good condition, most of it kitchsy or vintage. everything else i'll unload at buffalo exchange, vintage stores, the swap meet or just donate to the thrift store. so far i have gathered up some old pulp novels, vintage purse, kitschy car air fresheners, drawer pulls, a frame, pillow people patterns, vintage knitting books...and that's just the stuff i have at my boyfriend's apartment!

i think i'm going to go for a paypal personal account, because i don't have a tax id and don't want one (yet, at least). should i explain that i can't take credit card payments through paypal or is it just understood if i had the paypal logo without all the credit logos with it? do you think it will decrease the number of bids i get if i don't take credit payments? (pretty much everything i'm going to sell is going to be in the $20 and under range, much of it even under $10)

My husband makes his living selling on eBay... it's a great way to make money.

I usually have the buyer pay for shipping, and figure out the exact postage once I have their shipping address. If you have the zipcodes for the origin and destination you can figure it out on the Postal Service website in a matter of minutes.

Most customers prefer Paypal, because it's easier for them, but bear in mind that they do charge a fee. I actually prefer checks and money orders on the more expensive items.

I only insure things that go for $10 or more; otherwise it's less trouble to just refund the money if something goes wrong. I ALWAYS get delivery confirmation, though, so I can check if the customer says it "never got there."

Good luck!

PayPal doesn't charge a fee for a personal account. Lots of people keep money in their paypal accounts, so you shouldn't lose too many bidders that way.

As far as I know, you don't need a tax ID to get a PayPal Premium account. (That's the account that I have, because I needed to be able to accept credit cards for another purpose.)

Hope this helps!

Lara

i think a lot of what determines if an item will sell (besides good pics) is the title. my sister tried ebay for a little bit, but her titles needed help and it showed in the little $$ that she would get for some really cool stuff...
try going for descriptive, "popular" words...words like "cute, rad, beautiful" aren't really words people do searches under...instead try "vintage, emo, etc.." also once you've done some ebay for awhile, i think you build up a customer base...people that keep coming back because they like the "types" of items that you sell.

good luck!

I have sold lots of things on ebay, I always have a good experiances. I sold a dress i got for 20 bucks and sold it the other day for 50. I just make sure i take lots of pictures and describe things accurately. Also I always start the bidding at a price I wouldnt mind selling it for. That way i dont feel screwed if i only get one bid.

i'm also considering ebay -- i think i'll give it a shot soon. this site isn't about ebay alone, but looks like it has a lot of good basic info for online auction sellers:>http://www.auction-sellers-resource.com/auction_sr/index.shtml

edited to say: i did a yahoo search as follows and came up with some interesting info on what's collectible, antique values, etc.: +ebay +profit +popular collectible
i think there were 400 hits on that search. leaving off collectible, there were 63,400 hits, i.e. lots of infomercial type sites but some good stuff. http://www.auctioninsights.com/ has some good info. i didn't check it out completely, so it may be a site that also wants to sell you "secrets of ebay" type books, reports, etc. this page of their site is particularly useful i thought:>http://auctioninsights.com/sellers.html

okay just a few tips...I use www.sphosting.com for my picture hosting...it's relatively fast...also, if you want to put a bunch of words in your description for people to find your item by just make the font color white or whatever color your background is you would do it by typing this in at the end of your auction :
<font color=white>punk emo goth raver rockabilly vintage emoish rocker punkrocker grrl boy boi skater</font>


**edited to ask : Vicky...what do you guys sell on ebay?**

Do you need a credit card to start an ebay account? and does anyone claim their profits for selling in their taxes? Just curious! :) Dre xo
**edited to ask: what exactly is emo?---feeling a little lame---Dre **

emo is short for emotional...which is used in describing a type of soft melodic punk-ish type music...and used to describe the people who listen to the music (black thick rimmed glass/moppy hair/tight thrift store shirts/dickies/converse are the general thing associated with emo boys/girls) And yes, you need a Credit card if you want to sell...you dont need one to buy...at least when I signed up you didnt.

It's not like you can quit your full time job and just live off of your ebay sales, but it is a fun way to make a little bit of money on junk that would just be sitting in your closet or basement anyways.

My selling routine in the past is to have a large amount of auctions going on at once (the last one was over 100 different listings at once and I do not recommend that! Start small and don't list more than you can handle.) a few times a year. It was usually when my closets got too full or when I notice I have about 20 "different" black skirts that I paid good money for yet never really wear any of them but one.

If you can't figure out the exact postage ahead of time, be sure you do it before you email the high bidder for the final amount. The last time I accidently was off by $5 and when I emailed the bidder again to correct the amount (it was the same day, only hours later) she threw a huge hissy and said I was a total jerk for wanting more money, when all I wanted to do was not have to eat the shipping costs, which I did in the end. Plus she blasted me all over the message boards and told no one to ever buy from me again...bitch...

No mail insurance required with me. I've only had a problem once and it did me no good because aparently you need a receipt to prove the cost that you paid for the item and since it was an old skirt the buyer was SOL. But that was the only problem I'd ever had in 4 years.

How long do the auctions last? I usually do 7 days, 5 others, but usually 7.

Don't use "buy it now" for everything, I have used it a couple times sparingly when I thought the item would sell fast, sometimes it did, others it didn't. I probably wouldn't use it now though, but it is a possibility.

I've never used paypal but as soon as I am able to get ready for my next batch of auctions I plan to sign up. I've heard that it really makes things easy and since I never accepted it before, I would always get annoyed emails from bidders saying, "I thought you accepted paypal but since you don't it's going to take me a few days to get a money order." Be firm though, don't let the winning bidders push you around. When I say "10 Business Days" I mean it.

I say give it a try and have fun. My best ebay story: found a fabulous pair of vintage 70's platform shoes at a thrift store for $3 but alas they were a size too big and were ridiculous for me to try to wear (platform shoes that don't fit are just an accident waiting to happen) and in the end I sold them on ebay for a cool $48. Although don't expect them all to turn out like that, I had a really cool delia's-esque party dress that cost me originally $60 that I was only unable to unload for $25. So, it comes and goes but in the end I figure you get your closet clean and have some spare change for gas money or to see a movie.

just my twelve cents ....

I've been an ebay member for 4 years and mostly buy stuff, but it's been getting costly (!) so lately I've been selling a few extra things to pay for my ebay buys. I collect lip glosses, so a few months ago I cleaned out and set up four auctions. I ended up making over $225 and I only paid about $150 (I think, this was collected over a year or so). So, it was a good deal. A few tips:

- DEFINATELY figure out the cost of shipping beforehand. I had the same lady win all of my auctions and didn't anticipate the weight of the package. I charged her $4 for shipping, and it ended up being $12. Ouch. Make sure you point out if combined auctions mean more weight, it means more shipping.

- Paypal: Make sure you mention you can't take credit cards through paypal. I don't think it will detract people from bidding, I don't use a credit card with paypal anyways, so it doesn't detract me. =) Most people have personal accounts anyways, so it shouldn't be a problem. If you're going to be selling lots of stuff, you might want to look into the other options.

- Definately get a digital camera and some image editing software. I have a pretty good camera, but a lot of times my pictures come out too dark, so I use Paint Shop Pro to lighten them up/crop/etc.

- As a buyer, I personally like buy it now if the price isn't too absurdly above the starting price. It always seems that at the last minute I'm outbid. But, if you really want to see how much you can get for an item, don't use it.

- Find a post office with nice people. I drive a little bit further to go to one with people who don't gripe at me when I bring in more than a few packages. Also, don't forget to be nice to them. =) Ask them the times when they're least busy and try and go then so you don't have to wait in line forever. And remember, everything over 2 lbs. (I think ... maybe it's something different?) has to be checked by post office personnel. I made the mistake of just getting stamps out of the machine and had it sent back to me to take in. Don't forget to mention your shipping days in the auction if you only go once a week. People get pesky.

- In the title, put words that get searched often. For example, if you're selling a black skirt that looks like something that would be sold at Gap, put "like Gap" and then it will come up when people search for Gap. More exposure.

Ummmm ... that's all I can think of right now. Sorry, lack of sleep. Damn college and work. Good luck with your auctions! =)