Can you please tell me everything i need to know about selling on ebay!!?

Question

okay so my account is animallover131 i have 100% positive feedback and (7 previous buys)

Im thinking of selling on ebay. I need items that would give me a profit. Also i need help on everything about the shipping..labels..prices...boxes..calcul... Basically i know everything else! So please help!

Answer 1

Pick up a copy of eBay for Dummies (don't be offended...just the title of the book not an indication of your mental state). This book provides good explanations for doing business on eBay.

Answer 2

You can go to ebay for a tutorial on how to be a seller:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/newtoebay/get...

I will also add:

Be honest and accurate in your descriptions – One sentence descriptions are for lazy sellers. One paragraph should be sufficient for most items. Use lots of adjectives in your descriptions. Adjectives make prose and your items come alive. Without them, prose is dull.

Be professional - use good English with no spelling errors

ALWAYS include at least one picture, more pictures for higher priced items

GOOD Communication is a must - Always notify buyers when you mail their items. It is not only a courtesy you would want and expect but it is good customer service. After all, you are the 'President' of your 'company' running your business but using ebay as your medium.

In short, conduct your business so that it reflects well on you.

When you list an item, you choose whether it is to be a flat rate charge or a charge based on the weights of the boxed items. If you want to do your listings OFFLINE, download TURBOLISTER free from ebay. Once you have finished with your listings, you can upload them anytime or schedule a date and time when you want your auctions to start.

If you plan to sell on a regular basis, you can purchase an inexpensive postal scale on ebay for $15 to $20. I bought one several years ago and it still works just fine and is always in sync with the scales at the post office.

The links to the postal rates effective May, 2008:

http://www.usps.com/prices/welcome.htm

Regarding shipping methods

I suggest:

Any smaller, lightweight items that can fit in an envelope and be well protected can go first class mail.

Larger and / or heavier items are usually sent via USPS Priority mail. The greatest majority of items listed on ebay are mailed Priority Mail.  The REASON?  The BOXES ARE FREE from the USPS and they are delivered FREE to your doorstep!!!  You can either pick them up at your local PO but for a greater selection of boxes and to save gas, you can make your selections at the USPS website. Once your FREE order has been placed, the USPS will deliver your boxes FREE to your doorstep. Howya gonna beat that?

http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...

Beware of Media Mail- Thousands of ebay members are in violation of this postal regulation. Books, magazines, etc can be sent media mail PROVIDED they contain NO advertising. If the books/mags, etc. contain advertising, regardless of the items’ age, they CANNOT be sent media mail. The post office does randomly open media mail packages to catch violators. In addition, Media mail is ever so slow as it can take 7 to 10 days for delivery and in some instances up to 21 days. You will find buyers hounding you for their items when they don’t receive them in 5 days. Sometime it’s just best to use Priority Mail.  

Most mail in the US is moved by commercial air carriers. The USPS is the largest customer of the commercial carriers. When weight or space limitations have been reached on a plane, the low priority mail sits in holding areas until there is room for it on another flight, which, sometimes, can be a week or more.

I suggest you ‘go with the flow’ and use Priority Mail. It also is quick, 2 to 3 day delivery in most case.

People are increasingly complaining about the high cost of ebay and PayPal fees but consider this:  try establishing your own business and reach the tens of millions people that ebay reaches and find out how much your overhead is.  In short, the greater the potential market, the greater the potential for higher selling prices. I say ‘Kwitchurbellyakin’ to those complainers.

The only other thing, avoid selling ‘nickel and dime’ items. People who list and sell .99 items and items under $5 are wasting their time. Smaller, less expensive similar items are best sold as a group. More expensive, similar items are best sold individually.

Lastly, keep in mind that experience is the best teacher.  Start off slowly listing only one or two items and see how that goes for you. Once you gain confidence, start listing more items on a weekly basis. Good luck & happy selling!

Answer 3

Asking to know everything on ebay, is like asking to know every question that someone ask.

You can't explain it all to them.