My eBay Selling Guides

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I want to try selling online?"
If you have, you may find one of my guides to selling online helpful. I have been selling successfully on Ebay for over 5 years!  




PART ONE

We will start with selling on Ebay:


Even though Ebay has changed a lot, you can still do well, if you understand how! I have been selling on Ebay for a couple of years and have learned a lot on how to sell online. Ebay gives you different options, either selling with or without a store.


The way I sell on Ebay

My eBay ID is buttonannies

You can take a look at my listings and feedback any time. :)

Everything I have for sell is on hand and ready to ship, I personally choose every item so that I know exactly what my customers are getting.
I Do Not use dropshippers, I have heard plenty of horror stories from other sellers to know that I will stay far away from them. There are a few sellers who do have success with them, but I will not take a chance on them. (JMHO)

With that said, let's get started with some basics of selling online:

First get a piece of paper and jot down the niches you are interested in - clothing, toys, electronics, jewelry or a little of everything.

Next, do some research on Ebay, search for the products you want to sell and see who all is already selling them and for what prices they are selling for or if they are selling at all. This gives you an idea of whether or not to go with this niche.

I list clothing, shoes, handbags, toys, accessories, homeschool books and a few other things on Ebay.
Everything I list usually sells pretty quickly but there are some items that sit for a while before they sell, I will move these to Auction after a month of not selling at fixed price. I do this because after a month the relisting fees start to eat into my profits. 

Where to get your inventory...



There are a lot of ways to build inventory:
  • Buying end of season items on clearance at department stores.
  • Estate/Garage/Yard Sales - (if you know what to look for.)
  • Second hand stores - (Name Brands)
  • Other sellers auctions - (Hidden Auctions)
More On 'Hidden Auctions'


Hidden Auctions are where sellers list their items incorrectly, whether it be misspellings in the title - misspelled Brand Names, or leaving the Brand Name out completely, really bad photos or they are simply uneducated in listing correctly. Either way you can benefit by buying low and selling high. :)

One Note to keep in mind, always check how much the seller is charging for shipping, sometimes the price is great but the shipping is outrageous, pass on these auctions, you won't be able to recoup the shipping costs.

Brand Names

Here is a list of Brand Names that sell well for me:
  • Gap, Baby Gap, Gapkids
  • Baby Lulu
  • Billabong
  • Cach Cach
  • Greggy Girl
  • Gymboree
  • Hanna Andersson
  • Hurley
  • Carter's (Clothes and Loveys)
  • COACH
  • Hollister
  • Juicy Couture
  • Kelly's Kids
  • Lilly Pulitzer
  • Oilily
  • Quiksilver
  • Ralph Lauren
  • Roxy
  • Stride Rite (shoes)
  • Volcom
High Quality Photos

If you are not experienced with a camera, take the time to practice taking pictures (of anything) both close up and as a group then load them onto your computer to see if they are clear and sharp. When you can consistantly take great pictures it's time to start taking pictures of your items!
Remember to take pictures of special features and details like embroidery on the pockets or anywhere else, the label showing the Brand Name etc... 

To make my listings stand out and look professional  I use SELLER SOURCEBOOK - http://www.sellersourcebook.com/ - they have all the tools and templates you need to make your listings stand out. They have a getting started guide on their website to introduce you to everything they offer to create your listings. They are very reasonable at about $8.00 a month. (This comes out of my Paypal account monthly)
You can list as many pictures as you want for your listings without having to pay Ebay for each extra photo. (Only the first one is free, unless you have an Ebay store.)
All you have to do is fill in your information, load your pictures and copy the code they give you to insert into your listing. :) Easy Peasy!

Abbreviations Sellers Use on Ebay:

Ebay only gives you a little room when listing your title, so using these abbreviations saves you some space.
A lot of new buyers and sellers on Ebay do not know what these abbreviations mean. Use them in your title but let your customers know what the meanings are in your listings.

  • NWT - New With Tags
  • NIP - New In Package
  • NIB - New In Box
  • NWOT - New Without Tags
  • FS - Free Shipping
  • NR - No Reserve
  • EUC - Excellent Used Condition
  • GUC - Gently Used Condition
  • GW - Gently Worn
  • HTF - Hard To Find
  • S/S - Short Sleeve
  • L/S - Long Sleeve
  • SZ - Size
  • S - Small
  • M - Medium
  • L - Large
  • OOAK - One Of A Kind
Writing your Title

I have found that writing your Auction/Listing title this way works best for me:
Brand, NWT (whichever fits your item), Size, Brand Line Name, Words that are special to your item.

Example:
Gymboree NWT 3 3T A Pop Of Daisies Girls Shorts

Writing Your Description



Remember that your customer cannot see or touch the items you list so describe them in detail such as color, size, brand, what kind of fabric - cotton, polyester etc., care - machine wash, dry clean. Then describe your item in a way that captures your customers attention, help your buyer feel like they are holding it in their hands.

Make your listings personal. Instead of writing "Gymboree shorts from the A Pop Of Daisies line are a size 4 and New With Tags" Word it this way "Your precious little princess will love these bermuda shorts from Gymboree A Pop Of Daisies line!! They are New With Tags and a size 4. These sweet shorts are a pretty yellow with tiny white and yellow daisies all over.  They have pockets in the front and feature an adjustable waist."
Then put what kind of fabric, measurements (Waist, Inseam), and care.
Just remember when you are describing your items to put as much detail as you can. :)

VERY  IMPORTANT

Be completely honest in your listings, if there is a small stain, tear, hole or any other imperfections make sure you put this in your description and take up close pictures of these so that your buyer knows exactly what they are getting!!



PART TWO

When to list your items

Coming Soon...