Do's & Don'ts of selling on eBay

Couldn't find this via search so if there is already something like this please direct me there.

I have only purchased on eBay, but have never sold anything. Just breezed through the guidelines on eBay, but wonder what helpful hints you experienced sellers can share. Perhaps a Do & Don't list for the newbie seller.

You can also email me if you wish...and sorry for this stupid question in advance. :wink:

Don't list pictures of shoes you're selling with your feet in them. Apparently, they violate "perversion" regulations and your auction will get pulled.

Other than that, make sure to say you only take American dollars. I had someone pay me with a Canadian money order once...

I've sold a few thing but I'm no expert. It seems Sven hit on one of the keys in an earlier thread today - adequate pictures. Well lit, clear photos from several angles. Close up photos of any damaged or questionable areas with something in the picture for a size point of reference (a dime or ruler, for example). People can't pick up and look at your item like they would in a store, pictures can really help.

Try to cram as many of these words in the listing title as possible:

Tiki, Shag, Mug, vintage, Gecko, witco, hula, eames, hawaii, pinup, rare, leetag, nude, antique, vantiki, modern, ceramic, and porn

That just about covers it all.

Good luck!
Buzzy Out!

LMAO...that might be false advertising, but dammit I'll do my best!!!

Thanks for the feedback so far. :)

I have two tips for you....

First..... simple and complete descriptions of the item for sale. Unless you are naturally a word-smith, keep it simple.

Second... lots and lots of pictures.

And having said that, quality still beats quantity. Crop your pictures to exclude as much of the background as possible. Use your Macro-Mode (or whatever setting your camera has) to get clean closeup shots of any areas of interest (damage or otherwise). And when taking your pictures, take lots from slightly different angles and then use the one that looks best after you have cropped it.

By all means stage your pictures in nice settings, but don't go nuts trying to get 'the perfect shot.' Good, clear, well lit photos make all the difference in the world.

Plenty of pics makes sense, but think about the cost of posting the photos too.

One good photo, cropped if necessary, is what will grab a buyer's attention -

keep in mind that extra pics costs extra dough - it may be of a benefit to you as a seller to state in your item description that extra photos could be sent to the buyer upon request.

I have done that in the past as a seller. Saves you a few bucks and works well for both parties.

Take notes and print all results for future reference. You will develop a feel for who buys what and who your competition is. In my specialized field of collecting (roller coaster memorabilia) I have cultivated personal relationships with each of my clients over the past ten-fifteen years. Sometimes you miss things...sometimes you score treasures - but there's always an audience when you go to sell things.

Below is an example of a "DON'T".

If it's something you expect that people will pay over $15 for, then put up a lot of pics. I personally don't want to have to write someone to give me more pictures of an item they are trying to sell and I don't want to have to send pics if I am selling. Maybe I'm just lazy.It isn't that much money to just put them all up.
Also, be VERY descriptive about any defects at all.

Lastly, if you're selling mugs, the key is not a ton of bubblewrap, but to pack in a lot of packing peanuts. This is what keeps it from shifting around in the box. Make sure you push it down in and around the mugs. It should take a bit of effort to close the box because of the extra peanuts you have put on top. I've only lost one mug so far and it was because I didn't put enough peanuts in. Luckily, I insured the package, which is even more important than tracking for items over $20.

Good luck to you!

How did you get that picture I took Mr. N!!!!

No worries on Tiki item competition from me. I am selling my GEM Electric Car and various musical instruments. I need to downsize so these items (I am releasing my death-grip on) must go. I need to start work on my garage conversion to a game room and need the floor space and bucks.

For the car...guess I would have to indicate buyer needs to pick up???

Thanks for all this great help. I was initially worried about security and having someone come to my house (so many Craig List nightmares), but am trying to keep an open mind.

On 2010-01-05 11:00, VampiressRN wrote:
I was initially worried about security and having someone come to my house (so many Craig List nightmares), but am trying to keep an open mind.

You could always meet the winning bidder/buyer at a coffee shop, or some place like that.

Tiki Kaimuki mentioned tracking and package tracking is a must! People suck and they love to say they never received things, this obviously prevents that but people still try until you tell them it was delivered last week and then they respond with "Oh it fell behind something or someone opened it and didn't tell me it was here." something like that. Also ship things out immediately if you can, if something doesn't arrive within 20 minutes someone will cry about it. :x

Say NO to eBay...their fees for sellers are rediculous.

Having sold a lot in the past (my old selling ID had a feedback score of over 2000) here's a few pointers...

1.Be prepared to deal with the most obsessive and mentally ill/challenged people you could have the misfortune to meet.

2.Always pack well and use appropriate packing materieals - don't send anything fragile wrapped in newspaper and little else... (as one seller did with four Trader Vics headhunter mugs I bought - suprisingly 3 of them arrived in one piece but the fourth was in smithereeens) - I've also received old 45 records in Pizza Boxes (with cheese still inside - Yum!) and a disposable diaper (fortunately unused, but possibly a comment on my taste in music!)

3.Insist on tracked shipping - Paypal chargebacks are rife, and without this they always favour the buyer.

4.Sell "Worldwide" - it's no more effort to post overseas, and so long as you pack well it's no less safe - it opens your sales up so many more buyers.

5. Always factor in the eBay/Paypal fees when listing items - it can soon add up.

6. I'd recommend that you only charge correct shipping (including packaging costs) rounded up to the nearest dollar or so - Additional Handling charges can put many buyers off.

7. There will always be someone who you cannot please / will never be happy with the item / want more from you than you can give - accept this is a fact, and don't take it personally. If someone threatens to use negative feedback as leverage to gain a refund when they don't deserve one - tell them to post and be damned. The odd negative comment in your feedback won't affect your sales, and so long as you respond to it in a calm and measured manner most prospective buyers reading it will be able to 'read between the lines'

Always include "as is" in anything that isn't new in package...even then. Ebay/Paypal favors the buyer in disputes but it's one more strike against unreasonable buyers if you can point out they were warned. Caveat Emptor.

Fantastic advice by all - lemmie add a bit of my own!

First off, I agree with the "post as many photos as you can" and the "eBay nickels and dimes you to death/photos are expensive", a GREAT workaround for this is using a fantastic bit of software called Garage Sale. It manages your auctions, and will let you post as many photos as you want on ebay without any fees. The software is only for mac computers, but I'm sure there is a PC equivalent:

http://www.iwascoding.com/GarageSale/

Second bit of advice I have is only accept PayPal payments, and ALWAYS ship with signature confirmation. eBay will hold your payment if you are a new seller until the buyer gets the package - and if you ship with signature confirmation you can enter the tracking # into ebay and the funds will be released as soon as the PO lists the package as delivered. Also, signature confirmation is required in order to take full advantage of PayPal's seller protection policies.

Have fun, and good luck!
Henrik

On 2010-01-09 13:20, VanTiki wrote:
ALWAYS ship with signature confirmation. eBay will hold your payment if you are a new seller until the buyer gets the package - and if you ship with signature confirmation you can enter the tracking # into ebay and the funds will be released as soon as the PO lists the package as delivered.

Wow, that's new since I started eBaying, back in the last century (1999).

..you may also want to try selling on etsy....... .20 cent listing fees and your item stays up online for 4 months for people to view.....when i first started selling on there i was skeptical, but over time it has proven to be a great way to unload stuff i could not sell on ebay and still be profitable....

I took 2 classes last fall from ebay. The instructor said that they now make it impossible to give negative feedback unless you try to work things out first with the seller. I bought something that was not as it stated, and I tried to leave neg feedback and the system wouldn't let me do it. ebay wants you to negotiate with the seller. I have found that you can leave positive feedback but put the bad stuff in what you write.

true..that's how people are getting around it.....

i got a real scumbag that owes me for something he won of mine on ebay....i find out later he has a habit of cancelling his payments when he finds the same item cheaper from another seller.....i guess this asshole forgot that when they send me a payment...paypal also includes their address...maybe next time i'm in town i'll stop by and collect in person.....heh heh.....

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2010-01-11 21:42 ]