Sell Items on eBay

 

 

About eBay

P>Yes, it’s true. You can make money selling items on eBay. There are literally millions of people, all over the world, buying and selling items on what can be described as an online flea market, slash, retail store. Many people have discovered that eBay is a legitimate work from home opportunity. In fact, according to a survey conducted for eBay in 2005 by ACNielsen International Research, more than 724,000 Americans, at that time, reported that eBay was their primary or secondary source of income and another 1.5 million people said that they supplemented their income by selling items on eBay. In the first six months of 2005, eBay sellers in the United States sold merchandise worth approximately $10.6 billion.

There is a very wide range of people and businesses that sell items on eBay. For example, many artists don’t wait to be discovered. They sell their own paintings on eBay. Pawn shops have found that a lucrative part of their business is selling items that they’ve collected on eBay. Some skilled individuals work from home, and receive an income in full or in part, by selling their own creations such as hand made jewelry, clocks, figurines, and clothing. In contrast to the variety of items sold on eBay, there are relatively few things, such as human organs, which cannot be sold through the website.

So where do you start? Many people first begin selling items on eBay by looking around their house or apartment. They sell items that they no longer use, want, or need such as VCRs, film cameras, books, software, VHS or DVD movies, and name brand children’s clothing that is too small for their children, but still in good condition. They may even sell things that they collected as a child. Generally, these new eBay sellers realize that there is a market for many things that they considered to be “junk.” They find that the old adage ‘one man’s junk, is another man’s treasure’ seems to be true. For many people, selling items from around the house gives them the first indication that eBay is a real work from home opportunity.

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The next step people seem to take is to branch out and search for hidden treasures at garage sales, yard sales, estate sales, flea markets, and any where else they think that they can find items at bargain basement prices that they can resell for a profit. While good deals can be found in these places, searching for items in these places and can be hit and miss and time consuming. Not every garage sell will have something worth buying. And sometimes, what is purchased at a flea market for $4, may be selling on eBay for only $2. Numerous individuals at this point continue to see the potential of eBay as a legitimate work from home opportunity and move into the actual ‘business’ of selling products online.

After gaining experience by selling items from around their homes and rummaging through yard sales, many soon to be entrepreneurs increase their risk  /  reward potential by moving up to buying products in bulk or light bulk. These same individuals also give consideration to drop shipping as well. The advantage to buying in bulk or light bulk is that your actual purchase price per item is generally low enough to compete with other sellers and still make a profit. Drop shipping has potential and many eBay sellers find success by selling products this way. However it is much more difficult to find and sell items that have a purchase price that allows sellers to make a respectable profit.

Included in the decision about what products to purchase should be the price that the items would sell for when seller’s fees are added to the cost. As part of your research, you will need to learn about fees such as listing fees and final value fees that eBay charges sellers when they list items for sale on the website. Shipping and packaging costs should also be considered. Although sellers pass along shipping cost to buyers, improperly calculating the costs can cause a loss of profit. As well, an inflated shipping charge can drive many buyers away.

A very important part of selling items on eBay is feedback from buyers. Sellers can receive feedback that is positive, negative or neutral. The more positive feedback that you receive from buyers, the more your ‘reputation’ is solidified as a good seller and a trustworthy seller. In order to receive positive feedback, good communication, prompt shipping, quality packing and accurate item descriptions are needed. Too much negative feedback will greatly impact you ability to sell items on eBay and may cause you to be banned from selling at all.

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In the beginning you will be selling items although you have no positive feedback or a limited amount of positive feedback. During this time, it will be difficult for you to sell expensive items because buyers will not have any indication that they can trust that you will not take their money and run (which does happen!). eBay is not immune to scams and scam artists. Your best bet will be to sell items of relatively little cost until you begin to acquire positive feedback. You may want to consider receiving positive feed back from 20 or so separate transactions before you consider selling relatively expensive items. If you do start to sell higher priced items too soon, the lack of bidders or buyers will give you some indication that you need more positive feedback in order to gain the trust of the eBay community.

People who wish to work from home by selling items on eBay ultimately have to make decisions such as whether or not to sell items in an eBay auction or at a fixed price. They must consider whether or not it is more beneficial to own an eBay store or sell items individually. Most importantly, potential sellers must decide what to sell. Individuals who wish to make all or part of their income on eBay should thoroughly research the possibilities and pitfalls associated with selling online. All of this being said, it is quite easy to get a feel for eBay by registering and selling some personal items that you no longer need. Remember that many people from around the world have found eBay to be a successful work from home endeavor which allows them to make large and small amounts of money. Remember, research, trial and error are key to your success.