I love this question. Though I've not sold as many items as 4000, I'm
an over-200 transactions veteran of eBay with 100% positive feedback.
A number of tips:
. Weigh your item (inside the box) and check your results with your
method of shipping before you start to list the item, so you will know
how much it will cost you to mail/ship. (I prefer to work with smaller
items that I can send priority mail, if possible. Bigger, heavier items
run the risk of arriving broken, and that can be a real hassle.)
. Sign up for delivery confirmation (not signature confirmation). It
doesn't cost very much, but it's important to be able to prove the item
arrived safely. Insurance is also a good idea if the item is over $50 in
value.
. PayPal can print off a label for you and deduct the amount directly
from your checking account. I also use USPS to print adhesive labels.
USPS doesn't offer you the opportunity to use media mail, but PayPal
does. Media mail is a whole lot cheaper, if your item qualifies. Most of
the shippers will pick up your item at your front door gratis with
enough notice, especially USPS.
You can order adhesive, 2-up labels to fit your printer many places on
the Internet. For example, here's one link.
https://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10052&categoryId=10000071&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10000002&top_category=10000002&WT.ac=10000071)
Here is a good explanation of Media Mail:
http://reviews.ebay.com/WHAT-QUALIFIES-AS-MEDIA-MAIL-know-before-shipping_W0QQugidZ10000000001868882
. Good photos are a great selling tool. Use several from different
directions.
. I set up a separate checking account for eBay transactions, as well as
other internet trans. I don't keep a lot of money in this account, in
case the account is ever compromised.
. eBay and Craigslist aren't the only good ways to buy and sell. I've
been told Amazon is really good too, and it doesn't charge listing fees.
There are also other such sites, such as half.com, etsy.com and ubid.com.
. Don't forget you can always donate items to Goodwill (you have to take
it to them), Salvation Army, Maryhurst or Habitat (they will come get
your stuff) and take the cost off your taxes. A good list of suggested
prices is on the Goodwill Website. All items must be in good condition.
Also, Locust Grove has a great book sale once a year, and they really
appreciate such donations.
Hope this helps,
Jane
On 5/21/11 3:58 PM, tom holloman wrote:
we use premier account. all transactions are personal.
On Sat, May 21, 2011 at 9:37 AM, Bill Rising <bris...@mac.com
<mailto:bris...@mac.com>> wrote:
On May 21, 2011, at 15:16 , tom holloman wrote:
> Aloha Bill:
> Carol and I have sold >4000 items on Ebay. It seems complicated
at first but there is a fast learning curve. One thing that helps
is to look at similar items and see how they are described and
what price they bring. If you have many item, selling manager is a
great help.
Did you tie your ebay account to a premier paypal account or do
you accept payments in another fashion? I'm curious, because the
paypal user agreement explicitly bans using the premier account
for personal use, which, of course, would be its only purpose for me.
Bill
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