Selling tips on eBay?

RiCeBo1

RiCeBo1

CAGiversary!
I just started buying stuff on eBay, now I want to give it a try as a seller. Can you guys list some tips to make sure I do it right?

Oh yeah, when payments come in through paypal, how do I get those money? Can I deposit that money back into my bank account?
 
I think the best ebay auctions need to start at .99. People will look at it and be competitive.

Ebay says shipping matters but I think its combined price that smart shoppers will be looking at (high shipping should be fine and saves fees)

Of course if you are going to be a major seller some stuff that isn't popular will be bought for cheap. But when you put a starting price on something people are not usually as interested from the start.
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Oh and there will be some people who do not follow through. I went easy on them but don't. Just file a complaint on them if they ever pull that and get them banned. It's against the rules and wastes your time.
 
You should put up your own pictures instead of using stock photos.

When you get paid through paypal you can transfer the money to your bank account, have paypal send you a check, or leave it in the paypal account and use a debit card that paypal offers.
 
[quote name='RiCeBo1']How much do I pay to ebay to sell?[/QUOTE]
After it sells, about 10%

Selling locally can save you that 10% (in other words not using ebay)
 
But you can charge more on eBay than you could on craigslist, since people that go there are typically looking for steals and will try and haggle, so it's pretty much the same thing.
 
Paypal fees and ebay selling fees and listing fees you are looking at 10-13%. On a safe haven i just figure 15%. If your going to do International WATCH you shipping fees.
 
First off start by reading the selling policies. That will clear up most things that that you might be wondering about. Second visit the community forum boards, as this will give you better insight into how ebay actually works.

Since your going to be a new seller be prepared for paypal to put a 21 day hold on the money you receive. There are two ways to get the money faster, 1 is for the buyer to leave positive feedback (although it's not a good idea to bug buyers about leaving positive feedback),and 2 is for whatever tracking information to show that it was delivered (the money will be released about 2 to 3 days after delivery confirmation).

Here are some tools to calculate ebay and paypal fees.

http://www.rolbe.com/ebay.htm

http://www.rolbe.com/paypal.htm

And once you have access to the money in your paypal account you can transfer it to your bank account.
 
[quote name='lmz00']But you can charge more on eBay than you could on craigslist, since people that go there are typically looking for steals and will try and haggle, so it's pretty much the same thing.[/QUOTE]

Plus there are a lot more people that will see your listing on ebay
 
Depends on what you're selling. If you're reselling stuff it's really hard to make any money unless you have a huge margin (you bought something for $1 and can sell it for $50). Most of that money will go into all the fees, and shipping. Also it's really hard to be an independent seller on eBay because there's so many people out there that can offer free shipping, and most people can't do that and still make money.

If you're just trying to get rid of crap around the house, keep shipping in mind. Selling a snowboard online can be expensive to ship, and finding a box for that is a pain.

If you're selling a lot of stuff, it might be worthwhile buying some shipping supplies from someplace like esupplystore or uline.

Printing shipping labels on your own is usually cheaper than going to the Post office or UPS store or whatever. You will probably need access to a weighing machine though...

Also, make sure you have a good feedback record. If you have a feedback of 0, or anything lower than 100%, people will be hesitant to buy anything from you.
 
A buyer messaged me and offered me a Buy It Now price, and I'm actually up for it. If I end my auction, and set up a personal payment through paypal with the buyer, is eBay still gonna charge me? Also, what information do I need to provide to the buyer so I can get my payment? Just email address correct

EDIT: how do you make a "Buy It Now or Better Offer?" Also, the buyer advised me to just list the item as $10 and shipping as $170...is that against ebay rules or anything?
 
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[quote name='RiCeBo1']A buyer messaged me and offered me a Buy It Now price, and I'm actually up for it. If I end my auction, and set up a personal payment through paypal with the buyer, is eBay still gonna charge me? Also, what information do I need to provide to the buyer so I can get my payment? Just email address correct

EDIT: how do you make a "Buy It Now or Better Offer?" Also, the buyer advised me to just list the item as $10 and shipping as $170...is that against ebay rules or anything?[/QUOTE]

I don't use Ebay at all, but that just screams shady and something you probably don't want to do.
 
^ Precisely. Just do what rarelucky/rarebucky does. Buy cheap games with one account, then resell them to suckers at an outrageous markup using another account.

After you send them to VGA to get graded, of course.
 
Some solid tips so far.

I suggest starting at .99 too. More people will bid early and continue to bid. Good way to get more bids. I've only been screwed 3 times in 11 years doing this.

If you are making money on it, do free shipping. You'll get more bids. If not, and you're selling games, charge the max $4 to make up your fees.

If you shipping something big like a game +strat. guide or beatmania controller or something, set up shipping so they pay for what it costs you to ship. I've been taken to the cleaners a couple of times not knowing this.

For an average game in a DVD case + a bubble mailer weighs 4 oz.

Print your shipping labels. It's quick and easier than going to the post office, and you can mail it from your mailbox.
 
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