SELL ON EBAY TODAY!

E-BAY, THE OH-SO-EASY WAY!

eBay is fantastic! What a wonderful way to stay home and make money! And you can start with selling items you already have around the house. We have written an e- book about our experiences and more details about the 30 ideas for success listed on this page. Our book should be on-line in the near future, called "Easiest Way to Go eBay". When it is ready, we will offer it on this lens.

How to get started selling? I began by listing one of my old purses, a porcelain plate, a figurine and a clock my husband inherited. They sold, and we were hooked! We have since sold many purses, old toys, books, razors, lighters, plates, jewelry, kitchen items, memorabilia, small antiques and a host of other things!
There is no end as to what will sell on Ebay!

But you ask, how do I get started? eBay has made it fairly simple for the novice, but we also have some handy tips from our own experiences and from our mistakes! We discovered things that make your item sell, and others that never work. We learned from doing it. We hope you will find help in our list of helps.

It takes about 30 minutes to activate your first item. You will need an e-mail address. Here are the initial steps: Complete the registration. It is simply answering basic name, address, e-mail address, etc. After you sign in and register, you then choose an item you wish to sell. It may be an item from your home, your closet, your garage, your back yard or none of these. The things sold on eBay are amazing! Take a few really good photos of your item You will need to store these pictures on your computer by storage card or scanner, so that you can download them to eBay.

In the top right hand corner of the eBay home page are several choices including Buy and Sell. Click on "Sell". This window will offer you several categories to choose from, so make your selection. Take a few moments and consider a title for your item so others will find it. Research what value your item has. Also decide how long you want to run the item. Do you want it listed by auction, or a fixed amount under "buy it now", etc. You can now begin your first description.

Many exciting new companies have been formed to assist sellers who sell on eBay. After you get started, you may want to consider using a hosting company.

We found that using a hosting service is one of the best additions we could make to our overall efficiency. To name a few: Auction Zealot, Auctiva, Pix Resizer, eBud, Image Shack, Village Photos, Inkfrog, Photobucket and many others.

You can also use companies like Hammertap and Terapeak to research your items or your products for sales value, market variables, etc. to help you increase sales.

We can only recommend a few of these because we have used them successfully: Auction Zealot and Auctiva both offer templates, listings, photo storage and other services under one 'roof', and they are not expensive. They charge a small monthly fee, but if you sell more than 20 items a month, it is worth the price.

Auction Zealot has really been a blessing. The format is very easy. The founder, the support techs and community group are great and will help you in every way possible.

Pix Resizer and eBud are very handy for reducing your pictures so they will download more quickly. Picassa is also useful, as it offers many tools to enhance your pictures.

If you want to explore the other possibilities, go to any search engine and type in "image hosting for eBay". You will find an ample variety to choose from.

When someone tries to sell an item on eBay without a good description, without a good picture, they are missing the point entirely.

People shop on eBay because they don't want to go the store. But in order to buy on-line, they need to see what it looks like from every direction - and they need to know the size and color and material and history and brand, and so forth and so on.

Writing a good description is fairly easy. Just ask the questions you would want to have answered if you were the buyer! Ask the who, what, where, why, and when. How big it is? What is its best quality or most outstanding feature? Is it old? Call it antique or vintage. Is it new? Does it have tags or no tags? People need to know.

The title is important, because this is how it is listed in the search engines. You want a clear, concise description with as many 'tag' or key words as you can include. There are some 50 characters in a title, so you can use several words.

For the very first item I listed I used this description:
"RARE, BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED, ONE-OF-A-KIND, METAL PURSE. This small but elegant dark silver handbag is in perfect condition and adorned with a sun figure of brass and copper. The purse has a metal clasp, hinge and chain and is lined in black velvet, which is also in excellent condition. The bag measures 6 inches by 4 1/2 inches, a good size for evening wear or for a young girl, but large enough to hold the essentials! The chain is about 34 inches long. Those who have seen the purse think it is probably from the 1950-60's. Please check my other auctions to save on shipping charges, I will combine all your purchases into one low shipping price, thanks. Shipping and insurance will be paid for by the buyer. Please e-mail me with any questions and thanks for looking. I accept money orders, cashier's check and Paypal."

I started it at a beginning price of $8.00; I charged $5.00 for shipping. After several bids, it sold for $78.00, and I was shocked!

Find a descriptive color. If it is light green, the color of limes, then call it lime green. If it is darker, maybe it is leaf green. If it is really dark, maybe it is forest green. If you don't know colors, call it "light" or "dark" or "medium" green.

If it is leather, say so. If it is fancy, describe it. If it has scratches or marks, you must tell it. Describe the flaws to the best of your ability. I have found that buyers so appreciate your honesty, they will often buy it, flaws and all! In fact, I just sold a purse that had several flaws. But it was vintage and leather and had character. The buyer said, "I can do character!"

Keep a measuring tape or ruler handy so you can measure it accurately. Whether it's an ashtray or a large purse, people want to know its size.

If it is old, research it as much as possible. One quick way to research is to go to the "buy" search engine, then go to "advanced search" and click on "completed listings". Under this heading, you may find items like the one you are selling. You will find how others described their items - and you will find what price they sold for.

Finally, shipping costs must be kept reasonable. Find out from the Post Office what their rates are, then locate several items of varying weights. Get a fairly large box with you. At the Post Office, weigh the different items inidivually in the box. Take notes. Write the costs of each and tape it to the item. When you get home, you'll have a visual of size and weight of objects. You don't have to ship free, although many do this. Buyers are willing to pay postage if it's within reason.

Start your price low, but don't give it away. If you have items that you really don't care about, begin them at 99 cents. But if you cannot afford to go under a certain figure, then start your item at that price. Just make certain that you are within reason of other similar items. After a few attempts, you will get the feel of it.

Finally, relax. I stayed so tense those first few weeks with eBay, I was a nervous wreck! I went through each auction like I was giving birth to my first child! If you have followed the above steps and feel you have it well-described, photographed and priced, then just relax and enjoy the auction! The best way to do eBay is to have fun doing it! Enjoy your sales - and perhaps you will make a fortune!

Payment by PayPal is SO easy!

When we first set up a PayPal account several years ago, we had no idea it would be so useful. When we buy something, we pay out with two easy steps. When someone buys from us, they pay out in two easy steps, which is actually only "click" and "confirm". SIMPLE!!!!

Setting up a PayPal account for selling on eBay requires a bank account, and a credit card. We set up a new bank account with $100 in it - which we always maintain. We never dip lower than $100. When you have sufficient funds in your PayPal account, you can easily transfer them into your bank account - with a delay of 3-4 business days.

Paying your eBay seller account fees is paid with those two easy steps, click and confirm. (eBay sends an invoice at the first of each month and asks if you want to pay by PayPal or credit card.)

Also, PayPal keeps a record of your sales, your fees, your payments, your income and outgo and your constant balance.

We LOVE PayPal. It is efficient, always current and oh, so easy!

Extra thoughts on selling:

There is a Seller Central Page on eBay, with a place for you to e-mail them with questions at the bottom of that page. There is another place for "help" at the top right hand corner, and through this section, you can click into "live" help by e-mail. Only the top power sellers have access to the eBay phone number.

The hottest items selling today? Ipods, wiis, digital cameras and Coach purses seem to top the list, but the list will vary radically.

You can use some pre-sets to state your preferences. You can say that you prefer to be paid in 2-3 days. They won't all abide by that and eBay won't enforce it, but it helps some buyers to pay more quickly.

We use PayPal, and have done so from the beginning. Yes, they charge a fee, but eBay has changed their policies and money orders are no longer welcome, so we tell the buyer up front that we only use PayPal. It has not seemed to bother anyone, nor have our sales decreased.

eBay urges you to be careful when buying from wholesalers. Some are scam artists and rip-off companies.

In the beginning, plan on selling only to the US and Canada, and perhaps, England, because PayPal will protect the seller in these countries. We found out the hard way. In the other countries the seller is NOT protected and PayPal rules in the buyer's favor most of the time.

Here are our first 30 ideas to make you a better eBayer:

**1. Describe your item accurately. We have never lied or knowingly misrepresented an item, but there were times in the beginning when we just didn't notice or didn't think some little flaw was important. It is! Describe every blemish you see! You don't need to exaggerate it, but just simply mention that it's there. If it is a bad imperfection, then do describe it in detail. Also, say "see photo" and then add a picture of the flaw to your listing. We have sold some things with some undesirable faults, but if someone is collecting this particular item - or wants it for sentimental reasons, the flaws may be unimportant to them.

**3. . Be totally, up-front honest! Never try to sell a "knock-off", a cheaper reproduction of the item, for the real thing. Some reproductions are allowed on eBay, but there are others that are no-nos!

**4. Google items that are vintage. There are millions of collectors out there, so you may well have or obtain something that someone will collect. Google that item. Find out who is collecting it and a bit of the history of it, then put it in your description. That often helps sell your item.

**5. Use "completed listings" to see how much a certain item sold for. If you have an old O Henry book you are considering for sale, go to the eBay home page search engine. To the right, you will see "advanced search". When you click that, you will see "completed listings". Type in your item and then search. The figures in green are the prices O Henry books sold for in the past. It will give you an idea of the value of your own book, and what you can expect to sell it for.

**6. Your customers are important. My dad was a salesman, and he taught me that the customer is always right. Now, we all know that isn't true, but it's a good thing to keep in mind. Treat your potential customers as though they're the greatest folks on earth, and you will improve your sales.

**7. Use Pay Pal. Using this protected method of payment simplifies your life. It will make payment easy for your customer and for you, and it gives you great records for your bookkeeping.

**8. Invite questions from potential buyers - and then answer them promptly. You don't have to publish the answer on your listing, but you may do so if it helps sell your item.

**9. Watch your prices and your costs of shipping. Don't start your item too high. Make certain the amount is a price within reason. Remember, there are probably several others just like yours for sale on eBay.

**10. Maintain a good inventory and set up an easy set of records for it. If I were to sell shoes, I would keep a record of how many pairs, what colors, what size, what style, what my cost was, and at what price I hope to sell them.

**11. Price your shipping costs at barely above what it costs you. This is not a good place to make a profit. You mainly want to come out even. Research prices through USPS.com. (But add a little extra, perhaps 50 cents an item, for tissue paper, bubble wrap, wrapping tape, etc.)

**12. Send invoices promptly. Don't make your customers wait around to hear from you.

**13. Manage simple records. We maintain a list of buyers' names, addresses, e-mail addresses, what and when they purchased an item. (cut and paste from invoices to make this list.)

**14. Use easy bookkeeping. Buy a spiral notebook or legal pad to keep an ongoing record of your sales. Always print out the Pay Pal detail sheet for that item. After shipping the item, staple the mailing receipt to that sheet. Great for backtracking!

**15. Minimize shipping hassles. Use free USPS boxes and envelopes - keep plenty on hand! Have bubble wrap and tissue paper and plastic grocery bags accessible. Put together a few items in a small tub and store near your USPS boxes. Items for this tub should include: both clear and brown mailing tape, scissors, small stapler, address labels, your personal address labels, paper clips, pen and pencil, tape measure, small postal scale. Because I cut and paste my buyers' list, I print their address labels as per invoice, then check them against the address on their Pay Pal sheet.

**16. Customers like nicely-wrapped items. The best feedback comments we receive are in the areas of how precisely we describe our items and feedback related to our shipping. They like fast shipping and packages packed with care. We carefully wrap our items in fresh tissue paper and cushion it with bubble wrap or plastic bags. We ship out items within two days of receipt of payment.

**17. If you ship internationally, check costs (we use First Class International) and you need customs forms on hand. We only ship to the US and Canada, so we keep only a small amount in stock.

**18. If selling on eBay becomes a business for you, set up a separate banking account, from which you will pay all your shipping costs. Now, remember that if you charge shipping costs on your item, then this money that you pay by check to the Post Office will be restored to you when the item is paid. (Check all shipping costs frequently at the Post Office, as they are subject to change.

**19. Which brings up a good point. Never ship an item until it is paid!

**20. Feedback is important. Feedback is a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" sort of entity, but it works...and it becomes important for buyers to research in order to discover how trustworthy you are as a buyer. You, in turn, leave good feedback for them, which aids their sales and prompts them to leave feedback for others.

**21. Ignore the sore-heads! In the beginning, our feelings were hurt and we got some raw deals. It happens! There are some people in this world in every business field who will tear you up and spit you out. But they are VERY few! Most of our customers have been wonderful!

**22. There may be some slow times on eBay, as with every other kind of business. But be patient. Use the down-time to check out prices; research new ideas, restock your inventory.

**23. Both eBay and Pay Pal charge fees for their services. Pay Pal extracts their fees from your items the moment your buyers pay for them. With eBay, you will receive an invoice at the end of each month, asking you to pay for the fees and other costs you incurred during that month - and they expect prompt payment.

**24. You will discover several ways to get help on eBay. First, There is a great network of eBayers in various community groups, plus good technical support from an array of eBay techies. There are eBay watchdog groups to prevent buyers from selling fakes. There are checks and cross-checks to prevent misuse and abuse of eBay.

**25. As with all huge companies, eBay has numerous eBay rules, all of which are listed somewhere on their vast website. But, they have made it quite simple for anyone to use.

**26. There are several self-hosting companies either affiliated with eBay or able to use the eBay format. You can take advantage of their individual expertise in areas of downloading photos, enlarging and enhancing photos, storage of photos, listing services, etc., etc.

**27. I don't necessarily follow this piece of advice, but strive to deal in small items. They are so much easier to inventory, to handle, to store, to wrap, to box, to mail.

**28. Never take the market for granted. Just as soon as you think you have a price fix on a given item, the market will change, and that item will be either devalued or go sky high.

**29. The easiest way to set up listings is to have all your items photographed, measured, and a brief description written about each one, complete with age, origin, manufacturer or designer, condition, size, color, material, etc.

**30. Unless you deal in new items, we suggest you do no returns. However, this depends on the item itself. If the item is expensive, and you wish to ensure your customer of its true value, perhaps you would offer the buyer a return (i.e., on the condition the buyer has proof that the item is a fake or that your description is way off base).

You don't have to be a pro to take a good photo for eBay sales. I am not a pro, and my photos are clear and precise and fill the bill.

With no training in photography, I simply bought a good digital camera and started shooting pictures. My camera is not expensive. It's a Canon Power Shot with 8.0 mega pixels and 6x zoom.The camera has a removable SD memory card which I use in my computer. This is important, because you need a way to move the photos from your camera to the computer.

My husband and daughter helped me arrange a "photography studio" which consists of a background (made from a wide window shade painted in a matte grayish-white), plus one standing floor lamp and one clamp-on lamp. I rarely need more light than these two lamps.

The window shade is spread across the seat and arms of a small arm chair near my computer, with a lamp on either side of the chair. This is my "studio".

Placing the item on the background, I turn on both lamps to see the item in its best light. On the camera, I turn the camera setting to "auto", turn OFF the flash, turn ON the micro image (for close-ups) and I am set to photograph. I may use a coin placed beside a button to show its size - or as in the photo shown here, a ruler to measure the height of the bottles.

Because I use a hosting service, I can add several photos without extra charge. However, eBay has specials from time to time where you can add a batch of extra photos for 25 or 50 cents.

We've always heard a picture is worth a thousand words. Buyers like to see what they are buying, so I accomodate them. Since I can afford to use more than one or two pictures,

Though in my initial eBay sales I took only one or two photos, now I take several for each item - from many angles. I believe it is worth a bit of extra time to take these photos, and the more pictures you take, the better and faster you become.

Before I give you the final steps, you might want to consider a picture resizing website, such as the one I use, which is PixResizer. If you will take the time to sign up with one of these, your photos will automatically be revamped to the correct size for eBay's downloads.

Finally, remove the card from your camera, insert it in the computer slot and begin your download. Save the photos into a new folder where they are now ready to be used in your eBay listing!

Successful sellers on eBay are not prone to defeatism. They don't cave in or give up easily!

My dad was a very successful salesman! He never sold on eBay, but the kind of attitude he had is the very kind we need for success on eBay! Daddy was a 'happy camper'! His nickname was Smiley. And his belief was that there was some person on this earth who needed what he was selling! And he wouldn't give up until someone bought it!

If Daddy was selling tires, he planned his daily schedule with this formula: "I have the product that one person needs. I just have to find that person!" And that's exactly what he did! He had a very positive attitude that his product would sell - because someone wanted it and he was simply fulfilling that need.

When you list your item on eBay, remember that this is a nationwide or can be a global network of sales (depending on which countries you prefer). Therefore, you can be confident that at least one person in this world wants what you have! So, list it for that one person. Make certain they know that it is available - and priced right. Tell them everything you would want to know if you were making that purchase.

And if it doesn't sell the first time, withdraw the item for two or three weeks. Then re-list it. You'll be amazed at how quickly something may sell to the next fresh set of buyers! If it doesn't sell this time, wait a month and re-list it again!

One of the primary virtues of a successful eBay seller is this: (Let it become your own formula!) "I won't give up on this item until it sells!"

Then, set your jaw, make up your mind and be firm about it! That's being a stubborn seller!

Celebrate your item's qualities, uniqueness or individual characteristics. Quite often, the variation in an item is what sells it! Plus, you get more visitors to your ALL of your items when buyers begin to seek particular qualities.

For instance: You have several old books to sell:

One book is from the 1800s and is a first edition. Exploit this fact! Lead with it; put it in your title and carry it throughout your description. Feature it in your pictures.

Another book is in pristine condition. Any older item in mint condition is worth more value and has greater market appeal. Use this information to its fullest. Show the well-cared for object in your pictures and describe its neatness in your description. Comment on it in your title, or perhaps use a sub-title for this one.

A third book is for children. This feature deserves special consideration. You will list it in a different category, or use more than one category. (Perhaps you can also list it in toys.)

Perhaps your book is not well-known, but is written by a beloved author. This information is valuable. Or maybe yours is a missing volume from a set. Also, the history or the information contained in your book might be vital to certain segments of our globe. Always think of your item as priceless - to someone!

Make certain that your photos carry the theme of your description. And show various sides of your object. For instance, photograph a book inside and out. Show its cover up close and from farther back. Show the spine (the side of it). Photograph the cover page with the copyright date.

Should the book be in less than good condition, show the flaws. Quite often, these very flaws will enhance the age or endearing quality of your item. But always, always be honest.

Remember this: If you will place high esteem on your item, so will your buyers!

PayPal is constantly simplifying their registration and sign-up, so you can easily and quickly become a PayPal user.

It's as easy as going to their website, PayPal.com, where it will ask if you are new to PayPal and give you a place to "sign up", Click on that. The next page is called "Create Your PayPal Account," a sign-up page where you will select your country and language as well as your choice of three kinds of accountsL Personal, Premier or Business. Personal is just for shoppers, but Premier is for people who will both buy and sell. Unless you are registering as a business, you will want the Premier account. Click on that. This page has a form with several blocks of information you will fill out, such as your e-mail, a password and your name, address, city, date of birth and phone. Beneath this information, there is a block to click that you have provided the necessary info and agree to their user agreement and privacy policy (which you can click into to read).

The user agreement sets out sections on subjects like payments received, violations, suspensions, etc. and ends with a glossary.

Use PayPal to pay in various ways:

*Shop onlineSpeed through checkout at thousands of websites.
*Send MoneyRepay a friend, contribute to a group gift, and more.
*Pay on eBayMake secure purchases on eBay.
*PayPal Plus MasterCardPay no annual fee and earn rewards points.
*PayPal Debit CardGet cash from your PayPal account.

Also use PayPal to get paid in various ways:

*Website Payments StandardStart getting paid online quickly and easily.
*Website Payments ProGet a merchant account and gateway all in one.
*Online InvoicesInvoice customers through email and get paid fast.
*Express CheckoutLift sales by adding PayPal to your website.
*eBay PaymentsReceive payments quickly for your eBay listings.

With PayPal, it is easy, free and convenient to pay others, to pay at auctions, to send money to your suppliers and creditors, make purchases on-line, transfer money to your bank.

You can also receive money from goods returned, for services, for eBay items and other non eBay auction goods.

Merchant Services are many. With PayPal, you can send invoices, print labels, keep tabs on sales, keep account of monies earned as well as both income and outgo. It has calculators for both shipping and tax, plus ways to keep track of purchases, refunds and disputes.

Yes, PayPal charges a nominal fee for all transactions, but you may discover that the convenience and simplicity is worth the price!