Selling on Online Auctions - Selling on eBay
By Abigail Macdonald

Almost everyone is aware of the big online auction site, eBay. There are other sites, but without doubt eBay is the biggest. Many of you may have tried selling your unwanted stuff on internet auction sites, and you may have been disappointed with the results.

It really is very easy to make a little money on auction sites. Making a full-time living is more difficult and it can be time-consuming, no matter how many people tell you it's money for nothing and takes ten minutes a day. These guys are probably simply wanting to sell you an ebook or eguide.

The very first thing you will need is an eBay account.

It is also useful to have a PayPal account. Despite the fact that you pay a small commission each time someone pays money into your account, it is a very easy way of making and getting payments online, and its free to join.

1 It is important to remember that you will need to pay fees to advertise on eBay, and then you pay them commission when your item sells, and you will pay a commission to PayPal to receive the buyer's payment. If you are buying to sell and you want to make a profit, then you need to set your price at 1.5 x what you paid for it.

2. If you are buying to sell, that makes you self-employed and you must register with the tax office and you must have a business seller's account with eBay

3. Read and comply with all eBay rules and regulations, or you may lose your account before you have even started!

4. The best way to start is by selling things you no longer need.

5. Decide upon a price. Browse through the eBay listings, and see how much similar items sell for. For example, books generally start at around 25p- 99p for paperbacks and up to 1.99 for hardbacks in excellent condition. Don't forget to work out the postage & packing which the buyer will need to pay; make sure that this covers not only the cost of the stamp, but also your packaging materials, sticky tape etc. Make your starting price as reasonable as possible, but ensure that it will cover all your listing fees, and make a few bob profit for you. Rly upon selling a lot of items at a fairly low profit at first.

6. A good picture makes all the difference in a listing. Get a decent digital camera (you might pick one up cheaply on eBay, as I did) and learn how to post pictures to your listing. Practise, and only post good photos - although they don't need to be of professional standard.

7. Decide upon a good title. The more words you have in your title, the more people are attracted to look at your listing. You won't attract many visitors by advertising "Book"; try "Beggars Banquet" by Ian Rankin. Hardback

8. Write a good description. Here again do a little research and see how other sellers describe their items. Please do not copy their listings; this is plagiarism!

9. Decide how many days you want the listing to run for. 10 days gives plenty of time for people to find your listing and decide whether or not to bid on it.

10. Tell people about your posting times, and when you will post the item; e.g. "dispatched within 2 days of receiving cleared payment". Never post an item until you have received full payment.

11. Set your terms and conditions. Again, a little research into other ebay sellers will pay off, or you can mail me for a "pro forma" T&C.

12. Try to list about 5 items per day to ensure a good flow of sales.

13. Don't pay extra for additional pictures or fancy templates! Use an auction listing tool such as Auctiva. It's free to use, and you get free templates and can host up to 24 pictures

14. Once you have sold your item, please make sure you pack it well and address it properly. Padded envelopes are ideal for smaller items. To add a little finishing touch, wrap it like a gift. Get some tissue paper from eBay, or use up wrapping paper left over from Christmas. It makes a big difference to the buyer, and promotes good feedback

15. Feedback gives buyers and sellers the opportunity to rate each other in terms of the transaction. The more positive feedback you can gain, the better it is for you and the easier it is to sell because prospective buyers can see that you have other satisfied customers. When you first start off, you will have no feedback at all, and sales may be slow. To build up feedback quickly, buy some low-priced items that you can use. If possible buy from sellers with a high feedback, because they are usually pretty reliable when it comes to giving feedback.

Prompt payment always impresses, so try to pay using PayPal - there is no charge to the buyer.

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