What are some great eBay tips?

it’s all about your tags – as diverse and creative as possible, and include misspelled versions of the key words… Also good, quality pics – aesthetics can make ya or break ya

You mean like be funny creative? Or, am I trying to get as many hits as possible? How many days should I let it run for?
For clothing, do I really have to add all those stupid adjectives like emo, indie, etc.?

What nocountry2 said, but also, always describe the condition and quality of the item in detail – that’s something I always look for if the item isn’t brand new…...and ‘as new’ isn’t very descriptive.

Use the eBay calendar to figure out which day is best to list your items. You should use 10 days, however I’ve heard that unlike eBay Australia, eBay America will charge you (so figure out if it’s worth paying extra for 3 extra days of exposure). When you know what day to list them, the best time to list them is in the evening around 8 o’clock. This means that the item will be at the top of searches (which shows items in order of time they will end) when the most people will be on.

Always have a picture, and also use “gallery view” (so the image shows up in eBay searchs).

Put as many relevent words in the title, as long as it still reads properly. Put the most important words (the name of the item) in all-caps.

Also, as much of a poorly-designed and clunky program it is, if you are listing many items, I would recommend download Turbo Lister. It’s free, and is less time consuming than using the form on the eBay site. Plus you can just copy + paste items if much of the info is the same.

Use any of the “item specifics” that eBay lets you use, as it will help people find your item (these are the details that appear in the box above your item description).

Don’t overcharge for postage. Best is to use the postage calculator, so people close by don’t have to pay the same amount for postage that a person on the other side of the country would.

A few other things you’ll want to consider:

- Calculating a reasonable handling fee. You’ll add this amount to your shipping cost. Selling on eBay is no fun if all the time you spend isn’t worth it – unless of course you’re doing it for your own amusement. :) And if you choose to use the shipping calculator (as jonno mentioned), consider buying a scale to have on hand. You can find good scales at reasonable prices here. And to incorporate your handling fee, just list your item as weighing slightly more than it actually does. You can play with the calculator to get that part figured out.

- Also, however, (as jonno said) you want to be careful of charging too much – there will be new seller guidelines after May 12. EBay is cracking down and you’ll want to read up (fee avoidance, etc.). Basically not a problem if you’re reasonable, but buyers DO look for the best shipping price. Just don’t lose your shirt.

- Don’t waste space in your item description with silly words or things like L@@K!!!, Nice!!, WOW, they just waste space. Many buyers search by title – you’ll want the most important item info to be in your description (gender, size, brand, etc.).

- Put in your order for boxes and envelopes thru the Shipping Center or USPS.com. They send everything right to your door for FREE. You’ll just need to supply yourself with everything else to finish the packaging process.

- Print your labels online via PP whenever possible. You’ll get free delivery confirmation with all Priority packages, and pay on .18 on First Class packages (as opposed to .65 for both at the PO). You can schedule carrier pick-up (as long as you’re mailing at least 1 Priority package) – which means no trips to the PO, so you’re saving on gas!

- Another great option for seller software is Auctiva. It’s completely FREE, very user-friendly, and will save you loads of time. I’ve never used Turbo Lister, but with Auctiva you’ll never pay for additional pictures (which are very important for a more detailed item description). There are also numerous other VERY handy listing features. I can give you additional tips for using Auctiva if you like – just pm me. Once you get your Auctiva account set up and familiarize yourself with the site a little, it’s a total breeze.

- Stick to US shipping only (for a while). Shipping internationally can sometime be a little tricky, depending on destination.

- If you have ANY questions regarding eBay policy, etiquette, etc., head to the Answer Center. It’s a wonderful source that covers EVERY aspect of eBay.

- I would also suggest making a number of purchases yourself before getting started as a seller. If you haven’t done so already, it will give you a better idea of how things are done, what is expected by the buyer, etc.

If you have any other Qs, just holler.

Thanks a lot everyone!