Ebay.........No Idea????

freebyfifty

It appears that I have been living in a cardboard box for many many years and have just decided to sign up to ebay to make some much needed funds. I haven't really got a lot to sell but I would really appreciate peoples help on what sells best.
I have several hundred books that I have read once and will probably never pick up again but looking through the site it appears they don't sell very well :think:
I am planning to trawl the house today but would be very grateful for any tips anyone has.

Thank you x

freddysmith

Take photos, described accurately, use free auction style listing weekends like today/tomorrow.
Research what similar items have gone for on Ebay
Account for the fees and postage, maybe stick to the UK market at first.
There really is so much to learn and come back here with any problems for these nice helpful people to answer.

vintagebrighton

I wouldn't stick to the UK market only at first. There isn't really any problem with international selling unless you're selling iphones or something. Don't think s/h books and clothes will attract too many scammers Looking up international postage is as easy as UK and you have to have an idea of the weights of things anyway, wherever you're selling. I'm assuming you have paypal set up already as thats essential for ebay these days.

As for what sells best......... how long's a piece of string? I'm guessing winter clothes and gifty type things are selling well right now. Named/branded goods always sell well, materials and craft stuff. DVD's, videos, CD's have never sold well for me but that might just be that people think my taste in films/music is awful! There's an ebay selling guide on here is you look at the top of this thread - that's got loads of info in it. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

amcluesent

I have several hundred books that I have read once and will probably never pick up again

Amazon is best for books IMHO. Buyers think Amazon not Ebay for books and your stock can be listed for £0 and stays up until sold.

freebyfifty

Amazon......I never thought of Amazon - thank you so much.

I'm trawling the house at the moment but not being very successful. I keep looking at some of the kid's stuff and thinking 'I wonder if they'll miss this!!!!!!!' :rotfl:

Thank you for your replies everyone. People are so kind and helpful on here, wish I'd found it years ago. x

bedpotato_2

You are right; books don't sell well at all. From my experience it's not even worth bothering to list them. An alternative way to de-clutter your house for things that won't sell on eBay is to use Freecycle.

For eBay selling, take lots of clear photos and make your listings very detailed. Write down everything you can possibly think of to cover your back so that your buyer won't be able to say later "but you never told me that."

Honestly and accurately describe any faults your items have, however small they may seem. If selling clothes, it is standard eBay practice to state in your listing whether or not the garment comes from a smoke-free, pet-free home. Do not lie about this. Some people are allergic to pet hairs, and some people can't STAND the smell of cigarette smoke. I do have a dog so I always state in my listings "comes from a smoke-free home but not pet-free, though I will endeavour to remove all hairs before posting but cannot guarantee to achieve this 100%." That covers my back. Just please don't lie. I am sick of the number of times I've had people sell me things they claimed were from a smoke-free home, only to be delivered a stinky garment that's been drenched in Fubreeze. Buyers are not stupid.

Go the extra mile. Post all your items ASAP after they sell so buyers aren't kept waiting. If selling clothes, wash and iron them before sending out. For anything else you're selling, clean it in whatever way you can. Remove pet hairs, dust, or fluff. Consider wrapping things very nicely (in tissue paper for example) and popping in a freebie such as a boiled sweet. Every time a seller's done that for me, I am always extra impressed!

When you get the occasional rude, demanding or unreasonable person sending you nasty stroppy messages in spite of all your excellent service, be calm, patient and polite. This will not calm them down and they will continue to be rude, but think of yourself as someone doing a job, who has to keep on a cool professional front. Resist the temptation to take things personally and enter into heated arguments (I'm wishing I could take my own advice).

Accept that the occasional idiot will give you negative feedback for no good reason, and learn to shrug it off.