Ebay Auction - Ebay Selling Top 10 Secrets Revealed
Author: T. Patrick
The Ebay explosion has hit astronomical proportions. Over 11
million people did a search for Ebay last month alone on the
internet. From all walks of life, everyone is drawn to Ebay.
Some people use Ebay as a hobby to make extra cash. Some people
have quit their jobs and are making their living off Ebay. On a
monthly basis, the phenomenon of Ebay continues to expand and
grow.
Naturally, the best advice is to start selling part time on Ebay
so that you can learn the tricks and secrets. It will take some
time to learn the inside secrets that the top sellers know. It
can be a great way to make extra cash. Ebay will take some work
and is not a get rich quick scheme. However, if you take your
time and do research, you could make extra income for yourself
and your family. After you start to make money on a consistent
basis, you might consider doing Ebay as your full time job.
For your Ebay business, all you need is internet access and a
product to sell. Don’t worry! If you don’t have a product, there
are plenty of companies where you can purchase items to sell.
SMC (Specialty Merchandise Corp) is one company where you can
purchase items at reasonable below cost prices.
SMC can be found at: http://www.smcorp.com
Many people start off selling old or odd items from their homes.
Others are going to garage sales and picking up great deals and
then selling these products on Ebay. You can find almost
anything on Ebay. You are only restricted by your own
imagination.
Here is a little tip: Other’s people junk can be your gold mine!
That old Barbie doll up in the attic or in the basement could be
a gold mine and bring in a huge profit. For example, it is
reported that the Collectibles Category is the top selling
category on Ebay. An old barbie doll, old red wagon, and old
clock are only a few examples of items in the Collectibles
Category.
TOP 10 SECRETS FOR SELLING ON EBAY
1. Do your research!
Make sure there is a need for the item that you are selling. Do
a search for your item and see how many items are found for your
keyword search. Examine each auction and see the bid amount and
number of bids. Follow a number of auctions for several days and
see what the final bid is. This will give you an excellent idea
if there is a need for your item. It will also help you estimate
the amount of profit you can make from the auction. If you don’t
find your item, it might not be worth your time listing that
item. Try to find an item that people truly want. After you
start making money with Ebay, you can always go back and list
that original product.
2. Find the right Category for your item!
If you are selling a collectible, please make sure that you list
it in the collectible category. If you are listing a toy or
hobby, please make sure that you list it in the Toy and Hobbies
Category. This could make it easier for people to find your
item. Do your homework? Search for your item and see what
categories other sellers listed the same item in.
3. Keywords and descriptions are critical!
Use the appropriate keywords to describe your product. If you
are selling a Barbie Doll, specify the type of doll it is: 1980
Holiday Barbie Doll. If you are selling a model train, specify
the type: HO Santa Fe Caboose. Your descriptions are critical to
avoid any future problems or potential returns. Honesty is the
best policy. If there is a chip, crack or dent, specify this in
the description. This could save you a lot of aggravation later
on. If a buyer truly wants your item, a crack or chip won’t stop
them from bidding on your item. 4. Always post a photo with your
auction!
4. Auctions with photos sell much better than ones that don’t have
pictures.
Try to take a picture of the actual item that you are
selling. Many Ebay sellers will use stock photos or photos from
the internet. This is a turn off and raises a question in the
buyers mind. People can tell it is not the original item and
this could hurt your bids. Show the buyer that you are honest
and have nothing to hide. If you put a picture of the actual
item, it builds more trust between you and the buyer. In my
case, I have bypassed auctions with stock photos. If you don’t
have a digital camera, you can always purchase a disposable
camera. When you take the camera in to be processed, tell them
that you would like to have the photos placed on a CD.
5. Make the Buying process Easy! Sign up for PayPal!
You want to make your auction easy for the buyer. PayPal is
becoming very popular and many buyers prefer to pay with their
PayPal accounts. The easier you make your auction, the better it
is. In addition, you don’t have to worry about bad checks or
money orders. It is a safer payment method for both the buyer
and seller.
6. List your items during "Hot Time" buying Periods!
Time your auction so that it ends during peak buying times. If
you live in the Eastern Time Zone, list your auction between
9pm-11pm, Central Time Zone list between 8-10pm, Mountain Time
Zone between 7-9pm, and for the Pacific Time Zone list between
6-8pm. Thus, this will give you the biggest exposure at the end
of your auction. If your auction ends at 2 in the morning, there
won’t be to many people placing a bid. The debate is out as to
what day your auction should end on. Some sellers report that
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are best. Other sellers report
that Saturday and Sunday are best. Try experimenting with this
to see what works best for your auctions.
7. Create an "About Me" Page on Ebay or another Free Website
Page!
An "About Me" page can be critical to your success. It gives you
chance to let the potential buyer know about you and your
products. You can also get a free webpage from many companies in
which you can promote yourself and your ebay auctions.
8. Feedback is Critical!
An ebay buyer looks at the feedback ratings. A negative feedback
rating can ruin your chances of being successful. After your
auction is over, please follow up with your buyer. Send them an
email or call them if you have their phone number. Make sure
that they are happy with their purchase. This is also important
with your description. If you weren’t honest with your
description, the buyer might be very disappointed and give you a
negative rating. Ensure that your buyers are happy!!!
9. Excessive Postage costs can prevent bids!
Be reasonable with your shipping costs. Calculate the costs
ahead of time and only charge the buyer a reasonable amount. It
is not worth trying to make a couple extra dollars off the buyer
because it will scare many people off. Charge the buyer the
actual cost of shipping and state this in your auction so that
there are no secrets. Be honest and the buyer will appreciate
this.
10. Reserve Prices and Buy-it-Now can scare away potential
buyers!
Buyers can be scared off by Reserve Prices and Buy-it-Now. In
addition, Reserve Prices can limit your final auction price.
Buy-it-Now shows that you have a certain limit to sell the
product at. This is an auction! Let the buyers keep bidding at
your products. If they feel they are getting a deal, they will
place a bid.
You can be very successful on Ebay but you need patience and you
need to do your homework.
Have fun with Ebay!
About the author:
T. Patrick is an avid ebay enthusiast and has spent time
researching ebay for inside tips and tricks used by the power
sellers. Patrick’s website includes: Ebay Quickie Tips, Benefits
of being an Ebay Seller and Secrets for Selling on Ebay. Patrick
also provides additional information on becoming a top seller on
ebay. Please visit the following website for valuable
information: http://www.geocities.com/ebayauction411
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