Selling things on Ebay

Start the bidding really low (like 1 cent or 1 dollar) to attract some attention, even throw in free shipping. If possibly, I'd also refrain from setting a reserve price. Pictures of the actual item you're selling are nice (don't just use stock images). Try to start the auction so that it ends at a reasonably high traffic time for the site, as you'll get most of your views and probably bids in the last couple hours of the auction. Fast communication is a plus, so soon as the auction ends send an email to start talking about payment and shipping. Also be sure to answer any questions you get about the item while the auction is still going.

Have a couple of friends bid on it to increase the price and look like it's a hot item!

First, make sure you disclose any potential problems with the item up front. The last thing you need is the headache of having someone complain that you didn't reveal a material defect on an item. Also, ship as soon as you can (and leave a paper trail for documentation), overpack to avoid damages, and take out insurance to cover damage to the item. UPS has standard coverage of $100, but the marginal fee above that is low. Again, this will help avoid headaches down the road.

Next, insist on Paypal only. It's fast and secure, unlike money orders or checks.

Be prepared for lots and lots of questions, even questions that would have been answered had the bidder simply read the listing. I was selling some electronics and got an inquiry from someone in Russia asking how to convert the power supply, despite the fact that I specifically listed U.S. customers only.

Finally, there will be fees, so get ready. Both Paypal and Ebay take a cut. That being said, Paypal is worth it, and I generally find that you will get a better price on Ebay than if you sell locally, even with all the fees.

My advice would be to find a friend with a 50+ positive feedback (99%+ positive) to handle the listing. You might have trouble selling a digital camera, or at least getting a decent price, if you have zero feedback.

paypal is not as secure as they'd have you believe.

Great advice folks!

Thank you

I can offer you some potentially valuable advice:

This past spring I had a very expensive digital camera to unload $1000+. I listed it on ebay (my first auction) and sold it for more than my reserve. I packed the thing up, got an email from paypal saying that my funds would be deposited once i presented them with a tracking # for the item. So I put the thing in the mail, sent in the tracking number, and.... nothing.

Turns out, I'd been victim of a damn clever "Nigeria" scam. The email was not actually from paypal, and they have no such policy about tracking #s. You get paid up front, no negotiations. These guys know all the nuances of ebay, and they play on first-time buyers who are eager to unload merchandise, and naive to the process. They send very convincing emails (I work in web design, so if it can happen to me, it probably can to most anyone) which lure you into mailing/sending money/etc under the guise that you are communicating with ebay/paypal.

So I was scammed out of serious money. Probably about as pissed off as I've ever been. What made it worse, was that I figured out the scam immediately after shipping the item, and even though I reported it, the USPS refused to stop shipment on it.

So, advice: List clearly on your auction that you absolutely will not ship outside the US. Also, if you get messages asking you to sell your item outside the auction, ignore them. They are probably more scam artists. Once you list an item, and they see that you are a first-time buyer, it's like moths to a flame. Be warned. Hopefully you can be spared my stupid mistake.

Good advice all around.

Back to the PayPal thing, here's what I do: Setup a PayPal account and link it to your Checking Account. This way when you have PayPal money it takes about 3 days and they will take the money that's in your PayPal and direct deposit it into your checking. Unless you do something like this the money that you get from an auction will stay in your PayPal account, and you'll have to get a PayPal credit card or something to be able to access that money. I've heard bad stories from people who have left a lot of money in their PayPal account and not being able to access it later, so do your best to never leave money in there.

Take lots of pictures of your auction, and describe it accurately. Insist on PayPal only (money orders or anything else takes too long) and ship only in the US. Of course, most of all NEVER ship until you have been paid in full. You can always re-list the item or offer it to someone else should the winner/buyer of the auction flakes out.

Allright, read the thread but couldn't find what i was looking for exactly. so i just sold a singlet on ebay. The money is sitting in my paypal account, how do i get that into my paypal-linked checking account? is it automatic?

B&N has Selling on Ebay for Dummies.

to get money from your paypal account into your checking, click on Withdraw. you can transfer directly to the linked account, it usually takes 3-5 days I think.

I would suggest selling some lower priced items to get your feedback up before trying to sell something like a camera. It is hard to trust someone with no feedback. I was scammed into paying for an xbox ($150 or so), and as soon as I paid with paypal, the other guy deleted his paypal and ebay accounts, and paypal said they could do nothing about it. So be careful.

I sell all the time...and got very lucky in a similar situation selling a piece of Tiffany Jewlery for a friend.

The buyer withdrew their payment from paypal after I had shipped them the item. Paypal could have cared less but luckily the person was honest and sent the item back saying they thought it had been used (which it had not been). I ended up selling it again no problem.

One bit of advice paypal did give me was to not ship to an unconfirmed paypal address. I have put that on all of my items since and have had no problems.