(no subject)

[cleolinda]

Okay, quick but important question: I'm going to put a couple of things up on eBay. For those of you who have sold things there before, what do you wish you had known then that you do know now? Basically, I know that the procedure itself is simple enough and that the site will walk me through it, but I'm terrified that I'm going to to something stupid that's going to result in me getting a lot less money than I could have gotten. So... help? If nothing else, assure me that the world won't blow up when I press the "sell" button?

(A few hundred dollars isn't going to decide whether we go to the poorhouse or not, but since Mom's now off work, she's got massive amounts of time to poke at me, and I have a feeling that auctioning these two things off will make her feel better if only because it's something she can check off her Bug [Cleo] To Do list. And, again--just knowing that the auction is up might make her more willing to go see a movie V FOR VENDETTA! V FOR VENDETTA!, whether the money has come in or not.)

Comments

[mordelhin.livejournal.com]

Depending on the item, selling to international people might get you more $, but it's a bit of a pain in the ass with the shipping. Not huge, it's just that you have to fill out customs forms and whatnot.

The most irritating thing for me when I sold a bunch of stuff before I moved was figuring out how much to charge for shipping. I wound up having to bring the crap boxed up to the post office to have them weigh it and give me the cost before I posted the items up on ebay, just so I wouldn't take a loss by underestimating the postage.

Here are my tips

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

Have a good picture. Check around on Ebay to see what similar items are selling for. Have a good description. Things usually sell fastest with Buy It Now, but if you have a high ticket item, don't use it. Things often go for higher prices without it. Don't give up if it doesn't sell the first time it's listed. Definitely relist at least three times.

[elbeonore.livejournal.com]

Oh, Gee, I wish that I had some really useful (and also devistatingly witty) advice for you, but I've never used eBay before. A lot of people have, though-- so many that the world can't possibly end when you press Sell. So many people have already pressed the Sell button, and the world hasn't ended yet for them. Good luck!

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Ah, but you don't hear about the cases that do blow up. Their world ends, they get crumpled up into a subatomic ball of intensely hot plasma until - !POP! - mini-black hole. And it doesn't end there. Warping of space-time in the vicinity of the hole has been known to spawn entire alternate universes in which you didn't click, Bill Clinton didn't inhale, George Bush has mommy issues, and Harry loves Hermione. Eventually these competing timelines may pressure our own world out of existence, leaving us to the tender mercies of some extremely smug Harmonians. And that, my friend, is the best case scenario.

[silk-noir.livejournal.com]

The world won't blow up.

About 6 or so years ago, when I quit my job in a snit, I went to work for a place that had many fingers in many pies, not the least of which was selling quilts. They thought they'd try selling quilts 'n' stuff on Ebay, and I was their girl to do it. I spent my days photographing quilts, flower frogs, vases, Lalique glass, and once an amazing piece of American Indian beadwork (which sold for about 4K); and then I would upload the pics from a Mac and write up some nice text. I did this all the time, every day. And I was not terribly computer savvy; I'd never worked on a Mac before. So if I can do it, surely you, who routinely handles all kind of computer hijinx, can do it.

[pavel-lishin.livejournal.com]

What a great avatar.

[silk-noir.livejournal.com]

Whoops, me again.

Post more than one picture. Take the picture in the very best freaking lighting that you can. If it's something arty or antiquey and you have provenance, put it in your text. Be warm in your text, friendly. You might, if you want to take this to more than just an every once in a while thing, consider getting a specific phone number for people to call. I know it sounds super cheesy, but being available and friendly really flips the good switches.

[curieuse.livejournal.com]

I got the book in your icon for Christmas. :) Yay me.

I concur about the text tone. A little backstory never hurt.

And always look up items similar to what you're selling that have sold well and copy things about them, like their categorical location, stuff like that. Put in all the requisite caveats that are easy enough to find on any top seller's ad.

[mollyblack.livejournal.com]

Well, I've sold low-ticket and high-ticket items and I would say this:

Good pictures are necessary. The more descriptive you can be the better. I would recommend not selling high-ticket items to out of the country. I've had two attempts at fraud, but have enough experience to see it and know not to do it. What they do is send money via credit card to your paypal account from either the Ukraine or a similar small country and then if you accept they pretend they never got the item and get the money refunded. I refused the payment since I never received responses to my emails and they even had the gall to still try to get the money I refused and it really was a mess. So be careful. You can post that only people that have more than a certain amount of feedback can purchase from you. Hrm. That's all I can think to add.

[outinthestorm.livejournal.com]

I haven't sold anything on eBay, but as a buyer, I can tell you what I like to see on listings:

* detailed condition of piece. If it has a mark, I want to know about it.
* postage. I don't even mind if people round up postage to nearest dollar. and make sure that you can include different types of postage, like express post or everyday post.
* description of how it will be packaged. I want to know that there is a mountain of bubblewrapped taped over it.
* Payment types. Try and get at least three different ways that people can pay you. For bonus points, include what bank you deal with. (For example, in Australia, you would put "Westpac", or "Commonwealth" bank. Sometimes I won't deal with someone if they have an obscure bank and all they take is direct deposit - too much hassle to find their bank branch)
* Any time lines (ie - payment must be made within three days)

And after the auction has finished - communication! Send an email with the total amount owed, banking details, that kind of thing - don't wait for the person to contact you.

Hope this helps.

[squishysquidgy.livejournal.com]

* postage. I don't even mind if people round up postage to nearest dollar. and make sure that you can include different types of postage, like express post or everyday post.

I agree. i skip past items that don't have postage listed. I want to know how much extra I'll be paying (give or take) instead of bidding for something that has an extra looming cost.

[katels.livejournal.com]

Like people have said, good pictures are a must, and hella cheap. Also be specific in your payment instructions, such as "Please make contact within 48 hours of winning this auction. Payment within 3 working days unless otherwise cleared with seller prior to winning auction." Or something like that. But make it clear that you expect good communication, and if you don't receive it you can't be responsible for timely postage.

Pack your items well, overdo the bubble wrap if necessary.

See how other auctions of similar items are going. If there're loads of bids (10+) you might as well start with a 99c starting price to garner interest. Buy It Now is a good option to try for a nice high, quick sale, since the option disappears after the first bid.

Be available to answer all questions.

Don't leave feedback until they've left positive feedback for you.

[anonymisty.livejournal.com]

I've been selling on eBay since '98, and in addition to what everyone else has said, I'd recommend either not accepting personal checks at all, or putting a lengthy waiting period on them. The two times I had checks bounce, I'd shipped too soon, and ended up losing the item and the money.

Good luck!

[elyim.livejournal.com]

I agree with above commenters. Decent photos are a must, along with a well layed out description (not just one solid paragraph of size 10, nor big gaudy red type). Although the winning bidder will be emailed details of how to pay, shipping costs, etc, you should also email them yourself. If you don't hear from them within a day or two, email them again. Email them when you've sent the item. Remember to keep track of and pay your seller fees, otherwise they'll build up and it's an easy thing to forget.

[elyim.livejournal.com]

Oh, and get proof of posting.

[natmerc.livejournal.com]

Be careful when estimating postage. It's easier with Media Mail options in the States, but if you're selling a smaller priced item and then having ebay fees, paypal fees and shipping fees taken off -- you could end up doing work and paying (literally) for the privilege.

[still-just-me.livejournal.com]

Would that icon be from the cartoon Reboot?

I ♥ it either way.

[livinthegoodlfe.livejournal.com]

Good photos, make EVERYTHING sound nice, and just when you think your 'buy it now price' is reasonable, add $5-$8 bucks onto it. TRUST ME. I sold two items, both were very reasonable but it now, and I was told by BOTH customers they would have bought it even if it was a little extra! Spend the 8cents or whatever it is to have a fancy layout on the page as well, it never has hurt. My two most expensive items were bought with all of the above sans prices applied within 24 hours.

[rockgeisha.livejournal.com]

Try to start the price low and avoid selling to countries where you don't speak the language (this prevents staring in frustration as you try to decipher the millionth email in whateverese you've gotten from a nervous buyer). Make it clear how long buyers have to send payment. There was something else but I forgot.

[jettcat.livejournal.com]

Don't be afraid to post a reserve price, especially if the item was expensive to begin with.
Post auction links to revelant communities on LJ if they apply

Good luck!

[outinthestorm.livejournal.com]

You icon is excellent.

*loves her some Eddie*

[edda.livejournal.com]

I'll be tacky and ask for a link. Because I'm like that.

(Also I may help start a bidding war if I'm online at the right time. What the hell.)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Trust me, I will link to it once they're up (I'll have to take pictures first). It's a couple of Sideshow Weta items--I think the Morgul and a set of miniature helmets that I got talked into buying because the value would appreciate. Now, how I'm going going to get the Morgul, with those wafer-thin tower thingys, safely shipped to someone I don't know. Mom and I were just talking about suspending the box in *another* box of foam peanuts.

[stagemanager.livejournal.com]

Market the hell out of whatever it is you're selling. Don't be afraid of putting up too much information. At the end of this post I'll include a list of marketing words I use, and a link to my auctions. (Currently I'm only selling domain names, but I've sold lots of physical stuff before, like books and CDs and office appliances and staplers and--well, you get the idea.)

Post many, many pictures of your item. I've found that people like to see what they're buying, and more info is better than less info.

And be careful when figuring your shipping, it can burn if you aren't careful.

My list of Magic Words:

best
amazing
great
rare
awesome
huge
enormous
potential
ultimate
best
premium
perfect
incredible
terrific
super-rare
cool
fantastic
excellent
prime


Link to my current auctions:

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZdomainemporiumQQhtZ-1

I'll be happy to answer any questions if they arise.

[careyleah.livejournal.com]

I have to jump in and say that as a former stagemanager myself, I adore your icon.

[arby-m.livejournal.com]

Search completed auctions for similar items to see what the current going price looks like, then set your Buy It Now price for the high end of that and your reserve for the average.

Charge a reasonable amount for shipping, especially if you're going to package it well, but don't charge too much - I know I hate it when I see a hugely inflated shipping price because often the seller is trying to make up the deficit in their actual selling price or just gouge the buyer.

Be very specific about things like payment types you'll accept and what will happen to nonpaying bidders - I had people win my auctions and then say they couldn't use Paypal even though I put in my listing that was all I would take. Since the item only went for $5 I let them send me cash, but knowing what I know now, I would have canceled the transaction and tried again.

[elbeonore.livejournal.com]

I love your icon! *worships*

[virtuistic.livejournal.com]

V for Vendetta is such a fantastic movie zomg! I can't even... there are no words.

I wrote a post about it and there are. No. Words!

[missratbat.livejournal.com]

After getting bitten a few times, I'd say always err on the side of caution when it comes to postage - both in estimating price, and in how it's packed.

[word-herder.livejournal.com]

Research the item and see what past ones have sold for. Check out how the worded the listing. The wording is extremely important as it provides search access points.

[word-herder.livejournal.com]

Also (and this makes no sense whatsoever), if you do "Buy It Now" and decrease the price by a few bucks but up the shipping, people think they're getting a good deal. It's weird. My husband has done it a few times for things that don't sell right away.

[thea-scooter.livejournal.com]

Steal other people's [good] pictures so you don't have to try to get your own. Don't ship internationally policy unless they're the only ones bidding.

Check prices using amazon.com's used listings. They're usually a better check than the eBay prices where people are willing to sell stuff for a penny or they severely overcharge.

Good luck! I hope all gets better for you (and that you see V for Vendetta)

[verbminx.livejournal.com]

People often get pissed off if they found out that you stole their pics.

It can be OK for certain items - cds and books in mint condition, basically, or new clothes. In which case it's better to steal the images from the manufacturer or original retailer than from another ebay seller.

Do ship internationally; you'll get a lot more bids, but it is a little more of a hassle. The stuff I told you in the long post I just made explains some things you can do to make it a little easier - basically, package EVERYTHING up without tape or labels in the boxes you'd use to mail it, and weigh it... that removes most of the hassle of people bothering you about how much it will cost to ship.

Paypal doesn't protect international transactions except to Canada, the UK, and maybe one other country. But that's only an issue in the very rare case of a chargeback. You can always choose to only sell to those countries, but if you do, you lose out on Aussie sales, which have done really well for me (as have Swedish sales, Chinese sales, Japanese sales, etc).

[hourlily.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping you get to see V for Vendetta! Great film--very Matrix-esque.

ebay tips! brain dump! :D

[verbminx.livejournal.com]

It depends on what kinds of things you're selling, basically.

For instance, if you're selling clothes, and you don't provide measurements, someone will bug you for measurements. Measurements in general are a good idea, unless they're obviously irrelevant.

Look up similar items and see how they're being sold, in terms of keywords and categories. Titles should be searchable and include some keywords appropriate to the item and similar items.

Write descriptions that are as clear and descriptive as possible, but pretty brief.

Be pretty strict with your terms. Spell them out as much as you can: when you expect payment (I say three days), when you'll ship (I usually say "within one week of receipt of payment or you'll hear from me"). Also, let people know when you've shipped the item - emailing them is better, but it's OK to just click the little icon on the my-ebay page that says that you sent the thing.

If you can find out for sure how much something weighs in packaging before you list it, so much the better (my post office has a scale in the lobby). This doesn't mean that you should allow "calculated shipping." You'll get hosed on that because you'll pay Paypal fees on it, TMK. But you can calculate the shipping yourself and post a reasonable flat rate that isn't TOO much over the calculated rate, without mentioning that it's to defray fees. I used to charge about $5 to ship things where the actual postage was going to be $3.80.

Get the money out of your Paypal account as soon as possible after you receive it, to protect yourself from Chargebacks. Get shipping receipts at the post office, though you don't need to do delivery confirmation if you don't want to. Offer insurance as an option, but most people won't take it. Explain that if they do not get the insurance, it's their loss if the item gets lost in the mail.

Do offer int'l shipping, but make a point of telling people that you have a ballpark figure (like, "US$15-25") but you won't know how much it will cost to send internationally until after the auction is over. If you don't do that, you may get half a dozen emails asking you how much it will cost to ship to as many places. If you have the weight-in-packaging, it's easy to calculate online, and EMS is usually the best way to ship when it's available: cheaper and faster than regular airmail. Tell domestic buyers that you'll only do Priority Mail (unless you're selling cds or something, then offer media mail) - with PM you get free boxes, which you can even have shipped to your house.

Tell people that they can write to you with questions, but if you don't sound firm with the terms - IE, that the item is shipping by Priority in US and EMS internationally where available, stuff like that - ppl will often drive you nuts with emails. If you make everything sound very firm and settled and non-negotiable, and you make your listing as detailed as possible, you probably won't get weird emails.

Explicitly comment that you don't offer returns, because you're not a store, you're just a person selling some stuff like at a garage sale.

Do make sure you accept Paypal (including credit cards).

Don't leave feedback until you've heard that they received and are happy with the item. They will usually leave you feedback at that point. If you leave feedback just based on payment speed, then they pull a chargeback scam, you won't get the chance to change your feedback. That said, the only potential chargeback problem I've had was in a private sale, not on ebay.

Do make sure you have good pictures. Always use "gallery" for anything that isn't a book/cd/etc or something like that. Most things only need 1-2 pictures, so don't buy the ebay picture package unless it's really necessary.

That's about all I can think of! Good luck! :D

[still-just-me.livejournal.com]

I couldn't figure out what you were on about at first, but then I took a look for myself...



See that tiny bit of scribbling? Kinda weird, right? But have a look at what it says if you zoom way in:


I admit, I can't make much sense out of the first part, but... maybe you could try like a garage sale first, kay?

[stella-gold.livejournal.com]

Ha! That's so incredibly awesome. ^^

(FYI, it's a quote from a badly-translated Japanese video game that's become something of an internet phenomenon. Check out Wikipedia for the whole story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us )

[lenamoster.livejournal.com]

Never commented before, so don't be confused...

Everyone's advice is great, but I'm going to add:

Be explicit in your terms (for example: two days to pay, etc) and state that at your discretion you can cancel the sale if they do not comply with said terms. This discourages people who would normally wait a week before paying (They're very annoying!).

Make a folder in the email account that you sign up to eBay with and keep EVERY sale-related email in it for at least 3 months after the sale is over. Doing this has saved me from getting burned more than once when some jerks tried to screw me out of money.

DO NOT accept personal checks, etc. I would recommend only accepting PayPal, because their loss prevention stuff is fairly good. Most sellers do this, so bidders shouldn't be pissed about it. Don't forget to state that you are only accepting PayPal, though. There is an option when listing items that allows you to turn off all forms of payment options that you don't want.

When shipping, delivery confirmation is a MUST. This prevents scammers from saying that they never received their item in the mail and trying to get their money back from.

And remember, these are just some tidbits in addition to everyone else's great advice. I think you should really consider them, though - they've saved me more than once, I promise.

This is prolly the 7th comment like this, but...

[still-just-me.livejournal.com]

*g* Nice icon.