I blooming well LOVE eBay for making money! Granted, I couldn’t do it full time – I did try at one stage a few years ago. I LOVE the sourcing (aka shopping!) but not the photographing, listing & packaging up! Right now it is a welcome top up to my earnings each week.
Here are some basic tips to help get you started on eBay if you are a beginner –
1. Use things you have in your house – No need to go out & source special stock. Honestly! Simply gather 10-20 items that you no longer use from your own house & get them listed.
2. Use a good camera phone to take clear pictures of items. Use natural light where possible & have a clear, clean background – whether you are photographing clothing or other items.
3. Specifically for clothing – if you want to invest in a mannequin, these look really professional for modelling the clothes & can make them look a lot better rather than simply hanging on a hanger. Of course, if you feel confident in front of the camera & the clothes are your size, you could always model them yourself!
4. Have a specific storage room / area for your eBay stock. The number of items soon builds up, & trust me I have been looking all over my house for some items which is NOT fun! Also, you may want to consider using a stock numbering system – using storage tubs etc so your item can be easily located by the code number placed in the listing.
5. Make sure all items are clean, especially clothing & free from smoke odours & animal hair.
6. Write a generous description of your item. If listing clothing the specific measurements can be really helpful for buyers.
7. Package up items promptly & dispatch them within the time frame stated on your listings. I use Royal Mail for 95% of items. Oversized or heavier items I send via Hermes Tracked or another courier.
8. Respond to buyer queries promptly & politely – it makes a really professional impression.
9. You can search for the “Sold” prices of items – this will give you a great idea of the actual market value for items. You can then price accordingly, knowing you will not price too high or too low.
10. Enjoy the process! It is amazing the variety of things that sell on eBay. You can learn something new every day & get to learn about some obscure items!
