Why take my advice?

I often get asked to teach people how to sell things on eBay, probably because half my shoe collection has been purchased for a steal from the haloed pages of the online auction company. While I recognise that buying and selling on eBay are two very different processes, I have also sold my fair share of items on eBay - currently my feedback rating is over 600 positives, which I guess makes me (if not a fully-fledged eBay business) at least slightly obsessed with sending my unwanted clothes, shoes and books to new homes.

Listing items on eBay (or any other online-auction or garage-sale style of selling process for that matter) is a great way to make a bit of extra money whilst clearing out your wardrobe, bookshelf, garage, lounge-room or office. In this day and age you also gain the added good karma of recycling your unwanted wares rather than simply throwing them out - and that can’t be a bad thing. So what are you waiting for? Start listing!

I’ve put together a step-by-step guide to the way I personally list my items on eBay. I’m not suggesting that this is the best way to do it, but I find that for me - as I only list items every few months when I’ve got a bulk amount to get through - the process I’ve come up with is the simplest and least hassle.

Getting Started:

Step One: Perhaps the most obvious step in the whole process is setting up an eBay account (if you haven’t already got one). This will include going through the ‘Sign Up‘ process on eBay which includes giving eBay personal information (such as your name, address and banking details). If you are uncertain about giving out such information or are concerned about eBay’s level of protection for this information, pay a quick visit to eBay’s Security Centre which has describes their security measures in detail.

One of the most important pieces of information you notify eBay of is your banking details. For sellers, it’s a good idea to be as versatile as possible with the payment options and bank accounts you store on eBay, as this increases the number of potential bidders on your items by providing them with several choices for paying for their purchase. Generally, a PayPal account is a good place to start, and frequently eBay offers free or reduced listing prices for Paypal users. Not everyone has a PayPal account however - they do charge a percentage of sales and in some cases they charge fees for funds transfers, so for small-time buyers and sellers PayPal isn’t always the best option. To maximise the amount of people who will bid on your items, make sure you have a secondary payment option - such as a bank account. Other options you may want to consider are accepting Money Orders or Postal Orders, personal cheques, or even the Cash On Delivery (C.O.D.) process. Personally I try to steer clear of cheques and complicated transfer processes as they’re generally extra hassle, and it’s perfectly allowable for you to only accept Direct Deposit (to your bank account) and PayPal.

Once you’ve worked through the eBay registration process and have filled in your banking details, eBay will store this information for later use (which should mean you never have to fill the information in again). As soon as you’ve completed registration you can start listing!

Step Two: Try and get an idea of what items you have lying around that you want to list on eBay. I usually set aside a full day or even a weekend, and start early in the morning. If you’re planning on having a big clean out, it might be a good idea to get some boxes together to keep everything tidy and in one spot. If possible, when you start pulling the items out it may also be a good idea to sort like items into piles. For example, if you’re listing a pile of clothes, keep all of the tops together, all of the dresses together, all of the shoes together and so forth. This will make your life a lot easier later when you start listing.

Before you sit down at the computer and start listing, grab your camera (or camera-phone) and take some photos of your items. The photos should show the item properly - the colour, size, features and any possible defects should be immediately obvious to any potential visitor to your listing. Make sure the photo is taken in good light and the item is shown to it’s advantage. Taking a good photo will help you later on as if you chose the ‘Gallery Photo’ option in the Item Listing process, a small thumbnail of the photo you take of each item will appear next to the item title on the category page the item is listed in. Gallery photos have been proven to get more visitors (and thus potential bidders) to listings, so taking a good photo is important! Once you’re happy with your photos, upload them to a folder you can find easily on your computer, and away you go!

Step Three: Once you’ve got your pile of items together, it’s time to hit eBay. I know that eBay Australia and eBay UK both offer several ways of listing items, and I heartily recommend using Turbo Lister, the software that eBay offers for free for sellers. Turbo Lister has all of the eBay categories, templates and requirements inbuilt and prompts you to enter the required information. If you’re new to eBay and are planning on selling a large amount of items then Turbo Lister should be incredibly helpful - leading you through the process and also allowing you to create templates which cuts down the time you spend on each individual listing.

Another option is to create your item listing on the eBay site (rather than using the Turbo Lister software). This is fine if you only have a few items to list and won’t be planning on using eBay again as a seller, but in the long run I have found that having Turbo Lister makes things a lot easier.

Step Three: If you do decide to go with the Turbo Lister option, you’ll need to download the software. Once downloaded, follow the install prompts. You may be asked to restart your computer once the software has finished the installation process. Once you’re ready to start using the software, open Turbo Lister. A message will pop up asking you to fill in your eBay user I.D. and password, and will also offer you the chance to have this information saved so that every start-up you are signed in automatically. If you are the only user of the computer you’ve installed the software on, there’s no reason not to save your log-in and password. If you are security conscious, simply opt to enter your details every time you use the program.

Step Four: One of the great things about Turbo Lister is that it communicates directly with eBay. This means that every listing you complete using the software will automatically include your pre-registered payment options (which you will have informed eBay of in step one, the registration process). It also means you won’t have to continually enter your address or your listing preferences (such as the regions you will accept bids from).

Once you’ve got Turbo Lister up and running, you can literally jump right in and start creating auction listings. In the top right hand corner of the program, you should see a button called ‘New’ with an orange star icon. If you click on this, it gives you several options, such as ‘Create New Item’, ‘Create Item from Template’, and so on. For your very first listing, select the ‘Create New Item’ option (see the image example above). This will open up a new window - the all important Item Listing screen (see the image example below).

Creating a Listing:

Step Five: If you’re using the Turbo Lister, creating a listing is really simple. As you can see from the image shown above, the Turbo Lister provides you with all the fields you may want to fill out. This includes ‘Title and Category’, ‘Selling Format’, ‘Pictures and Description’, ‘Listing Upgrades’, ‘Postage Options’, ‘Inventory Information’, ‘Payment Methods’, and ‘Instructions and Policies’. Below is a more detailed explanation of what information to put into each category.

‘Title and Category’: This is an important section as it will be the first thing potential buyers see when they’re browsing, and it will also be how your listing is found through eBay searches. The ‘Title’ field should be where you enter the title for your listing, and it should be aimed at getting as many people to click on your listing link as possible. For example, instead of putting the title ‘Philippa Gregory Novel’ or ‘Black T-shirt’, try ‘The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory - Brand New’ or ‘Charcoal Black Witchery V-Neck Tee, Size 10 Brand New’. Some of the most common things that eBay buyers look for is the word ‘New’, as this suggests that they will be looking at an item which is being sold at a reduced price but in brand new condition - the epitome of all bargain hunting expeditions. Other important words to consider are ‘Antique’, ‘Rare’, or ‘Best-seller’. If you use up your allotted amount of characters in the ‘Title’ field, you can use the ‘Subtitle’ field to add extra information, but this will cost extra.

The ‘Category’ field is also an important element of your listing, as many people will not search for items but will instead browse particular categories. If you click the ‘Select’ button next to the ‘Category’ field, it will show you a expandable list of categories. Go through the selection process until the ‘Done’ button at the bottom becomes active, indicating that you have completed the ‘Category’ selection. In some instances, as is the case with clothing, once you have finished selecting the ‘Category’ the space underneath the ‘Category’ field will update to show you ‘Item Specifics’ with an ‘Edit’ button to the right. The ‘Item Specifics’ are optional extras (but don’t cost any extra to use) and will increase the number of buyers that visit your listing by browsing and searching.

‘Selling Format’: This is where you indicate how much you would like to start your item price at, and how long you would like to have the auction go for (with possible selections of 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days). I generally select the 5 or 7 day option, as many eBay buyers will browse eBay once or twice a week, meaning that most people will have had time to see my listings by the time the auction finishes. You will also notice that this section has a ‘Buy It Now’ field, which allows you to enter the final sale price you would be happy to sell the item for (which logically would be more than the starting price for your auction). Using the ‘Buy It Now’ option does cost extra, but is a good idea for high value items or if you are selling lots of the same product.

‘Pictures and Description’: This can be the area that makes or breaks your item listing, so it’s important to spend a bit of time getting to know exactly what works for you and what gains you the best sale price. You will see that there are several rectangular boxes which are labelled ‘Click to insert picture’. If you select this button, a new window will pop up showing folders from your computer (in Windows this could be either your ‘My Pictures’ folder, ‘My Documents’ folder, or even your Desktop). Select the folder which you earlier uploaded your photos to, and choose the matching photo for your item listing. The Turbo Lister will allow you to crop or rotate the photos so there’s no need to be concerned about editing them before hand (unless the photo needs to be lightened or darkened). You can upload more than one photo for each item, but this of course costs extra. Once you’re happy with the photos, click the ‘Insert’ button and it will take you back to your Item Listing window.

Underneath the ‘Pictures’ field in the Item Listing window is the ‘Description Builder’ field. If you click the ‘Description Builder’ button you will be taken to a new window in which you can enter any descriptive text you like (as well as use templates to make your listing look more attractive). The templates may cost extra but are usually indicated as being an extra expense. In the description field, enter as much information as possible about the item. A brief description, a summary of it’s condition, and any other information (sizing, measurements, weight, fabric type, ingredients, and so forth). This is the place to also indicate if you have any special requirements or instructions for your auction - such as how you will post the item (if you will include wrapping or protective packaging in the postage cost), if you will offer refunds or exchanges (and under what circumstances), and any extra payment instructions you may have. The more information you put in the Description field the better - it cuts down on the number of emails you will get from potential bidders asking for extra information. The ‘Description Builder’ will also allow you to see how your finished item listing will look. Once you’re happy with how you’ve got the page set up, click ‘Save’ and you will be returned to the Item Listing window.

‘Listing Upgrades’: This is the section which allows you to improve the visibility of your listing and increase your chances of gaining bids. You can select some of the tick boxes - such as ‘Gallery Picture’, ‘Bold’ or ‘Highlight’, or you can hit the ‘Listing Upgrades’ box in the bottom right hand corner which will give you more information on each of the upgrade options. Personally I stick with the ‘Gallery Picture’ upgrade only - this is the option which puts a thumbnail photo of your item next to your item title in the main category listings of eBay (and theoretically improving the number of viewers of your item listing). If you are trying to get a really good price for your item or you have a particularly rare or desirable piece up for auction, you may want to select some of the other upgrades. Remember that each upgrade costs extra.

‘Postage Options’: This field allows you to predetermine the postage costs and postage method of the item once the auction has finished and a winning bidder has paid for the item. The ‘Postage Options’ box has two separate sections, one for Domestic and one for International. If you are only listing your item within one country, you shouldn’t bother with the International section. In any case, it is probably more sensible to have international bidders email you asking for a postage quote rather than giving them a pre-determined cost just in case the final postage amount ends up being more than you initially thought.

Other points to pay close attention to are the ‘Local Pickup’ check box, which will add information to your listing which tells bidders they can drive to your house (or designated pick-up area) to collect their item rather than having it posted. This is a good option for big or bulky items such as furniture or cars, but isn’t necessary for small or light items that can easily be posted. Notice also the ‘Combined Postage Discounts’ section which has a link underneath to a section entitled ‘Create rules’. Clicking this link will allow you to determine whether you will offer bulk postage discounts and whether you will offer insurance. At the bottom of the ‘Postage Options’ box is a button labelled ‘Postage Options’ which takes you to a window which will allow you to add more detail to your postage information.

‘Inventory Information’: If you are planning on selling a large amount of items over a long period of time, you will want to come up with a custom labelling strategy for your items which will make them easier to inventory and keep track of. I don’t bother with this section as I am not a frequent seller and do not use it for business.

‘Payment Methods’: The all important payment field which will notify potential bidders of the sorts of payment you accept. This is where some of your pre-saved information from your eBay registration should be shown. If it isn’t, try selecting the check-boxes you’re happy with (such as ‘Bank Deposit’). This will then show you a link to upload your account details, which may then either acknowledge your stored information from eBay or will prompt you to re-enter the information again.

‘Instructions and Policies’: The final section, and perhaps the most important as far as covering yourself in case of malicious bidders or fraudsters. There are three options, ‘Additional Information’, ‘Return Policy’, and ‘Buyer Requirements’, each with a selectable button. The ‘Additional Information’ section allows you to add details which will be shown to buyers once they have gone to the ‘Pay For Item’ section after winning your item. The ‘Return Policy’ section allows you to indicate whether or not you will offer refunds or exchanges and under what circumstances. The ‘Buyer Requirements’ section allows you to eliminate certain types of buyers from bidding on your items (such as eBay members that have had more than two non-paying-bidder strikes against their name).

Step Six: Once you’re happy with your item listing details, click ‘Save’ at the bottom right hand corner of the Item Listing window. This will return you to the main Turbo Lister window, but this time you should see a new item in the large white section that takes up most of the screen. This is your saved item listing which is ready to be uploaded to eBay once you’re happy to show it to the world. You may want to upload each item listing as you finish them, or you may decide on a bulk upload. If you want to continue creating listings before you upload, simply go back to the ‘New’ button at the top left-hand corner and begin the process again.

Uploading a Listing

Step Seven: When you’re ready to upload your listings, select the items that are listed on the main Turbo Lister screen. To select all of them, click the top item (which will turn it dark blue), and then, holding down the SHIFT key, click the bottom item. This will select the entire list. Then click the ‘Add to Upload’ button, and a window will pop up (as shown on the image below).

As you can see from the image above, once you have clicked the ‘Add to Upload’ button you will be shown a window which allows you to click ‘Go Upload’. Click this button and you will then be taken to a new section of the Turbo Lister, the ‘Waiting to Upload’ area (you can also access this section by using the left hand navigation column of Turbo Lister). Once again, select all of the items waiting to be uploaded, and click the ‘Upload All’ button. This will open a window titled ‘Calculating Fees’, which will contact eBay and figure out how much your total fees will be for all of the listings being uploaded (including all the upgrades and extras you’ve used in each listing). Once the fees are calculated, the window will update, notifying you of your expenditure and allowing you to then click the ‘Upload Now’ button. Your listings will then be sent to eBay, and you will be shown a new window which charts the uploading progress (as shown in the image below).

Once complete, you will be told that your items have uploaded successfully, and you can close the window (click the ‘Close’ button). If you have no more items to list, you can also close the Turbo Lister program.

Waiting for the auction to end

Step Eight: Once you’ve done all the hard work, created your listing and uploaded it, you then have to sit back and wait. Check your email, as eBay will send you a notification for each individual listing telling you that your listing has been received and uploaded properly. Throughout the auction period you may be contacted by interested bidders who want further information on your items, and it is important to email them back as soon as possible to maximize the number of bidders you will have for each item. When the auction comes to a close, you will be sent further notifications from eBay, letting you know which items sold (and for how much), and which items did not have any bidders. The non-selling items will be able to be relisted either by accessing them on the My Ebay section of the eBay website, or by clicking on the ‘Relist Now’ link provided in the notification email from ebay.

The items that do sell will need to be finalized by having invoices sent out for them. You can do this by going to your My Ebay section on the eBay website and clicking on the ‘Sold’ link in the left hand navigation column. Each sold item will be listed, with a button saying ‘Send Invoice to Buyer’ (or something to that equivalent). Follow the prompts through this process and an invoice will be sent to the successful bidder notifying them of your payment options. It’s important to note that the postage costs you indicate (either on the invoice screen or previously when creating the listing) will be charged on top of the end auction price, meaning that you as the seller do not have to pay the postage fees.

Step Nine: The three final parts of selling an item are probably the most important. For starters, you need to confirm that you’ve received payment from your buyers - if you’ve indicated PayPal as a payment option, you should receive a notification email from PayPal once you have funds pending. If you’ve indicated a bank account for direct deposit you will have to check your account balance regularly for the incoming funds.

Secondly, once you’ve confirmed payment you will need to post the item. If you listed your item with a pre-determined price for postage, you probably already have a good idea of how you will be posting the item. A good solution I have found is using the prepaid satchels available from post offices (I know in Australia that Australia Post sells 500g and 500g-3kg satchels in normal and express forms). If you are sending a delicate item, do your best to wrap it carefully, perhaps using bubble-wrap.

Finally, once you have sent the item off and the buyer has received the item, you should leave feedback. This is also accessible through the My Ebay ‘Sold’ section where each item should be listed. Make sure you indicate if the payment was received quickly and how well the buyer communicated with you. This will in turn help future sellers who deal with the buyers in question. Remember also that the buyer will give you feedback as well, so be as courteous as possible to avoid receiving neutral or negative feedback.

Conclusion

There are a lot of things to bare in mind when you’re listing on eBay, and it’s true that there is a steep learning curve. I have found that the more you list and the more buyers you deal with, the easier the whole process becomes - I am certainly a great deal faster at listing than I used to be! The key is to stick at it, even if you get some neutral or negative feedback, and keep thinking, ‘If I were the buyer in this situation, what would I want?’