eBay Goodness

I have been selling my junk on ebay for a while now and also buying stuff, and lately lots of people have been asking me how I do it and how to make things sell. So I present to you:

Zoe's Ebay Tips- Or, How To Supplement Your Meagre Income So You Can Buy More Clothes

1. First of all, you need to take some photos of what you want to sell. Try to take them on a white background so the colours can be seen. I use a white sheet or doona which is easy to lay out on the floor (or just use your bed, if you have white sheets on it). Take the photo as close up as you can while still getting the whole item in the frame.

2. Put lots of words in your title. (If you are completely new to ebay, use the "Sell" bit in the top right hand corner of the screen and follow the instructions- its easy). Selling something as "Black Dress" will not attract anyones attention and no one will bother looking at your item, not when there are other choices that say "Stunning black v neck dress with amazing slimming cut" or something similar. Use words like "gorgeous" "flattering" etc.

3. In your description, put everything you can think of. Size, condition, shape, age, amount of wear, original price, any problems/holes/stains etc, fabric, detail (ie buttons, zips, embroidery). If its shoes, add heel height, the size, the fit "its a 39 but short in the toes"). The more info you give people, the more likely they are to trust you and to buy from you. Even if your item has something seriously wrong with it, as long as you are upfront and people know what they are getting into, they will buy. If you dont tell them and they buy, they will complain and you will never sell anything again.

4. Set realistic prices. No one uses ebay to spend the same money they could buy something new for. Ebay is for bargains. I use the thought process: "would I rather have this, or $20? Would I rather have this or $5?" Set your price as low as you would accept. If you really want $60 for that black skirt, you may need to keep it a bit longer until it loses value for you. You will have more luck selling things for $15 and under. Once people start bidding, the price may go up and you might be pleasantly surprised. Otherwise, you might get 10 bucks for something you havent worn in months and hate the sight of, which you can put towards something much more suited to you.

5. Use Buy It Now. Personally, I dont buy a lot of stuff on ebay mainly because once I decide I want something, I want it NOW, and second, because I dont want to have to fight other people for it, and risk losing. Therefore, the Buy It Now option is sweet. Set the price a good $10-20 higher than your auction starting price, so its worth your while. Never set it at the same price as the auction price, always higher, or you dont give people the choice to bid (and you will never get any more than your starting price).

6. I recommend getting people to pay into a separate account, if you have one- this way, you can use this account to pay for postage and then you will know exactly how much you have to go shopping with!!

If you are not sure about selling something, experiment with putting it on at a higher price. If it sells, at least its worth your while, and if it doesnt, you can keep it for longer and see if you change your mind about it.

And finally, you can sell ANYTHING. Furniture you dont use, kitchen stuff you hate (brown glass dinner set, anyone? Its retro?!), clothes, shoes, jewellery, accessories, books, cds, magazines- have a look round at your stuff- anything you dont use or want can be sold! (Double check with ebay though before selling anything really random, like your pets or brother or something. I dont want to get you in trouble.)