Getting started - top tips please

[LakeFlyPie]

Sorry if this has been done a million times before but I'd love to sell some clothes / bags / unused cosmetics but not sure the best way to go about it and how to decide what will sell and what won't.

Have got quite a few dresses (black tie style) / shoes / boots and also some baby stuff - slings etc.

Any advice / tips on the practicalities of ebay selling would be much appreciated.

TIA

[theanimalswentintwobytwo]

Before you sell anything look up on ebay for the same items. See what they are selling for, or not.

Make sure you look up on royal mail/post office website to get an acurate postage price for each item. Weigh them with a jiffy bag on your kitchen scales, and put that weight into the postage calculator on their website. You don't want to end up loosing money on postage.

You tend to make more money if you offer to post worldwide (make a note in the listing that the postage quoted is not for worldwide but if they email you with where they live you'll quote them for postage- post office website aswell).

And aslo if you will take returns- also note that only if the buyer pays for return postage and you will refund the auction price not the postage or you will loose money

Be honest... note any marks, tears, dents, anything on the items...it will really annoy a buyer if its not mentioned, and they may want a refund or leave you bad feedback.

Start the items at what you would be happy to make from them, it annoys people to bid on something at 0.99 then be told that there is a reserve of £80!! if you want £80, start it at £80

Sorry for going on...hope this helps

[fergoose]

I find listings attract more buyers if they end in the evening - about 8.30pm-9pm

Take lots of photos, list any faults, give all relevant measurements.

if the buyer returns an item you have to refund all of their money - not just the auction price. A good seller will refund the return postage too if they have made a mistake with a listing.

[SleepySuzy]

Put in your title what you would search for if looking yourself. Avoid using words like wow, look, lovely in the title. They don't help in searches and are a waste of characters.

[theanimalswentintwobytwo]

fregoose obciously I would refund fully if I had made a mistake, but if they have just changed their minds then no, i wouldn't refund postage

[theanimalswentintwobytwo]

Obviously... obviously

[fergoose]

well if a buyer returns an item they are legally entitled to a full refund - if they go via ebay or paypal they would get all their money back. Am pretty sure you are not allowed to keep their money - isn't it covered by distance selling that you have to give them all their money back.

[aswellasyou]

I agree with putting search terms in the title. Using words like 'with', 'and' or 'gorgeous' aren't searched for and you could be using that space to put things people will search for.
Don't end the listing Monday-Friday afternoon when most people are at work.
Try to take the best photos you can. I sometimes find it difficult when I'm doing it quickly in the evening with no natural light but it does make photos look better when you do have natural light. I have both black and white sheets to make into backgrounds. obviously, dark colours stand out on light backgrounds and vice versa.
If you're selling dresses that don't hang well on hangers, take the photo of it lying on a bed or floor to show the true shape of the dress.
Write a blurb for the bottom of your listings-say if you have similar items for sale, whether you accept overseas buyers and if you want them to contact you first about postage costs.
Don't write in text speak, give plenty of information and try to seem approachable. I, rightly or wrongly, assume things about the seller depending on the way their listings come across.

[LakeFlyPie]

Thanks all, really helpful.

Need to get organised and that's given me some very useful pointers.

Will start by searching for similar stuff on ebay, get it weighed and photographed.

Any tips for packaging?