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selling on ebay

26 replies

spidermum · 03/04/2005 21:13

I have some bits and pieces I think I might be able to shift on ebay. I've never sold anything there before. Is it easy to get started? Does anyone have any handy hints?

OP posts:
darlingbud · 03/04/2005 21:15

my tip is to pay a bit more to have the picture included in gallery. As a seller I have had more sales that way and as a buyer I always tend to look at the ones with pictures first.

evansmummy · 03/04/2005 21:17

We've just started too. It's really easy to get started, just follow the instructions and you can't go wrong!! I'd say the thing that shocks us the most, is the price you have to pay for each item you put on sale. Plus, if you allow buyers to pay with PayPal, you have to pay a fee on it too. So unless you're planning to sell a lot of stuff, avoid PayPal. Except of course that that can make it harder to sell stuff. It is exciting though, watching and waiting for the bids to come in!! Good luck!

jodee · 03/04/2005 21:19

I think there's a 5p listing day coming up (for items starting at 1p-99p, I think), have a look on the site.

darlingbud · 03/04/2005 21:22

5p listing on items prices at 1p-99p is on Tuesday.

Spacecadet · 03/04/2005 21:22

i buy and sell regularly on ebay, ebay does have a selling guide as well that you can look at. I always take my time listing the item, depending on how much you hope to get for the item,have a subtitle, saying something like, brand new, boxed or excellent condition or saying the make, put a good pic on the listing, if its a pram or something that a buyer might want to see a few angles of, include about 3 pics, the first is free, the subsequent ones cost 12p each, choose a nice font a nd word your listing well, dont forget to state whether the item is from a smoke or petfree home, I always choose a low starting price, 99p say , then you pay less insertion fees, you can alwaysadd a reserve so you get what you want for your item, good luck

Spacecadet · 03/04/2005 21:24

If you want to use paypal, put on your listing that if paying by this method the buyer should add say extra on to the final price to cover your paypal fees, i take cheques etc but you can also take bank transfer which is quicker and free.

Gwenick · 03/04/2005 21:24

Also advise having a look at wantitnow to see if anyone is looking for any of your items.

I've just sold two hymn books in the last few days for decent prices as people were looking for them - hadn't 'planned' on selling them but seen as though someone was offering good money I wasn't going to say no LOL

Gwenick · 03/04/2005 21:25

spacecadet - you're not allowed to charge a surcharge for paypal now - against Ebay rules!

Spacecadet · 03/04/2005 21:27

Gwenick i dont personally accept paypal, but I notice that other sellers do infact add a surcharge on to their final price to cover their paypal fees if they are a private seller.

Spacecadet · 03/04/2005 21:31

people are still doing it-bit naughty really, I have never used paypal, i guess only business's use it, people seem happy to send postal orders or wait for cheques to clear, one person who wanted the item quickly arranged a bank transfer, which was free, trouble is, you have to give a complete stranger your bank details!

Gwenick · 03/04/2005 21:32

I don't sell much but accept paypal - fees aren't that bad - and it's quicker to get the deal done and dusted (I just make the 'starting' price a little higher to compensate )

Enid · 03/04/2005 21:35

I have just put about 30 items on - it has taken ages and ages.......we are having building work done and have to clear out our attic - so far we are making 11.49! Big deal - fun though!

pixiefish · 03/04/2005 21:37

Personally I don't bid unless the person accepts paypal. Its a PITA but it does give added protection. You can report someone to ebay if they try and charge a surcharge- its against ebay rules and they'll get thrown off for it. The way to do it is to add a little to the postage- that way they know about it upfront and can't complain that it was a hidden charge

Spacecadet · 03/04/2005 21:39

how many days did you list them for enid?

pixiefish · 03/04/2005 21:40

try and get them to finish midweek

Spacecadet · 03/04/2005 21:41

I think how they get round it pixiefish is to state that the buyer must add a small amount to the postage amount if paying by paypal, so do they get away with it then? I have never bought from anyone that wanted to increase costs to cover paypal charges.

emmatom · 03/04/2005 21:50

7 days is the norm and that will obviously take in a weekend when a lot of potential buyers go on to have a look.

I always thought finishing on a Sunday evening or Monday evening was good, weekend bidders have had a good time to browse and get determined to get the item they've bid on.

Avoid the sale ending during Coronation Street and other soaps!!!

Spacecadet · 03/04/2005 21:58

I always put mine on aseven day listing, that way, buyers have a good oppurtunity to look at your items , then add them to their watch list.

pixiefish · 03/04/2005 22:33

spacecadet- it's up to you really with adding extra for paypal. personally i wouldn't purchase from someone who did this. I did once inadvertently buy something and just didn't bother adding any extra. If they'd have kicked up a stink then I'd have told them to give me my money back if they weren't happy. Had it gone too far then I had the backing of ebay as they were breaking the rules anyway

Enid · 04/04/2005 08:21

have listed for seven days, one batch finishes tonight.
Have sold 10 out of 12 finishing tonight (but at very very low starting prices ).

SecondhandRose · 04/04/2005 08:38

I always type at the top 'please look at my other items'. I always do if someone else types it.

I also type 'from a smoke free home'. Obviously not if it isn't!

We recently sold some hi fi speakers that went for quite a lot of money. The man that bought them from us went to ground after buying them and we thought we'd 'been had' but anyway it turned out that other people were invoicing him for the money as well as us. He gave me two seller ID's and when I checked them they had no feedback and one was no longer a registered user. Quite worrying.

Dingle · 04/04/2005 09:16

Really need to de-clutter and I have toyed with the idea of trying to sell some of my craft work there.

I am a complete ebay virgin! Have a look now and then, but in idiot proof terms, how much does would it actually cost to sell on there?

Sorry,silly to ask, just that this 5p day thing has been mentioed and I don't really understand what it is!

emmatom · 04/04/2005 15:25

Even on a 'noemal'listing day, if you sell something with a start price of under £5, it will charge you about 35p. Then, if it sells, you'll be charged a final fee, again a small amount relative to what the final price was.

They charge you by you setting up an account with them - very easy, you just need to have a credit card and it's all secure.

Once you've sold one or two things and got the hang of it, it is so so easy and quick. I've made about £1000 in the last 5 or 6 months just literally by de-cluttering old ornaments, toys, clothes, books. So if you have a business type thing to sell, it could earn you an extra little income.

I just love to get rid of what I call my rubbish, but is obviously wanted by some others.

emmatom · 04/04/2005 15:26

That should have read a 'normal' listing day, don't want to confuse you.

Spacecadet · 04/04/2005 22:16

pixiefish, i dont use paypal, i do have an account to pay with, but dont accept paypal payments.enid, most people wait until the very last mins to put their bid in.