Tips for Ebay Sellers

[sprinkles77]

I have lots of wardrobe mistakes (clothes, shoes, accessories) that I'd like to sell. I listed stuff once before and nothing sold. Has anyone got any suggestions on what sells best and how to do it. I had a look at other items for a guide on prices and postage. All the stuff is in good nick and clean.

Biggest thing is to photograph them well, in good light and make the clothes look good. Take at least 4 pics of each item. Iron them beforehand etc. I always give info on care, sizing and if you can say 'from a pet and smoke free home' if its true for you.

Postage wise, if its a light item like a T shirt, its £2 postage or £1.99. For Jeans/Dresses I always put £3.99. Second class.

I made £50 yesterday in selling old stuff...

Am watching this one..... Have Planet wool coat, never worn and costing £179. Have NO idea what to put it on for, though.

Am the same with other stuff and so it just goes back in it's suit carrier in the wardrobe.

Well done madammecholet.

madammecholet, thank you. I will take some better photos and try again.

Seasonality is important, i.e don't try selling winter coats and boots in spring and summer.

I love selling on ebay!! I have just sold a load of my dd's old Next baby clothes she'd grown out of - made £40.00. Definitely second wash/iron and arrange in photo nicely, seen lots of photos of clothes looking really crumpled as though it's been lying in the dog basket and of bundles of clothes just in a clump on the floor.

I also sold an old Top shop bag for £11.50 (undercharged for postage though and lost £2) so yes always make sure you don't lost out on postage. I usually charge around 2.50.

At the moment, I've found maxi dresses/jeans/sandals/anything from Top Shop/River Island/high street sell well, anything that's current. I also find making the starting price as low as possible. There is currently a dress from Debenhams (nothing v special) starting at £30...no one is going for it as it's starting too high.

Agree with putting prices low, starting at 99p. People will always buy quality stuff but seem to be put off if you decide how much it will be to start.

I also think good photos are v important as the others say. And with shoes take a photo of you wearing the shoes - just ankles.

Also be very honest and descriptive. ie. pretty floral dress, empire line in blue viscose - perfect for Summer BBQs.

wendihouse and sprinkles if you have something high value I always do a search on ebay and see what similar or exact things are going for - see what they are selling for, not what they are 'up' for, as they may have not sold.

I always undercut by a couple of ££'s, and price the postage competitively. Also see what the current RRP is, and add that into your text, ie, bought for RRP £179.

I sold a Boden wool coat last year, started at £29, it fetched over £80...

Happy ebaying!

I agree with all this advice - I've just sold some Karen Millen shoes for £50 and an LK Bennett coat for £60 both on BIN's so maybe think about offering a BIN as well as an auction, if it's particularly good quality. Otherwise, great photos and loads of description and measurements etc. Good luck!

We had a discussion about this a while back. Lots of good tips Here.

Hi
am just selling a pile of stuff at the moment

don't overcharge on postage - buyers are put off by high prices - I know I won't bid if it's £4 postage for a t-shirt

good photos essential

put a reserve price on something if you expect to get at least £50 for it,then you won't end up sending a £100 coat for 99p.....

don't put stuff up that cost you a lot if you're going to be upset for selling for a quid - I've just had to sell a 100% silk Gap blouse for 99p

blossoming, thanks for the link. Sounds like I list the stuff I don't mind going cheap for 99p to get people's attention, and put fancier stuff on with a reserve. Do you bother with "buy it now"? If so, how do you decide on a price? The BIN obviously should be more than the reserve, but how much more? If for example I wanted to sell a pair of shoes that I'd barely worn and had paid £50 for new, I would want to put a reserve on, say £5 maybe? and a BIN of ...........?

Rule No 1) Do not model the clothes on yourself!

2. Be painfully honest - if there is a tiny mark on it, mention it, take a photo if possible, describe it's size etc, otherwise you'll spend hours emailing back and forth and end up refunding, and out of pocket for postage.

3. Don't overcharge on postage. A little extra to allow for fees, packaging is fine, but £4.00 P&P on a children's t-shirt is really taking the p*ss!

I wouldn't use a reserve price on your shoes as you pay more in fees that way- simply start your auction at £4.99. Have a look at the scale of fees to familiarise yourself- the fee banding changes at £5.00, so starting the auction at a penny higher will mean you paying more to ebay. If they only sold at start price, you've got 4.99 and a lower fee banding.

Listing at 0.99 may be free from insertion fees, but you still pay final price fees. If you'd be a bit about items going at 0.99, then it's worth starting the auctions at 2.99 or 4.99 whatever your lower limit for acceptable price is, even with the 11p listing fee, you're making a reasonable return on your items.

ChateauRouge, I wasn't tempted to model the clothes myself! They look shit on me (that's why I'm selling)! Thanks for the other advice. What do you think about BINs?

I rarely, rarely use BIN tbh- only for brand new items sometimes.
Ebay is all about the thrill of the chase

Chat is right. It's all about bidding. Also I've been asked about BIN, added it by amending my listing, never got a response,took it off and then got 30 more than the BIN price. If that makes any sense!

Make sure you get the info on each item RIGHT. I bought a top that was listed as a size 20 and when it arrived in the post the label said size 18...needless to say it did not fit me. The seller was v shirty too.
Good, clear photos, and if the colour does not show up as it is exactly, say that.
Plenty of description - inc measurements, fabric, style details and so on.
How worn the garment is (be honest.....the number of items that have "just been worn once....")
Don't charge rip off prices for delivery - ebay has a delivery price guide I believe.
Be friendly and pleasant in communications even if there is a problem. And make sure you answer promptly any enquiry emails that may arrive while the item is listed.
Package it well when you send it out. Parcel paper is rubbish - I've recieved many items sent out wrapped in brown paper and it is usually disintegrating, exposing the item, by the time it arrives.
Keep proof of postage receipt.

Oh yes, and do it so that the auctions end in evenings or weekend. I never bid on stuff that ends when I am at work, as I usually get outbid at the last minute if I leave a 'standing bid' on it.

Some evenings are better than others to have your item finish. I find I sell lots at times between 8 and 10 in the evening too. Boden sells well and I have sold lots of stuff my daughter no longer has time to wear and find that Jack Wiils stuff goes for high prices whilst cheaper stuff such as top shop sells well to Eastern European countries. I won't send to Italy or Spain as items have been lost and the seller always loses out.

sprinkles I always use BIN and never use reserve. I use a higher starting price instead. In the case you mention I would put £12-£15. Depending on their condition and take photos of heel, sole etc.

Yes I put up pics of the soles of my Karen Millen shoes and I always explain any faults in all its details.

You see, as a buyer, I like BIN's so I'm happy to use them occasionally for high-price stuff. Agree though it's not for eveything or everyone.

It's horses for courses I suspect.

Pinot- I only ever use ebay for fripperies!

Like Jonnyfan, I don't ship to Italy at all, and always state it in my auction- you can also set up your listing to not be biddable on by ebayers in certain countries (using a tick-list, it's quite straight forward)