Selling on eBay Workshop

Welcome
My Introduction - My numbers on ebay - seller since 1999
Items currently listed - 19,465
User name dularson - store name oldpostcardsforsale - feedback 14,500
Affiliations - none - I am not paid by eBay to offer this workshop
I am a volunteer at Morningside Library. This is the eighteenth time I have offered this eBay workshop.
Questions at any time - use hand method - answers are based on my experience
Rest Rooms - go out at any time - leave at any time

Print this workbook online - http://www.oldpostcardsforsale.com/selling.htm
Purpose of this workshop - orientation for new sellers on ebay
Vocabulary - for ebay find a glossary of terms from eBay HERE https://www.ebay.in/pages/help/account/glossary.html

 Here are additional definitions from me:

active listing - for sale at this time.
advanced search - to see what has sold and not sold. Right of search button.
Amazon.com - a great place to check the value of several items.
auction bytes - water cooler website for details about what's happening.
auction item - bidding is necessary. Seller may use when value is not known.
best match - results of search based on what eBay wants you to see.
bidding - selling to highest bidder, useful when value is not known.
bidding war - when two or more bidders drive up the price.
box lot - sell several related items at one time to get rid of stuff.
buy it now - BIN- no need to bid. Just buy.
combined shipping - when a buyer orders two or more items.
completed sales - click to see items sold and not sold in advanced search.
create shortcut - right click to have icon on desktop to go to a webpage fast.
customer service - none for a seller, only a buyer.
desktop - screen which first shows when computer is turned on.
duplicate listing - can not list same item twice at the same time.
eBay- greatest website for selling unusual stuff, sort-of.
ebay fees - about 20% of the sale price.
ecommerce - online sales .
email - the first page to visit each day to check for sold items.
empty box - customer says box was empty when delivered.
ending soonest - a sort which is great at attracting buyers but not default.
eyeballs - people who look at your items.
feedback - online reputation with eBay for buyers and sellers.
final value fee - ebay commission when item is sold is typically about 15%.
fixed price item - no need to bid. Item is available for immediate sale.
foreign sales - OK for very small items that will fit in an envelope.
free listings - 250 given by eBay from time to time to non store holders.
free shipping - no such thing.
good till cancelled - GTC - item will be relisted automatically by eBay.
Google search - a better way to find stuff on eBay.
icon - graphic which when clicked will take you to webpage without typing.
images - pictures from scanner or camera.
import listings - bring items into eBay from other websites.
ISBN - identification number of book which speeds up listing of a book.
life is an average - there will be good and there will be bad.
listing - advertisement goes worldwide if seller selects worldwide shipping.
listing fee - cost to advertise varies per item from 20 cents to 5 cents.
lowest price first - search sort to show lowest price items at top of search.
IRS Schedule C see copy HERE
minimum bid - set by seller for auction items.
new listing - never listed before.
niche - area of specialized selling.
not as described - NAD - buyer can claim this and get refund without return.
notebook - notebook to record passwords, security questions, codes.
one of a kind OOAK - most items like this sell on eBay quickly.
packing bubble wrap - free behind furniture stores in dumpster. Take scissors.
page views - number of times page has been shown to buyers and other sellers.
password - security code to access accounts. Record in notebook.
PayPal - payment method acceptable to eBay.
PayPal debit card - way to pay for anything with PayPal proceeds.
picture photo - to display item for sale.
photo enclosure - to minimize surrounding details and focus on item for sale.
phishing emails - dishonest people looking for your details to steal from you.
postage fee - cost to send an item to buyer with USPS.
power seller - seller who sells a large quantity of items in the span of a year.
profit - great if possible but sometimes happy to get what you can.
proxy bidding - when ebay advances a buyer bid to limit set by buyer.
research - used to determine details about item and establish a price.
relist - when an item is not sold, then it can be put up for sale again.
reserve auction - where minimum selling price is hidden. Not good method.
returns - eBay permits returns for up to 180 days through PayPal if NAD.
rolling blackouts - where all listings are not shown all the time.
scan - to capture a picture with a scanner. 500 dpi minimum.
Security Question - enter in notebook.
seller fees - cost to sell on eBay. Usually about 15% of sold items.
Seller Hub - location of useful links to various seller tools.
seller's remorse - after an item sells, disappointment to have sold the item.
sell through rate - percentage of items that sell. Usually low.
sell your item page - easy to follow form to sell items.
separate bank account - necessary to protect personal finances.
shill bidding - dishonest method to drive up the sale price of an item.
shipping included - an honest statement about postage amount.
shopping cart - buyer buys several items then requests an invoice.
short cut - click to go to a webpage quickly.
SixBit.com - program to create listings and store them until needed
SKU - item identification number on newer items.
sold listing - useful list to process items for shipping.
store levels - Basic - Premium - Anchor. Google to find details.
synchronization - where items are for sale on several platforms in sync.
Terapeak - A research tool to determine the price.
top rated seller - seller who uses tracking on all items.
tracking - method to determine where an item is located at all times.
unsold listing - useful to relist when listings are available.
upload listing to eBay - sending advertisement to eBay to sell an item.
user agreement - terms to use the eBay program when selling.
USPS - United States Postal Service is your friend.
visibility - ability of buyers to see listings.
watchers - are not buyers. They have one to sell and seek guidance.
YouTube - educational videos for instruction of eBay techniques.

So next, determine what you want to sell.

Sell or donate items - your choice - what do you think you'll sell?
What to sell - nothing breakable or expensive at first - research - Google
Banking - separate from household checking and credit card - not connected
Accounts - set up a paypal and ebay account with this bank account number
Password Record - booklet never leaves home
Sourcing - items to sell - sellers get 200 free listings monthly at first
Tutorials - numerous - youtube.com - also instruction for how to list on ebay
Images - camera - phone - scanner - remember where you save them
Typing - computer skills - equipment - scale - computer - printer
Seller Hub - My eBay - A very important page for an eBay seller.
Shipping - bubble wrap - boxes - envelopes - Priority Mail flat rate
Discount postage - online - available on eBay
Print postage on line - pay for tracking on expensive items
Large mailbox - to avoid trips to the post office
emails - answer quickly - use caution
Feedback - you as a buyer feedback adds to the total
Taxes - IRS Schedule C - 1099 if sell $600 in a year
Business License - your municipality may require this There is a yearly fee.

Selling Anything On The Internet

The prospect of trying to sell unwanted items to others seems difficult regardless of the method used.

Selling all the items not wanted to a dealer is the easiest and least profitable.

Selling items to fellow collectors at club meetings will take forever.

Selling to others at  shows is labor intensive, expensive, and may not result in much profit after seller expenses.

Selling items on the internet will require constant attention to detail but will result in the best return.

So, if you want a profit when selling items, if you would like to sell off the items you do not want in this lifetime, if you do not like the idea of possibly losing money while selling items, then ebay may be just right.

Useful Desktop Shortcut Links

When you have an account at eBay and can log on with your password, then access each of these pages. Copy the http address. Go to your desktop. Right click where you want the icon to show. Paste the address in the box. Then enter the name for this shortcut in the other box. Next return to the list of suggested shortcuts. Do more. Here is a list of some of the shortcuts you may want to put on your desktop:

        Seller Hub
        Sold Items
        eBay Payments
        Manage Active Listings
        Create Listing
        Payment History

Here are other links which may be of use to you. Follow this link:

http://www.oldpostcardsforsale.com/links.htm

Computer Skills Needed

This is a minimum set of computer skills needed to pursue the hobby business of selling items on the internet through eBay. They are entered in no certain order. But all are essential to participation in the computer work for a hobby business.
If you find a skill listed which you do not understand, then seek help from others or from online tutorials. Google your request and add youtube to the question. Youtube is great for this.

1. Typing skills slightly better than hunt and peck.
2. Search the internet with Google.
3. Open email program like Yahoo. Update it from time to time..
4. Reply to email messages.
5. Print messages.
6. Use drafts in Yahoo
6. Paste text from drafts into messages.
7. Create and send new email.
8. Create shortcuts on desktop.
9. Follow hyperlinks. Use back button to return.
10. Use refresh button F5.
11. Scan an image and save to a folder. eBay allows 12 per listing.
12. Load toner or ink in the printer.
13. Follow online tutorials.
14. Access online banking account.
15. Access eBay Managed Payments account.
16. Access PayPal account.
17. Hear audio with speakers or headphones.
 

Organizational Methods

Determine how you will organize the items you plan to sell so you can match pictures with listings with the actual item.

Item numbers work great for me. Each item has a number. Starting with 001, I now have pictures up to about 18,300.

When a listing is typed, the title of the item starts with the item number. The item  number in the title helps to locate the item when it sells and needs to be sent.

When the description is written for the title, a scan is made of the item so a picture can be added to the listing. eBay allows up to twelve images.

The picture file number is the item number. So a scan of item number 001 will be 001.jpg. I also have folders for each 100 item scans to make finding them easier.

The items are the filed in numerical order. How original is that?

When an item sells, a record is made of the sold item number. About a month after the item is sold, a different item is listed with the sold item number. The item numbers get recycled over time. The same boxes can be used to store the items. When a new item is added, it is put in the numerical order box for ease of location when it sells. And on and on.

Now all of this takes time, and effort. You may find a system which works better for you. Well have at it. Develop a system that works for you. The important details are to have as many items as possible for sale, don't list he same item more than once, replace pictures and descriptions as items sell, and be able to find and send an item quickly when payment is made.

Banking Aspects - Very Important

The banking aspects of online selling must be separate from your household account for security sake. Here's what to do:

Gather up $100. Visit your local bank.

Ask them if they have a free checking account with no fees and no minimum balance.

If not, go to another bank that does have free checking with no minimum balance and no fees.

If they do have this sort of account, set up an account.

Make sure that this new account is NOT tied to your household accounts or to your credit cards.

Request a debit card from your newly established bank account.

Then go to eBay.com. Set up an account there with this new bank account number.

If you have already established an account with eBay, replace any account number you have registered there with this new bank account number.

Then go to paypal.com. Set up an account there. Many buyers use PayPal. You can use their debit card to access funds.
Request a PayPal debit card. Use the new bank account number as backup for paypal.

Start selling. Payments to you will go into your ebay Managed Payments account at eBay or your paypal account.

You can spend the money you receive with your bank debit card depending on when you schedule to have your payments sent to your bank account.

I have the eBay Managed Payments balance sent weekly to my bank account. Some sellers have the proceeds sent daily.

Shipping Methods

Single items or small groups of individual paper items can be sent in a business envelope with a stiffener. Save small boxes. Save packing material.

Have a postal scale handy.

Print the postal rates for first class then tack it up where you can see it easily. I pre make envelopes with a stiffener, return address label and 78 cents postage for any item up to 2 ounces to a US address.

Use priority mail envelopes when you have many items to send. The flat rate is about $8.00 regardless of where the item is going in the USA, and regardless of what the weight is. Pretty much what ever you can fit into the envelope is OK.

Be sure to have a few flat rate envelopes on hand.

If you have several items to send to the same address, then you may want to investigate the flat rate boxes offered by the post office. For a reasonable sum you can really get quite a bit of material in a flat rate box. There are three sizes. Keep a few of each size on hand. Since these boxes are flat rate, there is no need to stand in the line at the post office. Just print your postage from the eBay sold page.

You will need to speak with your USPS route letter carrier to let them know you will be sending items from your home from time to time. If you have several items to mail, a trip to the post office may be necessary.

When you buy Priority Mail postage through eBay, there is a box you can check to alert the letter carrier to knock on your door to get the item.

Try to mail every paid order out the next day after payment is received. That is efficient business. Getting behind is painful.

Managed Payments - Wonderful

So when you do sell an item, eBay has a wonderful system for you as a seller to get paid. It is called Managed Payments. Here's how it works. The buyer pays for an item with any of a few different methods. eBay then puts the proceeds into your Managed Payments account. Oh, first, they subtract their fees, commissions, and any taxes for various states. You then get the balance. With this technique of accounting, you always know how much you get. And you never have to make a separate payment to eBay. Neat. eh? I like it. As a seller, you determine how often you want the balance to be sent to your bank account. I have it sent weekly. Another seller has the balance sent daily. You select the period. So when eBay asks you to sign up for Managed Payments, just do it.

Once you have sold items, you will be sent a payment to your bank account when ever you choose. You can also use your funds in the ebay payments account to buy stuff on ebay with a process called spendable funds. Call ebay to set this up with them after you are established.

Sourcing Items to Sell on eBay

Sure, you have items to sell from your collection in your own home. But when these items are gone, where do you get more stuff to sell?

Depending on your energy and mobility, here are suggestions of places I have found items to sell:

Flea market, garage sales, commercial store closeouts, neighbors. friends, family, library book sales, homemade items, dumpster diving, estate sales, Goodwill, homemade crafts, thrift stores, and self published books.

Also some of my best finds that sold were from purchases from other sellers on eBay. When you see a large lot of items that you know about, you buy it and sell it one item at a time with a complete description.

Boilerplate

Every listing needs to have standard terms of a sale explained to a buyer. Here is mine:

Domestic postage is $1 total for any quantity of single postcard lots bought at the same time in this auction. If you purchase several lots at the same time, use the shopping cart. When done, request an invoice. Then wait for my invoice before making payment.

Foreign postage is $2 total for any quantity of single postcard lots purchased at the same time. If you purchase several lots at the same time,  use the shopping cart. When done, request an invoice. Then wait for my invoice before making payment.

Postage for lots with more than one item are given in the description. The postage given is based on the weight of the item. Foreign postage is about $1.30 per ounce. For example, a ten postcard lot will weigh about 3 ounces to send so the postage is typically $4.

The number of items in this listing is given in the title in CAPITAL letters.

All items will be sent to USA addresses with USPS First Class Mail and with a variety of colorful stamps used for postage.

I will send the items to you the day after payment is received.

Full refund if you are not pleased with your purchase.

Note: If a postcard is identified as MOBSC in the description, that means mint on back with sharp corners. UDB - Undivided Back (A very early postcard.) If a card is described as RPPC in the description, it is a real photo postcard. PM identifies a Private Mailing Card.

Here is a list which will aid you in getting an eBay hobby business up and running. Please consider this my personal advice.  Ask advice of others who have an eBay account to make sure these are the right things to do for you.

1. Realize that this will be a time consuming activity which can not be successful unless you have adequate time on a daily basis to answer email questions, put things up for sale. Fill orders promptly. Don't believe the TV hype promo commercials about making big money right from the first day. Learning any new skill takes time.

2. Set up a separate debit account at a bank which has the ability to give you free checking, free debit card, and online banking. Deposit $100 in it. Be sure to ask for the debit card.  A lot of times the bank worker will need to be told this more than once for it to sink in. You definately need the debit card. Do not use a credit card you may already have. You will need to record the pin number in your password, user name, and security notebook when you get the card in your stay-at-home notebook.

3. Research the price others are selling the item for, currently.

4. Determine what you want to sell. Determine what the minimum price is that you can sell each item so you will not have sellers remorse.

5. Start accumulating the items you plan to sell. Make sure you have a place where organized storage will not be disturbed. Finding items in a hurry is important to fill orders promptly. Shelving will be needed.

6. Print post office rates for the class of mail you plan to send. If you plan to use USPS Priority Mail, then go to this site to order free shipping materials. Here is the URL for shipping materials:

 https://www.usps.com/ship/priority-mail.htm 

Set up an account there and order a beginning supply of the sort of packaging you will need. Make sure you have an accurate weight scale for the weight you expect your items will ship at. These shipping supplies are typically available at the post office.

7. Make sure you have a computer connected to the internet available to you. You will also need a scanner, possibly a digital camera, and a printer.

8. Go to an office supply store and buy pens, pencils, file folders, mailing envelopes, bubble wrap, peanuts, markers, boxes, labels, printer paper, clear tape with applicator, and any other sort of item you think you will need.

9. Buy a supply of postage of the denominations you expect to need. Discount postage can be purchased at eBay. Meet with your USPS route carrier to tell that person you plan to be sending items by mail. Make arrangements for the carrier to pick up USPS Priority Mail if you plan to use that method. Stamps can be used to pay USPS postage for any weight. But if the item weighs 14 ounces or more, a visit will be needed to the post office to obtain a zero label which identifies you as the sender.

10. Visit Picclick.com as a way to search all of eBay at one time. It's neat. Try it.

11. Consider getting a large mail box for the front of your home.

12. Make sure you have computer skills needed to answer and generate email, print, scan, load pictures from a digital camera, down load programs, and save pictures.

13. Establish a place where you can store the images you generate. This might be at a memory space which is yours through your internet provider. Or it could be a folder on your computer. Record the folder where you have saved images.

14.  Get some sort of bookkeeping set up to record expenses and receipts.

15. From a pay phone, without giving your name, call the office of the business licensing department for the town where you live.  Find out if you need a business license to do this eBay hobby stuff from your home. Stress the word hobby in the telephone conversation. Then do what you feel is right. 

16. When you have established a separate bank account,  go online to sign up for selling on eBay. Use the new account number. Have your account number handy. You will need that number for the day when you will want money sent from your eBay account to your bank account.  If you already have a bank account tied to your eBay account, update the account number to the newly opened account.

17. Log on to eBay and set up an account with the account number and debit account you have. http://www.ebay.com  Read the tutorials about anything you do not understand.

18. Start taking pictures or scanning and then save them to a folder for eBay images. Remember the name of the folder they are in and where they are located.

19. Open the Seller Hub to list items. Use Listings/Create.

20. Establish a numbering system so you can identify each item you plan to sell. This is the number you assign so you can quickly find each item when it sells. Some call it a lot number.

21. Determine what you plan to use as a selling model. For example, listing on what day and what time to close on what day and what time, how many items will you plan to have listed all the time. Will you want to move unsold items to an ebay store? Probably yes so you can build an inventory.

22. List one item with the default settings. Look over the listing before submitting it. See if everything came out as you expected. When you are pleased with the result, then submit it.

23. eBay gives sellers 250 free listings each month. This varies from time to time.

24. Answer emails as they come in about the item you have for sale.

25. Prepare more items to be submitted later.

26. When you feel ready, submit more items. Determine how many you plan to list at one time. Then try to hold to that number for a while. Twenty seems ambitious enough to start with. A listing can be completed in about 2 minutes, eventually.

27. When an item sells, you will be given an email notice that the person has paid for the item. Print the packing slip which has the address of the buyer. Cut off the address and tape it to the envelope. Or box. Send the item that day or the next day. You can also print postage directly from the ebay sold notice.

28. If there are items that didn't sell, you may want to relist them once. If they still do not sell, then move them to your eBay store. Read the tutorial about eBay stores. It might not be profitable until you have a hundred things to put in it. But you will lose listing detail if you do not move items over within I think 30 days. So you will want to open a basic store right away if you plan to have 100 or more items for sale.

29. Develop a rhythm. Listing certain times. Preparing items for listing. Answering emails. Submitting items for sale. Packing. Sending out items.

30. Review what sells and what does not sell by visiting eBay advanced search completed listings. Look over your items to verify that the price you start them at is within range of what they will sell for. Continue to modify your practices to refine the selling experience. This will never end.

31. Prepare to receive bogus emails requesting your password for eBay and PayPal. Never enter this information in response to an email. Instead, forward the entire message to either spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com 

Questions answered depending on my experience to answer them. dularson@bellsouth.net 

Changes on eBay Platform

Prepare yourself for changes at eBay which will affect you as a seller. Some of these changes are huge. All tasks take time to learn.
Back in the day, eBay had numerous aspects which helped sellers. Here is a list of some of the changes that were instituted that I did not like to see end:

Turbolister - a program to aid in listing items. Gone.
Cassini - a search program to help find items. Gone.
Categories - a way to find stuff fast. Gone.
HTTP Prohibited - adding HTTP links to listings to enhance description. Gone.
PayPal - a payment method tied to eBay that made transactions faster. Gone.
Item Specifics - a requirement to supposedly enhance descriptions. Hopefully gone soon.

So don't get attached to any aspect of eBay. It will probably be eliminated or changed when you get used to it.

When selling on eBay, expect a rash of emails attempting to get your password. Expect emails which look like they are from eBay and from PayPal.

The emails will say something like your verification of account information is required or your account will be frozen. Or that if you do not respond, your account will be removed from the list of approved sellers.

All of this is garbage. The people who do this have nothing better to do than try to steal from you. Consider it like shoplifting. 

So the best procedure to follow is to NEVER give out your confidential information in response to any email of any kind.

NEVER give out your confidential information to anyone on the telephone.

When you do receive a suspicious email, and every one will seem suspicious eventually, do the following:

Click on the Forward button in your top tool bar.

Enter this email address to send the email to:

spoof@ebay.com or if it is PayPal, then spoof@paypal.com

Items not to sell at first:

electronics
glass objects
anything of interest to young people
video games
play station stuff
knives
toys
coins
comic books
no worldwide sales at first
expensive items, say over $10 each.
 

Items that would be good to sell at first:

historic newspapers and magazines
original art
wooden objects that will not break
rubber objects for the same reason
maps
prints
stamps for collectors
postcards
greeting cards
ephemera
tools
blotters
household kitchen items
DVD's
CD's
memorabilia
advertising
table cloths
place mats
napkins
clothing
candle sticks
guide books
sheet music
coasters
plastic flowers
small car parts
motor cycle anything
yarn
pine cones
stuff that will not break in the mail

Well you get the idea from this list.

Selling Tips For eBay

Here are random thoughts about selling on eBay which were not mentioned on previous pages of this booklet.

Consider including postage in the bid amount for a single item to any USA address.

Do not have a huge postage amount in the listing. This will be seen as a scam by buyers and they will not buy. Shipping should be just shipping, not for profit from the item.

Check the box on the listing form to indicate you will send the item after two business days. Weekends and holidays do not count in the two days.

Do not enter negative feedback for buyers. Just swallow hard and move on. Well, sellers can not enter negative feedback. Buyers can. Go figure.

Do not bother with buyers who have not paid after one month. Just wait a week after a one month notice, cancel the sale, then relist.

Do not try to get final value fees back from eBay for a non performing (nonpaying) bidder. It is a waste of time.

Refund the full amount without question when an item is returned, or lost in shipping. This happens infrequently.

Enter feedback for every transaction even if the buyer did not enter feedback for you.

Check Seller Hub daily to see if a payment was made but no email was received.

On large orders, consider sending a bonus item.

Automatically combine shipping when a buyer pays for several items at the same time. In fact, explain in your boilerplate how the shopping cart works.

When done shopping, a buyer then can request an invoice for combined shipping.

Expect to encounter various problems from time to time. Approach each problem with a positive attitude.

Make sure the minimum price to sell an item that you enter will be enough so you will not have sellers remorse if the item sells.

Hold back offering expensive items you might want to sell until you have a feedback of at least 50.  That way buyers will not be reluctant to buy.

Visit the seller forum now and then to see what other sellers are concerned about.

Encourage others to buy and sell on eBay to grow the community.

Be sure to include shipping details for each item in the listing notice to minimize email questions about shipping.

Print your own return address labels. I use Avery 8460 with the free online program.

List of other online selling venues in no particular order. Note that all of them are dot coms.

hippostcards
hipstamps
stanleygibbons
etsy
bonanza
ebid
ecrater
amazon
ePier
webstore
boocoo
Wensy
AtomicMall
OnlineAuction
WeBidz
blujay

Here are my thoughts on Do's and Don'ts for selling on eBay

Select from these lists as you see fit:

Do's

-send out items the day after payment is received
-print postage on eBay or PayPal
-include the item number with each order
-give complete description with all features noted
-answer all emails
-organize stock in an easy to find location
-use a lot number system for small items
-research the value of an item to find a good starting price
-find a niche for your specialty
-use several pictures - eBay allows 12 per listing.
-tell your postal worker about your plan to sell on ebay
-accumulate shipping supplies
-use an accurate scale. One to 5 pounds. One to 20 pounds.
-notify buyers when the item is shipped by clicking shipped on ebay.
-leave feedback for all transactions.
-keep the better stuff for sale later for when you are more experienced as a seller.
-learn about IRS form Schedule C - form 1099.
-request a PayPal debit card
-request a bank debit card
-buy a book about selling on ebay and read it for more tips

Don'ts

-ask for feedback
-put dryer sheet in with order
-put music in listings
-threaten a non paying bidder
-contact a non paying bidder more than once
-expect everything to sell right away
-lower price so you have seller remorse
-ignore email questions
-send out dusty dirty items
-take pictures with clutter in the background
-sell items you do not have control over
-sell any large difficult to ship items
-sell worldwide anything that needs a box to ship
-expect every item to reach the buyer
-expect every buyer to be honest
-call ebay customer service for anything
-sell expensive items at first
-sell for others
-go away on vacation with items for sale. Use the vacation setting on ebay.
-expect watchers to be buyers
-sell breakable items online
-expect huge fast sales

Step by Step

Find an item to sell

Use research to determine current value. Terapeak and other listings on eBay.

Determine if selling it is worthwhile (profitable for time spent)

If so, write a description, select a title, assign lot number, take photographs or make scans, weigh for shipping, calculate postage, ready package but do not seal.

Type listing in Seller Hub - Listing/Create.

Send listing to ebay when ready. Best time varies. Experiment.

If not sold, plan to relist at a later date with just a click from unsold.

If sold, watch for email sold notification from eBay.

Look for paid email before sending an item.

Open Seller Hub on eBay, click to sold page

Find item on list of sold items.

Click print packing list which includes the shipping address.

Print postage from eBay sold page or use stamps if under 14 ounces.

Enclose packing slip with item number, then seal the box or envelope.

Cut out shipping label, tape to box or envelope.

Mail as soon as possible.

On sold page of Seller Hub, click shipped, leave feedback.

Plan A Backup

eBay expects a seller to send out sold items fast. As a seller, when an item is listed, a selection is made as to when the item will be sent when sold after payment is received. But life happens. There may come a time when as a seller, the item can not be sent out when planned. So some arrangement must be made. A family member, a friend, a fellow seller needs to know where your stuff is and needs to know your passwords to either cancel a sale or send it out. There is also a vacation setting which can put all the listed items on hold. This takes thought. Make plans ahead of need.

Overwhelmed

As a final note, this activity can overwhelm a new seller. But recognize that the learning curve is not spread over a day or week. The learning curve will take years. Give yourself time to become proficient, yet recognize that you will never have all aspects figured out. After my 20 plus years on eBay, I am still learning. Mostly I have learned from my mistakes. And I have made many.

Have fun. I still have fun after all these years. And I have been able to improve my collection as well.

David U. Larson

Marty eBay listings https://www.ebay.com/str/bitsey1212

David U. eBay listings https://www.ebay.com/str/oldpostcardsforsale 

Consider suggesting improvements to this workbook.

dularson@bellsouth.net

October 2022