Anne Z is a certified USPTA tennis and pickleball professional who takes her many years of experience in teaching tennis to the online arena. Anne breaks down the tasks of online selling into simple language, especially for those who don’t have much computer, internet, or photography background.
I find that if you write down your daily goals or make a TO DO List, things will have a better chance of getting done.
This simple action is very important as you begin ramping up in the world of online selling, including eBay!
It serves multiple purposes.
Making a List……..
Gives your day a plan
Keeps you focused and on track
Is a great way to see what you’ve accomplished at the end of the day, by reviewing your “checked off boxes”
Allows you to prioritize your tasks into urgent, important and non-urgent
You can also break your daily tasks into time segments like: 15 minute slots, 30 minute slots, 1 hour or longer and then make your list!
Begin the Day
Checking and answering email
Printing packing slips for orders that need to go out
Finding all the items that were ordered
Get them packed, weighed and measured.
Print mail labels
Load up my bin for my daily mail pick-up, which happens later in the afternoon.
Listing and Photos
I look through my various piles and boxes to see which items I want to list on eBay and other sites: Amazon, Facebook, Craig’s List, Next Door or Poshmark.
Sometimes my mood dictates listing larger items on the local sites, other times I might focus on records, or clothing or memorabilia. Whatever it may be, write it down.
Don’t Get Stuck in Analysis Paralysis
Researching items is a fun task, but it’s important not to get to involved or spend too long with it. That can be real time suck!
Go to the eBay Search Bar
Type in the item you want to sell
Click on Advanced to the right of the Search Bar
You can choose to see what similar items to yours have sold and their prices
The number may vary, so pick a mid range number and set your selling price
What Else Will You Do Today?
After shipping your orders, listing your new items, you may still have time for other related eBay activities like:
Sourcing more items
Sharing your items on Social Media
Ordering new shipping supplies
Doing some basic bookkeeping
or Fill in the blank _____________________
Check Off Your Activities
Can you list 3, 5, 10 or more items per day? Per week? Per month?
As you grow your sales, there will be more for you to plan for! Your time is valuable!
Perhaps, you will fit in a walk or lunch with an old friend or some grocery shopping.
One of the best parts about selling on eBay is the flexibility you have.
And after seeing and hearing the lessons one by one, you can re-watch any of the segments over again if necessary!
Why Reinvent the Wheel?
I have been selling on eBay since the very early days of the platform, 1998. There have been so many changes to improve the buying and selling experience. I learned the hard way, mostly trial and error. If you take my course, I will cover things like the Mindset of Selling, What Tools You’ll Need to Begin Selling, Info on Shipping and Pricing and so much more.
Take it Slowly
No need to rush. As you get comfortable with each concept, I will show what sells, and how to create your very own first listing!
It’s doesn’t have to be difficult, but for people without a tech background, I explain it simply! It is even possible to list on eBay using your phone or tablet and avoid the computer all together!
I have years of teaching experience as a tennis professional. I taught ALL level players and in ALL age ranges. I love teaching tennis AND eBay!
List, Sell and Ship
By the time you get though the whole course, you will be READY and ABLE to list, sell and ship on eBay.
You may not even have an eBay account, so I will teach you how to create one.
You may not have PayPal and I’ll teach you how to collect money from your buyers!
You may not have any boxes, I will teach you how to obtain and even get them for FREE!
Get Rid of Your Stuff and Make Some Money
I will teach you how to turn your “trash into cash” as they say! It’s the ultimate form of recycling and reusing by selling on eBay.
It will empower you to sell all on your own, after taking my online course. What are you waiting for? Sign up today!
Short on Time?
That’s okay. You only need to commit to an hour a day at first. You can start with one listing and then to two and so on!
Make personal goals depending on your schedule. I teach you how to use your time wisely when listing and researching.
It doesn’t have to be an all day process. Short and sweet is my plan for you!
Learn from a REAL Pro
I sell every single day on eBay! I’m not kidding. I am a real person who loves to teach others about the fun eBay can bring you! In addition, you can make extra money too!
EBay sent me a message today! I am going to review it’s contents below.
1) Review Active Listings
Perhaps re-write a title or description to better describe your item.
Maybe it might be time to take the listing down and donate!
Perhaps adding some new photos can help the listing overall!
2) Study the Competition
Review pricing of similar items and adjust given this information
Is you pricing higher than others?
Can you make it more competitive? eBay buyers love to get deals!
3) Be Sure Your Listing Category is Correct
I apparently have to correct a number of my listings, according to their message. I will click on the link and make adjustments as needed.
Click on the edit button to see options available.
4) Provide Item Specifics
Each category has drop down choices that will help items show up in “search” for eBay buyers.
The more info, the better chance they will find you!
Here is an example from a current listing of mine: Lakers NBA Jacket.
Promote Your Listings
There are some cool tools that allow you to Promote your listings and they will appear higher in the search for similar items. This does cost whatever percentage is applied to your items. This option is totally your choice, but I use it all the time!
I also like to put items on SALE frequently. Some of my older listings have more aggressive sales than the new listings. When you use this option, you will earn less, but move it sooner! At least that is the goal. I use sales all the time!
Touch It or Think About It
There is another way to get new sales that is commonly reported by fellow sellers.
If you want something to sell that has not sold after a long time being listed, then go over to where it’s located and TOUCH IT!
Seriously, that has worked for me! Of course, your results may vary! Worth a try! The goal is to make sales, so whatever it takes is what I say!
You name it, you can sell it on eBay! Not everything will garner top dollar and there may be a glut of Life Magazines, but if you have the desire, you can list and possibly sell your items on eBay!
2) I can make money on my own!
No need for a job interview to sell on eBay!
No need for a resume to sell on eBay!
You don’t have to have top grades or be the fastest athlete or any other superlative, just list a few items that people want and you will make some money!
You are your own boss!
3) I can sell from home, or anywhere with a WiFi connection
I can sell using my iPhone (or other mobile device)
I set my own hours: early morning or late at night or anytime in between – eBay doesn’t shut down!
I can even list while buying the items at a garage sale!
I can sell in my pajamas!
4) Recycle and Reuse and Renew!
I love finding a new home for my old stuff
If something sells that is known to be broken, others can repair or use for parts or make art from it!
Things have many uses, not just for the original purpose
I call it moving things around the universe!
5) It’s Fun to Buy and Sell on eBay
Who says making money has to be boring? Selling on eBay is fun!
I can sell to people ALL around the world and not just in my local community!
I can BUY from anywhere in the world too!
I love finding treasures all from my phone or home computer without having to travel anywhere!
On January 26, 2020, the Unites States Postal Service (USPS) put new rates into effect! They say there a two certainties in life: Death and Taxes. I would add Annual Increase of Postal Rates!
A stamp costs 55¢. Hard to believe, but true. Good thing we have “Forever Stamps” that work whatever the rate is. Buying stamps in bulk can help save some money but always being current with the rate when used. Time is saved too, since you won’t have to stand in line at the post office buying 1¢ stamps or other small denominations when increases happen!
Are you aware these differences when sending a good old-fashioned letter?
Standard-sized, rectangular envelope stamps start at $0.55.
Square, oversize, or unusually shaped envelope stamps start at $0.70.
Postcards
Do you ever send a postcard when you go on a trip anymore? I guess most of us just send a convenient text with photos to our friends and family instead, these days.
Standard-sized postcard, rectangular envelope stamps start at $0.35.
Oversize postcards need letter stamps, which start at $0.55.
Free Package Pickup service at your home or office
Includes USPS Tracking and up to $50 of insurance with most shipments (restrictions apply)
Flat Rate, regional, and prepaid pricing (retail only) available
Calculate Your Price Here! It all depends on zip codes, size of package and weight! Bookmark this link for future use!
Faster Yet – Priority Express
Fastest delivery times: overnight to 2 days
Overnight scheduled delivery by 10:30 am, and Sunday and holiday delivery available in many major markets for an additional fee
Free Package Pickup service at your home or office
Includes USPS Tracking® and up to $100 of insurance with most shipments
Price includes proof of delivery signature record (if requested at time of purchase)
Less Expensive Ways to Ship
If you walk into a post office in person, you will pay a higher rate than if you print postage and shipping labels from home, using eBay’s shipping service or other services like Stamps.com, Endicia.com, Ship Station (I’m a big fan) and Pirate Ship (FREE to create an account!) Shipping online is the way to go, either with USPS.com or one of the services above!
Recap
Tip #26
Goal: Know the New 2020, USPS rates
Task: Click on the links on this post to see what’s new!
That saying has been used for all sorts of situations, but it applies big time for eBay sellers! It is important to use multiple selling channels to diversify and find new buyers, not just eBay buyers.
Multiple Marketplaces
Some of the channels I use include to sell besides eBay, in order of my personal success top to bottom, along with some pros and cons. Your results may vary. Watch for future review posts of each of these sites. Below find some pros and cons vs eBay.
Amazon
Facebook Marketplace
NextDoor
Craig’s List
Poshmark
MaxSold
Garage Sales
5 Miles
Offer Up
Other sites you may like, but I have not used:
Etsy
Mercari
Depop
Amazon vs eBay
Pros
Amazon fees are roughly the same as eBay depending on if you have a high or low priced item. You will keep more or your earnings, if it is a higher priced, from my experience.
Amazon takes their percentage of the sale upfront, you don’t owe anything after the sales (unless shipping charges exceed your sales)
“Everybody” knows Amazon!
Amazon has a huge catalog of offerings for buyers.
Amazon may be easier and possibly quicker to list than on eBay (yes, they have a free mobile app!)
Amazon pays YOU every other week for your sales.
Cons
Lots of competition in amount of inventory and pricing, for common items: books, CDs, DVDs, etc.
You still have to ship items sold, just like on eBay, if you are Merchant Fulfilled Seller.
Sales tax is collected from many states, so you have to brush up on latest rules. (Though that is now happening on eBay too! It’s a changing world for online sellers currently!)
Facebook Marketplace vs eBay
Pros
Lots and lots of local people are now shopping on Facebook Marketplace. Growing quickly!
No fees
Easy to list
In Person pick-up arrangements
Cons
Can have flaky communication between you and potential buyers
Have to arrange meeting pick-up time (should be in public space), which takes up part of your day.
NextDoor vs eBay
Pros
Local feel
No fees – Cash sale
In person pick-up
Cons
Lots of flaking by folks asking and then not responding once you reply.
Craig’s List vs eBay
Pros
Many items to choose from
Many buyers – CL is popular
When the sale works, it’s great!
Cons
Scam messages galore
Lots of flakes
May take a while to sell stuff
Need to renew listing every 7 days
Poshmark vs eBay
Pros
Great for clothing and fashion
Once sale is made, you just print out shipping label
Don’t have to wait for payments like on eBay
Cons
Need to add followers to grow
Need to share items to grow
You must regularly drop your prices to stay competitive
MaxSold vs eBay
Pros
Maxsold is a growing online auction site for folks in North America
Every auction begins at $1.
Local pick up only.
Auctions run up to 10 days and pick up is 2 days after.
Lots of things sell!
Cons
Many items may only sell for the $ starting bid.
Buyers need to be local to pick up
May not be available in your area yet.
30% percentage goes to Maxsold overall, but it you don’t reach a minimum amount it can cost you.
Garage Sales vs eBay
Pros
Cash sales
Fun to meet buyers/neighbors in person
Lots of people love to go to garage sales
Cons
Low prices are what buyers are looking for
Not everything sells, need to offer remaining stuff for free or take to donate
Set up, break-down tables takes time
Takes time to put up signs around town
5Miles and Offer Up vs eBay
5Miles and Offer Up are mobile device apps that are intended for local sales. Offer up adds a shipping offering to those who want to get more exposure than just locally. They are not major players in my online selling at this time.
I have had limited luck in selling on these apps, so for now I will not review further. Watch for more on them in the future!
While eBay is a great website to sell your collectibles and unwanted items for profit, it is not the only game in town. It is best to branch out and try other marketplaces. You will reach all sorts of new customers and make new sales. And remember “Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket!” when selling online.
Recap
Tip #25
Goal: To branch out and not limit your online selling to one marketplace like eBay
Task: Try some of the other selling platforms
Task: Beware of the scams connected with some of the local pick-up sites
Task: Always meet your potential buyer in a well traveled public spot like grocery store parking lot
Task: Mix it up and you will keep your inventory fresh to a new buying crowd
Task: Try to put large items up on local marketplaces to avoid having to ship them!
I have been selling on eBay since July 1998! That’s a long time! I have been working on improving as a seller over the years and I am so close to a personal eBay Feedback goal, that I just have to share on my eBay Tips Page!
I am 100 positive feedbacks away from 10,000! Yippee!
This shameless plug is to show that you can do it too! Each sale can earn you an additional feedback point. Each purchase you make can also earn another positive point. One, after the other, adding to your total and one day you could be close a new level yourself.
Here is a breakdown of the eBay Feedback scores!
Now I recognize there are many other sellers achieving great success on eBay, but what is important for me to re-iterate is that I am just a regular person, selling regular stuff. I don’t have a warehouse, nor a large staff. At most, I’ve had a college student or two helping with listing or a friend occasionally help me with shipping. But for the most part, it’s been just me!
All on my own!
And I am very proud of my consistency, and that I stick to it! I have taken vacations and put my eBay store on hold. I’ve been able to make my own schedule, so that I could help my elderly father, in his last years. I raised a son and was able to go on his field trips in school, all because I sold on eBay.
There is something to be said about working for yourself. EBay is a platform perfect for a person who wants to make there own schedule. You can list every day, or once a month. Whatever your situation, you can make it work for you!
A Pat on the Back
As you sell on eBay, the feedback system is there to protect and inform fellow eBayers about each other. As you connect and sell and grow your feedback, others will see your reputation on eBay! It is there to show potential buyers that you want to do your best! In return, your growing score is a nice pat on the back!
As I share my personal goal, I am even more steadfast in being the best eBayer I can be! I want happy customers and I like “moving stuff around the universe”. If you need a boost in getting started, why not take my online course? I have it hosted on a few different platforms for you to choose from. I would love you to join me on eBay!
And I am focused on the next few months as I get closer to reaching 10,000 Yellow Shooting Star feedback! I will be posting when that day happens since it’s been a long time in coming.
When you do sell, please share your successes with me! I’d love to hear about them!
Recap
Tip #24
Goal: Celebrate your successes – like a feedback goal!
Task: Sell one item, then the next and so on!
Task: Make your own schedule to fit your style of selling
Task: Share your success with others! You can do it!
One awesome perk for eBay Store sellers is getting FREE eBay branded supplies every quarter. They look very professional and can add a positive appeal to your buyer’s eBay experience when receiving their eBay packages from you!
Open an eBay Store
There are five levels of eBay Stores. Here is a screen shot from eBay’s website of the costs for each level.
I am currently an eBay store seller with the premium subscription. I get a nice savings with a yearly renewal.
As a benefit of my premium subscription, I can order up to $50, per quarter, in free eBay branded supplies. Here is where you find the drop down menu to locate the coupon to order the supplies. Marketing ==>> Seller Discounts
Once you select Subscriber Discounts, you will see your coupon for that quarter for your eBay Shipping Supplies.
Start Shopping for Supplies
Click the button “Start Shopping” and that will take you to the eBay branded supplies. They do cost something to a regular eBay buyer, but when you put your coupon code (as an eBay store seller) into the check- out, you will see your savings! Here are some current product options available.
The items include: eBay branded boxes, tape, envelopes, tissue paper, thank you cards, stickers and more. The color choices and sizes change a bit from quarter to quarter.
My favorite thing to order is the tape. I go through a ton of it and will not run out any time soon. This month I’m getting some brown strapping tape with the eBay logo.
I also ordered some boxes. I need to re-stock my inventory in the size 8″ x 6″ x 4″, which is perfect for smaller items when shipping my eBay orders/sales.
After clicking on “Add to my cart”, I will check out and then pay for my FREE eBay branded supplies, using my coupon and PayPal.
Your Order is Being Shipped
Within an hour of my order, which was totally free except for $3.95 sales tax, I received an email that showed my items had been shipped! They should arrive early next week.
They have already left me positive feedback for my order! I will leave feedback for them, once I receive my order!
More Benefits
Besides getting the free eBay branded supplies every quarter, eBay store sellers have increased amounts of free listings per month and the ability to put your items on vacation hold in an instant.
It’s something to look at if you are considering wanting to open and eBay store. I love my free eBay branded supplies!
Recap
Tip #23
Goal: Get free eBay branded supplies
Task: Open eBay store
Task: Order free supplies every quarter
Task: Use the supplies to “up your game” and look more professional when shipping to your buyers!
Social media is here to stay! Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram……the list goes on and on! Why not take advantage of getting your eBay listings in front of more people and “SHARE” on social? It can drive traffic to your listings for free!
It’s easy to do!
On each eBay listing, you will see these icons at the top right of the screen: email, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
If you click them, one by one you can share the listing immediately with your followers on that social media account. As an example I am using a current listing that I have on eBay (item number: 383028424778)
While it’s not a good idea to just click and share, share, share to bombard your audience. Try using your social accounts to help your followers with info, tips and other points of interest.
Perhaps you have an interesting find while thrifting or garage saling. Or you have a favorite eBay story about an eBay home run or score. People love to hear from you, but try to pace yourself regarding sending links to your listings all the time.
Other items to add: a funny meme, inspirational quotes, a delicious recipe. This is one way to contribute to your community and friends in a positive way rather than only selling! It’s a two-way street and one can reciprocate for a better social connection!
Recap
Tip #22
Goal: Share Your Listings on Social Media to Increase Traffic and Viewers
Task: Share with eMail
Task: Share with Facebook
Task: Share with Twitter
Task: Share with Pinterest
Task: Try to space out your shares, not bombard your audience.
Task: Comment and connect back with your followers
I have made many errors as a seller on eBay. You might call my eBay mistakes, doozys or even epic fails! It’s all part of the learning process! I look back on them and can now laugh, but the truth is we all make mistakes and hopefully reduce making too many of them!
Where the Heck is That Item?
It is inevitable that you will sell something and not be able to find it. That is one of the worst feelings to have as a seller. Being organized helps avoid this situation, but it happens to the best of us. There are a couple of ways to handle it.
1) Send an eBay message to the buyer, tell them the truth about not being able to locate and refund their money.
This is a last resort because you will get a ding from eBay as a seller. Not a great option in my opinion.
2) If you can find another item like you sold, buy it and send it to the buyer with a note about what happened.
Better than the ding from eBay. An out-of-pocket expense, but problem remedied.
Oops I Sent the Wrong Item!
This has happened a few times to me. Most memorable was selling two similar Bear figurine statues made by Lalique. If you are unfamiliar with Lalique glass, it is made in France and can be quite expensive. These two pieces were signed and were bought by buyers from Russia and Spain for in the $600-$800 range.
Without needing to say it, this was going to be an expensive mistake. When I realized what I had done, I began communicating with the buyer of the larger bear statue. One he received it, I had him ship it to the person in Spain and visa versa.
International shipping is not super difficult, but there is Customs and cost. I was able to work with both buyers through translation issues and distance obstacles. It all worked out. Both ended up with their correct Lalique bears. Thanks goodness! Talk about a heart stopper!
On another occasion, I had a shipping helper who was a dream! She would get all the orders ready each morning: find the appropriate boxes, pack them up, weigh them and print the shipping labels. That allowed me to concentrate on putting up more listings.
On this particular day I was at a one-day conference in San Francisco and she was handling my eBay office on her own. I checked in with her mid day and she told me we finally sold “the football”. She didn’t realize that we had two different footballs. One was a junior model made by Wilson (selling for $12) and the other was a flattened, signed Oakland Raider’s memorabilia type ball (selling for $200). They had very different looks and value.
You guessed it, she shipped the wrong one. My helper had no idea, since she was not a sports loving person, one ball looked just like the other to her. I was able to fix the situation over the course of a few days, and it had a happy ending. Again that was another heart stopper.
Shipping Charges Too Low
The other eBay mistake that can happen commonly is to not charge enough for shipping an item that was sold. Since I use free shipping on most of my eBay items, I have to make sure that the selling price covers the cost of shipping. That does happen once in a while.
On eBay it is not a good practice to ask the buyer for more money. So if one loses on that particular transaction, I look at it as “paying for feedback”. Meaning the best result out of that sale and loss on shipping costs, is receiving a positive feedback rating from the buyer. I rationalize it as my cost for feedback from them. Hopefully they will leave it for me, but sometimes we don’t calculate all the right numbers on every single transaction. Move on and make better calculations next time!
That’s the way it goes! Hopefully it won’t happen too often!
On eBay, since there are costs on the listing side (after using your free listings) and costs on the final sales price, the shipping costs are one more added to the mix. As long as I have a positive cash flow and sell some higher priced items in a month, all is good. It is the cost of doing business on eBay.
Lost in the Mail
The last area of epic fails for me on eBay is when a package is lost in the mail. Luckily, this problem seldom happens: maybe once in a thousand transactions which is about once a year in my long eBay career. Mail delivery has gotten better with real time tracking, but this one time was different.
I sold a pair of ice skates to a woman in the East. We both followed the tracking to see that her package was heading through the south and then north again, to many other states than where it was supposed to end up. Then the tracking just stopped, never to be updated again. She never received the ice skates, no amount of inquiry helped find the missing package. The USPS medium flat rate box was shipping by Priority Mail and automatically comes with $50 insurance, which I finally had to claim. I refunded her money, leaving a disappointed buyer.
Luckily, that kind of thing doesn’t happen very often, but is in my list of epic eBay fails. All sellers have them and as I say to newbies all the time, “once you make a big mistake, chances are you will never make that one again!”
For you eBay sellers or buyers out there, do you have any eBay mistakes you can share? I’d love to hear about them!
Recap
Tip #21
Goal: If you have an eBay mistake, try to fix with buyer
Task: Send eBay message, along with apologies, and refund without delay
Task: If you can’t find an item that sold, replace with another – even if you have to purchase and send to them
Task: Laugh at your mistakes and try to learn from them
