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[cleolinda]

Okay, quick but important question: I'm going to put a couple of things up on eBay. For those of you who have sold things there before, what do you wish you had known then that you do know now? Basically, I know that the procedure itself is simple enough and that the site will walk me through it, but I'm terrified that I'm going to to something

Comments

[mordelhin]

Depending on the item, selling to international people might get you more $, but it's a bit of a pain in the ass with the shipping. Not huge, it's just that you have to fill out customs forms and whatnot.

The most irritating thing for me when I sold a bunch of stuff before I moved was figuring out how much to charge for shipping. I wound up having to bring the crap boxed up to the post office to have them weigh it and give me the cost before I posted the items up on ebay, just so I wouldn't take a loss by underestimating the postage.

Here are my tips

[dakiwiboid]

Have a good picture. Check around on Ebay to see what similar items are selling for. Have a good description. Things usually sell fastest with Buy It Now, but if you have a high ticket item, don't use it. Things often go for higher prices without it. Don't give up if it doesn't sell the first time it's listed. Definitely relist at least three times.

[elbeonore]

Oh, Gee, I wish that I had some really useful (and also devistatingly witty) advice for you, but I've never used eBay before. A lot of people have, though-- so many that the world can't possibly end when you press Sell. So many people have already pressed the Sell button, and the world hasn't ended yet for them. Good luck!

[particle_person]

Ah, but you don't hear about the cases that do blow up. Their world ends, they get crumpled up into a subatomic ball of intensely hot plasma until - !POP! - mini-black hole. And it doesn't end there. Warping of space-time in the vicinity of the hole has been known to spawn entire alternate universes in which you didn't click, Bill Clinton didn't inhale, George Bush has mommy issues, and Harry loves Hermione. Eventually these competing timelines may pressure our own world out of existence, leaving us to the tender mercies of some extremely smug Harmonians. And that, my friend, is the best case scenario.

[elbeonore]

Damn! I hate it when that happens!

[silk_noir]

The world won't blow up.

About 6 or so years ago, when I quit my job in a snit, I went to work for a place that had many fingers in many pies, not the least of which was selling quilts. They thought they'd try selling quilts 'n' stuff on Ebay, and I was their girl to do it. I spent my days photographing quilts, flower frogs, vases, Lalique glass, and once an amazing piece of American Indian beadwork (which sold for about 4K); and then I would upload the pics from a Mac and write up some nice text. I did this all the time, every day. And I was not terribly computer savvy; I'd never worked on a Mac before. So if I can do it, surely you, who routinely handles all kind of computer hijinx, can do it.

[pavel_lishin]

What a great avatar.

[silk_noir]

Thanks! I like yours too. :D

[silk_noir]

Whoops, me again.

Post more than one picture. Take the picture in the very best freaking lighting that you can. If it's something arty or antiquey and you have provenance, put it in your text. Be warm in your text, friendly. You might, if you want to take this to more than just an every once in a while thing, consider getting a specific phone number for people to call. I know it sounds super cheesy, but being available and friendly really flips the good switches.

[curieuse]

I got the book in your icon for Christmas. :) Yay me.

I concur about the text tone. A little backstory never hurt.

And always look up items similar to what you're selling that have sold well and copy things about them, like their categorical location, stuff like that. Put in all the requisite caveats that are easy enough to find on any top seller's ad.

[silk_noir]

Good heavens--is it a book? Like a pulpy book?

[curieuse]

It is exactly that.