Earning More Money By Selling on eBay
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This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012, where bloggers are sharing experiences, ideas, and information that will help women speak up about money, take control of their finances, and reshape their financial futures.
For more posts about entrepreneurship, see womensmoneyweek.com.
I Don't Have Time for a Second Job!
When I was thinking of ideas on how to earn more money, I started looking at some older posts to see what worked for readers.
I also wanted to find something that could generate income without requiring a lot of time. Not everyone can get a second for various reasons, so I need to find something that could be done from home.
One money-earning idea that has worked is selling your stuff. Instead of focusing on Craigslist or yard sales, I'm using eBay.
It's possible to make a bit of money on the site; my sister did quite well while in college as a seller.
How to Sell Your Stuff for More on eBay
Selling on eBay isn't impossible.
Selling on
Price to Sell
Go ahead and check out eBay and Google shopping to see what your stuff is actually worth.
If you want to sell you have to have competitive prices. You don't want to be a sentimental seller- if you have doubts about selling your stuff, then just keep it for now.
Sellers are conflicted about using a reserve price, but not having one helps you get your stuff out of your home, which may be reason enough.
Less clutter and a bit more money can be a big boost.
Share Pictures That Sell
Don't just take one picture of your item and think that will be enough. Make sure you take pictures that show the item from different angles, assuring buyers they're getting a good deal.
Take pictures in a well-lit, clean room. Small details like that matter to buyers.
Descriptions Matter
Don't just give the basic information about your item(s). Make it appealing by being descriptive.
Stuck on what to say? Check out the descriptions for competitive items from the power sellers.
Get inside the head of your potential buyers and think about what they would type in to find your item.
Thoughts on Selling on eBay
Those are just a few tips on selling on eBay. I'm going to interview my sister this week and I want to get answers to your eBay questions, so please leave them in the comment section.
It's possible to make a good bit of money -Donna Freedman from Frugal Cool was able to get $1,200 from selling one item on eBay!
I'd love to get more feedback from you guys! How many of you have sold eBay? What tips do you want to share?
I have so many things I need to list. I need to stop being lazy.
Michelle, I understand – maybe you can start with just an item or two and see how that goes. You may be keeping some treasures, Donna made over $1k selling on eBay!
I am not sure how to do it and I my email address is banned because of another’s use if it years ago. What can I do, I would LOVE to have an ebay account.
Mary, could you create another email account to use exclusively for eBay?
I just wrote about this at MSN Money’s Frugal Cool: Put a little plastic baseball statue on eBay and got $1,200. Yes, I was stunned. I might have gotten more had I made the “Buy It Now” price higher. But still…$1,200!
Amazing Donna! I updated the post to include a link to that inspiring post. Great way to contribute to your IRA and remove clutter 🙂
Thanks for this post! I actually went to Goodwill the other day to try and find items that I wanted to sell on Ebay…such a timely post! I would like to know a couple of things…
1) In regards to clothing…what brands sell well?
2) What are the costs to listing stuff on ebay…I think you have to pay per picture too!
3) Overall what items sell the best (electronics, clothing, baby stuff, etc)
Thanks! Look forward to your answers
Julie:
Great questions – found some answers for you.
I’ve looked at some of the big sales online and I noticed that designer labels do well. Also children’s clothes can be bundled and sold fr a reasonable amount. Make sure you have plenty of pictures showing the great condition they’re in to get the biggest bucks.
eBay offer no insert fees for auction styled sales. After the first fifty of the month, the fees vary based on what starting price you use.
Baby gear tends to do well as parents typically go for durable materials. Electronics can get a you a bit, but it has to be recent. My sister focused on collectible items like trading cards. Not a wide net, but a passionate group.
Selling stuff on ebay is a great way to make some extra money.I already earned some cash this way.I just sold stuff that I don’t use it anymore(like old dishes, old furniture, old paints).I am glad you encourage people to use this method cause it is a good one.