How to Sell Designer Purses on eBay

You're in luck if you live near designer outlets, are a skilled shopper who can find a gem in the bargain bin, or have a wealthy relative who always gives you high-end handbags that aren't your style. With the right marketing strategies, you can resell designer purses on eBay for a pretty penny. Here's how to score some cash from your Coach cast-offs--or whatever bag brand you're looking to sell.

Instructions

1. Study the site to see which designer purses sell for the most money--and which have more supply than demand. While it's true that almost anything with an authentic designer pricetag will sell for a decent price, if you plan to buy from outlets or discount stores and resell, you need to get an idea of which bags will have the highest profit margin. If there are already 30 of the same handbag and only half have bids, choose another bag to sell.

2. Shop at outlets and stores like T.J. Maxx, Marshall's and Steinmart to find designer purses at great prices. Department stores occasionally have clearance sales where you can find last season's designer handbags at half price. You'll be able to profit from the large number of Ebay buyers who don't live near outlets or don't bargain hunt.

3. Search eBay to see what the items you purchased sold for, also noting the starting price, whether a reserve was set and how the auction was timed. Follow this procedure whether you're trying to get rid of your ex-boyfriend's parting gift of Prada or you bought a designer purse specifically to resell. Track a few auctions before holding your own--then emulate the most successful ones by copying their pricing and timing.

4. Take numerous pictures of the purse from all angles. Get good digital images of the inside of the bag, the serial number and logos. Note whether you have price tags and/or an authentic dustbag. People buying purses from Ebay are wary about getting inauthentic items so make it extremely clear that this is a genuine designer purse, not a knock-off or replica.

5. Set your starting price either at what you paid for the purse or the lowest amount you'd accept for it. Another strategy is to set the price very low but have a reserve so you won't lose money on your auction. If you don't get any bids, you can return it to the store or resell it at another date.

6. Decide how to time your auction. Seven days is standard but you could sell it over 10 or 3 days, too. Try to make the ending date and time occur when there is no big television event scheduled. Consider the "Buy It Now" option or "Make an Offer" if you aren't comfortable with the traditional auction's timing.

7. Quickly answer any buyer questions and have a fair return policy. These gestures will make you appear more trustworthy as a seller--which is very important when many would-be bidders worry about buying a counterfeit item.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't sell counterfeit designer purses on eBay. This is against the law as well as eBay's policies.