How to Make Extra Money By Selling An Item on Ebay

Extra cash is always great, especially when you can make that cash by sitting at home on your couch. Ebay is a great way to stir up some extra change, and you can start by making money off of things that are collecting dust in your household! We all have things that are lying around our house that we don't use- from old cds to that prom dress you'll never use again, Ebay is a great market for these items, and a great way to make some extra change for the bills.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• An Ebay Account
• Items you don't want
• A digital camera
• shipping supplies

1. Create an ebay account if you don't have one already, and start to browse the categories. Get an idea of what is selling on the market- this might be able to help you start your search for those items you aren't using and give you ideas as to what you can sell.
2. Go through your house and collect things that you aren't using. Be careful not to limit yourself- things that you might not particularly use could be extremely valuable for someone else. Popular and easy items to sell could be anything from old books to cds.
3. Find a price range for your items. This can be achieved by doing an open search on ebay for your item, and also by doing a closed auction search (click the advanced option next to the search button and select closed auctions). This will help you see what other items similar to yours are going for.
4. Take a good picture of your items. Buyers like to see what they are buying. Go for a neutral background and make sure your item looks the best it possibly can. Make sure to take pictures of any points of interest (i.e. the copyright page in a book if it's a first edition).
5. Start your listing. Make sure to pick a title that not only accurately describes your item, but will drive users to your item when they are searching. Keep in mind keywords that buyers might use when looking for an item like yours. Also make sure to detail your item in depth in the description section, leaving out nothing. Make sure to give your buyer the clearest description you can of what they are going to be buying. Also make sure to give clear instructions about payment, shipping, and returns.
6. Set your price. Start with low starting bid, which will increase the number of bids that you get. If your item is very expensive and you want to make sure you get a certain price, set a reserve price on your item. I caution you however, that reserve prices often deter buys from bidding, so use it at your own risk. Finally, make sure your shipping prices are accurate; selling an item for one dollar only to set the shipping price at ten dollars is going to set off buyer alarms- they will think you are cheating them.
7. Finally, select how long you want the auction to run and submit it. Unless you want to sell the item right away, I suggest picking a five or seven day auction- it gives more buyers a chance to see your item.

Tips & Warnings

• Make your description detailed but concise and easy to read.
• Make sure that if you use pictures and a listing designer that they compliment each other.
• Make sure your instructions are detailed and clear.
• Check your listings for spelling errors.
• Make sure to deal with all buyers with respect. You get feedback at the end of the transaction, and you want to make sure it is good!