How to Make Money Selling Items on Ebay

Everyone seems to be looking for a new way to make money without the fear of being scammed. The best way that I have found is to utilize eBay. Here, I explain the steps you need to take to make money using eBay just by selling items that people will buy directly from you. And it's actually a lot easier than you think.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• eBay account
• PayPal account
• A little cash
• A little time and patience

1. 

   Visit eBay.com and set up an account. Click the 'register' icon and follow the steps. The process is easy and eBay will walk you through it. When you are finished, eBay will require that you check your email and click on a link they send to finish the registration process. Now you are officially an eBay member.

2. 

   Next, sign into eBay and click the icon for 'my account'. This shows you how to become and eBay seller. The first thing you will need to do before you can sell items is to open an account with PayPal. You can either click on the PayPal link provided by eBay or go to Paypal.com. I recommend choosing a personal account first as you are just getting started. Later you can upgrade to other accounts if you choose. Once you have registered with PayPal and created an account, go back to the 'my account' page on eBay and link your PayPal account to your eBay account. Help is provided at the bottom of the 'my account' page to do this.

3. 

   The next step to selling on eBay is to find items around your house that are either in new condition (never used with tags or in box) or very well kept used items. These items can be appliances, clothes, collectibles, or anything you have lying around that you just don't have use for anymore. My experience has been that children's clothes and women's and men's clothes sell very well. I've also sold shoes and coats. They go fairly quickly...believe it or not.

4. 

   Next, click the 'sell' icon at the top of the eBay website and put in your item description and details based on what eBay is asking. The best way to figure out how to promote your item is to search a similar item and see how others are describing it and placing it into category. Another eBay hint is to click the 'advanced search' link and type in the item you are wanting to sell. Under the 'advanced search', after typing in your item, check mark the 'completed listings' box. Hit enter. This gives you an idea of what items, that are similar to yours, have sold lately. The items highlighted in green are the sold items. The items that are highlighted red have not sold.

5. 

   Once you have checked the 'completed listings' page, used other item pages to help you detail your own item, and set a price for your item, you can continue the process again and again to sell more. In the beginning, you will only be able to sell items using the 'fixed auction' button. Once you have at least 10 feedbacks under your name, then you can use the 'auction bidding' price that allows other members to bid on your item rather than buy it for one price. One way to get to this 10 feedback quicker is to purchase items from other before becoming a seller. The feedback you receive for buying items also count toward those 10 feedbacks for being able to use the 'auction bidding' option.

6. 

   Next, just sit back and watch your items sell. You can check them by logging in and clicking on 'my account'. This area will show you how many items you are selling, what has sold, what you have purchased, and how many people are watching your items. I have actually made quite a bit of money selling on eBay. It just depends on what you are selling and what is being watched by other members. You can find this out by doing step #4 and checking completed listings or by clicking the 'sell' icon at the top of the eBay page and then clicking 'seller resources' at the bottom of that page. This is show you what items are hot (wanted by others), what you can sell around the house, and what you are not allowed to sell on eBay.

Tips & Warnings

• Have fun with eBay! Think of it as a hobby and you won't be disappointed.
• You won't always sell items fast. Some sell faster than others...just be patient.
• You can always edit your selling items and make them better by price or changing the title.
• There is a lot of money to be made on eBay...just navigate the site and find out different ideas by looking at others' items and stores.
• There are items that you are not allowed to sell and can be canceled by eBay if you aren't careful. Please read the rules before selling any item.
• eBay will suspend your account if you don't follow their guidelines. Again, just read all the rules...they are very simple.
• Don't ever copy anyone else's item description. This can get your item cancelled and possibly get you suspended.

Resources

• eBay
• PayPal
• How to Find Items to Sell on eBay

[Mitestarossa]

on 5/17/2009 You make it sound so easy.

[godfather25]

on 5/17/2009 Great article on selling products from ebay. 5*

[lildutchgirl56]

on 5/16/2009 I'm wanting to sell on ebay and your article gives me a better understanding of how it works. Thanks!

[ruth0046]

on 3/22/2009 I've always wanted to try it, just never have. Do you need to have a good reputation to actually make any money?

[static404]

on 3/17/2009 Ebay is such a good money maker and fun too. Nice article.