‎‌How to Find Great Deals at eBay

Everyone loves a great deal! Many people spend  quite a bit of time searching for good deals on the  items that they want and need – and when they find  those deals, they experience a certain amount of  satisfaction. These people typically haunt garage  sales, stores that are holding sales, wholesale  warehouses, flea markets, and especially online  and offline auctions. With the incredible number of  auctions that are constantly going on at eBay, it  can be difficult to find the items you want, at the  price you want to pay. But it isn’t impossible to find  great deals!

There are steps you can take to ensure that you are  getting a great deal on the items you purchase  through eBay. In fact, these same steps will also  help to protect you against fraud. Participating in  online auctions is a great deal of fun, but you must use caution as well. This caution entails doing your  research before you place any bids.

Start with the auction in question. Make sure that  you read every word of the description and the  auction details. You can never have too much  information – especially if that information is  about an individual that you may be doing business  with. Pay special attention to what the description  and auction details do not say. For instance, is a  guarantee mentioned? Is the item new? Is it  authentic? Is there proof of authenticity? Look for  auctions that provide the right information – and  the right amount of information. Avoid those that  do not.

Who will pay the shipping and handling costs? Often, the buyer pays these costs, and sometimes, the  seller tries to charge more than the actual shipping  and handling costs are. Beware of high shipping  costs, especially for items that will be auctioned  off at a very low price. Also note when the item is  supposed to ship after the bidding has ended.  Depending on what you are trying to purchase the  item for, it may not arrive in time.

Don’t make the mistake of bidding on an item simply  because it is a ‘good deal.’ It is only a good deal for  you if the item is something that you really want or  need. Many people simply bid for the sake of  bidding – or winning – without having any real need  or desire for the item in question. Before bidding on  items that you do want or need, check prices  around the Internet and the prices available from  offline sources as well. Just because it is on eBay  does not guarantee that it is the cheapest price  available!

Finally, learn more about the seller. Can you trust  them? What is their rating? Read their feedback  page! Failure to learn more about the seller can be costly. Not everyone is as honest as you are – and  the seller may be trying to take advantage of people  that simply don’t know enough to find out more  about them. Sometimes scammers make their  auctions sound like really great deals. Beware of  prices that seem extremely low!

eBay Users: T‬he Importance of Knowing and Following All eBay Rules

Are you an eBay member?  If so, do you consider yourself to be a relatively new eBay member?  If you have just recently started buying or selling on eBay within the past few months you may be.  As time passes, you will likely become more aware of how eBay works. For instance, if you are an eBay seller, you may find new ways to improve your eBay listings or if you are an eBay buyer, you may find new ways to get great deals.  One thing that you will likely do, overtime, is learn more about eBay’s rules.

As you likely already know, eBay is considered one of the world’s most popular online marketplaces.  eBay gives internet users, like you, the option to buy and sell online.  While giving all internet users the ability to buy and sell is nice, it can make for some problems, particularly concerning security or inappropriate content.  That is why eBay, like all other online marketplaces, has developed a set of rules or guidelines that you must follow, whether you are an eBay buyer or an eBay seller.  You should not only familiarize yourself with those rules, if you haven’t already done so, but you also need to follow them.

If you are an eBay seller, one of the most important eBay rules that you need to abide by is prohibited items.  Although just about anything can be sold on eBay, there are a few restrictions.  For instance, alcohol, drugs, pornography, and stolen merchandise are just a few of the many items that all eBay sellers, including you, are prohibited from selling.  Another eBay rule that you must follow, as an eBay seller, is to pay all of your eBay fees on time.  eBay has a set pay schedule, which you will be notified of in advance.  To be able to keep on making a profit selling merchandise on eBay, you will want to make sure that you pay your eBay fees on time.

If you are an eBay buyer, instead of an eBay seller, you will also have to know and abide by all eBay rules.  One of those rules is bidding only on items that you intend to buy.  If you place a bid on an eBay auction or if you agree to buy an item listed in a “Buy It Now,” listing format, you must do so.  That rule is stated in eBay’s guidelines.  If you do not feel that you can pay for the items that you bid on or agreed to pay for, it is best if you stay away from eBay for the time being.  Another eBay rule that you must follow is being honest with your purchases.  If you don’t receive an eBay purchase, it is fine to report that, but give it a few extra days for your item to arrive. Although eBay scams are often associated with sellers, many buyers are beginning to stir up trouble.  This involves reporting that they had not received an item, when they actually did; thus resulting in a refund, as well as the purchased item.

In most cases, you will find that it is relatively easy to get caught breaking eBay’s rules. That is why it is advised that you not only know all of eBay’s rules, but that you also abide by them. Should you not, you may end up suffering the consequences.  One of those consequences involves having your eBay account temporarily suspended or even permanently suspended.  In rare, but serious cases, the authorities may be contacted or legal action may be taken against you.  In all honesty, the action taken depends on the parties involved.
Despite the varied consequences for breaking eBay’s rules, it is extremely important that you take the time to examine all of eBay, including the sites rules, restrictions, and guidelines, before you get yourself into trouble that is difficult to get out of. For more information on eBay’s rules, visit their help center, speak to an experienced eBay user, or try and contact eBay’s customer service department.

eBay Success - How to Price Your Items

Many new sellers don’t realize how important pricing is when it comes to eBay auctions. Many don’t even realize that ‘pricing’ needs to be done. eBay is an auction site after all! But eBay auctions are not quite the same as the auctions you attend in the offline world. In fact, quite a bit of work goes into determining and setting prices.

 Essentially, there are only three prices that can be set for an eBay auction: the ‘buy it now’ price, the reserve price, and the starting bid price. Of these three, the starting bid price is the only one that is required for an eBay auction. The reserve price and the ‘buy it now’ price are optional. The starting bid price is fairly simple – never set it higher than $50 or so – no matter what your item is really worth.

This low opening price will get bidders to your auction. Setting low starting bid prices creates the need for a reserve price. A reserve price is the absolute lowest price that you want to get for your item. You may sell the item below the reserve price, but you will not be required to. In other words, if you set your reserve price at $100, and your highest bid is only $50, you do not have to sell the item to the highest bidder. You can close the auction without any negative feedback or repercussions. Set your reserve price at the absolute lowest price you are willing to sell your item for. Keep what the item is worth, as well as what it cost you in mind. The ‘buy it now’ option will allow you to set a price, and buyers can buy the item immediately, without bidding, for that set price. This option can be used for any type of item, and it should be set to match your reserve, give or take a few dollars. This option is great if you have multiple identical items to sell. Shipping has a price, and potential buyers take this into consideration when they are looking at an auction. If you can see your way clear to offer free shipping, you will find that people are placing more bids. Make sure that your potential buyers realize that you are offering free shipping! Before setting any prices, you need to determine what the item is really worth. The value of the item in different markets might be quite high. However, you are selling on eBay, and it is a different world altogether! Find out the price that similar items sold for on eBay before setting any prices. If it is a collectable, or a high ticket item, have the item evaluated to ensure that you aren't going to lose money!

eBay’s Turbo Lister Program: Should You Use It?

Are you an eBay seller?  If you are, are you familiar with eBay’s Turbo Lister program?  If you are not, you may want to take the time to familiarize yourself with it, as using eBay’s Turbo Lister program can make selling on eBay as easy as can be.

eBay’s Turbo Lister program is a program that is available for download, free of charge on eBay’s website.  What is nice about eBay’s Turbo Lister program is that it is easy to install and use.  In fact, like eBay’s traditional way of listing items for sale, you are given step-by-step instructions. Even if you have minimal computer knowledge, you should still be able to use eBay’s Turbo Lister program, without any problems.

Now that you know exactly how you can get eBay’s Turbo Lister program, you may be wondering exactly what it is or how it can help you.  See, when you download eBay’s Turbo Lister program to your computer, you can access it at anytime, even if you are not connected to the internet.  eBay markets its Turbo Lister program to those who are high or medium volume eBay sellers, but it is also great for those who have dialup internet.  Listing a large number of eBay auctions can tie up your phone lines, but with eBay’s Turbo Lister program you don’t even have to be online!

The eBay Turbo Lister program sets up all eBay auction listings or “Buy It Now,” listings the same way as it is done online, through their website.  For instance, when using eBay’s Turbo Lister, you need to assign your item to a category, make a headline for your auction, write a detailed description of the item that you are selling, upload pictures if you have any, mention how your item will be shipped, as well as outline what methods of payment you will accept. As stated above, this process is easy, as everything is explained to you step-by-step.  With eBay’s Turbo Listing program, listing on eBay is still as easy as it was before, if not easier with the ability to do so while not connected to the internet.

Speaking of not being connected to the internet, you may be wondering how your eBay items can be listed on eBay’s website if you are not connected to the internet. This is where the internet connection comes in.  eBay’s Turbo Lister program enables you develop as many eBay auctions as you want, even thousands of them, without being connected to the internet. When doing so, you have the ability to save your listings for a later date; a time when you can sign online.  Once you are connected to the internet, a simple click of the mouse and your eBay listings will automatically be uploaded to the eBay site.  In addition to giving you the ability to work offline, you also have the ability to time your auctions, like if you want them to start or end at a certain time.

As mentioned above, if you are interested in downloading eBay’s Turbo Lister program, you can do so through their online website.  Since downloading and using eBay’s Turbo Lister program is free, you are urged to at least give it a try. Should you not like the way that the program works, you could always return to listing your eBay items the traditional way, though the eBay website.

eBay Sellers: Why You Should Have an “About Me,” Page

Are you an eBay seller?  If you are looking for ways to make money from home, there is a good chance that you may be. When it comes to working from home or making money from home, one of the first places that people turn to is eBay.  The only problem is that to make money on eBay, you must be a successful seller.  There are a number of steps that you can take to become a successful eBay seller.  One of those steps involves creating an “About Me,” page.  

If you are relatively new to selling on eBay, you may not know what an “About Me,” page is. An “About Me,” page is a webpage that allows you to write anything that you want about you, the items that you sell, or type of services that you offer.  Due to the possibility of being scammed on eBay, a large number of eBay buyers want to do business with someone that they feel they can trust.  One of the best, yet easiest ways, to go about creating trust is by creating an “About Me,” page.  Although it may seem simple to you, it actually means a lot in the eyes of many eBay buyers.  And, to be a successful eBay seller, public perception is everything.

As it was previously stated, if you are interested in creating an “About Me,” page, there is a section where you can write whatever you want to write.  If you want to be a successful eBay seller, you will want to give information that you feel could be useful to you.  For instance, if you are selling on eBay because you are a stay at home mom or dad, you may want to write that, but in a professional matter.  Explaining your purpose for being an eBay seller is a great way to get an eBay buyer to see you as a person, just like themselves.

If you consider yourself to be a fulltime eBay seller or if you specialize in a certain type of product, like kids clothing, you may want to mention that in your personalized “About Me,” section.  In addition to the samples outlined above, you will also want to add in anything else that you may find useful or something that you think will grab the attention or trust of potential buyers.  When making your own personalized “About Me,” page section, it is important that you use your best judgment.  Look at it from the perspective of an eBay buyer; what would you like to see on your own page?

In addition to your own personalized section, there are some sections that eBay automatically includes on a seller’s “About Me,” page.  One of those items is a summary of current items available for sale. For instance, if you have a number of auctions currently going, those auctions will be summarized on your “About Me,” page, for everyone to see.  All visitors are provided with a link to the auction listing, the current highest bidding price, as well as a short description of what is currently available for sale. In a way, having an “About Me,” page may also increase your chances of getting a sale, since a visitor to your page may see something that catches their eye.

eBay “About Me,” pages also commonly include information on feedback.  If you are an established eBay seller, particularly one that has a good feedback rating, this may work out to your advantage, as visitor will be able to see that you are reputable eBay seller.  If you have a number of feedback ratings, only a certain number, most commonly the recent ones, will be shown. This includes positive, negative, and neutral feedback ratings from your past eBay transactions.

Having an “About Me,” eBay page is completely optional, but, as outlined above, there are a number of benefits to having one.  With an eBay “About Me,” page only taking a few minutes to make, you are advised to at least give it a try. After all, you may be surprised with the results.

eBay Sellers: Why You Should Accept PayPal

Are you looking to become an eBay seller?  If you are interested in making money online, possibly even enough to support yourself, you just may be.  Over the past few years, eBay has revealed itself as an online market place where just about anyone, including you, can make money.

Although it is relatively easy to make money on eBay, as an eBay seller, there are a number of important factors that come into play.  For instance, you will want to have good, quality items to sell, detailed descriptions of those items, as well as easy to see pictures.  Perhaps, those are some of the most important components of becoming a successful eBay seller, but there is something else that can be just as important, your accepted methods of payment.  For the best chance of success on eBay, you will want to accept a wide range of payments, including personal checks, money orders, and PayPal.

Speaking of PayPal, PayPal is one of the most common methods of payment accepted on eBay.  Despite being one of the most preferred ways to shop on eBay, there are still a number of sellers who don’t accept PayPal as a form of payment.  If you have yet to setup your eBay seller account, you will also want to take the time to set up a PayPal account.  Of course, you can still make money on eBay without accepting PayPal as a method of payment, but your chances for success are higher when you do.  That is why it is extremely important that you at least look into getting a PayPal account.

When it comes to getting a PayPal account, you will find that you can have a personal account or a business account.  If you want to make the most out of PayPal and eBay, you will want to get a business account, as it enables to you accept credits cards as a method of payment.  The only difference between a business PayPal account and a personal PayPal account is the fees.  The fees that you are charged will vary, but you will be charged a small fee each time someone, namely an eBay buyer, sends you a payment.

Although the PayPal fees may be a turnoff for you, you should let them be.  By accepting PayPal, you are more likely to have more sales, as well as higher priced product sales, as more eBay buyers rely on PayPal to shop online.  This will essentially make the fees seem minimal, as they easily pay for themselves overtime and you are still able to make a profit.  In fact, your PayPal fees, from a business standpoint, can even be tax deductible.

One of the many reasons why eBay buyers like to use PayPal is because it gives them a sense of security.  When using PayPal to buy items on eBay, buyers do not have to actually provide you with their bank account information or their credit or debit card numbers. This information is automatically stored in PayPal’s secure system.  eBay buyers simply have to follow the instructions on the invoice that you send them, enter in their PayPal sign in information, click a few confirmation buttons and they are good to go; no important information has to exchange hands.

If you aren’t already accepting PayPal, you will want to think about the many benefits to doing so, some of which were outlined above.  For more information on PayPal, you are urged to visit PayPal’s online website, which can be found at PayPal.com.

eBay Sellers: Tips to Help Your eBay Items Sell

 

Are you an eBay seller? If you have been looking for a relatively easy way to make money, there is a good chance that you are.  Different individuals use eBay, but many use eBay to make a little bit of extra money or even to financially support themselves and their families.  If you are an eBay seller, how is everything currently going?  Are you making as much money as you had hoped to?  If not, you will want to continue reading on; as some tips are outlined below on how you can help to make sure that your eBay items sell.

When it comes to buying items on eBay, there are many eBay buyers who are the lookout for eBay scams.  Before purchasing an item, one of the first things that an eBay buyer does is check the feedback of the seller.  Doing business with a highly rated and recommended eBay seller reduces or completely eliminates the chances of getting scammed on eBay.  Feedback helps to give you a good reputation, but there is something else that can help you get a good reputation too, an “About Me,” page.  This is a page where you are able to introduce yourself and give a little bit of background information about yourself or your eBay business.  “About Me,” pages are optional, but there are a number of benefits to having one.

Once an eBay buyer has learned that a seller who has an item that they want for sale is a reputable one, they will then continue to examine the product being sold.  This is where your biggest chance of making a sale comes in.  First, you will want to make sure that your products are being sold at a fair price.  Keep in mind, when making your auction listings that you want to make a profit, but you don’t want to scare off any potential buyers with high prices.  Just making sure that your prices are reasonable is enough to increase your chances of making a sale.

Secondly, you will want to make sure that you accurately describe all of your items that are being sold.  For instance, if you are selling a lot or a group of children’s toys, you may want to take the time to list the names of each toy being sold.  Outline the condition that each toy is in as well.  If you are selling toys that require batteries, you may want to state whether or not the batteries are included.  Providing a detailed, accurate description of all of your items will definitely increase the chances of them selling.

In addition to a detailed description, it is also important that you have pictures of your items.  eBay allows you to post one free picture, but more can be posted for additional fees.  Don’t let these additional fees deter you from posting additional pictures, as they are likely to increase the chances of making a sale. In fact, you may want to look into free photo sharing websites, such as PhotoBucket, as they allow you to post additional eBay pictures for free.  When taking pictures of your eBay items, you will want to make sure that you take a number of close-up pictures.  Also, make sure that the pictures are easy to see and that the lighting is good.  Having poor pictures or no pictures at all is one of the many reasons why many eBay items go unsold.

The methods of payment that you accept may also have an important impact on how well your eBay items sell.  One of the most common forms of payments used, to pay for eBay purchases, is PayPal.  The reason why PayPal is so popular is because it enables shoppers to buy items from you, without having to disclose their account numbers.  If you aren’t already accepting PayPal, you will want to look into doing so.  Although most eBay buyers use PayPal, you will also want to remember that not everyone does. For that reason, you may also want to accept other methods of payment, including money orders or personal checks.  The only thing with personal checks is that you may want to wait until the check clears before shipping the buyer their merchandise, especially with large purchases.

By implementing the above mentioned eBay seller tips, you may start seeing an increase in your eBay sales, even right away.  In all honesty, you need to think of it from a seller perspective.  Look at your auction listings; would you buy what you were selling?

eBay Sellers: The Importance of Paying Your eBay Fees on Time

Are you an eBay seller?  If you are, have you been selling on eBay for long? If you haven’t been, you may still be trying to figure out the ins and outs of eBay.  If that is the case, you may be looking for a little bit of assistance or advice. One of the important things to remember, when selling on eBay, is the importance of paying your eBay fees on time.

When it comes to paying your eBay fees on time, there are a large number of sellers who wonder exactly why it is so important.  While this may not seem like something that you would ask yourself, it is actually asked quite often.  Yes, eBay, like many other businesses, gives you a grace period, which is a few extra days to make your payment; you don’t want to go past that period.  If so, there will be consequences.  As an eBay seller, those consequences may be costly to you.

One of the most common consequences of not paying your eBay fees on time involves having your eBay seller account suspended.  For you, this means that you will not be able to sell anymore items on eBay, at least until you pay your fees.  Depending on the situation at hand, if you have any auctions running at the current time, those auctions may be canceled, possibly incurring additional fees for you.  That is why it is extremely important that you pay your eBay fees on time.

Another reason why you should pay your eBay fees on time is because it is easy to do.  When paying your eBay fees, all you really need to do is log into your account, go to the link labeled “eBay fees,” and follow the instructions from there.  When it comes time to pay your eBay fees, eBay should send you an invoice, but you don’t have to wait until you receive that invoice.  If you want to make sure that you stay on top of paying your fees, to prevent your seller account from being suspended, you may want to think about occasionally paying your fees, whenever you have the money to do so.

eBay can also offer you assistance, when it comes to paying your eBay fees.  When you first setup your eBay account, you have the option of having your fees deducted right from your credit card, which you may have used to help setup your free eBay account.  If you used a credit card to help setup your account, but you don’t want to have your fees deducted from your card, you can also make alternative arrangements.  Those arrangements may include having your fees deducted from something else, like another credit card or your checking account.  Or, you could stick paying your fees on your own, whenever they are due.

As you can see from above, there are a number of different ways that you can go about paying your eBay seller fees.  If you are an active eBay seller or one who relies on eBay for income, you will want to definitely make sure that you pay your fees on time.  Since you have a number of different ways to go about doing so, there isn’t any reason why you can’t pay your eBay fees and in a somewhat timely matter.

eBay Sellers: The Importance of Communication

Are you an eBay seller?  If you just recently became an eBay seller, you may still be learning the ins and outs of eBay, particularly how to make a profit.  While there are an unlimited number of tips that could help increase your chances of making a profit on eBay, like detailed product descriptions and such, there is one way that is relatively simple; having an open line of communication with all of your eBay buyers.  Although you may not necessarily think about it at the time, communication goes a long way when it comes to online business transactions, particularly on eBay.

When it comes to keeping an open line of communication with your customers or potential customers, there are three main situations that you should take advantage of. First, if you are selling a popular item, you may have a number of bids or even a number of questions.  If your product description wasn’t very detailed, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you to have messages from other eBay members seeking more information.  While some of these questions may be good, valid ones, others may seem a little bit out in left field. In fact, some eBay member questions may leave you wondering if they even looked at your auction listing. Still, it is advised that you answer all user questions in a polite and timely matter.  Doing so will increase the chances of your item or items being sold.

Once an eBay buyer has agreed to buy an item from you, whether it be through a traditional auction listing or a “Buy It Now,” sale, you will want to send your customer an invoice, showing the total amount of money that they owe you. After you have received payment, there is a good chance that you will box up the items sold and head to the post office.  A great way to make a good impression is to send your customers an update email; an email that can let them know that their items were just shipped.  Many eBay buyers like this because it gives them an estimated arrival time frame.  Should you have purchased a package tracking number, you will want supply your customers with that information.

It is also advised that you follow through, within a few days or a week, to see if your customers received their items.  You may also want to send a personal note asking them how they liked the items and such.  One thing that you definitely want to include in a follow-up message is a thank you note.  You will want to thank each of your eBay customers for doing business with you. You should also state that you hope to do business with them again.  In today’s society, many consumers are not thanked for their business anymore, although many wish that they still were.  Sending a thank you follow-up note will only take a few minutes of your time, but it is something that your customers will likely remember for sometime to come.  

As it was stated above, having an open line of communication may increase your eBay profits.  Why you may ask?  Well, you need to think of it from a consumer standpoint.  If you could shop at two different retail stores, which both had the same products available for the same prices, which store would you choose?  If you are like most consumers, you would respond with the store with the best customer service.  eBay is no different.  With competition increasing each day, you need to be able to set yourself apart from other eBay sellers.  The best way to do this is to go the extra mile for your customers.

Keeping an open line of communication before, during, and after each sale will help give you a good, positive reputation among many eBay buyers.  It will also likely result in return customers; customers who can help to increase your eBay profits.

eBay Sellers: Should You Open an eBay Store?

Are you an eBay seller?  If you are, there is a good chance that you have heard of an eBay store before.  In fact, you may even have your own eBay store.  eBay stores are increasing in popularity.  For that reason, if you currently don’t have an eBay store, you may be wondering whether or not you should open one.  To determine whether or not you should open an eBay store, you may want to examine the advantages and disadvantages of having one.

Before examining the advantages and disadvantages of having an eBay store, you may be wondering exactly what one is.  In a way, having your own eBay store can be compared to having your own retail store.  By paying a small monthly fee, you are able to create your own customized “storefront.”  This storefront is what customers will see when they visit your eBay store. For instance, you can make your own logo, create your own eBay store, and do much more. As previously mentioned, you must pay a small monthly fee to have an eBay store; however, you must also pay traditional final value and insertion fees.  Despite having to pay traditional eBay fees, they are much lower than normal, if you have an eBay store.

Perhaps, a decrease in eBay fees is one of the biggest benefits to opening up your own eBay store.  If you only sell a few items a month on eBay, it might not necessarily be worth it for you to open up an eBay store, but if you are a medium or high volume seller, you could save a considerable amount of money by opening up your own eBay store.  It is also important to mention easy of use.  Creating your own eBay storefront page is easy to do, as well as creating your own eBay listing. Despite being listed in your eBay store, you create all of your eBay listings the same way as you did before, with eBay’s step-by-step guide.

Although there are a number of advantages to having an eBay store, there are also a number of disadvantages or downsides to doing so as well.  One of those downsides is marketing.  Unlike many traditional auction listings and “Buy It Now,” listings, which show up in eBay searches, items inside eBay stores do not. Essentially, this means that it is your responsibility to get traffic to your eBay store.  Without traffic, your eBay store items will not be able to sell.  While there are easy ways to get traffic to your eBay store, like using traditional auction style listings, which will appear in eBay searches, and then place a link to your eBay store, and such, it can be time consuming to do.  How you will make money is definitely something to consider before opening up an eBay store.

As you can see, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages to opening up an eBay store.  The decision as to whether or not you want to open up an eBay store is yours to make, but you are advised to at least look into to doing so.  Thoroughly researching and examining eBay stores is a great way to learn more about them, as well as gain insight into whether or not you can profit from having one.  While having an eBay store isn’t for everyone, there are a number of eBay sellers who have noticed an increase in profit since opening their own eBay stores.

eBay Sellers: How You Can Use Completed Searches to Your Advantage

Are you an eBay seller? If so, are you successful at what you do?  Perhaps, the better question to ask yourself is if you are making a profit selling on eBay?  If you aren’t, there are a number of steps that you can take to increase your chances of making a sale.

When it comes to improving your chances of making a sale on eBay, your first impulse may to be change the way that your eBay items are listed for sale.  For instance, it is often suggested that you upload detailed pictures of your items, provide detailed descriptions and such. While you will want to try doing so, you will also want to focus on the items that you are trying to sell.  Your problem, with making a profit on eBay, might be the items that you have listed.  If you have a poor quality item, you may not be able to sell it, but you would still be responsible for paying your eBay fees.  In this case, you will not only be unable to make a profit, but you may also end up losing money.

When it comes to knowing which items you can profit from selling on eBay, there are many sellers who think that it is impossible to do.  While it may seem impossible, it isn’t.  Before actually trying to list a particular item for sale online, like an old music CD, you can check to see if that item has been sold on eBay before.  If that particular item was sold before, you can also figure out exactly how much money it sold for!  This will give you a good idea as to whether or not it would be worth it for you to spend the time creating your auction listings and paying eBay’s fees.  Although the decision as to whether or not you still want to post your item for sale is yours to make, it may give you inside information; inside information that you will want to take into consideration when making your decision.

To perform a search of completed auctions, you will want to perform an advanced search. The link to the advanced search form can be found by eBay’s traditional search box.  The only thing that you will to do differently is check the box labeled “Completed Listings Only.”  Your results will include auctions that meet your searching criteria, but that have already been completed.  If an item sold, its price will be outlined in green print. If an item did not sell, the asking price will be outlined, but in red print.  As previously stated, performing an eBay completed search gives you the ability to tell whether or not you have a good seller on your hands.

In fact, you can not only use a completed listing search to determine if an item you already have is worth money, but you can also use this eBay tool to help you make money.  If you are like many eBay sellers, there is a good chance that you are always on the lookout for great deals, bargains, or antiques.  Familiarizing yourself with popular eBay items, ones that can be considered “hot sellers,” is a great way to make yourself a profit on eBay.  Should you have the ability to do so, you may want to have a partner at home looking up eBay completed listings, while you are out shopping for items to sell at yard sales, flea markets, or thrift stores.

Performing an eBay completed listing search will only take a few minutes of your time.  Despite only taking a few minutes of your time, eBay completed searches can help you make money as an eBay seller, not lose it.

eBay Sellers: How to Market Your Auctions

Are you an eBay seller?  If you are, your goal is likely to make as much money as you can by selling products that you no longer need or want on eBay.  Unfortunately, there are now thousands, if not millions, of individuals who are interested in doing the same thing.  For you, this often means a steady increase in competition.  However, even with competition, you should still be able to make a profit when using eBay, but you may need a little bit of help.  That help could from marketing.

When many of us think of internet marketing, we often automatically think of online retail stores or online websites.  Although you are not running your own online retail store, you are trying to make a profit online; therefore, you are, in a way, like a retailer.  Just having your for sale items listed on eBay is enough to get your eBay items exposure, but you may want to think about taking it a step farther.  There are a number of different ways that you can go about marketing your for sale eBay items, without having to spend a dime.

Perhaps, one of the best ways to go about marketing your eBay items is by joining the eBay community, otherwise known as the online message boards.  When you talk with other eBay community members your screen name used is also your eBay name.  In the eBay community forum, every time that you start a new message or respond to an existing one your name is left, with a link to your main eBay webpage.  That is the age that outlines all of the items that you currently have available for sale.  Many eBay community members click other member’s pages just out of curiosity, but it not uncommon for someone to find something that catches their eye.  Simply starting a few conversations with other eBay community members, even just occasionally, may help to up your eBay exposure.

Another relatively easy way that you can market your eBay auction listings to the general public is by posting on a number of message boards, besides eBay.  There are a number of message boards that allow internet users, just like you, to post information on items that they have available for sale, both on and off of eBay.  Providing a link, as well as short description of some of the items that you are looking to sell is a great way to increase your eBay exposure and up your chances of making a sale. When taking this internet marketing approach, it is important that you only advertise your eBay listings in areas designated for doing so.  Spamming is not permitted on many online message boards and it may actually get you a bad reputation.

Speaking of using online message boards, there are a number of online message boards or forums that allow members to have signatures.  Signatures are where many people leave their name or a favorite quote of theirs, but some message boards allow members to use it as space to promote their products or businesses. Before posting a link to your eBay auctions, you are advised to examine the online message board’s policy concerning signature advertising.  Should it be allowed, you are advised to take advantage of this free internet marketing.  You will want to post a link to your eBay sales page, but be sure to mention that eBay is where all clickers will be going.

Another easy that you can promote your eBay items, particularly if you have multiple items for sale, is by putting a “please checkout my other eBay auctions,” message at the end of each of your eBay listings.  As with all of the other above mentioned internet marketing tactics, this is easy and free to do.