Thursday, November 30, 2017

Don't Forget to Edit Your Photos on eBay

I have been selling items on eBay since 2010, and have been a serious seller since 2012. I am therefore embarrassed to admit to you that I have only recently discovered how to edit photos on eBay. I follow an expert eBay seller on YouTube, and was reading a blog entry of hers about two weeks ago. One of her tips was to edit the photos of your eBay items. For some reason, I had never discovered that eBay photos are able to be edited.

Some of you reading this probably already knew about the editing function on your eBay listings, but this post is for those of you who don't know.

In order to edit your photos on eBay, as you load your pictures onto your item's listing, look under the photo just after it is uploaded and shows up in the large frame on the left. Underneath that picture, you will see a series of symbols. I can't seem to print the screen on my computer so this picture below is the best I can do.

Underneath each photo in that left-hand position, you will see a series of symbols. The first one on the left is to crop the picture so you can show a closer view. The second one with the arrow allows you to rotate the photo. The one in the middle that looks like the sun is to adjust the brightness and contrast. The next one, that looks like a triangle is to sharpen the photo and bright it more into focus. And the last symbol is for auto adjust.

I have a lot of fun editing my photos now that I have discovered these options. And I have noticed many of the items I have cropped and made brighter have actually sold fairly quickly after I did so.

If you already knew how to crop your eBay photos, that's great. And if not, come back and leave a comment below as to how much quicker your items have sold once you learned how to edit them.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Ties Are Easy to Sell on eBay

I love selling ties on eBay. I don't have a lot of extra storage room in my house for eBay items so I find ties a very easy thing to store and sell. Ties fold up nicely and although they may not sell for a LOT of money, I like the fact that they sell easily and also are easy to ship.

When I first started selling items on eBay, I watched a few YouTube videos about what to sell on eBay. If you sell men's clothing, a good guy to watch on YouTube is "Raiken Profit." I watched some of his videos on selling men's clothing, including ties and added ties to my list of things to look for at Goodwill and thrift stores to purchase to resell on eBay.

When I actually started looking in stores for them, I was thrilled. I can purchase ties in the thrift stores I shop at anywhere from 25 cents up to $2.99. But since I shop on Senior Day at Goodwill, I get 25% off, and never pay more than $2.25 for a tie. I am fortunate to be able to find brand name men's ties at the thrift stores in my area. Names include Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ermenegildo Zegna. I price them at a range of $12.95 to $14.95,include free shipping, and often use Markdown Manager to put them on sale. I don't make a huge profit but can make between $6.00 and $8.00 per tie. And that works for me. Could I sell ties for more money? Maybe, but I might have to wait a long time and I like the quick turnover.

The photo above shows the container I use to store my ties. It's compact and can hold 40 ties.It measures 16 1/2 inches by 11 1/2 inches and is 6 inches deep. When I sell a tie, I just pull out the box, find the tie that sold, put it in a plastic bag, put it in an envelope and ship it for less than $3.00.

I sell a lot of clothing on eBay and my prices range from $15.00 to $100.00. It's great to have some items that are easy to sell and ship that are lower priced items that will attract eBay shoppers who may purchase something more expensive while they are in my store. I think having a variety of prices on my eBay items attract a larger number of eBay buyers so selling ties on eBay works great for me.

Do you sell ties on eBay?

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Here's An Example of Why You Should Always Research Before Listing on eBay

The other day I listed an Orvis shirt on eBay for $26.95 or best offer. My best offer was anywhere from $19.95 and up. It sold in approximately two days...oops, I immediately knew that was a mistake. And it was a mistake on my part.

Here's what happened: I buy a lot of Orvis men's shirts at thrift stores to re-sell on eBay. This one I found was $4.99 and it was a nice heavy Orvis shirt. I thought because it was heavy and in very good condition, that I should list it higher than I sell most of my Orvis shirts for, which is usually about $18.95. It was also a bit unusual looking because it was a pullover with snaps at the neck and sleeves. Most of the Orvis shirts I sell button up the front. But I was in a hurry and so listed it for $27.95 with the best offer. The thing that I missed was that on the label it had the word "Malpai." I used it on the description of the shirt, but that should have alerted me to the fact that it was a bit unique and therefore may be worth more money. You can see the word Malpai on the label below.

After it sold, I checked comparative listings on eBay. They had the same types of shirts in different colors for between $31.49 and $49.99. Then I checked the "solds" category and that showed me that the Malpai shirts had sold for between $18 and $59.99, with most of them selling for the $30 and higher range. Ugh, I could have kicked myself.

But it's just a reminder that if you find something a bit unusual to sell on eBay that is unlike items you usually sell, always do your research and check what similar items have sold for before you list it or you could lose money.

I am sure I could have gotten at least $10.00 to $15.00 more for that shirt. "Live and Learn" as they say. Have you ever sold something on eBay and then realized after the sale that you sold it too low?

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Oops, I Did it Again...(Made Money on eBay While in Vacation!)

Hello All!

Yes, I am very happy to report that I did it again and once again am thrilled to report that I was able to earn money on eBay while I was on vacation. This was the longest vacation I have ever taken while an eBay seller, and I had my doubts about whether or not this would work. But I am happy to give you this report:

How Much I Earned

While on vacation for 18 days, I sold 9 items and had gross earnings of $154.65!

Okay, that's not a lot you might be thinking, BUT if I had closed my eBay store while I was away, I would have had no sales for a total of $0.00. That means nada!

Our Vacation

My husband and I just returned from a 14-day cruise across the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Southampton, England stopping in Bermuda, Ireland, England and France along the way. We ended in Southampton, England and spent a few days in London since we were so close. I am not telling you this to brag, but to let you know it is possible to take a long term vacation and still earn money on eBay.

The Key to Making Money on eBay While on Vacation

The key to going away on vacation and still earning money on eBay is to make sure you extend your handling time (how long you have to ship items) on all of your items for sale. Since we were going to be away 18 days, I put my store on vacation but still allowed people to see my items and purchase them. eBay will then put a statement across the top of the screen that says the seller is on vacation which may result in delayed shipment. That way the buyer knows up front that there may be a wait for shipping. I extended my handling time to 20 days.

Bulk Editing Makes it Easy

If you have a store, you can use the bulk edit feature and do 50 items at a time. That makes it easier. I had 350 items so I had seven pages of items to change the handling time on, BUT with the bulk edit feature, I just did it seven times. Uf you don't have a store, I am not sure what the length of time is that you can extend your handling time to. If any of you don't have a store and can check that out, please let us know in the comments.

Minimal Work Required

Now, this is not to say I didn't do any work while on vacation. But the work I did was minimal because the internet is very expensive on a cruise ship so I didn't spend too much time on it. We stayed overnight in a hotel in Florida the night before the cruise. That night, and the next morning, I revised five of my items each day. (Even if you don't have anything new to list, eBay likes to see activity on your account, so always try to revise at least five items a day).Then we set sail on the cruise ship, and I didn't do anything for 11 days!

On our 11th day at sea, I logged onto my eBay account and was happy to see that three items had sold, even though the waiting for shipment was 20 days! I spent one hour online updating and revising my items that needed to be relisted. Since the 11th day was a Sunday and I like to end my auctions on Sunday, I relisted 40 of my items as auction items and just relisted the rest as 30-day Buy it Now. And that was it during the cruise.

Once we got off the cruise ship and were at the hotel in London, I spent about 20 minutes each night revising items. It made for a nice relaxing vacation and I still made money!

Have you gone away on vacation and still made money on eBay? Please share your experience in the comments below.

If you would to read about our trip and see some pictures, click the link below (or if it doesn't click for you, copy and paste the link into your browser):

https://hubpages.com/travel/What-I-Did-on-My-Two-Week-Transatlantic-Cruise-to-Europe

Sunday, April 2, 2017

How Much Would You Pay For a Grandpa Sweater on eBay?

Finding a Grandpa Sweater

I was at a Goodwill store, my favorite place to shop for items to sell on eBay, and came across a rather ugly looking sweater. You can see it above. It's the kind of sweater that your grandfather might wear around his house, especially if he lives in an old farmhouse that is drafty.

The brand name was Willis and Geiger Outfitters, and I had never heard of that name before. But the sweater was in great condition, and it was heavy so that meant warm. It was also fully lined. Something about it spoke to me and just made me want to check it out to possibly resell it on eBay

Researching on eBay

I pulled out my trusty cell phone and looked up similar sweaters to see what they had sold for on eBay. You can imagine my surprise when I saw that some that were similar were listed for between $40.00 and $195.00. But the key is always to also check out what items have sold for. The "sold" listings of similar sweaters were between best offers of below $39.95 and up to $139.95. Now we are talking!

I was quite excited and bought the sweater, at a 25% discount because of course, I shopped at Goodwill on Sr. discount day! Normally $6.75, I purchased the sweater for $5.07 after the discount.

Pricing Dilemna

Next, I had a dilemna...how much should I list this sweater for? If I listed it high, and it took a long time to sell, I could be sitting on it for a very long time. Plus it was February and people would be more likely to buy a heavy sweater when it was still cold outside. That gave me a short window before spring came if I wanted to sell it quickly.

I Don't Run a Storage Facility

I had recently watched a video by Nicole States on Youtube. She has a lot of Youtube videos about how much she sells on eBay, brand names she likes to sell, hauls she gets from Goodwill to resell on eBay, etc. If you haven't watched her videos, and you want to learn how to sell things on eBay quickly, I highly recommend her. But getting back to the reason I brought her up, she clearly stated in one of her videos she does not run a storage facility. She meant that she doesn't like to list things super high and then have to store them for long periods of time until they sell. I don't have a lot of storage room in my home so in some ways, I feel the same. BUT I am also not in the habit of giving things away in my eBay store, so needed to find a price I would be happy with that wouldn't take too long to sell the sweater.

Listng Price

I decided to list the sweater for 30 days at a price I would be happy to get. I listed this "Grandpa Sweater" as I like to call it, for $59.95 plus the buyer paid shipping. It took about three weeks, but it did sell. I got the price I wanted and the buyer gave positive feedback and seemed quite happy with his new sweater.

Ahhh, I just love selling on eBay!

If you would like to find a Willis and Geiger Sweater of your own to sell on eBay, here's a picture of the label below.

Have you ever seen this brand or do you sell it on eBay? Would you have paid that much for this sweater on eBay?

Thursday, February 23, 2017

How to Begin to Selling Items on eBay

I am writing this post for those of you who have never sold anything on eBay before. It can be quite intimidating for anyone who is new to selling on eBay. I wish I had started selling on eBay much earlier than I did. It would have been the perfect work for me when I was a stay-at-home mom, but I was scared I would do it wrong and the fear kept me from getting started.

In fact, the very first time I ever sold something on eBay, I had to have my 16-year-old daughter help me. This was in 2010 and I didn't even know how to download a picture from my camera onto my computer. This knowledge is a necessity for anyone who wants to start selling on eBay.

Don't let fear keep you from getting started selling on eBay. It's a great way to make extra money and clean the clutter from your house and life!

So here are some steps to help the beginner get started selling on eBay...

1) Open a Paypal Account

Most people pay for their eBay items using Paypal. It's easier for buyers and for sellers to use the Paypal system than a credit card and eBay sellers get their money faster this way. I will include a link to Paypal at the end of this post.

2) Open an eBay Account

This goes without saying but I thought it should be included anyway. If you have an eBay account that you have opened as a buyer, then you are all set. You can buy and sell on eBay from the same account.

3) Find Items to Sell on eBay

Comb your house for anything that you want to get rid of or don't need anymore and put all of these items in a certain area of your house.

4) Research, Research, Research

Do some research on eBay as to how much these items are selling for. There is a search box at the top of your eBay account page so you plug in what you want to sell there. If anyone else is currently selling the same item, you will get a list of those items on the screen.

Although it's important to know how much the item is listed for, you also want to know how much that item has sold for in the past. Go to the left side of your screen and you will see a list of things, including the word "sold". Check the box next to sold and a list of all of the same item that has recently sold will appear. That will tell you what you can reasonably expect to receive for your item.

If there is more than one of your item listed, you don't want to be the highest price and you also don't want to be the lowest because many potential buyers will thank there is something wrong with your item and not trust you. Somewhere in the middle is a good starting point.

5) Prepare Your Items for Sale

If you want to sell a pair of shoes that has been sitting in the back of your closet for awhile, make sure to dust them off, use a leather conditioner, or even shoe polish on them if necessary. You want your items to look their very best. Clean your items and if you are selling clothing, wash and iron them if necessary.

6) Take Great Pictures of the Items you Wish to Sell

eBay is currently giving eBay sellers 12 free pictures to use in their descriptions when listing items to sell on eBay. Take advantage of every one if possible. You can take a picture of every view...straight on, from the top, from the sides, of the bottom, etc. I purchased a CD set today and although the price was fairly good from one seller, there was only one picture of the item, whereas the other 8 sellers had many pictures included so I could actually see the items I was purchasing, outside of the cd package. You can probably surmise that I purchased the set from someone whose price was a bit higher but I trusted them more because I was able to actually see what I was buying.

If you are selling clothing you can take pictures of the item from the front, back, close up of the front so buyers can see the design better, a close up of any pockets, definitely take a picture of the brand and size tags, and any extra buttons sewn into the inside of the item, sleeve buttons, a picture of the collar buttoned, and if there's a lining, say in a coat, make sure to take a picture of that.

If you decide to sell shoes, make sure to get the top, sides, the back, bottom (soles), a close-up shot of the label, a shot of the size, a picture of any ties or buckles, and if the heels are worn on one side, etc.

If you are selling an actual item, say a snowglobe, get pictures of it from all sides and the bottom. A close up of the inside is helpful as well so potential buyers can see exactly what it, or any other item you're selling looks like.

If you are selling any items that are "new with tags" make sure to get a picture of the tags, and the price, especially if the price is a lot higher than what you are selling it for. People will realize what a deal they are getting.

Now load those pictures onto your computer (get help from your kids if you don't know how to do it!) and start your listing.

7a) List Your Item for Sale

When you start listing, you look for the word "sell" across the top of your eBay account page. Click on that word and a space will show up for you to write your title. Be as descriptive as possible in your title and include the brand name of your item first. For instance, if you are selling a Ralph Lauren women's blazer, you would want to lead with the words "Ralph Lauren."

Once you have put in your title, you will have a list of two or three categories to choose from. Click on the one that best describes your item, then go down the list and fill in the blanks about it. Fill in as much as you can...the more information you have about it the better for the buyer.

There is a space for the description and you will need to make sure you put a lot of information there. But do it in brief phrases, all starting from the left-hand side. Do not write your description in paragraph form because people looking at your item in a cell phone will not be able to see the whole description.

Here's an example of what you can put in the description:

Ralph Lauren Women's Black/Cream Tweed Blazer

100% Wool

1 button front

4 buttons on each sleeve

2 pockets on the front

1 extra button included

Equestraian style buttons with horse heads

Fully lined

Lining: black

Dry clean only

In good pre-owned condition

No rips, stains or tears

Size 10 Petite

Measurements:

Armpit to armpit: 19 inches

Shoulder to shoulder: 16 inches

Length: 26 inches

Here is a picture of the blazer I am describing:

Include as many pictures as you can.

Decide if you want to sell your item as an auction item or as a "Buy it Now" item. The difference is that a BIN item is listed fo 30 days and an auction item is listed for a shorter time. Some people don't want to wait for an auction to end which is why it's good to offer an auction item with a BIN price. If an item is an everyday object and there are many listed on eBay already, you probably want to list it as BIN.

If it's rare, is very expensive, listing it as an auction item makes sense because you may get more money than you think it's worth.Gone are the days where start their auctions at 99 cents, though. Times have changed within eBay and more often than not, an item actually ends up selling for 99 cents. It's important to start an auction item on eBay at the lowest price you would be happy with.

Decide on a price based on your research. If you choose to do an auction and include a Buy it Now price, that price must be at least 30% higher than the price at which you started your auction.

Decide what you will do about shipping. It helps if you have a postal scale but if you don't, you can ship in a flat rate priority mail box, available for free from your post office. Or just figure out the weight as best as you can. If you don't want to fool around with the weight, you can offer free shipping, but make sure you add extra money into your price so that the buyer is actually paying for shipping. Books, CDs, other types of music or media can be shipped through media mail which takes longer but is much less expensive. I have never paid more than $3.00 to ship something media mail.

Decide how many days it will take you to ship. Most buyers love "same day" or "next day" shipping, but if you can't get to the post office that often, or don't have much time to pack and ship, you can choose a longer handling time.

7b) Click the "List Now" Button and Congratulate Yourself

Once you have filled out all of that information, proofread everything, and then click on that magic phrase, "List Item" and congratulations, you have listed your first item for sale on eBay!

Here's the link to open a Paypal account if you live in the US:

https://www.paypal.com/us/home

If you live outside the US, Google Paypal with the abbreviation for your country after it....if you live in the United Kingdom you would Google Paypal UK, etc.

To sign up for an eBay account just Google eBay and the link will come up.

If you have any more tips about selling on eBay for beginners, please feel free to add them in the comments below...

Also if you have never sold on eBay before and you want to start, please let me know if this article has helped you.

Want to Read About my First 3 Months Selling on eBay?

If you would like to know what my first three months selling on eBay were like, here's a link to an article I wrote...

http://hubpages.com/business/My-First-Three-Months-on-eBay

Monday, January 30, 2017

Snow Globes and Disney: A Winning eBay Combination!

I am excited to share with you today how selling snow globes and Disney items on eBay can bring in good money. Last week I was fortunate enough to find an item that was so awesome, it combined both Disney and snowglobes to show me the money!!!

Treasure Hunting at Goodwill

I was at a Goodwill in Dawsonville, Georgia and happened to be near the end of my treasure hunting experience for the day. This is the time I start getting a bit weary. If you source items to sell on Bay at thrift stores you probably know what I am talking about. Your brain is filled with the many items you have been searching through to find just the right treasures that will boost your eBay income. Your eyes are a bit blurry. You've accessed your phone so many times to check comparative eBay listings that you hope you have enough to get you through the end of the month...

The Day's Best Treasure

And there it was...a Disney Princess Jasmine picture frame with a snowglobe just sitting on a shelf with the other knick knacks and doo dads...the creme de la creme of Disney items. But guess what...I didn't even realize it when I saw it. I just picked it up because I had heard Disney items and snowglobes sell well on eBay. And I noticed the snowglobe after I picked it up.

When I looked it up on the eBay app on my phone (and please tell me that when you are shopping for eBay treasure at thrift stores and Goodwill that you DO search for comparable listings on eBay BEFORE you buy them???) I was amazed at what I saw.

This particular version of this item was listed at, and sold for anywhere from between $21.95 to $75.00!!! Crazy don't you think? Below is a list of some of the reasons it was commanding so much money:

*It's a Disney product

*It also has a snow globe on it

*It's been discontinued so that means there's a limited amount of these items available

*It's in very good condition

Always Shop on Discount Day to Save Money

I took it to the register with the rest of my purchases and because it was Senior Day (55 and over here in GA), instead of paying the $6.98 marked, I paid $5.23. Once home I was unsuccessful in wiping the price off the bottom of it. So, rather than face rude comments about how much I paid for it and how much I was selling it for, I crossed the Goodwill price off with a permanent marker. When listing it, I would describe it as "price on bottom blacked out with marker." In the listing, I wouldn't say I had personally done this so chances are no one would complain.

Take the Middle Price on eBay

I don't know if you have heard but as far as listings go, if you want to sell an item on eBay, it's best not to be the highest price, not the lowest price...the highest price is probably not going to sell your item if buyers can see they can get it less expensively from someone else. And pricing your item the lowest will often not result in a sale either because people think there must be something wrong with it if you are selling it dirt cheap.

And so I decided to list it at auction for a price of $34.95 to start. If it didn't sell in the first round, I knew I could always drop the price the next time I listed it.

Auction Results

Since this auction was a 10-day listing, I honestly did not pay much attention to it for the first few days. But 48 hours after listing it I saw that it had a bid at $34.95! I was thrilled and would have been very happy with that price for it. BUT the next few days brought in a flurry of excitement as 12 more bids came in and it ended up selling for $51.00! Plus, they paid for shipping so all together, the buyer paid $63.95 for a Disney Princess picture frame with a small snowglobe on it.

Here's a breakdown of how much I earned in profit:

Paid $5.59 (includes sales tax)

Sold for $51.00

Minus the $5.59

Minus the 15% for eBay and Paypal fees equals a profit of $35.82

eBay Buyer's Motivation

Would I ever pay this much for a Disney picture frame snowglobe? No. Would you ever pay this much for this same item? Probably not, but you never know what a buyer's motivation is. Someone out there may have a daughter who had this same item and lost it and is heartbroken. Or maybe they had this item as a child and loved it but it broke. You know what they say, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." And here's a case that proves it.

Make Sure to Check Item Prices on Your Phone Before Buying

So the next time you are at Goodwill, the Salvation Army, Savers, or any local thrift store, keep in mind that Disney items and snowglobes sell very well. Don't forget to check the current listings and sold listings on the eBay app on your phone before buying the item, though. It can save you a lot of money and anquish because you don't want to spend money on an item and then get it home and look it up on eBay and find it's not worth anything. After all, the reason to sell on eBay is to make money, not to lose money.

Have you sold anything on eBay lately that surprised you because it sold for so much money?

Happy thrifting,

Karen

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Making Money With EBay While on Vacation

Making Money While You Sleep?

I have always dreamed of making money while I sleep. Being an entrepreneur at heart I thought it sounded like a great way to earn money. I wanted to set up a business and figure out how I can have that business make money for me while I am sleeping. Not only did I find that with eBay, but I also found out how to make money while on vacation! If you are an eBay seller, or you would like to be, pay attention here because eBay can make you money while you are on vacation!

Making Money With eBay in Vacation

Recently my husband and I went on a two-week vacation. Normally when we go away, I put my eBay store on vacation, and make sure that none of my items are visible to customers while we are away. I also make sure all of my auction items have ended. My feedback score is at 100% with a score of almost 600 and I didn’t want to mess that up by having people buy things while I am away and my not being able to send their purchases out if we were away from my eBay items. But I recently found a way to circumvent that problem.

If you have an eBay store, and you are going to put your eBay store on vacation, you can bulk edit all of your listings to lengthen your shipping time. This means if you have something sell while you are away, and you set the time to allow you to have time to ship it when you return from vacation, you are covered by eBay and people can’t give you negative feedback scores because you shipped late. In fact, under your listing, it even says how much time it will take for the item to ship. And did you know that the shipping time counts business days only? That’s right, Sundays and holidays aren’t included in eBay shipping time. So here is what I did: I set my shipping time to 15 days on all my items. Because we were gone 2 weeks, which is 14 days, and there were two Sundays included in that time period, that allowed me 3 days to pack any items that sold and get them to the post office and shipped out after we got back.

The First Week of Vacation

The first week we were at a hotel where we had internet access. I was thrilled to sell three items that week and after each sale. I sent the buyer a message thanking them for their purchase and telling them I was away and would ship the item when we returned and gave them a shipping date.

The Second Week of Vacation

On the second week we were on a cruise and due to the high expense of purchasing internet minutes on a cruise, I decided not to check my eBay store while we were away!This also gave me a much-needed break from selling on eBay. If you are like me, sometimes eBay can seem to take over your life! You can imagine my surprise and excitement when I checked my eBay store when we hit dry land…

Total eBay Sales While on Vacation

With 425 items listed, I sold 8 items with a total purchase price of $198.96!

And I didn't do anything to earn it except sleep and enjoy my vacation! I did have to take shipping and eBay costs out of that total, but I still cleared approximately $125.00 while I was on vacation. And part of that money was earned while I slept. So not only did I learn to make money while I sleep but also I earned money while on vacation!

If you don’t have an eBay store, and you are taking a short vacation, you can still set the shipping times on your items to the longest amount eBay will allow that will cover your time away. Otherwise, you will have to make sure all of your listings have ended before you leave in order to keep happy customers and a good feedback score!

Do you make money while you sleep or when you are on vacation with eBay?