I have stuff. Some might call it clutter (ehem… my husband). But it has finally occurred to me that my ‘stuff’ – you know the cameras, clothes, toys, books, bags and well, everything else is truly worth something. You might think I jest – that potentially, I don’t have quite so much clogging my closets and packing my shelves, but, in fact, I do.
A few years ago, I decided to use eBay to sell a few items. I had moderate success with old bridal magazines and a few articles of clothing, but I couldn’t get a handle on the shipping. I clearly remember one set of magazines COSTING me money to ship to a ‘seller’. It was at that moment that I became an eBay ‘buyer’ instead.
But now, I’m back and I want to tell you what has changed for me. (Aside from my desire to clear my clutter and make money doing it!)
My eBay challenges were:
- Deciding what was worth selling.
- Setting the correct pricing.
- And shipping. Oh the shipping.
But now, things are a mite different.
EBay has a Learning Center, for buying, selling and increases your productivity….and if you are especially committed, you can actually take a class in your area through eBay University.
I decided to pretend I was completely new to the process and I read through eBay’s suggestions on Tips for Successful Selling, as well as the Shipping
The Solutions to my eBay Challenges:
- Take the time to sort through my items, but don’t feel pressured to do it all at once.
*I took 30 minutes, scanned through one closet and started pulling items out. I know I don’t have to list everything at once – I’m not in any hurry.
- I learned to search ebay’s completed listings.
*This gave me an idea of what items were listed for within the last 15 days, whether they sold or not
- I’ve decided to give Calculated Shipping a try.
This whole-pretending-I’m-new-again process took me 30 minutes. (of learning)
And finally – I’m listening and learning to people who are having success….like other members of the eBay Parent Panel – Eric Payne specifically. I love that he has set a goal of generating $500 of ‘fun money’. I’m trying hard not to copy him.
So, my goal for now, is, as he suggests, to start slowly.
Disclosure: I am a member of the eBay Parent Panel and am working closely with eBay, however, all opinions and experiences shared are mine alone.
