The auction site eBay has become a primary- and supplemental-income source for many. It's the perfect way to sell products or simply declutter without having to create an e-commerce Web site. It's also a great place to buy merchandise.
I've been successful selling on eBay by making sure that I have clear photographs, offering multiple methods to receive payments, taking time to research what similar items are selling for, and being clear on my shipping and handling policy.
Keep in mind when buying from eBay that you should read the listing carefully and pay close attention to shipping costs and the condition of the item, price compare, and check seller's feedback.
Today's readers share additional tips.
BUYING:
Get a sniping program. This way, you can enter the highest amount you are willing to pay without others seeing that you are bidding. I use Auction Sentry, $10 for a lifetime subscription. -- Jskell, Connecticut
I bid my highest amount, but with an odd number. For example, with an item ending soon that has a bid of $5.50, I'm willing to pay $10 and I'll raise my high bid to $10.01 or $10.51. Sometimes that penny makes all the difference. -- Deana, Georgia
I wait until the last five minutes to put my bid in. -- Julie, Florida
With clothes, I ask for additional pictures and measurements. -- Tammy, Alabama
I have found I get the best deals when the item ends on a holiday. -- Marcia, Missouri
When buying, I try to find other things from the seller that I might be interested in. Shipping can be so expensive that I always want to combine shipping. I use Buy It Now if it is a fair price and I don't want to wait. Often, the Buy It Now ends up being lower than the end of the auction price. -- shopgirl, e-mail
SELLING:
I usually list my auctions on Sunday night for seven days and end them on Sunday night. If you are going to sell a bunch on eBay, I would invest in a postage scale. That way, you can figure out how much your actual shipping would be. I ship my items by priority mail and just print the label right through PayPal.com. It's convenient, and I don't have to wait in line at the post office. -- Kim, Michigan
To research what an item has sold for in the past, do an advanced search for the item and check off "completed listings." -- Michelle, Massachusetts
Visit eBay and click on the Answer Center and the discussion boards. If I want to sell books, I go to the completed items listings after entering the title or author of my book. I find one that has been sold recently. If there are several listed, I look for the one with the highest price and check to see what category it was listed in and what the starting price was. I also check to see if they put something in their listing that I wouldn't have thought of.
Then I pick "Sell an Item Like This" in the top of their auction and then just list mine the way I want to. You can also use the bar codes, and it will bring up the book and a stock photo of it. While you are listing, it will sometimes even give you the low and high that the book has sold for, and it will suggest a starting price. I always list my items for the very least that I want for them. -- Carolyn, e-mail
As a seller, I use a template to make sure that all my auction listings are standard and have the same amount of detail. I always communicate with my sellers and ship quickly. -- Jackie, Pennsylvania
Sara Noel is the owner of Frugal Village (www.frugalvillage.com), a Web site that offers practical, money-saving strategies for everyday living. To send tips, comments or questions, write to Sara Noel, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016, or e-mail sara@frugalvillage.com.
