There have been many articles written on how to make money on eBay. This article will not show you how to set up an eBay account or even the essential things to know. However, over time, I have realized that my items sell for more than others selling the same exact product. Recently, I sold my old Apple Macbook for $975. After doing some preliminary research, I saw that ones in similar condition to mine were going for about $900. I figured that is about the amount I would receive for mine. Turns out, after following my usual steps, I was able to get $75 more dollars out of the high bidder. I have done this countless times with a variety of items. Want to know my secrets? Well, here they are!

I Know How to Spell

Nothing irritates me more while searching on eBay than things that are misspelled. Really, how hard is it to run spellchecker? After you finish your listing, make sure you check your spelling and proofread it. There have been several instances where I did not bid on an item due to misspellings and bad grammar. If you cannot spell or write correctly, what makes you think I trust you to complete the transaction?

I Start and End My Auctions at the Appropriate Time

Now, I do not know if this is the exact appropriate time to start and end auctions, but it has always works to me. First, I always choose a 10-day auction. It is only about 30 cents extra per auction and it allows me to span the auction over two weekends. Second, I start my auctions at 10pm ET on a Friday and end them at 10pm ET on a Monday 10 days later. Having the auction end on a Monday allows more people to view your auction right before it ends (when the real bidders come). If you end it during the day or on a weekend, you are more than likely going to miss out on bidders due to them being at work or out with their family.

I Use Turbo Lister and Create Awesome Listings

Personally, I use Turbo Lister for my eBay auctions. Turbo Lister is a FREE listing tool from eBay that allows you to make your listings on your desktop even if you are not connected to the internet. Having had many problems making listings on the web via eBay, I tried Turbo Lister and really liked the results. Turbo Lister also allows me to use a template for my listings. I specifically use the Red Square eBay Stores template. It costs a few pennies to use but it is well worth it. It adds some style and professionalism to it.

I Disclose Everything About My Items, Good and Bad

First, I make sure I list everything about the product as I possibly can. If you still have the original box, use that as a guide to make sure everything is listed. This is especially important if you item is electronic. Second, I make sure I list everything I possible can about it’s defects. Believe me, if you do not list all of your items problems, it will come back to haunt you. I know people who have been in a battle with the original seller and eBay over who is to blame when an item has undisclosed defect.

I Charge My Buyers Exact Shipping Costs and Sometimes Nothing at All

Just like the title suggests, I only charge my buyers what it costs to ship the item. There are many sellers out there who have a fixed shipping cost or just “ballpark it”. I think that is wrong. Invest in a scale and find out how much your item weighs. Then you can plug that weight into Turbo Lister with the shipping company and it automatically calculates the price based on your buyers location. Personally, I have not bought a few items due to their shipping costs.

Another way to get the bidding going is to offer free shipping. I have done this several times and it worked like a charm. Not only did it sell for more, the added bids made up the difference that it cost me out of my pocket to ship the item.

I Answer Questions Promptly and Professionally

Whenever I receive a question about one of my items, I make sure I answer it within a few hours. It looks real good to the potential buyer and may possibly cause them to bid. My replies are also very articulate and grammatically correct. Basically, you are running a business and if you do not treat your customers good, they will buy somewhere else.

photo by: judybaxter