How to make money selling on eBay

Join a thriving resale community and learn how to make money selling on eBay!

When was the last time you cleaned your garage or attic? There could be some real hidden gems… and some ways to make money!

For ages, eBay has been a giant in sales, giving everyone from stay-at-home moms to full-time collectors the opportunity to make money online.

More than just a hobby, selling on eBay can quickly become a lucrative career with the right spin and a lot of drive.

If you enjoy scouring yard sales or thrift stores, learn the basics of how to make money selling on eBay. Write and send in no time!

How to Sell on eBay for Beginners

If you want to make money selling on eBay, you’ll want to learn the basics before you adopt a specific strategy. If you are brand new to eBay, you need to understand how to set up a store and sell your items.

1. Set up your account

If you’ve already shopped on eBay, great! You can use the same account you set up for buying to sell. This way, you can take advantage of the positive feedback you already have on your profile.

If you’re new to the site, you’ll want to set up your profile and account. You may also want to shop yourself first to understand the process.

In order to get paid, you need to make sure eBay has your details. It’s completely safe to link your checking account directly to eBay for easy payment.

You can also install the eBay Access app on your phone, which is the easiest way to create listings and manage your account. The app lets you take photos of products, upload them directly, and receive item sale alerts, news, and more.

2. Create a statement

Most items on eBay are free to list (with the exception of a few categories). eBay fees include a final value fee on the total price once the item sells. This includes shipping and handling, but not sales tax.

You can create a list from the desktop or from the app, whichever is more convenient for you.

Keywords

When listing, you first want to come up with a good name for your product. Consider what keywords a buyer would search for when searching for your item.

Be as specific as possible and avoid any filler words (adorable, used, etc.). Use all the space to squeeze in as much detail as possible.

Photo

You can post up to 12 photos with your listing – use as many as you can! Take good pictures from all possible angles to give the buyer a good understanding of the size and appearance. Take close-up shots as well as full-body shots.

Potential buyers are most attracted to high-quality photos, so be sure to favor good lighting and well-framed items. Also, be sure to capture any flaws and defects the item has to ensure complete transparency (to avoid bad reviews and refunds).

Make sure you take your photos in good lighting to make the subject look its best. Finally, crop images to square if possible as they will display best in the eBay search feed.

More information

Include any other important information in the description, such as measurements, brand, flaw notes, and more. Make sure the category is correct and that you have provided enough information about your product.

3. Prices

You have two options for selling on eBay: auction or fixed price listing:

1. When you select an auction, people will bid on your item after you select a starting bid.
2. Buy now means that the price for how much you want to sell.

To get an idea of ​​the market price of your item, you can click “see how other sellers have priced it”.

You’ll also want to consider shipping when pricing your bids. eBay will provide an estimate of the item, but it tends to be wrong. Instead, enter the weight and dimensions of your package as accurately as possible.

Then select the desired carrier based on who is most convenient for you to drop off the package at the time of delivery.

Finally, choose how you will charge for shipping. You can calculate it based on location, choose a flat rate or offer free shipping. Note: Shipping costs will be out of your pocket, not eBay’s.

You also have the option of international shipping, but you’ll probably want to avoid that until you’ve made a few sales.

4. Shipping your item

Once everything is in order, you can list your item. It can take days to months for your item to sell. Hopefully you know the demand and have the right price to make it go fast.

eBay conveniently provides shipping labels.

When your item sells and eBay receives payment, it will send you an email prompting you to print a shipping label. Attach them to the package, deliver it to the selected carrier and you’re done!

Top tips for making money selling on eBay

Of course, anyone can list items on eBay, but the key is to get them to sell! These tips on how to sell on eBay should hopefully ensure that you not only have an eBay-worthy product, but also get enough views to sell it.

1. Research what to sell

Every product you see, new or used, has its own market. If you’re out and about and see a potential item for resale, do a quick search as if you were trying to buy it.

Is there a demand for it? Are there already too many sellers selling a similar item?

You can also look at the competition and see how they are advertising it. Do you see a gap or potential for selling an item?

One of the main things you want to watch out for is the price. Look everywhere and see what it sells for. That means eBay, Amazon, Craigslist, and even your local pawn shop for larger items.

Check new and used prices to help you give a fair price to attract buyers, but also ensure it’s a profitable sale and worth the effort on your part.

Related: How to Increase Your eBay Sales by Analyzing Sales Trends

2. Nail the photos

Your images will be your product’s biggest selling point, so take the time to get them right! A dark and grainy photo doesn’t show the buyer anything, and they won’t feel confident buying from you.

Once you’ve made a few sales and know that selling on eBay is for you, consider investing in some equipment to increase your bids.

For example, you can invest in:

• background
• professional lighting
• clothes bust
• tripod
• quality camera

Until then, the phone’s camera and a blank background with house lights should work fine. Just make sure it looks clean and in good condition.

3. Niche Down

When it comes to sales, you can spend hours researching products. Try to stick to one or two categories before moving on to the next. Understanding the demand, price and value of one product category will help you really manage it and get the most sales.

If you want to dominate one niche, treat your eBay listings like running a business. Creating a recognizable brand as a seller can help you gain recognition and repeat customers.

People can regularly search your page for new listings if your niche interests match.

Related: How to become a successful seller

4. Understanding demand

So how do you know if an item is in demand? See how many views it has! You can see how many viewers there are and sometimes how many people watched per hour.

Look elsewhere on the web to see how many sales and reviews there have been on places like Amazon, or how many people have wishlisted it. eBay also has a Sales Trends Calendar to help you research consumer behavior to incorporate into your marketing plan.

5. Prioritize the customer experience

A reseller account is a lot like an online store – one that can get a bad or a good reputation based on how you run your resale business.

Remember to provide exemplary customer service to eBay buyers. Poor service will result in a less than desirable feedback rating.

A few ways to improve your online customer service (and reviews):

• Respond quickly to all messages
• Be informed in advance of all costs, including shipping and any customs duties
• Speed ​​up the transaction by sending the item quickly
• Reveal all the imperfections of the items for sale
• Attach a note to each purchase thanking the customer and asking for a positive review
• Offer a replacement or refund as appropriate

6. Cross Promotion

While you can get a lot of traffic just using the eBay algorithm, you can reach a new audience by cross-promoting across platforms.

Create social media posts via Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Marketplace, Pinterest and Twitter to promote your listings.

Related: Etsy Vs. eBay for resale: How to choose

The best things to sell on eBay

The options for selling on eBay are endless, but here are some reliable items that tend to always do well!

• Anything related to technology that is relatively recent (within the last few years). People want new things that work well, but they don’t want to pay full price to buy in a store.
• iPhones and other mobile phones
• Smart watch
• Gaming console. The latest game consoles or “vintage” versions sell well.
• Gaming keyboard
• Tablets
• DSLR cameras and accessories
• Educational needs. Collect textbooks when students sell them at the end of the semester and sell them again when classes resume. This also works well for Texas Instrument calculators as they can be quite expensive to buy new.
• Lego sets. If you have a complete set, they sell for an average of 20% per set. The rarer the set, the higher it goes.
• Women’s handbags. Luxury brands such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel sell well. Make sure you are selling authentic wallets.
• Guitars, from Fender to entry level. Get insurance for these high value and large items.
• Everyday jerseys from Nike and Adidas and collectible jerseys (especially if they are autographed) are always popular.

How to Make Money Selling on eBay: Finding Inventory

If you’re taking your eBay business to the big leagues, you’ll need to look no further than your own garage for things to sell.

Here are a few ways to get new supplies:

Personal storage

Your first task should be to go through your personal belongings and clear out anything that no longer serves you.

You can also offer this service to friends and family and sell items on their behalf for a percentage of the sale made.

Savings banks

The cache is a treasure trove of potential finds. For the best deals, opt for genuine thrift stores rather than select vintage shops.

Flea markets

You can find incredible deals at the flea market. But first you’ll have to sort through a lot of junk! Fortunately, this often comes with a small price.

Add your best finds to your eBay store and get rewarded for your efforts!

Sale of real estate and garages

People are always trying to get rid of excess stuff – that’s where you come in handy. Track the latest estate or garage sales in your area to find unique items.

Check-in racks

While a retail supplier is not my top choice for resale value, you can find a large number of items with potential.

Upcycle clearance items with custom graphics or include them as part of a select package.

How to Make Money Selling on eBay: A Success Story

Melissa Stephenson is a full-time flipper who posts regularly on eBay. In fact, she says 80-90% of her items are sold through eBay! eBay is the #2 most visited e-commerce website and the number of people who can see the listing is much higher than Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and other local selling platforms.

She says her ROI is much higher too! Melissa was kind enough to share some of her best tips for flipping items with us.

If you want to learn more about how to make money selling on eBay and other platforms, be sure to check out Melissa’s Flipper University course. Maybe you too could turn browsing from a side hustle into a full-time business!

Originally published on October 25, 2021. Content updated on October 2024.