Want to start a side hustle by selling stuff on eBay, but not sure how? There’s huge potential for profit on the biggest online marketplace in the world – but only if you do it right. Here are 14 tips for selling on eBay that will help you make more money:
1. Track the Trending Items and Categories
This one is obvious, but a good reminder: know what sells on eBay before you start selling. Take time to familiarize yourself with the hot items; figure out price ranges for the items you’d like to sell; and study the formatting and tactics of other eBay sellers with high ratings.
2. Start with the Clutter in Your House
Kill two birds with one stone and look around your house for things you don’t want that you could then sell on eBay for extra cash. You might only find a handful of items that are sellable, but it’s worth it to make more money on eBay with spring cleaning that you need anyway!
3. Look for Tags
Anything that has tags still on it will immediately have more value for resale on eBay. Look for clothing that you bought and never ended up wearing – or any gifts that you’ve received that you never ended up taking out of the box. Those will have the most inherent value for eBay shoppers.
4. Include Shipping in Buyers Cost
Shipping your sold items on eBay can be pretty pricey and can dig into your profits if you’re not careful. Consider selling items that fit within a first-class bubble envelope (13 ounces), or include cost of shipping as something the buyer has to cover in their purchase.
5. Search the Freebies Section of Craigslist
When you’re done going through your own household's items and clothing, check out the free and for-sale sections of Craigslist. You can find furniture, wall décor, rugs, and more that you can pick up for free and then re-sell on eBay (or even on Craigslist itself). A little extra effort goes a long way!
6. Become a Yard Sale Regular
Just like the free section of Craigslist, yard sales are great places to find items that cost close to nothing, so that you can re-sell them for a higher price on eBay. Before you buy a bunch of things that will just end up sitting in your basement, though, do the research and find out what types of used items will sell on eBay.
7. Upload Quality Pictures
You know what a bad picture looks like – everyone’s seen one: the item might be out of focus. Or the person’s reflection is visible in a mirror. Or the whole photo is dark and filled with shadows. Don’t be that person!
It isn't hard to take high-quality photos for your eBay items.
Just put a white sheet underneath or behind the item, and take the photo during the day when the lighting is best. And make sure that the only thing in the photo is the item you’re selling!
8. Set Your Auction Time to Unsocial Hours
Set your auction’s ending time to an hour when people are most likely to be on their computers, rather than out with friends or doing something on their own. Weeknights Monday through Thursday are a great time to end your sale, rather than Friday or Saturday, when it will most likely go unnoticed by eBay shoppers, even if they’re bidding on your item.
9. Buy Collections, Then Sell the Items individually
It’s common for eBay users to sell collections of items in bulk rather than individually, mostly because that's the most efficient use of their effort.
Consider buying a few collections and then taking the time to sell the items individually on your own account.
10. Offer to Sell Things for Others
Your relatives and friends are guaranteed to have a lot of junk that they don’t know what to do with. Offer to sell their clothing or household items, and price your services so that you make a small percentage of their profit. Everyone wins!
11. Create an eBay Store
There are several benefits to opening a store on eBay. There are a lot of them, but the main advantages are that you get great tools like free monthly reporting, promotional abilities (your items will show up higher on the ranking when eBay shoppers search for them), and a unique URL to send customers to.
12. Foster Relationships With Buyers
Every time someone buys an item from you on eBay, make sure to reach out to them, ask for a review, and give them a good review in return. Also encourage them to stay in touch, should they have any questions or concerns. This will absolutely increase your eBay seller rating and will make your eBay shoppers more likely to come back and buy something from you again.
13. Stick to the Schedule
Whatever your promised shipping time is for your items on eBay, stick to it! Make sure to be prompt with shipping and communication, and try to set up a cadence to help you do the same thing with each item.
14. Treat Your eBay Hustle as a Small Business
Selling items on eBay can be incredibly lucrative, but only if you treat it as the lucrative business you want it to turn into. Keep track of your items; commit to representing yourself professionally; and treat your account like you would treat a company that you own.
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