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Ready to try selling stuff on eBay?

Reasons to give it a shot and pointers on how to get started

There are several reasons to register an account at eBay and give it try. It's really very simple, and you might discover that it's more than just the world's biggest rummage sale. If you're already set up when you discover that one thing you've been looking for you whole life, then you might just snag it on your first try!

Reasons to learn to sell stuff on eBay:

• One: You can start out by selling the stuff that's cluttering up your life. Step into your garage with a ten minute goal of finding five things you would sell if having a yard sale wasn't so much of a hassle. Take those five things into the house and clean them up. Then start thinking about how you would describe the first thing to a friend if you were hoping that friend would take it off your hands.

  The first time I did this, I added an old wooden mail holder that had been hanging on the kitchen wall for years. It was just a plain old three compartment hanging organizer, with hooks for keys, etc. I listed it and there were five people fighting over it when the auction completed. I ended up getting a little more than it cost originally, over ten years ago, and I would have sold it in the yard for a buck!

  Other surprises during my first few weeks of listing the junk in my house? Pampered Chef apple peelers go like hotcakes; so do some children's books. Some kitchen textiles and toys that have been around since before video and plastic usually do well.



• Two: You'll make some quick cash and much easier than setting up a yard sale. Set up a Paypal account, list some inexpensive items if you have no history as a seller, and choose a short time period for the auction to last. Some people only use one day auctions, which certainly speeds up the process.

  Many buyers like to hit the Paypal button as soon as the auction finishes, so you could actually see some cash coming your way by day after tomorrow!
  As you build up some positive feedback by shipping quickly and answering questions promptly, you'll be able to sell things that cost more and get a response. I'm not suggesting that you can't sell things that cost hundreds of dollars right out of the gate, but most people are careful not to buy from new sellers, so you'll have to move the low ticket items for the first dozen lisings.



• Three: eBay offers the opportunity to create a steady, work-from-home income. Many people who could not otherwise work have learned to support themselves with eBay listings and eBay stores. If you find that you're listing enough items per month to make it worth renting a storefront for $20-$50, then an eBay store could put you in business for yourself right up there with the big boys.
  If you already sell something like Fuller Brush, Xango, or candles, this could be an outlet for all of your lines combined. There are plenty of tools right on the eBay site to help you get started. There's no need to buy any expensive system until you know exactly what you need to automate some of the work. That's for later. Today is for getting started, even with something small.