Selling Fixed-Price Items in a Store or on eBay Auction: Tips from a Professional Seller

First off, a disclaimer: this is not going to be a promotional article for my stuff on Ebay. You want to find it, contact me. I can provide plenty of links to my store, etc. This article is designed only to to provide info for those wanting to make the most money and save on fees.

When I first started on Ebay, fees were relatively low and I put nearly everything on auction, letting it sit there for up to 10 days and allowing the bidders to duke it out, often in the last few seconds. Things on Ebay have come a long way since then. Bidders are wiser. Some items don't sell and sellers eat the fees for things that should never have been listed - or perhaps only in groups.

Having noted that, when my middle son went off to college and told me to sell what remained in his room, I cleared a quick $400.00 for items he'd bought impulsively or rarely used or had outgrown, including some inexpensive car speakers and a beginner's guitar. Buyers paid shipping. So there are profits to be made on Ebay, if you know what you are doing.

However, it can take some time and experience and some losses before you up your learning curve. I've taken those losses and figured out some ways to maximize your gains. The good news? You can get up to speed pretty quickly.

Here are my suggestions (feedback appreciated from other sellers or buyers):

1. Always do your research. If a zillion of the same item is being listed and sold on Ebay and ninety percent aren't selling, why spend the time, energy and money listing yours? It is very easy to go to www.ebay.com and sign in as a guest. See what has sold, including the most recent sales. You'll need to register or get a friend to let you see recently closed auctions since Ebay requires registration to see most closed auctions. It is worth doing. If you see lots of similar items, don't put yours on auction. If you have an Ebay store, think carefully about how much you'll be paying per month to list it there.