10 Effective Strategies for Selling on eBay in 2021
Tried and True
I have sold on eBay since 2016. It’s been my full time job since early 2020. People have asked me over the years how they can do it too. I put together this list to help new people who are interested in reselling.
The most obvious answer to “How do I make money on eBay?” is List, List, List and then list some more. If it’s not listed, it’s not selling — And you’re unlikely to make 1k a month with 50 listings. But here are 10 more tips to get you started.
- Use ALL 12 photos that eBay allows. Make sure to photograph all angles and flaws. They should be clear, bright photos with a clean background. It doesn’t have to be completely white and professional looking, but you want it to be clean and clear.
- Searchable descriptive titles. For example don’t just put Nike Windbreaker Jacket. Put “Nike windbreaker Jacket coat men's size large black, yellow.” Try to use all characters allowed. Don't use fluff words like “cool jacket”.
- Describe all defects accurately with photos to back it up. State “used” or “new”. Don’t put “vintage” if its only 5 years old. Vintage means it’s at least 20 years old. Buyers will be turned off by inaccurate descriptions. And you don’t want a return for a flaw you didn’t state.
- Bulk work. I believe in doing everything in bulk. Clean all your items at once. Take all your pictures at the same time. List in bulk. Saves time and makes it more efficient. Time is money.
- Use eBay shipping program and print at home. I use a laser printer so I save tape and time cutting labels. I can just print and paste like a sticker. eBay also gives shipping discounts. You pay retail price at the post office. This is a must if you are shipping a lot.
- Ship as quickly as possible. You are competing with Amazon that has 2 day shipping. 3 days should be the absolute max to ship but try to aim for same day or next. Buyers return to sellers who ship fast and secure.
- Smart Pricing. Price to sell. Research sold listings and price around there. You normally want to be the lowest price for a quick sale. I like to price slightly higher than I want and enable best offer. I also send offers to watchers.
- Fill in item specifics. This is how people can find your listing. They use the filters. So fill in as many as you can. eBay will also constantly remind you to.
- Professional customer service. Answer all messages in a timely manner. Deal with issues professionally. Help the customer come to an agreement. You do not want negative feedback and an unhappy customer. Even when customers are angry, deal with it professionally. You will get crazy messages.
For example: I had someone reach out and say that she needed this dress I was selling for $4 (It was priced at $15+ship) She made up a story about how her twins just died and she needed this dress. Instead of getting mad at scam messages, I just replied “Price is firm.”
10. Buy LOW. By far the most important. Cardinal rule of selling — Buy low, Sell high. Can’t make much of a profit with small margins. Only big retailers can survive that way. Always look to at least double your money.
When you treat eBay like a business, you make money. Your “hobby” is a business. The government believes so. So you need to. Put the work in, be professional and you’ll reap the rewards.
Thanks for reading! Good Luck selling. Drop questions down below.
— Patricia
Interested in making money? Follow me.