what do i need to know about selling on ebay

[True]

Iv bought loads of things off ebay, even gotten lucky with a few auctions, but iv never sold anything, never even listed anything. Iv just never really had a reason to up until now.

so im wondering, are there things i should know before? any tips? im sort of nervous about this. do you have to pay to use in this way?

i understand that lots of good pictures and very descriptive is good, and fast shipping of course. but what else should i be focusing on?

thanks for any suggestions and advice, i really appreciate it.

[moving to TS -kaoskat]

[ponylady]

I personally feel to be a good seller on ebay you need to do lots of research before selling.  And I do not mean researching your item to death or primarily focusing on good descriptions, pictures, etc. Which of course are all very important.  But there is more to it than that which needs to be focused on to ensure that you are going to be a good seller and that you are aware of should a problem arise.

I would first make sure you understand the system and that is ebay's return policy, DSR ratings, Buyer Protection, Seller Protection, fee's and the so forth.

Yes, ebay charges you fee's and actually quite a few.  There is a charge to list, your Final Value Fee's, and also Paypal's fee's.  They love to skim money from your sales, so be aware of that.

But once you start selling and understand the process completely, it will be easy breezie from there on out. I believe that everyone develops their own style of selling over time, which they become accustom to and can be quite successful with.     

[Stormy31685]

I second ponylady and would also like to add that selling on eBay is something that takes continuous learning and cannot be done at random anymore.  Ebay now expects a LOT out of its sellers, and the demands can be time-consuming and emotionally involving.

But you will no doubt be successful if you stay in the know about policies, procedures, and your products.  Also, it is very wise to know your customer base and all potential expectations they may have.

Ebay no longer lets the "small seller" slide.  They hold every seller to the same expectations which are becoming more similar to those of large companies.  The biggest downside, is that small sellers don't have the resources to make mistakes like the big dogs, so we have to be far more careful.

Best of luck to you though!

[Ringlets]

I think you've had some great advice from two experienced sellers already   ^^ I dont think I can add much to that, except perhaps to repeat something I think is very important when you sell on ebay. Like the others said, you need to know about the product you are selling and your customer base. When it comes to selling ponies or anything else , you need to describe the item really thoroughly . some buyers on ebay are extremely picky, so any  (even tiny bits of) damage , slight wear, creases or factory flaws on the box/card should be mentioned. similarly any flaws (factory, play related, age related etc) need to be described for loose items,  even for handmade items. Its better to go a bit over the top with descriptions than to risk missing something out and having an upset buyer opening a case on you .
Also make sure you pack the items you sell very carefully! poor packaging can lead to items being damaged in the post (or missing) , which also leads to unhappy customers opening cases...
Dont worry - once you know what to look out for, and what fees will be taken by ebay, its really not too difficult to get into selling     and if you run into any issues , or need further advice,  you can always make a thread on here   wishing you all the best with your sales

[FantasticFirefly]

Ebay sellers forums are quite helpful, I wouldn't hesitate to read those. (Is there a calculator that would work out the ebay cost of selling items?)

I was also going to bring up packaging too!
It is a sellers responsibility to package an item so it survives the postal system- they're NOT gentle. Most of our ponies are fairly durable but things like playsets, dream beauties, flutters, so-softs need some extra care. Postal insurance will not cover in damaged items in cases where they feel the sender's packaging was insufficient. Some items are not covered for breakage at all- in Canada it's china, porcelain and glassware.

Also, know your costs, and factor in your time. I've known many people who sell something and figure out after the whole process that they had $3  after all the fees, on an item that cost them $5 in the first place and they spent a couple hours time working that sale.
Getting packing materials, cleaning an item, writing description, photographing, packaging, messaging with buyers, trips to PO if applicable are things to consider. I've had some sellers treat me not so cheerful after an auction ended, basically complaining they lost $$ on that sale. (never do that to a buyer! LOL)

[Honey Bunches]

I am so very glad that you've asked this question!
The advice given is solid. Best of luck to you!

[Jemofirongate]

Ive never sold on ebay, I have been a buyer for 10 years but the only other piece of advice I would give is;

- Sometimes there will be problems, but don't panic! 
I never think badly of a seller for having a problem, if they address it appropriately. When something like this happens, just maintain communication, be professional and reasonable

Problems should be rare and in most cases it should turn out fine!

Good luck!

Jem

[Lygeia]

Take the time to post nice pictures of your item and write an accurate description...if you have the time to give more detail on your item, your buyers will have more confidence and be satisfied with their purchase. 

[Foxtale]

All great suggestions. I was toying with the idea of selling on ebay and was wondering the same thing. Thanks for starting this thread and thank you for all the responses.