Never start a listing at 1p / 1c
In fact, never start a listing at a price you would not be prepared to sell for. 50% of items on Ebay never sell, and those that do frequently go for the starting price.
Research what you are selling
This is easy to do. Just search for the item and use an advanced search so you can select finished items. See how much the item actually sells for. Remember, people on Ebay are looking for a bargain. Unless you research your market you can easily make a loss. And look for titles that work. Do toys with the word “teddy” in the title sell better than ones that say “stuffed bears”?
Choose the best ending time for auctions
In general, it is bad to end your auction at three in the morning. Why? Most bids are put on in the last hour of auctions. Sundays are always good, as most people are at home. Friday and Saturday nights are terrible! Who are you selling to? Think about when these people will be online.
Think about your pricing
Have you factored in your listing fees, final value fees and paypal fees? If you haven't you can watch the money trickling away. If you do not make enough money after the fees are taken out, is it worth the effort of selling? And make sure you do not price higher than other auctions, or you will just look excessively expensive. This is especially important in a popular category.
Random nonsense sells
Include as much information as possible in the listing. Things like size, colour, version etc are essential. But add a little more for success. Would this dress look great at a formal party? Is this game a great one to get your friend round to play? Talk your item up.
Think about the format you sell in
Auctions are generally most popular, but buy it now offers a safety net as you know how much an item will go for. You can go for a combination, an auction with buy it now option. This does cost extra, so only do it if you feel you need to. Personally, I would avoid the shop format. Although it is cheaper, the change in search layout means it is very hard for anyone to find your items in the first place.
Be fair with postage
Some people use the trick of a very cheap item with extortionate postage. Avoid the urge to do this, it makes you look dishonest. It is not a good way to encourage repeat buys, and it may well price you out of the market place.
Sell something you like
Make sure you know something about what you are selling. It is no use selling guitars if you cannot tell if they are in tune, and do not know how to transport them. Also, you may be conned into buying replicas or rip-offs that people in the know would spot a mile off. It also shows in the item info if you don't know your stuff. And apart form all of this, where's the fun in selling something you hate?
Don't buy things on Ebay to sell on
There are odd exceptions to this, such as misspelt titles(check out Transfromers for cheap robots - no one else will find them!) or auctions that end in the middle of the night. Something might seem a bargain, but if no one else wanted it for a dollar when you bought it, why would they want it for three when you try to sell it? Job lots may seem a good idea, but if they are such an easy money maker then why hasn't the seller sold them on herself? That and by the time you've factored in postage is it really such a bargain?
If it's not working be honest
Maybe your items just aren't selling. You can try changing the titles and starting prices, but if they are not selling then you can't carry on forever. Re-submissions cost money. Look at why they are not selling. If it is a general trend on Ebay then just accept this as a lost cause and move on to something else.
