I can remember back to a about 5 or 6 years ago, we were struggling with a very thin budget. In an attempt to make that ends meet I tried to list my daughters outgrown dress on eBay. I started with one item just to get my feet wet. Thank goodness I did because I LOST money on it. I couldn't figure out how anyone could possibly make money selling used clothing on eBay and I closed that door before I barely squeaked it open. Fast forward a few years and a girl I knew from a Dave Ramsey board shared how she was earning extra money on eBay! WHAT?!?!? How was that possible? So I began to ask a few questions. I was so blessed because she offered me guidance as I began my journey. I was able to not only supplement my families income, but I was able to find a true passion! Now nearly 3 years later I try to pay forward what she has done for me anytime someone asks.
The most frequent comment I hear is " I would love to sell on eBay, but I wouldn't even know where to begin." Begin with what you have and what you know. When I started my journey I began with what I had and what I knew... kids stuff. As a mom of many little ones I have more clothes, shoes, and toys than the local store(kidding...sort of 😉) Don't begin your adventure by investing money. We all have things around our home that we don't need or want. Outgrown clothing, a duplicate toy we never returned, something we purchased at a direct sales party, but never used... you know you all are shaking your head yes to this. So start with a no cost investment!
Next, the very basic tools... You must have an eBay account and a Paypal account. These are both important. Paypal is the most frequent form of payment used on eBay. Having a paypal account allows you to print labels online(which we will discuss later, but it saves you a lot of money), it offers you protection, and most importantly allows you to get paid! They are both free and easy to set up. Head over to Ebay and Paypal to set up your accounts today.
Now that you know that you have items to sell and you have the accounts necessary to sell what is holding you back? The two biggest questions or statements I have heard are
1. they don't know what types of things sell
2. shipping is very confusing/takes all the profit
So, how do you know if the items you have laying around your house are worth anything? Research. Hope on eBay and type in the search bar a description of the item you are considering selling. Be sure to include the brand and type of item. Perhaps it is a "Girls Gymboree Dress" or a pair of "Mens Converse Hightops". Then you will refine your search. If you are on a desktop this will be on the left and if on a mobile on the right. You will see a spot for completed items. You will also see item condition. I suggest marking new or used here as well. Something may sell very well brand new, but never sold once used. You want to research things that are most comparable to your personal item. Once you have chosen these you can look at the data and decide if the item is worth selling. Here you will see the green shows the price it sold for and the red shows what price that item didn't sell for. You can scroll through the pages and find listings(either sold or unsold) that are similar to your item to help decide. Now some people say only check solds not completed items. I have found after much searching the most successful sellers on eBay search completed items. This is because you can check solds and 1 or 2 solds may come up. If you check the completeds you may find 100 items come up. 1 has sold and 99 have not. That item likely won't sell or at least sell well. This is the best and most basic way to research any item. It directly shows the same type of item on the same platform and gives your a rough estimate or price.
Now shipping, shipping is an overwhelming beast in the beginning. For me this was the most intimidating part of beginning my selling journey. Once you are used to it, it really is simple, but not knowing what your doing also means you can loose your shirt. Due to this I am going to continue with this in part 2 of" Ebay for the Average Mom." For now you can spend some time researching your items and deciding what clutter you can list for cash and what should be cleared out to the local donation spot.
For more ebay information check out these links:
Ebay Shipping Part 1 : First Class
The most frequent comment I hear is " I would love to sell on eBay, but I wouldn't even know where to begin." Begin with what you have and what you know. When I started my journey I began with what I had and what I knew... kids stuff. As a mom of many little ones I have more clothes, shoes, and toys than the local store(kidding...sort of 😉) Don't begin your adventure by investing money. We all have things around our home that we don't need or want. Outgrown clothing, a duplicate toy we never returned, something we purchased at a direct sales party, but never used... you know you all are shaking your head yes to this. So start with a no cost investment!
Next, the very basic tools... You must have an eBay account and a Paypal account. These are both important. Paypal is the most frequent form of payment used on eBay. Having a paypal account allows you to print labels online(which we will discuss later, but it saves you a lot of money), it offers you protection, and most importantly allows you to get paid! They are both free and easy to set up. Head over to Ebay and Paypal to set up your accounts today.
Now that you know that you have items to sell and you have the accounts necessary to sell what is holding you back? The two biggest questions or statements I have heard are
1. they don't know what types of things sell
2. shipping is very confusing/takes all the profit
So, how do you know if the items you have laying around your house are worth anything? Research. Hope on eBay and type in the search bar a description of the item you are considering selling. Be sure to include the brand and type of item. Perhaps it is a "Girls Gymboree Dress" or a pair of "Mens Converse Hightops". Then you will refine your search. If you are on a desktop this will be on the left and if on a mobile on the right. You will see a spot for completed items. You will also see item condition. I suggest marking new or used here as well. Something may sell very well brand new, but never sold once used. You want to research things that are most comparable to your personal item. Once you have chosen these you can look at the data and decide if the item is worth selling. Here you will see the green shows the price it sold for and the red shows what price that item didn't sell for. You can scroll through the pages and find listings(either sold or unsold) that are similar to your item to help decide. Now some people say only check solds not completed items. I have found after much searching the most successful sellers on eBay search completed items. This is because you can check solds and 1 or 2 solds may come up. If you check the completeds you may find 100 items come up. 1 has sold and 99 have not. That item likely won't sell or at least sell well. This is the best and most basic way to research any item. It directly shows the same type of item on the same platform and gives your a rough estimate or price.
Now shipping, shipping is an overwhelming beast in the beginning. For me this was the most intimidating part of beginning my selling journey. Once you are used to it, it really is simple, but not knowing what your doing also means you can loose your shirt. Due to this I am going to continue with this in part 2 of" Ebay for the Average Mom." For now you can spend some time researching your items and deciding what clutter you can list for cash and what should be cleared out to the local donation spot.
For more ebay information check out these links:
Ebay Shipping Part 1 : First Class
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