Tips for Ebay Sellers

Short sharp one liners please ...NOTHING LONG

Double walled boxes are great for small items

Just do AUCTION style with reasonable start, no BIN or OFFERS as they cost if you don't sell. AUCTION is free

thread weird

joking

Don't listen to DAN

Dan

1) since starting selling it's not quite the place I thought it was
2) A small amount of advice can help a lot

(for example N - stock up on boxing and wrapping)

22 Crawford St. wrote:Don't listen to DAN

Info to live by.

Dan and REMEMBER TO ALWAYS SEND SIGNED FOR

NEVER use FRAGILE TAPE

Landan posties see this like a red flag to a bull

I use MyHermes for the tracking. I've had enough deliveries here, where the courier has forged our signatures, that i don't waste money on signed for unless the buyer asks for it.

I use fragile tape. You probably invalidate the insurance if you don't have it. If the contents can't stand up to being thrown from the conveyor belt to the cage then you haven't got the packaging right.

BIN cost you if it doesn't sell? Not heard that before.

Tips for sellers:
(1) Take in focus pictures of the item and ensure all angles are covered
(2) Make the title and description as accurate as you can make it
(3) Say how big it is
(4) Say the condition, give detail! Not a generic guess like GOOD.
(5) Give a postage price that is accurate and not for hand delivering to Mars.

Tips for buyers
(1) Look for lazy arse sellers who take pictures like they don't care. Those that can make a diamond look a lump of dog turd at midnight.
(2) Look for those sellers that use as few words as possible and describe items by the era not the maker.
(3) Look for sellers that give you no idea of scale and no measurements.
(4) Look for those sellers who give no idea of condition or those that spend ages describing how bad something is (almost as if they don't want to sell)
(5) Look for those sellers that add a postal price that would only be valid if they lived next door to you and could hand deliver. Make sure you pay quickly after the auction has ended. Bought a one ton marble statue? That will be £3.99p postage and packing thank you very much.

Not sure about those 'tips for buyers'. A good way to end up with a padded bag full of shards, because if they're that lazy with their listing you can pretty much guarantee they can't pack either.
And never buy glass. It's always chipped.

always sell when everyone is being payed

eBay only lets you end one auction a month using the option 'item damaged or no longer available'. Any more than that and they assume you're a sloppy seller or making deals to avoid sellers fees. Still being penalised with a loss of seller's perks months later after having a spring clean of listings which I stopped early.

Don't bother listing an item if it's chipped or cracked unless it's an identified piece by one of the rarer and highly collectible potters. Just because it's studio pottery 99.999% of it doesn't command a premium price

dantheman wrote:always sell when everyone is being payed

Make sure you use a spellchecker....

As others have said.
Get the basics spot on. A detailed description, with very clear photos ( many camera photos are totally inadequate) and use all 12 to illustrate all angles of the piece. Get the lead photo perfect. It is your SHOP WINDOW,and a browser is going to pass it in a milli-second if its is not totally perfect
If it has a mark for Pete's sake put a clear photo is the second picture.
Give very precise dimensions. Any mistakes wiil catch you out.
Be totally honest.
Dispatch quickly.
Do not endlessly relist. If it does not sell 2nd time around, it IS either crap or you have mis-priced it.
Do your research. This is important in higher value items. So many of the better quality items are just plain overpriced. Potential buyers of expensive items are NOT fools,and will probably know the market much better than you do.

I had to read my post ten times before spotting the error

If the item arrives broken or not as described then simply give a full refund. They buyer will appreciate it and may well buy from you again.

Where eBay is concerned, never assume anything.

Short, one line description? Sometimes it works, sometimes the most lengthy, florid, OTT description pays dividends.

Lots of clear photos? Often listings with just a couple of out-of-focus snaps sell for stupid amounts, and seemingly without any comeback.

One sold for x amount last week? Don't think that the underbidder will still be looking for the same item, even though you've priced yours cheaper and yours is in better condition.

Sensibly priced B-I-N? How come someone with worse feedback, higher postage costs, fewer photos and a risible description sells exactly the same item, listed at the same time, for double the price?

eBay is unpredictable and populated by idiot buyers!

One assumes that sellers with crap listings are not above a bit of shill bidding too

Ebay is the Wild West of the Internet. Its a jungle out there!
Personally I find myself buying from Professional  sellers who know their market and prices, and people that I can usually trust to know what they are talking about.
Anything else? Well...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Caveat Emptor!