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If you are behind in retirement savings, you may be looking for ways to add more money to your retirement nest egg. Have you thought about selling items on eBay for extra cash? For this post, I interviewed my brother, Tom, who is a veteran eBay seller. If you need eBay help, read on!
Tom shares how long he has been selling on eBay, what got him started, and what sells on eBay. He also covers what it takes to be a successful eBay seller, the supplies needed, and how to keep costs low. Keep reading to learn Tom’s best eBay selling tips for making money while decluttering.
Table of Contents
Selling On eBay
Are you thinking about downsizing and wondering how to get rid of items you no longer want or need? Selling things on eBay can be a good way to earn some extra money for retirement! Plus, you can get rid of stuff you don’t want anymore.
Although some people sell on eBay for a living, most just sell stuff for some extra cash. I recently found out my brother has been selling items on eBay for years. I never realized it because he works at a regular job.
However, I knew he was interested in retiring early, and that he had built up some additional income streams. In addition to his main job, I knew he got paid to write freelance articles. Selling items on eBay is another way he makes extra money for retirement.
I recently spoke with Tom to learn his best eBay strategies. Here is what I found out about making money with eBay. These are the tips that will help you make the most money on eBay and I am excited to share them with you!
eBay Help – Best eBay Selling Tips Interview
How Long Have You Been Selling Items On eBay?
I have been selling things on eBay for about five or six years. Selling on eBay is a side hobby for me, to make a few extra bucks. You are not going to get rich doing it, but you can make a little extra money and get rid of some clutter.
Related post: 10 Fun Hobbies To Make Money For Retirement
Why Did You Start Selling On eBay?
First, I had been buying things for myself and realized I could start selling, too. After buying a group of three or four books that a seller had listed, I realized I only wanted two of them. So, I figured I could sell the ones I did not want to someone else on eBay.
Secondly, I discovered that selling items on eBay is a good way to declutter and get paid for it! I had a collection of stickers and embroidered patches from childhood, but no longer wanted them. Remember the Battlestar Galactica television series popular in the late 70s? I had a bunch of Battlestar Galactica stickers from cereal box promotions when we were kids. Initially, I started selling sets of two stickers for $15 and eventually made $60 from those old stickers. I would have just thrown them away!
What Sells On eBay?
You can sell anything on eBay. Someone is going to want to buy it! I have found that anything old sells. It does not matter what it is. If an item is at least 10 to 20 years old (or older), someone will want it.
Initially, I thought no one would want my old fishing stickers. I decided to sell 10 stickers for 9.99, but people started emailing me that they only wanted one of the stickers. So, I started selling stickers individually, from about $2.99 to $7.99 each. They sell for that price!
I still sell a lot of stickers and patches. In addition to my childhood sticker collection, I began picking up the free swag given out at conferences and trade shows, which often included stickers. Mostly, I check stuff in my basement to see if I can sell it!
Popular and Unusual Items
Other popular items I have sold include fishing lures, Dungeons & Dragons books, old electronics, small household items, and party favors after family events. After my son’s Eagle Scout award dinner, I sold the centerpieces from each table that would have otherwise gone in the trash.
One of the more unusual items I sold was a collection of small stumps that had been left by beavers after they had chewed off small trees and saplings to make a dam. You would not think anyone would want something like this, but they did! One buyer turned out to be a teacher, who said the stumps were perfect for her natural sciences curriculum. She wanted some visual aids to show her students how beavers cut down trees with their teeth!
As you gain experience selling on eBay, you get better at knowing what people will buy.
What Does It Take To Be A Successful eBay Seller?
Sell things that people want and sell them at a competitive price.
When you have an item to sell, search on eBay to see what the item is selling for. Sort results by price, from lowest to highest. There may be a bunch of the same item for sale from $5 to $50. List your item for $4.95 if you want it to sell quickly. People want to get whatever they buy at the cheapest possible price.
Customers also love to get free shipping! Shipping is one of the things sellers are rated on. If you offer free shipping, you have just removed the possibility of complaints about shipping costs. I try to sell everything with free shipping.
Be sure to reuse descriptions where you can, instead of writing new listings every time.
I keep a master document in Word on my computer with a description of everything I have sold. It makes it easy to cut and paste information into a similar listing. It is important to include any specific details in your listings, such as items are from a smoke-free and/or pet-free home. I also specify no international shipping on most of my listings.
Share Your Top Two Best eBay Selling Tips
Keywords are one of the most important things for selling on eBay. To figure out what keywords to use, type a description of the item you have in the eBay search box. For example, you might type in “old sewing shears” and see what comes up. In this example, “pinking shears” might come up. This will help you craft your own title with additional keywords.
If you cannot find it for sale on eBay, you can include “not another one like this on eBay” in your description!
Secondly, be sure to take lots of good photos! This is another key to successful sales on eBay. You must have good photos. Although taking photos is the most time-consuming aspect of creating a listing, you will have more sales if you have great photos of your items.
You can include up to 12 photos for free in your eBay listing. Go ahead and use them all (unless you are selling a sticker, then you only need one photo). If your photos are well-lit and show the item clearly, you are more likely to sell your items. The seller who posts one poorly lit photo with clutter in the background is less likely to make the sale.
Pro Tips for the Best Photos
- Have a clean background, with no clutter.
- Include 2 – 4 photos of the item you are listing for sale.
- Zoom in or crop photos on your computer for greater detail.
- If an item lights up, be sure to include a photo with it lit up.
- Take a photo of the item in the original box, then photograph every side of the box.
What Supplies Are Needed to Get Started With eBay?
In addition to a computer or other online access, you will need boxes, packaging material (bubble wrap), tape, envelopes, and computer paper and ink for printing receipts and shipping labels.
For small, flat items like stickers or patches, slip them into a protected envelope (any envelope with stiffer paper – I save the return envelopes in my junk mail to reduce costs and to recycle them). Then I slip that into a second envelope with a receipt printed from my computer.
For larger stickers, I will use an 8 ½ by 11-inch envelope, considered a “flat” by the post office. It costs $1 in postage for the first ounce when mailing a flat.
How Much Time Does It Take To Sell Things On eBay?
Taking high quality pictures is the most time-consuming aspect of selling on eBay. Once the photos are taken, you can zoom in or crop photos on your computer for greater detail.
After selling an item, I package it in the evening after work. Once an item is packaged and ready to mail, I will put it in my car and mail it the next day on my way home from work.
How Do You Keep Track Of What You Sell?
I use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of everything I have sold on eBay. It is also a good way to look back at how I priced things that sold in the past.
Within the eBay seller profile, a notification will alert you when a customer has paid. Once an item is paid for, it is safe to ship. If mailing something small in a stamped envelope, choose “already mailed” and do not print a label.
However, sellers can choose “print shipping label” for packages. The next screen will ask for the box dimensions and weight. The customer’s name and address are pre-filled automatically onto the address label. You will be prompted to purchase the label from PayPal. Select “yes” and print your mailing label.
Attach your label (do not cover the barcodes with tape) and drop it off at the post office. Get a receipt in case there are any discrepancies. The post office tracks delivery of the package for you right on your eBay “Sold” page.
Have You Had To Deal With Any Customer Issues?
I have probably completed 1500 to 2000 transactions and have over 1250 positive reviews. Usually, about 50% to 75% of people give seller feedback. I have only had a few customers report they never received an item or that it arrived damaged. In those cases, I returned their money or sent another item if I had duplicates.
What Are Your Best Strategies For Keeping Costs Low?
Do not sell anything for 99 cents! By the time you pay for a stamp, an envelope, and fees, you will not make any money if you are selling a sticker for 99 cents. Compare that to selling a $4.99 sticker. Once you subtract the cost of the stamp (55 cents) and the envelope (5 cents), you are left with $4.39 profit.
Purchasing a mailing label from PayPal within the eBay seller profile also saves money. The postage is discounted, but the discounts vary. For example, if the package is less than 8 ounces, it may cost $3.35 to mail, which is a 27% discount. If a package weighs 9 ounces, the discount might be 21%.
Save cardboard boxes, packaging material, and the return envelopes from your junk mail. Reusing these items will help you save money on shipping costs. Also, if using the mail to ship items, make sure everything is easy to mail and lightweight.
Final Thoughts About Best eBay Selling Tips
Thank you, Tom, for sharing your tips and strategies for selling on eBay. I never thought it would be possible to sell all the various small things that pile up over a lifetime, but you have given me some great ideas!
When my husband & I were trying to get out of debt, we sold a lot of stuff locally on Craigslist. However, selling on eBay allows for a much larger customer base. Selling on eBay is worth it because so many more people will see the listing.
As I get closer to retirement, I plan to continue getting rid of stuff so my husband and I can travel lightly. Selling items on eBay now will help us to declutter before we retire. Plus, it will be helpful to make extra money to add to our retirement nest egg.
Question: What are YOUR best eBay selling tips? Let us know in the comments below!
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Interesting and well written article. I didn’t know all of this info of eBay. I never thought that it can be a way to make extra money.
Thanks for sharing
https://uncuaderno4cero.wordpress.com/
Thank you for your kind comments, BR! I’m glad you found it interesting!
I’ve never really considered selling on eBay but you’ve shared some fab tips, I might give it a go – thanks for this x
Thanks, Della! Yes, I think these tips could help anyone be more successful selling on eBay. Looking forward to trying them out myself!
I’m not a fan of selling on eBay after too many bad experiences, I sold a brand new memory foam mattress through eBay and the buyer was just trying to get it for free. The buyer tried to get 40% off the selling price even though it was already 50% of store price. But the buyer didn’t pick it up in a car and forced me to carry it to the bus, no easy feat when you have seriously low exercise tolerance due to reactive hypoglycaemia. Then the buyer made a complaint, but said they’d keep it if we gave them an additional 40% off. eBay wouldn’t let us pick it up in person, we had to hire a delivery company to collect it, which would cost us three times as much as we were selling it for. Eventually cut our losses by giving the buyer an additional 20%. I don’t think I’ll sell on eBay again and since then I’ve just given everything to charity that I want to get rid of.
I’m sure your tips will help those who want to sell on eBay though
Ouch! That is an unfortunate selling experience, Unwanted Life! Brings me back to my brother’s tip about making sure most things you sell on eBay are either lightweight or easy to ship!
I’ve donated a lot of items in the past, especially when under a time crunch before moving homes. Most of the things I’ve sold have been through Craigslist locally, but you do have to be careful about meeting people to complete the sale. I like the idea of selling small items on eBay just through the mail.
I’ve heard about selling things on eBay but I’m not sure how it works and if it’s really safe for me to do it when I live outside the US or Europe. I’ve donated my clothes or gave them to my cousins. They’re still good to use 😀 Thank you for sharing this x
Thanks for reading & commenting, Merry! International shipping can get expensive if you try to ship outside of the country you live in, Merry. You live in Bali, right? I don’t know if you have eBay available to you in Bali to sell things locally.
According to statistica.com the majority of eBay sellers are in the USA and the UK. There are about half as many eBay sellers in Germany and the number of sellers keeps getting smaller in countries like China, Australia, Italy, France, Hong Kong, and Canada.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1019999/ebay-sellers-location-by-country/
A lot of people in my family sell on eBay too! I’m planning on starting a store soon as well, so all of this was so helpful! Thanks for sharing!
That’s exciting, Melissa! Be sure to let me know when you open your eBay store! Best of luck, I’m glad these tips were helpful to you!
This was such a handy post! I’ve tried selling on Ebay before and given up but maybe I should be more patient with it!! Buying mailing labels through PayPal is such a good idea – thanks for the tip!
Thank you, Charlotte! Glad you found the tip about purchasing mailing labels through PayPal helpful. From what Tom shared, it seems like to best things to do to get quick sales on eBay are good photos (and lots of them!), strong keywords, and competitive prices.
Great step by step insight on how to make extra income on ebay
Thanks, Sasha! So glad you stopped by!
Awesome tips, thank you so much for sharing! I have only ever sold two things on eBay, so always on the hunt for tips and tricks to help me out. Love this!
Anika | chaptersofmay.com
I’m happy to hear that you plan to use some of these best eBay selling tips, Anika! Would love for your to report back on your success!
Great tips – I’ve never tried to buy or sell on eBay, but now, I’m curious…thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Nadim! Selling on eBay can be a great way to make some extra money.
I used to sell lots of things on eBay (mainly children’s clothes and toys) but I’ve got out of the habit due to how long it takes with writing up the listings, taking photos, and packaging everything up to sell! That’s a great tip about keywords though, if/when I get back into it again I’ll have to remember that!
Lisa, I used to buy a lot of children’s toys & clothing on eBay when our daughter was little! Buying on eBay is a good way to save money, too. Selling stuff we don’t need anymore (or the clothes kids grow so quickly out of) is a nice way to make some extra cash. Glad the keywords tip was helpful to you!
I like to sell my old books on eBay sometimes for a little bit of extra money. Thanks for the great tips
Selling books on eBay is a great idea, Bizzy Student Life! Glad you enjoyed my brother’s best eBay selling tips.
These are such great tips! Who doesn’t want to make more money when selling something?!
Thank you, Charity! I couldn’t agree more, thanks for reading & commenting.
I’ve not tried selling on ebay before, but I always buy on there! These are brilliant tips, I think great pictures are a must when you’re trying to sell something like clothes for example x
Yes, having great pictures will really help you sell more items on eBay. One way to beat the competition is by having the best pictures! Thanks for stopping by, Eleanor!
I’ve never really tried selling on eBay but I can see how it could be a really great way to make some extra income! Definitely need to try it sometime when I next have a clear out!
It’s a great way to make some extra money by clearing out the clutter, right? I’d rather make a little money instead of just throwing items out. Thanks for your comments, Alice!
These are such great tips! I’ve had good experiences with ebay but I get charged with the seller fee and I get really annoyed when people don’t buy for the items they bidded on.
I definitely need to find some time in the future and just take photos of all my unwanted clothes
http://thesydneysider.com/
Thanks for sharing your experience, Clarissa! Like anything, I’m sure there are ups & downs. By following these best eBay selling tips, hopefully you will get rewarded with serious buyers!
Nice post. I actually used to sell video game controllers on eBay many years ago. I would buy them in bulk with issues, I would fix them, and then resell them. I actually did that as my main source of income for about 1 year in my early 20s.
That is so cool, Cristian! People often would rather just buy something new and throw away the old. Yet, by investing a little time it can be pretty simple to fix things and save money. That’s money that could be redirected to paying off debt or boosting retirement savings! I love your eBay selling story, thanks for sharing it!
This is a really interesting post. I sell a lot of things on ebay and have been doing so for years too. I use it to top up my income and to pay for treats.
Thank you, Kelly Diane! Great to hear that you are already selling a lot on eBay! It is a nice way to make some money for extras, too.
Ooh! Very interesting. I sell on craigslist or fb marketplace but it’s only local. I like the idea of selling on ebay! Unfortuntately, I have nothing to sell anymore since living minimally haha. Thanks for sharing xx
http://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Glad you enjoyed it, Lynn! I’m working toward being a minimalist as I get closer to retirement, haha. I still have plenty to get rid of.
Ebay is a wonderful market in particular for collectibles and odd vintage items from a bygone era, in my opinion, because my father sold hundreds of robot toys and related merchandise very successfully to collectors. Love that you found new homes for your ‘odds and ends’. The right person will buy the right thing.
The key is to research the selling cost of any collectible or vintage item and see what other people are successfully selling them for. Pricing competitively and having a good seller rating is a big help in making sales, as are good photographs and complete honesty about the condition of your product. People buy from people they trust.
On another note, Ebay is also a great place to buy from! I can often find gently used items at a lovely price and save money on not having to buy the item new. One example is a glass cake dish I bought. Still have it. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing this!
Those are such good examples, Jaya! Thank you for mentioning having a good seller rating and the trust factor. I think that helps, too. I loved hearing about your father’s experience selling robot toys, how fascinating! Thanks for sharing your eBay selling & buying stories!
Your post is timely for me because I’ve been toying with the idea of trying eBay! I’ve bookmarked it so I can study it in depth. Thank you so much!
–Sue
http://www.susanberkkoch.com/blog
Wonderful, Sue! Hopefully these eBay selling tips will help you get started. Be sure to let us know how it works out for you!
Valuable tips, it’s great you can link them to Printful so half of the job is done..
Thanks, Under Flowery Sky! Yes, it’s great to find and use those valuable time savers when selling on eBay.
I rely on ebay so much haha. I enjoy selling things on there and bits I cannot sell usually end up in the charity shop.
Helen
Tea in the Tub
Thank you for reading & commenting, Helen! I have a feeling I’m going to be relying on eBay, too. It will help me declutter and downsize for retirement. Plus I will happily add the extra money to my fund to help catch-up retirement savings!
I commend people who can make some good money from selling on eBay. Sometimes, you find some hidden gems that can sell for a lot of money. Thanks for sharing these tips!
Nancy ✨ mdrnminimalists.com
It’s great to learn what a difference we can make in our finances with a little outside-of-the-box thinking, Nancy. Wouldn’t we all love to find that golden nugget, haha.
This was interesting to read, I always heard about eBay but you shared some great tips, may look into it. Great post!
Thank you, Anissa! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!
I loved how organised your brother is since selling on eBay – might need to keep these tips on hand! x
Thank you, Simona! Glad you found the tips helpful!
This is so helpful for someone who wants to sell on eBay! Thank you so much for sharing!
Yes, Daniela, I believe these eBay selling tips would really help someone who is looking to make some extra money by selling things they no longer need or want. Thanks for commenting!
These are great tips! We’ve never sold anything online before.
Glad you enjoyed the post, I’m All Booked Up! I’ve sold a lot on Craigslist myself, and now I’m looking forward to trying out eBay.
These are really useful and great tips. In fact, this is very interesting to read. I would highly recommend it.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your kind comments, Mariann! I’m so happy you enjoyed the post.
Great tips thanks a lot for sharing them Cris
http://www.photosbycris.com.au/?p=12304
Glad you enjoyed the post, Cris! Thanks for stopping by!
I have always wanted to sell things on Ebay but have never actually tried. This is such a cool and helpful post and I really enjoyed learning more about the platform. I may just try to sell a few things.
Wonderful, Shyla! So glad you found the information helpful. I’d love to hear how it works out for you once you begin selling on eBay,
These are great tips. We were afraid to sell on eBay, but might try it now. We also need to declutter.
Thanks, Retirestyle Travel! Decluttering is always good, and even better if you can make some extra money from it!
I’m getting things ready to sell on eBay so this post is helpful!
That’s great you’ve been able to sell a wide variety of items & I’ll definitely keep your tips in mind!
Wonderful, Karalee! I’m happy the tips for selling on eBay were helpful to you.
These are all great tips! I have a lot of people I know that buy and sell on eBay but I never tried, I don’t think it’s for me but who knows! It sounds like a great way to earn some extra money and get rid of things you don’t need!
Thanks, Cristina! Making some extra money while getting rid of things you don’t want or need anymore is fantastic! You’re right, though, that not everyone wants or is able to do this. There are people who will do it for you, taking a percentage of the profit from the sales. A whole different side hustle idea!
This has inspired me to start selling on EBay again. I did years ago. So fun!! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the post, Sarah! It is fun to turn it into a game. How much can I get rid of? How much extra money can I bring in?
great read! i have been using ebay to sell my unwanted items for a while now. i love making a bit of money from my decluttered items.
Thank you, Mind Beauty Simplicity! That is great that you are already making extra money by decluttering. Keep going!
Fun and informative read. Selling on eBay sounds like a great way to declutter and discover some childhood treasures. Looking back, I should have kept so many things!
The challenge is being able to get rid of things, rather than accumulating too much stuff. If you’ve already gotten rid of a lot, you may feel you’ve missed out on the opportunity to make money selling on eBay. Many people start a successful flipping business by picking up items at yard sales and reselling them on eBay. Thanks for reading & commenting, Ana!
I’ll be honest, I’ve never tried selling on eBay before as I find it quite complicated. I do sometimes think to myself I should sell my items rather than giving them away. This was a really informative read, thank you so much for sharing! Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
Thanks for reading & sharing your thoughts, Elle! Glad you enjoyed the post. Although not highlighted in this interview, there are people who will sell your items for you. They usually take a percentage of sales, but it is still a good way to declutter and make some extra cash to put toward retirement, especially if the items were just headed to the trash.
I used to sell on eBay years ago, just little things here and there. I’ve got lots that need gone again and have been thinking about doing it again, these tips are perfect! Thank you so much for sharing, so informative.
Great post with lots of great tips! There’s more to selling things on eBay than most people think and it takes a lot for people to make some money off it.
I’ve never sold anything on ebay till now. But shall keep this post in mind when I do so. Thanks Kathy
– Ramya
Great tips! I used to sell stuff on eBay, may look into doing it again soon.
I had too many bad experiences with EBay to go back, but these are great tips and I’m sure it’ll help someone who is planning to go that route.
Amazing content you have here. I have always came across but never got enough trust to go with it for selling stuff on ebay. After reading the post, it seems I could give it a try. Thanks 😊
This was really helpful!