Successfully Sell Your Used Items Online

Making money online can be a challenge when you don’t have a store of your own, a well-known site, a great online reputation, or even a brand new trendy product. You could also have the greatest product for sale but it might not sell or sell as well you’d like. Without the right mix of tools, you won’t make any money at all.

But selling something, even a used something, can be made easy by signing up for a popular eCommerce store. There are so many out there that provide you with free access that you’d think “There’s no way I won’t be able to make money”. Partly true, but that’s not all there is to it. Let’s discuss where and how you can sell, even used items, online.

What You Need

• Seller account in an e-commerce site.

Setup Steps

1. Make a list of everything you intend on selling.

2. Pull up images of brand new versions of those things and compare them to the ones you have now.

3. Clean them up and make them look almost like those images.

4. Take photos of each of them. Make the background plain and ensure the room has good lighting.

5. Sign up for an e-commerce site. There are many that cater specifically to used items but none as well-known as eBay.

6. Before you start adding your stuff, browse through the site for similar images and see how much other people are selling them for and in what condition they’re in for you to determine your prices.

Create a listing. If you’re going for eBay, this is how:

1. Write a good title and thorough description of your product.

   

2. Provide item specifics including the condition of the item.

   

3. Add suggested product details from eBay’s catalog.

4. Add product pictures.

   

5. Select the payment methods you’ll accept.

   

6. Specify shipping cost, locations, and return policy.

7. Click List when you’re ready.

   

8. Manage your listing. Click Sell on My eBay to check if there are bids on your items or if they’ve been bought.

9. Communicate with your buyer after they’ve completed checkout > Receive payment.

10. Ship product once payment has been made.

11. Leave buyer feedback.

Marketing Setup

1. Cross-promote by encouraging buyers to check out your other products in the description box.

2. Focus on customer service.

3. Add your eBay Store to your website and other social media sites.

4. Make listings in multiple categories.

5. Publish blogs promoting and linking to your products.

6. Create and publish YouTube videos promoting your products and linking to the page where customers can purchase the products.

Timeframe

Time to do: 1 week

Time to see results: 2 months

Additional Tips

Choose what to sell carefully. Remember eBay has fees for other things apart from shipping so make sure you’re making money instead of losing it. Determine your selling price by looking at its retail value both brand new and used. Opt to have an auction and get the chance to earn more.

If you have a lot of items and majority of them are games or gadgets of great value, consider getting an eBay store. It costs $20 for a one-year subscription and it opens you up to discounts and benefits.

Learn more about eBay’s rules and seller limits by clicking Help & Contact on their home page. Click Contact Us if you have other queries. You can also find and communicate with other members by clicking on the respective buttons found on the same page.

Send confirmation emails and invoices. Buyers appreciate being kept in the loop with the process of their purchase. This also encourages them to leave positive feedback which will help your reputation as a seller. Remember to get proof of postage when you send the package.

Spend a LOT of time on eBay. Check out what’s selling the most, how much sellers are charging for it, how products are being described, etc. See how your listings differ from theirs and how you can make yours better.

If you have the merchandise and the budget, use eBay’s applications to help you find out more and improve your sales.

Sell in discounted bundles.

Potential Results

Selling your used items is a good way to earn a little money while cleaning up your space. You’d be surprised how much people are willing to pay for odd stuff that you never even thought twice about. You could earn a profit of anywhere from $100 to $1, 000 or more depending on what you have and how you sell it. Purchasing used items and reselling them on eBay could get you up to $500 a month in profits.