It's time to start selling some of your extra collectibles, it's easy right? Just stick a few pictures up on eBay and wait for the money to roll in. Wrong. It just doesn't happen like that, it takes time and effort to get it right.
It's competitive enough at online auctions, so give yourself an even chance by not sabotaging your own listings from the start.
1. Just Take a Quick Picture!
Don't worry about staging, the background or lighting. It doesn't matter if the picture is slightly blurred or hard to see. So what if the picture is tiny or perhaps even shown sideways. Everyone loves to turn their computer sideways to see what the item really looks like.
Suggestion:
Use a product like Photo Studio In-A-Box to get an uncluttered background with an excellent lighting set-up.
2. Spell It Wrong
It takes too much time to bother with spell check or to look up the correct spelling of a company name.Example:
Do a search for Wedgewood and get 1700 results, but using the correct spelling of Wedgwood will get 7500 results. It can be a misspelled word or just a typo, but it sure can screw up a search result (and your selling price) when folks don't find the auction.
One of the top hints for bargain shoppers is to check for misspelled words that others don't think to use in searches.
3. Use the Word Rare and/or HTF in the Title
Rare must be a good word to use in the title, at the time of this article it brought up 326,000 items for sale.
Bad Example:
Rare, HTF Antique Cookie Jar
Good Example:
McCoy Astronaut Cookie Jar
4. Negative Feedback? Call Them a Liar
If they leave negative feedback they must be a liar and you will tell them so!
Suggestion:
Use a few words to explain your side without name calling.
A negative can happen to even the best sellers, but don't call more attention to it by being rude to the buyer. I might buy from someone who has a negative feedback or two, but never from a seller who is consistently rude to those folks.
5. Use the Wrong Category
Make it a treasure hunt for buyers by putting your doll in the stamps category.
Remember:
If the buyer only searches by category, not by search term they'll never see your doll.
6. Write a Whole Chapter on Your Terms
Buyers don't have anything better to do than to read through paragraphs of all your terms, how auction is revoked in seven days, why you can't answer emails on the weekend, how you don't leave feedback until it's left for you and on and on and on. Don't forget flashing text and hard to read colors.Meanwhile use just one sentence to describe the collectible that's being sold.
Suggestion:
Be concise in your terms and don't be so negative, but be very descriptive in the item description.
7. Don't Take Paypal
Don't take Paypal it costs too much, instead make buyers go to the store to buy a money order or cashiers check.
Instead:
Use Paypal. Yes, Paypal fees can certainly add up, but it's very convenient for the buyer and seller. Enough so that many folks will not bother with auctions that don't use Paypal. If you're worried about losing money, factor in those fees when deciding on a starting price of your auction.
8. Pad Your Shipping Charges
Make a little bit of extra money that you won't have to pay fees on by adding to the shipping charges.Instead Be Fair: Most sellers don't mind a little extra to help pay for packing supplies, after all stores figure that in to their charges. Use a shipping calculator so folks can see what they are paying. The day I put this list together I bought something on eBay. There were two identical items one had a shipping charge of $24.50 and the other had a charge of $14.50. Guess what one I bought?
9. Answering Emails When You Have Time
Don't bother checking your email during the auction, instead just check it at the end of the sale to see what sold.
Buyers Always Have Questions
And as a buyer it helps to get a timely response to my questions. If a seller takes two or three days to answer my question about an item for sale, I always wonder how long it will take them if I have a problem after a purchase has been made.
10. Take Your Time Shipping and Packing
The buyer can wait an extra week for the item you shove in a box with no packing materials, after all you already have the money and it won't make any difference in this auction.
Note:
Not everyone can ship the next day after receiving payment, but the buyer is still anxious to get their stuff. It's only good business to send the packages out in a timely manner and well packed.
