You want to start selling on eBay but are worried it is too complicated. Don’t worry! Getting started is easy, and here is how you do it. The very first thing we recommend is signing up as a buyer if you have not already done that. Just go to eBay and click the “Register” button at the top of the page; then follow the steps. After you have set up your buyer account, I suggest you then set up a PayPal account. This will not only speed your own buying process if you want to buy, but it will also come in handy when setting up your seller account. Now that you have your buyer account, click on the “Sell” link in the top right of the page. That will start the process. At this point, eBay will ask you number of questions to verify your identity. EBay will also need to verify your identity and will do this using your credit card information. EBay will also ask to put a checking account on file. This is for identification purposed only. After you complete the identity verification step, eBay will give you options for paying the eBay seller fees. You can pay seller fees by PayPal, credit card, automatic deduction from a bank account, and even by check. I suggest using a credit card for least problematic payment. The sign-up process is a very easy step-by-step process, and eBay guides clearly through each step.
After you create your buyer and seller accounts, you will keep track of your auctions and auctions you may be bidding on in your “My eBay” page. This page will give you access to all of your account information and all business related information. It will also give you the link to set up your own “About Me” page. The About Me page can be very important because buyer really do read this page to find out more information about the seller and to get a feeling of legitimacy and reliability. The purpose of the page is to give buyers more information about you and your business. You can also leave a link or links off the page to your main business site if you have one. You can point potential buyers to your page from your auction, or even use postings on Squidoo, Hubpages, or from blogs on blogspot.com or wordpress.com to direct people to this page. If you are just starting out, my advice is to create your “About Me” page before you run you first auction. The way to set-up your page is to click on the “Account” menu link at the top of the My eBay page. Then click on “Business Information.” You will then see a box titled “Account Information.” The last line will say, “View my About Me page.” There is an “Edit” link just to the right. Click on the link to get started. EBay makes this easy by giving you template in which you can just enter information. However, you also have the option of custom coding your page.
It is important to understand something about eBay’s seller’s fees. As a beginner, you don’t need to know everything at once as there are many different kinds of fees. For example, insertion fees, final value fees, picture hosting fees, optional features fees, Buy it Now fees and reserve fees. There are other fees as well, but I’m making a judgment call not to mention them as I don’t think they are immediately relevant if you are just starting out. The most important fees you need to be aware of at the start are the insertion fee and final value fee. I think the optional features fee is important because features such as bold face title listings and including a thumbnail image next to your auction listing are necessary and require extra cost. I’ll also add that you don’t pay an insertion fee and final value fee if your item doesn’t sell. In that event, you get another shot at listing your item, or you can simply revise or remove the auction.
One thing I need to mention is that although being at a loss for ideas of what to sell is not a big deal, in my opinion you have to at least be willing to be interested in what to sell. If you are not, eBay may not be right for you. Start out by doing a little brainstorming–make a list, either in writing or speak into a recorder, of the stuff you like; get it down on paper or on “tape”; take some time and talk to friends and family, and don’t forget to do a little research on eBay, as well. If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, don’t worry; as I mentioned a moment ago, in the beginning it is enough to be interested, and that’s why my standard advice at this point is just to sell other peoples’ stuff–sell their junk. You probably have stuff around your house or apartment that you can afford to get rid of. Old books, appliances, even broken appliances because people buy them for parts would be ideal to start out with in order to figure out how to set up and run an auction.
One thing that successful eBay sellers know that most other sellers don’t is that eBay, at bottom, is just a gigantic, digital garage sale. That’s right–a garage sale on a massive scale! That alone is worth a bundle. There is no need to force your way into the glutted DVD niche or the electronic gadget niche. Almost anything can sell, and you would be advised to stay away from niches such as DVDs and electronics because the market is glutted with sellers. One-off items, items that cannot be easily found as local stores and malls generally sell well. Leather goods, vintage clothes, machine parts, and unique craft items often do very well. If you are determined to do electronics, you might consider vintage electronics, or electronics purchased through government surplus auctions and outlets.
One other important question you may have if you plan on starting an eBay business is whether or not you need a special business license for selling on eBay. The answer to that is “no.” You do not need a special license just to sell on eBay, though you local area may have legal business requirements that must be met. Generally speaking, if you are a single person or mom and pop team selling on eBay from your home with no employees, you will not need a business license. You may, however, want to register a DBA (doing business as . . . or doing business under an assumed name) if you plan to advertise locally. The rule of thumb is to always check with your local authorities to make sure you meet any legal requirements. If you plan on purchasing goods from true wholesale distributors, you will need a sales tax permit, which you get from your state department of commerce. This is usually free, and it takes you about 10 minutes to sign up for it if you can do this online. Wholesalers are required to have proof of your sales tax permit in order to legally sell to you. You will also need this in order to legally sell to residents of your state. This is the minimum requirement that demonstrates that you are a legitimate business. There is nothing complicated about this, so don’t worry, just get started!
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