Selling on Ebay

I have been very busy over the last couple of weeks selling on ebay. Chelsea has finished her 5th grade curriculum and Nick his Kindergarten so in order to buy some new books, I had to sell some of my old ones. This serves two purposes for me; getting rid of some clutter, and making money to buy new books. Here are some tips to profitable selling on ebay.

1. Pick a good time to end your auction. Normal auctions usually run for a week, and whatever your start time is will also be your end time. You don't want to end your auction on a week-end or in the middle of the day. You might miss out on some last minute bidders and end up selling for less. I try to end my auctions on a Monday or Tuesday evening.
2. Write a good description of the item and include as many details as possible. People want to know what they are buying so the more you can tell them, the better off you are. Include as much information as you can about the product you are selling.
3. Take good pictures. Ebay just lowered its listing fees and now includes the gallery picture for free. Taking a good picture might be the difference between someone buying your product or someone else's.
4. Start your auction at a reasonable price. You have to decide what price you want to start your auction. People shop on ebay looking for good deals and may shy away from products that have a high starting price. A lower price will also save you money with your listing fees.
5. Charge fair shipping rates. With the latest postage increase, shipping can be expensive. Don't inflate your shipping costs to try to make extra money. Charge only enough to cover your expense to ship the item.
6. Get a paypal account. Paypal is a quick and guaranteed way to get your money. They do charge a fee, but to me it is worth it. The money can be transferred quickly and you don't have to worry about a check clearing or a money order being counterfeit