Ebay Beginners
Guide
5 Simple Steps to
Posting Your First eBay Auction
It's surprisingly simple to get started
posting your very first auction on eBay. Here's what you need
to do.
 Step 1: Open an eBay
seller's account
If you've bought things on eBay, then you already have an
account - just log in with it and click 'Sell' in the toolbar
at the top of the page, then click 'Create a seller's account'.
If you've never used eBay before, then you'll need to open an
account first using the 'register' link underneath the toolbar,
and then click 'Sell' and 'Create a seller's account'. The eBay
site will then guide you through the process. For security,
this may involve giving card details and bank information.
Step 2: Decide what to
sell
For your first little experiment with eBay, it doesn't really
matter what you sell. Take a look around the room you're in -
I'm sure there's something in there that you're not all that
attached to and could put in the post. Small books and CDs are
ideal first items.
Step 3: Submit your item.
Click 'Sell', and you're on your way to listing your item.
The first thing you need to do is choose a category - it's best
to just type in what the item is and let eBay choose for you.
Next, write a title and description. Include key words you
think people will search for in the title box, and all the
information you have about the item in the description box.
Now set a starting price. $0.01 is the best starting price, as
it draws people in to bid who otherwise wouldn't, and items
will almost never finish at such a low price. The next thing to
set is the duration of the auction: 3, 5, 7 or 10 days. This is
up to you: longer sales will usually get more bids, but will
also seem to drag on forever. If you've taken a picture, add it
now - items with pictures always sell for more. Finally, tick
the payment methods you will accept (just PayPal is best for
now), and where you will post to (limit yourself to your own
country to begin with). Submit and you're done!
Step 4: Wait for it to
sell
This is just a matter of sitting back and letting eBay do its
thing - buyers will find your item and leave bids on it. Some
bidders might email you with questions about the item, and you
should do your best to answer these questions as quickly as you
can.
Remember that if your item doesn't sell then you can list it
again for free.
Step 5: Collect payment and
post it
eBay will sent your buyer emails guiding them through the
process of sending you payment for the item. Make sure you have
the money before you send anything.
Once you've got the payment, all you need to do is pack the
item for posting (make sure to use some bubble wrap), take the
buyer's address from the confirmation email eBay sent you, and
write it on the parcel. Put some stamps on, post it, and you're
done!
I hope you enjoyed selling your first item. Now that you're
starting to get into it, the next email will give you a
checklist of things you need to do to be a successful
seller.
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