Pro Guide to Sell Used Items on eBay Fast

[Roman Alex]

You’re probably new and need to know how to sell used items on eBay. This article covers the basics and guides you through the processes of listing and selling your used item on Ebay the proper way.
eBay is a great platform for the money with your used items. However, you don’t just set up your eBay profile and start selling. You need to know a few things to help improve your experience and customer experience.

Selling used stuff on eBay is a little more complex than you probably think if you need to make the most money. Follow this guide to know how professionals make the most money selling used items on eBay:

1. Get to know eBay.com

You need to go through eBay. Just navigate to eBay.com, and make sure not to use a VPN because you want eBay to know your country of residence.
Begin by checking out eBay’s seller information pages, which explain what you need to know as an eBay seller, including eBay’s policies.
The next thing you want to check is the search feature on eBay to be able to list your used items properly. Begin by using the “sort” menu to customize the search results. Look at the listings at the top result and listings that seem to receive more bids. Go through a couple of those listings and see what the sellers do to guide you when listing your used items.

1. Pick an account name

You can use any account name, but the name you pick can enhance your sales. Obviously, you don’t want to use an offensive name. Follow this eBay’s username policy to know what usernames are acceptable. For instance, you can’t use spaces or symbols such as @, &, ‘, (, ), <, or >. eBay does not allow permit usernames of email addresses or websites as your user ID. You can’t also use a username that contains “eBay” or “e” followed by numbers to prevent sellers from disguising themselves as eBay employees.
Also, even though you’d be selling used items, you should not use names like “junkseller” or “junkvendor”—this can prevent potential buyers. Do not also use a trademark name unless it was registered by you. For example, if you don’t own Nike, don’t use a name that mimics Nike.
If you eventually dislike your eBay user ID, you can change it. However, you can only change your ID every 30 days. This will also affect how customers contact you, so make the best decision from the beginning.

1. Create an account and set up a payment method

You now have an attractive name for your profile. Now, go to https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling/start-selling-ebay?id=4081 and create an eBay seller account. After account setup, including verifying email and setting a password, sign in to your account from the login page.
If you have a registered business, you can sign up for an eBay business account via https://signup.ebay.com/pa/crte?acntType=business.
After setting up your account, proceed to set up your payment method. eBay’s acceptable payment method depends on your country. In the U.S., for instance, PayPal or a merchant credit card account is acceptable. Go to paypal.com to create an account if you don’t already have one or follow the link from your eBay account.

1. Complete your profile setup

You want an elaborate profile if you are selling used items. Catchy and authentic pictures also go a long way to convince potential buyers that you’re legit. You need to set up your profile the same way you would want to list new products.
Understand that buyers read your profile. Their money is on the line here, and so they want to be able to make the best decision. A potential buyer wants to know who you are, so give them your credentials, including:

• A used item dealer
• A retailer
• Someone knowledgeable about the item

The buyer needs to be sure that you know your products.
Before now, decide what used items you really want to sell to help you set up your profile the right way. The thumb rule is to sell what you know. Suppose you’re excellent at retailing used jewelry, go ahead and market yourself. Be able to tell the potential buyer things and feed them new knowledge to convince them that you know what you sell.
At the same time, don’t list what you don’t know. Suppose such used items do not satisfy the buyer. They’d return it and request a refund, and sometimes even leave negative reviews that ruin your eBay business.
Note: you can’t sell fakes on eBay or unlawful items such as guns, or animals, or render any illicit services.
Suppose you have used adult items for sale. Use the “adults only” category. However, eBay’s adult items policy bans or restricts certain items—check it out if this applies to you to avoid getting your account suspended or banned.

1. Consider the used items to sell

Two major considerations to note: the source of your used items and the listing time for the items.
When considering your source of items, you want to know if those used items are readily available. If sourcing for a particular used item will be a problem, then you need to look elsewhere.
Some people even source items on eBay that are underpriced and relist them at a higher price. You could even start from thrift stores or garage sales, but you can’t return any item you buy, so in cases where a buyer refunds, the loss is on you.
Warehouse, discount, and outlet stores are other places to look for used items to sell on eBay. Some of these stores have a friendly return policy you can leverage to get replacements for faulty products.
The listing time for a particular used item is another consideration to note. Note that you would:

• Take clear pictures of the items
• Write descriptions
• And ship

If these are things you can do comfortably and professionally with the used items, then go ahead and get them.
The item needs to also be available in bulk so that you can create a single listing for multiple used items.

1. Consider inventory management, storage, and shipping

Consider how fast you can move items from your inventory. If the items are such that rely on trends, rethink selling them—trends move very quickly, leaving you with stale stock in inventory.
Perhaps, you should focus on used items you only need to wait until a buyer shows up. Such items are usually evergreen.
Your next considerations are the shipping and storage logistics. If the used items are bulky types, shipping will be expensive to ship, and they take up space. Note that your potential buyer also considers shipping cost, and they expect to buy cheaper from you.
If storage space will be an issue, consider home selling to minimize overheads. You need to have a room for your product storage. Also, make sure pests like roaches are not in walls, they can destroy the items.

1. Find out about currently hot items

Hot items are items popular on eBay. It means more people are searching and bidding for these items. With eBay tools, you should be able to pinpoint popular items you can sell “used”. Just go to eBay’s hot items page for popular items, including branded electronics, clothing, jewelry, football shirts, and fashion accessories.
Check completed listings to know the number of particular items sold, when they were sold, and their prices. Just use the search box on eBay and tick “Sold listings” or “Completed listings” in the “Show only” section to show results for these items.
If you use the eBay app, tap “Refine” after entering the search words. Check “Completed listings” or “Sold items only” under “Search refinement options”. You may also use products designed specifically for eBay seller research. Popsike.com, for example, offers a free tool for those that are selling music.
However, when an item is popular, it means more sellers are selling the same thing. It’s usually tougher to sell in a saturated category, and your used item can get lost in the search results. Also, if the prices are already cheaper, you do not want to sell at a loss. And since your feedback rating is low, you’re at a disadvantage. At the same time, look out for scammers flooding into the popular item category.

1. Test the market

Begin by selling what you have in your inventory – start small. As a new eBay seller, you’d have selling limits like up to 10 items with a total value of up to $500 per month. To be sure what items to sell, begin with a few listings to see what works for you. Consider selling some items you no longer need in your home.
Experimenting helps you to determine what to load up on your inventory. You need items you can sell at a higher price for the most profit. If you already have an inventory from your existing business or collections, just go ahead and make a few sales on eBay to know the best approach to take for future sales.