Ebay Beyond The Basics by Melissa Olivero http://www.melsatticimages.com/ I am going to format this article as more of a list of tips. This way I can add to it as I think of new things or if people email with questions. I'll add new answers here as those are received. Eventually I will create an article to cover this topic, but the cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words is never more truer than on eBay. You cut your chance of selling your item in half without a photo - perhaps even more. Your biggest investment into having your own eBay business will be your digital camera. Spend what you can in the beginning, but as you make money -- put it aside until you can afford to get at least a 4 mega pixel. Scanners are much cheaper and work great for flat items like books and jewelry. Once you've depleted your source of household goods, then you have two ways to go -- buying wholesale to re-sell or getting into the world of garage sales, local auctions and thrift stores. One of my favorite thrift store finds was a 10 cent book that I turned around for $30.00. Do that a couple of times a day and you'll be set! *grin* You also have the option of becoming what is called a Trading Assistant. You can sign up to offer your services as a seller to your zip code and the surrounding area. I am officially one, but I only sell for family and friends and then only when pushed. I've listed my fees a little on the high side because one -- when I sell -- I'm good at it (*smiles*) and two because I have too much of my own stuff to get rid of. What happens is that I get people calling me once in a blue moon and asking for advice. If Alex, Megan or Matthew aren't pulling at me at that moment, then I spend a little time telling them what I tell you here on the site. Now that the site is up -- I would just direct them here. eBay is your best research tool. If you like to sell excess craft supplies, then you need to go to those sections of eBay and look at the "about to end" and "closed" auctions in that field. If you see that scrapbooking page kits are a hot seller right now, then work on finding cost effective supply sources and get to work creating them. Visit different categories when you are bored and scope out the action. Maybe you'll spot a new trend in the action figure. When you ship your item to the buyer, make sure you include an invoice that matches the image you want to portray. On the receipt, it should include a reminder for them to leave feedback. You may also want to add a coupon code to it to encourage repeat sales. One of my favorite purchases was an adorable Blue's Clues fleece blanket for Alex. What made it especially memorable was she put her receipt in a mini Ziploc and included some Hershey's Kisses & Hugs. If she reads this, I hope she emails me and lets me know so I can link to her. She really made my day by including that little treat. I think even if I were allergic to chocolate (Heaven Forbid!) that the gesture would have been enough to make me smile and remember her too. Something about you has to be unique. Whether it is what you sell, how you price it, what you package it in or your attitude -- make sure you always do something pleasing unforgettable for your customer. There isn't any advertising that is better than word of mouth. If you make your buyer smile and happier beyond just their purchase -- they will remember and recommend you. Don't be afraid of taking a chance on an item. It only costs you 35 cents if it doesn't sell and you could hit on something big. I don't know if it is still a big seller, but there used to be a group of collectors that would pay top dollar for the little cookbooks that would come with vintage appliances. They didn't want the appliance, just the old papers that came with it. I'm sure it made for nice displays in their kitchens. If your item is big then you can either sell it as "Pick Up Only" or you could join your local Freecycle club and give it away as your good deed for the day. *smiles*

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