I thought I would write a little something for people who are starting or thinking about selling on Ebay. WARNING: CAN BE ADDICTING if you have fun and sell items in a right way. My first experience selling on Ebay was not a positive one. I had these old comics and I wanted to sell them and I heard Ebay was the place to do it. I listed the comics in the cheapest way not knowing what I was doing. I did not take any pictures and I did not monitor my auction. Till this day I never knew if those comics were sold.

 First tip for any new seller is to research your item. Is it worth selling and can you attain any really profit. One good way of researching through Ebay is by searching for similar items. You can find items currently on the auction or you can use the links on the left of the page. Links on the left side can help you make a search in the past by clicking on the box next to completed items. This will display any items similar to yours and what they sold for if they sold. This can be your first step in determining if the item you have can generate funds for you.

 If so, then you proceed to the sell your item page by clicking on the SELL button on top right of screen. Here you get three options for category selection. It is very important that you select the correct category or you may have a winning bidder at a very low price compared to what you were hoiping. I like to use a combination of the the maunal selection and also to see what the Ebay search recommends. You can also see what other sellers seem to use for hard to find category for items. For example, do not sell STAR WARS toy in robots, monster and space toys even though it's a perfect fit. Star Wars items have their own category with many Sub-Categories. Research here is extremely important for a great sale.

 Once your category is selected you can start listing your item or items main title. Main title's should be eye catching and searchable. I mean searchable by having words that may attract bidders. These main words is what will attract more high bidders who are looking for specific stuff.

 Next, upload your pictures. Pictures of your items should be clear and with a good quality. People who cannot see what they are bidding on will not bid unless they want to risk the chance of attaining something that they really need. There are so many ways of taking pictures and many preferences and opinions. Just make them clear and take the time to do it right. I like to use one picture if I can with a Gallery picture for browsing buyers who like to see pictures instead of just words that are typed. Gallery pictures do increase your chance of selling but all items do not need a gallery picture especially if it isn't a popular item. Sellers have to be smart with how many features they use because it is possible to lose money if the item does not sell. Practice does make perfect.

 Starting amount is totaly up to you. In your research you can determine what a starting cost should be. I am a 99 cent guy myself because it's cheaper to insert your item into the auction. The higher your starting bid the more it will cost to list your item. But if you are a seller who does not care then do it as high as you may think. For every item that sells there are way more items that are not being sold.

 Next I will skip down to shipping costs. Best thing to do is go out buy a digital scale at FRY'S or some place that has them, online too. Scales can help you determine shipping costs for the item, just the item. If you have your item packaged already before the listing then it will be accurate in shipping costs. I am at the point where I can eye ball things or even weigh it and charge a flat rate price which is reasonable. I would start out just shipping within the USA. International shipping can be unpredictable and it is possible to lose monmey if you undercharge the international bidders.

Submitting your item is the final step but you can preview your item before you list it. If I had more time I would finish this but I will eventually. My 9 month old little boy wants to type too.