I am very new to eBay and am learning the ins and outs as I go. I thought it would be helpful to those jsut starting out, to list a few of my 'mistakes' when building a reputable account. I had set up an eBay account a few years ago and just sat on it, doing nothing at all with it. Believe me, I had planned to...the thought of buying made the kids extremely happy and selling stuff made my husband happy. Anything to rid our lives of those 'knick-knacks' men can't seem to stand! But, life seemed to get in the way of our eBay aspirations and we let it all go by the wayside.

Fast forward to a few months ago and at the request of my boss, who by the way, has way more 'knick-knacks' than any woman I know, I again embarked on an eBay account. To my surprise, the 'old' account was still in effect. So, I added and updated information to it. The most important feature of this being the verification of a bank account for a 'confirmed' address and to utilize Paypal! No one will want to do any business with you if you do not take these steps. Most sellers use Paypal and prefer it and one of the requirements for this is that the buyer needs a confirmed address to have their items shipped to. I believe you could technically have items shipped to an unconfirmed address but this makes most sellers very leary and Paypal doesn't insure items to an address that isn't confirmed. So this step in the eBay account set-up is essential! Setting up an account with your bank is an easy step by step process and only takes a few days to complete with eBay making small deposits into your account to confirm. Registering a bank account with eBay does not automatically confirm your address. The easiest way to achieve this is to add a credit card to your account. Confirmation is pretty much instantaneous.

Another 'mistake' I made is changing my user name. Because my account that I had set up years ago was outdated but still active was going to be used for more than just myself I felt it important to change my user name. Also I had received a message from eBay suggesting I change it because my user name and password were too similar. This would help keep my account and information safe as well. So, I did it. The problem I found with doing this was that now there was an icon next to my user name. The icon states and represents a member that has changed their name in the last 30 days. Not a real big deal but it could appear 'sketchy' to someone wanting to buy my items. Maybe they would question why I changed my name etc. So, unless you really have to do this for security issues I don't recommend it. Or maybe when you originally signed up for an account you let your 3 year old pick your user name and now you find that 'Papa Smurf" isn't a serious business user name conducive to selling! Whatever the reason, think it through and know that this is what will happen when you do. If I had been informed PRIOR to changing my name that this would happen I wouldn't have done it. I would have changed my password instead.

You buyer and seller reputation is probably the most important feature for you to have and should be coveted. For me, before I listed items for sale, I purchased items first. They don't have to be large purchases. Just enough to start racking up some good feedback. You can achieve this by paying for your item immediately or at the very least, contacting the seller and establishing good communication with them. People are comforted by knowing that others are aware of what is going on and that you are not ignoring the fact that maybe your bank is slower than others in releasing funds. Just take a minute of your time to relay important and relevant pieces of information to whom you are doing business with. Trust me this will be appreciated and you are guaranteed good feedback. You would want and expect the same from a buyer of your items.

When calculating shipping costs, try to be as accurate as possible. Shipping charges are an added cost to buyers and they will take that into consideration when purchasing. I try to offer shipping discounts as well on items that will not cost more money when combining orders together. People like to get things for free or bonuses. I sure do. It show that you care and are considerate of people's hard earned money. There are tens of thousands of sellers out there and some with the same product as you. You need to set yourself apart from this. So, be creative and do what you can that won't hurt your bottom line but shows that you have others in mind and not just yourself. Also, it seems for me that many people contact me about shipping items to other countries and want to know the costs. So, if you can and want to, calculate these costs too.

The first few items I sold were items I knew people would want and I priced them a bit below value and compared costs to other like items on eBay. This ensured a sale and in turn some positive feedback for me. It only takes a few minutes to list items for sale but for me, the process is way more than just that. I spend alot of time researching my items and compare them to others before making pricing decisions. Also take into consideration the condition of your item and price accordingly based on that too.

For me, I am extremely honest. The worse thing for me would be for any of my kids to purchase an item and then be very disappointed when they get it. If someone lists something and isn't forthcoming about the item expect to get very negative feedback. People are relying on someone's description and hopefully a good picture to know about an item. Just be honest. Let people decide if they want that card at a discount because it has a crease on it. Not only is this good business practice but it's just the right thing to do!  

The last thing to me that I find is very important is to post a picture of the actual item you are selling. A stock picture doesn't show the buyer what they are getting. Your own picture helps you too. There is no question about the item you are selling. If the item isn't in perfect condition, people will be able to see what they are bidding on and can determine if it is something they can overlook or not. In this case, a picture is worth a thousand words!  

I have yet to figure out what type of selling is more attractive to potential buyers. It would appear that people enjoy bidding on items. It's as if they've 'won' something if they get the item. That gambling mentality! I have listed items with the 'buy it now' button too but have only had one sale from this. I always include the auction style with this but it just doesn't seem as if people respond to this. Not sure why. I have had the most luck with starting my items at 99 cents. Although with this option I do include a reserve price. Even if the item is $20. This ensures that my item won't be sold under value. You get reimbursed for the reserve fee if your item sells so it's worth the risk. I have listed items with a specific starting price ensuring that I'll get at least that for my item but most don't seem to respond to this either. So, there really is no right way of doing this. It's all trial and error.

The most important thing you can do to create success is to be an honest decent person. Don't try and scam people. Don't offer what you don't have. Be honest about your items and their condition. Leave feedback for others. Gently remind those who have purchased from you to leave you feedback. Determine what works best for you. You will get out of it what you put into it.