There are many triumphs and pitfalls to starting as an Ebay seller.      The main Problem I see most sellers making, whether new or old, is to make shipping too high. This results in low or no bids. I go to USPS.com  and calculate each sale, based on weight of the item and zip code.  I live in florida, so I use Los Angeles zip code 90012 to calculate shipping., which is about the farthest away from here. In this way I can list an average shipping cost to buyers and create sales for myself. Buyers like to see what they are going to be charged.               RESEARCH:  Make sure you describe each item real well. Do the research, so you wont be saying; I don`t know anything about this, you decide. I get so tired of seeing this on ebay and I won`t bid on those items, Plus it is against Ebay policy, to list it this way.  Go to dogpile.com and type in what your item is. This is the best search engine for research. You can type in a makers name, or description of a makers mark. If the item is well described, this will increase your bids and therefore sales.       FEEDBACK: Feedback is very important as it describes your integrity as a seller.  If a buyer says item was broken, ask for a picture of damage before refund.  If you print your labels through paypal.com, you can add delivery confirmation for $0.60 . This way you can tell where item is at any one time and to the minute when it was delivered. This is also available at the post office for a bit more. This is an essential tool when someone says they didn`t recieve item.             BUYING: Purchasing items to sell. Yard sales,flea markets, goodwill,church stores etc. Are all good. If you see an item selling on ebay that is not well descibed, you may be able to buy it with low shipping and resell it for a profit, with detailed desciptions.  Just about anything will sell, if described and priced right with low shipping.           This guide comes from a person that has already received the lumps and wants others to be lump free.  Contact me through one of the items I have for sale and I will be glad to help you get started or to help you refine your ebay experience.  Sincerely,   Buz    aka  fnreek915