THE ART OF EBAYING... Everyone is knowledgeable on something, whether we know it or not. And you can become an expert in just about any field with a little work. Maybe you know a lot about hunting knives, or antique clocks or cameras. Perhaps you have an eye for vintage linens, or collectible matchbox cars, maybe you know a lot about china, old fountain pens, or inkwells, collectible jewelry, vintage tea cups, or old silver tea services, or books, art, old quilts, even vintage computer products, you name it.  Those are the things that you should venture into first. Go to estate sales, and flea markets, garage sales, and look around for things YOU KNOW are worth selling for far more than what you see them marked at, or going for on a bid. (Try to keep your purchasing prices as low as you can...  so you can pass along a bargain to your ebay buyer. Nothing helps an item sell in ebay more than being priced below what they could expect to purchase this item for elsewhere, by more than enough to cover the difference in shipping.)

As an example,  I would recommend an item you buy (after bargaining for it if at all possible, offering much less than asking price, because... often people will accept half of what the sticker price is marked)  for $5.00 be offered for NO LESS than $25 on ebay.  You have your ebay fees, packing and handling fees, (if you charge them. I prefer not to, or very little. But thats a personal choice)  and you may have to relist an item more than one time.  So keep your bottom line price low enough to give you flexibility. 

Take the time to present your ebay product well... take good clear, eye catching photos, with an eye to your backgrounds, and distractions that may be in your field of camera vision.  If your item is something special, take lots of photos. Write a factual, honest, and as full of detail as you can, description of your item. It can make the difference between an item selling or not, AND how many dollars it sells for. 

LOOK FOR UNIQUE!  Things that you've never seen before, if you are an avid garage saler, or ... flea market afficienado.  I once found an item for $1 at a small antique/flea market shop that wound up selling for almost $4,000 on ebay! I didn't go looking for this item.  When I found it, it was such an unusual looking vase, I bought it, for that $1 price.  Long story short, I found a name on it in a discreet location, sort of hidden in the design, researched it, and found it to be by a world renowned creator of glassworks from early 1900 period, whose items sell at places like Sotheby's. I had 8 bids on that vase, including art museums and art dealers. 

Another time I got a package of ... what looked like designs (both colored and black & white) bundled in a package,  like a ream of paper, in a box of stuff I got real cheap, and it was marked "Tattoo Flash", and had a name on it. I was going to throw it out (it was NOT what I purchased the box for at an estate auction... that was some old stoneware platters for I think 50c) but ...  I decided to try my luck with an ebay auction first, and .... that item wound up selling for $242.50.  (Tattoo flash, just for your information, are the designs that a tattoo artist uses to do tattooing. I don't know how they use them, I just know thats what its for).

My point is, keep your eyes open, buy right, sell what you know, present it well, with good pictures, and well written description, fair prices, and watch your business grow as you learn more and more, about things that interest you.  I have tons of stories about my $1 items that sold for $100 or more, and I've learned so much. Its all part of the fun in selling on ebay.  Go out and "buy your own stories". Its such a thrill to watch an auction skyrocket beyond your dreams.  It's all up to you.... and maybe just a bit of luck won't hurt either!  Good Luck, and Happy treasure hunting!!!