Step 2 - Sign into your Ebay account, go to the sell your item page, and create your listing. How you make your listing look is entirely up to you. I like to use listing designers, and subtitles, they seem to work great for me.

Step 3 - Remember to state that the only thing for sale is a box, envelope, or whatever container you decide to use. This is an important part of a mystery auction.

Step 4 - Do not say what is being sold.  It has to be a mystery. You can give clues but don't give it away.

Step 3 - Wait for bidders, collect your money, and send out your mystery items.

It’s all pretty simple the hard part is getting people to look at your auction and bid, also keeping within Ebay policy when listing mystery items is very important or your listing may be canceled.

Here’s a few tips.

Very important - MAKE IT CLEAR IN YOUR AUCTION THAT IT’S NOT A LOTTERY, RAFFLE, OR A GIVEAWAY, PEOPLE ARE ONLY BIDDING ON A BOX OR AN ENVELOPE OR WHATEVER CONTAINER YOU DECIDE TO USE.

HERE IS THE DISCLAIMER I USE IN ALL MY AUCTIONS:

NOTE TO EBAY

THIS AUCTION IS IN NO WAY A LOTTERY, RAFFLE, GIVEAWAY, OR ANY TYPE OF GAME OF CHANCE, AND COMPLIES WITH ALL LAWS AND EBAY POLICIES THE ONLY THING FOR SALE IS AN ENVELOPE CONTAINING INSTRUCTIONS, EVERYTHING ELSE IS A FREE GIFT.

That covers all the basics of the auction process now for some tips on how to make it a successful auction

1 - Offer bidding bonuses. People like to get something for nothing, and it will help drive up the bids. I keep the bonuses a mystery, that way you can send out whatever you feel is fair without being locked into a set amount.

2 - Offer to add items to the mystery container after certain bid amounts are reached. Again, something for nothing.

3 - Make sure to include in your listing that "bidding on this auction is a legal contract and action will be taken if the winning bidder fails to submit their payment."

4 - Watch out for bid retractors!! Email these bidders and let them know that you can, and will, cancel their bid(s) if they have a history of retracting bids. Trust me. This is handy. People assume that they will get outbid and receive the cash bonus bids. Unfortunately, toward the end of the auction, the retractors will retract their bid(s). If you’re not careful, this can kill your final selling price.

5 - Let people know if they retract a bid for no-good reason it is a violation of Ebay’s policy and you will report them (3, 4, & 5 will help to make sure you get serious bidders.)

6 - Use a good picture that will get peoples attention.

7 - Use the featured plus option. I know it’s more expensive, but it keeps your listing(s) in the front auction pages where people are browsing.

8 - Make it a private listing. People like to be anonymous. It will also keep anyone who has bought your item(s) from telling new bidders what’s in your mystery box or envelope.

9 - Send out second chance offers to any non-winning bidder who’s highest bid you would accept. Second chance offers are free except for the final value fee. If they don’t buy you lose nothing!

10 - You may want to make your feedback private. This is a nice option in case any buyers state what’s in your auction within their feedback comments.

11 - Have fun with it! If you’re not having any fun, what’s the point to it all.