First of all - preparation for selling such a high ticket item is a must. For someone who has never sold an item of this value, I would suggest preparing yourself a week or two in advance. This is so you can get your "ducks in a row" before you actually list your machine. It takes me (an eBay Powerseller with over 4 year experience) anywhere from 1 to over 8 hours to list a machine. The less complicated and newer the machine is - the less time it takes to list it - although the more accessories it has, the longer it takes to gather and organize those accessories.

Take GOOD Pictures: I take NO LESS than 25 pictures of each machine. I then rotate, crop and fix the lighting on my pictures so potential bidders can see as much as possible. Here are a few tips on taking good pictures:

• Use a solid colored background (like a cotton sheet, colored fabric drape or a school project board) so that the background doesn’t distract the potential bidder from looking at the machine.

• Avoid background clutter that can distract buyers or confuse them regarding what you are selling.

• Try using wood flooring if you have any in great condition. Putting the machine next to a clean wall would look just fine too!

• If the machine has any flaws, wear, or damage be sure to document it with a photo.

Do not underline, bold or “color” your listing. What do I mean by “color”? You know those listings that have 10 different font colors and 7 different fonts - that‘s what I‘m talking about! Sure it draws attention, but unfortunately it's too much attention. Underline or bold your headers only - but don't do both. It's distracting to the eye and makes potential bidders come and go fast. Sure, eBayers are looking quickly, but you want them to stay for a bit and they want headers that tell them what they want to know quickly. Each bidder is looking for something different - one may be looking for the embroidery features - another is looking for the sewing features ~ so break them down in categories.

Research:

• What is the going price for the machine you are considering selling? Check the completed listings section on eBay to see how much similar machines have sold for - making note of the difference in quality or extra accessories your or their machine has.

• Contact your dealer to see what they sell their machines for, if your machine is newer or ask them to check their little blue book to see if they can give you a ruff idea of the value of your older machine.  Even though the blue book hasn't been updated for years and won't be 100% accurate, it should give you a good idea on a going price.

• Include important features of the machine so your potential bidders don't have to "look" for that info somewhere else. Your bidder is more likely to loose interest in what it was they came looking for in the first place. Unfortunately many will never come back to your auction - even if they had intended to.

• Copy and paste the info from the dealer website if you need to...rather than include a link. It makes it look like you've put more time an effort into your listings - which you have and should do in order to sell such a high ticket item. P.S. Don't forget to note that you took the info off their website and do not copy from other eBayers or they will have your auction closed down quicker than it took you to copy and paste their listing. :)

Payment: Having a Verified PayPal account when selling a high ticket item is a must!  Free PayPal accounts will not cover you in the event of frad and scammers know this so they will be looking for those types of auctions. So in order for you to be covered and for those scammers to look else ware, you need a Premier or Business account. Accepting personal checks is risky with this type of transaction so I would suggest accepting bank cashiers checks (at the most). Cashiers checks can easily be verified through the bank. I also suggest accepting ONLY USPS or Canadian Postal money orders as they are more secure...clearly note what type of money orders you accept on your listing. Accepting credit cards is a HUGE plus with such a high priced “non necessity” item. If you are not able to accept credit cards, be sure to state that you will accept credit card payments through PayPal.

Advertising: Don't just rely on the eBay search engines to find your listing. It take a lot of effort to sell on eBay, so why not bring in a few extra customers to get the attention you need to your listing.  Try Googling places to advertise.

Unfortunately for some, you may be personally attached to your machine. You may feel that your machine is worth X - but in reality, your bidders decide what your machines worth. Bidder 1 may feel it's worth Y, bidder 2 may feel it's worth Z but in the end you may not get X, but you may get much more or less. I am not saying that you couldn't get more than what you want, but you need to be realistic about the VALUE of your machine - not what YOU VALUE your machine at. It's also about how you present yourself and the item you are selling.

“Never a reserve” is my motto! Having a reserve is one of the biggest mistakes made by new eBayers. Potential bidders assume you are asking way too much and don't bother to bidding - or bid very little hoping you will drop your reserve. I would suggest that as long as you are advertising your listing and making a real effort to get bidders attention by using the proper key words, that you start your auction as low or lower than what you want for the machine. You have two options, start your listing at what you think is fair (remember, you may be emotionally attached to your machine - unlike your customer and it may not sell) or start your listings so low that you know for sure it will sell. This will give you the opportunity to start what is called a bidding frenzy/war. That is the best thing that can happen for ANY seller. It's a risk - yes, but it also helps to know that you will get the absolute most money for what you are selling.

Your feedback is a huge key on how much one is willing to risk on eBay. Although you may have great feedback, the majority of eBayers will not bid on a big ticket item from anyone with less than 100 fb's with a rating of 100%. Of course there are exceptions, but those are few and far between. There is not much you can do about that accept - maybe put a note on your listing. Something like "I know I have a low feedback score - but look how great that feedback is!", or tell them why there was an issue - don't draw out with a really long explanation - make it short, sweet, to the point and be honest. Just let your bidders know that you do realize that your fb score is low, but you will do everything in your power to make sure they are happy with their purchase.  

You could also consider commissioning someone else to sell your machine for you, but be ready to pay a fee for their services. Weather it's a large company (like I Sold It - with a 30-40% commission rate) or an eBay Trading Assistant (probably with a 10-20% commission rate) with experience in selling Sewing and Embroidery Machines. Remember though, commissioning companies like I Sold It have their ups and downs. Sure, they can sell it and sell it fast, but many eBayers don't like to buy from companies like I Sold It because they don't take responsibility for a non working machine so bidder may be reluctant in bidding on their items. It's a risk that you may or may not be willing to take. Weigh the pros and cons and go from there.

I would suggest offering the actual shipping or local pick-up if you feel comfortable. It may cost only $20 to ship the machine to someone in your state where as it may cost $50 or more for someone across the US. Don't forget to include the actual cost for the shipping supplies. Weather you pack the machine yourself using foam packing and a new weight tested box , or you commission UPS to do it for you.  Just be sure you charge the correct amount because in the end if you don‘t, either you are going to pay or your customer is going to pay and neither of you are going to be too happy. I would NEVER suggest putting a note to "contact me“ for a shipping quote. Potential bidders are looking for quick and easy - the last thing anyone wants to do is wait for a reply about how much shipping will cost. There is no bigger turnoff!

Have a clear policy: Put a divider and include what you expect your customer to understand. Some things to consider. Will you accept a return? If so, how much time does the customer have to tell you they want to return the machine and in what circumstances can they return it? Do you have expectations from the customer when it comes to the return? For instance, if they decide to return the machine, are they responsible for the shipping and handling fees to and from as well as all eBay and PayPal fees, or will you cover that? Will you help with a claim, or are they on their own? Is insurance included, required or not an option? What is your guarantee - if any? What types of payments do you accept? What is your take on International shipping? Will you ship to AFO/FPO addresses via USPS even if that is not an option within the eBay calculator? Will you combine shipping (if you are selling more than one item)? Will you ship to a Po Box? Will you ship to an unconfirmed PayPal address?

A quick overview:

The Dos:

• Take lots of GOOD pictures!

• Research!

• Be professional!

• Have a policies section!

• Offer insurance!

• Reply quickly and courteously!

• Use correct spelling (and check for typos or have someone do it for you)!

• Wright an effective title (using descriptive keywords that clearly conveys what you are selling. Using all 55 characters)!

• Wright a good description listing any damage, marks, etc your bidder should know!

• Be clear about payment methods you accept!

• Also, be as specific as you can about your shipping costs!

The Don’ts

• Don’t put a reserve!

• Say NO to “quickie” listings = one paragraph listings with no actual information about what you are selling, the condition it is in, your policies, one not so great picture, etc.!

• Underline, bold or italic your entire listing!

• Use more than 2 colors!

• Don’t take it personal!

• Don’t copy pictures(without permission)!

• Don’t copy text (without permission)!

• Don’t use words like "wow" or "look" in your title! When was the last time you search for words like these?

• Don’t worry about creating a grammatically correct sentence within your listing title!

• Don’t use acronyms wildly.

• Don’t use ALL CAPS - it’s just rude!

If you prepare and make sure you take the correct steps, selling your machine will be quite enjoyable.  Remember that selling on eBay has it's ups and downs and not every sale is going to be a huge success.  If you work hard and treat your potential bidders how you want to be treated, they will recognize this and return to you again and again!