Most of the main and important parts for successful buying and selling on eBay have been covered in other guides, info on discussion boards or by eBay itself. I do have a few odds and ends of tips and tricks that I would like to pass on. Even if they are duplicates of material written elsewhere, I feel they are definitely worth repeating!

SHIPPING:

• Use GOOD QUALITY clear packing/shipping tape. While it is very tempting to purchase the cheaper, store name brand tape, it is simply NOT worth the hassle. It isn't as strong as name brand tape so your packages will not have the security you want to hold up under any rough handling while being shipped. It will tear and split using extra time and causing you more headaches than is worth the savings. Watch for sales at office supply stores (sometimes they have a buy one, get one deal), or buy in bulk from warehouse stores such as Costco or Sam's Club. Invest in a GOOD tape guy, too. Buying a cheap one is a waste of money - you are just as well off to use the plastic type dispensers that come with some rolls of tape
• Some people say not to use newspaper for packing but I disagree. I like to recycle and I like to keep my costs low. However, I DO make certain no newspaper comes in contact with the product I am shipping. Also, it will add to the total weight of you package. I wrap items in plastic, tissue paper, bubble wrap or plain brown wrap first and then pack newspaper around the wrapped item.
• When I pack plates, bowls or saucers, I wrap each in bubble wrap and I tape the loose ends together. Then I stack the dishes together and I wrap the entire thing very snugly in bubble wrap and then again tape it. I am never stingy with the bubble wrap and I do keep that in mind when I set my handling/materials fee. Something breakable is obviously going to cost me more to pack carefully so I charge according - perhaps an additional .50, $1.00 or whatever depending on the item(s) being shipped.  I use a large box when shipping several of these bubble wrapped packs and I fill them in well with Styrofoam packing peanuts. To date, I have not had one item break while being shipped and my customers are quick to leave praise in my feedback for the packing job.

GETTING STARTED:

• I have had a lot of people ask me how to start using eBay. They say they want to but are nervous about how to begin. My advice is to start very slowly buying one or two small items and/or selling one or two small items. Look for something inexpensive so you can learn as you go and not spend a lot if an error is made. Recipes, removable tattoos, lip balms - think small and inexpensive. The same goes for selling: find a small item you no longer want or need and experiment with pictures, title, details, shipping info, etc. Build up your confidence and experience by going slowly and making sure you do everything correctly. Read, read, READ! There are guides on eBay, tutorials and discussion groups. Yes, it takes time but that is how you learn and keep your  mistakes to a minimum.
• Do the same for information you will use to sell your item. Learn from others and take time to do some research. I look at similar listings to see how much they are selling for, how many people have looked at the ad, how many are being sold, etc. I also look online at other sites that may be selling the same or similar items in estores to get a price comparison. More than once I found out the item I was selling was worth far more than I had imagined. Sometimes this also gives me more info about my item such as a date, manufacturer, etc.

TITLES AND DESCRIPTIONS:

• While I am sure many people who have written guides will cover this aspect of selling I don't think it can be emphasized enough that a good, clear title can sell an item. Don't use silly words such as LOOK! or anything similar. Personally, it makes me a lot less prone to check out a listing when I see that in the title. Make sure you are spelling name brands correctly. I was looking at Ertl toys for comparison pricing and found I had to type in both Ertl and Ertyl to get all the listings. I could not believe the number of people who hadn't checked before listing their item. There are people who actually look for these typos since the listings won't get the hits that the ones spelled correctly will get so they end up buying something for a bargain price simply because of a spelling error!
• Descriptions are SO important, too. Look the item over and think about what you would want to know if you couldn't see it and were relying on an oral or written description. Make sure you mention any defects - to not do so is definitely not in your best interests as a seller (negative feedback is not worth it!) and is really duplicitous. You owe your buyer the most accurate information you can provide. On the other hand, think like a professional seller. I like to compare it to a realtor. A tiny house becomes a "cozy haven built for two," a house that is falling apart becomes an "economy fixer-upper," a house in a busy, noisy area becomes "ideally located for easy access to shopping."
• Spelling. Please, PLEASE check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. An occasional error is understandable but an ad, guide or anything else chock full of them is ridiculous. Taking the time to make sure your ad looks and sounds professional is worth the time. There are listings I have passed over simply because it was so poorly written that I truly wondered if the person had the ability to complete the sale and pack and ship an item properly,.

There are more tips I will add here as they come to me - just practical tidbits of information I feel are worth sharing. I truly hope some of you find them worthwhile. Thanks for reading!

NOTE: if you have read through this and do NOT find it helpful or your questions have not been answered please email me and let me know, please. I am happy to answer your questions. If you did find it helpful please click the YES button below. Thanks and happy eBaying!