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I have learned a bit about selling on ebay in a short period of time. Most of the hints and experiences I will share are related to the hobby of cards, be it Hockey, Baseball, Football, Non-Sport cards and so on...
I will touch on the hobby related to: Item information, packaging and shipping.
The very first thing I learned about selling and making a little bit of a profit on eBay with cards is to spend a few dollars on guides.
E.g. Beckett Hockey or Football, CSC (Canadian Sports Collector), non-sport guides. A good guide such as Beckett Hockey Card Plus will have many pictures that will allow you to see easier the cards you have and there years they represent. These guides are easy to find at your local hobby shop and well worth the few dollars that you will spend. And if they dont have what your looking for then they can in most cases get it for you. Heck, you may make a new friend in the hobby!
It also helps to be a part of the hobby. I myself collect vintage hockey card sets and love doing it.
Getting dates correct and NO typos!
A very common mistake among many new sellers is the year in the title or description which is not accurate to the item they are selling, e.g. stating that a 1970/1971 card is a 1969/1970, or its a Topps card yet in fact it's an OPC card. This mostly happens in hockey cards due to the season starting in one year and ending in the next. Mistakes like this can cost you as serious collectors may not find your item or listings while searching eBay. One other big problem is spelling mistakes in the title, (I'v done this one) Sindey Crosby instead of Sidney Crosby. How many members do you think missed this auction? How much more money would I have made on this auction item without the error in the listing?
55 Rule - Using the full potential of the title area!
Make sure you use or try to use all 55 characters that eBay allows. Use everything you can think of that other members may be looking for while they are doing an eBay search. Whats the point of a title that says
"Topps Baseball Card, Nice"
Instead try
"1958 Topps Vintage MLB Baseball Card #429 Gus Triandos"
In the above example I used many keywords in the title to describe the item I'm selling. Baseball, MLB, Vintage, Topps, Card, A card number, Year and players name, all under the 55 letter title limit!
Try hard and you will be amazed with the "KEYWORDS" you can find to describe you item to a potential member/buyer...
Shipping Methods
First and foremost -
"DO NOT SHIP A CARD IN AN ENVELOPE WITH NO PROTECTION"
Go and spend a few dollars on top loaders and penny sleeves.
1st off - It looks professional!
2nd - It helps keep the card in the same state when it reaches the buyer as it was when you sent it.
You can send a single card in a top loader and penny sleeve with a piece of cardboard taped to it for extra protection for around $1.10 in Canada and $1.89 to the US. (from Canada)
Use masking tape, it's cheap and is easy for the buyer to unwrap. Have you ever bought cards and the seller has used 10 feet of packing tape, somewhere in there are cards and hope I don't bend one!
I do NOT use bubble envelopes, what a waste of $$$
If you put a card with no other protection in a bubble envelope it can or may be bent!
Find a dollar store and you will find envelopes! I find the brown kraft type of envelopes are the best for shipping cards as they are much thicker then your common white letter envelope. These envelopes are 6.5" x 9.5" and can be cut in half so you get two. Use a strip of packing tape to seal when cards and invoice are in the envelope. In this neck of the woods I get 6 envelopes for $1.00 x 2 = 12 (cut in half)
Thats 12 different items being sent for $0.12 a peice. I can very easiely get 20 to 30 cards per envelope.
Get a good straight edge knife and find boxes. (try to find strong THIN cardboard)
Cut the boxes into strips a little taller then the card, I use cardboard strips of - 4 1/2" by 3 1/2".
You can send 10 to 30 cards between (FREE) cardboard in penny sleeves for a $1.10 in Canada.
If you want, you can also get "Team Bags" from your local hobby shop that will hold 25 cards or more. Great for shipping.
This will give you peace of mind and make the member happy because they can see that you tried to get it to them with the best possible protection.
Do Print Invoices-
Print an invoice. PayPal makes it very easy from there view Transaction Details Page. If the member is paying for item with another form of payment such as a money order, then print an invoice from eBays Sales Record Page. This may cost you a few extra pennys but I feel that an invoice looks very professional and can help if the member buys many items at the same time. At the same time you have all the information in front of you. It can be a costly mistake if you send the wrong item to the wrong address, never mind the hoops you will have to jump thourgh to correct the error!
Do Send a item has been shipped email
After your item is packed and dropped in the postal system send an e-mail to the member letting them know that the package is on the way. eBay allows for you to create email templates which only takes a second to setup and send one. You can find this feature in you sold item area, click on email buyer and you will see a link to Manage Email Templates.
Here is an example of one of my email templates:
Dear John Doe
Just wanted to let you know that your item - 93/94 Ultra Fleer NHL All Star - Pat LaFontaine 4 of 18, item number 250017990000 was sent today. You should recieve it shortley. This e-mail confirms that your item is in the mail system at this present moment!
I do buy a lot of cards on eBay and find that maybe only 10 to15% of sellers do this. I think it looks very professional as well as it gives you another way for you to sell something else and get more return buyers.
Shipping High End Items $$$
Selling high end cards (to me is over $100.00) on ebay can be a little scarry! When shipping cards of this nature make sure to build the cost into your S.H. charges. You should make sure to get a tracking number and insurance for the item and even get them to sign for it!!!
Within Canada this can be between $7.00 to $12.00 depending on where you live and where the card is being shipped to. There's added costs when you need more then $100.00 in insurance also it can cost a lot more when shipping outside of the country!
It can be hard to be fair and at the same time trying to give yourself some peace of mind. A few times I have undercharged for shipping and sucked it up. But for the extra couple of dollars I lost, I was secure knowing I was protected! "ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR SELF"
Side Note:
Most people do not understand what it costs on average to list and sell on ebay!
A single card listed at $0.99. After listing fees, FSF, envelope, invoice (if you print one, I do!) YOUR TIME!!! and then going to post office $0.49 for a PayPal transaction (sales under $5.00). WHICH IS SAD!!! To me a single card in an auction should ship for $2.50 to Canada and $2.75 to the U.S. its the only way to break even and at the same time being very fair to the buying member. Keep in mind that if the card sells for $0.99 at least you will make $1.00 after everything mentioned above.
Do not try to make money on shipping. This will just make you look greedy and un-professional! Always try to be fair and you will make a little money or maybe a lot but bottom line is that you have happy members/buyers. I have seen new members trying to charge $25.00 shipping! Thats for one card! (NO KIDDING) Do you think there card sold? NOT!!!
Now with the new ebay feedback system you have to be fair or it will reflect in you ratings which in the end will reflect on your bottom line,,, Your sales!!!
I hope this has help. I will try to add to this and feedback is always welcome.
The above is just a guideline and as well as my opinion with some aspects of selling on eBay
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