From the time I was 5, I couldn't pass a comic book rack without flipping through to see what was there.  When I was 15, I opened my first shop.  At 20, I opened a second.  I've sold at Flea Markets, trade shows, and conventions, and not ONE of them has shown as much success as my selling on EBAY.  While not everyone is used to selling online, it IS a relatively easy process, with your first couple listings equaling in skill to your first sexual experience.  At first it's cumbersome, but after you do it a couple times, you begin to get your own style, and it becomes second nature.  Let NOONE tell you that EBAY isn't for you.  Here's my three step guide to success for selling comic books and other things you'd normally find in comic shops online here at the greatest 24-hour comic convention in town!

1)  "THE SWAG"

I've found that most people who come into my shop already KNEW what they wanted before they came inside, and either I had it or I didn't.  However, those that DID come inside and didn't find what they wanted, usually picked up something different that probably would have cost them the same amount of money as what they first wanted.  Comic and "collectible" shops usually carry the following:

- Comic Books, new and old

- Comic Supplies, like bags, boards, and boxes

- Action Figures (some might carry full lines of product like DC DIRECT or other stuff, others will have only the "HOT" toys for sale.  Those are the dealers that have connections at TARGET, or WAL-MART and pull the hot ones off the shelf. 

- Cards (Sport, non-sport, or gaming)

- Miniature gaming or other type

- miscellaneous comic swag, like T-shirts, hats, etc...

The first point in this section, is KNOW what you have to sell.  Know it like the back of your hand.  Care for your items like an old lover, but KNOW when to let go.  Emotional attachment, like a jedi's love, is forbidden to selling, otherwise, you can never get over that HULK # 181 you sold for $50.00 in 1989.

2)  "RESEARCH"

The second point speaks for itself.  You could list billions of blue widgets on EBAY if you wished, but if they aren't SELLING, well, it was a waste of time.  The key is research, research, research.  Sit down with some stuff you're not attached to, and type it in your EBAY search engine.  How much are they selling for?  Does anyone have one listed?  Check completed items in the search to see what they brought.  Look at related searches.  You and half of the country might not give 2 cents for your collection, but the other 50% could be interested, and you might have what the other 50% wants.  Remember, it doesn't matter how many times someone looks at your auction, it only takes ONE person that wants or NEEDS that item.  Collectors are fickle, and if they can't find it locally, they WILL buy it online, and in some cases, pay handsomely.  Be a sales pioneer.  Find what people want, and sell it to them.  It's not rocket science.  If noone bids on your auction, it's because there are already tons of them there, or the one person that might need your item, wasn't shopping on EBAY in that 3-5-7 day time frame.  Heck, for that matter, take your item, and see if there is a large fan base outside of EBAY.  There are TONS of fans of titles that aren't printed anymore that still pay handsomely for some books that your comic shop passed off into the quarter bin.   

"Presentation"

Ok, so you hated to give up that NFL SUPERPRO set.  I understand.  It's ok.  Put the passion you have for your item into your description.  Hit points to the item that make it KEY to why they should buy it.  How many auctions have you seen that listed comics like this (Superman comic, VF-NM condition, a great price).  No, man, this is SALES.  You explain what the significance of the issue is, not just the condition.  People who buy comic books love to buy from people who know and love the product just as much as you do.  If you sell real estate, you wouldn't use the same method to sell cars.  Condition is important, don't get me wrong, but collectors are LOOKING for YOU to REMIND them WHY the book you are selling is IMPORTANT to THEM.  Knowledge is power. 

This might not be the most colorful guide, and I have no attachments, but the basic premise is sound.  I have succesfully turned items I paid $3.00 for into sales of over $125.00 or more just by knowing who and when to sell it to.  To sum it up, if you know WHAT collectors who shop on EBAY want, and YOU can provide a KNOWLEDGEABLE, SPEEDY, and FRIENDLY alternative to running around to every comic shop in a 100-mile radius, you too can make selling comic books easy money.