I posted alot of this in a discussion thread on selling but thought it would make a great guide.  Ive been buying and selling on Ebay since 1999 have learned alot of lessons and of course I still learn new and better ways of doing things each week.  So listed below are some of my thoughts on the buying and selling process.  These may not draw a consensus agreement but Ive found these rules to work for myself and many others.

LISTINGS
A. Stick to listing all the details for the card and thats it. Nobody wants to read all the fluff about a players career. If they are bidding on the item, they know who the player is and what they have done.

B. 1/1's - Do NOT put 1/1 in the listing if isnt stamped that way. Turns people off immediately. If its numbered to the players Jersey number, then put that in the title and listing but ONLY put the true serial number in there. This is basically false advertising.  Its only a 1/1 if the card is stamped that way from the company.

C. Keep your listings postive and avoid negative terms, especially mentioning giving Negative Feedback.  I personally dont leave negative feedback unless I really have to and I cant remember any I have left in years.  Unfortunately all it does is draw negative feedback in retaliation.

D. Listing Condition.  Im not a professional grader, so I try to avoid using their terminology.  Recently I have added some of that to my listings but Im considering taking it out again.  People view the word "Mint" and "Near Mint" in different ways Ive learned.  Many cards come from the packs with very slight nics and white specs.  Unfortunatley its the nature of the business.  When they pack these things, especially those with dark borders, alot of them will get flakes or very small chips.  Try to list them if you notice them.  Alot of buyers seem to think they are getting a perfect card all the time, when the reality of it is, there are very few that come from a pack with no flaw at all.  Especially these thick, oversized jersey and patch cards.  The odds are better with the regular sized cards.

E. Include COMPLETE details on your shipping and payments policies.  Dont leave the buyer guessing.  A rule of thumb, if theres a question people keep asking you, then maybe you should start including that in your listings.  This is how I built mine over the years.

SHIPPING & COSTS
Definitely keeping the cost down will help your sales. To many times I see sellers asking over $3 for a single card. I hit the back button immediately. For the longest time I charged $1. I found that I was losing money. I now charge $2, which I pretty much break even. Shipping charges arent meant to make up for Ebay seller fees. Your minimum starting bid should be enough to make sure you arent losing money.

Shipping Cards in an envelope, never do this. I did for a while and had several damaged or lost. Always stick with the bubble envelopes. If you buy them in bulk, you wont lose money on them and dont have to charge extra in your shipping fees.  The $2 I charge still keeps me out of the Red in shipping fees with bubble envelopes.

SCANS
Always show a scan of what you are selling. This increase sales dramatically. If its only one card, then there should only be one card pictured. Scanning multiple cards and using the pic in multiple listings shows me the seller is potentially lazy and cutting corners. Plus you dont get a good look at the card this way. Leads to alot of questions on its condition. I put a scan in of all my items even if its a one bid, $2 card. You never know who may bid more. Ive had some that should have sold for $5 and sold for over $20. Rare but it happens.  Dont sell yourself short.

Listing Book Value
That leads me to this. I personally cant stand BV comments but there are some that like them. Thats a sellers choice. Beckett and Tuff Stuff have different values so its never accurate. Plus, Ebay is the driving market for cards now so to me, the value is what a person will buy it for. Just a personal thought.

Customer Service

This is very important.  Most buyers are easy to deal with and should be no problem.  But you will get those from time to time that just cant be pleased.  Do your best to "kill them with kindness" as my mother always told me.  It has helped defuse several transactions that were going downhill fast.  Be careful of your wording, since most of your interaction is via email.  Its very easy to make an innocent sentence sound threatning.  Avoid using punctuation like exclamation marks and the term ASAP (this goes for buyers too).  ASAP means As Soon As Possible.  Which means as soon as Im able to do this.  Alot people use it to mean NOW!  This can lead to misunderstandings.  Be as helpful as possible and work with each other the best you can but know your limits.

Understand that most buyers arent out to get over on you.  If its been awhile and the card hasnt arrived, its probably lost in the mail.  Work with the customer to come to an agreement.  Ive done this a few times and it has led to the customer coming back again and again.  If you think its a scam, monitor it closely and report as necessary, but make sure you are correct before making this assumption.

FOR BUYERS

Here are some things Ive noticed from buyers over the years.

1.  Always include an item number with your payment.  Many, many times Ive received payment in the mail and have no idea what its for.  It will be marked "Football card" or "cards".   I (and many sellers) sell hundreds of cards a week and have no idea which one you are talking about.  This leads to delays in shipping the item out. 

2.  Read the listing completely.  This usually answers most of your questions.  If not, then ask the seller.  This saves all of us alot of time.  In my listings I put all of my information regarding shipping, payment and Invoice Notification. 

3.  Use Ebays Checkout feature.  This is a great feature they have provided and if the seller set up their auctions correctly, you can check out immediatley after the auction ends with no delay. 

4.  Notification.  Ebay has now combined the Sellers invoice with the "End of Auction" message.  Many buyers are not aware of this.  Make sure you scroll down to see if the information is in there.  This will save you time from waiting for an invoice thats already arrived.

5.  Be patient.  Alot of sellers on Ebay are just like you.  Normal people just selling on the side.  This isnt their full time job.  There are reasonable times to expect the arrival of your items.  You should give your seller at least a week before asking where your item is.  I get my items mailed within 1-2 days of payment and it will normally take 2-3 days to get there in the mail (International buyers - may take longer to get to you).  If you feel you have to email to ask, make sure you do this in a polite and nonthreatning way.  It very frustrating as a seller to get an email a few days after payment is received asking "Where is my card!  Is there a problem?"  Everytime Ive got one of those, the card arrived that day or the next. Also avoid using terms like ASAP and certain punctuation (see above Customer Service Section).  These terms can be taken out of context very easily. 

6.  That leads me to this point.  Read the sellers feedback and history.  You should do this before bidding, but definitely read it again before making accusations or threats.  Alot of times if the item hasnt arrived, its lost in the mail.  Most sellers will work with you and come to an agreement.

Ebay is a great venue for card collectors.  Let all work together to keep this hobby going strong!

Thanks and feel free to email me with any questions.

Lee  (leewmd)