October/November 2011

Golf, travel, and yard work weren’t enough to keep Michigan-area retiree Bill Morris (userID: 415wmorris) satisfied. After 15 years of retirement, he was looking for other ways to spend his time – and found it on eBay. Morris now sells on eBay to fund his new hobby: motorcycle restoration.

Bill Morris' eBay selling experience started with a small collection of gold jewelry—what he refers to as his "Mr. T Starter Kit," which he bought in the 70s. It had been collecting dust for years, so when gold prices went up he decided to cash it in. "I sold it when gold was $1,000 an ounce and made a couple grand." The experience fuelled Bill's interest in selling on eBay, but he had no more jewelry to sell. Instead, Bill found his sweet spot with eBay Motors: he sold a used Lamborghini Diablo on eBay in 6 days for a $3,000 profit! Read more.

Holiday shoppers are starting to scour the stores for bargains. Get your eBay listings ready for the peak Thanksgiving weekend traffic and grab those shoppers looking for the best deals—whether it's Black Friday on 11/25 or Cyber Monday on 11/28. Gobble up the action and pad your own holiday shopping budget with the cash you make.

Offer 1-day handling time and free or expedited shipping to attract and really please gift-givers. (Some buyers only buy from sellers who offer free shipping.) Great shipping options will help draw attention to your listings.

Seller Special: From Thanksgiving Day through December 25, you can save 20% on Final Value Fees (fees you pay when your item sells) for transactions with a free expedited shipping service with 1-day handling time. Get listing now.

Quick Tip videos and demos at your fingertips
Have you seen eBay's many easy-to-follow videos and demos to help you sell? Check out eBay's Quick Tip videos and demos on how to take better photos, how to use shipping labels, how to price your items, and the fundamentals on how to sell—all the tools you need to get listing today.

Hot holiday sellers

The time for gathering around the turkey or tree will be here before you can say eggnog. Boost your own celebration budget. Sell Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations now. Check your house for the cash potential in these popular sellers:

• Men's shirts
• Handbags and purses
• Dress clothes for men, women, and children
• Women's coats and jackets
• Men's outerwear
• Cell phones and smartphones
• Digital cameras
• iMacs, iPads, and laptops
• eReaders
• Video games

Check the Tech & Fashion Selling Guides for more gifts in demand as well as the 2011 Holiday Hotlist. Find your holiday spirit and list today!

The holidays are upon us, so think about how you'll sell differently to satisfy more holiday gift buyers. Attract buyers by offering free or low cost shipping options with 1-day handling time and a minimum 14-day return policy.

If accepting returns in January isn't possible, get creative. Shoppers may be comparing your item with one they can return in January, so you could make your listing more appealing by offering little extras like free gift wrap, a personalized thank you note, or ‘extra gift' inside the package. It can be something as little as a bookmark to go with the book you sold or a trinket paired with a child's toy. Thoughtfulness counts during the holidays and you'd be amazed how far the sentiment can go.

In case you needed another reason to sell right now, eBay is driving more buyers than ever to your listings this holiday season. Our new ad campaign "When it's on your mind, it's on eBay" touts eBay as the place to go to knock out your whole holiday shopping list in one convenient place. Check out the ads for yourself.

Shipping's never been easier. Learn everything you need to know from ordering free supplies to getting your packages out the door with eBay's improved Shipping Center. Find helpful information on:

• Packing items properly
• Using the eBay shipping calculator
• Printing shipping labels with eBay
• Shipping internationally
• Tracking packages
• Limits on shipping and handling charges in certain categories

It's all in one convenient place on eBay. Check it out and shape up your shipping today.

It seems like just yesterday everyone was lining up to get the iPhone 4. The new iPhone 4S release makes it a great time to fund your purchase by selling your earlier model iPhone or other smartphone on eBay. Cell phones in all models always sell briskly on eBay. Reach those technology buffs who prefer to buy the proven and lower-cost device that's been on the market awhile. Use the proceeds to fund your own phone upgrade. When you list your phone, choose the model that matches yours exactly if you are offered a list of similar items. The description will be filled in for you, which saves you time and helps buyers find your item quickly.

When listing, include unique product identifiers that search engines look for, like UPC or EAN codes. When these aren't available, use eBay's item specifics to make your listings easier to find.

Remember to mention any blemishes or signs of wear, and replace the stock photo with one of your own that shows the phone's condition. Do your pricing research to price it competitively for the best chance to sell.

Short on time? Cash in with eBay's Instant Sale program and sell your phone in 3 steps. Use the money to treat yourself to the new iPhone or smartphone of your choice. List, sell, and buy today—on the go, or from the comfort of your home computer.

Photos alone can often sell an item, so take the best quality photos possible. Here are six tips for taking awesome photos:

1. Take photos against an uncluttered background like a white sheet or poster board. Lay fashion items flat, but don't lay them on the floor, the top of a patterned backdrop like a bedspread, or hanging in front of a door.
2. Use lots of pictures to show all angles and details. Some categories offer up to 12 free pictures per listing.
3. Include a picture of the actual item for items that aren't in perfect condition. Don't use a stock shot, and clearly show any flaws your item might have.
4. Take photos in "portrait," or vertical, layout to show maximum details.
5. Shoot in daylight when possible or use bright overhead lighting – avoid a flash.
6. Take a main "hero" photo, and photograph all sides of the item. For clothing: the front, back, and sides. For shoes, handbags and accessories: the top, bottom, and inside. Include a photo of the tag or label, and design details like hardware on shoes and handbags.

Learn how to take great photos now and check out this two-minute video for even more tips.

Don't worry—you didn't miss a thing. Since we're writing you so close to the end of the month, we are titling this issue October/November instead. That's all. The next issue you'll get will be titled December. So, you've still received your monthly newsletter and will continue to do so.

Here are three simple ways to get your listings in front of more potential buyers:

1. Use the right keywords. When you list, it's important to use keywords relevant to your item. For example, if you're listing a pair of black shoes, be sure to include whether they are leather or suede, heels or flats, or new with tags (NWT).
2. Always include unique product identifiers. Not only does this make it easy to list your item (once you start typing it in, you'll see a list of products to choose from), but search engines look for these UPC, EAN and ISBN numbers. If buyers search for your item, and you've included these identifiers in your listing, chances are better your item will appear to buyers in their search results.
3. Share your listing on Facebook. Have a Facebook account? Copy the link to your eBay listing into your status update and add a simple post such as, "Check out the DKNY coat I just listed on eBay. It could be yours!" Ask friends and family to share the link with their networks. Post about it again when the listing is about to end. Same goes for Twitter. Tweet your listing to your followers just as easily.

Give back when you sell this holiday season and make a difference in a child's life. This November, support a number of child-related nonprofits, such as Toys for Tots, through the eBay Giving Works Holiday campaign. The minimum donation per listing to participate is just $1 or 10% of the selling price, whichever is greater. You'll get a tax-deductible receipt and pro-rated credits on your Insertion Fee and Final Value Fee equal to the percentage of the final selling price you chose to donate. Support a different featured nonprofit each week or choose your favorite (login required) organization that helps children in need.

Answer: Selling on eBay is one of the best ways to stretch your dollars further and stay in the black this holiday season. Figure out your holiday budget and your cash on hand. Determine what you'd otherwise spend on credit and set that as your selling goal instead. Choose which items to list, then carve out time to list them.

Start selling and filling your PayPal account soon, then use that money to buy gifts on eBay and put off dipping into your cash on hand. List as many items as you need to in order to reach your goal. By January, you may come out even, or possibly ahead—and that's a great place to be.