Top 10 Tips
Follow these simple and effective tips to attract more buyers and get the most cash for your items.
  • Find out What It's Worth: If you know what you want to sell, you can get information about the item such as the recent sales activity and price, appropriate listing category and key words, and examples of good descriptions. Simply do an Advanced Search on your item and click Completed Listings. If you want to find out what is selling on eBay, check out the eBay Pulse.
  • Determine Pricing and Listing Format: Many sellers that sell in an action-style listing format, find that setting a low opening bid with no reserve jumpstarts bidding and increases their final selling price. However, demand for the item must be high to generate multiple bids. Your research in step one will help you with this information. If you know the value of your item or have multiples of the same item, set a fixed price for a quick sale. Learn about how eBay displays items in search results.
  • Sign up for PayPal: PayPal enables you to accept online payments for your eBay items. Sellers must offer safe electronic payments to buyers on eBay, so sign up today - it's fast and free to sign up.
  • Maximize Your Item Title: Be sure to include key words that buyers will search for, unique or descriptive attributes, and always check your spelling. Your item title is critical in helping users find your items, so use each character wisely using descriptive key words.
  • Describe Your Item in Detail: A good description is concise, well organized, and easy to read. Create bold section headlines, bulleted lists, and be sure to include item style/type, brand, condition, and other attributes. When available in your category, use item specifics to help buyers find your item. Depending on category, item specifics include the condition of the item (new, used), size, color, brand, etc. Make sure to include your return policy and handling time, which is now required in every listing.
  • Include Photos: A picture really is worth a thousand words and your first one is free! Use clear, well-lit photos from a variety of angles to accurately showcase your item. Use good lighting and an uncluttered background to get the most out of your photo. Add additional photos to showcase details and unique features of your item. Upgrade to Picture Pack to take advantage of the zoom feature on item listings. Many categories and Premium and Anchor eBay Store subscribers get multiple free photos.
  • Include Reasonable Shipping Costs: Specifying reasonable shipping and handling costs in your listing is essential for smart selling. eBay's free Shipping Calculator provides real-time shipping costs to buyers all over the world, so you can increase your chances of success. Providing free shipping can give you an extra boost in search results ranking and sales.
  • Communicate: Always respond quickly to any buyer questions. Include extras or a handwritten note in the box to really surprise and delight your customers. Make sure to leave feedback for your buyer so they'll do the same for you.
  • Use My eBay to Track Sales: Your My eBay page is your own personal dashboard to track all your activity on eBay. Simply click My eBay on top of any eBay page to reveal the items you are selling, items that are sold, shipping addresses of your customers, messages from your prospective buyers and to manage your personal information and communication preferences.
  • Save a trip to the Post Office: The United States Postal Service® offers a variety of free shipping supplies, delivered directly to you within a few days. After the sale you can pay for and print shipping labels for UPS and USPS directly from My eBay. Pay for the shipping using PayPal and print the labels on your home printer. You can also schedule free carrier pick-up online and at no additional charge.