How To Sell on eBay & Make Money in 2024

eBay is the world's largest online auction site with over 200 million auctions sold every month. It's also one of the most profitable online auction sites around. It is an excellent place to start if you want to sell on e-commerce platforms. More than 182 million people use it worldwide. This clearly indicates that eBay has a market that sellers may tap into.

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Selling on eBay is an exquisite way to make money and build your brand, whether you're a first-time seller or an experienced eBay veteran. Whether you're selling luxury goods, antiques, collectibles, or everyday household items, you can sell them on eBay and make money doing it. eBay is the preferred platform for new and used international  product purchases and sales. 

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Here, many sellers earn a living. But, you just need to get going if you also want to launch an eBay business and work hard. Look at some tips on how to sell on eBay and make money that will take your auction success from “maybe” to “hell yes!”

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Deciding What To Sell On eBay

Despite the fact that eBay can make your used products profitable, you must be cautious about what you sell. First, sellers should invest the effort to find out what products are popular. Then, they can avoid wasting their time and know what to provide. 

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After conducting all the research, nothing is more demoralizing than seeing that your item received no bids. Research is necessary whether you want to sell used items or sell your new brand products, research is necessary Here's how to choose which goods to sell:

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• Supply and Demand

• What’s Trending 

• Stock Availability 

• Revenues And Profits

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Supply And Demand

The demand and supply level also influence what you should sell on eBay. You should sell the product if customers wish to purchase it or if the product with high demand in the market. Finding the sell-through rate will help you identify the most needed products.  On eBay, it is simple to find the sell-through rate.

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• Go to the website. 

• Type the name of the item you want to sell on eBay, such as "playing cards" or "PlayStation." 

• You may find unexpected results for PlayStations or playing cards above the search field. (These are the product's active listings.)

• Check the boxes sold and finished items next to the "Show only" category as you scroll down. 

• When you scroll up, you will notice that the listings number has changed to reflect sold listings. 

• The ratio of sold listings to active listings for a product stated as a percentage is known as the sell-through rate.

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The demand for the product increases as the sell-through rate rises. Therefore, it is possible to determine if the product you wish to sell has a reasonable sell-through rate. Anything worth selling is at least 50%.

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What’s Trending

How do you find out what's popular right now? First, you must remain current with sellers and other e-commerce sites. After that, a seller's company can be as prosperous as it would like. 

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All they need to do is understand who they are trying to reach and how to do it. Today's merchants must contend with fierce competition for customers whether they operate on eBay or any other e-commerce platform. As a result, sellers must constantly look for ways to outsell their competitors if they want to increase their sales. 

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It is essential to monitor competitors and understand what is successful in the industry. For example, Oberlo estimates that 16.4% of the items sold on eBay are gadgets & Accessories.

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But if you're not into selling electronic gadgets, you can still check out the popular apparel area. The top 5 most popular eBay categories also include items for the outdoors, sports, beauty, and also automobiles.

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Stock Availability 

What you don't have, you can't sell. It will be challenging to run a profitable business if the products you wish to sell cannot be sourced. Establishing connections is the intelligent thing to do in this situation.  Try talking to the seller and finding more. Things will become clear as you proceed. But make sure you only sell something you can possess.

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Revenue And Profits

Every seller of goods on eBay or any other e-commerce website wants to make money and support themselves through their business. Here are the top ways to maximize revenue generation and profit by selling on eBay.

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1. Upgrading your eBay profile 

The most straightforward approach to starting as a seller on eBay is first signing up as a buyer. By doing this, other users will be able to see that you have a history on eBay and will be able to trust you. 

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Even if you just make a limited number of inexpensive purchases, paying for them quickly and taking the time to leave feedback—positive feedback, if at all possible—can help you establish a robust online presence and improve your buyer rating.

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Choosing a username is a crucial next step. Remember that the name of your small business will essentially be anything you decide. We advise selecting a name that is either a straightforward and professional variation of your name or one that is associated with the types of goods you intend to offer.

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2. Set your item's price as high as possible.

When choosing an item to sell, utilize the eBay advanced search feature to find out how recent sales of like products have been. You may search for anything you wish to sell, and you can check the "completed listings" box to view a tonne of other comparable products and the rates they sold for.

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You should receive a fairly accurate appraisal if you can scan your product's barcode. You may then use this figure as your eBay selling price by increasing it a little. Noting that expensive postal costs may discourage some sellers, we advise including the expense in the product's price, so you may provide free postage. 

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This will mark your products in the search results as "Free Postage." Additionally, because customers may filter out things that don't provide free shipping, many more people will view your items.

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3. Start your offers low to capture buyers’ attention.

Although it may be tempting to set the price of your listings high at first, keeping your bids low will likely result in a better sale in the long run. As the item's last day of bidding approaches, a standard opening offer will attract more prospective buyers and develop a competitive bidding war.

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Please note that this advice does not apply to specialized things. For example, if the item is something that only a die-hard collector would be interested in, you should not make the opening price too low because you are less likely to receive many bids on these items.

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4. Take quality images of the goods you're offering.

An eBay user is far more inclined to continue bidding if they are convinced they can see an accurate picture of what is being offered. A photograph of the item you're selling lends the most credibility. 

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Include any other materials of the item you're advertising in the photo, such as boxes, manuals, batteries, and anything else you specified in the description. Although you don't need a fancy camera to achieve this, focusing and the macro option, if yours has one, will work wonderfully for close-up photos and will also help. 

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Using natural light is essential for taking crisp, high-quality pictures. However, even a little more light (like a desk lamp) might have a significant impact if the space is dark. Just be careful to stay out of any shadows.  Remember that you can freely submit 12 photographs at a time to a listing.

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5. Begin auctions when eBay is busiest.

Consider when you should begin bidding before posting your item without giving it a thought. Any action should be closed on Sunday evening. Casual purchasers look at this period. Therefore, the auctions get going.  Therefore, to enhance your exposure to potential buyers, offer your item on a Thursday evening if you're going for the maximum 10-day auction.

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6. Create believable product descriptions

Composing the descriptions that will market your goods is now the challenging part. Take your time with this since a strong report may make or kill a transaction.  Make the most of the 80 characters that eBay will let you use in your title. Use plenty of keywords, be succinct, and be transparent to help people discover your goods quickly.

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• Avoid misspellings - Typing mistakes might make it more difficult for people to locate your ad on eBay.

• Make the description concise, precise, and informative while emphasizing the salient characteristics and selling factors.

• Be truthful about any problems and flaws since customers may submit negative reviews and demand a refund if the item isn't as advertised.

• Use well-known eBay abbreviations, such as BN (brand new), BNIB (brand new in box), and BNWT (brand new with tags) - very excellent condition.

• Mention the frequency of usage of the product or your motivation for selling it, if appropriate. 

• If you have all the boxes, tags, and manuals, your products will sell for a considerably more fantastic price. 

• Encourage potential purchasers to contact you if they have any queries.

• Include your terms and conditions, such as the payment method, postage, and return policies.

• Make sure your item is listed in the appropriate category. If it isn't clear from the search results, look up comparable goods to see where they are often classified. 

• Include links to your previous sales in your description if you're selling many comparable products at once. 

• Look at how top sellers describe their expensive products to get ideas for how to phrase your descriptions.

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7. Never place a fake bid on eBay.

Shill bidding, or fake bidding, is when you place a bid on an item not because you want to purchase it but rather to raise its price, improve its search rating, or make it appear more desirable. Since this is unlawful, you should never allow your friends or relatives to bid on your auctions. 

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Systems are in place to detect and stop this from occurring on-site. Check out eBay's fake bidding policy for additional information. They have pretty straightforward rules, so if you're concerned about it, the information on their website can help you feel more at peace.

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8. Increase the number of goods to list on eBay

When you first start selling on eBay, you are limited to listing ten goods with a total value of £650. You must demonstrate that you're a good seller by distributing your things promptly, interacting with the customers, and gathering positive feedback before you may add additional items to your eBay store. 

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You can request a selling limit increase on your profile to raise your limitations; eBay will then determine whether to grant you a few extra listings. However, you can only do this once a month, so it can take some time to amass a respectable number of listings. Nevertheless, you can easily approach your limit if you're selling expensive products.

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You might try emailing the support staff to hasten the procedure. If you have positive feedback and charge competitive prices for your things, they're frequently willing to extend your account's limitations sooner.

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9. Deliver packages with handwritten notes.

Personalizing your deliveries significantly improves them. They will value it much more than an anonymous eBay username if you send the buyer a thank-you note for their purchase because it gives them a glimpse of the person behind the sale. 

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If you're selling vintage clothing, you may include a brief history of the item in the message, including information about when you originally purchased it, where it came from, and why you're selling it.

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It simply needs to be a few phrases long; a longer letter would be excessive. It may even be a repetition of the product description. However, if you try to present it well, you can be sure that your eBay clients will value it.  It might even encourage customers to give you a high rating on eBay and make more purchases from you.

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How to sell on eBay and make money?

To start selling on eBay, you just need to follow the nine simple steps- 

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1. Opening an eBay Account

• Visit eBay. 

• You can sign in or register on the upper left of the screen.

• Select "Register" from the menu. 

• You will be directed to the Signup page by that link.

• Your account will default be set to personal throughout the eBay registration process. 

• However, you should select the Create a Business account option if you intend to engage in more intensive selling on it. 

• The next step is to create a user ID. Then, everyone who views your listings and engages with you will see your user ID.

• Make sure the name accurately represents your company and has a professional sound.

• Setting up an automated payment method is the final step in opening an account. You can add your bank account, credit card, or PayPal account. Pick a technique that works for you. 

• This payment method will be used by eBay to bill you fees for the activity of the sellers.

• However, simply opening a seller account is insufficient. You must polish your profile so that potential customers will believe you. eBay is just like a gamble.

• You trust the seller's legitimacy when you buy or place a bid. 

• You've created an eBay account. You have successfully become an eBay seller!

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2. Make an eBay product listing.

The next step is to list your products on eBay after researching the potential development, locating it, and setting up an account. 

• Sign in to your eBay account. 

• In the top right corner of the screen, select the Sell option.

• On eBay, there are two different categories of listings, a quick listing application and a more complex listing form. 

• After clicking the sell button, eBay will guide you to a page with two other listings types.

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What is a Quick Listing?

When you arrive at this page, the search bar allows you to "Tell us what you're selling." You can search for listings that correspond to the product you're selling by typing the product name. Choose a listing you like, then edit it to reflect the specifics of your offering.

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What is Advanced Listing?

This is designed for users who want to sell more goods on the site gradually. First, you can type the name of your interests or the UPC or ISBN code into the "Tell us what you're selling" search area. Next, click the blue "Get started" button next to the search bar on the right side of the screen.

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Choose a product name from the Categories area only if you're having trouble typing and finding one. After making your choice, a form needs to be filled out. The form requests detailed information about the item, such as:

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• The listing title is the first thing shoppers see when searching for your goods. Therefore, promoting your listing and drawing customers will be simpler if this text is more exciting and valuable. 

• Mention product identifiers: eBay asks you to fill in product identifiers, such as UPCs or ISBNs. 

• Size and details of the item: Include all relevant information about the item, including its size, colour, condition, model number, etc. 

• Add pictures: The eBay listing would be lacking without any product pictures. Therefore, be sure to include high-resolution, clearly taken, well-lit photographs. On eBay, you may upload up to 12 photos.

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3. Format of Selling

There are two selling options on eBay: fixed-price selling and auction selling. After adding photographs and completing the form's fields, you must select the buyer's pricing type and selling format.

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• The auction process Buyers place bids on an item in auction-style postings up until the end date you specify. As soon as you submit the ad, you can start the auction, or you can schedule it. 

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• Additionally, you can give an "accept Best Offers" option that lets purchasers make an offer that you can accept or reject. There is a minimum starting price (base price) for things that are on sale. For items that are in high demand or that are challenging to locate in stores, auctions are the ideal option.

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• Fixed-price listings In these, you control the item's price. This strategy works well when you know the price you want for an article or have a large inventory. In addition, fixed-price ads are fantastic for things that will be on sale for longer than ten days.  You can time it or specify the duration after choosing a listing type. For example, while fixed price listings may be available for as long as you like, auction-type listings may only be available for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days. 

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4. Cost Settings

You can set a price for the item after deciding how long you want your listing to remain active or after forming the length.  There is more to pricing your product for eBay than just a wild guess.

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Setting a competitive price encourages customers to pay more and increases the visibility of your goods in search results. eBay features a tool that displays how many comparable things have been sold and what price they sold for if you want to get the best price for your purchase.

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To see this, navigate to the Preferences section of the left-hand panel on the search page and scroll down. Select "Completed Items" by checking the box under "Show just." The prices sold are in green, whereas those they didn't sell are in red. 

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Examine the products that didn't sell. Is the price difference between the sold and unsold items? Did the item's price affect how well? You may boost your chances of selling items on eBay by pricing them appropriately.

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5. Providing Shipping Information 

Shipping Your Item or Local Pickup are your two main delivery alternatives for customers. The latter arrangement allows customers to pick up their purchases from your house or a different place. 

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Sellers must often ship the goods, though. Therefore, the price will vary for each item if you decide to deliver it.  You can charge all clients the same amount for basic shipping. 

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You can also provide calculated shipping based on the package's weight.  Or freight shipment for packages weighing more than 150 pounds (or 68 Kilograms). If necessary, you can also choose international shipping. However, there are techniques to make international shipping simpler. It's not the most straightforward task to undertake. 

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You can select a flat charge or a calculated shipping rate based on your needs. But joining eBay's Global Shipment Program is the best approach to the Global Shipping Program (GSP). It guarantees sellers send their goods to a shipping facility owned by eBay. eBay takes care of the rest. 

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Some sellers frequently offer free shipping as an incentive, while others demand a price. Although it's entirely up to you and the item you're selling, having open shipping policies will reassure your customers that you're a reliable vendor.

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6. Modifying Listing Preferences 

You can change a few more listing choices at the bottom of the listing editor. Click on the Change link in the Preferences section after opening it. Details like payment options (PayPal account or credit card), processing times, and whether you accept refunds can all be changed here.  Click "List it," and then congrats! Finally, the listing is ready for publication!

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7. Closing the Deal

eBay's sellers are responsible for more than just listing goods. Being a seller requires selling. Therefore, you must remain in contact with the client and maintain the listing yourself. 

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eBay will send you a posted email as soon as your listing is live. The eBay part of the website allows you to keep track of your listings. If your item sells, you'll also need to respond to inquiries from buyers, advertise the listing, and finish the sale.

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You, as the vendor, must take care of the listing. Answer any messages and inquiries from potential eBay buyers. To make the listings apparent to potential purchasers, you must also advertise them.  You can use these methods to accelerate the selling process: 

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• Establishing a reliable seller reputation on eBay.  Buyers prefer positively regarded suppliers. It promotes purchases from customers and raises your search ranking. How can you build a solid seller reputation and grow your business? To prevent sales from being cancelled, provide good customer service, offer competitive prices, respond to inquiries quickly, be kind and patient, and maintain a clear inventory.  It will be challenging to sell if you are new to eBay. Due to a lack of reviews and comments, making minor purchases and leaving feedback are advised. It is a phase in eBay's development.

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• Promotion of your eBay listings Try marketing your listings if you want to improve sales. You can boost your listing's visibility on eBay by activating the "Boosted Listing" option. To do this, go to eBay's listing summary page and click "Promote listing.one of eBay's most potent benefits is that most substantial have to worry about keyword budgeting or any other intricate characteristics that many PPC (paying per click) marketing campaigns demand.

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• Given that the ad rate is an exact proportion based on an item's final sale price, you can be sure that your merchandise is being marketed on eBay. Therefore, if a customer buys your product, only you will be charged; there won't be any pay-per-click issues.  However, you must be a top-rated or above-average seller to take advantage of eBay's promoted listing feature.

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8. Payments 

eBay automatically tells you when one of your goods sells. However, to maintain a positive seller reputation, you must finish the transaction after the message appears on your screen. 

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You should finish the transaction and mail the goods as soon as the order is placed. Shipping and payment confirmation should take place immediately. Within 24 hours, you can become verified, and eBay will notify you once you are. However, payments can occasionally take a bit longer to arrive, depending on the buyer's payment method.

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You may always check the status of your "My eBay" account. The payment may have been temporarily put on hold by PayPal or eBay if it is pending or on hold.  This frequently happens to new sellers. However, the process becomes automatic once you have 25 transactions or $250 in sales.

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9. Shipping and Transportation

It's time to mail the item to the buyer once you make a sale on eBay. First, you must locate the appropriate shipping labels, enter the tracking data, package the order, and send it. 

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Here are some prerequisites for efficient product shipping: 

• Envelopes and shipping boxes. 

• Labelling the products. (Customized packages are the cutest. Stickers and cards to promote your brand are very cute.) 

• Tape. 

• Protective inserts for goods like packing paper or bubble wrap. 

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The package information can be added using a package scale to calculate the weight. Once you're done packing, you may leave the package with the mail man or have them come and get it. The best action you can take as an eBay seller to improve your feedback and ratings is to ship out the same day you receive the purchase.

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Ideas For Increasing Your eBay Sales

1. Video of the Product

As you are undoubtedly aware, eBay has a lot of sellers, making it somewhat competitive. But how can you draw attention to yourself? First, you must take a different action.

You may change the game by adding videos to your eBay listings. Is it possible to include movies in the item description on eBay, you may wonder? Yes! On eBay, you can embed a product video. 

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• This is how you can add the video of a particular product on eBay:

• Firstly make an impressive video using a tripod and in a well-lit environment.

• Upload the video you've made to YouTube. 

• Open the YouTube video, and then click the Share option

• A screen pop-up will appear.

• Click on the embed option and copy the HTML code.

• Visit eBay. List the product first. Copy and paste the embed code using HTML into the item description area. 

• Before copying the code, change the view of descriptions to HTM.

• Finish your listing after that. Then, the buyers will be able to see the footage. They can watch it by pressing the play button. 

• Including videos in the description will also help you rank highly in search results and enhance your listing.
  

• Join Several Buy-and-Sell Groups On Social Media

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Finding a reselling community is just what you need to get started if you have never sold anything before, whether it be on eBay or in general. Online resources are available to assist people in selling and profiting. 

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You may find many accounts on Instagram with advice on what to sell by searching for "reselling" and similar terms.  Additionally, you can locate wholesale sellers online who can aid with your item sourcing. It is an excellent method for building a business network.

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2. Invest in an eBay store 

Getting started on eBay is free. To subscribe to an eBay store, which is available at the "Starter" level, you can do so as you go.  There are various store levels, with starter and basic being the most affordable. 

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The higher your subscription level, receive more perks, such as tools to manage your business and fee breaks. In addition, premium, Anchor, and even Enterprise options are available.

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3. Offer Return Option to Customer 

eBay offers sellers a lot of flexibility in setting their return policies. However, sellers can have no return policy, causing sales to drop. eBay reports that listings with a 30-day free return policy have a higher sales rate.

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4. Offer Free Shipping and Worldwide Shipping

eBay provides the free Global Shipping Program as a service. So if someone from another country purchases your product, you can ship it to them without incurring any additional fees or hassle. 

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When inputting all of your product information, look for the option to ship abroad in the Listing Summary area. You may significantly improve your consumer base and sales by shipping worldwide.  Customers love knowing they won't have to spend extra money on shipping fees, so you should consider offering free shipping whenever possible.