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WELCOMEThis guide comes to you with FULL RESALE RIGHTS so you can sell thisguide on Ebay or anywhere else if you would like to.

If you don’t want to sell it then please feel free to distribute this guide toyour friends, relatives or colleagues so that they can.

At the very least they are likely to benefit from all of these hints and tips.

This guide consists of a HUGE number of hints and tips for both buyers andseller’s on Ebay. This e-book is arranged in two halves

Part1: Tips for Seller’sPart2: Tips for Buyers

Other than that, these hints and tips are presented in no particular order so it’sworth reading the whole guide.

About Ebay

Ebay is a simply wonderful world to explore and on which to trade. It presents themost amazing opportunity to buy and sell anywhere in the world.

Many sellers simply enjoy auctions as a hobby. Some people enjoy pokingaround the flea markets and looking for saleable merchandise. For many peoplethere is no need to make a lot of money. They just to it for fun.However many individuals now make a very good living simply from selling onEbay. Whichever you are you should find something in this guide of interest.

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Part 1 - Winning strategies for seller’s

1) Seller’s Tip: What to sellWhen most people start on Ebay they have heard about all the people makingseemingly huge amounts of cash with the stuff that they are selling. Don’t befooled. Ebay can be a goldmine but get it wrong and it can be an expensiveexperience. Most of us will start as buyers looking to find a bargain. At somestage though, many users will want a slice of the action and then enter the cut-throat world of selling on Ebay. Being a successful buyer is hard enough but tobe a successful seller you need to know a few things.

If you’re new to selling then start by selling the possessions that you have aroundthe house that you have finished with and do not want anymore.Always begin with low value items that are easy to post and you will get off to agood start.Remember that if you are new to Ebay and have never sold before, people areunlikely to buy that £500 laptop since they have to rely on your feedback toassess whether it will be correctly described and arrive safely.If your feedback is low and you put that valuable laptop on without a reserve youmay find yourself selling it for next to nothing. You have been warned!Remember that if you make a sale you are obliged to fulfil your part of thecontract so like it or not, if your item fetches next to nothing you need to supply itat that price.

2) Seller’s Tip: The usefulness of other auction sitesBuy your goods online to sell online! Yes it is possible to make a profit doing thisand some people make it seem very easy. If you buy goods via the Internet theyarrive ready packed for you to resell.

You can then charge for the packing materials as well as selling the item itself.What could be better than that?

This is where other online auction sites can be great news for you. Pretty mucheveryone uses Ebay and far fewer people visit the other online auction websites.That sometimes translates to lower prices on those sites than on Ebay for thesame goods.

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If you can buy low and sell high then you’re into profit and with hardly any effortbecause some other mug had to pack it for you.Here in the UK you could try www.auctionlotwatch.co.uk that will search anumber of auction sites at once.

3) Seller’s Tip: List stuff that people will wantIt goes without saying, but you must always make sure that you only list itemswhich people will actually want to buy.

If you have an Ebay login you can view completed items by looking at the searchoptions on the left-hand side of the basic Ebay search screens.

If you pick something relatively common to search for you will discover that manyitems are unsold.Despite not having been sold, those sellers’s will have paid Ebay to list thoseitems. Each one of those unsold items represents a loss for the seller and profitfor Ebay.So before you list your item, look to see if items like it are already selling. Yourmay save yourself from unwanted expense.

4) Seller’s Tip: Physical productsMost people will start by selling physical products and only a few will enter therealm of selling information. Products or items that actually exist are themainstay of Ebay and comprise the majority of sales. This is where you shouldstart but all of them will require to be posted and that takes time, so choose itemsthat are easy to post.

5) Seller’s Tip: Sell Your ServicesRemember that it’s also possible to sell or perhaps to advertise a service withEbay and a number of seller’s do just that quite successfully.If you decide to sell a service on Ebay have a look at what other people aremanaging to sell before you spend your money on a listing. You are unlikely tosell your services as a hairdresser since they can pop down the street for that butif you are a portrait artist and can work from a photograph you may be onto awinner.

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6) Seller’s Tip: Digital products or informationThe big advantage of selling digital products is that their cost is usually minimalto the seller and they usually do not require posting unless they are supplied tothe buyer on a disk.Before you list any items you must be sure of copyright law and make sure thatyou have permission. Otherwise you could find yourself in court. Please feel freeto sell this e-book. As long as this book remains in it’s original form you aregranted FULL RESALE RIGHTS. – see legal stuff at the end of this e-book.

7) Seller’s Tip: Where to get stock - explore the pound shops!Pound shops - where everything is £1 can be a great source of products to sell.Most of us don’t have access to wholesale outlets and it doesn’t matter becauseif you can buy it for a pound and sell it for two or even more then you are intoprofit!You would be amazed what can be bought for a pound. Lately I saw babymanicure sets and extending dog leads at the local pound store. If you have thetime to list and post such items you will almost certainly make a profit.

8) Seller’s Tip: Car boots and antique fairsNow we enter the world of the second hand. Okay you’ve sold the stuff you hadcluttering up the house. Now where do we find more? Antique fairs are betterthan flea markets simply because the goods are of a generally higher standardbut both can yield profitable treasures.If buying antiques, take the time to learn your trade. If you have been pokingaround antique shops for years then you will have a good idea what might sell.Ebay is awash with antiques and collectibles and these can be a highly profitablearea in which to sell. Stick to the unusual and you will maximise your chance of aprofit. The American Ebayers particularly, will buy goods of this type.

9) Seller’s Tip: Soft stuff is easy to pack - and no bubble wrap required! –Try clothingIf antiques are not your bag then consider clothing. Remember that to a greatextent people shop on Ebay for convenience and for fun. We all want to lookgood and clothing sells. Garments have one other huge advantage over mostother items. Clothes are easy and generally cheap to pack and post. They areunlikely to break in transit. If you want easy sales and good feedback this is agreat place to start.

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10) Seller’s Tip: BooksYou could also consider books since they are easy to post too and can often bebought cheaply and sold on at a profit. Books are simplicity itself to post.

11) Seller’s Tip: E-books and informationThis is a growth area on Ebay and can be profitable if you get it right. It generallyrequires you not to have to pack and post. Be warned, you will make no moneyunless you sell the right product and unless you are the author you mustthoroughly check who owns the material you are selling. Failure to do this couldresult in litigation and legal expense.

12) Seller’s Tip: PayPalMake sure that you accept PayPal!If you do this you will greatly increase the number of prospective buyers, andpeople paying online will often pay more than if they can pay easily.It takes a little effort to write out a cheque and post it. For some people a chequefeels more like they are actually spending money. Conversely, many people afind it very easy to pay – a couple of clicks on the computer to pay by PayPal andthey have been parted from their cash without really feeling it in the same way.

Remember this, many people are more easily liberated from their cash if theycan pay electronically. So, accept PayPal.

13) Seller’s Tip: Western UnionMake your own decision on this one. Some seller’s find it slower and lessconvenient than PayPal.

14) Seller’s Tip: Don’t take personal cheques from other countriesIf you are in the UK and you are sent a personal cheque from overseas thenconsider the following:The exchange rates fluctuate all the time and the cheque is most likely to havebeen made out in a currency other than your own.Typically it will cost you around £8 to £10 to bank a foreign cheque in the UK andEbay does not like you passing this cost onto the buyer.It often takes as much as 6 weeks to clear a cheque in the UK from somewheresuch as America. The funds will show in your account almost immediately but thefunds are not guaranteed until the cheque has been cleared. The buyer willgenerally not wait 6 weeks before leaving negative feedback.

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If you despatch goods worth hundreds of pounds and the cheque bounces youare likely never to be able to retrieve your loss. The likelihood is also that you willhave left positive feedback for the buyer too! All in all this can be a nightmare.

15) Seller’s Tip: How to create e-book covers without special softwareIf you decide to sell e-books then you will need to have e-book covers for yourlistings.Sites such as http://www.onlinewebcreations.com/ebooks.html offer free e-bookcovers that can be modified or used as is.These covers can be modified using some software called compactdraw, whichas far as I am aware can currently be tried for free.I believe that this download is available athttp://www.mediachance.com/download.htmAlternatively you can use Microsoft Word’s (word art facility) to add 3D titles toany blank cover that you have downloaded. You will need to combine the wordart created text with your e-book cover using any graphics software of yourchoice. This is not particularly easy to do, but it is possible if you are on aparticularly tight budget.

16) Seller’s Tip: Consider postage and whether it will be worth people’sbotherNow consider what it is going to post to various locations. You can specify thatyou will only sell to your own country but in doing so you limit the number ofpotential buyers.If you decide to sell internationally this can increase your final selling price butyou must carefully consider what it is going to cost to post.If postage is too high many people will simply go elsewhere to buy this kind ofitem.If you insist on buyer collection (sometimes the only option with heavy items) youare unlikely to have people travel more than a few miles unless it is particularlyrare and sought after.If the postage costs make it uneconomic for the buyer they will simply not buyfrom you and worse still it may sell but at a terribly low price.

17) Seller’s Tip: Buy with resale rights!Lots of e-books are sold with resale rights and this may prove a ready source ofmaterial but once again consider copyright and check before you sell!

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18) Seller’s Tip: Sell other people’s stuff for cash!This is a great way to make money from Ebay. Why bother selling your own stuffwhen you can sell other people’s items for them and charge them for theservice?There are now a number of companies on both sides of the Atlantic offering thisservice and numbers are increasing so this seems to be a sound businessmodel.

19) Seller’s Tip: Create your own unique product.Uniqueness sells!A number of Ebayers are buying items on Ebay, repackaging them in somecreative way selling them on afterwards and making lots of cash doing it. If youcan come up with a winning way to do this that doesn’t take too much effort toproduce then you can turn a decent profit.The secret is to be creative and to create something with a market.

20) Seller’s Tip: Sell produce from the garden - e.g. seeds / cuttingsNot many people have realised that their garden and particularly any seeds oreven cuttings may provide an income albeit pretty minor.

21) Seller’s Tip: Nothing is junk anymore!Nothing is junk anymore! There was a time that you could sell pretty muchanything on Ebay. That seems to have changed somewhat. Even so, oneperson’s rubbish is another’s treasure.Before you throw it away, ask yourself “would anyone want this? There arethousands of broken and incomplete items sold on Ebay. These range frommobile phones, to watches, computers and of course antiques. Check Ebay forsales of similar broken items because it may be worth listing your own brokenitem.

22) Seller’s Tip: Get proof of postage and a receipt if you can.I know it’s a shock but not all buyers are 100% honest.Also the post is not 100% reliable. I would advocate that you get items insured inthe post unless they cost you next to nothing to replace. Always get proof ofpostage. If the buyer doesn’t want to pay for insurance (many don’t) you need tocover yourself, so get proof that you posted it in good faith. Always get and keepyour receipt.

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23) Seller’s Tip: Pack it wellIf it’s badly packed and it is damaged in transit you will get justifiable complaints.Pack well to maximise the chances of a safe arrival.Large, fragile or heavy items should always be double boxed. (Packed securelyinside one box and the packed inside another larger box) This helps to preventdistortion of the packaging whilst in the post.Don’t be under the impression that parcels are always carefully handled. Pack itwell so that it survives the trip.

24) Seller’s Tip: Cover your expenses!At all times cover your expenses. Remember that although you get a final sellingprice for an item plus postage (as long as that’s what you stated), there are othercosts in terms of packing materials and so on. Always, also consider your Ebayand PayPal fees since these can eat into any profit.

25) Seller’s Tip: Make best use of your timeIf you sell a lot of goods then consider not using the standard Ebay interface.Other ways to list items on Ebay can be quicker and easier. Consider usingTurboList and Selling Manager. (turbo lister from Ebay is free to use)

26) Seller’s Tip: Maximise your profit on every itemLook, you want to make money don’t you? You must do everything you can tomake sure that you make as much money on each item as possible. For detailson a few ways to do this, see below.

27) Seller’s Tip: Store your images elsewhereEbay charges for every picture beyond the first for every listing.Make use of Ebay for your first picture. You may just as well because it’sincluded in the price of your listing.

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A picture is worth a thousand words and within reason, the more pictures youhave with your item the better. You can use Ebay’s picture listing if you want tobut perhaps the cheapest way to have additional pictures is to upload yourimages to some free or cheap webspace and then insert them by means of anhtml tag. For example:<img src=”http://myfreewebspace.co.uk/myimage.jpg”>

28) Seller’s Tip: Be aware of the feesIf you are new to selling you may not be aware of all the different fees. Ebay is abusiness and charge a number of different fees. In return you get access to ahuge market so it really is a pretty good deal but even so, you may be able tosave a little on your fees. The choice is yours of course.

Here is a basic rundown but these are subject to change so you need to checkEbay’s terms.

Ebay insertion fees(These are on a sliding scale and may vary - essentially the lower the start pricethe lower the fee.)

Ebay sometimes have free listing days so make use of them!

Ebay seller fees(Percentage of final valuation - if sold) These fees are unavoidable sorry.

“Buy it now” fees.If you list an item as a buy it now then you will pay an additional fee. Rememberthat if you also list it as an auction item, the “buy it now” option will disappear ifsomeone places a bid so your additional expense may have been completelywasted. Many sellers advise that if you want to use “buy it now” then don’tauction your item at the same time.

Ebay reserve feesYou can minimise your expense by not having a reserve. If it sells at a high pricethen you are onto a winner. If not then you can lose out big time. Check similaritems to see how they have performed for other people and you may be able totake a chance on items by not setting a reserve.

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If you schedule auctions to start at a later date there may be a charge you for thistoo. These charges can be avoided or at least minimised by using 3rd partiesinstead. One such example is sparedollar (www.sparedollar.com) who will handlescheduling and provide large amounts of image space at fees, which may belower than Ebay. Check latest pricing!

If you are accepting PayPal then you will also most likely pay a percentage ofyour selling price to PayPal. One of the keys to being successful on Ebay is toget the most from your listing and minimise the fees that you pay for listing eachitemThe best way to minimise your fees is to be aware of them. Never list countlessitems the same unless you know that all the items are likely to sell!Ideally you could pass some of the fee onto the buyers in a way that isn’tobvious. You could for example add a little onto the postage, a little onto theprice etc. Exercise caution if you do this.

29) Seller’s Tip: Non-paying biddersRemember that you might be able to recover some of your fees from Ebay if thewinning bidder doesn’t pay - see Ebay’s help pages

30) Seller’s Tip: Never be tempted to leave negative feedback on a nonpaying bidder unless they have left their feedback first!If you do this then you will most likely get negative feedback too and you do notwant it!

31) Seller’s Tip: Is it tax deductible? -Keep track of all expenses so you can deduct them at tax time

32) Seller’s Tip: Use a seller ledger such as - “The Seller Ledger”This is an organiser for seller’s and is available from Amazon. It is designed tohelp you keep track of sales and expenses if you sell more than a few items.

33) Seller’s Tip: Learn from other peopleAlways check out the competition.If someone has thousands of feedbacks then check out what they’re selling andat what prices. If you can do the same then you’re likely to sell just as much asthey have.If someone has a listing that you really like then do your best to learn from it.Identify what you think is good about that listing so that you can use the sameprinciples.

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34) Seller’s Tip: Make use of copyright free imagesIf you look at the listings of many successful Ebayers then you will find that theysometimes have a few well-selected images to help sell their items and enhancetheir listings. Never copy images from elsewhere unless you have permission.If you don’t have permission then you are infringing on copyright.The good news is that there are thousands of images and animations to be hadvia the Internet, which are copyright free. There are companies, which stockimages for this purpose and you need to use a Search Engine to find theirwebsites. When you do locate a suitable source of images, carefully check theterms of use.Some sites with royalty free images have images that are only royalty free if usedfor non-commercial purposes. The terms and conditions on such web siteschange from time to time so always check if you use such images.

NEVER be tempted to do a Google image search and just use what images youfind. Many photographers now embed information about the image and its sourcethat makes it traceable using special software.

35) Seller’s Tip: Use padded envelopes because they are a great time-saverIt goes without saying that the more time you spend packing items the lessmoney you can make. Often, items will post happily in a padded envelope andsome Ebayers will deliberately limit themselves to items that are simplicity itselfto post.

36) Seller’s Tip: Get free packing materialsNot all packing materials have to cost you money and it’s so much better for youif they don’t.Check supermarkets and local council’s for free boxesOff licenses (liquor stores) sell nothing but bottles and these often arrive in verystrong boxes which they may be prepared to give away because they only clutterthe place up otherwise.

Remember to check skips (dumpsters) for boxes and packing materials. As longas they are clean they are useable and they will cost you nothing.Check the free ads papers for packaging and also suitable goods to sellIf you buy any goods on Ebay then keep the packaging so that you can reuse it.

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37) Seller’s Tip: Explore Ebay for packing materialsIf you do need packaging materials then check out Ebay itself. Ebay is awashwith useful packing materials that can be easily ordered using PayPal.

38) Use Plastic bottles - for packing fillerWith a screw cap and used appropriately, plastic drinks bottles are superb forpacking and padding some larger items because they will resist impacts andreduce damage as well as weighing next to nothing.

39) Seller’s Tip: Use egg boxes for packing fillerDon’t throw away that egg box! It is light and strong. Use it when packing largeritems.

40) Seller’s Tip: Popcorn is cheap!If you have a popcorn maker you can explode the corn and use it like polystyrenechippings. It is also environmentally friendly. Perhaps this particular tip isn’t foreveryone! �

41) Seller’s Tip: Double boxing for survivalA reminder - Always double box heavy items. They need to be well packed tosurvive their arduous journey and if they are insufficiently packed and damagedas a result, it will cost you either financially or in terms of feedback.

42) Seller’s Tip: Include a return address insideIt is particularly important when posting abroad, to make sure that you include areturn address (senders address) so that if the outer packaging gets lost ordamaged in transit it could at least be returned to you.

43) Seller’s Tip: Get rid of rattlesEven the most fragile of items will post quite happily as long as they are packedso as to eliminate ALL movement between the item itself and the packagingaround it. Do not wedge fragile items in tightly, or they will most likely break. Justpack them gently but securely and send in a stiff carton of some sort.

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44) Seller’s Tip: Never mark as “Fragile”Some seller’s advise never to do write “Fragile” on your package. Draw your ownconclusions. Make your own decision.

45) Seller’s Tip: Put yourself in the shoes of a buyerNow we get down to the actual selling of your item and the way you write yourdescription which let’s remember is actually an advert.Consider this:Which would you respond to better? A stranger with a sales pitch or a friend whoknows their stuff?

46) Seller’s Tip: Write a great titleThis is absolutely vital. You have 55 characters to use for a title and you need toreach as many people as possible, who might be interested. Consider everythingcarefully and conduct a search for similar completed items to find out what titlesare being successful for other people. If you get the title wrong you could losemore than 50% of potential buyers.

47) Seller’s Tip: Don’t waste words in your title.Remember that this is not an English grammar class and you don’t need topunctuate. Pack as much information into that title as possible.

48) Seller’s Tip: Spell the title correctly!Have a look on Ebay and you will find that many items are misspelled in the title.If you need to use one then get a dictionary. Don’t just copy other peoplebecause in some sections as much as 15% have titles incorrectly spelled.If a buyer is searching for a “Teddy bear” and you have one listed as a “TeddieBare” then far fewer people will find it. That will result in lost bidders so get itspelled correctly!

49) Seller’s Tip: What would you search for if you wanted what you’reselling?Once again, put yourself in a buyer’s shoes before you sell. What search termswould you use to find one of those?

50) Seller’s Tip: use all 55 characters available!Every available character on the title line is costing you money so use it. Anyextra info may help to find a buyer since many buyers only search by title.

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51) Seller’s Tip: Make sure that the title matches the goodsThis should be obvious, but how many people get it wrong is just amazing.

52) Seller’s Tip: Give a great description! Disclose all flaws!Many seller’s, especially new ones are reluctant to disclose flaws andimperfections but you should.Why be so honest? Well, when a buyer gets an item that is incorrectly describedor does not meet their expectations they may complain to Ebay or PayPal aboutyou for a start.Additionally you risk poor feedback and good feedback is the lifeblood of yourEbay survival.

53) Seller’s Tip: Put any flaws in the middle of your description.Here is a good tip!If you list any flaws first then many buyers will be instantly put off.If you list them at the end of your listing then that’s the final impression you willgive them.By far the best place to list flaws or imperfections is in the middle of yourdescription. Writing your description in this way you can have a positive start thatkeeps them reading and also leave them with some positive comment about theitem at the end.

54) Seller’s Tip: Avoid music and clutter like the plague!There’s a world of difference between a slick and professional looking advert andone absolutely covered with spinning icons and distracting graphics.You may have lots of fun creating them but it will put many buyers off your listing.If you do this then you will lose money.At all times ask yourself this question: "will this help my item sell?"

55) Seller’s Tip: Be professional with your listingLook at the listings on Ebay and you will notice a world of difference betweengood and bad. If you want the highest prices then yours must be good and youca learn from what you see elsewhere.

56) Seller’s Tip: Check the spelling in your descriptionPeople will often search the description field too so it’s vital that any informationis correctly spelled there as well.

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57) Seller’s Tip: No reserve!This will save you money in reserve fees as long as your item sells for a decentprice.Putting “NO RESERVE” on your title may entice a few buyers to look at your iteminstead of someone else’s.Remember that this is a risky strategy but it can save you money and may alsoincrease your sale price if your item is desirable.

58) Seller’s Tip: RARE!If your item is unusual or rare in some way then say so in your title. This canconsiderably increase sales especially if you imply that this is the bestopportunity they will ever get to purchase such an item.Remember that not every collector in any particular field will have much ideawhat is and isn't scarce. These newbie collectors will often like the idea of owninga rarity. If it is rare then let them know by saying so and this is best done in bothtitle and description.

59) Seller’s Tip: Use the power of psychology to good useUse the principles of NLP and hypnosis to sell your item. This is possible to do ifyou know how.

60) Seller’s Tip: Put the pressure on with buy it now!“Buy it now” is great if you have a rare or unusual item to sell.Many buyers will make a hasty and perhaps overly expensive purchase if theythink that someone else may get this desirable item at any time.Make sure to add into your description something that reminds them of this.

61) Seller’s Tip: The importance of feedbackAlways get a positive feedback response! Never get a negative one. If you are aseller it is your feedback that sells as much as anything else. Always protectyour feedback. The best way to get good feedback is to keep your buyers happy.If you are unlucky enough to get negative feedback then do whatever you can toget it removed.

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62) Seller’s Tip: HonestyBe honest in all your dealings. A dishonest Ebayer may make some quick cashbut they will lose out in the long haul because nobody will want to trade withthem.

63) Seller’s Tip: Customer relationsAlways be pleasant and civil in your dealings with buyers - yes, even the difficultones. Remember always that they have more power than you do when it comesto feedback and the effect that it can have on your future sales.

64) Seller’s Tip: As a seller - never post feedback first!Never post your feedback first if you are selling. It is your one weapon against atroublesome buyer.

65) Seller’s Tip: Tell them about your other itemsIf you have similar items then tell them, you may get more sales and could evenpost two items together. Don’t miss an opportunity to sell.

66) Seller’s Tip: Make it easy to buy from youDo whatever you can to make it easy for them to buy from you especially if youare selling consumables or items that they may want more of. A customer whohas bought from you once is more likely to do it again if the transaction went wellfor them.

67) Seller’s Tip: Would you like to supersize that?Is there a way to boost the sale by selling an add-on of some kind? If you can sellanother item to go with it then do so. You have nothing to lose and everything togain. Is it possible to sell them an adapter or something that would make theproduct even better?Remember that having made the decision to buy, they are past any salesresistance that they may have had and you are onto a winner.They are already paying postage so you can put it to them that they may as wellmake use of it and save postage later. It may be against Ebay's rules to sell themyour item outside of Ebay but you can sell them any other items you have quitehappily once you are in contact with your buyer.

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68) Seller’s Tip: Let people know about your website if you have oneThere are a number of things to consider here. If you have a website you can useEbay to generate hits and traffic for your website, perhaps even to get it pickedup by the search engines. You can put links to your own site in your item listings.You can also use feedback from buyers on Ebay as product endorsements.

69) Seller’s Tip: Say thank you!Always thank your buyers for purchasing from you. Why? Because it gives youan excuse to contact your customer and it will encourage good feelings for youas a seller. You can use the opportunity to subtly (or not) remind them of anyother items that you may have for sale - even if it's only a link to your website ifyou have one. Remember that a buyer is more likely to buy off someone thatthey have had a good experience with before. That person MUST be you!

70) Seller’s Tip: Use the Ebay countersCounters are an excellent idea since they give you the opportunity to monitorvisitors to you items on Ebay. If you have lots of similar items to sell then this iswell worth doing. You can use them to monitor the respective effectiveness ofdifferent titles or category listings and hone your listing to perfection.

71) Seller’s Tip: Always use HIDDEN counters!Always hide your counters.If there are only a couple of people looking at your item then why on earth wouldyou want them to know that?Keep them in the dark about the popularity of an item. If they are interested thenit they will assume other people are too and that may translate to a higher bid.

72) Seller’s Tip: Ask them if you can keep in touch or have a sign up for mymailing list linkIf you have a web shop and regularly sell items of a particular type then ask if it'sokay to keep in touch with your buyers. Remember that in Europe at leastspamming (sending unsolicited email) is illegal but if they have previously saidit’s okay for you to do so then you can, and it may help to increase your incomewith subsequent sales.(Note: Here in the UK if you do this then you should register for data protection.Other countries may have similar laws regarding storage of personal details oncomputer or electronic storage devices)

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73) Seller’s Tip: Make a friendIf you often sell items of this type then make a friend by being pleasant andhelpful in all of your dealings. .

74) Seller’s Tip: Publish a newsletterIf you have a mailing list then publish a newsletter and sell, sell sell!Remember that Ebay can be used just to make an initial contact from which youmay generate subsequent sales

75) Seller’s Tip: Give people freebies - especially if it costs you nothingThis will make them feel all warm and fuzzy about you and you know what thatmeans. It will be good for your feedback and you are more likely to get anongoing buyer.

76) Seller’s Tip: Give them a reason to buy more than one!Why sell one when you can sell two. Perhaps the second could be at a discount.As long as you get more profit this is worth doing.

77) Seller’s Tip: Raise your prices! By doing this over a period of time or ondifferent sites you can find out what people will payThis is research well worth doing.It's worth experimenting because buyers will factor in your personal feedback aswell before deciding what to pay.

78) Seller’s Tip: Choose an auction category. - Experiment to find the best -adding a second is cheaper than having two in different onesAs well as searching by title and description, many buyers will simply search thecontents of a category. Therefore your item needs to be in the right category. Ifyou sell many items of the same or similar types, then experiment with differentcategories. The more bidders that manage to find your item then potentially thehigher the quantity of the sales.

79) Seller’s Tip: Do your research! Check out the competitionCheck out all of the following:1) What are others doing?2) What is selling well?3) What kinds of titles attract the most attention?A little time spent researching the results of others items and sales will pay off.

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80) Seller’s Tip: Make sure that you use the re-listing option it saves timeand prevents mistakesIf you have similar items to sell then make use of the re-listing option to "sell asimilar item" it will save you a great deal of time and will prevent you from makingmistakes. It’s useful once you have a listing pretty much perfected. Check alisting once and then reuse as much of it as possible, even if it is only your postalterms that gets reused you will save yourself time and effort.

81) Seller’s Tip: Keep up to dateEbay is a fast moving environment so you need to keep a permanent eye onwhat others are doing and notice any trends that you can. Any information thatyou can gather for free may be very useful to you with your own listings.

82) Seller’s Tip: Check out the cost of postageHave the facts about postage on your listing. This is vital for maximum sales. Abuyer may only look at your item once. That’s ONCE!If they have to email you to ask about postage and wait for your reply then theymay buy elsewhere in the meantime.

83) Seller’s Tip: Make a small profit on the postage.If you make an additional 10% or so on postage nobody is likely to complain andit's money in your pocket. If you go over the top you will simply put buyers off.The formula is simple here. A little over and over again amounts to a lot.

84) Seller’s Tip: Call it "postage" or "shipping". Never call it "PACKING"Everyone understands that they will have to pay postage but many buyers resentpaying for packing. Do not describe it as such.

85) Seller’s Tip: Offer shipping/postal insuranceHere is an opportunity to make some more money. You can charge a little bitextra - again another 10% or so will go unnoticed and even better, if you areselling countless items the same some sellers will take a chance and not insureany of them at all. They are simply paying the seller for insurance instead of thepost office. This is a risky strategy because you’d have to replace the occasionalitem but you could turn a tidy additional profit in the meantime. This is aboutpercentages and whilst this can be a profitable strategy it is also a risky one.

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86) Seller’s Tip: Consider trackable servicesIf selling high value items make sure that they are trackable. Some "buyers" willdeny that an item ever arrived and seek to recover their money so be warned inadvance - this does happen and you need to guard yourself against it.

87) Seller’s Tip: Have a returns policyMany buyers like to see a returns policy but it should not be prominent in yourlisting. The last thing that you want to indicate is that they are likely to want toreturn the item.

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Winning strategies for buyers

88) Buyer’s Tip: The usefulness of other auction sitesOther auction sites are great! Far fewer buyers use them and although there maybe less choice in terms of items for sale, this does mean that there is less in theway of competition too. Less competition means lower prices and for you thismay well mean an absolute bargain.Here in the UK you could try http://www.auctionlotwatch.co.uk which searches anumber of online auction sites or for a more detailed search you could visit thesites themselves.This will take you more time than just scanning Ebay but you may well savesome of your hard-earned cash.

89) Buyer’s Tip: PayPalMake sure that you get a PayPal account because some buyers will only acceptit.PayPal offers you some purchase protection, more at least than you will get ifyou pay by cash or cheque.

90) Buyer’s Tip: SnipingIf you are relatively new to Ebay you will not know what sniping is so here is abrief explanation.Many buyers operate on the assumption that it is better to bid only at the lastsecond.The thinking behind this is that if there is little apparent interest in an item thenmany potential competing buyers will assume that there is no competition. Thismay mean that they bid too low or too early.Sniping is the art of biding at the last possible second and there are several waysto accomplish this.

If you are on a dial up connection to the internet then sniping is a high riskstrategy since you may not be able to update your web browser's screen fastenough to put in a bid during the last few seconds of the sale.

With a high-speed connection such a broadband you can do this much moreeasily.

If this all sounds too stressful or you cannot be around to actually watch the end

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of the auction then use a sniping service, which will do all of the hard work foryou.

There are a number of companies that offer tools to do this.Ebay sniper software “buyertools”- is available as a freeware download.Alternatively visit Google and search for sniping tools.

Not everyone believes that sniping works but most Ebayers would agree that itdoes. Sniping definitely does add to the excitement of online auctions.

91) Buyer’s Tip: The importance of feedbackAs a buyer it's important to look after your feedback but to be honest much moreimportant is that of the seller you are considering buying from.ALWAYS CHECK A SELLER'S FEEDBACK BEFORE MAKING A PURCHASE!

At the top right of every auction listing is information about the seller.When you examine this you will find that there is a number representing the totalnumber of items they have either bought or sold on Ebay.There is also a percentage figure. This indicates the percentage of people whohave been happy with the transactions that they have had with this person.There is a link called "view seller’s’ feedback". And you MUST check this!

Generally you should look for a 100% or 99% positive feedback so as to be surethat you are dealing with a reputable seller.

After following the link to check the seller's feedback, look at the screen to makesure that they have attained this rating from selling and not buying.

Remember that it is possible for the seller to have attained lots of positivefeedback by buying lots of Ebay items at only a penny or two. Feedback attainedin this way will do nothing to prove that they are good sellers.Ideally, make sure that they have sold lots and lots of items and that their buyershave been happy.

On the feedback screen the list of comments from buyers will be displayed. Tothe far right are click-able links to the items themselves (this applies only torecent items). Check some of these to see what sort of items the seller has beenselling.

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This is especially important if you are going to bid for a high value item because ifall they have sold has been cheap trinkets then you may want to be carefulbefore you send enough money to buy that something such as a computer orplasma television.

92) Buyer’s Tip: First time seller’s are great!Often, first time seller’s will make the mistake of putting high value items on Ebaybefore they have built up their feedback rating.Because they have little in the way of feedback many buyers will ignore theseseller’s altogether.This is an opportunity for you!Because of the lack of competition you are likely to be able to buy those items forless than you would otherwise have been able to otherwise.This is considered unsafe by many but if the item is geographically close to you,you can collect it in person. If it’s not as described you simply don't pay.

93) Buyer’s Tip: Dare you risk it?Alternatively you can buy several items from new sellers and spread the risk.Some items will most likely be okay and others may not, but if you can saveenough over all, then the risk may well be worth it.The highest risk strategy is to buy off seller’s with poor feedback ratings but if youcan afford to take the risk you could be in for a great deal.

94) Buyer’s Tip: Keywords and beautiful misspellingsYou can do very well if you can exploit the inability of many sellers’ to spell.By searching more carefully and even typing words that are commonlymisspelled incorrectly then you can find items that most people will not.Remember that if the item is hard to find there are going to be fewer prospectivebuyers and that puts you in the best possible position to obtain a bargain.

95) Buyer’s Tip: Look for items that have been misidentified or incorrectlydescribedAlmost as good as sellers who cannot spell are seller’s who list their items in thewrong category or who completely misidentify them. This applies particularly toantiques and collectibles and if you are knowledgeable about a particular area ofcollecting then you can find these items and pick them up often getting anabsolute bargain.

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96) Buyer’s Tip: Search by title and descriptionThe easiest way to find listings that are poorly described is to check both the titleand the description as wellA search by category can be well worth the effort too even though you willdoubtless have to trawl through page after page of items that you do not want.

97) Buyer’s Tip: Try other countriesIf you don't want to bother with non-English speaking Ebay sites then you canrestrict yourself to the likes of www.Ebay.com (America) www.Ebay.co.uk (UK).Remember that Ebay has sites all over the world.Here in the UK postage seems to be high when compared to the rest of Europe.The USA is much cheaper too.Buying from abroad you can take advantage of differences in exchange ratesand lower postage costs.Too few buyers take the time to look at non-English speaking Ebay sites andthese can be absolutely awash with bargains.If you look at www.Ebay.fr or www.Ebay.de you'll see what I mean. By doing thisyou can exploit the fact that items may be much cheaper or less desirable inanother country.

What if you don't speak French or German? Well that's not a problem becauseyou can use translation tools.

98) Buyer’s Tip: Use AltaVista's babel fish to translate the name of whatyou’re looking for into another language.You can also use the free translation service offered by Google. Thesetranslation tools can also be use to communicate with foreign seller’s. Write outyour question in English and then translate it before sending.Never assume that they will speak English even though many foreign sellers will.

99) Buyer’s Tip: Ask whether they will post abroadVery often a seller will indicate that they will only sell within their own countrywhen they create their listing.If you buy an item in another country and you forget to check the seller’swillingness to post abroad you will still have to pay for the item.Fortunately most seller’s are intelligent enough to realise that they will get ahigher price if there are more buyers bidding and will often agree to post it to youbut do check first.

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100) Buyer’s Tip: When buying from abroad consider the extra expenses.Now a warning about customs charges. Whenever an item comes from abroad itwill go through customs as it enters the country.

Every country has their own laws and regulations, which may add significantly tothe cost of buying from abroad.Lets suppose that you’re in the UK and you buy from the USA. For most itemsyou will pay 17.5% Value Added Tax on any purchase over about £30. This iscollected by The Post Office who also charge for collecting the VAT.There are some exclusions (such as educational items) which will not attract VATand you can check what these are on the Customs and Excise website.For readers outside the UK you need to carefully check the legislation for yourparticular country.

Despite the potential additional costs you can still save a great deal on someitems by making an international purchase.

101) Buyer’s Tip: Postage is cheaper in the USA and on mainland EuropeGenerally postage is high in the UK when compared to other countries.International post from Australia seems to be especially cheap especially whenone considers the distances that items bought by international bidders may haveto travel. Combined with preferential exchange rates Australia can be anattractive source of goods.

102) Buyer’s Tip: Do your researchAs with selling on Ebay, the better your research the more chance you have of abargain. This is why people who specialise in certain types of item will surf Ebayfor hours. There are plenty of bargains to be had if you know exactly what you relooking for and you have some sort of specialist knowledge. If you are a collectorof some kind then you can also learn a great deal simply from looking atphotographs and reading descriptions on Ebay.

103) Buyer’s Tip: Can you get it for less or even nothing elsewhere?This is vitally important! It's all too easy to get carried away and to limit yoursearch to Ebay. Remember that Ebay is just one website and that often a Googlesearch will produce better results. Many people are making a living selling itemsthat you could legitimately download for nothing elsewhere!

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104) Buyer’s Tip: Look at completed salesAlways look at completed items before bidding so that you get an idea of whatyou are likely to have to pay.If there have been ten identical pairs of binoculars sold over the last few weeks atvarious prices then you will see how low you can bid and still expect to get apurchase.Taking this approach, you may have to bid low on one item after another for acouple of weeks but eventually you are likely to get it at the lowest possible price.Patience is a virtue and it will save you money.

105) Buyer’s Tip: Take your time and get Ebay to do the work.If you are not in a rush to buy an item of a particular type then why not search forthe item in "Advanced Search". Then in the results page select "Add toFavourites" which is located at the top right. You can indicate whether you wantEbay to email you for a specific time period whenever items are listed whichmatch the your search.

106) Buyer’s Tip: Buyer beware - fraudsters operate on Ebay!Ebay has had more than one fraudulent seller and you need to avoid them.Check the feedback and check the listings carefully. Often the title will say onething but the description when carefully read will be quite different.

107) Buyer’s Tip: Never buy from someone who does not accept PayPal orpersonal chequesThis is a simple rule. Don't do it and never ever send cash!

108) Buyer’s Tip: Read the description CAREFULLY!I hope this is obvious to anyone reading this. You must check descriptions verycarefully or you will eventually get stung. Look for what's been omitted as well aswritten.If you buy a laptop for example then it might be a good idea to check that itcomes with a power lead or adapter. This may sound stupid but often we makeassumptions that turn out not to be correct and if you have to go out and buy anadapter or power lead then it adds to your expense. This is not necessarilyseller’s being dishonest, it is more a case of us assuming things where we shouldhave asked questions before bidding or buying.

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109) Buyer’s Tip: Look closely at the photosA picture really does tell a thousand words. Often a seller may be sellingsomething about which they have little idea so you need to be a detective andlook carefully at any photographs.Some sellers always have dark and grainy images of their items and shortdescriptions. They expect the buyer to ask about condition etc. There is a reasonfor this.

110) Buyer’s Tip: Eliminate the buy it now option with a bidIf something is listed as both an auction and a buy it now you can prevent a “Buyit Now” sale from happening buy making a bid.When you do this, the buy it now option disappears and it reverts to being astraightforward auction. This may save you a bundle.

111) Buyer’s Tip: Make your maximum bid an irregular amount e.g. £50.13This is often advised and makes a lot of sense. I myself have been outbid on a£300 item by only two pence!

112) Buyer’s Tip: Decide on your maximum and stick to itAs with all auctions it's very easy to get carried away and you need to guardagainst this by deciding how much you are prepared to pay and then stick to it!

113) Buyer’s Tip: If this is likely to be the only chance you ever get to buysuch an item then go the whole hog!If you are a collector and the item is particularly rare you may wish to bid high inorder to get the item of your desire. Nothing is worse than thinking afterwards “Iwish I’d bid more”.

114) Buyer’s Tip: Bidding high early may put off other buyers but is a riskystrategy and often failsBidding high early may put off other buyers but is a risky strategy.The thinking here is that people will not bid if they think they are unlikely to winand that by bidding high early on in the auction you may put other buyers off.In my experience this tactic simply doesn't work because there is alwayssomeone with more money to spend than you do and it just seems to drive theprice up.

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115) Buyer’s Tip: Buy local heavy items on Ebay!Furniture and other heavy items that are difficult or impossible to post can makesuperb Ebay buys.To find them, select "items near me" on the left-hand side and click the “search”button in the left-hand navigator to find the items, which are near to you. Oftenthese items will "bomb" and you can get some great stuff this way at almost give-away prices. Okay, you'll have to collect it but it will be well worth it for the savingyou make.

116) Buyer’s Tip: Remember that if you make a winning bid you are legallycommitted to pay for the item!Sometimes it's tempting to bid on items that we don't really want or need. Onlybid for what you want because if you win you will be paying for it!

117) Buyer’s Tip: Some items are cheaper in bits or brokenIf you can get what you want with a scratch or some other damage that does notaffect the way it functions and it saves you money, then would it be a good buy?To save money and get a bargain, then buy an imperfect item that works.

If you have the means and the knowledge to repair an item or to combine two tomake one then you can do extremely well buying items that are broken orincomplete and I advise all Ebayers to consider whether this is an option.

118) Buyer’s Tip: Never try to buy an Ebay item outside of Ebay bycontacting the seller directly - you may get your Ebay account suspendedIf you get suspended that’s really going to hamper your Ebaying. Don’t do it!

119) Buyer’s Tip: Check shipping / postage charges carefully.Always check postage before buying. I hope this goes without saying but not allsellers will advertise this in advance. Ask them how much it is first!

120) Buyer’s Tip: Get good feedback by sending payment as soon aspossibleEven as a buyer you want good feedback. You may decide to sell at some pointand you will find it hard if your feedback is poor.

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121) Buyer’s Tip: If at all possible avoid posting negative feedback.If at all possible avoid disputes. You can best guard against them by sticking topeople with excellent feedback. If you do post negative feedback and you’re thefirst to post, then the likelihood is that the seller will just give you negativefeedback too. Better not to post feedback at all. Lick your wounds and learn fromthe lesson.

Legal Stuff

This e-book is provided on an “as is” basis and is not warranted in any way.You should check current terms and conditions of any third party website mentioned in this guideThis guide represents only one opinion and should not be taken as fact.The writer accepts no liability for any errors or omissions.Use of this information is entirely at your own risk and you should seek independent confirmation beforeembarking on any business enterprise.

You are granted FULL RESALE RIGHTS.You may either resell or distribute this guide freely BUT you may not change or alter it in any way.It may only be redistributed if it retains its original page headers with the Richimajin logo and URL.Distribution in any other form is expressly against the author’s permission.