Learn the tricks that will get you more money for the things you sell on eBay.

Several million items are available for auction on eBay at any given time. A search for "laptop" turns up more than 10,000 results alone. With so many options, buyers only see a small fraction of what's available. Many auctioneers end up with a low final bid or no sale at all. Today I'll teach you how to boost your auction profits by avoiding common mistakes.

  1. Auction title
    Most eBay users find what they want by using the site's search feature. Here's how to get your auction to the top of the search results.
    • Pack as much information as you can in the title and be sure to use key words.
    • Put anything that won't fit in the title in the description area.
    • EBay doesn't charge by the word, so load it on.


  2. Use HTML
    Format your description well. Use HTML and check your spelling.
    • Use a paragraph tag <p> or break tag <br> to separate lines.
    • Put a bold tag <b> before your description to give it some weight. End the bold text with the </b> tag.


  3. Get noticed
    Put a picture on your auction page. It's free! Then add your auction to the gallery for only 25 cents. Adding your auction to the gallery increases your visibility about fourfold and is the best bargain on the site. Here are some other options.
    • Bold your listing at a cost of $2.00.
    • Add a great gift icon at a cost of $1.00.
    • Make it a highlight feature at a cost of $5.00. This will put your auction at the top of the search results page. The expensive option is worth it for high-value auctions.


  4. Bid prices
    Keep the minimum bid as low as possible. If you're willing to accept a penny, put the minimum bid at a penny.

    EBay's listing fees are partially based on your initial bid. Keep the initial bid low or else you'll be out funds you didn't expect to spend.

  5. Payment options
    Accept PayPal and eBay credit card payments. If you're competent enough to use eBay, you're competent enough to use PayPal. Waiting around for a mailed check that might clear after a couple of weeks is no way to spend a month of your life.

  6. Be courteous
    Answer questions promptly and courteously. Provide feedback and solicit feedback in return. Once your eBay rating is about 20 or so, buyers won't have any qualms about purchasing from you.

    If you want to quickly boost your feedback numbers, sell a bunch of old books on Half.com. Its feedback mechanism feeds into your eBay rating.


Happy auctioning!