Sell On Ebay/Have A Garage Sale


Garage sales are a fun way to make some extra money, get rid of old stuff you no longer use and help the environment by recycling. But, to have a successful garage sale it takes hard work and planning. It’s easier if you involve your family. Many hands make light work, you know.

Invite your neighbors or friends to bring their items over and to help set up. The more things you have for sale the more potential customers you’ll attract. Plus, they can help with the advertising costs, sign placement, price marking and just keeping an eye on the money and the merchandise.

Start with accumulating items long before you have a garage sale if possible. That’s not to say a spur of the moment sale won’t be successful as well. Place things for sale to one side where you won’t have to be looking for them on the day of the sale. Go ahead and write the price on a sticker and put it in plain view, not on the bottom. The more things you get done ahead of time, the more you’ll enjoy the day.

Check your community for required permits. Most towns require a permit but the cost is minimal. Place an ad in the newspaper and save money by keeping it brief. If you do have a specialty item, go ahead and mention it and don’t leave out the address of the sale. It’s been done many times.

Signs can bring extra traffic to your sale because not everyone reads the paper. Make sure your sign is readable and not too flexible. If it bends in the wind, people won’t be able to read it. The same goes for small print. Write in large, bold letters. Obtain permission to place your sign if it’s on private property. Some cities prohibit garage sale signs anywhere. You should also place flyers on community bulletin boards.

Hide or cover anything that’s not for sale. Be friendly but let them shop and buy. Prices should be about a quarter of what it cost new, as a rule of thumb. Be careful about putting too much sentimental value in the price.

You want to earn extra money but if you don’t want the item anyway, sell it and not have to re-store it. In pricing, remember you can always go down but not up. Be fair on pricing and expect bargaining. Always be truthful on the condition of an item. It’s best to point out any flaws before the purchase.

Don’t have a garage sale on a holiday weekend. Try to pick a weekend that good weather is forecast. Too hot or too wet can ruin your chances of making money. Display merchandise attractively. Don’t pile everything on top of each other where customers have to waste time digging.

Place a few interesting items near the roadway. Light music is okay but not too loud. Guard your money and watch for shoplifters. Most people are honest and rarely is there a problem. By the way, have plenty of change on hand along with plenty of bags for purchased items.

When the sale is over count your money and take down any signs you’ve put in people’s yard or on the roadways. Remember as the old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another person’s treasure.” Almost everyone, rich and poor, spends money at garage sales.

We’ve all heard the stories about how people have started out small selling an item or two on eBay and within a few weeks or months they’re raking in thousands of dollars each month.

Are they true? Some of them are and it’s being done everyday. Selling on eBay is easy if you’re willing to educate yourself and follow the rules that have been honed to near perfection over many years of trial and error.

Register with eBay is a good way to begin and browse through the various auctions and see what’s selling and what’s not. There are many tutorials, books and audios you can purchase (some of them are free) if you’re serious about making money on eBay.

The more you know the more likely you are to succeed. The basics are easy and you can get started almost immediately. But, to make serious money it typically takes a while to fine tune your business.

The beauty of selling on online auctions is that it’s inexpensive to get started and test a product. Throw it out there and see how many buyers bite. If it’s a flop, try something else and you’ve only lost a few cents. eBay offers many ways to research a product to see what an item has sold for and how many have sold. If there’s no demand for your product, find something else.

Good feedback goes a long way to the success of buying or selling on eBay. Feedback is a system where each buyer or seller receives a rating on his service and the item. A good way to get started receiving positive feedback is to buy a few items and pay promptly.

Whether buying or selling the best way to pay is through Pay Pal. This is a company affiliated with eBay that allows you to pay with a credit card through them. It’s easy, fast and as safe as possible. You can accept checks or money orders if you want, but it delays completing the transaction.

When you’re ready to start selling it’s probably best to start with items around the home you don’t want anymore such as clothes, electronics, books and collectibles. When you run out of those you can find items at garage sales, wholesale houses and even other auctions. Some people sell items for a commission for their friends.

You can sell both new and used items. It’s nice if you can find a niche market for something you’re interested in such as digital cameras, Hot Wheels, or antiques. The more specialized you become the more you’re perceived as an expert.

When you have multiple items for sale or a good source for your products it may be time to place them in an eBay store. Details on how to do this can be found on the eBay website. In the eBay store, your items are on display without the expense of a bricks and mortar building.

Be honest about the things you’re selling and point out any flaw it may have. If you make a mistake, admit it and make it good. Your reputation as a seller is at stake. A good digital picture of the item will reveal most flaws and will boost your sales. Most of the time on eBay the first picture is free and you can add others for a small fee.

When you sell an item, communicate with your buyer and ship promptly. Say thank you and that you’d appreciate receiving a good feedback and you’ll do the same. Selling on eBay one item at a time or in volume in an eBay store is an excellent way to make easy extra money and maybe even a small fortune…at least a good living.