What do You Need to Sell on eBay?

2. What do You Need?

To sell on eBay, you need a few items. You will need to have a picture of your item, you will need to be able to ship your item (unless it is in the rare circumstance that you will allow people to pick up the item), and you will need a computer or smartphone.

A picture. Most of the time, you will need to take a picture of the item. The one exception is if you are selling something in a new, never opened box and the box is in good condition, then you can use a stock photo. If there is any kind of defect at all in the box, take a picture of the box, it doesn't pay to take chances. If you are taking a picture of your item, you can use a digital camera, a camera built into a phone, or a scanner. Scanners work well for printed materials, and for coins. You can have up to 12 pictures for free, and for most things, you should try and get pictures from all angles. Avoid images in the background, unless they add to the feel of the item. When I was doing research for a toy truck, I saw one Ebayer who had put his truck against a background of a beach and a setting sun. You need a really good picture, and if you can get twelve of them, so much the better.

Shipping. Don't wait until you have sold an item to think about shipping. Before you list it, do you have access to a box or envelope that it will fit in. If you have to buy a container, you will have to think about that expense when pricing shipping and/or the item. Sometimes you can find a similar item and see what they are charging, but don't make a bet that this is an accurate shipping cost. Even when I am charging actual cost (which is an option when you go to list, you need the package's measurements and weight) I have never ended up with the same amount that I am charging, it is always off by a few cents. When pricing your item/and or shipping, keep in mind that Ebay charges 10% of the final selling price for both the item and shipping charges.