I thought it'd be a good idea to set up a thread where experienced Acaeum members can offer tips to people new to ebay who want to sell stuff. I want to avoid making mistakes, so what is good practice, and what is bad practice?
What's the best way to pack items sold? Eg. hardback books and boxed sets should obviously be bubble-wrapped, but what about other items. When is it acceptable to put an item in a padded envelope (with no other packing), and when not?
Whatif you've sold multiple CDs or modules- should you use something to separate them within the envelope or box?

What are the advantages of using a reserve vs not including a reserve, a Buy-It-Now (and/or best offer), starting out an item at $0.99 say, or starting an item at $40 when the value might be $50 (for example)?

All tips are appreciated!

Since the bidding market seems to be a bit down, lately I have listed most of my items as a BIN.  It cost 35 cents to list for 30 days but the final value fees are a bit higher.

This lets me list the items on Ebay fairly cheaply and try and get the price that I want.

I think the big key for listing items is to describe the product accurately.  Spend the couple minutes to look over the product and see if there are marks/writing/highlighting and if the item is complete or not.  This is also one of the frequent new buyer mistakes - to not know what should be included with a product and to verify if it is complete or not (lots of the supermodules T1-4, GDQ, etc are sold without the map books).

There should be a stack of selling on eBay tips on Acaeum already. Don't know if the seach facility works though. I tend not to use it because if lists every thread just in a different order. But selling on eBay tips is a subject that comes up regularly.

I've been thinking about writing a guide to post on eBay, so here are a few ideas that I've already jotted down:

1) Invest in a digital scale. I bought a small one for around $20-30 with a 50lb. limit. If you're going to print your own shipping labels (through eBay/PayPal and/or USPS.com) a scale is a must. Then you can just drop off your packages or even schedule a home pick-up. Beats the heck out of standing in line!

2) As previously mentioned, a thorough, accurate description is key! For printed matter, take the time to look at every page and note any defects. Examine the covers in good light at different angles to pick up creases, dings, and other flaws. For miniatures, I want to know if it is broken, missing pieces, or otherwise incomplete.

3) Don't take half-arsed pictures! Take a few minutes to learn about your digital camera's modes, including macro and digital zoom for smaller items like miniatures.

4) Be prepared! Have your packing materials on hand before your auction(s) end. You can have Priority Mail boxes/envelopes delivered to your door for free! Make sure you have bubble wrap, shipping peanuts, tape, and an assortment of your own boxes/envelopes if not shipping via Priority Mail.

5) Pack items the same way you would expect to receive them! I have received shipments of minis that were tossed together in ziploc baggies and the baggies tossed into a box with NO PADDING! I spend a lot of time packing up items I sell, but it's worth it - and it will be reflected in your feedback.

6) Pricing - for standard auctions, lower starting prices typically attract more attention. If you post a NM copy of T1-4 (with map) and a starting price of .99 cents, you probably don't have to worry about it ending at $1.37. If you post it with a starting price of $50, maybe you sell it, maybe not. Make your starting bid whatever you feel comfortable with - and if it doesn't sell, you can always re-list it with a lower starting price.

Hope that helps!

So with listing fees, you have to pay up front whether they sell or not, yes?

And the overall listing fees for listing multiple items is cheaper, yes? Eg. listing 10 CDs at one time will be cheaper than listing 2 CDs at one time, and listing 20 CDs will be even cheaper than listing 10 CDs at one time, right?

Edit: Jason, I read your thread. It has some useful tips.

ericthecleric wrote:As a test, I've listed some CDs (before I think about selling RPG stuff).

A Russian guy (with over 900 feedback) has asked if I'll ship there. Has anybody shipped to Russia before, and did everything go smoothly, or not?

Personally, I've never been asked. But I'd ship to Russia recorded delivery if PayPal confirmed they's cover me with their Seller Protection Policy.

ericthecleric wrote:So with listing fees, you have to pay up front whether they sell or not, yes?

And the overall listing fees for listing multiple items is cheaper, yes? Eg. listing 10 CDs at one time will be cheaper than listing 2 CDs at one time, and listing 20 CDs will be even cheaper than listing 10 CDs at one time, right?

I guessing you are asking about listing on Ebay.

If you are listing them as separate auctions you pay a listing fee for each one and will not be discounted for multiple listings.

You pay a small fee up front and then if the item sells Ebay takes another 8-15% of the final value it sells for.

Thanks for the replies, guys!

JohnGaunt wrote:Maybe the Russian Mob wants your CDs as orignal masters!

That would be a bit scary.  
...But the individual is already selling a different format version of the same CD (at a higher price), so I don't think I need to worry about that... (hopefully!).
I'm a bit concerned about the unreliability or not of the Russian postal service and whether a customs official takes a liking to the CD (like in the silk scarf story above).

astenon wrote:How long should one wait before regarding  someone as a nonpayer?

It is a matter of communication. If the buyer doesn't contact you to say they might be delayed then go with the minimum time allowed. Supposedly ebay is soon to make this process automatic and make it impossible for deadbeat buyers to leave sellers a negative in retalliation for getting an unpaid item strike.

But try to contact the buyer first politely before starting the process of getting a refund on your fees.