I’ve been an eBay member since 1999. When I decided to get out of debt, I turned to eBay to earn some extra “cash”. While I have sold many different types of items, my favorite items to sell are baby clothes. Why? The are easy to describe, easy to ship, light-weight, and they sell quickly. Here are a few of my “secrets”. (By the way: In 2005, while we were trying to get out of debt, I managed to make over $1000 selling baby clothes.)

1. Take a good picture! If you do nothing else, be sure to include a good, crisp picture of whatever article of clothing you are selling. I lay the outfits that I am selling down on the carpet in our sun-room and take two or three pictures of each outfit, making sure to capture any special appliqués or decals. Note: If the item has a “flaw”, be sure to show the flaw in the picture. You want to be honest!

2. Only sell quality, clean, name brand articles of clothing. Why? New moms want to know that their kids will be wearing “nice” things and they will not pay for off-brand, stained, torn items. In other words, know the difference between “yard sale” and “eBay” worthy merchandise. Boutique items, designed for Easter, Christmas, Pictures, or Church are big sellers.

3. Research all shipping options. I find the best option to be USPS Priority Mail. I charge a flat rate of $5.00 per article of clothing, $2.00 per additional article. You will want to do some research before deciding how much to charge!

4. Use the “But It Now” feature. People who are shopping for clothes on eBay come in two basic “flavors”. Many are looking for bargains that they can resell in their local shops, but, the customers that you want are those who are “impulse” shopping, those who are ready to “pull the trigger” and buy that dress “right now”. Buy It Now allows them to make the purchase, pay for it, and have their item in less than 3 days. I love “Buy It Now”.

5. Consider using the “Turbo Lister” program, especially if you are listing multiple items. It’s free and easy to use.

6. If you live in a pet-free or smoke-free home, let your potential customers know! Seriously, if you don’t put this in the auction, they will email you and ask!

7. Always write a clear, easy-to-understand, description of the article of clothing. If the dress is an “8″, don’t make it out to be a “10″. In fact, let them believe that they are buying a “7″ and when they get an “8″, they’ll be super-excited and write rave reviews in your feedback!

8. Never, ever, ever lie!

9. Personally, I only accept Paypal for payment. Why? It is super-simple to use, records transaction histories, and allows me to print shipping from my computer. I know people who hate Paypal. Me? I like it.

10. Consider grouping two or three like-items into a single auction. I sold 3 of my sons swim trunks in one auction. I was able to clear out some closet space, make a few dollars, and do so without the hassle of 3 separate auctions.

11. Leave feedback, but wait until your customer leaves feedback for you! Why? You don’t want to put positive feedback and then wake up and find that your customer left negative feedback! Wait! If no feedback is left after a couple of weeks, consider sending your customer a “reminder” email, thanking them for their business. Be careful not to violate eBay’s terms and conditions when contacting your customers!

12. Keep track of your auctions and consider adjusting “opening bid” prices if you see that an item might not sell.

13. Focus on items that will actually make money! It’s better to spend an hour listing a single dress that might sell for $40 instead of 6 dresses that might sell for $3 each! (Remember, you can group multiple lower-priced items!)

14. Do a little research before you sell. Use the “completed listings” to see what similar items have been selling for over the past few days.

15. Treat eBay like a “second job”. Be careful, watch out for scams, pay attention to what you are doing, and treat eBay like you would any other “job”.

(If you do not have an eBay account, click eBay!.)

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