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!.)
NCN-
I realize USPS may be cheaper in some cases, but don’t forget how reliable Big Brown is!!!!
Justin,
You are correct, sir!
What were your primary sources for clothes?
Bucketgirl,
2 Sources: Clothing that my daughter had outgrown and
clothing that we found on “sale” at various boutiques.
“11. Leave feedback, but wait until your customer leaves feedback for you!”
Your argument is at the heart of what’s wrong with the eBay feedback system. Once you’ve received payment and shipped the item, your end of the transaction is over. It’s time to leave feedback. If you don’t like the buyer’s feedback you can post a response or dispute it outright if you feel they’re wrong. Holding buyer’s feedback hostage until they’ve said nice things about you is simply slimy.
I agree w/Bill. I feel so much better about a seller when they leave feedback first, and if there IS an issue I am MUCH more likely to believe them. If they hold my feedback hostage, it tells me that they are readying their selves to make a retaliatory negative!
Also, you say “let them believe” that they are getting a size smaller, and then your next point is to never lie. It sounds to me that you are all about manipulation to get good FEEDBACK.
Found via Consumerist. 🙂
Mandy.. you must have misunderstood… When I used the numbers above, I was NOT talking about SIZE… I was talking about the quality of the OUTFIT. In other words, if you tell people that you are selling them an outfit in GREAT shape, but they get it and the outfit is in okay shpae, they are going to get angry… BUT, if you UNDERSELL and tell them that you are selling them an OKAY outfit, and they get a GREAT outfit, you may make a few less dollars, but you’ll have satisfied customers. As for the feedback, I’m not trying to manipulate, it’s just a really good way to be sure that they received the package and it keeps people from complaining about some nitpicking thing.
Agreed with Bill and Mandy. Sellers who hold feedback hostage have destroyed the feedback system. Thanks. I sell on eBay and as soon as I get payment, I leave feedback. The buyer has completed his/her end of the transaction. Even if you’re not a bad seller, you’re supporting them by circumventing a truthful feedback system.
When you say name brand, are you speaking of brands like Ralph Lauren, or do you mean stores with name brands that are popular like baby gap, old navy, and children’s place? Which are your best sellers of name brand clothing?
I wish that more people were honest about their ebay selling. As a new mother I get a little nervous buying my baby anything online. If everyone followed these guidelines I would be much less hesitant to purchase.
Thanks,
Kimberlie
You could also buy and sell on http://www.mommyauctions.com for baby clothes!
Great tips. I’ll give it a try when my baby outgrows its first clothes.
Thanks for your tips! I have been thinking for ages on what I should sell regarding Ebay as I want to start a little “business” on the side. This is a great start as my kids have PLENTY of clothes they no longer want or fit into.
Fingers crosses it can help pay the mortgage 🙂