Do you love doing crafts? Would you like to make some money? Are you familiar with the popular auction site, Ebay? Well, why not put these all together and make a dream come true? Consider the notion that you really can make money selling your crafts on Ebay. Here are some exciting tips to help guide you on your journey to make extra cash for yourself.
Getting started on Ebay is really quite simple. First, register with them. The site itself contains easy-to-follow step-by-step directions. Once registered, you can start selling and buying things right away! There are certain fees for selling, and Ebay describes them in detail. You can even open your own store for a monthly fee, which varies depending on the services you want to have accessible to you.
Now, what types of crafts should you sell on ebay? You can sell any type of craft that you like! Do you sew? Do you enjoy woodworking? What about painting, knitting, or pottery? Do you make jewelry or purses? Here are a few tips that apply to any craft item you choose to sell on Ebay:
1. Research the previous sales records of similar items that have already sold. To do this, you can use the Ebay "advanced search" option. This leads you to a new page, with additional search features. Check the box for "Completed listings only." This allows you to do a search for items that sellers listed earlier. You can then see which ones sold or did not sell, and find out how much ones sold for.
You can review in detail the way items were listed in order to learn how to be successful in selling similar ones. For example, if you wanted to crochet dishcloths and list them as auctions on Ebay, you could research the listings for similar items. You would also be able to review how the items were presented and see "what worked" and "what didn't" with respect to the photos and item descriptions.
2. Use a nice digital camera to take photos of the craft item you intend to sell. Remember that presentation is everything in the world of sales. Although you can actually list an item for sale or auction without a photograph, I do not recommend this. Put yourself in the position of a potential buyer. Would you really want to bid on a dishcloth or other craft item without first seeing what it looks like? That is not likely. So, do take the time to take a nice photo of your item with good lighting and a background that enhances the presentation of your craft.
3. Give serious thought to the shipping requirements of your craft item. You must make sure that you will be able to send your item safely and inexpensively to your buyer. What type of envelope or box will you need? Is your item fragile? Does it require bubble wrap or pricey stuffing materials? How do you plan to send the item to your buyer? Will you use UPS or the postal service? These factors are all spelled out for you right the Ebay site, but do make sure to consider some of these things before you put a lot of time into making the craft item itself.
4. Remember that both sellers and buyers get to leave feedback notes for each other, based on their experience with the auction or sale. These feedback notes can be viewed by anyone. This situation can be great for you, as an Ebay seller. Positive feedback can give potential customers more confidence as they contemplate doing business with you. But, if a buyer has left you poor feedback because you did not communicate well or the item did not arrive as described, it can turn away those same potential customers.
Selling your crafts on Ebay is a great way to make money. Make sure to pick something that you love to do, and success will be yours!
Samantha Rose is a work at home mom who enjoys crafts and cooking. For more information, see workathomebehappy.com (this domain name expired on 09/01/2011)
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