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selling clothes on eBay- any tips for a newbie?

After exams I'm going to go through my wardrobe and have a clear out since I know I have loads of stuff that I don't wear and have hardly ever worn. Basically I need some.money to buy new clothes but don't have money or space for.new clothes so this seems the best way to do it!

I'm not new to eBay- I spend half my life on there! I've just never sold anything before.

So any advice is much appreciated! Also is it better to sells as an auction or buy it now? How much do you have to pay eBay for each sale?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

hvh

- Get a photobucket account so that you can upload photos there and paste the code into description - this saves having to pay for more photos at the top!

- Anything with the label TOPSHOP will bring you money.

- If you have a load of things that aren't great, and you probably wouldn't get a lot individually, shove it all in a black bin bag and list it as a clothes wholesale - you'll probably get about £20 for the bag, but beware, you should put it as pick up only! No delivey of a bin bag! (Or, if you're feeling extra generous, take it down to the charity shop!)

- Needless to say, make sure the clothes are clean and ironed so they look thier best and I would suggest putting items up starting at nothing and just let the bids roll in.

Reply 2

WanaBdoctor

Good tips thanks :smile:

Reply 3

CasualSoul

List your items when its 'zero insertion fees' this is usually at the start of every month and means you don't have to pay to list your item and all pictures are usually free

Try not to start your items too low

If your items haven't been worn/ have a particular label or etc say this ..and maybe show a picture of the label.

Maybe buy 1 or two really cheap items first..to get your feedback up ..as people tend not to buy from people with zero feedback.

You may want to add UK sellers only ..which means you don't have to worry about shipping etc.

Be descriptive and mention any imperfections with the item so your sellers cant say you were dishonest

Set up a paypal account- do all mine through paypal

Be realistic about postage like don't put postage as 4.99 so you can get extra money but at the same time don't put postage lower that what it will actually cost you ..unless you don't mind using a bit of your own money.

Reply 4

plimsolls

Over describe any flaws so as to lower expectations, which will then be raised on receipt of the item. Doing this will benefit your DSRs. If you've spent a lot of time on ebay already you will probably know how easy it is to get banned from selling via the DSR system.

At the same time, keep the item description concise. No one reads a huge wall of flowery text.

Don't put anything up that you wouldn't be happy to receive yourself (regarding quality and wear).

Post everything a.s.a.p.

Also has been mentioned, you should wait until it's a free insertion fee weekend. Personally I put a reasonable starting bid on my stuff unless I know it's going to fly. A lot of the time stuff goes at starting price, and if you've put it up for 99p, then it's a bit of a waste.
You can get an idea of how popular an item might be by going to the 'advanced' link next to the search bar, and then searching for the item with the 'completed listings' box checked.

FEES:
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/fees.html

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 5

chelsea.grenner

put how much you bought the clothing for so people can see what a bargain they are getting.
If it is something expensive, I would consider doing a buyit now because some clothes could have value

Reply 6

najabri

Make sure you upload several pictures of different angles on the item; I don't think I ever buy from anyone if their pictures aren't clear. One of the label to show the sizing and brand name is often good. Also, make sure you put the brand name and the size in the description.
If you don't smoke or have any pets, write that it comes from " a pet and smoke free home ".
Describe the item in detail, incuding any flaws, and put measurements in.

Reply 7

LadyJazzles

*Good photographs - Make sure you take as many photos of as many different angles as you can. I think with clothing you have a limit of 12 pics that are free to list. So, try to iron the clothes, hang it on a hanger against a blank background and shoot the front, back, sides, labels etc. Also take pics of any imperfections and make sure to mention this in your description.
If you have any photos of you wearing the items of clothing - this helps to sell them as buyers can get an idea of what they look like on (you can always crop your face out). Either that or if you have a mannequin, that's also useful.

*Description* - Keep it informative and concise. Mention condition, sizing/measurements, how long you have had it, the original price and washing guidelines if you can. If you want give the buyers an idea of what the item of clothing looks good with. E.g. if you're selling a top, say it goes well with jeans or shorts and is perfect for summer etc.
Also mention any terms and conditions of the sale, for example how long you expect the buyer to pay for the item. (I always say "Please pay within 3 days") and try and mention if it's from a smoke/pet free home and whether or not you'll accept returns.

*Postage* - Don't overcharge on postage, this will put buyers off. Sometimes offering free delivery attracts bids. When the item sells, post it ASAP. Fast delivery is great! If it's an expensive item, for example over £25, I would always make sure you send using Recorded delivery.

*Price* - Like someone else mentioned, try and list your items when eBay offer free insertion fees. If your item isn't a well known brand, I'd start it at 99p. If it's from somewhere like Topshop, River island, Miss selfridge etc, you can get away with a bit of a higher starting bid, but keep it low and wait for bids to come in.

Reply 8

Juno

Measurements can help as sizes can vary.

Think about packaging - many sellers use mailing bags, but if you don't have any then you could use a strong carrier bag or even bin bag. A jiffy bag probably isn't appropriate as your item might not fit anyway, but they're not waterproof.

Reply 9

sarahthegemini

Always describe anything that could be seen as a fault, even if it is barely noticeable.

Reply 10

beccafairy

i've recently started selling unwanted clothes on ebay too. the main advice i can give is to search for similar items and see what kind of titles and descriptions they have, to get an idea for your listings. titles are especially important as you need to be sure it will come up when people search for things, so it helps to put the brand, size, style (e.g. bodycon dress) etc.

Original post by hvh

- Get a photobucket account so that you can upload photos there and paste the code into description - this saves having to pay for more photos at the top!

they now have it so you can upload twelve pictures free of charge. :biggrin:

Reply 11

JustCharley

If you can afford to and want money quicker, add a buyitnow price to the listing. Mention in your description that if customers want the item, why bother and wait with the hassle of bidding and just buyitnow. Don't put the buyitnow price at what its worth, put it at what you would maximum pay for it. So like I recently sold a Motel bodycon dress, that is pretty plain but is still on the website RRP £25, but put the buyitnow at £9.99 with £2.99 postage. It went within 12 hours, and it means I got a decent amount of money quickly.

Reply 12

Steevee

As other people have said, if you've got items that aren't from a good label, but are similar put them together.

For instance last year I hade 4 'Y Neck' shirts of generic brand I wanted to sell. Put them at 99P and not one of them sold. Put them together as a job lot and got £6 for them. Not a lot I know, but still something. Plus it helps with your feedback.

Other good things to note are optimum listing times! For maximum interest you want your items to finish around 6-7 in the evening. For clothes the day doesn't matter too much, you get maximum traffic on weekend evenings, but as these are clothes for young people (I assume :mmm: