by M. Halyard

Created on: May 17, 2008

Most people don't get rich selling items on ebay, at least not in 2008. But a few do earn a decent enough living to quit their day jobs, and a very few manage to tap into the right niche markets to make a VERY good living. How do you define rich? Can we define "rich" as making enough money to be your own boss, pay your bills on time, and have enough time that you are home and available to assist your kids with homework, or whatever, when they get off the bus every day? Is being "rich" having time to indulge some hobbies? Then read on.

I am an ebay Powerseller, and by the above definition, I've made it rich on ebay. I've sold over 700 items on ebay, and my current feedback rating is 4.9 out of 5.0 in all four seller rating categories (yes, even shipping). I'm going to share a few secrets with you.

It is easy to list and sell items on ebay, but HOW you sell items will dictate the price you get, and whether you get the all-important business from returning buyers. Sounds simple, but actually that can be the hardest thing to learn.

First, establish an identity. Depending on what you will be selling, create an identity for that category of product (if you have more than one category of product, by all means establish more than one identity). If you're selling your mother's collectible dolls, create an easily-recognized background page for ALL of the dolls that you sell, and include a few standard paragraphs that give general information (for example, over what period of time was the collection obtained, whether the collection was "recognized" in a show, information about your return policy, and DETAILED information about shipping costs/practices). Use those same standard paragraphs for every listing in that category. For higher priced products (over $20), use the ebay listing enhancements (a second description line under your title line, for example) to help set your listings off from the crowd: "From my own collection!" There are many other listing enhancements on ebay; experiment a little and settle quickly on what works in the category you are selling.

Second, do the research. So much stuff to sell, so little time. Really? It usually doesn't take more than ten minutes of google research to find out some specific information about an item; that ten minutes of research is guaranteed to pay off if you include your research in your listing. Plus, sometimes your research will give you a better idea about where to set your price. Warning: Don't set your price at the high

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