Mistakes to avoid when selling on eBay

As an auctioneer with 25 years in the business, 8 of them on eBay, I've come up with this list of top money losing eBay blunders.

Mistake #1) Posting items at a high starting price. If you take chance of someone getting a great deal out of your auction, very few people will look at your items. Starting your auctions low, is the surest way to get a much larger pool of bidders, auctions are nothing without momentum. If starting them seems too risky, try listing your item in an eBay store.

Mistake #2) Listing only one or a couple of items at a time.
The more auctions you put up, the better they will do, eBay probably has the biggest cross marketing effect in the world, your not getting the full advantage of that when you list only a couple of things a week.

Mistake #3) Drop shipping or selling trendy items at the wrong end of the trend.
Remember Beanie Babies?
As for drop shipping, half of the people on eBay are drop shipping, think there's any competition there? Only hot products are successful with this method and they don't stay hot for very long. If you've access to a hot product at the right time, by all means, go for it.

But I think you'll find that those trendy items are difficult to find at the precise time you need them. I prefer antiques, collectibles & used items, they are easier to get in the long run, and this is what most people are looking for on eBay. If your not well versed in antiques & collectibles, there's plenty of demand on eBay for good used items, especially clothes.

Mistake #4) Paying too much for an item in the first place.
There is an old axiom, "well bought is half sold" stick to that like it was one of the ten commandments.

Mistake #5) Over relying too much on research.
Let's say you've found a Maxfield Parrish print that sold for $500.00 on eBay, and you saw the same one at an antique shop for $250.00. This is an easy $250.00 profit right? Maybe not, maybe the one you saw sell for $500.00 went for that because of a myriad of reasons you don't realize. Perhaps the seller listed 10 other similar items that week, getting great cross market value. Or the seller has a following of regular buyers for that item. Anything can happen, hit for average and buy right. If your not sure what right is, then ask yourself, if I don't sell this item, do I like it enough to keep it and can I afford that. Now a great item is still a great item. My advice: Buy the Parrish print when it's $50.00

Mistake #6) Mis-describing an item:
Look at the item as if you were buying it and wanted to talk it's owner down on the price because of a flaws. If your selling glass or china, run your fingers around edges several times for tiny nicks. You'll be surprised what you find after that 2nd go round. For other items at the least, double check for flaws.

Mistake #7) Taking lousy pictures or no pictures.

Mistake #8) Having too flashy of a design template. It's an auction, all they want is a good picture of the item, and a clear, concise description. Blinking lights and text that assaults you like bad breath will have them clicking off your site faster than you can imagine.

Mistake #9) Late shipping. Big no, no. You'll find yourself on the wrong end of the feedback stick if you do this often. In the event that you do send something out late, send a bonus and an apology with it.

Mistake #10) Poor packing. You won't believe what the Post Office/ or independent shipper can do to a package. Pack each item with great care and respect.

Mistake #11) Being too hasty with negative feedback.
It's much to your advantage if you really go out of your way to make things right with an unhappy customer. If someone doesn't pay on time, give them a reminder or two, people have issues. Jumping the gun with bad feedback only creates ill will. When you receive a bad feedback you will definitely notice your average sales price drop.