I’ve made over £7,000 selling old junk on eBay – here are my six fail-safe tips and why listing on a Sunday is key

Jamie’s rigorous selling routine involves taking a household inventory every few months, leaving him with a number of electronics that haven’t been recently used. He then aims to sell each of these for at least £25 per item. 

But it’s not just electronics that have earnt Jamie some extra cash - after purchasing a Guardians of the Galaxy collectible comic for £150 a few years ago, he later resold it after noticing an uptrend in this area of niche collectibles, making £280 from the resale. 

Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Jamie says: “Over the past five years, eBay has helped me make around £7,000, which as you can imagine has made a big difference.”

Here he shares his top tips and tricks when it comes to making a maximum profit on the auction site…

It’s all in the packaging

In order to attract buyers you need to make sure you have a good reputation as a seller and build up your star-rating.

One way of doing this is by dispatching the goods extremely quickly.

As soon as you receive the payment get the package ready to go the next day to avoid keeping your buyer waiting.

You’re competing with the likes of Amazon which can provide next day delivery so if you’re quick off the mark you’re more likely to attract returning customers.

And when you are sending things make sure the packaging isn’t tatty and use a new box where possible.

I find even personal touches such as a handwritten note thanking them for their custom goes a long way, I’ve had very good feedback off the back of that.

Keywords are key

I always look at what keywords are being used in other listings, so for example if I am selling an antique Cartier watch I will search for that on eBay and see what listings come up first.

The top of the search results are always the items with the longest and most descriptive titles, this is because better your key words the higher up your listing will be placed 

You have 70 characters to play with in the listing title so make sure you’re making full use of that real estate as I like to call it.

Make sure your description is as complete as possible and make sure you are selecting the criteria that people can filter, whether that’s material, brand or size.

For example if you’re selling a laptop you’ll want to mention the brand, screen size, all of the specs and people get really lazy in that area.

Including the brand alone increases the exposure on eBay by 30 per cent.

Be snap happy

Product images are absolutely crucial when it comes to selling on eBay.

I actually bought myself a light box to ensure that my product shots were extremely good quality and everything was polished but there are other ways to make images look professional.

It’s important to capture every angle of your product to show off its full condition.

I would avoid using stock photos where possible as you will garner additional attention by using your own unique shot because it brings a level of authenticity to the listing.

It gives buyers confidence to purchase as they can see the item’s true condition.

Select best sellers (and ditch the worst)

Things that do sell well tend to be textile goods such as vintage branded clothes, as long as they’re in good condition..

Electrical goods are always a hit. If you have an old laptop lying about that still works then I have no doubt that will sell.

People are always looking for budget laptops especially now they’re working from home more.

Old baby related items always go as long as they’re in good condition as new parents are often on a budget.

Things that aren’t worth selling include old books as the return you will get from selling will often be lower than the cost of postage.

Unbranded electronics are often a flop as people want to put their trust in branded electricals.

Timing is everything

I typically opt for seven day auctions and list my items on a Sunday, meaning that I have it ready to ship on the following Monday.

This means that the auction will also end on a Sunday - the theory being that more people will be shopping on a Sunday, lying on a sofa having just finished their roast.

If the auction is due to end in a matter of hours they are far more likely to bid.

Three day listings, in my experience, are not long enough to drum up enough interest and you’ll often find that your item sells for less than you would have wanted.

The longer the auction the more watchers you are likely to get.

And it’s important to be mindful of when you are selling certain items, nobody is going to buy a Christmas tree in January.

In January and February, for example, there tends to be a baby boom so around now would be the time to start selling your unwanted newborn items.

Equally gym equipment is in huge demand for the new year, so selling an old set of dumbbells would be a wise decision right now.

The price is right

Getting the price right on eBay can be a bit of a minefield but if you are listing an item at auction make sure you have the absolute lowest price you’re willing to accept as the base line.

There is no use starting an auction for Bose speakers at 99p, if it somehow slips through the net someone could get a bargain but you’ll lose out.

If you’re worried about an item not selling try eBay’s easy listing feature which reduces the cost of the item by ten per cent if it hasn’t sold within the week.

In other money-making news, we revealed how you can make thousands extra a month with these easy side hustles.

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