When we first started reselling on eBay, we thought we were so prepared, but we soon realized that we didn’t think about a lot of things we would need. Obviously, you need to figure out what you want to sell and where you are going to source these items, but this is more about what you need to list these items. Please see some of our other articles for information on where to get items to sell. These are things that will help make listing and storing you items a little easier.
How and where
The first thing we found we needed to think about was how and where we were going to store the items we had for sale. We went through quite a few different ways, before settling on using banker’s boxes to store our items. They are very sturdy and stack well. We assign a letter & number to each box, such as A-1 then everything we list for that box has that designation in our description of item.
Shipping
The other thing that we didn’t think through was what we were going to ship items in. We thought we could use boxes for everything but found this added too much weight to clothes and small items. We still use plenty of boxes though and you can get various sizes free through the post office. We found that using shipping bags are great for clothes and help cut the weight.
We also didn’t think about how much shipping tape we would need, so make sure you keep a supply. We also got a tape gun to make it a little easier.
One thing that is really important to have is a shipping scale. Making sure you not only weigh the item you are selling, but how much the packaging weighs can affect your profit. When you list your item, figure out how you are going to ship it and weigh the box or bag and any other materials you might need so that the customer is charged the correct amount. Believe me USPS doesn’t care what eBay charged you for shipping, they will weigh it themselves and that is what price you are responsible for.
Bubble wrap is an almost must for shipping. You can protect almost anything with it. Check online for suppliers of this. We use American Bubble Boy. There are quite a few with good options and prices.
You also need to think about how you are going to address the package. You can print labels through eBay you just need to figure out how to print them. We purchased a label maker, we tried to print them on paper and then cut them and tape on package, but it takes a lot of time and doesn’t save any money because you have to use a lot of paper and you’re using more tape than you would on package.
Thanking your customer
One more thing you can do but isn’t necessary is put some type of thank you note or card in with your item. It’s just a way to show your appreciation to the customer and for them to have your store name if they want to buy something else. There are plenty of ways to accomplish this by making your own or having a company print a business card for you.
As I said, we still come across things that we need once in a while but for the most part, with these items you can get your business started. Once you’ve been selling on eBay for a while, you will get credits that you can use to purchase shipping supplies through them. This is a great way to cut down on some of your shipping costs.
I hope this helps you to get started with your business. For more information, check out our videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwhGhIRZo-k6Gb5J1HP9YHg