First Time Shipper/Seller?
Hello. I have never sold anything on eBay, but I am looking to make a few extra bucks with some leftover items. I can set up an item and sell it, but I am not sure about how the shipping process works. Could someone walk me through, step by step, how I sell and then ship things on eBay? Thank you :)
5 comments
fabrics24
·2 weeks agoHowdy!
So you're going to want a few things to get started; a measuring tape, a scale (bathroom or kitchen scales work just fine, but if you find you enjoy selling, a packing scale is worth the investment), some packaging the right size for your items (boxes and polymailers, but also padding like bubble wrap or packing paper), and some packing tape.
If you have access to a printer, awesome! Doesn't even have to be a thermal printer; your regular household printer works fine. If not, no worries; you can get the qr code for your labels on any smartphone and have it scanned at the post office.
There are other things that are nice to have, but not necessary. A box perforator/resizer, silica packets, plastic sleeves, and eco-packaging are all things that are handy, but not necessary to you being able to do this. If you realize you really like reselling, those might be worth investing in, but stick with the basics if you're just here to sell a few items you have laying around.
If you're doing calculated shipping, you're going to pack the item up as if you're ready to ship it. Make sure that if you have something fragile, you add enough padding. You should be able to shake the package and not hear anything moving around inside. If you have something really fragile like ceramics or glass, you might want to double box the item (pack it like normal, put that in a box, pack that, and then tape it up.
Get the dimensions and weight of your fully packed item, and type those into eBay. Easy Peasy!
I don't recommend other shipping options to newbies, but if you have your heart set on flat rate, make sure it's high enough to cover the fees; $8.50-$10 should be good, depending on where you live (I live on one of the coasts, and we have someone here who lives in Hawaii, so those rates will need to be higher than if someone lived in the center of the country).
When someone buys the item, either print the label and tape it on, or get the qr code on your phone, and bring the package to the post office.
Life hack: if you say to someone "I'm new; I've never done this before", people are far more likely to be patient with you and explain the process. PO workers completely understand that you might not be used to this, and are likely to help you along the way.
You did good coming here before you ran into any problems; if you do encounter any, we're always around to help, okay?
Happy selling!
vic.blanco
OP2 weeks agoThank you! I just have a few questions...
1. What is calculated shipping?
2. Does it need any kind of padding if it isn't fragile?
3. What kind of fees are there?
4. Is it better to Auction or to use the 'Buy It Now' option?
5.Will any Post Office do? Or do I need to bring it directly to the carrier? I heard there was a 'Ship from Home' option. Is this true?
6. I'm a broke college student, so I can't afford crisp new boxes. Can I recycle old boxes that have different kind of company logos and such?
Thank you so much for your kindness! :) <3
fabrics24
·2 weeks agoCalculated shipping is one of the three types of shipping plans eBay offers; Calculated, flat rate, and free. Free shipping is a pain because every time the shipping rates go up, you have to adjust the price so you don't lose money.
That's a little subjective. Stuff like clothing and fabric don't really need padding, but there are plenty of items that aren't traditionally considered fragile that still need padding. I.e.: video game consoles, plastic toys, shoes, anything that can get scratched or bumped all need padding. I like to watch I'm Gonna Pack It on Youtube; they have some great examples of how to pack items for sale.
Ebay takes a cut of your profits, so I'd price whatever you want to sell about 14% higher than what you actually want to make.
Buy It Now is almost always the better option. The only time I'd ever use an auction is if I had something super rare and valuable, and I know the minimum amount I could get for it, but it could possibly go for more.
Post office type matters depending on what service you choose. IE: if you choose USPS ground advantage, you can only ship it with USPS, and if you choose FedEx, you need to find a FedEx outlet. I ship almost exclusively USPS and have never had any problems with shipping. You can absolutely schedule a pickup, and that's what I do with 99% of my packages; saves me a trip to the post office, but you do need the label printed out ahead of time.
Yes, you can use other boxes! I would cover up the logo specifically on Amazon "smile" boxes, just so people don't think you're a dropshipper, but other than that, use what you've got!
vic.blanco
OP2 weeks agoThank you so much! I'll try to put up my first item tonight. Thank you for all your help!! :)) <3
fabrics24
·2 weeks agoNo worries! Best of luck!