GETTING STARTED SELLING ON EBAY
We will cover each of these sections in much more detail, but for now let’s cover what you’ll need.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
You don’t need a lot of space, but you need somewhere to store, clean, photograph, and package your sale items. A closet will do, or even a cabinet, but a dedicated space is best if you can spare it.
For my eBay business we set up in a storage room approximately 8 feet by 13 feet in size.
INVENTORY
To sell you need inventory (exceptions in a later chapter on drop-shipping). The good news here is that you already have inventory, tucked away in your home, garage, and car. Many resellers, myself included, started by selling things they were no longer using..
I call this the “make my crap your crap method."
Rest assured dear reader that the acquisition of inventory will occupy many posts on this site as we discuss the strange and wonderful things people buy on the internet, so don’t worry about what you’ll sell at this stage!
EQUIPMENT
The good news is you don’t need much, and if you’re in a real bind you can get away with nothing, but I think the following is the bare minimum for getting into any kind of maintainable volume:
1. Postal Scale (if you sign up for Stamps.com and/or ShipStation this becomes a non-issue/free)
2. A printer (https://amzn.to/395Tmll)
3. A packing tape dispenser (https://amzn.to/3bdfhK7)
4. A computer (https://amzn.to/3rRs5f0)
5. Poly Bubble Mailers (https://amzn.to/35hlSj0), boxes (reused/cheap at Walmart)
6. Bubble wrap/air packs
7. (Optional-ish) Printable Shipping Labels (Avery or Similar)(https://amzn.to/35aHcq3)
8. Mascot(s) are mandatory, my preference would be Baby Groot, Bulbasaur, and Millennial Furby.
Don’t feel like you can’t get started without the items above, but you will quickly grow to need those items. If you share my crippling Amazon habit, then the issue of boxes and packaging materials will work itself out!
SOFTWARE
This is a guide to selling on eBay, so you’ll need an account. Skip the eBay store for now, you’ll get there in time, but for now it’s wasted money.
Chances are you’re going to be using this account for a while, so pick a semi-professional email address and head over to Gmail or Outlook. It’s a difficult day for all, but your email address tribute to Justin Bieber needs to stay hidden for this trip.
Finally you’ll need a PDF program of some kind, ideally a free one. As long as you’re printing shipping labels from eBay (see Death by Mail below) you will become an expert in rotating, scaling, and cursing eBay’s labels.
DEATH BY MAIL
The almighty carrier controls all, you must obey him or he will smite thee...
We live and die by shipping, learning how to protect, pack, and mail your items is the single most difficult part of selling things online, hands down. Much like the Internal Revenue Code, anyone who presents a firm understanding of this topic is lying, myself included. With that fair warning, here is the shipping guide I wish I would have had:
USPS:
Anything less than 1 pound (and not a gigantic empty box) goes USPS First Class. Don’t let eBay fool you, 15.99 ounces can and will ship First Class.
If your package weighed more than 1 pound but less than 20, and is smaller than 12x12x6, get ready to walk the plank, because you need to get your booty over to PirateShip.com.
Finally if your item is heavy or going to Hawaii, consider USPS Flat Rate. Padded Flat Rate Envelopes will save your life many times over at $8.50. Without them first mail-order brick business would have fallen flat.
*Padded Flat Rate Envelops have gotten very scarce, so get on USPS order some for free home delivery.
UPS/FedEx: More than 1 pound but too large to walk the plank, then pick your poison. Both have similar options, so i base my use on price and convenience.
*Beware of FedEx Smart Post, it is postal equivalent of entrusting a drunken donkey to deliver your goods! If you feel inclined to use this Nigerian Prince of a shipping service just go ahead and set your package on fire, saving yourself both time and money!
SHIPPING LABELS
Start getting excited, you’ve sold an item, packaged it carefully, picked any shipping service except Smart Post, and now it’s time to show the world that you already paid for shipping.
You can print labels on eBay and getting started this is completely fine. eBay allows you to ship through USPS, FedEx, and UPS directly from the site. PirateShip has an excellent label printing system as well. Getting those nice labels from your screen to your box can be daunting, but never fear, tape is here!
Eventually your desk will be graced by the newest high speed thermal label printer, and how amazing it will be, but for now we’re heading back to elementary school. Print your label, cut it out (safety scissors are a must) and tape it on.
There is an unwritten rule that you must do this at least 50 times before buying A4 size printable shipping labels (2 per sheet) https://amzn.to/35aHcq3.
If you’re really liking this idea of becoming a born-again entrepreneur, and have that fresh new stimulus check, then consider getting a thermal label printer; it will be the best money you could spend in this game!
We’ll do a full “tour” in another post, but I like either the Rollo (https://amzn.to/38eJfLP) or Dymo 4XL (https://amzn.to/38kwi3j). If you enjoy PBR and bands before they are cool, then you should go for the real OG and get a Zebra (https://amzn.to/395TbXd).
UP AND RUNNING
That’s it, you’re good to go!
Take that Ninja Turtle action figure from shelf, take photos, list for hundreds of dollars, sell, package, ship, repeat.
Happy Selling,
ZB
**Included within this article are affiliate links which pay me a little "something-something" should you click. The items shown are what I use and what I paid for with my own money.
What about a baby yoda mascot? Oh that’s right, your wife would steal it ;)
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