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10 Steps to Making Money on eBay

Now that you've recognized the benefits to selling your stuff on eBay versus tying up your time in a garage sale, it's time to get started. Here are some things you will need or want to do. You don't necessarily have to do them all in this order, but this is one way to do it.

• Set up a PayPal account so you can receive money from your eBay sales. It'll take a few days to verify your account, so do this right away.
• Set up an eBay account if you don't already have one. www.ebay.com
• Go through your house and gather things that you either don't use.
• Look at some of the items you've gathered to sell. Go to eBay and do a search for that item. See how much it's listed for and if anyone is bidding on it.
• Decide the lowest price you can or will accept for this item. Even if other people are paying $50 for others just like it, don't list your item for $50. People may be willing to pay that much, but they don't want to start bidding at that price.
• You will pay a listing fee, a final value fee, and if you accept PayPal you will pay a fee there, too. Know what those fees are before you list your item unless you want to just give it away.
• Read the eBay Terms of Agreement and abide by them. Certain items are illegal to sell.
• Be sure you have an accurate weight when you list your product. You don't want to get stuck paying your own money for shipping.
• List your item(s), taking all of these things into consideration.
• List your auction for 1, 3, 5 or 7 days. I like to start my auctions in the evening so people are typically home and can be in front of their computers to bid. Take time zones into consideration. Auctions will end at the same time of day you list them unless you want to pay more!

About the Author Joyce Moseley Pierce, Houston, TX USA joyce@emersonpublications.com http://www.emersonpublications.com Copyright 2005 Joyce Moseley Pierce is a freelance writer, publishes the Family First weekly ezine, and pushes preparedness beyond food storage. Visit her site, www.emersonpublications.com to register for the newsletter, to read past issues, to order her book, "All They'll Need to Know," or just to learn more about how you can protect your loved ones.