I started my Ebay business a few years ago, and I only sold things occasionally. Usually the types of items that I sold were clothes that my son grew out of, odds and ends, and antiques I found at yard sales. I lost my job a few months ago and have turned this into a full time profession, and earned the status Power Seller. It was a hard road where I made many mistakes, but hopefully this guide can keep you from following in my less desirable at times footsteps.

I always research out an item that I am planning to sell. First I hit google.com to see what the item might be worth new. Then I hit ebay.com to see if anyone is selling it. I used to be under the impression that if no one is selling it then I should not sell it because it's not "in demand". THIS IS WRONG. It has taken me months to realize how wrong this assumption truly is. Yes, in some cases your old Van Halen shirt from Walmart is not going to be in demand or even desired, but if it's a vintage Van Halen tour shirt it might be something someone wants. So list your item!!!

I listed some crib bedding that I had been researching for a few weeks. No one was listing anything of the sort on ebay, but I finally said oh heck, let me try. After I listed it I got an instant bid and sold it for over 100 dollars. And two days after I listed the bedding, other sellers started to come out of the wood work and sell their bedding of the same design.

Sometimes you just need to start the selling frenzy by being the first to list it.

Now I love the fact that Ebay now has a shipping calculator that automatically calculates shipping costs for you. I used to get killed on International shipping by under estimating the cost of shipping. On one memorable (how could I ever forget...) occasion, I lost over $50 on a sale that was only $6 to begin with by underestimating shipping to Australia. I had a set shipping cost pre-programmed in there for International shipping but it was from a shirt that weighed 8 ounces, not an 8 lb box! So please, please do calculated shipping all the time. Your buyers will feel more confident too, and the shipping costs are nine times out of ten accurate. Also, if you print your shipping label online you get discounts.

I ship via USPS (U.S Postal Service) Priority Shipping frequently, and delivery confirmation at the Post Office is something like 50 cents, but free online. It might not sound like a lot, but I ship twenty packages a week on average. I'm saving ten bucks already. And USPS schedules free pick ups, so you do not even have to waste the gas going to the Post Office!

Also, do not spend money on shipping boxes. USPS sends free shipping boxes to ebay seller in various shapes and sizes!!! Follow this link to get free shipping boxes through the ebay website: http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/packing.html

And if you need packing supplies please just buy them on ebay! I buy bulk bubble wrap right on ebay, and I never have to go to Staples and pay outrageous prices.

My biggest mistake was in the presentation of the items I was selling. I've learned that even if your item is not super awesome, you need to take nice pictures of them. Choose a cool background, or an all black blanket to photograph them on, and take numerous pictures. I've seen so many auctions with one picture, blurry at that, and am not surprised that the item has no bids.

Here is my BEST tip for you, and it has to do with photos. Open up a Photobucket.com account, and upload your photos (for free) through Photobucket. In the summary area of your Ebay listing, just enter the html for the photos you've uploaded on Photobucket. Photobucket lists the html right under each picture. That way all of your pictures show up on your Ebay listing right in the summary section, and you do not have to pay for extra pictures.

Phew, I'm spent. Those are all of my tips and tricks, and I hope you'll learn from my mistakes and make a small fortune on Ebay.