Section 177. Create a Ticket Auction

177. Create a Ticket Auction

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

124 About Selling on eBay

176 About Selling Tickets

SEE ALSO

145 Track Your Auction

It's easy to sell tickets on eBayjust create an auction for them as you do for any other item. However, as you'll see in this task, you should take into account some special things when selling tickets.

1.	Prepare Your Ticket Information Selling a ticket requires that you have very specific information about it, not just the date and time but also the seat, row number, and similar information. So have your ticket at hand when you're filling out your auction listing. Additionally, as explained later in this task, in some circumstances you might have to make available to eBay a scanned image of the ticket, so scan your ticket and have the electronic file accessible on your computer. Finally, check http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/event-tickets.html for information about whether you have any limitations on how much you are allowed to accept for your tickets.
2.	Start the Auction Page Click the Sell button at the top of any eBay page; then select Sell Item at Online Auction and click Continue . (For details about starting an auction page, see 129 Start the Sell Form and Choose a Category .) When the Sell Your Item: Select Category page appears, select Tickets as your category and Event Tickets as the subcategory . Click Continue . NOTE You can also select the Experiences or Other subcategory when you select Tickets as your main category. The Experiences subcategory is primarily for package tours and theme park tickets. The Other category is for anything that can't otherwise be categorized but belongs in the ticket area, for example, VIP passes to clubs and raffle tickets.
3.	Fill In the Auction Title For the title of your auction, make sure that you include the word tickets , the name of the artist or team, and the venue . Buyers frequently find tickets based on keyword searches, so if you put all the right words into your title, buyers are more likely to find your auction. Specifically, when writing a title, be sure to include the following: The word tickets The number of tickets The artist/team name(s) The event date and location The seat vicinity or any unique features about the tickets You can add a subtitle for an additional fee of $0.50. If you think the title doesn't convey enough information about the tickets, it might be worthwhile to pay for a subtitle.
4.	Fill In the Item Specifics and Description In the Item Specifics: Tickets section, provide the event type, the number of tickets, the venue location, the section and row of the tickets, and so on. It's vital that you do this correctly because this information is used when someone does a Tickets Finder search. If you don't enter the information in this section, your tickets won't show up in the Tickets Finder search results. NOTE In the Item Specifics: Tickets section, when you select from the pull-down menus , your browser might refresh itself whenever you make a choice. Don't be disconcerted; this is normal behavior and nothing is wrong with what you're doing. The free-form Item Description you type should be concise but should include all the pertinent details about the tickets and event. In particular, be sure to include the following: The title of the event (artist, team, game, and so on). The event date and time. The event venue location and venue name. The number of tickets. The seat location (section and row). Any unique information about the seats, such as whether they're together, if they're obstructed views, if they're front-row seats, whether parking is included, and so on. A venue seating map or a sight-line picture that shows the view from the seats. You can get free venue maps from eBay at http://enterprise. channeladvisor .com/tickets/?ssPageName=CatTixchanneladvisor. You can also get maps of many venues from www.seatdata.com. 177. Create a Ticket Auction TIP Make sure that you have the electronic file containing scanned tickets. eBay might ask you to upload the scanned ticket (although in the many auctions I've created, I've never been asked for a scanned ticket). Still, be prepared! When you finish with the description, click Continue .
5.	Enter the Face Value Depending on the state in which you live, you might have to enter the face value of the tickets, and you might not be able to charge much more than the face value. If you are required by eBay to list the face value, a page appears asking that you list the face value of the ticket. When you're done, click Continue .
6.	Finish Creating the Auction You'll be asked to fill in details of the auction, such as its duration, a minimum price for the tickets, and so on, as well as shipping information. For information about how to fill in the auction details and shipping information and how to review and post your auction, turn to 132 Choose Pricing, Duration, and Location, 135 Choose Auction Extras, 136 Set Payment and Shipping Options , and 137 Review and Post Your Auction . When choosing shipping information, be sure to give people a pricing option for an overnight mail service, such as Federal Express, to ensure that the tickets will get to them on time. If you have tickets that can be delivered using Ticketfast, mention that as well.

TIP

It's not a bad idea to require an overnight service as a shipping method because that way there will be no disagreements over whether the tickets arrived in time. With a service such as Federal Express, you can also track your shipment and get confirmation that it was received by the buyer.