Easing into BusinessBy Selling What You Own

Probably the most common type of eBay business is what I'll call the secondhand reseller. This is, as the name suggests, an eBay seller who buys and sells second-hand merchandise. This type of seller doesn't sell new merchandise, he doesn't purchase large lots of closeout items, he doesn't necessarily specialize in a particular category of collectibles. This type of business sells the kind of stuff that people have lying around the house, cluttering the garage or basement. Some people might call it junk, but to a savvy seller, it's a potential goldmine.

If this type of selling sounds familiar, that's because it's the type of selling that most casualthat is, nonbusinesssellers do. Selling stuff from around the house is how most people get started selling on eBay. You have some old clothes hanging in the spare closet, or some unused utensils in the kitchen, or some discarded tools or electronics sitting in the garage, and you decide to make a quick buck by selling them on eBay. If you do your job well, you sell that first round of leftovers and generate a little spare cashand get a taste of what selling on eBay is like.

The next thing you know, you're looking for more stuff to sell. You start cleaning out the closets and basement and attic and garage, looking for more junk you can put up for auction. If you have a lot of junk sitting around the house, this can fuel your auction business for several months. But sooner or later you run out of stuff you want to get rid ofand then what do you do?

Well, if you're like some of us, you ask your friends and family if they have any old stuff they'd like to part with. Maybe you start hanging around garage sales and yard sales, looking for bargains that you can resell on eBay. You keep your eye out for anyone getting rid of anything that might be of valueand you keep sorting through your own possessions, opting to sell off unwanted presents, out-of-style clothing, and anything else that isn't nailed down or plugged in.

This is how a lot of big-time eBay sellers got started, and it's actually a great way to learn the ropes. Sell a few dozen items like this, and you'll get a good idea of how eBay selling works. You'll gain valuable experience in preparing items for auction, in creating auction listings, in managing the auction process, and in packing and shipping. You may even get the opportunity to deal with a persnickety buyer or two; unpleasant as this may be, it's great training for when you have to provide customer service on a larger scale.

In fact, the only difference between the occasional junk seller and the full-time second-hand reseller is volume. The more stuff you find to sell, the closer you move toward becoming a real eBay business.