If you have items that you would like to sell on eBay, you should know the options available to you.  Listing your item effectively will increase the money you can make on your eBay sale.  eBay provides a variety of options for you to choose from when listing your items for sale.

 

Auctions on eBay

If you have never sold on eBay before, you will probably want to list your item in the auction format.  With this format you can start your item at the price point that you think will help your sell.  You want to start your auction as low as you are willing to let the item go for, in case you only get one buyer.  But, if your item appeals to buyers, bidding will begin and your item will go to the highest bidder.

Dutch auctions

If you have two or more items that are identical in every way, you can make one listing and say that you have x to sell.  The multiple item auction can have several winners and is preferred by sellers who have bulk quantities to sell.  These auctions can be complicated as there can be multiple winners, and are not as common as auctions, but can be a good choice for you if you have many items of the same kind.

 

Live auctions

This is a popular format that can benefit buyer and is usually used by auction houses and estate sales that want to increase the excitement of having bidders bid in real time for an item.  Some bidders love this format, but there is usually a percentage of sale charge in addition to your selling fees and is not for the casual lister.

 

Buy-It-Now listings

If you have a price that you would like to get for your item and don’t believe that bidding will go beyond that point, BIN is the way to go.  It is also useful if you have a time limit that your product needs to be sold by.  Using BIN just before a concert or in time for Christmas are some examples of this.  Putting a high BIN on popular items can also generate huge profits, if people become concerned that they will not win the auction.

 

Reserve price auctions

In a reserve price auction, you can list your item for 10 cents or some low price to get the bidding started, but put in a reserve price that you will not sell the item for unless this reserve is met.  This way if you don’t get many bidders for your item, you do not have to sell for less than you want for the item.  Once the bidding goes beyond the reserve price that you have set, the highest bidder wins.  If your bidders don’t reach your reserve price, then your item does not sell, but you do have to pay the small fee for having a reserve on your item.

 

Fixed price listings

Fixed-price listings allow buyers to purchase instantly at the given price and is the fastest way you can sell your item.  It is similar to BIN, but BIN is used in conjunction with an auction listing, where fixed price is used by itself. 

 

When deciding to sell your item, remember to consider all of the formats available to you.  Experiment to see which selling format brings the greatest price for your item.

 

Thanks for reading,

Vickie