Online Classifieds

If you are placing an ad in your local paper, see if it includes submission to the newspaper's online classifieds. Some local newspapers will automatically list your item online, others require an extra fee. Online classifieds are a great way to reach your local market on the Web and they have some conveniences such as searchable listings. And unlike most local newspapers, local online classifieds are usually free to view, meaning your potential customers don't have to buy a paper in order to see your ad.

If you're not interested in paying for an online listing there are free classifieds pages available online. One such site, LiveDeal.com, has many different categories for you to list your ad in. Search the Web for other classified sites based in the area where you live. Many communities have Web sites with free classifieds as well.

Online Auctions

There are many different online auction sites, some are more specialized offering items for a niche market, others are more broad-based. The biggest online auction houses are eBay, Yahoo Auctions and Amazon.com Auctions. The most popular of them all, eBay, is the auction Web site we will concentrate on here.

Selling on eBay requires you to be a registered user of eBay, and to pay fees for selling your items through them. The fees are minimal and reflect the opening bid price for your item and a percentage of what the final price is. For current listing and closing fees visit eBay.com.

Online auctions work very much like traditional auctions, but they are spread out over a few days instead of a few minutes. On eBay, you can specify how long you would like your auction to last, from three to ten days. You set a starting bid amount and interested parties may view your item and place a bid. At the end of the auction the highest bidder wins the item.

Here's how a typical transaction goes down. A seller lists an item and sets a starting bid price. Buyers will be able to view the item, read the written description and place bids on it if they want to purchase it. When the auction is over, an email will be sent to the highest bidder and the seller confirming the details of the auction. The buyer and seller communicate by email to arrange payment. After the seller has received the payment, he ships the item to the buyer.

Contrary to what many people think, you really don't need to be a technical guru to place your items up for bid in an online auction. Most auction sites have an easy to follow step-by-step process for listing your item as well as tutorials on the technical process for item listing. There is also software available that pretty much automates the whole process. Take a look at other people's auctions on eBay, many of them will contain links to software companies and services that assist the online auction process.

One technical aspect of online auctions is picture taking, and it is an important part of selling on eBay. Although having a picture of your item isn't necessary, chances are you'll have more people interested in your item if they can see it. You can use a digital camera to take the pictures, scan in a regular photograph or have your pictures put on a CD-Rom for you when you get them developed. Currently, eBay allows you to place one picture in your item listing for free and charges a minimal fee for other pictures that you would like to include. But if you have some technical savvy you can get away with adding other pictures for free, ask a friend who knows how to post a Web page!

When writing your item description make it clear what your shipping method will be and how much you will be charging. You can choose the United States Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, or any other method you like. Insurance should be an option for the buyer, but it is also a good idea for you so you're not accountable if your shipment gets lost or damaged. Web sites such as Stamps.com can also make shipping easier.

A general rule for shipping charges would be the actual cost of shipping plus any packing materials or boxes that you needed to buy in order to ship the item. After your auction is over, add the final bid price to your shipping charges and that is the total that you need to charge the winning bidder.

If you are selling large items like furniture, appliances or automobiles consider allowing the buyer to pick up the item instead of trying to ship it. The shipping charges on a car can be extraordinary!

Internet Auction Selling Tips:

  • Use a low starting bid to get people interested, but no lower than you would accept for the item.
  • Check into prices on similar items to see what they are going for
  • Take good pictures, if you can't see the item clearly neither can your buyers
  • Write detailed descriptions of your item
  • State your payment and shipping terms clearly
  • Be honest in your written description, lying about your item's condition can come back to haunt you and could be illegal

Auction Payment

Payment for auctions can take many forms, the most common being check, money order and electronic transactions through an online payment service. The most popular method of paying for auctions these days has been the online payment service PayPal (www.PayPal.com). PayPal is owned by eBay and allows you to accept and make credit card payments to others over the Web. Opening a PayPal account is free, but there are minimal charges for accepting credit card payments. Check the PayPal Web site for the current fees involved.

If accepting payment over the net isn't your thing, you can always accept checks or money orders through the mail. BE CAREFUL WHEN ACCEPTING CHECKS!!! If someone sends you a personal check as payment, make sure you wait until the check has cleared before you ship the item. This usually takes ten days when you include the return check period and the time to be notified by your bank. Make it clear in your item description that you will be waiting until checks clear before shipping. Money orders are considered safe and many sellers ship the item right away after cashing the money order.

Other Online Sales Avenues

Amazon.com

Amazon.com is known as the Wal-Mart of online shopping. From electronics and books to baby clothing and lawn furniture, they pretty much carry everything. They also allow you to sell your used items right alongside the brand new ones through their "Marketplace" feature.

Let's say someone is searching for the Stephen King book, "It," and you have a copy for sale. When Amazon.com displays their page for the brand new copy, there will be a link for the customer to buy it used from you if desired. You pay no listing fees and Amazon.com only charges you a fee if the item sells.

Half.com

This is another Web site where you can list items for sale, mostly electronics, DVDs, CDs and books, but other items can be found there as well. Half.com is basically a collection of used or discounted merchandise. People would browse or search the categories just like any other shopping Web site and your merchandise would be listed alongside others selling the same items. There are no fees to list your item for sale, but there is a commission fee if your item sells.