eBay Startup - The Road to 50

I'm on a journey to test the Horatio Alger stories of eBay sellers that began by selling paper clips and pencils and turned their humble storefronts into electronic empires of epic proportions. I want to invite you to join me as I bumble through cyberspace - mostly on weekends - and try to build my own eBay empire, starting with the road to 50 stars. In return, I will share with you every lesson I pick up along the way, just for keeping me company.

So, where to start?

My first attempt at selling anything on eBay was a total failure. I'd just read "Confessions of a Shopaholic," and it occurred to me that my "brand addiction" phase of the early 2000's had left me sitting on a pile of cash in the form of designer clothing, shoes and handbags. It has also left me sitting on a mountain of debt that later spiraled out of control when I financed my MBA with my American Express.

I wanted to start with something nice, but meaningless. Something that would attract buyers but I wouldn't mind parting with for a low price. So, with zero feedback and only a tenured albeit lightly used username, I used my trusty digital camera to take a picture of an unbranded but beautiful red alligator skin clutch I'd had sitting in my closet for nearly a decade and uploaded my first listing: a 3-day auction with a starting bid of ... $20.

That's when I learned....

Ebay Problem Number 1: It's very difficult to attract buyers to unbranded items. The main two ways people land on your listings are: 1) using the search function; 2) browsing through a category. Furthermore, it's difficult to know exactly HOW searchers in need of your item will search for it, AND it's against eBay's policy to use misleading phrases (like "Looks Like Gucci!") to attract hits. Finally, as an amateur seller, you don't have access to that type of information from eBay, so it's a guessing game as far your item title and description are concerned. Plus, have you ever tried browsing through a popular eBay category? Do you ever make it past the first three or so pages? Needless to say, my poorly-priced, unbranded (albeit beautiful) item had about 2 page hits, zero watchers and zero bidders.

Which brings me to...

Ebay Solution Number 1: Free shipping. Now granted, this only works for small, light items, but an easy way to boost your chances of getting hits on your item is to offer free shipping. Ebay offers the option to view only items with free shipping, and many eBayers take advantage of that option. Offering UPS Ground or USPS Parcel post - the cheapest options - and slightly rising your opening bid seems to increase traffic to my items. The caveat is that it's a little risky. You HAVE to be confident buyers would be very interested in your item, if only they could find it!

I eventually sold that item... but my toddler needs a diaper change, so you'll have to wait until he's cleaned up to hear how!