eBay For Dummies

Marsha Collier

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781119617747
• eBook ISBN: 9781119617846
• Edition: 10
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Computer Science General
• Index: Computer Science

It's a bargain! The definitive guide to buying and selling success on eBay - fully updated for 2020

Want to know the best way to get rid of some of that clutter laying around the house and make some cash? Or sell that beautiful jewelry you made recently? It might be time to take a quick trip to a market with more than 175 million buyers and start a global bidding war.

eBay remains the easiest way to sell to hungry consumers worldwide and to uncover incredible bargains and unique items for yourself in the process. Marsha Collier, longtime eBay business owner and one of their first elite PowerSellers, shares 20+ years of expertise to fast-track you to becoming a trusted buyer and seller on the site. You'll find out how to set up your account, market effectively, and master shipping and payment, as well as how to find the best bargains for yourself and close those sweet, sweet deals.

• Establish your eBay store
• Find techniques to make your listings stand out
• Make money and friends with social media
• Bid or buy outright

Whether you're a bargain hunter or bargain seller, declutterer or aspiring eBay tycoon, eBay for Dummies has what you need. Put your bid on it right now!

Part 1

Getting a Feel for eBay

IN THIS PART …

Getting the basics on using eBay

Reviewing the registration process

Organizing eBay transactions and interactions through your My eBay page

Understanding the Feedback system

Chapter 1

Why Being on eBay Is Fun on So Many Levels

IN THIS CHAPTER

Learning about eBay

Figuring out your buying and selling options

Selling stuff for cash

Researching items to buy or sell

Knowing how eBay is protecting you

Using features and fun stuff

eBay emerged as the marketplace of the 21st century. Way back in 2003, Wired magazine predicted that eBay’s promise was that “retailing will become the national pastime.” Promise fulfilled: In 2018, worldwide online e-commerce sales topped $2.86 trillion. The founder had a pretty great idea back in 1995 (read about some eBay history in the “eBay’s humble beginnings” sidebar, later in this chapter), and the world has taken to shopping and selling online. eBay is a safe and fun place to shop for everything from collectibles to brand-new clothing and tech gadgets, all from the comfort of your home.

Once referred to as an “online garage sale,” eBay is now also a marketplace for new merchandise. It’s no longer just the destination for locating unusual collectibles and hard-to-find china patterns. These days major brands have signed up; you can purchase new and useful items, such as alarm systems, tablets, lightbulbs, clothing, cars, homes — just about anything you can think of.

Take a look around your house. Nice shoes (that you never wore). Spiffy artwork (that you’re bored with). Great-looking clock (souvenir that doesn’t match your décor). Not to mention all the other cool stuff you own. All these great fashions, household appliances, and collectibles are fabulous to own, but when was the last time your clock turned a profit? When you connect to eBay, your PC or mobile device can magically turn into a money machine. Just visit eBay and marvel at all the items that are just a few mouse clicks away from being bought and sold.

In this chapter, I tell you what eBay is and how it works. eBay is today’s gas-free alternative to driving and spending hours wandering through boutiques, big-box stores, or outlet malls looking for the perfect bargain or tchotchke. The site can also be your personal shopper for gifts and day-to-day items.

Not only can you buy and sell stuff in the privacy of your home, but through your connections on eBay, you can also meet people who share your interests. Those who use the eBay site are a friendly bunch, and soon you’ll be buying, selling, swapping stories, and trading advice with your newfound friends via various social media outlets.

To get to eBay, you need to access the Internet. To access the Internet, you need a Windows PC, a Mac, a tablet with the eBay Mobile app, or simply a smartphone. (Inexpensive brand name Chromebooks can be found for under $200.)

What Is eBay, and How Does It Work?

The Internet spawned all kinds of online retail marketplaces (known as e-commerce sites to Wall Street types), and eBay is the superstar as the people’s marketplace. The reason it remains a leader is simple: It’s where buyers look to do business with both big brands and small homespun family businesses. It’s also where a quick look at the listings can give you a ballpark figure on how much an item is “going for” these days.

eBay itself doesn’t sell a thing. Instead, the site is a platform for selling and does what all good markets do: It creates a safe environment that brings together buyers and sellers. You can think of eBay as the person who set you up on your last blind date — except the results are often a lot better. Your matchmaking friend doesn’t perform a marriage ceremony but does get you in the same room with your potential soulmate. eBay puts buyers and sellers in an e-commerce environment and lets them conduct their business within the rules that eBay has established.

All you need to do to join eBay is fill out a few forms online and click. Congratulations — you’re a member, with no fees or secret handshakes needed (you don’t pay a fee until you sell something). After you register, you can buy and sell anything that falls within the eBay rules and regulations. (Chapter 2 eases you through the registration process.)

The eBay home page, shown in Figure 1-1, is your first step to finding all the kickass stuff you can see and do on eBay. You can conduct searches, learn about current promotions, and get an instant link to the My eBay page, which helps you keep track of every item you have up for sale or have a bid on. You can read more about the eBay home page in Chapter 3 and find out more about My eBay in Chapter 4.

FIGURE 1-1: The eBay home page, your starting point for bargains and for making some serious cash.

Yikes! What happened? The eBay home page on your computer looks nothing like the one in Figure 1-1? Don’t rub your eyes — even squinting hard won’t help; eBay has a different version of the home page for those who have never registered on eBay — and customizes the page even if you’re not signed in. If you have never registered on eBay, someone else who uses the computer may have done so already. Know that whatever version of the eBay home page you view, it has the same basic elements.

eBAY’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The long-standing urban legend says eBay all started with a Pez dispenser. But as romantic as the story is (of the young man who designed the site for his fiancée to trade Pez dispensers), the story is, sadly, public-relations spin. The founder, Pierre Omidyar, had the right vision at the right time, and the first item he sold on the site (which was originally named AuctionWeb) was a broken laser pointer. Day by day, new people were drawn to the site from Internet chatter, including me in 1996. The site eventually grew (hosting 2 million auctions in January 1997) until it began to strain Pierre’s ISP server. The ISP charged him more, so he started charging a small listing fee for sellers, just so he could break even. Legend has it that the day $10,000 in fees arrived in Pierre’s mailbox, he quit his day job and embarked on building an Internet legend.

eBay’s forerunner, AuctionWeb, was born on Labor Day 1995. The name eBay is taken from Echo Bay, the name Pierre originally wanted for his company. Upon checking with the State of California, he found that the name was taken by another company, so he shortened the name to eBay — and the rest, as they say, is history.

All About Auctions

When it comes to auctions, the value of an item is determined by how much someone is willing to spend to buy it. That’s what makes auctions exciting. eBay offers several varieties of auctions, but for the m...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Part 1: Getting a Feel for eBay
• Part 2: Buying Like an Expert
• Part 3: Making Money the eBay Way
• Part 4: Even More of eBay’s Special Features
• Part 5: The Parts of Tens
• Index
• About the Author
• Advertisement Page
• Connect with Dummies
• End User License Agreement