Tips for selling on eBay
rec78
Posts: 5,691 ✭✭✭✭✭
Hello, until this thread came along:,
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/12928072#Comment_12928072
I was living in ancient Greece, doing things the old fashioned way. Writing the addresses on the labels by hand, driving to the PO to mail everything, paying post office prices for mailing stuff. Moderners don't do that anymore.
I have since gotten a Rollo laser printer dedicated to eBay sales, and a scale.
eBay and Paypal and the PO, have made mailing things a lot easier. I suggest a Rollo or Brother printer. You can also use your computer printer to print the labels.
If you sell more then a few items per month, I suggest:
1. Get a NEW laser label printer. (Do not buy a used one and get someone else's problem)
A. Saves you time. These print out labels in about 1 second or less.
B. Saves you money on postage
C. Saves you money and time on driving to the PO
D. Is very accurate and never makes the mistake of printing the wrong address.
E. Prints the barcode and tracing information right on the label.
F. Labels come out looking very professional.
G. You can get a good NEW laser label printer for $100-$200, or maybe even less then $100.
2. Purchase the shipping label from eBay and you can pay with paypal.
3. A. Postage labels are discounted, so you save money.
B. If you sell coins that sell for less then $20, use the eBay envelope system. This will save you a lot of money on postage and
has some sort of a tracking system. All this for 51 cents! USPS.
4. Just raise your mailbox flag and put the envelopes and packages in your mailbox, or drop them in a USPS drop-off box.
A. No more waiting in line at a PO for a woman to decide which postage stamps she wants, and then digs in her purse for the exact amount of change to pay for it. Waiting in a long line to mail a $4.00 package can be both time consuming and frustrating.
With the extra time you can make more listings or have time for doing other things. You mailings will have a professional look to them. So, don't be like me, get out of ancient Greece and come into modern day USA. Please feel free to add your own tips to selling on eBay to this thread. Thanks!
This posting is to help those still living in 2010.
Comments
Hmmmm, why are you hung up on a laser printer? Knock on wood so I don't jinx myself! I'm on around my 8th year on an HP Ink Jet printer that cost me around $20 at Walmart. Use about 2 or 3 cartridges a year that cost me less than $10 each from a refiller on ebay. And, yes, I do a lot of printing, not just shipping labels.
If I were to consider getting into ebay sales (I am not, I will not), the OP would be a most helpful and instructional set of guidelines. Good luck to those who venture into this field. Cheers, RickO
I too use an HP inkjet and have been selling for almost 10 years on eBay. The only thing I would add is to recommend getting a basic level store subscription if you do any volume at all. It is $21.95 a month if paid yearly, knocks your FVF down from 12.35% to 8.35% (on coins) and you get a lot more free listings.
Good start. I would not put packages in my mailbox, but May one day request a mail pickup.
I forgot to say that I don't put items in my mail box but I can drop them in the inside PO bin without waiting in line.
Can somebody give me a quick tutorial on self adhesive labels?
What SKU# or size number?
Wasting alot of tape, time, and it creates a PITA process.
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
I buy mine from this guy.
The more you buy the cheaper they are.
Works well in my Brother laser printer.
I prefer the rounded corners, don't peel of shipment easily. I was unhappy with the type that use the full one half of a sheet and have squared corners. This type had trouble going through my printer the second time for the next label. The fact that the labels I linked leave some adhesive paper around the perimeter of the sheet seems to help them going through the printer second time around.
To remove the shipping details from the other half of your "to be printed" label change the default:
This change will remain on all future labels until you change it and will ensure the other label on the adhesive sheet remains blank for you to run through the printer again for your next label.
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Debt
Calling them "laser printers" is so 2005.
Thermal Label Printer. I use a Zebra ZP-500. Same kind FedEx uses (used?). Actually mine is a used one I got that had the fedex hardware label on the back of it when I got it, paid about $110 for it.
While you're at it, you should be recommending everybody use https://www.pirateship.com. Hands down the best label service out there.
Professional Numismatist. "It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."
Yes. And if you obey the top rated seller rules, you get 10% off and you are Dien to 7.5%
There is no reason to buy labels from PayPal ever unless it is a non- eBay sale. EBay shipping rates are cheaper than PayPal and the eBay priority has $100 in free insurance rather than $50
Of course you can use any printer you like. A laser printer was just a suggestion. I misspoke when I said to buy the shipping label from paypal, you buy it from ebay and can pay for it with paypal. I have corrected the initial posting on this point.
You can pay for the label from your received payments through eBay, no need to use PayPal at all.