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Tips for Sellers
Ready to get the most out of your eBay selling experience? Check out the suggestions we've gleaned from our millions of experienced sellers:

Boost Bidding by Enhancing Your Listing

• Make your item standout by listing it in bold for only $2. Items in bold are 27% more likely to sell.
• Use Featured Plus! if you want to appear in your category's Featured Item section and in bidder's search results. Plus, your item may be selected at random for display in another area — your category index page Featured Items section. Remember: Featured Plus! listings are 58% more likely to sell and the fee is only $19.95.
• Emphasize your listing with an eye-catching yellow colored band with our Highlight feature for only $5.

Give a Complete Description

• Make sure the item you are listing can be lawfully sold in your area. Click here to see our Prohibited, Questionable & Infringing Items page.
  The Consumer Product Safety Commission occasionally bans sales of goods that may be dangerous to consumers. Please click here for more information.
• To avoid questions later, try to anticipate questions people may have about the item.
• Be sure to specify who will pay for shipping and consider using iShip.com to give your prospective buyers a FREE shipping estimate.
• Don't forget to mention the location of the item and whether you'll ship internationally.

Add a Picture

• You can boost sales by showing off your item with an image or photograph.
• Check out Adding Pictures for how-to tips. If you need more help, try the helpful advice posted by other eBay users on the Images/HTML board.

Provide Terms For Sale

• To make sure you get paid for the items you sell, include the payment method and shipping terms in your listing.
• Accepting more secure forms of payment (such as credit cards) gives you more ability to verify the buyer.
• You may want to insure the item before shipping.
• For higher-priced items, bidders may be more likely to bid if you offer an escrow service.

Limit Private Auctions

• Private Auctions are appropriate for items not intended for mass viewing, like adult material.
• But keeping track of the high bidder can be harder, so private auctions aren't popular with bidders.

Keep Your Auction Going

• Many eBay bidders wait until the very last minute to place a bid.
• That means you may be missing out on additional bids if you end your auction early.
• You'll also miss having your item on the Ending Today page listing—for the final 24 hours only-and the Going, Going, Gone page listing for the final 3 hours!

Where is an item?

• You can find exactly where your item is listed here.

Be Courteous To Bidders

• Remember, this is a potential buyer—and you want the sale!
• Take the time to write in complete sentences, with a salutation and a closing when you send an email.

Check the Bidder's Reputation

• The number in parentheses next to a bidder's User ID is that bidder's feedback rating. This rating is a summary of the comments other users have made about this bidder.
• Click on that number to see the actual comments.
• All bids at or above $5,000 require verification (credit card or alternative ID) prior to placing a bid. Learn More.

Talk Person to Person

• If you feel uncomfortable about your deal, sometimes a quick phone call is a great way to resolve misunderstandings.
• Remember, many people don't read their email every day. A call may also be the quickest way to reach your buyer.