JOURNAL (DIARY) ENTRIES: SELLING STUFF ONLINE + Top 6 Tips for Sellers

I've been selling more and more things online lately that I feel are excess. By going through my old things, I've also been finding more and more old pictures. Selling online via Listia, Facebook, Amazon, or Ebay is a lot of work. They each have their own quirks and enduring qualities. Listia is meant for trading. You get credits for auctions you take within the site. Other users bid on auctions of your stuff, very similar to Ebay, but they bid with credits. You may purchase credits if you feel like it's worth while (but it rarely is).




I'm not sure how other people do it. Some make it seem easy. Perhaps having a postal scale, printer, and shipment schedule helps. I find the whole process tedious and exhausting. It's worth it to make a few pennies or earn credits that I can use later but it's work nonetheless. Each has extraneous rules and ever changing ways to get your money/credits.

I wonder how other people streamline this process.

If you want to see pictures of the things I'm getting rid of, I have three albums on Facebook.

My top 6 tips for sellers:

1. Only ever use Google Payments, Square, or Paypal for payments. NEVER use cash or money orders. 
2. Get tracking numbers for your shipments. Yes, it costs extra money (which you can pass along to the buyer) but it also protects you: 1) you get shipping insurance by default with priority mail 2) you can prove to Paypal and your selling website that something is shipped.
3. Use nice pictures that are not too dark. Make sure the picture(s) are of multiple angles, include sizes, brands, and the product in use.
4. Look up the product online. Use similar keywords, descriptions, brand names, and write these out in depth. Your item will not show up in searches unless the words users are looking for show up in your title/description.
5. Try to check in as often as possible to answer emails, comments, and other questions. 
6. If you want a certain minimum price for something, don't underprice yourself in an attempt to get eyeballs. Just wait it out.