How to Make Your First Sale -- Have You Considered Using Auctions for eBay

Photo by Lucas Pimenta 

When trying to learn to how to make your first sale on eBay, one thing newbies such as myself often overlook is something unique and special.

Auctions were originally the backbone of the selling giant that is eBay, so much so that they launched the company to one of the most prominent and well-known e-commerce websites. Founded in 1995, auctions were actually the only choice of selling.

What we collectively have come to know as the buy it now auction, which is essentially just a fixed price for an item, didn't begin until the early 2000s.

And while buy-it-now has become the mainstream choice for many sellers, the truth is it can often take months, or even years (YEARS!) to sell an item using this method, especially if you're not advertising.

Getting My First Sale Since Returning to eBay

Photo by Ariel Lustre on Unsplash

Having relaunched my business in August of 2017 after a year-long hiatus, one thing I've found is that the sales don't come quick, especially when selling items such as I am. As of now, my store is comprised of around 50 items, staying under my allowed limit, and consists of vintage ties and coffee mugs, not to mention select few of novelty baseball caps.

And while I'm cognizant that these items aren't going to bring me millions of dollars or the highest ROI, I have sold them in the past enough times to know they are valuable enough to make a profit on.

But as with everything, they take time.

Which is why I needed something to kickstart my business.

Selling Stuff Around the House

One thing I like to promote if you're starting out on eBay is to sell stuff you have laying around, especially if you're not sure what your niche is going to be.

Not one to not take my own advice, I decided I would sell this Canon FD 50mm Camera Lens, and better yet, use an auction to get things going.

I experimented a little bit, using the 1-day feature that costs an extra dollar in fees. And while the auction ended up generating some profits, I'll be the first to admit this camera undersold by a lot.

You can see my results here.

Not That This Matters

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Yes, a hundred dollar camera lens sold for a mere 45 bucks!

But trust me, that frustration of seeing dollars go out the window was short lived. Because if there's one thing I love, it's the feeling of hearing that cha-ching sound go off when a sale is complete.

And after 2 months(!!!) of selling, one thing I've learned is, profits will always be there. 

So while I am disappointed in my experiment, I'm pretty happy knowing I'm getting sales now by utilizing the auction feature. And while I'm not one to sell everything through the format, I plan to continually update you, dear reader, as I continue on this adventure of getting back into the swing of things.

Get Some Sales Going!

And while we're at it, stop thinking so much in terms of profit and more on just generating some steam and interest.

I waited two months, sitting on items that might not sell for another 2 years! And while I'm big on the list it and forget method that is common among many high-profile sellers, in reality, I don't have time to wait for my sale.

Which is why auctions can be so fun.

For more on this, check out my YouTube video I made addressing this issue:

As always,

God bless and may your treasure hunting be glorious!

Newbie