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How to sell on eBay

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Selling on eBay can be tough waters to navigate. But if your neighbor next door can sell her furniture on cyberspace without any hassles, there’s no reason you can’t sell shoes on eBay. But be forewarned: since the majority of sneakers on eBay are fakes, you need to work extra hard to maintain a spotless reputation. With that being said, let’s go to the list of tips.

Tip 1: Don’t let anyone question the legitimacy of your auctions.

There’s no reason for bidders to suspect shadiness if you’re not shady to begin with. Make your feedback public even if you have one or two negatives. Offer a money back guarantee. Answer ALL the questions you receive. Be honest in your description. It’s better to inform your buyers as much as possible before they actually win your auctions.

Tip 2: Take at least 3 pictures of your shoes.

I suggest taking a minimum of three pictures: 1) lateral view with box if included, 2) bottom of the soles (this is a must), and 3) tag with production number. Don’t even think about listing an auction without pictures. People do have vivid imaginations but still… words can only describe so much. Also, I would avoid copying and pasting pictures from sneaker websites. Invest in a digital camera. It will be worth it in the long run.

Tip 3: “Tag” your pictures.

Stealing pictures on eBay seems to be the hip thing to do nowadays. Write your name on a piece of paper, place it next to the shoes you want to sell, and then take pictures.

Tip 4: Don’t end your auctions on a late Friday night or on holidays.

Pretty self-explanatory.

Tip 5: Your auctions reflect you.

Appear confident in your listing, knowledgeable, but not over-the-top. Don’t be cocky, rude, or appear downright ignorant especially when you’re answering email questions. Face it, like it or not, people still judge a book by its cover. It’s not personal; it’s business.

Tip 6: Learn how to write in English.

This tip is not meant to be entirely sarcastic but please, learn or re-learn your common spelling and grammatical rules. Proof-read your item description at least once. If you’re not a spelling king or queen, it’s easy to put your writing in a Word or Works documents and double-check spelling. Then copy and paste your description in the nice little selling box eBay provides for you.

Tip 7: Avoid selling sneakers that even Goodwill would be reluctant to take.

Chances are most people don’t want a full-blown case of some disgusting foot disease. But here’s a disturbing observation I’ve noticed- there are people who have “feet fetish” (I’ll leave it that). These people are almost as gross as those who buy used underwear on eBay (ewwwww). But for the rest of the population, at least try to clean up your worn sneakers before you put them up for bids.

Tip 8: Capitalize on hype.

Hype is a dirty word for a lot of sneakerheads. But if you’re a (re)seller, hype is fabulous word. If you’re able to obtain a pair of a limited edition, highly sought release (re: Altitudes) before everyone else- sell right away. Don’t wait until a month later because it could be likely that the shoes could flood eBay by then. And don’t be overly greedy. Be happy that you made $400-500 when you paid $100 for those Dunks.

Tip 9: Watch for fraud.

Fraud has become a business almost in itself recently. Use that brain of yours. Don’t mail out the item when you haven’t received payment. Be wary of unconfirmed and/or unverified PayPal users. Even be careful of money orders and if possible, cash before mailing. There’s a new fraud technique where the buyer from a foreign country sends a fake money order over the actual price of the item and then asks the seller to send the extra money back in cash. When the seller tries to cash the money order (after having sent out the item), he or she realizes the money order is fake. In the end, the seller loses both the item and extra cash- a double whammy.

Tip 10: If you are going to overcharge on shipping, at least mail the sneakers via 2-3 day priority mail.

Yeah, sellers do this to make up for lost eBay and PayPal fees. But as a seller, you have the responsibility for fast shipping as well, since you’re overcharging on shipping. If possible, mail out your item the very next day. Fast shipping is so important that sometimes it makes up for a less than stellar product.

If you would like more tips, let me know and I’ll consider adding more information in the future. Please ask for my permission if you decide to reproduce or post these tips.



Sneakers Sold Links/Resources References Collections Sneakerology		Selling on eBay can be tough waters to navigate. But if your neighbor next door can sell her furniture on cyberspace without any hassles, there’s no reason you can’t sell shoes on eBay. But be forewarned: since the majority of sneakers on eBay are fakes, you need to work extra hard to maintain a spotless reputation. With that being said, let’s go to the list of tips. Tip 1: Don’t let anyone question the legitimacy of your auctions. There’s no reason for bidders to suspect shadiness if you’re not shady to begin with. Make your feedback public even if you have one or two negatives. Offer a money back guarantee. Answer ALL the questions you receive. Be honest in your description. It’s better to inform your buyers as much as possible before they actually win your auctions. Tip 2: Take at least 3 pictures of your shoes. I suggest taking a minimum of three pictures: 1) lateral view with box if included, 2) bottom of the soles (this is a must), and 3) tag with production number. Don’t even think about listing an auction without pictures. People do have vivid imaginations but still… words can only describe so much. Also, I would avoid copying and pasting pictures from sneaker websites. Invest in a digital camera. It will be worth it in the long run. Tip 3: “Tag” your pictures. Stealing pictures on eBay seems to be the hip thing to do nowadays. Write your name on a piece of paper, place it next to the shoes you want to sell, and then take pictures. Tip 4: Don’t end your auctions on a late Friday night or on holidays. Pretty self-explanatory. Tip 5: Your auctions reflect you. Appear confident in your listing, knowledgeable, but not over-the-top. Don’t be cocky, rude, or appear downright ignorant especially when you’re answering email questions. Face it, like it or not, people still judge a book by its cover. It’s not personal; it’s business. Tip 6: Learn how to write in English. This tip is not meant to be entirely sarcastic but please, learn or re-learn your common spelling and grammatical rules. Proof-read your item description at least once. If you’re not a spelling king or queen, it’s easy to put your writing in a Word or Works documents and double-check spelling. Then copy and paste your description in the nice little selling box eBay provides for you. Tip 7: Avoid selling sneakers that even Goodwill would be reluctant to take. Chances are most people don’t want a full-blown case of some disgusting foot disease. But here’s a disturbing observation I’ve noticed- there are people who have “feet fetish” (I’ll leave it that). These people are almost as gross as those who buy used underwear on eBay (ewwwww). But for the rest of the population, at least try to clean up your worn sneakers before you put them up for bids. Tip 8: Capitalize on hype. Hype is a dirty word for a lot of sneakerheads. But if you’re a (re)seller, hype is fabulous word. If you’re able to obtain a pair of a limited edition, highly sought release (re: Altitudes) before everyone else- sell right away. Don’t wait until a month later because it could be likely that the shoes could flood eBay by then. And don’t be overly greedy. Be happy that you made $400-500 when you paid $100 for those Dunks. Tip 9: Watch for fraud. Fraud has become a business almost in itself recently. Use that brain of yours. Don’t mail out the item when you haven’t received payment. Be wary of unconfirmed and/or unverified PayPal users. Even be careful of money orders and if possible, cash before mailing. There’s a new fraud technique where the buyer from a foreign country sends a fake money order over the actual price of the item and then asks the seller to send the extra money back in cash. When the seller tries to cash the money order (after having sent out the item), he or she realizes the money order is fake. In the end, the seller loses both the item and extra cash- a double whammy. Tip 10: If you are going to overcharge on shipping, at least mail the sneakers via 2-3 day priority mail. Yeah, sellers do this to make up for lost eBay and PayPal fees. But as a seller, you have the responsibility for fast shipping as well, since you’re overcharging on shipping. If possible, mail out your item the very next day. Fast shipping is so important that sometimes it makes up for a less than stellar product. If you would like more tips, let me know and I’ll consider adding more information in the future. Please ask for my permission if you decide to reproduce or post these tips.