Easysale's Tips

Increase eBay Sales: Offer International Shipping

If you’re on eBay but haven’t offered international shipping to foreign buyers, you’re missing out on an enormous market. Easysale, the largest eBay store in Dallas, ships to buyers worldwide on most of our listed items, offering our customers a larger pool of potential buyers. Many eBay sellers are intimidated by international shipping and shun the global market entirely, but the truth is that international shipping on eBay is relatively easy and requires just a few steps more than domestic shipping.

Offering international shipping increases the number of potential buyers attracted to your listing, which can fuel a bidding war and increase the final bidding price. To ensure success as you open up your listing to foreign buyers, keep in mind these easy tips:

1. As you would do with domestic shipments, get the specific dimensions of your listed item, including all the packaging. This will allow you to give buyers a better shipping estimate.
2. Use eBay’s Shipping Calculator and add it to your item description. This is where the work you put into capturing your package’s exact dimensions pay off, as the Shipping Calculator will give buyers in just about any country in the world a good estimate on their shipping costs. Make sure you remind your buyers that the Shipping Calculator only offers an estimate of shipping costs, that the final cost may vary and that customs fees and import duties, if any, are not included.
3. Many international carriers automatically provide insurance to all packages up to a certain limit. If it doesn’t, or if the coverage is less than the value of the item, make sure that you purchase adequate insurance. You can offer it as an option to your buyers — international or domestic — require it, or include the cost in your handling fees.
4. If an international buyer opts out of purchasing insurance, inform them — either in your listing or in a separate email to the winning bidder — that you are not responsible for loss or damage to the package once it enters the shipping network. Packages shipped overseas pass through a lot of hands and transportation services, so you’ll need to make sure that you protect yourself should something happen to the item while in transit.
5. Inform the winning international buyer that they will be responsible for any customs duties and taxes once the item enters their country’s borders. Each country has its own customs policies regarding the import of used items. Many foreign buyers will already be aware of these, as they’ve probably had to deal with them before in previous eBay transactions, but others aren’t so savvy and will need to be told upfront so that there aren’t any unpleasant surprises.
6. Some international buyers may ask you to mark the item as a “Gift” on customs forms in order to avoid customs duties, but this is illegal and may result in penalties to you, the shipper. Customs officials are entitled to open any imported package for inspection and can flag your item if it looks suspicious — that eBay manifest/invoice is a dead giveaway! — so stick to the rules and mark the nature of the shipment accordingly on the forms.
7. Insured or not, make sure that the item is packed carefully and securely to minimize damage.
8. Fill out all customs forms completely and accurately. It only looks intimidating but is actually quite simple. Ask the associate at the shipping counter for assistance if you have any questions. In the future you’ll be a pro at filling them out, so take lots of extra blank forms with you so that you can easily offer international shipping on future eBay listings.

If you’d rather not deal with the hassle of selling on eBay, give us a call at Easysale to find out how you can make money with your unwanted or unused items with little effort on your part. We sell to buyers worldwide and take care of all the work of preparing your item for listing and even shipping it to the winning bidder, wherever they are on the globe.Call us at (469) 759-6266 to find out more.

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Holiday eBay Sales Ideas

By now, just about every parent and frantic holiday shopper can probably recite this season’s most in-demand toys and electronics. If you’re not lucky enough to have a warehouse of Nintendo Wiis and those Zhu Zhu pets, though, you can still generate solid sales Christmas. We at Easysale, your favorite eBay store in Dallas, would be happy to evaluate items you’d like to sell on eBay in time for the holidays, but in the meantime, consider these other possible Christmas items to sell:

1. Indoor Christmas décor: Vintage and rare, traditional decorations do especially well on eBay. Although November is always a better time to list these in preparation for the after-Thanksgiving decorating rush, you’d be surprised at the number of people who wait till the week or even the day before Christmas to trim the tree. In addition, you’ll catch bargain hunters who wait till the week after Christmas to stock up on lights, ornaments, holiday village accessories, and wrapping materials for next December.
2. Outdoor Christmas décor: The recession has inspired people to look to the home for comfort and a peaceful respite from the stresses of rampant job losses and wage cuts. They may not be buying outdoor holiday trees and lighted reindeer in droves, but they still want their home to reflect the happiness and joy of the season.
3. Holiday sweaters: You know the ones. Some people consider them festive reminders of the season, others think of them as hideous fashion faux pas. Regardless of where you stand on the sartorial divide, you can’t ignore the tremendous popularity of those reindeer-emblazoned, tinsel-festooned woolen sweaters. A few hardy folks with a wicked sense of humor even throw holiday sweater theme parties – the more outrageous, the better! So dig out those half-forgotten sweaters from the attic and consider selling them on eBay, just in time for the party season.
4. Winter sports attire: Designer coats and boots do well on eBay, but even those from well-known outdoor apparel manufacturers such as REI, LL Bean, Timberland, and The North Face sell exceptionally well. These brands make especially durable and well-made products and often come with lifetime guarantees, so eBay buyers consider them to be worth the extra price.
5. Winter sports gear: Thinking of upgrading your ski or snowboarding gear? If your current equipment is in good condition, consider selling them on eBay. Now’s the time that buyers will be thinking of getting all their gear together in time for the January winter sports season, so dust off those blades or boards and get them ready for their eBay listing. You’ll also be able to catch those folks looking for last-minute gifts for the sports fan in their lives.

Regardless of what you plan to sell, don’t forget to take plenty of high-quality photos and create appealing, extensive product descriptions to entice your eBay buyers to bid. If you’d rather have someone else do all the hard work for you, feel free to stop by your local Easysale store with your items or to call us at (469) 759-6266.

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Not right for eBay? Use Freecycle!

Ever wonder what to do about all those items that aren’t worth holding a garage sale for? As the premier eBay store in Dallas, Easysale sells a lot of treasures for a lot of money, but there are just some things that aren’t worth the trouble of a listing. And what about those times when a trip to the thrift store isn’t convenient, but you still want your unwanted item to go to a good cause?

If you haven’t heard of Freecycle, you’re missing out on a fantastic opportunity to minimize the junk that ends up in our local landfills while at the same time helping out a fellow community member in need. Freecycle is a nationwide, online grassroots movement that seeks to redistribute members’ unwanted and/or unused items to other members at no charge.

That’s right: it’s free, hence the name, Freecycle.  Its mission is simple: members can post items that they would like to give to someone else in the network or to request items that they would like to receive. That’s it! The network operates as a Yahoo! Groups mailing list, so you’ll need to have a Yahoo! account in order to join, but once you have, you’re welcome to jump into the fray.

The Freecycle Network (TM)  is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and has over 4,800 groups and 6.7 million members worldwide, making it the largest online environmental community in the world. Don’t be overwhelmed by the numbers, though: each member belongs to at least one Freecycle community group, with the Dallas/Fort Worth area alone hosting a dozen or so that cater to the different parts of the city as well as the suburbs, including North Dallas, Central Dallas, East Dallas, Plano, Carrollton, Irving, and many, many others. You can choose to be a member of just your own corner of the Metroplex or join multiple others, although keep in mind how far you’re willing to travel to pick something up.

Before you hop aboard, bear in mind some fundamental rules of etiquette that the umbrella Freecycle organization enforces in all of its groups, such as a ban on the distribution of pornography, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, or prescription or nonprescription medications. Local groups each have at least one volunteer moderator who ensures that members adhere to the general Freecycle rules as well as any other guidelines specific to that membership. Many Freecycle groups, especially those that cover small cities or suburbs, are more relaxed about what members can or cannot do, while others are strictly moderated and do not tolerate any member who abuses the rules. All, however, must follow the basic rules regarding the distribution of illegal or inappropriate materials such as those mentioned above.

The most important thing to remember is that the Freecycle Network is a community dedicated to keeping things out of landfills and into the hands of people who want what someone else may no longer need or want. As Freecycle and its moderators take pains to point out, it’s not about finding people to fulfill your wish list of expensive items; selling items (no exchange of money must ever take place over a Freecycle transaction); bartering, which is strictly prohibited; or advertising your yard/garage/estate sales. Some people use Freecycle to source items that they immediately turn around and sell on eBay or even their own garage sales, but most local groups have clear rules governing that particular use of the site, so read the guidelines carefully.

So if you have an old couch, VCR, bicycle, toys, clothes , books, school supplies, appliances,electronics,  or even cars (yes, people have gotten cars off of Freecycle, although it’s not that common), try offering it on your local Freecycle mailing list. Chances are, you have a lot of things in your garage or attic that won’t sell for much on eBay but will likely find a good home elsewhere in the community.

If you’re in need of something yourself, try posting a “Wanted” request, as someone else may have exactly what you need just languishing in their own attic. Freecycle does, however, suggest that members who want something should post an Offer first to establish goodwill, introduce yourself to the group and encourage the spirit of sharing that inspired the first Freecycle transaction.

For more information, visit the Freecycle website.

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Hot Selling Items on eBay (12/3/09)

These are some of the high-value product categories in which demand on eBay is increasing the fastest as of December 3, 2009, according to Terapeak, a subscription-based market research service.

So check around your home or business…if you have any of these items just sitting around gathering dust, selling them now with Easysale’s eBay consignment service will get you the fastest sale and the highest price!

1. Educational learning systems (Leapfrog, VTech)
2. American Girl dolls and accessories
3. Karaoke systems with monitors
4. Portable DVD players
5. Internal notebook hard drives (500 GB and larger)
6. Montblanc pens
7. Saltwater fishing rods
8. Ice hockey goalie equipment
9. Lenox figurines
10. Video gaming systems

If you’re ready to take advantage of “what’s hot” on eBay, just visit our Easysale Dallas-Fort Worth eBay store location, or call us at (469) 759-6266

Safety First: Do Your eBay Buyers Trust You?

Many holiday shoppers won’t be first-time buyers online, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less wary than virgin Web shoppers about online security. As one of the largest eBay stores in Texas, Easysale prides itself on the trust our buyers and sellers have granted us over years of doing business in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  If you’re an independent eBay seller, however,  how can you reassure your buyers that you will be zealous about protecting their privacy and personal financial information?

1. First and most importantly, do everything possible to maintain a high feedback rating. The fewer transactions you’ve done, the closer to 100% feedback you must have. If you haven’t quite reached that point, help boost your numbers by making a few eBay purchases yourself. Of course, that means being a stellar, responsible buyer as well.
2. Offer a flexible return policy, and then honor it. Display that policy prominently on all your eBay listings as well as in your eBay store.
3. Don’t be coy in your shipping prices in your eBay listing. Be clear and precise in calculating your item’s shipping prices at all levels of delivery (i.e., Overnight, 2nd Day Air, Ground, Media Mail, etc.).
4. Provide full, accurate descriptions and offer as many detailed photographs as necessary to give the buyer enough information in your eBay  listing to make an informed decision about buying. The more valuable the item, the more important it is that you not skimp on the details, especially if it’s used and/or has some damage.
5. Maintain open communication lines at all times throughout the entire auction. Respond promptly to any and all requests for information.
6. Deliver on time! You might be surprised at how often amateur and even some so-called “professional” eBay sellers delay shipping. Ship your items to their winning bidders as soon as the auctions end. That means preparing the item for shipment before the auction closes so that it’ll be ready to go once the winning bidder has been declared.
7. Ship securely. Pack every item carefully, even if it’s just a book or magazine. Wrap small items in gallon-sized plastic zipper bags to protect them from moisture, and use plenty of packing paper and/or bubble wrap with larger items. Tape boxes and packing envelopes tightly so that there’s no chance of them falling apart in transit. Make sure that you include eBay’s printable shipping form to remind the recipient which auction this came from. As a memorable touch, consider a simple thank-you note, too.
8. Repeat all of the above steps for all of your subsequent eBay listings.

Sounds like a lot of work? Consider using Easysale’s easy, personalized eBay consignment service. We’ll take your items, provide you with an estimate of its value, prepare it for listing, and sell it for you in our highly-rated eBay store.  You can then spend the rest of your holidays doing your own personal shopping, maybe even from the proceeds of your Easysale eBay auction!

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