Almost daily I meet people who want to sell on eBay. They have junk laying around the house and know they could make extra money off of it (not to mention de-clutter their homes and garages!) but don’t know where to start. So, I’m going to try and post a little something each week that will help you shy folks get started. Notice I said try. I can’t promise updates every week…

An eBay Seller’s Account. You can use the same account you purchase with, but you will need to go through the process of setting the seller’s account up separately. You will be required to enter bank account information. This is to verify you are who you say you are.

You will also need to have a Verified PayPal Account. You can not accept credit or debit card payments without a PayPal account, and many people will not purchase from you unless you are verified. To become verified you must provide PayPal with your bank account information… once again, to prove you’re you, but also to confirm that the bank account is yours. PayPal will deposit a few cents into your bank account and you will have to check your statement and then enter some numbers into your Paypal account. It will take a while to become verified. You can sell during this time; in fact, you don’t have to become verified at all, but it is highly recommended.

Decent Digital Camera that takes good close-up pictures. If you’re selling clothing and want pictures of the tags in your auction, items with small details, etc you need to be able to get a clear photo that will allow the customer to clearly see what you’re trying to sell. Most digital cameras have a Macro setting which will allow you to get very close to the object, almost touching it even, and still take a good picture.

Sheets; 1 Black and 1 White. Use these as backdrops when you photograph your items. There’s nothing like trying to represent your item with a cluttered photo! Put light objects on the dark sheet, and visa versa.

A Scale. It doesn’t have to be a postage scale, a kitchen scale will do. You just want to have an idea how much your item weighs so you can calculate shipping. Don’t forget to consider the added weight of the box/packaging materials!

Packaging Materials. If you don’t mind storing large quantities of boxes and envelopes until you need them you can request to have Priority boxes and envelopes delivered, free of charge. This is a service from eBay and the USPS. I don’t ship much Priority Mail, so I prefer to just save boxes and packages I find or receive things in and reuse them. Also, you can get bubble mailers and boxes at WalMart for decent prices. Don’t forget you’ll need packing tape, a big marker, and full-sheet printable labels if you wish to print your own postage via the USPS or PayPal website.