Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged How to
How to Make Money on eBay
2
3 years
I’ve been selling on eBay for years and I’ve noticed that, over time, it has become increasingly more difficult to actually make any money from the things you sell. With postage costs rising, PayPal and eBay both taking fees, and the sheer volume of items for sale, if you’re not a savvy seller, selling on eBay can take a lot of effort with very little pay-off.
So, today I thought I’d share with you all my tried and tested tips and tricks for making money on eBay, with a few of my own success stories thrown in too. I can’t promise you’re going to make a fortune if you take my advice, but you can at least earn a few extra pounds!
1. Use Keywords
The words you use in your titles can really influence how many people are finding your item when browsing eBay, and therefore how many people are bidding. Say you’re selling a black dress… Calling it ‘Black Dress’ will probably mean it gets lost amongst a whole host of generic black dresses, but if you add detail with fashion keywords you can really tailor your items, especially if you know what’s on trend at the moment, and what people will likely be looking for. In my experience, popular terms include ‘Boho’, ‘Gothic’, and ‘Biker’. Just make sure your item actually suits the trend you are advertising it as!
My Success Story: I recently purchased a faux leather jacket on eBay that, though it was nice and very on trend, really didn’t suit me. I only paid £2 for it, so I put it back on eBay at a similar price and would have been happy just to make my money back. However, I listed the jacket using a few keywords in the title that related to its style (such as ‘biker’, ‘punk’ and ‘goth’), and in the end the jacket sold for more than £16!
2. Go Charity Shopping
One of my favourite ways to make money on eBay is to go shopping myself first… If you’re willing to spend time hunting, you can come across some real designer gems in charity shops at low prices, that you can then sell on when you’re done with them. You won’t find something every time you look, but when you’re lucky it’ll be worth it.
My Success Story: A couple of months ago, whilst browsing a local charity shop, I came across a men’s t-shirt from Liam Gallagher’s ‘Pretty Green’ range of clothing. It looked brand new, and at £2.99 it felt too good to be true, but I checked the labels over and discovered that it was 100% genuine. I snapped it up with the intention of giving it to my partner but he didn’t want it, so again, I put it on eBay at a low price in the hope of making my money back. Within hours the t-shirt had gained lots of watchers, and by the end of the seven-day listing it sold for a whopping £23.
3. Take Advantage of Free Listing
If you list an item for under 99p, eBay allow you to list 100 single-quantity items per month for free! But if you want to charge more (as I suggest in tip 4) it costs, and the higher your starting price, the more it costs. For clothing it’s usually around 15p per item, which doesn’t seem that much, but if you’re listing several items at once it soon adds up! Paying to list items just eats into your profits, so take advantage of free listing days whenever you can. eBay tend to run a free listing weekend every other week, so I tend to prepare everything during the week (gather items, take photos, plan my listings etc), then list everything during a free listing weekend.
4. Factor in Fees
Unfortunately for us sellers, both eBay and PayPal take a percentage of the sale price of your items, including from what you charge for postage. PayPal take between 1.4% and 3.4%, plus an extra 20p, and eBay take 10% of the final value. So, if you actually want to come out of a sale with something other than a few pence, it’s a good idea to factor these fees into your pricing. I personally never list anything for 99p, because once all the fees have been taken away you’re left with next to nothing, so I tend to start items a little higher. Perhaps £1.49 for small items, or for labelled brands a bit more.
It might also be an idea to up your postage costs too. It costs £2.60 to post a small parcel in the UK, but if you charge £2.60 you’ll end up paying some of the postage out of your own pocket, as some will be taken in fees. I usually put mine up to around £3.00 as P&P does also include packaging!
5. Take Good Photographs
Ever found something interesting on eBay, only to find there’s one small, low quality image of the thing, probably taken on a mobile phone in a badly lit room? Chances are you’re not going to want to bid on something if you can’t see what it looks like, so good photographs are always important in making a sale! I like to take mine with a digital camera rather than a phone, in natural light, and I always include a few close up photographs too so buyers can really see what they’re getting.
Do you have any tips for selling on eBay? Please comment if you do as I’d love to hear them!
Happy selling,
Naomi x
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
6
4 years
I originally planned this post back at the beginning of September, but after discovering that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I would save until now. Breast Cancer research and awareness is a cause which is close to my heart, as it is for millions of other men and women around the world. Statistics show that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK, and 1 in 8 women in the UK will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, so it is highly likely that most of us will know someone who has been affected by breast cancer,which is a sobering thought.
The idea of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to encourage women of all ages to check their breasts regularly. Checking your breasts isn’t just about feeling for a lump, but also about learning what is normal for your breasts, and knowing what unusual changes to look out for. I saw on the news yesterday that, shockingly, 98% of women do not know what changes (other than a lump) may indicate breast cancer, so in this post I will share those signs with you. You may find that your breasts look or feel different at different times of the month depending on what stage you are at during your menstrual cycle, for example, your breasts may feel swollen or tender, or even slightly lumpy, so it is important to tune in to these natural changes and know what is usual for you.
What to look out for…
It is incredibly important to use your eyes as well as your hands when checking your breasts, as some signs of breast cancer are visible. To check for visible signs, it is a good idea to look in a mirror and view your breasts from all angles, both with your arms in the air and at your side. Here are the changes you should be looking for:
- Swelling, in your armpit or in your collarbone.
- Changes in the texture of the skin, including dimpling or puckering (a little bit like orange peel).
- A change in nipple size or shape, or even nipple inversion.
- Nipple discharge.
- A rash or crusting on the breast or around the nipple.
But remember, even if cancer is present you may not have all, if any, of these signs, so it is important to feel your breasts as well.
What to feel for…
Many people think that cancer of the breast will always manifest as a lump. However, though lumps are common, breast cancer can also feel like a thickening of the breast tissue, so bear this in mind when checking your breasts. Also, if you feel constant pain in your breast or armpit, don’t ignore it.
How to feel your breasts…
It is recommended that you check your breasts once or twice a month, when relaxed, and preferably with a soapy hand whilst in the bath or shower. Checking your breasts isn’t just about feeling for lumps, but about feeling what is normal for you, so pay attention to how your breasts usually feel.
A good technique to check your breasts is to do the following:
- Using the flat part (not the fingertips) of three or four of your fingers, roll over your breast tissue in a circular motion, feeling for any lumps or thickening. Start at the top and move all the way round the breast until you reach the top again.
- Moving closer towards the nipple, do the same again, and repeat until you reach the nipple.
- Sweep the flat part of your fingers from the side of your breast and up towards your armpit, as your breast tissue extends up to your armpit.
- Gently squeeze your nipple at the 12 and 6 o clock position, as well as the 9 and 3 o clock position to check for any discharge.
If you can see or feel ANY changes in your breasts that are not normal to you then it is extremely important to see your doctor as soon as possible. I myself recently found a lump in my breast. I was terrified and very nervous about going to see the doctor, but I knew it was necessary so I bit the bullet and went. The doctor was very kind and gentle and checked my breast for me, and luckily, thankfully, everything was okay in the end, but it is always better to be safe than sorry, as I’m sure you’ll all agree.
How you can help…
To show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, you can wear a pink ribbon.
I am currently wearing this beautiful Magenta Crusade Pink from Avon which costs £1.50, and all proceeds go to charity. Avon have been fundraising for Breakthrough Breast Cancer for 20 years now, and they often sell other products for the charity, including nail files, baking sets and mugs, so keep an eye out for these when browsing your Avon brochure!
There are also lots of other gorgeous pins and things for sale on the high street this month, some of the proceeds of which will go to charities such as Breast Cancer Care. There is a full list of items here, but here are a few of the fashion and beauty related products you can buy…
QVS Ergo Eyelash Curler – £3.99
Boux Avenue Lyla Bra (£26) and Knickers (£16, or £12 thong)
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil – £9.99
Special Edition Twinpack Cherry Chapstick – £2.49
QVS Two Professional Nail Shapers – £1.99
Penelope Pink Tangle Teaser – £13.99
I hope you have found this post useful, and whether male or female, please remember to check your breasts on a regular basis. Oh and please show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness and wear a pink ribbon – I am!
Naomi x
