Over the past year, I’ve shared how selling on eBay can benefit you and your family, provided tips for getting started selling on eBay, and even told you about my personal lessons learned from selling on eBay for the first time. However, eBay is not just for selling – many people use eBay for purchasing rare, hard-to-find items, or perhaps for finding a perfect gift from the comfort of their home. I know that before I started selling on eBay, I was a frequent eBay shopper, buying anything from cute, collectible items to rare DVDs for the kids. Last year, I even did a little holiday shopping on eBay.

Today I want to introduce you to our newest contributor, Silvia Martinez of Mamá Latina Tips, who will be telling us all about her eBay experiences! Silvia had a great introduction to eBay and shares her favorite eBay memory with us. Read on to hear what Silvia has to say about her first eBay purchase!

My first eBay purchase was a positive experience and sold me on eBay. One January, a few years back, we found low-price airline tickets online to England. For years, we had wanted to visit friends in England and suddenly we had both the means and the opportunity. The only catch was that the departure date was just three weeks away.

We lived in California and instantly we realized we didn’t have the appropriate clothing for winter in the United Kingdom. Without a significant amount of effort, we managed to pull everything together for our family, except for one thing – we needed snow boots for our 2 year-old son, since all he had were tennis shoes and sandals! I visited every store I could think of, but none had snow boots for a 2 year-old in a town that rarely dips below a balmy 60 degrees Fahrenheit in late January.

So, feeling a little anxious, I had the idea to check eBay.  And there they were (cue the heavenly choir), the exact pair of boots I was looking for. I was so excited to get them and they arrived just in time to pack in our suitcase. His new boots were the right size, the right material, and the right fit – exactly as they were described by the eBay seller.

I still remember how smug I felt as my son happily puddle-jumped through the freezing rain on the Oxford Commons, feet warm and cozy, never knowing how close he’d come to having miserable, soaking-wet, frost-bitten feet!

Thank you eBay!

Silvia is founder of the award winning bilingual blog, mamalatinatips.com, where she covers topics of interest to moms including food, entertainment, kids, health, fashion, and beauty, among others.  Silvia is also partner and editor-in-chief of disneylandiaaldia.com, the popular Spanish blog about the Disneyland Resort in California.  You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, and Pinterest. Come and say, “Hola!”

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo: saebaryo/Flickr

What could you do with $7,000? Pay off some debt? Family vacation? Save it for a rainy day?

While I can think of many things we could probably do with that amount of money, I’m not exactly sure what I’d do with $7,000. I do know that I’d be grateful to come across such an amount of cash! Who wouldn’t, right?

Well, apparently, you and I may have $7,000 worth of stuff just laying around the house. eBay recently sent me this interesting piece of information: “According to a 2011 study from research firm NPD, the average American family has about $7,000 worth of unused stuff.” Who knew?

Reading that statistic makes me want to dig around the house to see what sorts of items I have that could earn me some extra cash. I could take those spare things in the home, and sell them on eBay. I definitely don’t want to let a potential $7,000 slip by! Without even looking, I can think of a couple of things I have that we’re not using and I could sell on eBay:

• There’s that extra business suit my husband never wore and is sitting in his closet with the tags still on it.
• I believe I have a couple of blouses that are also brand-new with tags still on them that I haven’t worn – and apparently won’t any time soon.
• My kids have many toys they’ve outgrown that I’m sure other families will enjoy.
• I acquired some Disney items that I’m sure a Disney collector will enjoy adding to their collection.
• There’s an extra digital camera that is sitting on our office shelf and has never been used.

It’s amazing how many things we save thinking we’ll one day use them and they end up sitting around for months, maybe even years, never even opened. Why do we do this? Isn’t it better to make room for things we’ll actually use or even just make some extra space in our house, and in turn, our lives?

Take a look around your house and see how many unused, unopened, or brand-new items you have that you could list and sell on eBay. Maybe you don’t have $7,000 worth of stuff, but I’m sure you have a couple of hundred, at the very least. If you decide to sell your items on eBay, take a look over some of these past posts I’ve shared to help you get started:

• 7 Simple Ways to Get Your eBay Items Sold!
• Ideas for Finding Items to Sell on eBay, Straight from eBay Sellers!
• Tips for Selling on eBay from an eBay PowerSeller
• Finding Inspiration to Sell on eBay

If you find yourself with an extra $7,000 on-hand after selling on eBay, share the wealth, won’t you? {ahem} Seriously, though, feel free to share links to your listed items on eBay in the comments below!

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo: Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr

My adventure in learning about selling on eBay continues. This last month, I tried to sell a couple of items – a Disney-engraved Swarovski crystals business card holder and a book. Neither item sold, unfortunately, but I received great feedback from other eBay sellers on how I can fix my listings when I relist the items. In particular, Windy Mayes Sibbersen of windylou.com and a fellow eBay Parent Panel member, provided me with a lot of input and suggestions.

1. Study other listings. Look at listings for the same items and see how those sellers have described the item. Also look at their policies and consider using similar language on your listing.

2. Optimize your listing’s title - use keywords and use all allowed characters. Keywords help items show up when people search on eBay. Using terms people might use in their search, even if not a part of the item’s actual name, will help your listing get some eyes. For example, for my business card holder, Windy suggested I use terms like Mickey Mouse, Disneyland, and Disney World.

3. Add more photos! Though you only get one free photo with your listing, if you add more, it might help buyers see your item better. Consider adding photos showing different views of the item, close up shots of details, and any photos that will help people truly get a feel for the item. If you’re only using one photo, make sure it’s bright and clear. I made this mistake and used a photo I took of the business card holder with my phone, as I was listing the item using the eBay mobile app.

4. Provide a detailed description. Windy suggests telling a story when describing your item. Let potential buyers know who might like the item, if it makes for a good gift, and why that person would like it. I have thought about this and think that when I relist the business card holder, I’ll let folks know that it might make for a great gift for Disney fans and collectors or perhaps a recent college grad. A member of the eBay PR team at Airfoil PR also suggested that I provide specific details, such as how many crystals it has, the type of material it’s made with, etc. She also mentioned including information on how I came to own the item and why I’m selling it. For the book, she said to be sure the ISBN number is included.

5. List more than one item at a time. I didn’t think of this, but Windy shared that the more items you have listed, the more likely it is someone will find them. They might find one of your items through a search, then see others listed by you, and click over to see what else you have selling. With 50 free listings allowed by eBay each month, I’m severely not taking advantage of this strategy.

6. Try different categories. Airfoil PR suggested I try listing the business card holder in the collectibles section instead of desk accessories, where I had it listed. This makes sense now that I think about it, since so many people collect Disney items and might buy it for that purpose rather than to use it as an actual business card holder.

7. Promote listings via social media. The Airfoil PR team reminded me that it doesn’t hurt to share your eBay listings on Facebook and Twitter, as you never know who might be intrigued. On Twitter, be sure to use appropriate hashtags, such as #Disney, #collectible, and #rare for my business card holder.

I am definitely going to take these suggestions and put them into action when I relist these two items and list any new items in the future.

What do you usually look for when viewing an eBay item and considering it for purchase?

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo: Sold Sign, AKZOphoto/Flickr

Summer season officially begins this week at our house. My baby girl finishes Kindergarten in a couple of days, leaving over two months of fun to be had! We don’t regularly take yearly vacations like some people, but we do take mini-trips throughout the year as a family. These mostly happen in conjunction with a social media conference I attend; while I work, the family has fun!

With summer, come added expenses. Aside from any vacation costs, there are also extra expenses associated with more people at home during the day (extra food, increased energy use, etc.). Additionally, for most, it also means summer camp and daycare costs.

As I’ve mentioned before, selling on eBay is a great way to earn extra income and raise funds for such things as these extra summer expenses. eBay wants to challenge you to take that summer vacation and help fund it by selling your old, unused items! It’s easy to sell on eBay and you don’t even pay any fees for listing an item; you only pay a fee if your item sells. Why not give it a try, right?

To get you started, here are some tips for selling on eBay:

• Ideas for Finding Items to Sell on eBay
• eBay PowerSeller Shares Tips For Getting Started Selling on eBay
• eBay’s Selling Inspiration House
• eBay’s Seller Information Center

To encourage you to give selling on eBay a try, we’ve got a great giveaway!

Selling on eBay Summer of Fun Giveaway

Give selling on eBay a try or share your past experiences in eBay selling and you could win an eBay gift card worth $100!

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this giveaway for a $100 eBay gift card, simply leave a comment below answering one or more of these questions:

1. Tell us about a recent item you sold on eBay.
2. How many listings do you currently have live on eBay?
3. How much money did you make in a recent sale?

All entries MUST include your eBay ID in order to qualify. All entries will be shared with Airfoil PR and eBay. By entering this giveaway, you agree to have your eBay ID shared with Airfoil PR and eBay.

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on Twitter.
2. Tweet the following (1 time only): Fund your summer vacation by selling on @eBay! Share eBay experience & enter to win $100 eBay gc! http://bit.ly/sellebaygv #giveaway #eBayParent
3. Receive post updates by subscribing to our RSS feed. You can do so either via email or through a RSS reader. Leave a comment saying you did so or are already a subscriber.
4. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the details of this giveaway. Be sure to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Sunday, June 10, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. You must be 18 or older and a U.S. resident. No purchase necessary. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. By entering this giveaway, you agree to have your eBay ID shared with Airfoil PR and eBay.

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo: Mindaugas Danys/Flickr

Selling on eBay takes skill, I’ve realized. It’s a lot of work to become a professional eBay seller or eBay PowerSeller. But, not everyone that sells on eBay does so full-time. Some people are casual eBay sellers, looking to make a little extra income or fund fun hobbies and family vacations with the extra money they earn from selling on eBay.

Whether you decide to sell on eBay casually or full-time, finding items to sell is probably one of the first things you’ll need to figure out. I have had my own personal struggles with finding items to sell on eBay that will be well-received. Sometimes you just have to give it a try and list an item you no longer need, without giving it too much thought. You might be surprised and find that it actually sells well!

eBay also offers support in this area through their Selling Inspiration House, which I previously shared with you. But, I thought it would be great to find out how others go about finding items and deciding what to sell on eBay. Here’s what a couple of eBay Parent Panel members said, plus insight from an eBay PowerSeller.

“If it hasn’t been used in 6 months and I don’t see it being used in 6 more months, if it doesn’t meet a need where it could or should be donated to someone less fortunate than I and if I’d be willing to buy it myself in the condition that it’s currently in…then I’ll sell it on eBay,” Eric Payne from Makes Me Wanna Holler told us.

Kris Cain, author of LitleTechGirl.com, shared on her site a suggested process for finding items and pricing them to sell on eBay: “Grab a pencil and a notepad. Then, walk from room to room and write down at least one thing in good shape that you do not use…could [be] something brand spanking new in a box that you never opened…Think about designer clothes, shoes, and purses.”

“I began…listing unused merchandise in our home. I also sold used books, DVDs and CDs…I was making decent money from junk I could barely give away at yard sales!…I cleared out our closets and sold items collecting dust. I began reselling clearance merchandise…,” said Jessica Kirby, eBay PowerSeller that shared her tips for selling on eBay last month!

I hope these ideas get your eBay selling kick-started! I actually need to list some items myself and plan to sit down to do so after returning from some travel this week. I’d love to hear your own tips for finding items to sell on eBay, so please, share them in the comments below!

Bonus eBay Mother’s Day Info!

As you know, Mother’s Day is coming up and eBay has a lot going on to celebrate the mamas in your life! Some of what you’ll find includes:

• Mother’s Day Twitter party on May 1 (from 12-2 PT)
• Mother’s Day Gift Guide, plus a reference for items to sell right now as well!
• Facebook Photo Sweepstakes
• eBay Flowers Promotion – Buy ProFlowers through eBay and get $10 to spend on eBay (4/18 – 5/12)

Cool, huh? Don’t forget to share your ideas in the comments below for finding items to sell on eBay and your experience in selling!

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo: Mary Anne Enriquez/Flickr

This month, as part of my eBay Parent Panel participation, I decided to chat with a local Orlando blogger who sells on eBay regularly and gain her insight and tips for selling on eBay.

Jessica Kirby is a self-described eBay guru who shares tips on her blog, The Unemployed Mom. When she isn’t focused on eBay, you’ll find her running all over downtown Orlando and/or enjoying the Central Florida theme parks.

I asked Jessica a few questions about her experience with selling on eBay and becoming an eBay PowerSeller. Read on to learn how you can get started selling on eBay and find out Jessica’s eBay selling tips.

How did you get started selling on eBay? What kind of items did you start selling?

I began selling over 10 years ago by listing unused merchandise in our home. I also sold used books, DVDs and CDs on eBay’s partner site, Half.com which helped me establish feedback. I was making decent money from junk I could barely give away at yard sales! That’s when it clicked and my obsession began. I cleared out our closets and sold items collecting dust. I began reselling clearance merchandise and was amazed at my success level.

What do you currently sell?

I have an eBay store  that is open 24/7 and sell a variety of items such as antiques, vintage clothing, high-end fashion, brand name clothing and accessories. I am a Top Rated PowerSeller always looking for profitable merchandise.

How do you find items to sell on eBay? Do you sell a lot of items from around your house?

I still sell items in my home (books and CDs on half.com, clothing, shoes and toys). I also hit yard sales every weekend because “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” as well as thrift stores. Clearance racks are another place I find eBay merchandise to resell.

What advice would you give a beginner wishing to sell on eBay?

If someone is interested in selling on eBay, I would recommend understanding the selling process and fees prior to getting started. I encourage those interested in having a successful experience to take the free tutorials and read the starting out information available on eBay.

Also, recognize that eBay does take a lot of time (finding merchandise that sells, researching products, understanding international shipping policies and forms, taking photos, listing your auction, packaging and shipping merchandise, tracking the delivery, etc.). A lot of people assume eBay is easy, but there really are a lot of steps involved when it comes to completing a sale.

Establishing feedback is vital, too! A seller MUST have credibility in order to be successful. My advice for establishing feedback is to sell items you no longer use. As I previously mentioned, another fantastic way to establish feedback is by selling media items via Half.com.

One last thought is to find experienced eBay bloggers who share tips online. This can be a fantastic way to learn about selling and find answers to questions you may have. I provide eBay tips on my blog and love helping others succeed. I also encourage my readers to email topics they’d like to learn more about.

Do you think it’s possible to earn a full-time income by selling on eBay?

Absolutely! It all comes down to finding the right product, having the time and putting in the effort.

eBay allows me to stay home and raise my son. With that said, it is nearly impossible to concentrate on eBay during the day since my focus is on him. Also, my husband is a huge help when it comes to shopping, taking photos, and going on “daddy duty” when I need to concentrate on my business.

I think it is more realistic for a new seller to set small goals such as using eBay to pay for a child’s birthday party or an upcoming vacation. The sky is the limit, it all depends on how much effort a seller is willing to put into it. Also, finding the right merchandise AND successful advertising methods is key.

Thanks Jessica for your input and sharing your tips from your successful eBay business! If you want to connect with Jessica, you can find her on Twitter or Facebook. You can also check out Jessica’s eBay store, like her eBay store Facebook Page and follow her eBay tips on Twitter.

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo: Jessica Kirby

Last month, I finally took the plunge into eBay selling and listed an item for sale. It wasn’t a huge item – I listed a spare digital pocket camcorder I had in the office. The process of listing my item on eBay was simple enough. I used the eBay mobile app on my iPad to fill in some details, take a picture and list the camcorder. I then sat back and waited.

After a few days, I began to worry since my item hadn’t received any bids. But, I decided that I had nothing to lose and would just relist it with some changes if it didn’t sell. The eBay team informed us that most items don’t see any bids until the last day anyway, so that calmed my concerns.

Sure enough, the last night my listing was live, it received a few bids and sold for almost $4 over the listing price! Even though it was a small transaction, it was pretty exciting to see my item sold. My daughter now wants to see if she can sell something and even my husband has joined the bandwagon and has pointed out a couple of items in our house we can try selling.

Lessons Learned from Selling on eBay

Through my first experience selling on eBay I learned a few things:

• Don’t hesitate. Go ahead and list an item you no longer need and see how it does. You really have nothing to lose since you pay no eBay fees if it doesn’t sell.
• Be patient. Many people wait until the last day (or even last few hours) of a listing to place their bid. This is mainly to avoid being outbid.
• Small items sell too! My digital camcorder that sold was a generic brand, not very expensive, and without many features. And yet, it sold!
• Be prompt. After my item sold, I went to the post office the next day to weigh it so I could have an accurate shipping cost. Once my buyer paid, I shipped out the item the next day as well.

Of course, there are many tricks and tips for selling on eBay out there and more experienced sellers have a lot more advice. But, these are just a few quick lessons I learned after selling my first item.

Look around your house. What do you have that you can sell on eBay? List it today!

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo: Nelson de Witt

Up until now, I have been looking for something to sell on eBay, so I could test out the selling process and hopefully make a little extra cash. But, as I shared with the eBay team recently, I was getting a little frustrated because I hadn’t found anything that seemed to be worth selling. I thought about selling some books, but once I saw how much they were selling for, plus factored in the shipping cost and eBay fees, it didn’t seem I’d actually make a profit. In fact, I was worried I’d lose money.

Just last week, the eBay team shared with us their newly launched Selling Inspiration House, which helps sellers find items around the house that are currently selling on eBay. The site also allows you to easily look up how much various items are selling for with just a couple of clicks. The timing was pretty perfect for them to send along that link, considering my challenges.

I checked out the site and got a couple of ideas of things I can look for in our house. I also saw a note on the site that says you can actually list your item to sell for free and only pay the fees if your item sells. So, really, all this time I had nothing to lose! I just needed to dive in and try it out. And that’s exactly what I did this morning.

I found a spare pocket digital camcorder that we don’t need and decided to list it for sale and see how it does. It only took me a few minutes too, using the eBay mobile app on my iPad. Hopefully, it sells and I can learn more about how the fees work and if I estimated the shipping cost accurately. If not, I’ll adjust the listing and try again. My goal is that this will be the first of other items we sell on eBay. We decided to use the extra cash towards a vacation fund, so I’m looking forward to that.

Why not try out the Selling Inspiration House and see if you find any of the suggested items around your house?

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo by Mark Hillary

Through our partnership with eBay, I’ve been learning a lot about how various people use eBay to either earn a little extra spending money, make a living from selling on eBay, and every scenario in-between. One of the latest ways I’m learning about families who sell on eBay is through the eBay MoneyMakers video series. Each video series highlights a family and shows how selling on eBay has impacted their life. It’s amazing to hear these stories and see how families are earning money online through selling on eBay.

Selling on eBay Helps Family Overcome Unemployment

The first eBay MoneyMakers video introduces us to the O’Brien family of Westfield, Indiana. Soon after relocating for a job, Tristen O’Brien’s position was eliminated and he found himself unemployed. Sadly, this occurred just a week after their son’s birth. As you can imagine, they needed to find a way to earn some money fast! By selling household items on eBay, they began to fund their day-to-day expenses. Eventually, as they gained experience in selling on eBay, they began to sell clearance and vintage items for profit. Tristen O’Brien is now employed, but the family continues to sell on eBay and even have a blog to share their tips for selling on eBay. Check out their video below to find out more about the O’Brien family, then read on to learn about another family who’s had success selling on eBay.

eBay MoneyMakers: The O’Brien family makes money online in the midst of economic difficulties

One-Income Family Supplements Earnings by Selling on eBay

The second eBay MoneyMakers video in the series features the Sibbersen family, who has been using eBay since they got married to supplement their one-income family. The extra income from selling on eBay allowed Windy Sibbersen to stay home with their children. Much like the O’Brien family, they began by selling items in their home they no longer needed, then moved on to buying discounted items they could resell. The family has been able to fund family trips with their eBay income, as well as extra expenses not normally within budget. Additionally, the family uses their funds to give back to the community by ‘adopting a family’ during the holidays. Learn more about the Sibbersens and check out their story in the video below.

eBay MoneyMakers: The Sibbersen family finds financial comfort through extra eBay income

ModernMami™.com Reader Giveaway

We want you to treat yourself courtesy of eBay, so we’re giving away a $25 eBay gift card!

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest for a $25 eBay gift card, simply leave a comment below sharing how you would use extra funds earned from selling on eBay.

Extra entries (optional):
Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on Twitter.
2. Tweet the following (1 time entry only): Enter to win a $25 eBay gift card from @modernmami! http://bit.ly/ujc6Ht #giveaway #contest #eBayMoney #eBayParent
3. Receive post updates by subscribing to our RSS feed. You can do so either via email or through a RSS reader. Leave a comment saying you did so or are already a subscriber.
4. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
5. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the details of this contest. Be sure to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Friday, January 6, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. You must be 18 or older and a U.S. resident. No purchase necessary. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo by Mike Knell

Yesterday was Cyber Monday and many people were shopping online and searching for great deals. For my family, though, shopping online is something we’ve been doing for many years. While we don’t purchase everything online – I am still hesitant to buy clothes online – we do often buy books, electronics, and household items online. We love the convenience of it, especially since we have small children; it eases the process of taking the whole family to the store. Of course, sometimes you can also find items you can’t normally find in stores.

eBay is known to be a place you can look when you are having issues finding items, either locally or on other sites. Many times you can find a gently used version of that item you can’t find or perhaps you’ll be able to find it at a better price.

I’ve actually been scouring the eBay site these past few days in search of a Fijit friend. Apparently this is a hot toy item this Christmas season and it’s one that’s on my daughter’s Santa list. Lucky me, right?! Unfortunately, since it is a hot item, we’re likely to pay a higher price than if we had bought it a few weeks back. But, as parents, we’re willing to do that rather than explain why Santa didn’t find all the items on her wish list. At least, we’re willing to do that since our baby girl is still on the young side. In a few years, we’ll be able to talk frankly with her should we run into a similar situation.

Aside from purchasing hard-to-find items on eBay, you can also find some really good deals. In fact, eBay is currently having 25 days of deals through December 15 and is hosting Cyber Monday deals all week long. They’ve also teamed up with Toys R Us and have a section on the eBay site with this year’s holiday hot toys.

Have fun shopping online this holiday season and enjoy those deals! What hot toy items are on your children’s wish lists this year?

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo by William Hook