Supplies For Selling On Ebay

If you read my earlier posts you know that I was going to do a post on garage sale tips. Unfortunately, the garage sale I planned on having with my MIL has been canceled due to her being sick, which means I can't get any photos. So I'm waiting on that post until I can get photos, and decided instead to talk about some of the very basic supplies you will need to sell on Ebay.

What You Need

1. Camera - Many articles and such will recommend you have an expensive camera, but really until you know if you plan on sticking with this I don't suggest it. Use the camera on your phone, ipad, etc, or a good basic digital camera. They will work. Just make sure you do some basic editing and cropping before you list to clean them up.
2. Computer/Internet - I know this seems like an obvious one, but sometimes the obvious still needs to be pointed out. Now, they have a mobile app, and you can list entirely from your mobile device, as long as you can take pictures as well with said device. However, there are things I can't find/do on the mobile app that I can do from my laptop, and I personally prefer to use my laptop. That's me though, you could be different.
3. Basic Shipping Supplies - This really depends on what you are selling, but a few good things to have are: bubble mailer envelopes, regular manila envelopes, Sharpie, Labels, shipping tape, small roll bubble wrap. You don't have to buy boxes, I generally use what the post office provides me. Then again I've never sold much that required a box, mostly different envelopes and poly bags. Poly bags are plastic bags that come in a wide range of sizes, and once you get into this more, and depending on what you sell you may want to look into purchasing. I buy mine off ebay, and usually get pretty good prices no more than I need.
4. Mail Scale - This one is not 100% needed, but you can find them for around $15-$25 on ebay and at stores. Once you have one you can weigh your packages and mail them through Ebay. This allows you to print the labels from home, and you get a discounted rate on your shipping. They will easily pay for themselves after a few sales with the money saved on shipping and time. 
5. Printer - If you're are going to be purchasing your postage through ebay you will need a printer to print the labels off of. You can buy special paper for the labels, or you can just print on regular printer paper and tape onto the package with shipping tape. I've done both and they both work equally fine. 
6. PayPal account - PayPal and Ebay go together like peas and carrots folks, they are best freaking friends for life, so if you plan on selling on Ebay you better get a PayPal account. It's free and easy to make, and you can request a debit card for your account to make accessing your money easier and faster.
7. Ebay Account - Again, it's obvious, but you do need it. Once again, it's free and relatively easy. 

There are other things you can get for selling on ebay. I'm sure you'll see lots of posts and people telling you that you NEED this item and that item, oh and don't forget about.......... but to really start the above are all you need. Most of the items I listed you probably already have, and if you don't you can easily get started with $50 or less. Depends on if you buy the scale or not. I didn't by the way, not for first month or so until I made a bit of cash and could pay for it with my earnings. There are also different apps you can buy and download for your smartphone that can help you know what things may be worth on Ebay but I don't have smartphone, so I cannot give a good recommendation on what to us. 

So there you go, a very basic list to get started with. I highly suggest getting items from around your house to start with as well. You ARE going to make mistakes, sell things for less than they are worth, charge to little or to much for shipping, etc. Selling what you already don't want helps take the sting from that a little. Good luck and happy profit hunting.