Features

1 - Pick a good user ID

A good screen name is important. 'Del_boy' may be funny, but it won't instil confidence in buyers and that's half the battle as a seller. An unmemorable name such as 'jh52874' makes you sound unfriendly or spam-like. Make your ID catchy, positive and easy to remember. If you specialise in a type of item, reflect that in your ID. Good examples include 'vintagejunkie' and 'eureka_memorabilia'.

2 - Gather feedback first

Build up a consistent record of positive feedback and prospective buyers will bid more often and be willing to pay higher prices. So before you sell your first item, buy a few small items to bump up your feedback score. Always post good feedback on buyers straight away; they'll be more likely to return the favour.

3 - Strike while the market is hot

Just as you buy at the lowest price when eBay is quiet, you sell at the highest price when eBay is busy. Use hype to your advantage. If you've got a loft full of Harry Potter books, auction them when the new film is released. Conversely, the balmy days of August are not the best time to sell a pair of ski boots. Do some research at eBay's Pulse section (http://pulse.ebay.co.uk) to discover the current hot items.

4 - Perfect your title

To start creating your auction listing, click on the Sell button at the top of any eBay page. The selling wizard takes you step by step through creating your listing, starting with the title. Here you are limited to 55 characters, so don't waste space with adjectives such as 'fabulous' as no-one searches for these. Instead, include key facts such as shoe size if you are selling footwear, and squeeze in synonyms, such as both notebook and laptop, to maximise your search engine success. Also use eBay acronyms such as NIB for 'new in box'. You'll find a list of acronyms at http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/newtoebay/acronyms.html.

5 - Write a winning description

A strong eBay listing combines search-friendly words with concrete details that entice bidders. Keep in mind that this an advert and a shop window, so make it eye-catching and irresistible. Refer to product information and market value from online stores such as Amazon, stating your source and including a link. Give details of condition, age and original use. Thanks to eBay's listing wizard, you don't need any HTML to create an eye-catching ad. Keep it easy to read, with bullet points and clear spacing. If you don't finish your listing, eBay automatically saves a draft for next time you're online.

6 - Be honest

Gain bidders' trust by being upfront about flaws and try to anticipate the questions they may ask. EBay rules disallow authenticity disclaimers such as 'Genuine (??) Royal Doulton'. If you plan to wait for cheques to clear before posting items, say so.

7 - Use good photos

Your own well-lit digital photo is worth a thousand words. Some buyers are suspicious of auctions with stock photos downloaded from the internet. EBay's Picture Services charge a few pence to host more than one picture per auction, so get around this by taking lots of clear photos from different angles and uploading them to a free image host such as Photobucket (www.photobucket.com). Insert them in the body of your listing using the tag .

8 - Ditch the extras

When you're creating your auction, eBay will try to sell you bold-text titles and fancy borders. These extras just cut into your profits and rarely attract more bids. Save your cash. A well-worded title, clear description and good photos are much more important.

9 - Turbo-charge your listings

If you're selling more than one item at a time, speed up the listing process by using the free eBay Turbo Lister tool. Download this small program free from http://pages.ebay.co.uk/turbo_lister. It will enable you to list many items at once and save listings to re-use whenever you want. Turbo Lister also includes HTML templates and a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) design editor. Make sure to cross-promote your different auctions with web links.

10 - Don't flood the market

Avoid listing lots of items at once if they are all very similar. Sell them separately to maximise demand and increase the price. If you do want to list them at once, vary the wording of the titles and descriptions so that they show up in different searches.

11 - Start the bidding low

Low starting prices of 99p or even 1p generate interest and increase traffic to your auction. The more bids an item has received, the more attractive it looks, leading to a higher selling price. The London Business School tested this theory and found that Nikon cameras with starting prices of 1p resulted in significantly higher selling prices than similar cameras whose starting prices had been higher.

12 - Don't overcharge for postage

It's increasingly common for sellers to charge inflated postage fees to get around eBay's listing charges, which are based on the item's net selling price. But buyers are getting wise and won't even bother bidding if you charge £10 postage for a 1GB storage card.

13 - Go for a 10-day auction

When you're listing an item, select the 10-day auction length if you can. Research has shown that the longer your auction is live for, the higher the selling price will be. Three-day and five-day auctions tend to reach similar prices, but seven-day auctions fetch prices of 24 per cent more on average and 10-day auctions 42 per cent more.

14 - Pick the right end time

Time your auction to finish when a lot of potential buyers are online, but only up to a point. Auctions that end during eBay's 'happy hour' of between 6pm and 7pm are less likely to sell well than auctions that end a couple of hours either side. So many sellers end their sales during happy hour that there's a glut of supply. Aim for 8pm or 9pm instead. By default, your auction will end at the same time of day as you place it, one, three, five, seven or 10 days later. However, for an extra charge of 12p you can choose for your auction to start, and therefore end, on a day and at a time that's more likely to maximise your sale price.

15 - Know your target buyer

When timing your auction, think about when your target buyer is online. If you're selling a CD of clubbing tunes, don't time it to end at 9am on a Saturday. However, the morning is the perfect time to end an auction of baby clothes.

16 - Accept PayPal

If your buyer pays via PayPal, you pay extra commission of 3.4 per cent plus 20p, but it's worth it. Auctions that accept PayPal attract far more bids, because buyers like the speed and security of paying this way.

17 - Treat customers well

Top eBay sellers know that feedback is everything. Good customer service means good feedback. When someone wins your auction, drop them an email congratulating them and letting them know when you'll post the item. Pack the item securely and post it quickly, including a print-out of the auction page and a note saying thank you. Be courteous and helpful, and your reputation (and profits) will benefit.

18 - Use special selling days

EBay regularly holds one-day sales for sellers, when listing fees are slashed to 10p, 1p or even nothing at all to encourage a flurry of activity. If you sell a lot of items on eBay, these offers can save you lots of money in fees. However, you should avoid special selling days if you sell an item only now and then. The boosted competition from other sellers will just reduce your profits.

19 - Learn from other sellers

EBay discussion boards such as Selling Tools Help Board (http://forums.ebay.co.uk/forum.jspa?forumID=2009) and New To Selling Help Board (http://forums.ebay.co.uk/forum.jspa?forumID=3002) are full of eBay staff and members with sales tips. To browse the forums, click on Community at the top of any eBay page and then click on Discussion Boards. EBay also has its own Wiki site (www.ebaywiki.com) compiled and edited by eBay members. It's part of the US eBay site, so some information is relevant only to US users, but it's worth a look for general tips.

20 - If all else fails, hire an expert

If you're short of time and want a hand, use eBay's Trading Assistants Directory to find an experienced eBay member to do the selling for you. Many Trading Assistants specialise in certain categories and will sell your item for the maximum value, after they have deducted their fee, which you negotiate with them. To find an assistant, go to the Trading Assistant Directory (http://tradingassistant.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?TradingAssistant&page=main) and search for someone near you.