Tips for a Profitable Christmas Rush on Ebay

Tips for a Profitable Christmas Rush on Ebay

Christmas on Ebay is prime selling time. Shoppers have been wounded in the battle of Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year (the day after Thanksgiving) and are ready for peace and quiet. Ebay has cranked up their TV advertising campaign to offer gift givers an alternative away from the busy crowds. Customers can shop online without all the fuss. Many people don't want to deal with any more packed parking lots, cranky salespeople, or rude shoppers at the malls or superstores.

Are you ready for this holiday shopping blitz?

Take stock of your inventory. Don't be tempted to list an item for sale that you don't have. Drop shipping is a convenience and a good way to test products, but during the Christmas rush you don't want to have to rely on a drop shipper for an item and end up leaving your customer waiting for a late delivery, or even worse, have to tell your bidder you can't get the item afterall.

Is your pricing competitive? Look at the prices other Ebay sellers are charging for like products. Are your prices in line with what's selling? Make sure you don't overprice or underprice your items.

Key words in your title and description can unlock sales. If customers can't find your products they can't buy them. Make sure your titles have the main keywords your customers will be looking for.

Consider using a buy it now price. As the 25th of December approaches shoppers get a little antsy and many would prefer to have a confirmed purchase right now than have to wait for an auction to end.

Answer customer questions as soon as possible. If you wait 24 hours – which isn't unreasonable any other time of year – you might lose the sale.

Find the shipping rates, times, and methods for the different carriers so you'll know how much time to allow for shipping items. For example: Books can go media rate with the United States Postal Service, which is fairly inexpensive, but that package can take up to two weeks to arrive.

Do you have your packing materials ready? If you have odd sized, fragile, or heavy items, make sure you have the materials necessary for packing now. Don't waste time trying to find materials in a rush.

If you have a Paypal account and you believe that there will be a significant increase in activity due to selling items on Ebay, tell Paypal ahead of time. A substantial sales increase can cause Paypal to temporarily lock the account to prevent withdrawals while they investigate. You can still receive funds and make refunds but you can't withdraw or transfer funds.

The holidays are a wonderful time with family and friends, but be careful to keep a healthy balance between the two. Don't neglect your family and friends while devoting all of your time to your business. But also remember that if you want to be successful during the Christmas shopping season, you will sometimes have to make a few sacrifices of your time in order to take care of business.

By planning ahead and being prepared, you can have a fabulous and profitable holiday rush with Ebay.

Here is the 2007 Holiday Hot List - a list of the Top 25 Hottest eBay Sellers this Christmas.

1 iPhone
2 Webkinz / Lil'Kinz
3 Transformers
4 Collectible Barbie
5 Dooney & Bourke Zebra Tote
6 Nintendo Wii
7 T.M.X. Friends - Ernie & Cookie Monster
8 BCBG Dress
9 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
10 Rock Band Video Game
11 iPod nano 8GB (Black)
12 The Simpsons
13 PlayStation 3
14 I'm Not A Plastic Bag
15 Motorola RAZR2
16 Designer Fragrances
17 Citizen Eco-Drive Watch
18 Nike Air Max 360 II
19 Abercrombie & Fitch Hoodie Jacket
20 Dept. 56 Snow Villages
21 Nike SasQuatch Sumo2
22 Gibson Electric Guitar
23 Craftsman Hand Tool Set
24 Burton Snowboard
25 Vtech Gadget

Even if you can't get your hands on any of these items, there are MILLIONS of shoppers scouring eBay for all kinds of gifts for the holidays.

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Copyright 2007, Robbin K. Tungett, http://www.AuctionRiches.com
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