When Timing is Everything on eBay

One of my number one pieces of advice for selling on eBay is timing. If you have something that you want to sell, sell it while it is still hot. Don’t hold on to it until potential buyers have lost interest because they have moved on to the next hot new item.

For example, if you know that a new iPad is coming out in 1 month and you will want to buy it, list the older one BEFORE the next one is released. There will be potential buyers looking for deals. And there will be buyers who may not care about having the latest and the greatest.  If you wait and list after the new one is released the value will be diminished and you will make less on the sale.

If you are a techy like me you know that there is ALWAYS something new coming out. I love to revamp some of my cost of upgrading my tech by selling the older items on eBay. I have sold laptops, cameras, smartphones and more. As mentioned above the key is knowing when to list.

Of course there are exceptions. I love my current DSLR camera so much that I have had it since April 2009. That is over 3 years, which is a huge amount of time for me to hold on to anything tech related! I do still love the camera. But at the same time I am thinking about the features on the awesome new models. Luckily good DSLR cameras seem to hold their value very well. I paid $900 for the camera over 3 years ago. But recently on eBay I found listings that sold for almost that much when bundled with a couple of accessories such as lenses. That is amazing to me! So now I am really thinking about upgrading to the latest and greatest.

Here are a few tips for making sure that your tech stays eBay ready:

1. Keep the original box, instructions, and other paperwork: It might sound silly, but when posting an item on eBay having the original box and other items is a huge selling point.
2. Keep it in a case: If applicable use a case for your gadget. That keeps damage and scratching, etc. down. The better condition when it is time to sell, the more money you can get.
3. Don’t wait too long: Of course if you LOVE your gadget use it well, and list it knowing that you got your monies worth. But, as mentioned above if you are a chronic upgrader make sure that you do not miss your window of opportunity.
4. Research the potential selling price: Do a search on eBay for recently completed listings for used items identical to yours. You can get a good idea of the price that the items will go for and use that information to set your own starting and/or buy it now price.
5. Use Buy It Now for new items: If you have a new item that you never used still in an intact package, using Buy it Now set to a price a little bit below the currently market value is a great way to sell that item quickly.

Using these tips you can find selling success when it comes time to upgrade your favorite tech.

Disclosure: This post is part of my involvement in the eBay Parent Panel Ambassador program. Although compensated, all opinions are my own.