So you have read buying and selling guides, and you think you have what it takes to become an ebay powerseller? Well you are right. Ebay is a great way to make money and ebay make it very easy for the average person to start their own business, run it from their home and compete in the lucrative market that is the world wide web. RikensAuctions is an ebay powerseller and here are some of our tips and tricks.

You have decided that you want to start selling on ebay.com.au but you are unsure of what to sell.

To begin with have a look around your house at things that you no longer want or need and this would be a good place to start. Do you have a shed or garage full of junk or items that were a really good idea at the time, that are not longer used by you or your family? For example skis, camping equipment, car parts, clothes that you have grown out of, crockery and cutlery, old pictures and framed prints, computers, old records and CD's or anything really.

Turn junk into cash for your new business

This old 'junk' that you no longer need can be turned into cash and this cash can be used for you to start your new ebay business. All you really need to start is a reasonable digital camera, a computer hooked up to the internet. Take your old goods out and inspect them for faults and flaws, clean them up, arrange them in a good position with plenty of natural light (not direct sunlight) and take a few photos of them. It is best to take a few photos of each item, from different angles. This is best as when you download your photos into your computer, some of them may not have turned out properly.

Remember when you are taking a photo that this photo is the only way people will have to see your item. They are making a purchase based on your photograph so ensure you get a good shot. If there are any flaws or faults you should also take a photo of these too. Once you have downloaded these photos into your computer you are ready to go!

What price should I start my auction at?

There are two ways to go about starting an ebay auction: you can either start your auction at a low price, or start the bidding at the lowest price you wish to accept for your item. Starting an item at a low bid price can incur a lower ebay listing fee and promote bidding activity but you also take the risk of getting a lower price for your item should bidders looking for your particular item be scarce that week.

Starting your goods at a higher price usually means that you may not get large amounts of bidders bidding on your item. But this is not always the case. All it takes is two people and your item can skyrocket if both people really want it. I cannot advise you on whether to start your item lower or higher but I must point out at this time that we start all our items at the lowest price we are willing to take for it.

Once you have chosen a start price, you can begin getting rid of your old items and begin your new life as an ebay business.

Now that I have sold my junk, what do I sell now?

Sell items you have made or refurbished: Now that you have sold your surplus items and you are cashed up, you have to decide what type of items you wish to specialise in. To have a good product is most important. Look at your interests; what do you like to do, do you have any hobbies etc. If you like patchwork quilting, the you could sell quilts that you have made on ebay. If you enjoy painting, the you could sell your original artworks and so on. Perhaps you like stamp collecting, furniture restoration, web design, building computers, painting china or other crafts, picture framing and just about anything can be sold on ebay. The idea is to find your niche in the market and use this to propel your business to greatness.

Make a profit out of a hobby: There are lots of ways to integrate your hobby into a viable ebay business. You can sell the items you make for a profit on ebay. I suggest taking very good quality photos if you are going to sell the same item over and over. Perhaps it is worth hiring a photographer to take photos of your goods to make them more attractive to the buyer.

Make a profit out of second hand goods: A trick of the trade that some people have used to grow their business is to visit local auction houses and pick up bargains then photograph them and sell them on ebay. This can be very lucrative but also very competitive. Lots of people earn their living this way and so sometimes it can be difficult to secure the bargain at the local auction house. You have to have a really good look around and search each box of junk to ensure you do not miss anything. Sometimes it is the least likely thing that can bring you the most amount of profit.

Make a profit out of new goods: It is possible to find a field you are interested in and purchasing products that are brand new from a supplier to this industry. For instance if you are a computer buff and decide to sell computers on ebay then perhaps you could contact a computer manufacturer and purchase some computers or computer parts to sell on ebay.

So go and log into ebay to begin selling right away and you will be surprised just how much fun it can be and how many great new skills you can gain by using this massive marketplace.

See our article on Setting Up Your Own Website for tips for setting up a website to complement your ebay sales. Having a website is a great way to complement sales while giving you a space to let your customers get to know you a little better. You can have your terms and conditions, payment options and any other information relelvant to your items for sale up on the website. This is also a good place to put your contact information so that people can call you should they have any queries about your items. This article gives you some important pointers on setting up a simple site.