I have been using eBay for the last 5 years; as well as selling surplus household items and unwanted gifts etc. I have also been following the methods I describe in my eBook 'Prints Make Profits' to supplement my income.

During 2009 my internet marketing business took off and I began to spend more and more of my time on this. Consequently my eBay business took a back seat.

At the beginning of 2010 (new year resolution time!) I decided to dedicate one morning per week to my eBay business, this decision was partly due to my desire for multiple income streams and partly to a need to 'declutter' the wardrobe where I had been storing my stock of prints, mounts (mats) and envelopes!

Since the start of the year I have focused on one particular niche that is very popular with collectors from several different countries and over the years I have learned which items command premium prices.

I have used this experience to build up a stock of similar items from offline sources such as estate sales and live auctions and online sources including eBay and my 'secret resource' (I reveal all of my secrets in 'Prints Make Profits'.)

OK, so what have my results been like?

From Jan 1st to Feb 23rd I have sold 15 prints grossing   £1467.00  

Less the cost of the prints and mounts/mats                       150.00

Less PayPal fees                                                                   51.34

Less eBay fees                                                                    172.95

Net profit                                                                          £1092.71 ($1685.54)

I spend around 2 hours per week on photographing, listing, mounting (matting) and packing my prints so I'm looking at a return of approximately £78.00 per hour ($120).

A very respectable return I'm sure you'll agree.

You can follow this weeks auctions LIVE at;

www.saturnbull.com/ebayauctions

To check out my most recently completed sales go to;

www.saturnbull.com/ebaycompleted

My keys to success

Starting price;

I've tested various different starting prices with identical prints and my conclusions are surprising.

Starting low doesn't attract more bidders. With vintage collectibles low prices put bidders off, the key is to start high and if the item doesn't sell, relist with a slightly lower starting price and repeat this process until you find the price point where your item consistently sells - the optimum price for your items.

Images;

It is essential to take several high quality pictures using a good quality digital camera, don't make the mistake of only uploading one picture to keep your listing fee down. I often upload six or seven images to highlight the points of interest in my prints.

Story;

People love a story so tell them one! Check out my descriptions, instead of just quoting the necessary, factual information such as age, condition, dimensions etc. I also describe where I obtained the item and what steps I had to take to prepare it for sale.

Guarantee;

Perhaps THE most important part of any auction description. Don't be afraid to offer a very strong guarantee, it will boost your sales and it won't lead to more refund requests.

I have perfected my techniques following many hundreds of hours of eBay research and testing, this knowledge now provides me with a very lucrative and enjoyable income stream.

I have condensed all of my experience into 'Prints Make Profits' my step by step guide to selling vintage prints on eBay so that you can copy my methods and build your own profitable eBay business.

Prints Make Profits sells for $19.95 at www.printsmakeprofits.com To thank you for visiting my newsletter you can get a huge 50% discount here;