Ebay is still a huge marketplace for selling personal possessions online, but did you know that you can make money selling other people’s things for consignment? You can start with no money whatsoever and get a business like this off the ground within days, provided you know what you are doing. Read on for more about this exciting possibility.

Always make use of contracts. The terms and conditions of the service you provide the owners of consigned items need to be spelled out crystal clear and agreed to. They need to know in no uncertain terms what you are and are not going to do and be responsible for. A good contract can also be a useful selling tool, as your customers know that you know what you are doing.

Promoting your business is going to be essential if you want it to succeed. The interesting thing here is that you might not want to promote your business online too much. You are likely going to be selling items for individuals that are not that familiar with the Internet or are uncomfortable selling online themselves. Listings on community forums make sense, but so do fliers around your neighborhood and business cards. Analog marketing techniques of yesteryear can reach out to folks with inventory that are not really tapped into the web yet.

You will have to store the items while you wait for them to sell and get shipped. Make sure you have a room in your home that is easily accessible where you can store your inventory. Make sure that it is out of the way of children and pets who might damage items that you wind up paying out of pocket for because of the contract.

Whenever possible, buy and sell in a niche category. You can build up a reputation and following as someone who is a source of dealing in a unique product or item. This usually means higher profit margins as you have no or little competition.

Always communicate thoroughly with eBay buyers. Ship promptly. Pack your materials securely and provide tracking numbers. Follow through to make sure that items arrived in time and pristine condition. Your feedback needs to be perfectly positive, as some online buyers will not deal with someone with less than perfect and hundreds of feedbacks.

Taking actual possession of the items you are going to sell should not take place until after the signing of a contract, but before you post the listing online. The last thing you want to do is start an auction for an object you have not physically verified. For one, you can not vouch for the authenticity and condition of it. For another, it does not do your reputation online any good to finish an auction only to have to return the money for not having the item to ship. This rarely results in negative feedback, but it can and is just a waste of your precious time.

Always do your homework. Despite how long eBay has been around, it is an ever-changing marketplace on a yearly and even quarterly basis. Keep up with all that is going on, as anything can impact your bottom line pretty quickly.

Many folks dream of selling online from their homes through outlets like eBay, but are unsure how to do it. Anyone that mentions this is providing a great opportunity for you to offer to sell their items online for consignment so you both make money!