Many sellers begin their eBay selling careers by selling merchandise that is cluttering their garages, their basements, their closets and their cabinets. In some ways, learning how to sell these things on eBay and selling them is easier than going to all the trouble of putting on a garage sale. Selling on eBay is easy, and it is one of the few businesses you can start with a minimal cash outlay.

Your eBay Account

When you first begin learning how to sell on eBay, you will find you must sign up for an eBay account. Go to www.ebay.com and follow the links to open a seller's account. You will need to have a credit card, a debit card or checking account information handy. If you already have an eBay buying account, you are in luck, because you can use your eBay buying account to sell items on eBay.

When you choose your eBay seller name, consider what you will be selling and tailor your name to your business. If you are selling antique and vintage collectibles, you might wish to call yourself something like Retro Roy or Vintage Violet. Use your imagination, within boundaries. Having a seller name that reflects your merchandise theme is recommended when following the most basic lessons regarding how to sell on eBay.

Pictures Of Your Items

These days, you can purchase a decent digital camera for around $50, and you may already have a camera that you can use to photograph your items for sale. Knowing how to sell on eBay means knowing how to take good pictures. Usually eBay shoppers base their buying decisions on a picture of the item for sale. Be sure your pictures are in focus and brightly lit.

After you take your pictures, you will need an online photo storage service for them. The eBay website offers free photo storage for a limited number of pictures, but you can also store photos free using online image storage sites like Photobucket and Auctiva.

Researching Your Item's Price

Setting the right price for your item is important when learning how to sell on eBay. To find out the market value of your item, search for the item on eBay and see how much sellers are asking for similar items. Now search for completed eBay sales and find out how much buyers actually paid for these items.

You must also know a bit about shipping if you are going to learn how to sell on eBay. Get an inexpensive postage scale and learn how to use it. Be sure to factor in the cost of cushioning and insurance. Most eBay sellers ship via U.S. Priority Mail for domestic shipments because the postal service provides free shipping cartons for priority mail shipments.

Listing Your Item

At last you are ready to list your item. Reading other ads will help you know how best to sell on eBay. Write a simple auction ad, describing your item and giving all its measurements. Publish the item on eBay and wait for the bids to come in.

Shipping Your Item

After your item has sold, collect the money from your buyer by either PayPal or by a money order or cashier's check. If you accept personal checks, be sure to allow two weeks for the check to clear, especially if it is from out of state. Pack the item with care, insure it and ship it to the buyer.

Congratulations! By now, you know how to sell on eBay. Just repeat the process again and again to earn even more money.