eBay Business All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Chapter 2: Researching Collectible Prices

In This Chapter

• Pricing new products via mobile
• Researching collectible items and values
• Common-sense buying guidelines
• Using online information in your research

As one who wants to sell products, you need to know how to price what you're selling. If you don't know what your item is worth, then your sale might not net the highest profit. If you don't know the facts or what to say, your well-written title and detailed description (combined with a fabulous picture) may still not be enough to get the highest price for your item. If you don't know how to make your item easy to find, it may not be noticed by even the hardiest of collectors.

Knowing your item is a crucial part of successful selling on eBay. New item pricing can be all over the board, and knowing how much an item will sell for — before you purchase it — will help you make educated stocking decisions. Collectible items may be appraised or listed in a book for a high value, but what you care about is the price at which the item will actually sell. Imagine someone uncovering a hoard of the same type of item you're selling and, not knowing the value of it, dumping it on eBay with low Buy It Now prices. This scenario would drive down the value of the item within a couple of weeks. Great for buyers — but not so great for sellers.

The best advice you can follow as you explore any free-market ...