How to Make $500 Each Month Selling on eBay

By Emily Belcher

Earning $500 each month on eBay is extremely doable. It could be done within minutes, depending on the value of the items that you plan to sell.

For example, you could sell one item that would equal $500 in profit. Or, you could sell 50 items at $10 each to achieve $500 (not including the fees that it costs to sell on eBay).

Fifty items may seem like it would take a lot of time and work, but you might be surprised to find that it can be done in a matter of hours.

Earning $500 per month on eBay could take the place of having to get a second or part-time job outside of the home. $500 is a very achievable and realistic goal.

Here are a few tips that will help you earn an easy $500 per month on eBay:

Get Organized. 

Organizing your time is essential for successfully selling on eBay. Whether you’re looking to supplement your current income or you’re interested in selling on eBay full-time, managing your time is the most important task that you can do for your business.

Managing your listed items in an organized manner will save you time and energy. It can also help prevent shipping errors later on down the road.

Purchasing a day planner and actually using it is has been a life-saver for me, personally. I schedule days specifically for listing and sourcing new items. I highly recommend using a planner for anyone who is interested in merging their current life with selling products on eBay. As harmless as reselling sounds, it can create a lot of internal and environmental chaos if you don’t nip in the bud immediately.

Research.

The very first step in selling on eBay is finding the potential value of an item. You want to make sure it's worth your time to list an item before taking the time to clean it, photograph it, list it, and ship it.

Many people are misinformed when researching the value of an item. The correct way to find the accurate potential value of an item is by searching the “sold” and “completed” listings of that item on eBay.

Most people only search the active listings, which only shows you the asking price of an item. After you have searched the active listings, scroll down until you see “Show Only” on the left sidebar. Then, check “completed” and/or “sold” to get the actual value of the item.

Also, just because you can’t find an item on eBay in the active listings, recently sold, or completed, doesn’t mean that it’s worthless. It could mean that you have a rare item, which may be a great item to list as an auction, rather than a “Buy It Now” listing.

Start with Items Around Your House.

You can get a head start on spring cleaning by sorting through your junk to sell on eBay! And by “junk,” I mean that it is junk to you but has the potential to be a treasure to someone else.

Separate items into two piles: One for donations and one for eBay. Add only items to your “eBay pile” that you think may be of potential value.

Buy Low; Sell High.

The ultimate key to being a successful eBay seller is by this simple plan-of-attack: Buy Low; Sell High. The most obvious places to score valuable, yet cheap items, are at thrift stores, yard sales, and flea markets.

But don’t forget about “regular” stores. Sometimes you can score nice items if they run a good sale or if you have a high-value coupon to use. Also, discount stores, such as Ollies, Marc’s, and Big Lots, can also be great places to find old stock that is in high-demand online.

Market Your Listings.

Utilize your social media accounts to increase your sales on eBay. On each of your listings, eBay has conveniently added “Share” buttons for sites like Twitter, Facebook, etc. A little self-promotion can make a big impact on your sales.

Business cards are also beneficial in leading people to your eBay store. Hand them out to friends, family, and any acquaintances you run into. eBay is a popular website with a lot of traffic but any added effort on your part can have a huge impact on your sales.

Are you selling products on eBay? What tips do you have? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Emily Belcher is the blogger behind TheUnextreme.com, where she enjoys writing about various topics from toxic mold to life as a work at home mom. She also writes for some of the top coupon and nursing websites as a freelance writer and editor. Some of her hobbies include hiking with her husband and young son in beautiful North Carolina, practicing yoga, and reading tarot cards.