I sell on eBay and so should you.

Being a college student, something you can always have a little extra of is money. Every one of us is much too familiar with the awful feeling of college expenses eating through our wallets every semester. Whether it is books, tuition or fees, we all know that college has no mercy on our already shallow pockets.

I started selling on eBay a few years ago and discovered how easy it was to make a couple extra dollars. EBay makes it so that the average person who knows how to use a smart phone or a computer can create their own business. To get started, all you need is a PayPal account (to accept payments and pay fees) and an eBay account. After linking the two, you are ready to start selling.

What can you sell? Really anything. I have found that anything is worth something to someone who is willing to buy it. This might sound obvious. However, you would be surprised by what people are interested in buying. I have often been ready to throw something away and instead listed the item on eBay. To my surprise it sells, bringing me a couple extra dollars. For example, instead of trashing your old clothes, list them on eBay. Brand-name clothing that you don’t wear any more will bring in some cash. Keep in mind that every dollar counts and that it all adds up.

Dig through your closet and search for old toys and video games that you do not have any use for. Searching for it on eBay and refining the search to ‘completed listings’ will show you if your item has sold before and for how much. You will be amazed how valuable some of your childhood toys are now!

The cost to use eBay depends on the amount of items that you sell. You are given an amount of free listings per month and if you stay under the amount, you are only charged for what you sell. The average fee is about 10 percent per sale. To me, this fee is nothing for the services that eBay offers. For just 10 percent of whatever you sell your item for, eBay will advertise it to whoever searches for it all over the world.

After you sell an item, you can choose to either package it up and take it to the closest post office to get it weighed and pay for postage, or your can print out and pay for the label through eBay and save a percentage on postage. After selling your first few items, you will find the most frugal ways to send a package out.

The greatest thing about eBay is that it gives you the opportunity to have your own business selling whatever you find interesting. Connecting with people online and establishing a customer base is a great way to keep your business going, especially if you specialize in a specific item like clothing or toys.

Let’s be real, everyone can use a little extra money. I have found that eBay is the best way to earn additional income and I encourage everyone to utilize their extremely easy to use services. In today’s day and age, as long as you have a smartphone or a computer, you can be an entrepreneur. So what are you waiting for?