Parenthood can be a lot of things, rewarding, funny, ridiculous, exhausting, and hard to stay on top of it all. One of the biggest concerns we face is how to keep our tots entertained all the time. From dance lessons to football, it can all put a strain on the bank account.
Fact: the average family in Britain will spend up to £230,000 raising their kids. But recently, eBay.co.uk has revealed that parents have the potential to make up to £212 extra cash selling unwanted baby items on its marketplace, to fund kid’s hobbies in the future. According to data taken from the online marketplace in the last month, a wooden cot can be sold for an average price of £23, a baby car seat for £28 and a pram pushchair for £125, totalling £176 – that could cover the cost of four piano lessons, a full ballet outfit, plus a child’s acoustic guitar!
It’s not just big items that sell well on eBay, selling multiple smaller items such as clothing and toys, as a bundle can also quickly add up to a profit with items listed under ‘baby girls clothing’ selling for an average price of £5, for example. Baby toys can be sold for an average price of £9, rattles for £6, and a baby mobile for £10.
7 eBay selling hacks for parents:
Ebay tips
1 of 71) Keywords are key
Take the time to get your keywords right and bidders will come. When buyers search, eBay.co.uk automatically filters the listing titles, so it's crucial to write your listing in your fellow parents’ language and use the terminology they search for - especially brand and product names, for example ‘Mamas and Papas wooden cot’ will do better on site than simply ‘cot’.
2 of 72) Choose the right category for your product
It might sound obvious but it’s very important to always choose the most specific category to sell in. Make sure if you are selling old children’s clothes, to sell in the children’s fashion category, rather than just fashion in general.
3 of 73) Opt for 10-day auctions
When listing an auction, you can choose whether it lasts one, three, five, seven or 10 days. The longer your item is listed, the more chance of people seeing it, so unless it's time-sensitive, pick 10 days.
4 of 74) Pictures are important
Most users will not bid on items they cannot see. For best results, take photos in natural light against a neutral background and be honest about any scratches or aesthetic damage to the item. Remember, a good picture often holds up a less than perfect listing.
5 of 75) Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Check out the best of the competition to understand the marketplace you are operating in. Consider your pricing strategy carefully following the eBay pricing recommendations and checking other eBay listings for similar product prices. Try searching for baby products on eBay, to make sure you’re going for the right perceived price.
6 of 76) Timing, Timing, Timing
Get the timing right. The busiest time for buyers is Sunday evenings, so schedule your listings to end around that time. While some may say this is impossible, avoid times when most parents will be busy, such as weekday mornings, or any big events such as sports matches or TV finales.
7 of 77) Postage costs
Consider the impact of postage costs in advance. Use the eBay postage estimator service to check your pricing – you don’t want to be out of pocket having to cover excess postage once the product has sold.
From the 3rd of March 2019, the online marketplace will introduce ‘Free to List’ for consumer sellers, making it easier to make extra money when selling through eBay.co.uk. Paying for listings will now be a thing of the past for consumer sellers, who’ll be able to list their items for free. To make more selling on eBay, visit https://www.ebay.co.uk/sl/sell
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