So you've signed up on Listia because you're interested in winning an auction, but you only have so many credits to bid. Listing your own item up for auction is a great way to both earn free bonus credits as well as earning the credits from the auction.
Note: For your first auction, it is recommended you list something with FREE SHIPPING, at least within your country or region.
- Books: For US auctions, a book is the best way to get your feet wet since USPS (United States Postal Service) offers low rate shipping called Media Mail. Rates for one medium sized book should cost under $3, which is reasonable, especially if you have a book that could earn you more than 500 credits.
- Postcards: Unless it's vintage or collectable, you may not get a lot but you can send this with minimal postage (1 US stamp = 44 cents atm). Again, free shipping in your listing in encouraged.
- Gift Card: Again,light-weight and easy to ship in an envelope. Make sure it's not expired or you'll have one angry winner!
- Earrings: Most are light-weight, and can be minimally padded in a small shipping envelope
- Bookmarks: Fits in an envelope and a low-risk first auction and can be listed for free shipping without financial impact.
Research says that these things are popular in November & December:
November: aluminum foil and plastic wrap (strange, but true), HDTV and home theater items, wedding dresses
December: gift cards, tools, winter clothes and coats
Title * : Just like ebay, choose a catchy title that uses key words to attract the most amount of traffic via search and browsing.
Category * : Right now the categories are basic on Listia. See below
Description: Be as descriptive as possible but do not forget this specific information that potential bidders will need to know to make a comfortable bid:
- Color, brand, year manufactured and/or published
- Size. For clothes, post measurements if possible.
- Optional: Size in both imperial/US + metrics to attract buyers from other countries
- Condition as related to the item. For books, this guide might help.
- Any auction information (repeated so it's clear) like # of days, shipping methods, Get it Now availability, etc.
- Optional: why you are auctioning this item. It's a community, so people tend to like stories and are able to comment on the auction and create a healthy discussion about the item.
Photo Tips:
- Use the BEST camera you can, even if it means borrowing your friend's 4+ iphone (they have great cameras!).
- Natural daylight is best, as flash tends to wash out colors, and leaves bright spots covering the item's details
- Vertical picture first! Listia is currently formatted so that a vertical/portrait picture takes up more space on the screen as the first image, and horizontal images look smaller. So use the horizontal/landscape as the secondary picture.
- Use original photos. Even if there are numerous photos on the internet of the Pokemon keychain, post an original photo. It adds to your credibility.
- Show size. Use an additional photo of item next to a common item such as a quarter or dollar, your hand or a ruler so the potential bidder knows the exact size.
- Watermark your photos if possible. Picasa does this.
Location: Don't leave this out! If you want to remain semi-anonymous, just put your region, but you must at least put country so people know where you are shipping from. Cloaking your location will downgrade your credibility and potential bidders may skip your auction.
This is very important so choose wisely! There are several options so please understand each, and the commitment you are making to ship an item in your region or internationally.
2. Will ship to the US: [checkbox] If you are in the US, we recommend checking this box and then choosing if you will ship your item for free, or a minimal amount for the winner to pay. If you are not in the US, you must make a choice and possibly charge for shipping.
3. Will ship internationally: [checkbox] Listia is US-centric, so this means outside of the US. You can choose which regions you will ship to. There are only a few options but as Listia changes, I expect this list to grow. Right now the options are:
- India
- Canada
- Europe
- Worldwide
Shipping Options - Free or Winner Pays
Option A. Free shipping in the US [checkbox] ***Recommended*** Since Listia is based in California, options will be US-centric. If you are in the US, this is the highest recommended option and should gain the highest amount of interest.
Option B. Winner pays shipping, either a) FLAT RATE or b) EXACT [amount of shipping it costs you at the post office.]. For flat rate, here is a guide
Note: these are the current flat rate caps on costs for standard items, pasted below, also listed here: http://www.listia.com/rules#sh
- DVDs, CDs, VHS, Cassettes, Vinyl: max $3
- Books: max $4
- Video Games, Software, Computer Games: max $4
- Jewelry: max $6
Advanced Options: CLICK THIS BUTTON!
I'm not sure why this is advanced because the # of days for an auction is hidden in here, and this is important because it determines when you need to ship your item. This is what you see when Advanced Options is expanded:
Make a Mistake? You can update only certain parts of the auction. See below what is allowed.
According to Listia's blog [Aug 2011] you can update some information in your listing after it's been posted:
Sellers can add updates to their listing after bids have been placed. (This is only allowed if the information added is an improvement or clarification of the current information provided). Images and notes can be added to a listing and shipping options can be upgraded up to 24 hours before an auction ends. To update the listing, click the "Update" button on your auction page.
What you CAN'T update:
This feature does not allow Sellers to:
- Change any information in the original description
- Change or edit Title
- Increase Shipping Fee
- Remove images
Bonne chance! If you are stuck or need some help listing, you can contact me via Twitter, Facebook, or slower method, via email (fLee@fLeesmarket.com)