Listing Quickly on eBay

I mentioned before that I had found a way to list items much quicker than I had been. I don't know if this is blog-worthy or not, but a friend asked me if I was ever going to blog about it and today is an Awesome day to list, (Ebay announced a "List up to 1000 items free" 1 Day only sale) so here goes!

I used to start with a category, a title, and then fill in all the blanks about the item (of clothing usually), add my picture and then rewrite it all in the description box. Even though I was using a template (or picking up an old listing and changing it) it was taking me forever to list each item. Part of the reason is that loading pictures to the listing is not exactly fast. That can be aggravating. I don't know if it's just my computer, or if it's that way for everyone. These great Sale days would come along and I'd do my relists in a couple minutes but then I would only list maybe 20 new items if I was really working hard. I decided something (or a few things) needed to change.

First off, my goal is to really downsize my inventory. Get these great clothes out of my ebay closet and into the arms of people who would loooove them! So I needed to list, list, list like crazy. At least to save the Free listing "space". Here's my strategy now:

1. I just listing the title, and fill in the necessary fill-in boxes (pre-owned, size type, size, color, etc, etc).
2. I skip the picture (for now)
3. In the description box the first line reads "Picture Coming Soon" and then I list anything that I think is necessary that wasn't covered in the drop-down boxes (ie tulle underskirt, sequins & beads, side zip, etc). There is no need to repeat everything that is already covered in the drop-down boxes, since the listing will show it right above the description. Then I do have an ending that says "No international shipping, ship within 24 hrs of pymt, check out my other auctions, yadda yadda yadda", but all of that was picked up from the previous auction ad and I'm not actually retyping it.
4. I add my price
5. I select the # of days
6. Double check the shipping price I've decided on
7. I click the list buttons, and I'm done with that listing.
8. Then I get a box that says the item is listed, and I click "Sell Similar" and more on to my next item.

I have been able to do many more listings that way. Then when I am done for the day I can relax. I go back and revise my auctions and add the pictures when I have more time, like the next day. I usually do 3 day listings, because I think people don't really have the patience to wait till a 7 day auction ends. I know I don't! So if I am listing fast like this, I will select 5 days, just to give myself time to add the picture. I've even had people ask me to add a picture or just click to watch the item until I do. I love it when that happens because it gives me incentive to add the picture. If I don't have time to add all of the pictures and some of the auctions end without pictures, I don't stress. Since my item has been listed, I'm one step closer to selling it, and I can go and relist it and add a picture, and on sales like today's where its free, I'm not losing any money if I didn't get them picture on!

Anyway, I hope this helps someone, anyone. It may sound like gibberish, because I'm excitedly typing (and tiredly its 3:16 am) and my fingers are freezing because my house is freezing with no heat on. I think I'll go to bed for now and get up whe my kids go to school and get busy with a ton more listings! How would it be to list 1000 items I wonder???? Thankfully I don't have that much inventory! Have a great listing day!