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How to Make Money Selling on eBay - How to Successfully Ship from Home

While many eBay sellers use dropshippers for their products, many other sellers actually stock the products that they sell. As a result, those eBay sellers pull, package and ship the products that they sell. Those who know how to make money selling on eBay realize that the shipping process must be low in both cost and labor to be successful.

Those who have built successful eBay businesses know that organization of the shipping area is critical to their continued success. They know that without organization they will quickly be unable to support the shipping required by a fast growing eBay business.

Those who know how to make money selling on eBay know that there must be a set of shipping and packing materials on-hand at all times. This includes:

• Boxes
• Cushioned Envelopes
• Cushioning Materials
• Packing Tape
• Stamps
• Printer Paper
• Shipping Labels
• Priority Mail Boxes
• Priority Mail Stickers

Most sellers will not require all of the items listed above. Select from those that fit your shipping needs. Remember that it is typically less expensive to ship in cushioned envelopes than boxes. Save your buyers money on shipping by using them whenever possible. If you ship in boxes consider using online postage sources such as Endicia or Paypal. Printing postage through these online services also allows you to print return address and ship-to address information all at the same time.

Priority Mail boxes and labels are available at no charge from the United States Postal Service. Be sure to take advantage of them. Ordering and using these USPS supplies saves considerable time and money.

Equipment that is needed includes:

• Computer
• Printer
• Scale
• Shipping label software
• Rubber Stamp
• Pre-printed return address labels

When you first start you may not see a need for a good quality scale to weight items. We have found our scale to be one of the most valuable AND the most used of our equipment. We purchased a scale that was capable of weighing items much heavier than anything we ever thought we would ship. That was a good decision. If you choose to add heavier items to your inventory, or if you combine shipping, have the extra capacity saves much time and hassle.

Most of the equipment and supplies listed can be purchased online. Using online companies will save both time and money. There is no need to drive from company to company to make your selections. With a little shopping, online companies are also very competitive in their costs. Just log on and make your selections. Pay, and about 7-days later the items arrive at your door!

The shipping area needs to be very organized and clutter-free. As business grows, supplies should be set up according to the flow of the packing and shipping process. If the flow starts on the left, boxes or cushioned envelopes should be first. Other packing materials such as tape and cushioning materials should be next. Just lay out the supplies to match the flow of the items as they are prepared for shipment.