How to Sell your used Kindle on eBay – Part 2

This is the second post of a 4 part series. See links at the bottom of this page for related posts.

eBay is the world's largest online marketplace for buyers and sellers. Years ago when eBay was young, selling was like living in the wild west...almost anything goes. Today, eBay has evolved into a mature and trusted marketplace with millions of users and many tools and options for sellers to choose from. All of these choices can be quite confusing and costly for a new seller if they don't understand the process.

In my 6+ years of selling over 1,500 items on eBay, I know that the marketplace is a constantly evolving and eBay responds with changes to their selling tools and rules 2-3 times a year. So what is mentioned here today may not apply in a year from now but most of the basic principals will still work.

Getting Started

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The first thing you will need to sell on eBay is a user account. If you are new to eBay then you will need to Register for a Free Account. Click the "register" link at the top of the page and enter all the required information to setup your eBay account. You will need to confirm your account via email which eBay will send to you after the registration form is submitted.

Selling on eBay (within the USA) will also require you to accept online payments via PayPal or through a merchant account. Most buyers like making purchases via PayPal because it protects them from fraud and it is easy to use. PayPal is owned by eBay and is recommended for new and smaller sellers since there are no monthly fees, although fees do apply per transaction. Signing up for a PayPal Account is easy to do and integrates smoothly with your eBay account.

Research

Before jumping straight to listing your item, a smart seller will do some research on similar items sold. This will help you determine the average sold price, demand and competition (other sellers) you may encounter. This information is important in setting a selling strategy that meets your goals. The quickest (and free) method of research is using eBay's search function.

First search all ACTIVE listings to determine how many kindle readers are currently available.

But this is only half the story. You really want to know what they sold for when the auction ended. You can search completed items using eBay's Advanced Search.

Here you can search using all sorts of criteria include the "Complete Items". I have included a sample screenshot below that I used to search sold Kindle 1 units. Note the ability to use negative keywords to exclude items not wanted in the results.

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The results will show both sold (in green) and unsold items (in red) for that last two weeks. You only want to look at sold items and click on the listings that sold for the highest prices. Look at individual sold listings and pay particular attention to their listing strategy (ex. start price, buy-it-now, number of days listed, pictures, description, return policy, etc.) Quickly analyze what seems to work best and do the same.

My thoughts: There is strong demand for used kindle readers, especially if you are willing to ship outside the USA (Amazon currently only sells Kindle readers in the USA). Resale values also remain high on eBay making your Kindle purchase a good investment.

Advanced Research Tools

If you plan on selling more items on a regularly basis and need better research tools with more historical data, then I suggest using premium services like TeraPeak or Hammertap.

Selling Methods

There are essentially 2 main ways to sell on eBay, Auction Style format and Buy-it-Now format. There are a few variations to both selling formats and can be used in combination. I will go over the benefits of each but only you can decide which format meets your needs.

• Auction Style
  • 1,3,5,7,10 day auctions can help build excitement
  • Lower starting price gets more bidders involved
  • Lower fees vs. Buy-it-Now
  • Final value can actually end higher than you expected
  • Can include a Buy-It-Now option
• Buy-it-Now Style
  • 3,5,7,10,30 day listings
  • You determine the sale price
  • Can create a sense of urgency
  • Best Offer option
  • Item can be sold within hours if priced right
  • Works well with limited buyers

My thoughts: I have had better success selling Kindles for higher value using the auction format (3 or 5 days) vs. Buy-it-Now. Since demand is high I know that an item will most likely meet or exceed the average market value, which is why I will start my auction bidding at under $1.

Selling Fees

Welcome to the confusing world of eBay fees. Unfortunately, every option or setting you choose to use may come at a price. There are three different types of fees that will apply when selling on eBay:

• Listing Fees - These fees apply to the various listing options you select when posting up your item. Choices like starting price, multiple photos, best offer etc. can increase the listing fee. Also keep in mind that auction format choices also affect final value fees. Please Note: eBay just released a new promotion that lets low volume sellers list up to 5 items using the Sell Your Item page for free but the catch is a higher final value fee.
• Final Value Fees - This is the fee which is charged when your item sells. Final value fees (FVF) are not charged to your account if the item does not sell. Depending on the listing format, the FVF will vary but it will generally cost you somewhere in the range between 5-8% of the sold value.
• Payment Processing Fees - The digital transfer of monies (via PayPal or a credit card merchant account) also comes at a price. Most likely you will be using PayPal to receive the money for your kindle. PayPal charges the typical seller 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction. If you sell your item to an international buyer, tack on an additional 1% to a rate of 3.9% + 30 cents. Volume sellers can get better rates but that is only applicable if you processing thousands of dollars monthly.

As you can see there are quite a lot of fees that eat at your bottom line when selling on eBay. I suggest you use a free online tool like the eBay Fee Calculator to get a better handle on how these fees will impact you.

Selling Category

eBay organizes the auctions by product categories. There are several hundred categories to choose from because eBay sells just about everything which is why they use the slogan "You can find it on eBay" in their advertising. Fortunately, there is really only one category used for selling a kindle...

Listing Title

This is one of the most important aspects of your auction listing and is how people will find it using eBay's search feature. You have 55 characters available in the title that should be maximized with keywords that describe your item.

For example, "nice used kindle" is not effective because people don't search for "nice" and it doesn't maximize the title length.

Why not use something like "Amazon Kindle 1 Wireless eBook Reader w/Original Box". See how the title now uses keywords that a buyer would most likely enter to search for that item?

Listing Description

The listing description is where you should put all of the important detail about the item you are selling. Be as detailed as possible when describing the condition and any other pertinant information. This will help buyers feel more comfortable about the item and minimizes the number of question (via email) you may receive about it.

Be sure to cover the following things in the item description when listing a Kindle:

• Detailed Description - Describe all items included in auction (i.e. power cords, box, etc.)
• Condition - Describe working condition, physical defects or any problems with operation use.
• Shipping Info - Let buyers know how soon you will ship item after payment. Be sure to tell buyers their costs for shipping either in the description or using the shipping calculator.
• Returns/Refunds - Let buyers know if you accept returns and the terms/timeframes that would qualify for a refund.
• Payments - Let buyers know what the acceptable time period is for payment.

Photographs

As they say...pictures are worth a thousand words. On eBay, it directly affects sale price so you want to include several pictures of the actual item up for sale. Try to avoid using stock photos from manufacturer's websites. Buyers want to see "real" pictures of the item their buying and using stock photos is most likely a copyright violation that could have your listing cancelled.

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Posting your Listing

The easiest way to post an item up on eBay is using their Sell Your Item form. This method is best for beginning or low volume sellers but if you plan on selling more frequently on eBay, auction management software can save you time, money and has more features. I would recommend tools like InkFrog or Auctiva but both come with a monthly subscription cost or eBay's free tool called Turbo Lister. Most of the listing tools have built-in WYSIWYG editors so you can create nicely formatted listings with knowing HTML code.

During the Auction

Watching your auction get bids is exciting. There really isn't much to do while the auction is running except answer questions that you may receive via email. I suggest you respond quickly (less than 24 hours) to all questions which can prevent any misunderstandings later on.

Closing the Deal

Once the item is sold and paid for, it is your responsibility to pack safely and ship it out in a timely fashion. Always, let the buyer know when the item was shipped and supply a tracking number if possible. In the event that a problem does occur, act responsible and try to resolve the situation to the best of your ability.

Good Luck and Happy Selling!

How to Sell a used Kindle Reader- Part 1

This is the first article of a four part series.

There will come a day when you will decide to part with that beloved Kindle of yours. It could be that you have been eyeing a newer model like the Kindle 2 or the bigger Kindle DX. It might be that your Kindle isn’t working anymore or you just lost interest in using it. Whatever the reason, you have several options in how to sell it.

Selling Options:

• Gift it – While you will not receive money for giving away your Kindle for free, the expression on someone’s face who received it would be priceless.
• Donate it – There are many organizations and charities that would be happy to receive your Kindle as a donation. Be sure to get a receipt so you can use it as a tax write-off. Always consult with your accountant first to make sure the proper steps are taken.
• Friends and Family – Selling a kindle to someone you already know is very convenient but not without warning! Always consider the risk of something going wrong and how it could potentially strain your relationship. Sometimes this option is just not worth it but if you are then I suggest letting them use it for a trial week to see if they like it before they buy it.
• eBay Trading Assistant – These are experienced eBay sellers who provide full service selling of your items on consignment. The process is very easy and generally yields higher sales but you will pay a commission plus fees which offsets the higher sold value.
• Online Venues – Ecommerce websites like eBay and Amazon are a great way to sell your kindle for top dollar. It will cost you some money in transaction fees to use these kinds of services and there are many rules and options that can make it confusing.
• Classified Ads – These ads can be in print in a local newspaper which cost money or free online services like Craigslist and Kijiji.
• Forum Boards – There are several forums discussion boards that are specifically targeted to the kindle product line that allow “For Sale” posts. The most popular ones that I would recommend are Kindleboards & KindleForum. Always be sure to post it in the appropriate sections and read the board rules so you do not upset the owners/moderators.
• Trade for Cash – There are companies/websites that will buy your kindle for cash. One of the largest online services that I know of is Gazelle. These types of services offer a no hassle way of selling but typically at reduced price.

All of these options have their pros and cons and there really is a lot to consider. The first choices are quite easy to do and require little time. Selling online for yourself does require some technical skills, experience and time to maximize your profit potential. Local classifieds are easier but require interactions in person which can make people uncomfortable or turn out to be a big time waster.

Another big decision that you need to decide on is…how much should you sell your kindle for?

You can visit websites like Amazon and eBay to help determine the higher end of the selling prices and Gazelle for the lower end. Setting the purchase somewhere in between the two will be your best shot at selling it quickly. Or you can let the market decide the value by using an auction style listing on eBay.

Whatever method you try, honesty is the best policy. Using pictures (for online venues) of the actual item does help to sell it. Always explain your kindle’s condition and defects up front to prevent disputes later. If issues do arise, stay calm and do your best to resolve them. In the end, it is your integrity that should be most important to you…not the quick buck.

My Credentials

Here is a little info about my selling expertise (so you don’t think I just talk the talk). I have run a part-time eBay Consignment/Trading Assistant business for the last 6 years and have sold over 1,500 items online with gross sales totaling over $200,000. I have also sold many more items using craigslist and other services. I have sold eight kindle 1 & 2 readers in the last 3 months using several of these methods.

Next in this series…How to sell your Kindle on eBay.

How to download a Kindle Book to your Computer

Did you know that you can download a Kindle Book directly to your computer from Amazon's website?

Yes you can, but you are probably wondering why you want to since it is a wireless device. Well not everyone in the Country can get a good signal to Sprint's cellular network (dubbed the Whispernet network by Amazon). You may also find yourself traveling outside of the Country and still want to retrieve books which is possible if you have access to a computer with Internet access and a USB port.

To download a purchased kindle book to your computer you will need to login to your Amazon account and access the Manage my Kindle page. Next, scroll down toward the bottom of the page to view the section called "Your orders". Here you will see a list of all the kindle books that you have purchased. Notice the drop-down menu box to the right of each book's order date? Click on this box and choose "Computer".

A standard pop-up window will display asking you where to save the the kindle book. Kindle books purchased from Amazon all have an file extension of .AZW which should not be renamed. After the file is downloaded you can connect your Kindle reader to the computer via the USB cable. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to where the kindle book is saved. Select the book and copy it to the Documents folder under drive letter that is assigned to your Kindle.

Once copied you can safely eject your Kindle device from the computer and start reading your book.

How to Eject your Kindle 2 Safely

Have you ever noticed that somewhat cryptic message when you connect your Kindle 2 to a computer?

If you want to use your Kindle and continue charging, please eject your Kindle from your computer.

This message makes sense for computer tech geeks (like myself) but may be a little confusing for the "Average Joe". Nowhere does it explain if ejecting means the same thing as unplugging it. What happens if you unplugged when really meant to eject? Should you be ready to catch the Kindle when it does eject? Just kidding of course! So many questions and all you want is a straight answer.

Hopefully this quick tutorial will help you understand how you can eject your Kindle safely from your computer (Windows XP was used for this example).

As I said before whenever you plug your Kindle 2 to your computer via the USB cable you should see the following screen. You will not be able to read any books or navigate the Kindle menu when you see this screen.

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Your Kindle will charge in this state and allows you access to transfer files back and forth from your computer via Windows Explorer. When connected, a drive letter will automatically be assigned on your computer that represents the Kindle device. Ejecting the Kindle 2 will allow it to stay plugged into the computer to continue charging but gives you viewing access to read your books.

First, you will need to know which drive letter your Kindle 2 has been assigned before you can eject it. The easiest way to access the Windows Explorer program is to move the mouse pointer over the Start menu button and right-click the mouse button. Choose Explore to open up Windows Explorer. In the left window pane, select My Computer or scroll down to identify which drive letter has been assigned to your Kindle (drive G in this example). 

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Now you are ready to eject your Kindle. Look at the Windows Taskbar Icons (near the time clock) for the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon.

Left click this icon and select the drive letter that your Kindle is assigned to Safely Remove (Eject) the USB Storage Device. Your Kindle 2 device should now be ejected and the drive letter on your computer will disappear.

Now the Kindle 2 display should go back to the standard view so you can view your kindle books while it continues to charge. You can also disconnect your Kindle 2 from the computer at any time by removing the USB cable.

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Caution: It is recommended that you Eject your Kindle 2 before disconnecting it to make sure any data transfers between the Kindle and computer are completed first. This will help prevent the potential of corrupting files.

Kindle love is Skin deep!

Okay, maybe I love my Kindle 2 a little more than just its skin, but I couldn't think of a cooler way to make it my own. These vinyl skins are a great way to personalize your Kindle and protect it from minor scratches that can occur from regular use. There are many Designer Skins to choose from in our Store.

Also be sure to check out my video on how I applied my Kindle 2 skin.

Installing the skin is relatively easy and if you make a mistake you can easily correct it (as shown in the video). From start to finish, it shouldn't take you more than 15-20 minutes to complete. Also forgot to mention in the video to clean your Kindle unit first using a lint free cloth with a little bit of rubbing alcohol on the cloth. Never pour any liquid on the Kindle itself!! Also, it helps to align the skin along the longer edge of the Kindle to help keep it straight. Good Luck!

Buy a Skin Now!