How To Sell Your Used Stuff Through Amazon

Most of us like to make a little cash every now and then by selling off unwanted things. Maybe we hold a garage sale, a car boot sale, take things to a flea market or sell things online. Whatever the method, the theory is the same - get rid of that old stuff and increase the amount of cash we have instead.

For those of us who sell things online, many would instantly turn to eBay, Craigslist or some local directory in order to place a listing. Most of us would completely forget about Amazon as a place where everyday people can actually sell their goods. But Amazon's not just for the professional retailers and it's really quite easy to get started.

Getting Started As An Amazon Seller

If you sell fewer than 40 items per month you're classed as a non-professional seller and you'll only be charged .99c per sale plus a variable referral fee and a closing fee (all detailed here).

Anyone with an Amazon account can get started selling items. We'll take you through a few different ways how to sell on Amazon, when we get to listing products for sale.

What Can You Sell Through Amazon?

Amazon allows you to sell a number of different items, including electronics, CDs, DVDs, toys, games, baby products and musical instruments. If you want to start with something simple, try a book or a CD, since you're unlikely to have as many problems with versions and formats as you are with DVDs, computer games or electronics.

Shipping Fees & Delivery Times

To ensure you deliver your items in a timely manner and that your shipping fees aren't too costly, it's recommended that you list your items for sale with whichever Amazon store is your local one. For instance, if you live in the United Kingdom and you sell an item on Amazon.com, an American buyer will expect prompt, cheap delivery that you may be unable to supply.

If you're unsure whether or not a country has its own Amazon site, check this page.

Listing Your Product For Sale On Amazon

Selling items on Amazon always begins with a search for the exact product. This is because you can't sell any items that don't already exist in Amazon's listings. So, that old teapot will have to be sold somewhere else, sorry!

The best way to list your item for sale is to search for something specific, such as the ISBN of a book. There are then two different ways to go about selling items on Amazon.

First Method

Click on the "Sell your stuff" button found in many places on Amazon and it will take you to this page.

From here, a search for an item will take you to the selling page for that item.

Second Method

Another way to begin selling is to search for the item and click on the "Sell on Amazon" button which appears at the bottom right hand side. This will take you to the same page.

For any Amazon sale you must ensure that the product is exactly the same as the listed product. You also should take care to list the condition correctly and to give details if possible.

If the product you sell is not exactly what you listed, you should expect to get bad feedback from customers who will be rightfully demanding a refund.

Then it just comes down to listing your selling price, quantity of items available, shipping method, then starting a seller account and nominating a way Amazon can pay you. Payments will normally be transferred to a bank account, which is yet another reason to ensure you sell your items with the local version of Amazon. Ensure you can get paid before you list your products for sale!

Selling Through Amazon Versus eBay

The main difference with Amazon versus eBay is that on Amazon you can nominate your selling price and you know exactly how much you will get for the sale. On eBay, you are taking a gamble and in many cases, you may end up getting nothing at all.