How to Start Selling on eBay with Little to No Money
If you’ve ever thought about starting your own business or side hustle but felt limited by your budget, you’re not alone! The great news is that selling on eBay is one of the most affordable and accessible ways to begin earning money online—even with zero upfront investment. In this post, I’m going to break down how you can get started on eBay with little to no money and grow your business without breaking the bank.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to resell items around the house or a seasoned seller ready to restart your eBay journey, these tips will help you make the most of what you already have!
Step 1: Start with What You Have—Resell Free Items
You don’t need to invest money into buying inventory to get started. The first step to reselling on eBay is to look around your home for items you no longer need. Think about things like unused gifts, items from couponing hauls, or even things you can ask friends and family to donate. You’d be surprised how many valuable, unused items are sitting in your home that someone else would gladly pay for.
Some common household items that sell well include clothing, books, home décor, and electronics. Once you’ve gathered your initial inventory, you’re ready to list them on eBay and start your reselling journey!
Step 2: List as an Individual Seller—No Storefront Needed
One of the best things about eBay is that you don’t need to open a storefront to start selling. All you need is a bank account and a valid ID to get paid. This means that there are no initial costs for opening a store, making eBay an accessible platform for anyone wanting to dip their toes into the reselling world.
When you first start, listing items as an individual seller gives you a chance to experiment with your listings and sales without worrying about store fees. As you gain experience and sales, you can eventually open an eBay store to scale your business further.
Step 3: Get Free Shipping Materials
Shipping costs and materials can often feel like a barrier when starting an online business, but they don’t have to be! You can find free shipping supplies from surprising places. Local stores often have clean, sturdy boxes that they’ll let you take for free. Dumpster diving is another option—many people throw away perfectly good boxes and polymailers, especially from recent deliveries.
If you plan to use USPS, you can also pick up free Priority Mail boxes directly from the post office, or order them online. These boxes are perfect for shipping items within the U.S., and using them cuts down on your initial shipping expenses.
Step 4: Use the Post Office to Weigh Your Items
If you don’t have a postal scale, don’t worry. You can still accurately charge for shipping by taking your item to the post office. They’ll weigh it for you, and once you know the weight, you can enter that information into your eBay listing.
This allows you to avoid overcharging or undercharging for shipping while you’re just starting out. Once you begin making consistent sales, you may want to invest in a small scale for convenience, but initially, the post office will be your best resource for weighing packages for free.
Step 5: Print Shipping Labels for Cheap
Printing labels at home is super convenient, but if you don’t have a printer, you’re not out of luck. Office Depot and some libraries offer printing services for as little as $0.10 per page, meaning you can print your shipping labels cheaply and easily. All you need to do is download your eBay shipping label, upload it to the store’s website, and send it to be printed.
Once you’ve printed your labels, all that’s left to do is package your item and drop it off at the post office.
Why I’m Excited to Restart My eBay Business After 25 Years
This week is especially exciting for me because it’s the week of eBay Open 2024, an online convention packed with valuable insights from experienced sellers. I’ve been selling on eBay for 25 years, and while I took a break from it for a bit, I’m so excited to be diving back in full force.
There’s something so rewarding about finding items, listing them, and seeing them get sold to new homes. And the best part? You can get started with zero money upfront by using the tips I’ve shared here. Whether you’re just thinking about reselling or ready to take your existing eBay business to the next level, now is the perfect time to jump in.
I’ll be sharing more tips and insights as I go, so be sure to subscribe to my blog and YouTube channel to follow along on this journey. Happy selling!
