Ebay is a growing medium for charity sales in the UK. On this page you’ll find out how partners are using Ebay and some top tips for getting started.
Charity shop income on ebay grew by 17% in 2015 and a number of partners in the Age UK network are now successfully using ebay to boost their income. Ebay gave a series of presentations on using ebay. You can watch them below
ebay basics for charities
Charity connect ebay basics for charities
ebay advanced for charities
Charity connect ebay advanced for charities
Top tips for using Ebay
If you’re interested in using ebay as a way to generate more income, here are some top tips.
1. Who will run your ebay store? Someone will need to take and upload photos, package up goods and post them off. Can you use a volunteer(s) or existing staff or will you need extra hands?
2. Make sure you take good photos of your items – presentation is key! Take photos from several angles, with good lighting and against a plain background if possible.
3. Make sure the description of the item is as accurate as possible, include measurements, and any damage so the buyer knows exactly what they are getting. Ebay has advice on writing effective listings.
4. On ebay getting good feedback is important for your seller status. If you have good feedback, people will see that you are a trustworthy trader. So make sure items are dispatched on time and according to description and ask your buyers to provide feedback.
5. Use your ebay pages and thank you messages to link to where people can make an online donation for you, such as Just Giving or BT My Donate, in case they want to make an additional contribution.
6. Don’t forget to also put a link to your ebay store on your website too, to make sure people know about it. You could also promote it on your social media.
7. Sell items that are realistic for your staff or volunteers to manage – if you’re going to sell furniture make sure you have a van and the staff to package and handle it. Clothes may not bring in enough money to justify the effort unless they are designer goods which haven’t been worn. Good items to sell on ebay include:
- Porcelain figurines
- Jewellery
- Clocks and watches
- Vintage items e.g. toys, crockery
- Good quality handbags
- Vinyl records
Where to find out more:
Find out how to set up an Ebay shop
These are some partners using eBay: