How to Write an AMAZING Title for your eBay listing

How important is a Good Title in your eBay listing?

Creating a great title is the single most important aspect to your eBay listing!  I once won an auction for 6 pairs of boys Nike gym pants that were brand new and only paid 99 cents!  I was elated, but the seller was not!  I felt a little bad for her, but the reason this happened is because her title was simply, "Nike Clothes".  That's it!  So, anyone who searched "boys Nike size 10" or "boys Nike pants" would never find her listing.  I think I stumbled across it by mistake--her loss, my gain.

 My title would have read:  
"Lot of six pair Boy's Size 10 Medium Nike Athletic Gym Pants NWT"

  

So what do I add, exactly?

You have to consider every possible combination of words a person might type into their search box, when choosing a title.  Aside from that, a smart seller also considers popular abbreviations and misspellings.  And, by the way, you have to squeeze all of that information in a box of 80 characters or less.

When it comes specifically to clothing, here are the IMPORTANT keywords:

• Gender
• Size & Size Type
• Color
• Brand
• Type of garment

Example:   Women's Plus Size 18 Red Lane Bryant Sweater

Optional:

• Material  (100% Silk, Cashmere, etc)
• Condition (NWT, EUC, Worn Once, MINT)
• Adjectives (Sexy, Cute, Adorable, Warm, etc)
• Size Synonym (size 8/Medium, size 2T/24 Months)
• Measurements *important with pants*  (32x30)
• Common Misspellings and abbreviations (MK for Mary Kay, TCP for The Children's Place, etc)  for common misspellings check http://www.goofbid.com/ and http://www.fatfingers.com/
• Other possible uses for this item (This requires imagination--but think costumes--an example of this is "Ugly Christmas Sweaters".  One of my favorite things to sell on eBay!  You can make MORE money off a Christmas Sweater if you add the word "Ugly" to your title!)
• Special events or Seasons (Church Dress, Career Suit, Easter Gloves, Fall Sweater, etc)

Example:  Sexy Cashmere Women's Plus Size 18 1X Red Lane Bryant Sweater MINT LB Bryan
(You may think adding Bryan is silly, but many people really think this store is called Lane Bryan's)

This is my process for coming up with a great title:  

1. I go to eBay and type in a very vague search for the item I want to sell, such as "Crazy 8 Shirt".  
2. I ask eBay to show me only "sold listings" and then I filter to show me the prices high to low.  
3. Next I scroll down the list until I find an item similar to mine and I study it.  How did the seller word his title and descriptions, and how did he photograph the item.  How can I do this better?

Here are some great websites eBay has provided to help us out:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/title_desc_ov.html
http://labs.ebay.com/Catman/
http://labs.ebay.com/erl/demoto/instructions.html
http://labs.ebay.com/erl/demoto/faq.html
http://labs.ebay.com/demos/qnet/

What NOT to add?

No one wants to see  any of this:
 "L@@K Girl's Gymboree Lot"
"*******WOW******  Maternity Pants"
"♫♪♪·:*¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*:      Boy's Shirt      ·:*¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*♫♪♪"
 
It does not really get anyone's attention, because once the list pops up, your average shopper is only looking at the pictures, and it only wastes valuable characters in your title.  I even know people who refuse to click on titles that contain those odd characters.

Also, be careful when writing your titles that you are honest and not misleading!  If you list your item as "Gap Jeans" and in the description you say, "Old Navy Jeans which are made by the same company that makes Gap Jeans", you are deliberately misleading your buyers and could face having your item removed by eBay.

Another problem is using the work "LIKE"!  This is a serious eBay no-no!  You can not say your item is "Like New", "Like Ralph Lauren", or "Like a size 6" (even if it is).  That is because if a buyer searches, "New Ralph Lauren size 6" and they see your item (which is a used Hugo Boss size 4), they will be extremely frustrated.  Save your opinions for the description, not the TITLE.

First thing's First!

Dip your cute little toes in the water!

I wish my toes were this nicely manicured!

Free inventory:

So, you have never sold clothing on eBay and you have no idea where or how to start, right?  Well, go grab a laundry basket and head to your closet!  Grab anything that you do not wear.  I don't care if it's out of style or if you bought it off a clearance rack at Wal-Mart, just grab it and throw it in that basket!  Grab the blouse that is missing buttons, the pants you never wear because they are wrinkly 10 minutes after you put them on, and the suit that is "dry clean only" because who has time for that?! 

Now, go do the same thing in your kid's and husband's closets.

The next thing to do is sort everything by season and focus on the season that is upon you.  The items that fall into the other 3 seasons will be your inventory, and that you can store for later.

Now take the items that you want to sell NOW and further categorize them by size, type, and value.  When it comes to clothing, I like to group cheap stuff into "lots", which makes the buyer feel like they are getting a better deal.  Anything with a higher value should be sold individually or as an outfit.

Many people will get hung up on the concept that their items have no value to them, so they will have no value to anyone--but this is absolutely 100% NOT TRUE!

You are not your average eBay buyer.  Your average eBay buyer can be a Grandmother, an Eskimo, or your best friend.  With that in mind, you must adopt the attitude that this thing you are selling is the greatest thing ever, and you are doing a public service by helping the person or people who are out there looking for this thing, find it.  You will be so thrilled when the person who finds it, sends you positive feedback telling you that their life is now better because because they own your 1992 rayon drop-crotch pants!  Do not take my word for it.  Go to eBay and search sold listings of "Harem Pants" under the "Costume and Reenactment" category.

This will vary geographically, but this is how I sort:

Spring:  February-April
Capri pants, pastel colors, Easter dresses and suits, blouses, polo shirts, khakis, golf clothing, skirts, wind breakers, resort wear, baseball related clothing & items, soccer related clothing & items, tennis items & clothing, etc.  (Note:  Spring and Winter can also be a fabulous time to sell swimsuits, because many stores are not yet carrying them and many people are planning their vacations to sunny places.)

Summer:  May-July
Shorts, Swimsuits & Cover-ups, Resort Wear, Halter & Tank Tops, T-Shirts, Bright Sunny Vibrant Colors, Americana, Sandals, Camping Clothing & items, BBQ aprons, Sundresses, Sunhats, Roller skates, Inline Skates, etc.  (The summertime is the best time to hunt for things that you will be selling throughout the other seasons--but I will save that for another day).

Fall:  August-October
Backpacks, denim jackets & pants, hoodies, school uniforms, Halloween costumes, dorm items, corduroy, suede, sweaters, long-sleeve T shirts, darker colored suits, ties, shoes, Scouting uniforms & misc., warm pajamas, football-related clothing & items (college & NFL), hockey jerseys, ice skates, bowling shoes, shirts, & gloves, leotards, martial arts uniforms, hunting clothing, etc.

Winter:  November-January
This is a slower time for clothing, but there is still a fortune to be made, if you know what sells:  Christmas-themed clothing & pajamas, toys, swimsuits (but make sure you do not under-price them), any clothing you have that you never removed tags (NWT), velvet, heavy winter coats, anything ski-related, sweatshirts, sweaters, shoes, warm pajamas, long johns, school uniforms & jeans, ice skates, costumes for school plays & projects.  January is the time to sell basketball shorts & shoes and any type of workout clothing, diet books, etc that you have laying around.

What would you add?

Welcome to Fiercebabies!

Why am I here?

I love to $AVE money on everything and I love to MAKE money on the stuff that I saved money on!

I am so excited to start a new blog that will show other people how to do what I do:  

• Find the best deals online, at stores, at garage sales, and everywhere else!
• How to earn extra cash selling items on eBay and other ways that I make money.
• How to live better and save more when you make less.

About me:  

My name is Linda and I am a 35-year-old work-at-home mom.  I have 3 ridiculously handsome, intelligent, and creative boys ranging from preschool to high school age.  The man who puts up with me is Ray.  The more people I meet, the more I love my husband.  Our dog, Puggy, is the sixth member of our crazy house.

I have been selling on eBay for 5 years and I want to share how I make up to $1000+ per week!  It's easy (...OK, sometimes it's a little hard), It's fun (most of the time), and it is PROFITABLE (always)!!  I promise you that I am terrible at math, but I do know that 99% profits are good.

I do not have a business degree and I do not posses any special knowledge or expertise.
  
What I do have:  
1.  An eBay account, a PayPal account, and a digital camera.
2.  A love of shopping and scoring great deals!
3.  An intense desire to stay home with my kids, while earning a huge salary.

I specialize in acquiring and selling gently used clothing, especially children's, maternity, and plus sizes.  I will, however, sell anything I can get a super-good deal on!  So, thank you for visiting my first blog post and please join me on my journey.  I promise to try to always keep it interesting and original!

My Fierce Babies :)