Whether we want to trade, or simply to sell off some of the accumulated accoutrements of life

can help you get the best possible value.

My daughter has asked me to sell a leather coat over eBay so we'll use that to illustrate the process.

eBay is in a constant state of development and that means that

• Its has developed into a comprehensive system capable of doing many things that are irrelevant to your start up conditions
• That the moment you write about it it will have moved on yet again so some of the screens etc we show you will be outdated almost before we finish typing.

So we focus on the very basic processes with links into slightly more complex facilities and recommendations for further reading.

But if you want the detail just click on the link icon on the left to go through to the 'additional information'.
My eBay allows you to track your ongoing business. Click on this icon where you see it in the text for more information.

If you haven't already done so look through our

• Ten good reasons to trade on the Internet
• Getting Started with eBay,
• eBay Auctions and
• Winning at the Action Game

eBay is a dynamic concept,

...and has been under constant development for a long time. As a result it has far too many features to show on a few pages like this which are designed simply to get you started.

So when you're up and running take a look at our "Suggested Reading" list.

The of Selling on eBay

Setting up a Seller's Account

Whilst eBay doesn't handle your financial transactions itself - other than to collect its own fees - it uses your credit card details to establish your identity so you need to have your credit cards at hand as you complete this process.

Log in to the eBay account you set up on earlier screens and click on the 'Sell' item on the top menu.

An application form will come up which varies according to the country in which you operate but is universally straight forward to complete.

Some of this data has previously been entered on previous forms but has to be entered again.

Identity checks are a bind, but it's reasuring to think that everyone else is being checked.

If you're worried about this check out 'Privacy Policy' at the bottom of the eBay page.

Click on 'Continue once you've filled up the fields to move on to the 'Account Identification' where eBay will use your card details to verify your identity.

...and once you've done this you can get on with selling.

Know your Market

If you were in a street market in town you would walk up and down the stalls to get a feel for prices and quality. eBay is no different.

So follow up a couple of similar sales to judge your market:

On the login page of eBay click into 'advance search' and search on your keywords selecting 'completed transactions' so that you get final prices rather than current bids for similar items.

Then click through the individual items to read the history of the auction.

As a minimum you need to know

• How much can you get for your item?
• How many bidders can you expect?
• Are there regular bidders for such items - do they perhaps have an online shop?
• How long did the auction last?
• How much did previous sellers charge for postage?

Then, if the item is personal, ask yourself if you really want to dispose of it at the sort of price that you might command.

Preparing for the Sale

The rules for selling on eBay mirror the rules of decency for selling in any other market place.

• The goods must be yours to sell,
• They must be honestly represented - eg any defects or limitations declared
• They must be clean and safe.