eBay Guides - Crafts Selling Guide (2024)

Cash In on Crafts

Cash In on Crafts

Many Crafts enthusiasts successfully use eBay not only as a place to buy hard to find supplies, but as a way to fund their interest. Whether you are saving up for a new sewing machine or are in need of supplies to finish your latest masterpiece, selling on eBay is the perfect way to earn extra money. Swap out your finished work or unused supplies and equipment—extra beads that you no longer need or a painting you’ve recently finished—and buy yourself materials for your next work of art.

What's It Worth?

Already have an item in mind? Visit Crafts Seller Central to find out the average selling price of similar pieces on eBay. You can also search completed listings to see how others are selling similar items.

FindOut What's Hot inCrafts

FindOut What's Hot inCrafts

No matter what your favorite craft projects are, you’re bound to find buyers that share your interest on eBay. The following provides just a small sampling of the types of Crafts that are popular on eBay. To get a real-time view of what’s in demand, what buyers are searching for, and what items are selling the most, visit Crafts Seller Central.

• Bead art: Whether you love making jewelry, decorating lamp shades and pillows, or embellishing clothing, buyers are looking for bead art and bead art supplies, on eBay. Bead art can include beads made of precious gems, glass, crystal, metal, or plastic in countless shapes and sizes. Also popular are clasps, wire, thread, storage and display cases, tools such as pliers, and instructional books.

• Ceramics & pottery: If you create handmade ceramicsand pottery you’ll find a large demand for your original, one of a kind pieces. From vases to plates to sculptures and statues—unique work and style is appreciated by buyers on eBay. Buyers are also on the lookout for extra supplies such as molds, clays, glazes, and paint,and, and even ready-to-paint pieces.

• Fabric, textiles & handwork: A myriad of textile and fabric handwork is sold on eBay—from clothing to home décor. Crafting supplies are popular, including crocheting, cross-stitch, knitting, lace making, latch & rug hooking, macramé, needlepoint, embroidery, sewing, quilting, spinning, weaving, and, of course, fabric and embellishments in countless colors and materials. You can even sell your leftover sizable scraps of materials—package a few of your favorite fabrics together and sell them to a quilter!

• Painting & drawing: Whether you enjoy traditional painting and drawing, or decorative tole painting, there is a large demand for original work in all materials and styles. Also in demand are supplies such as oil and acrylic paint, watercolors, pencils, charcoal, paint brushes, palettes, easels, and canvases.

• Family crafts: Kid-friendly crafts are very popular with buyers, as is memory saving crafts such as scrapbooking. Buyers are looking for all sorts of scrapbooking supplies—everything from stamps, albums, and decorative paper to scrapbooking pens and even pre-made page designs. Extremely popular with scrapbookers are hard-to-find retired items from Creative Memories, Sizzix, and Stampin’ Up.

• Traditional and old world crafts: From candle & soap making, basketry, leathercraft, metalworking, and woodworking, to glass arts, tile mosaic, paper crafts & origami, traditional and old world crafts still remain popular on eBay.

Get Top Dollar for YourCrafts

Get Top Dollar for YourCrafts

Once you know what you’re going to sell, it’s time to think about how to attract Crafts buyers. Here are the top tips from eBay’s most successful sellers.

Help Buyers Find Your Items with Keywords

Keywords are a great way to attract buyers to your listing, especially when used correctly in your Listing Title. Listing titles are used by eBay’s search engine to pull up listings during a search. Use your 55 characters wisely, and try to anticipate what buyers will be searching for. Find out what is being searched right now with our list of Top Crafts Searches. Be sure to include common search terms like “scrapbooking” and “fabric,” when appropriate. State important characteristics of your item—related craft, style, brand, homemade (if applicable), color, and medium. Of course, you should only include keywords that are relevant to the item you are selling. You can also search current and completed eBay listings to see what other sellers include in their titles.

In your Listing Description, make sure to include both basic information and details about your item. A good description is concise, well organized, and easy to read. Create bold section headlines, bulleted lists, and be sure to restate the information featured in your title plus more details such as dimensions, framed or unframed, condition, estimated value, artist or crafter, and any other interesting features. Also note if your item has been in a smoke free or pet free home—it assures buyers that fabrics are odor free and will not trigger any allergies. You can also insert photos or links to videos that highlight the unique attributes of your item. Think about your listing from the buyer's perspective. The more information you provide, the more likely the buyer will be to place a bid on your item.

Here are some abbreviations commonly used by other sellers to describe their Crafts. Make sure you only use a term when you are sure it applies to your item.

• No longer available (NLA):Supplies and equipment that are no longer available cannot be found in stores or bought form the manufacturer.

• Oil on canvas(O/C): Any work that uses oil on a canvas as the primary medium.

• New in box (NIB): Any of your unused supplies that remains unopened in its original packaging is considered new in box.

• Gently used (GU):A product is gently used if it shows slight signs of wear such as scratches. Wear should be superficial, and should have no effect on the its capabilities.

Showcase Your Crafts with Great Photos

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words! Photos are the closest you can get to putting your Crafts in the hands of potential buyers. Here are some tips on how to best represent your item:

• Choose the Right Background: Use a contrasting, solid backdrop. By placing your Crafts on a solid black or white backdrop, you draw a buyer’s immediate attention onto the item. This is easily achieved by hanging a bed sheet or placing poster board behind the item. Use a plain, colored fabric backdrop to make your item stand out. Most importantly, avoid background clutter that can distract buyers or confuse them regarding what you are selling.

• Cover All Angles: Take pictures from multiple angles and distances, zooming in on important details. Make sure you highlight any signatures, dates, frame or painting style with a close-up picture. Zoom in to show textures. Photograph any flaws to give buyers a clear idea of what they are bidding on —this helps build a buyer’s confidence in your item.

• Use Proper Lighting: Natural light tends to give the best representation of color—however direct sunlight can have the nasty effect of unwanted shadows. Find an area that receives indirect sunlight. Try taking your item out on a sunny day and photograph it in a shady area. If you can't seem to find an area like this, or would prefer to use indoor lighting, try surrounding your item with desk, overhead, or floor lamps. Above all, avoid using your camera's flash which causes distortion and shadows, especially if your piece is behind glass.

• Add Gallery: Including a Gallery photo with your listing is extremely important for success. You can attract attention to your item with a photo next to your listings in search results. In addition, when a buyer uses “Picture Gallery” to look at search results, your listing will be shown. Your Gallery picture should be a very clear, uncluttered view of your item. Since it is the only photo visible on search pages, make sure it provides a good representation of your item.

Maximize Profits with Low Priced, No Reserve Listings

Auction style listings are a great way to create excitement around Crafts, which in turn can develop into a bidding frenzy among buyers—which could result in a higher selling price for you. The keys to a successful auction style listing are to get your first bid and encourage bidders to continue bidding.

• Low Starting Price: Getting that first bid is critical, as other buyers are generally more likely to jump in if they see there are already bids on an item. To do this, many sellers prefer to set an opening bid below what the item is actually worth. Try beginning with a low starting price—such as 99 cents—to jumpstart bidding activity.

• No Reserve: Be careful when setting a reserve price. Buyers may lose interest in an item if they place a bid and find it doesn't meet the reserve. Because they do not know the reserve price, they may assume the seller is simply asking too much for the item. To prevent this from happening, try listing your item with "No Reserve." Items sold with "No Reserve" typically attract more buyer interest, as buyers know that they will actually win the item if they are the high bidder.

• Accept PayPal: Buyers want to know that they can pay securely when making a purchase on eBay. . By accepting PayPal payments, you can build buyer confidence and help protect yourself. PayPal transfers payments to a bank account of your choice and notifies you when a payment has been received. Best of all, PayPal offers free online tools to make managing your payments easier. You can even print shipping labels and track your shipments.

Ship Your Crafts

Ship Your Crafts

Specifying reasonable shipping and handling costs in your listing is essential for smart selling—and it improves your search ranking when buyers sort by total cost. Never leave a buyer wondering how much shipping will cost.

Calculate Shipping Costs

Often times, shipping costs will vary by distance. To make sure your shipping charges reflect this, incorporate a shipping calculator into your listing. With the shipping calculator, eBay can automatically calculate the shipping cost for your buyers based on the size and weight of your item and the buyer’s location. You can also program the calculator to add in the cost of packaging materials and your handling fee, if any.

Select a Service Option

To protect both you and your buyer against loss or damage during shipping, consider purchasing shipping insurance for your package—especially for higher priced items. Shipping insurance is available through most shipping companies, and can be purchased while you pay for shipping. You can factor in the cost of shipping insurance into your shipping cost—but make sure you state in your description that you are doing so. Buyers want to know that they are paying extra for shipping for a good reason.

Package Your Crafts Securely

After your itemsells, you are ready to ship it off to its new home. Make sure you package your item safely and securely. Use bubble wrap, foam, or other packaging materials to make sure your item is not damaged during its move. If you take an item apart to ship it, include a list of pieces and instructions on how to put it back together. Here are a few steps to think about:

• Wrap It: Individually wrap items and provide lots of cushioning (bubble wrap, peanuts, foam, corrugated dividers, or crumpled paper). Be careful if you choose to reuse newspaper—the ink can rub off and damage your items. If you use foam peanuts, be aware that they may shift in transit, so overfill your box. Remove any glass and package it separately wrapped in glass-skin or plastic to avoid scratches. If any pieces could be damaged by water, make sure you wrap them with a layer of sealed plastic. Protect edges of frames by cutting foam or cardboard to fit. Remember, wrap and pack firmly—you don’t want to hear any rattling!

• Box It: If the item is on the smaller side, you can order free USPS Priority Mail boxes right on eBay—the United States Postal Service will even deliver them right to your door for free! For larger items, use a corrugated box with rigid sides, intact flaps, and plenty of room for cushioning on all sides. Don't exceed the maximum gross weight of the box (usually printed on bottom flap).

• Seal It: Use strong tape designed for shipping, rather than masking tape, cellophane tape, string or paper over-wrap. Once you’ve sealed up your package, you can pay for shipping and print shipping labels right from your PayPal account. You can even request a pickup from USPS or UPS, saving you a trip to the Post Office or UPS location.

Build Your Reputation

Build Your Reputation

Communication is the key to a successful transaction. Make sure you’re available before, during, and after the sale. Answer any questions about your item promptly. Include a thank you note in your package—it’s a great way to surprise and delight your buyer and encourage them to leave you positive feedback.

Always Leave Feedback

Feedback is extremely important for all eBay users. Consistent positive feedback lets buyers know that you manage transactions well and that you care about your reputation. One way to help ensure good feedback is to communicate well, represent your item truthfully in your listing, and be polite. Also remember your buyer’s feedback score is as important to them as yours is to you—so be courteous, thoughtful, and truthful when leaving feedback.

Express Yourself

Be more than just a username to your buyers. Introduce yourself through your About Me page and MyWorld. Add pictures, keep track of your favorite buyers, and tell the community about your interests and collections. Show your expertise by writing Reviews & Guides. Connect with other crafters and artists on the Scrapbooking andArt & Artists Discussion Board. Remember, be yourself—and have fun!

Sell for a Cause

Support your favorite cause and enhance buyer trust and loyalty at the same time. eBay Giving Works listings tend to sell at higher final prices, because buyers are more willing to purchase, and often pay more for, items that benefit a nonprofit. Get more exposure and receive a receipt for your tax-deductible donations!