I know that might sound wrong, but I'm speaking to those who list their items with the expectation of getting top dollar for them - every time.  And, typically list with a high starting bid or reserve price.  I know this is obvious and not very helpful to most of you "experienced" Ebayer's out there, but I've been through this myself and had conversations with those that still think this is the way to go. 

I recently had a conversation with someone about Ebay and he told me he tried it, but he couldn't sell his items.  After digging a little further into how he was listing and why, I figured out what his problem was.  He had this expectation that he was going to sell his items for a high (relatively speaking) price...because he couldn't imagine letting them go for, say, $10.  So, he listed his items with a high starting bid and put a reserve price on them.  By the end of the listing he had very few views and not a single bid.  He couldn't understand why. 

Now, I am by no means a pro and I haven't been doing this myself for very long...but, I have learned through experience and through advice of some good Ebayers.  And this is the advice I passed along to the above described seller...

First of all, consider your product.  If this is something you found laying around the house and it was something you were never going to use again or never used in the first place...would it really be that bad to only get $10 for it?  Even if you value it at $50, you're not going to make that on it while it's sitting in the closet or up in the attic.  List is for $1 with no reserve and just see what happens.  What's the worst that could happen?  You sell the item for a buck, get a great feedback rating (assuming you take your shipping responsibilities serious), and move on to your next item.  Lower your expectations! 

Ebay works just like many other things.  There is a law of averages and there are many things you can do to improve your chances on increasing your 'average'.  Sure, if you list a bunch of items, and you do it right, there is a chance - a good chance - that you will have to let go of a few things for that measly buck.  But, even if you are simply doing your minimum effort and just listing at a low starting bid with no reserve - nothing else - you will hit a few items that are going to make up the difference for you. 

You can hope for the best (we all do!) but if you're not expecting it to happen all the time, it will be a lot easier to get through that sale and move onto the next one.  It's kind of like the game of golf.  You might hit a bunch of bad shots during your round, but eventually your are going to nail that perfect shot that puts your right back on the map, and keeps you coming back for more.  If you go out thinking you're going to get that hole-in-one every time, you're not going to be around very long.

Once you get past the whole expectation thing, then you can start learning and researching the many useful tips and tools for increasing traffic and ultimately - final bids.  It should be fun for you and in the end - profitable.  So, if you failed to sell that item - take the first step - lower your expectation and do it again the right way. That's where the fun begins!