eBay pitfall

I don't sell on ebay all the time -- I go through phases where I'll list items every night for a week and then not for months. I'm often amazed at how unpredictable the final selling price is. Things I think will surely sell...and at a good price...sometimes don't sell at all. Then there are items that seem so mundane I wonder why I'm bothering, and boom! I sell a pair of used -- er, "previously owned" -- Banana Republic wool pants for $51!

One ebay curiousity I have to guard against in particular (and it's completely self-imposed): beware the good sell. I put a lot of effort into the description of the item. With clothing, I find it especially helpful to give the potential bidder a visual picture of how she might pair that item with others that are already in her closet -- making her basics work harder -- or I suggest putting together unexpected combinations or tapping trends she might not otherwise know how to pull off. I've got a pretty good track record. Unfortunately, I've convinced myself not to sell something more than once. Chances are, if I set it aside to sell, there's good reason. But, that doesn't stop me from occasionally getting caught up in the romanticizing of the item. At moments like those, I enlist an external opinion. Usually, a test run by my husband does the trick...

Me (performing catwalk): Honey, I'm second guessing myself.
Him: Don't.
Me: Don't what? Don't second guess myself or don't sell it?
Him (giving me the "are you serious?" look): Trust your first instinct.

Good rule to shop (and sell) by: trust your first instinct. If you find you're soliciting the opinion of a salesperson to dissuade you from those niggling doubts about the item, do yourself a favor and walk away. And, by the way, if you don't have a husband who gives brutally honest opinions, enlist the help of a mother, sister or friend. Or, hire me.