Are there ever any exceptions to this rule? Sure there are. If you're selling $50 gold pieces for a quarter or you have an inside track to a hot product that you're practically giving away or no one else can get, then descriptions aren't that important. But those situations are obviously rare, so you'd better learn the description-writing process now. But exactly how should you write your merchandise description?

At the heart of it, the item description is actually an ad. Without being too obvious, sales copies is what you should be writing. You are trying to bring out excitement over your products, and that in of itself can be hard - but on eBay, with enough details and the right thing to sell, the buyers will almost excite themselves.

Explain Everything - And Then Add More Detail

Include each and every detail that you know, such as:

* Its history

* When and where it was made

* Its size

* Its condition

* The item's manufacturer

* And any other special detail that you are able to list

Write Like A Real Person

Keep your descriptions written in friendly and conversational language, showing real knowledge about the item without being too boring. Whatever you do, always make sure that you tell the truth!

Don't Fake It!

Remember that a lot of these people who will be purchasing your item may have just as much knowledge of it as you, and possibly even more - some are experts as this is their hobby. Don't feel as if you need to go all out and explain the simple basics of each item: just concentrate on as many details as possible. As a general rule, do not write things in your description if you have no idea what they mean, because the chances are that someone else will, and you could be left looking as if you have no idea what you are talking about, if you get it wrong.

A personal example: I was once trying to sell a doll that belonged to a family member, but I had no idea at all what the doll was. I admitted that in my listing and several kind eBayers wrote me to not only explain what I had and how to prove it but amazingly, they advised me to take it off the market at its purchase price! They said I would be cheated if I sold at the current price. The point of this story is that if I had pretended to know more than I actually did, I would surely have lost hundreds of dollars on this rare doll.

Add Intriguing Details

You may find some enjoyment writing a few simple details of how you came to have this item, why you are selling it, and whom you feel may also like it. This is not actually necessary, but it does give your auctions a sort of personal touch and some added character, and can also make people a little more likely to trust in you.

Buyers may be wondering why you are selling those 500 CD's at one time, and when when you tell the whole reason, then they will feel more secure that nothing shady is going on. If the only reason you are selling them all now is simply because you are having a baby and need the extra space, then just say so.

Be As Accurate As Possible

Do not leave anything out of the description, even though it may seem to be extremely long. You cannot be too thorough: somewhere, someone will be able to appreciate the time and effort you took to add the extra information.

Don't just assume that people will email you for the extra information - most buyers simply do not want to or are shy about it. Think of all the questions that buyers may want to know and add all the answers in your description, because people will generally ask the same old questions over and over again.

When someone does email you with a new question, you should answer it as well as update your description to add the answer for next time. If people are asking some of the same questions that have been answered in the description, try putting them in an easy to see format, like bold print.

If you follow these simple rules for writing an eBay description, your sales will increase - dramatically. If you don't believe that, then test to find out. Write the best eBay auction listing you can and at the same time, write one with a minimum of detail ... and see what happens.