1. TRYING TO HIDE DEFECTS IN YOUR ITEM. Don't lie about what you are selling. Disclose all defects and take pictures of them. Your reputation on eBay is worth a lot of money to you in the long term and any negative feedback that shows that you were less than honest will stop sales dead. In most cases people will still pay good prices for quality products with slight defects. If in doubt, spell it out. Remember, you are probably happy with the item even though it has defects. Chances are there are buyers out there who will feel the same.

This is particularly important with selling antiques. It is almost expected that antiques have some flaws. It comes with the age of the item. But if you are honest and upfront with buyers then you are still going to find that they will be happy.

2. CHARGING TOO MUCH FOR POSTAGE. eBay allows you to charge a reasonable amount for packing and handling, but my experience is that you should charge no more than the minimum cost to you to post the item and buy an envelope or box to send it in. If you stick to that formula then if someone hits you with a negative then you have recourse to request eBay remove the feedback from your listing.

3. INSUFFICIENT PACKAGING. Do the right thing. Get a big roll of bubble wrap and apply liberally to the outside of everything that you sell that could even remotely be broken. I even bubble wrap teddy bears! You want to ensure that no matter what happens in the post you have covered yourself. Sometimes even bubble wrap is not enough and you should insist the buyer pays insurance if you are sending something worth more than $100. Protect your feedback no matter what you do.

4. NOT OFFERING PAYPAL. If you don't offer Paypal because they charge you a few dollars for the privilege then I have to question whether you are selling the right items or whether you are selling them at the right price. Get some goods that you can make a good profit on and then offer paypal to get your money today!

5. NOT LEAVING FEEDBACK. Feedback is the backbone of the eBay community. It is the only way that you can declare your trustworthiness to other members so you need to leave honest feedback for every transaction. If you get Selling Manager Pro then you can even automate your feedback process so that you never have to lift a finger.

If you can follow these tips for successful selling then you are going to be on your way.