You want to know the secrets to getting the most bids on your eBay auctions? This is what works for me...

So you have been selling some things on eBay but you're not getting the prices that you want or are expecting? In order to get the most for your items, you need to do a little research and eBay gives you the tools to do it. I am not a power seller on eBay but I have sold my share of items and I always beat my competitors auctions so I am trying to pass my success to you. Also read more on how to sell on eBay by clicking here
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1 - Choose correct category.   The first step to selling your item is to list it in the correct category.  You want to get the most people looking at your item and you do not want to sell a cell phone in a toy category.  Doing so will not let people looking for a cell phone see your listing.

2 - Check competition.  Once you have the correct category, you want see if you have any competition selling your item and get ideas of what to sell your item for.  eBay gives you a tool to search 'completed listings' where you can see how much auctions ended at, if they sold or not, and how many bids were put on the item.  I usually sort this search by highest price so I can see what my maximum price can be.

3 - Start a bidding war.  Once you see what the highest price was for the item, check to see what they started their listing at.  You don't want to start a listing too high because it will turn off a lot of potential bidders right from the start.  Would you rather start bidding on a cell phone for $4.99 or $34.99?  If I was looking for a phone, I'd like the listing that started at $4.99.  You want to attract the most bidders to your item so you can hopefully create a bidding war.  Another way to attract bidders is to offer very low or free shipping.  People love getting stuff for free and this is a good way to make your listing stand out from the competition.

4 - Creating a great title.  The title of your listing is extremely important.  You want to make your item stand out and also be very informative.  You want to use keywords that you think people searching for your item will use.  For example, 'Apple iPhone 3GS 16 GB Black Blk Like New - w/ Access'.  This is a very descriptive title and lets the bidder know that you are also including accessories.  This makes you stand out with competition.  Notice I also said Black & Blk.  If a bidder searches for a 'black iPhone' or a 'Blk iPhone', my listing will come up.  Also, if a bidder searches for a 'new' iPhone, my listing will show up even though my item is 'Like New'.  These things give your listing more exposure and more of a chance to get bid on.  

5 - Take good photos and be honest.  Earning the bidders trust is a good way to get your items bid on.  If your item has a small scratch on the corner, put it in the listing.  This will let the bidder know that you have nothing to hide and make them feel comfortable bidding on your item.  Also, write up a very descriptive and clear description.  Let the bidder know exactly what they are getting.  Take good pictures of your item.  If you are selling a cell phone in a box with all accessories in it, take everything out of the box and take a picture of all items rather than just taking a picture of the box.  People want to see all the stuff they are bidding on.  Most of your competition wont do this and you will have the upper hand.

So that's pretty much it.  I use this advice and it works for me.  Give it a shot and let me know how you make out.  My eBay id is mday2792.