Graham made a great point about timing your auction to end on a weekend night. I used to have them end on Sunday nights around 9-10pm.
I also usually put in a starting bid of the minimum amount I want for my item. That way if I get only 1 bid, I get what I want.
Also you might want to put in a Buy It Now - at a reasonable amount above your starting bid enough to make it enticing but also enough to give you a nice margin.
As far as shipping...I use USPS for everything I can. Especially Priority Mail because they supply the boxes and calculating shipping is fairly easy to do and post on your auctions.
Also the smaller and lighter the item the easier it will be to sell - due to shipping requirements and cost containment.
As the others have said....good photos are a must. I used to host them on one of my private websites and then insert the HTML code into my auction. That way it was essentially free and I could upload some nice large and clear photos.
I haven't sold anything in a few years but at some point I also need to get back on it. I've always thought it was one of the best avenues for selling stuff in the country today.
I also have a Paypal account and that makes it easier. I don't remember my funds being held for 30 days...maybe that's a new policy that wasn't in place when I was selling.
Good luck and please keep us posted on your endeavours!
