Trade Me Selling Tips (2024)

Be cold and calculating with what you really need, and sell what you don’t

Let's kick things off with a challenge: do you want more money and less clutter? If your answer is "yes" then look around your home for things to sell. If you haven’t used it in a year, do you really need it? Take a few walks around and group together the things that sit there just gathering dust. Think back to when you used each item – if it’s more than 12 months, get rid of it.

Know what sells best

• New items. Anything like clothes with their tags and phones in their boxes will command a higher price than used goods.
• Branded goods. We live in a world of brands, and people will always trust “Icebreaker Merino jersey” more than just “Merino jersey”. The same goes for “Russell Hobbs Toaster” over “Toaster”.
• Items with keywords. Keywords are everything – it’s unlikely you’ll get a lot of interest describing something as just a “wallet”. People will more likely search for something like “Gucci wallet” or “kids wallet”.
• Rare and antique items. We’re not talking about junk, but rare items that no one else has listed.

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Don’t chuck stuff out – try your luck on Trade Me

Know the difference between JUNK and VALUE, and avoid listing the junk

​Build up a trusted reputation BEFORE listing your first item

We live in a world where reviews mean everything; good reviews give buyers trust and a bad review can dramatically lower your street cred and ability to price high.

If you’re new to Trade Me, buy a few small items you need through the website BEFORE you list items for sale. Even having 3-5 positive reviews from sellers will give buyers later on the confidence to deal with you. You’ll also get experienced in how the website works and how to leave feedback. With frequent stories in the news about Trade Me frauds, very few buyers will deal with zero-feedback sellers or anyone with more negative reviews than positive ones.

​Having a trusted profile is the difference between getting the true market price for your items and getting something much less. No one wants to be burned, so investing in getting feedback BEFORE you start selling is a proven strategy. For example, if you join Trade Me today and list an iPhone tomorrow, it’s unlikely anyone will buy it.

Leave reviews, and avoid buying from bad sellers

The last thing you want to do is get involved in a Trade Me squabble - the reviews pollute your profile and are not worth the effort. Buy small items from trusted sellers who have a reputation. Make sure you leave a positive review for each positive experience, and be descriptive about what you liked about the trader - your seller will be obliged to return the favour.

And as a buyer, you must be on your best hehaviour. Be sure to pay on time, respond to questions promptly and be clear about pickup or delivery details. No one likes chasing people over $5 - be responsive and see the positive reviews flow in.

Invest your time in checking the competition….and find the weaknesses

It’s worth taking 20-30 minutes to analyse your competition before you list an item. Ask questions like:

• What is their title missing? How can it be improved?
• What keywords are missing from the title and description?
• Do the photos do the item justice? How can the photos be improved?
• What are the questions asked by the bidders? The best descriptions anticipate questions in advance and save you time during the auction as well.
• Does the listing have a story about why the item is being sold? If not, can you add one that gives your buyers credibility about your motives. The more trust you have, the higher the price.

​Every word counts. And what matters most is accuracy

Sell your items for more by picking the right keywords (for example, “gents” beats “men’s”, “authentic” beats “genuine”)

A British Universitycrawled 60,000+ ebay.co.uk listingsto isolate keywords that powered up the final price of listings. Subtle words make a big difference to what buyers are prepared to pay. For example:

• When selling perfume, “authentic” beats “genuine”
• When selling shoes, “sneaker” beats “trainer”
• Smaller differences can mean everything too - a watch with “resistance” can expect to sell for ~50% more than a “resistant” watch.

The study found grammatical errors such as missing apostrophes and internet speak also had a negative impact on the price products sold for. This is believed to be because bad grammar and spelling give the impression that the seller doesn’t care and thus the item for sale is seen as less desirable.​

Overshare when it comes to descriptions

The more you can write about your item, the more trust you will gain from buyers. But don’t make the mistake of writing everything that comes to your mind. And remember, the buyers don’t know you and are looking for a reason to trust you.
Get the right listing structure to maximize the trust and spike a flow of bids:

1. Describe any defects, damage or imperfections upfront. Don’t write “slightly damaged iPhone”, but be a devil of details – “a 2cm long hairline-crack appears on the top of the screen”. Photograph the damage if possible, so that buyers know exactly what you’re selling.
2. Visuals need text associations. Don’t just include a bunch of photos without referencing them in to your text.
3. Respond to any question with kindness. Start with “Thanks for the question (username)” or “That’s a great question – let me answer it…”. Going across as even 1% passive aggressive will have buyers running for the hills.

Remember:You will get more bids if people trust you. It's that simple.

Invest the time in taking good photos that show the item from important angles

The optimal number of photos for a general item is between 5-8, depending on what it is. Take your photos in the right light, and don’t rush the process. Also, once you’ve used up your listing’s photo allowance, don’t hesitate to pay for more if they add weight to the listing. For 10 to 25 cents per photo, it is worth it.

Simple tips include:

• Make sure there is enough light – dark or blotchy photos kill a listing. If you are selling a car, wait for a sunny day. And be careful about the background – an overgrown lawn and garden isn’t going to convert buyers, but a beach or tidy street is.
• For small items, use a white or plain background. If your items have imperfections, photograph those with a ruler beside them to quantify the issue. You’ll get points for honesty and added trust.
• Take a number of photos - close ups and important angles all help towards selling an item. Remember, the buyers don’t know the item as well as you do, so you have to present it to them and make surethey are not missing any images. If you are selling a DVD, it doesn’t need 4 photos, but a piece of jewellery is best sold alongside multiple close-ups and photos from different angles.

Make postage costs clear upfront

NZ Post has a useful tool to estimate the cost of postage, and if you list the price upfront you’ll get more love from the buyer. Even though you won’t know the location you’re sending it to, it’s a good idea to enter a town in another island to get an estimate. Also, saying “any savings in postage will be included in your item in cash”, meaning if you save a couple of dollars on postage it’s very nice to include them with the parcel.

Make sure you select “10 days” for the length of your auction

This is the most basic and effective Trade Me tip of them all. The standard auction length is 7 days, but it only costs 25 cents to make your listing a “10 day auction”. Those extra days

and offer the best chance of a higher selling price. The best time to list is Thursday evening, so that you can set the end date to Sunday evening as we outlined above.

Invest in extras if your item is of value

Trade Me offers a lot of “promotional fees” designed to boost the visibility of a listing. If you’re wanting to get your photos to lead your category, stand out in bold and to have photos blown up in the listing results, Feature Combo ($3.45) and Super Feature ($3.95) are two add-on fees that will put you where you want to be. However, before buying up all the extras, consider:

1. What is the item worth and/or likely to sell for? If it’s above $50, then seriously consider a “Feature Combo” package.
2. Could the item also belong in a second category? If so, it’s worth the fee ($0.99) to list in another category. If you’ve paid for a Feature Combo or any other promotion, the package features will also show up in the second category.
3. Photos sell items. If you don’t want to invest too much, adding the “Gallery” feature ($0.55) means your item is higher up in the gallery and buyers will see your mainphoto enlarged.

If in doubt, ask yourself – is it reasonable that one or two extra fees will boost the number of bids? Unless you’re selling junk, the answer is probably yes.

Set the auction to close between 8-10pm on a Sunday night

​The best time for your auction to close is not at 5am on Tuesday morning when everyone in New Zealand is asleep, but when most computers and phones are logged onto Trade Me. For this reason, Sunday evening is a perfect time for an auction to close. The traffic spikes every evening anyway, and Sunday is particularly good because there’s no sporting distractions on TV so your listing has the best chance of attracting eyes of bidders in its final moments.

Cost: It only costs 25 cents to add a “scheduled end time” to any listing, and you can easily recover the cost with one bid.
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Avoid disappointment by challenging your expectations about what an item can sell for

​Consider allowing Afterpay for more sales

Sell in your item's "high season"

Timing is everything. You'll have more of a struggle to sell your BBQ in July, or your ski gear in October. Wait for the right time for the goods to be "in season". You'll get more interest, more bids and a much more responsive market overall.

Get "Professional" photos....for free

There are many free websites offering photo editing that let you crop, resize and sharpen up images to enhance your item's appearance to Trade Me buyers. Don't edit out imperfections or anything else as this will lead to unhappy buyers. Useful tools include:

• BeFunky: Free Online Photo Editor
• Fotor - Photo Editing & Collage Maker
• piZap -Free Online Photo Editor
• Canva - ​Free Online Photo Editor

Challenge your fears and list at $1 with “No Reserve”

Every Trade Me buyer does the same thing – they hunt the site for deals and bargains. Your listing will excite more buyers if it is listed at $1 with no reserve. The best way to draw in the punters is to add “NO RESERVE” to your listing’s title and above the description. With no reserve and a low starting price, buyers will place bidsliberallyand automatically have your listing added to their watchlist as a result. And no one likes to miss out, so a flow of bids are almost guaranteed for the right listing (i.e. not junk).
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No reserve also lets the Trade Me market dictate what the value of your item actually is; there are no restrictions and it avoids a massive buyer turnoff experienced from seeing the “reserve not met” after placing a bid. Best of all: your item will sell, which gets what you didn’t want in the first place out of your home.

Be familiar with Trade Me fees to only pay for what you NEED

NEVER bid on your own auction

Blacklist dodgy buyers

Keep shipping and packaging material to re-use for your Trade Me sales

Make “Pickup Only” delivery efficient by giving ONE time slot to every buyer

Be a Fantastic Seller, and Do Not Hesitate to refund if you’re in the wrong

Be a responsive seller in every aspect. Don't delay delivery, be friendly with any post-sale exchanges, respond quickly to emails and messages and most importantly of all leave feedback for your buyer. This way you'll be more inclined to receive the best possible reviews, strengtheningyour "brand" for future listings.

If you've made an error, own it and gain added trust.
​If you’ve made a mistake and not packaged something correctly, or given an inaccurate description, the buyer is likely to be annoyed. Trade Me reviews are everything to building and establishing trust in the Trade Me community. If you are in the wrong, it’s not worth the fault and risk of negative feedback – it’s just easier to refund and spare yourself any hassle and (public) argument.

Of course, do challenge the buyer’s “disappointment” if you feel as if you’re being taken advantage of or lied to by a dodgy buyer – it happens a lot. Trade Me can step in as well to settle disputes before things get ugly.

Know the rules around paying tax on Trade Me sales

If you are selling things you no longer want, like a car, jacket or a TV, you won’t pay tax on anything you sell. But if your Trade Me usage is “for profit” then you may be liable to pay tax. Specifically, if any of the following apply, the IRD will want to know about it:

1. you acquired the goods with the purpose of on-selling AND
2. the purpose of the activity is to make a profit, OR
3. your business involves dealing in these goods

Additionally, if you need to pay tax, you may also need to charge GST – if your Trade Me sales exceeds $60,000 in 12 months, you’ll need to charge GST on everything you sell. Read about your tax obligations here.
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Use Trade Me to dispose of big and heavy items without lifting a finger

Use Trade Me for short term needs

Trade Me works in mysterious ways. Think you can’t sell something for more than you bought it? Think again. It can be done with the right description, pricing and timing. And perhaps some luck.

If you only need something for a limited time, Trade Me could be the answer. For example, if your flat needs a TV or sofa for a few months, or you want an Xbox game for a couple of weeks. Trade Me lets you do just that – buy it, use it, look after it, sell it. If marketed correctly, you can effectively use something for “free” if you get a good price on both the buying and selling stage. It has been done so many times before, and you can do it too.​
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Have low quality items you don’t want to put on Trade Me? Sell them for free using Facebook

Trade Me has lost a little ground with the rise of the popular local Facebook selling groups as well as the “Marketplace” tool. Unlike Trade Me, there are no fees and you have an instant insight into each buyer (and seller), by way of Facebook profiles. You can communicate using Facebook messenger and pay online or in person.

Many people use Facebook for less “valuable” items, given the online shopping platform is not as professional and is less visited than Trade Me.

Trade Me rivals tend not to have the audience