These are general instructions for most venues.
Please read these instructions first, then click the links at the bottom of the page to proceed to more detailed instructions.

Something to consider before selling online ~ I know there are people out there that say they have made a good living selling online but it doesn't happen right away. Online selling takes time, effort and commitment to not only get it going but to also keep it going. There are many secure selling venues available. Each is different in both cost and what is services are offered not to mention procedures. Be prepared to spend some time figuring out the procedures. I would suggest that you pick one, see if they have a tutorial or an information video on YouTube so you know what you are in for both in time and money. Once you have mastered one, you can cross over to others using the same information. Keep in mind, though, that you will have to keep track of what you have offered so when something sells, you will need to remove it right away from the other selling venues.

Lots of options to choose from....  Here is a list of some of the more secure online selling venues. You will need to set up an account for the ones you choose before getting started with the listing processes. Sometimes that requires receiving and/or verifying your account which could take some time to accomplish. Don't forget to write down the user name as well as your password for future reference.

     Best Online Doll Selling Venues with 'Doll Specific' traffic ~

• Ruby Lane.com - Listing Fee - $.19 ea.+ Monthly Fee - $69. (See below for link.)
  Up to 80 Items. No Final Fees.

• eBlueJay.com - FREE at this time (Doll Category is easy to locate on page)

• Blujay.com - FREE at this time (Doll Category is easy to locate on page)

     Other Online Selling Venue Options ~

• EBay.com - Listing & Final Fees of 10% on sale and shipping. (See below for link.)

• Etsy.com - Vintage (more than 20 years old) and Handmade Listing & Final Fees.

• Bonanza.com - List Anything for Free! Final Fee of 3.5% for sales under $500 and some shipping. Can be synced with your Ebay account. (See below for link.)

• Craig's List & eBay Classified Ads are FREE but are location driven meaning they will only post in your vicinity. Please know that with Craig's List comes spam,
  phishing & emails so be careful when you do get email inquiries from Craig's List.  

• Your Own Website Website Guide and Information, <Click Here>

First things First ~  Set up online payment options:

Paypal.com ~ Paypal is just like a bank only online. The account number is your email. You may have up to 8 emails listed per Paypal account. Your Paypal account has one password that you use no matter the email you use to log on with. You will be required to connect your Paypal account with either a credit card or a bank account in order for it to be verified. Sign up online at www.Paypal.com.

Side note: Be careful that you do not sign up for the Paypal credit card when they ask if you want to pay later and save $10 (or whatever the deal is at the time). You can always do that later but to start, lets just keep it simple.

If you are a buyer, there usually is no fee to pay with Paypal. If you are a seller, you will usually have to pay a fee to accept payment. To "withdraw" your money out of your Paypal account, you can either transfer it to your bank account or request a check.

Square Up ~ If you have a smart phone or tablet, consider taking credit card payments with Square Up. It is very simple!  Sign up online at www.SquareUp.com. They will send you a little slider that you plug into your phone. Download the application through the market place on your device and you are pretty much ready to go. There is one simple rate of 2.75% (when you use the card slider) with no monthly fee. You can also hand enter the card number for a little higher rate. (3.5% + 15¢)

Paypal has something similar but doesn't work on all devices.

Pictures & Work Space ~ Set up a picture taking station with a tri-pod (they do have little table top try-pods), nice background and good lighting. I use the cardboard "science project" displays that you can get at any craft or big box store in different colors or you can purchase a little picture box with lights pretty inexpensively on Ebay.

Check to see if there are any picture size limitations for the venue you choose. Ebay picture policy requires that each picture be 1600 pixels along one side so it may be better to make the photos at least that large and then resize the pictures for others that require smaller pictures. To resize your photos, follow the instructions at DollSaleMarketplace.com/resize-picture-in-paint. If the photo also needs to be rotated, same instructions only rotate.

Pictures need to be clear and detailed with a clutter free background. If the pictures are blurry or hard to see, buyers will think you are trying to hide something and be less likely to bid or purchase. Show the flaws and attributes. Show the entire doll, both naked whenever possible as well as dressed. Take a picture or two with a ruler or a tape measure.

Set up a packing station. Gather boxes, envelopes (all sizes, manila and padded), tissue paper, priority boxes from the post office, bubbles, peanuts, air packing pillows, baby diapers for doll heads, plastic bags, zip lock bags, packing tape (not the super cheap stuff) with holder, scotch tape, box cutter and heavy duty scissors. I save everything and don't purchase supplies unless I really need to. I also ask family and friends to save stuff for me. I do try to be mindful as to what I have for sale or what I intend on selling so I'm not caught off guard when the item sells.

Inventory Items ~ The key is to start off organized thus making it easier to stay organized. Make an inventory list or chart of the items you are going to list. If you type it into a page on the computer, then the information is very easy to cut and paste into the appropriate fields when you list. Start out with maybe 10-12 items so you don't get overwhelmed at first and you can add items to your list as you go. If you are listing on several different venues, be sure you mark that on your list so when you sell the item, you can pull from the other venues right away.

Information for each item should include:

Title: Type out a title for your listing that has keywords that someone may ask to find your item. Use "specific" words to help with the searches. You usually have 50 - 200 characters.

Detailed Description:
* Maker - if known
* Media (what is it made of)
* Marks - type & location, if applicable
* History or Story (provenance)
* Age: Antique (Dolls more than 75- 80 years old are considered antique;
  other items are 100 years old); Vintage (75-35 years old)
  Modern (35 - 10 years) or New (10- years or younger)
  or state circa (means approximate)
  Example
     1732B1799, both years shown and date range are precisely known
     c. 1732B1799, only second year shown is certain, first year approx.
     1732 B c. 1799, first year is certain, and second year is approx.
     c. 1732 B c. 1799, both years shown and date range are approx.
* Size: Again, you can add a ruler or tape measure to one of the pictures
   but also include in the description.
* Overall Condition: poor, fair, good, very good, excellent, NIB (New in Box), 
   NRFB (Never Removed from Box)
* Specific Condition: I use the word "authentic" rather than "original" as
   sometimes "original" can also mean that it could be "original" art as in
   One Of A Kind (OOAK). Always state whatever is authentic, any work
   that you did to paint (touched up, repainted), hair (washed, restyled,
   replaced), attire (laundered, mended, replaced), body, (mended,
   replaced, repaired, repainted). If repainted, state the type of paint &
   sealant that you used.

Box size & Weight: Find a box that will fit the item. Weigh the item in the box adding a few ounces for packing material. Boxes over 12"x12"x12" are considered oversized and priority shipping is about double. I do not use the flat rate boxes as I feel they are a rip-off and not worth the extra money they charge for them unless you have a very heavy item small item.

Auction or Fixed Price: Some venues are Auctions, some Fixed Price:

First, Research the item on Ebay so you know what price you want for it and what it looks like you can reasonable get for it. When researching, be sure you check the price it sold for and not what they were listed for. If you get stuck, you can ask the professionals at www.dollcollectortalk.com.

Auctions start out at a price and go for certain length of time. At the end of the time, the highest bidder at wins. Some like to start an auction at a very low price knowing that the item will get a good price in the end because of the type of item. Some Auctions can have a reserve attached to it for an additional fee. This means that the item will not sell until the reserve price is met. Keep in mind that many people will not bid on a reserve priced item. If you do have a reserve, people will often ask what the reserve is. They do this even when you state that you will not disclose the reserve in the description.

Fixed Price is the price that you want for it. Some are listed indefinitely but most have some kind of time limitation at which point, in order to continue, you would have to renew your listing. Some allow you to accept offers as well.

Storage: If you have several items and are storing them in boxes or containers, you may want to put the number of the box on the chart so you will be able to locate the item easily once it has sold.

Ready, Set, LIST ~ Each venue is different but basically you would log into your account and go to the list items screen listing your items by cut and paste information into the appropriate fields using your inventory chart.

For RUBY LANE Specific Instructions <Click Here>

For Bonanza Specific Instructions <Click Here> for details.

For EBAY Specific Instructions <Click Here>.

Good luck and happy selling!