Can anyone recommend a book on ebay or give some tips?

My main question is exactly how do you determine shipping on items and how exactly do you go about getting them insured.

Do you go to the UPS store and have everything weighed and priced before you put them up or is there an easier way?

I'm going to read up on it, but I'm sure some people here know the best way to do things like this.

Without making a bunch of posts in this forum, I'm going to ask another question here.

What is the best place to find cheap storage for myself?  Do you guys rent warehouses or mini storage units to keep your things in?  I don't have a whole lot of space at my home, but I don't want that to stop me from trying this out.  I love the idea of christmas every day and I used to unload trucks for a living so I figure why not put 2 and 2 together?

Another question.  In NC, if you find a gun in a unit, and have no gun permit or anything of the sort, what do you do?  Are you just screwed and have to give it up to law enforcement or can you just sell it to a gun store or what?

Do you guys call in with the serial number to make sure it's not stolen?  That sort of thing is what I'm concerned about.  I am trying to research this, I don't want to be the guy who tries this out and is not prepared in any way. 

I'm about to become your new best friend regarding both your questions.

On eBay, weigh your items before you list them. You may want to add a pound or two for packaging and an inch or two on all the dimensions; or put it in the correct box and go from there.

THEN, when you list an item, used the CALCULATED approach for shipping. This charges the buyer what it would cost to THEIR zip code from yours. You can give them options of several shipping agents. UPS and USPS are the two most common.

This is an easy way to do it. Now I'll respond to your second question.

When you go to the auctions, before you ever get on the grounds, ask the management if they have any specials going on.

In my area (California) deals include 2nd month at half off; another ploy they use is $1 for the first month, but they tack on insurance and it goes to $30 or so. Still not bad, but don't stay longer than a month or you'll pay the full tilt for month 2. For a 10 x 10 in my area that would be $80 or so.

Keep costs down no matter what you do...that way you make more money by not spending money.

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Your gun question....ask local authorities if you get no local responses here or at the auctions.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.  I'm going to try and get in touch with an extended family member who happens to be a lawyer, also in the state I live in, and see if he will tell me exactly what I need to do.  I've heard some horror stories about people reporting guns on their property and then being put in jail for it, when they were just being good citizens and all that sort of stuff.  Just do not want to have any legal problems.

I just hope my scale is accurate.

Regarding the scale....just weight something of a known weight...say a 10 or 25 pound weight you get in a locker or borrow from someone.

Some scales are adjustable to zero....you might get one of these in a locker. A brown mechanical scale you see in a locker about 12 x 12 x 3 is most likely a UPS scale and is adjustable to zero.

Jump in. Sell something cheap on eBay to get started; if you make a mistake you won't lose much, and it could be a cheap lesson.

My main question is exactly how do you determine shipping on items and how exactly do you go about getting them insured.

Do you go to the UPS store and have everything weighed and priced before you put them up or is there an easier way?

I'm going to read up on it, but I'm sure some people here know the best way to do things like this.

Buy a postage scale, best investment you will ever make.

I've been selling on ebay for years but just casually, just recently started actualy getting into it. I never bothered using paypal to pay for shipping through ebay. This was the best thing I ever found out about. Not only do you get discounted shipping rates but you also get delivery confirmation for only 0.19 cents instead of 0.80 cents.

In the past I used to use the automated machines in the post office but they send everything parcel post so I was paying $5-$8 to ship clothing items. With the ebay/paypal shipping option you can send first class mail which is just as fast as priority but costs a whole lot less. It's for items 13oz and under. Now I'm paying an average of $1.57 for stuff I was paying $5+ for before. It's also easy as it automatically inputs the tracking number into ebay and sends the buyer an email saying the item has been shipped with the tracking number.

My main question is exactly how do you determine shipping on items and how exactly do you go about getting them insured.

Do you go to the UPS store and have everything weighed and priced before you put them up or is there an easier way?

I'm going to read up on it, but I'm sure some people here know the best way to do things like this.

Sorry, forgot to mention ebay has some forums on their sites where you can search old questions or ask questions of other sellers. I never bothered reading it in the past but recently did and that's where I found out how to save money shipping as I mentioned above.