It’s easy to think you know pretty much all there is to know about a product you’ve encountered daily for most of your life, in my case postcards.

So I was really shocked to discover someone selling an identical postcard to one I listed on eBay; even more shocked to learn his postcard made £300, compared to my twenty-four quid. And my card was in much better condition, my description was more comprehensive, my illustration was better than the other seller’s by a long shot!

I’m not saying that to brag or to compensate for ignorance that cost me about £300.

The truth is, the other person had found a better category to list his postcard than I had chosen for mine. In fact the other person didn’t even list his postcard under ‘Postcards’, and let me tell you why.

The ‘Postcard’ in question was a woven silk postcard, depicting various parts of Belgium burning in the aftermath of bombing during the First World War.

Many people, myself previously included, lump woven silk postcards under the overall category of ‘Embroidered Silk’ postcards, such as the women of Belgium made to raise funds for soldiers on Active Service.

So we, ‘the experts’, put our embroidered silk and woven silk postcards under Collectables > Postcards > Novelty (or ‘Other Postcards’).

That ‘other’ person put his woven silk postcard under Antiques > Fabrics / Textiles > Embroidery! He made £300 plus, I made twenty four pounds.

Fancy that! And I still think my category was the better choice, but obviously the punters didn’t, and in the end they, the buyers, are all that really matters.

And that’s the reason my next woven silk postcard, depicting Queen Victoria went, not under ‘Postcards’, but instead under ‘Embroidery’…………

……………. and fetched £100 compared to a similar item I listed earlier that made just £15!

Three things to bear in mind here:

* It’s a great idea to search categories for items listed in one category which may attract more visitors and higher prices in another category. Whenever you see items similar to those you sell being listed in an uncommon category, make a note, and spend a little time each week searching for items to buy and make money by relisting them elsewhere.

* Research of past auctions is the very best way to determine how much your product is worth and how much it is likely to fetch. Had I not researched eBay’s completed categories one day last month I’d never have found that woven silk postcard that fetched so much while mine fetched so little.

Search like this:

Click on ‘Advanced Search’ top right of any eBay web page, in the search box on the next page key in words to describe your product such as ‘Lucy Dawson Book’, tick ‘Completed Auctions Only’, click to continue. Next page, left of screen, choose to search ‘Worldwide’. Next page, on the drop down menu right of screen, choose to search ‘Price: Highest First’. Click to continue ….

…. and prepare to be staggered by prices already fetched for items you could be selling.

* Don’t ever think you know it all, you most definitely do not know it all and, like me, you’ll find a little modesty really can go a long way.