Most people will never know what it feels like to gamble on something they can’t fully see.

A few photos. A locked space. Someone else’s life left behind.

But for those of us who do this… that moment before the bid closes isn’t just a purchase—it’s the start of a treasure hunt.

It always starts the same.

You open your laptop, sign in to the auction site, and there it is—a newly listed abandoned storage unit.

All you’ve got to go on are a handful of photos taken from the front of the unit. Different angles, same limited view. But that’s enough to get the excitement going… the start of another treasure hunt.

Sometimes it’s straightforward. There’s not much in the unit, and you can see exactly what you’re dealing with.

Other times, it’s packed to the door, with an old mattress or furniture blocking the view of everything behind it.

And then there are the ones we like best—a wall of boxes and belongings staring back at you. Where most people see a mess, we see a story unfolding. The types of boxes, the way things are packed, even the little details—they all start to paint a picture.

After 20 years in furniture removals, you get pretty good at reading that picture.

If a unit is neatly stacked, with furniture at the front and newer moving boxes lined up at the back, it’s usually a sign a professional removalist handled the move. That often means the contents were worth taking care of—and that can be a good sign.

On the other hand, if it looks like everything’s been thrown in like a tip truck backed up and dumped it, chances are you won’t find too many high-end items. That said, if the price is right, there can still be value depending on where and how you sell.

Most units fall somewhere in between.

We spend a fair bit of time studying the photos—zooming in, looking for brand names, reading labels on boxes, and judging the overall quality of what we can see. Some storage facilities allow inspections before bidding, but you can’t touch anything. Even then, it doesn’t always help much… although, every now and then, just getting a smell can tell you more than you’d expect.

Once the groundwork is done, we sit down and plan our bidding strategy—if the unit’s worth chasing.

But we’ll get into that part next week.

Love it or hate it, eBay is one of the biggest platforms you can sell on—and one you shouldn’t hold grudges against.

At first glance, the fees can seem high. But in many cases, you’ll actually sell faster and end up with more profit compared to other platforms. That comes down to one thing: reach. eBay has a massive audience and does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to getting eyes on your items.

We sell a large portion of our stock through eBay and focus on keeping costs down while maximising results.

Here are a few pointers that have worked well for us:

Open a Store

If you’re serious about selling, opening a store is worth it.

We run a basic store, and it more than pays for itself. You get better listing limits, more flexibility, and increased promotional options.

List Searchable Items

Think about how a buyer searches.

Your title should match exactly what someone would type into the search bar.

For example:

Clear, direct, and easy to find.

Use Strong Keywords in Your Title

This is where most people get it wrong.

Your title is everything on eBay. Use as many relevant keywords as possible to fully describe the item—brand, model, size, material, condition.

If you’re unsure how to word it:

Those are the keywords you should be using.

Price Based on Reality (Not Hope)

We’ve all picked up items that feel valuable.

But the market decides the price—not us.

Search your item on eBay, filter by sold, and compare actual sale prices. You’ll often see a big gap between what people are asking and what items are really selling for.

Price your item in line with those sold results if you want it to move.

Use Promotion (But Keep It Low)

We promote almost everything we list—even rare or highly searchable items.

But we keep it simple.

We stick to around 2% promotion. eBay will push you to go higher, but you don’t need to get carried away. Small percentages still boost visibility without eating into your profit.

Keep Shipping Costs Down

Postage can make or break your margins.

We use an Australia Post business account and sit on a high discount band, which works out cheaper for us than eBay’s built-in shipping options.

It’s worth comparing both and seeing what works best for your setup.

These are just a few simple strategies, but they can make a big difference.

At the end of the day, selling on eBay isn’t about luck—it’s about understanding how buyers search, how the platform works, and how to position your items to be seen.

Get that right, and the results follow.

Have you got an item you want to place on Marketplace but are unsure how to Price it?

Here’s a way to get a rough idea .

Enter your items name and brand (this can make a big difference) in the search bar on Marketplace and press search .

A number of results will show up ,you then hit the Filters button and a menu will drop down scroll down to the bottom and press the Arrow for Availability . Select the Sold option then press see items .

This will bring up recently sold items similar to yours and will give you an idea of how much to price it at.