We’re so thankful to have a large engaging community of users. Not only is Listia a fun marketplace to discover new and used items, but many users also gain new friendships here too. To go along with this collaborative spirit, we’ve come up with some helpful tips and advice that will help everyone succeed on Listia.

UNDERSTANDING SOME KEY TERMINOLOGIES:

• Seller: A user who lists an item
• Bidder/Buyer: A user who bids on an item
• Winner: A Bidder/Buyer who wins an item at the end of an auction
• “G.I.N”: This is short for “Get It Now”. For more information about our Get It Now option, visit this page here
• “F&W”: abbreviated for “Fanned and Watching”

LISTING AN ITEM (FOR SELLERS):

• Always have a clear descriptive Title. This will help attract potential buyers to click on your listing and be more engaged to read your description
• Always have a clear and detailed Description. This is where you can highlight your item and give potential buyers your “selling points”
• You can set a starting bid amount (ranging from 0 – 100 credits). This is done by clicking the Show Advanced Option button
• If you are not offering free shipping (e.g. flat rate, exact rate) and have a specific payment method (e.g. PayPal only; does not accept PayPal), make sure you include that in your description so potential buyers are aware
• For high-value items (e.g. electronics), we suggest that you include photos with your user name on a piece of paper next to your item. This will help potential buyers know that you have possession of the item and ensure buyer confidence
• The more clear images you have, the more attractive your listing will be (check out our latest blog for statistics)
• Comment back to potential buyers in your auction(s) so that they know you’re an active user and comfortable buying from you

PLACING A BID (FOR BUYERS):

• Carefully read the auction listing and description before placing a bid
• If you have a question about the listing, leave a comment for the Seller prior to bidding so you know what you’re bidding on
• Once there are multiple bids on an auction, you cannot withdraw/retract your bid amount
• If you’ve placed a bid, but was automatically outbid, that means your bid amount was not high enough to outbid the current highest bidder.  Try again with a higher amount
• If you’ve placed a bid, but did not win the item at the end of the auction, then your credits will be returned and made available in your account again

Be sure to check out our FAQ/Tips pages for additional tools & tips: http://www.listia.com/support/faq

What helpful tips would you also offer? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment!

South by Southwest Interactive kicks off this Friday, March 9, and we’re excited to see so much activity and interest in sharing economies and collaborative consumption startups.

Several panels caught our eye this year, including:

• What Makes Asset Sharing Platforms Thrive?
  An exploration of what qualities drive success in sharing platforms, as well as unique challenges faced by collaborative consumption startups. Speakers include Christopher Lukezic from Airbnb and Neal Gorenflo, publisher of Shareable Magazine.
• The Airbnb of Anything: The Growth of P2P Markets
  As the title states, this panel will discuss the rapid growth of P2P markets. Speakers include the founders of Airbnb, thredUP, and TaskRabbit. They’ll touch upon how P2P startups are connecting consumers online and reinventing market behaviors to elevate sharing.
• Designing for Social Innovation and Public Good
  Barbara Brown Wilson from the Center of Sustainable Development will join forces with several leaders in the public interest design movement to discuss how design can be used to solve complex social problemss

It’s amazing to see how much traction collaborative and trading economies have gained in the past few years, and we feel really fortunate to be a part of the sharing marketplace momentum. Will you be at South by Southwest this year? What panels, speakers or parties are you checking out?