ONLINE AUCTIONS

Everything You Need To Know About Ebay Money Making Opportunities

2007-06-25T10:03:00.002+03:00

Ebay money making opportunities are simply the best thing to come along since the wheel. Seriously, everybody from grandmothers to middle school kids are cashing in on what's been called the $14 billion ebay pie.
And you want your slice, right? Well, all you need to get going on your ebay money making opportunities are a computer and some items to sell on ebay. We know you have a computer or you wouldn't be here.
For your first items to sell on ebay, look in your closets. On your bookshelves. In your garage. Even in the trunk of your car! They are all places to look for items to make money on ebay.
Because remember that old saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure"? Ebay proves it's true, so start today on your ebay business. So all those old CDs, books, shirts, dresses, belts, slacks, and other stuff you have lying around that you no longer use. They are actually ebay money making opportunities just waiting to happen.
And once you make a few sells on ebay. You can use those profits to buy higher-ticket items for buying and selling on ebay and make even more money. Electronics, cell phones, and stereo equipment are all big sellers. So are designer clothing for men, women, and children.
Click Here! for ebay money making opportunities in Janiece Smith's ebook on lessons teaching you how to easily and quickly find and sell products for a profit on ebay.
Believe it or not, children's clothing is always a hot item on ebay. Just make sure you're selling the proper clothing for the season. One woman buys all the children's clothing she can at the end of a season, then goes on ebay, selling it the following season.
So always be thinking a little ahead if you're interested in selling children's, or any other, clothing. Use that as one of your ebay money making opportunities. It doesn't do a lot of good to try and sell that beautiful forest green wool winter coat in the middle of July. But it's likely to sell on ebay quickly and for a great price come the middle of September or October.
You don't have to limit yourself to these kinds of ebay money making opportunities, though. Your ebay business can consist of buying and selling beauty care items, bikes, handmade goods, antiques, art, furniture, china, stemware, and practically anything else on ebay.
The list is truly endless, and the really great thing is that you can start small and grow your ebay money making opportunities as large as you want. Selling items on ebay is a great way to make a little extra money or some major bucks. It all depends on the time you want to spend and the money you're willing to put back into your ebay business opportunity.
You can learn more about making money on ebay with a Free eBay Course. This course covers how to buy name brand products at discount prices for reselling on ebay. Plus what items are really selling on ebay, and much more... For more information on the free ebay course Click Here!
Another great way to turn ebay money making opportunities into lots of cash. Sign up with discount clubs and wholesalers to resell their goods on ebay. Many of these will actually do all the shipping and handling for you (drop shipping is the proper term for this).
You never even have to see the products or touch them using this method. They've done the work for you when it comes to figuring out how to get things from point A to point B to point C. Plus they know the shipping and handling costs involved. Most of them will charge you a generally small fee, usually one-time, monthly, or yearly, in exchange for the right to buy and sell their items. But the prices are so low on their goods that you can easily turn a profit. Just make sure you do your research and know you're dealing with reputable people and companies.
As for research, if you're thinking about going after the major ebay money making opportunities, do lots of it. There are books and websites on nothing but how to make money the ebay way. And you can. But know what's involved. Learn about postal rates, drop shipping providers/companies, popular items, the pros and cons of online auctions, what to expect realistically when it comes to ebay money making opportunities.
Go to ebay and study the tutorials that put all the information you need about its online auction system into easy, understandable terms. This puts you ahead of the game. It also keeps you from wasting time that could be put to better use. Like hitting the estate and garage sales in your area-which means more money in your wallet.
You also want to learn about ebay employment opportunities. Ebay has an affiliate program that can help you make even MORE money with an ebay job. Truly, nothing beats ebay money making opportunities for an easy, low-cost start-up that has the potential to grow as large and fast as you want it to.
So when it comes to making money, whether you're looking for a little extra cash for luxuries. Or for a full-time career, there's only one word you need to know: Ebay, ebay, ebay!
© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.
Randy has dozens of home based business articles such as Start a Mattress Cleaning Service, Unusual Home Based Businesses and Start a Catering Business.




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Effective Auction Listings - How To Create Them

2007-06-18T09:49:00.000+03:00

Once you've created the best possible title for your item, you will move on to writing your auction description. Here, you have more space to give a detailed description of the item you are selling in the body of your auction. While the photo and title are what get a person interested in your auction and bringing them to your listing, it's your description that is going to have to induce them to actually bid on it.
The sole purpose of your description is to get people to place a bid by presenting them with an honest and factual description of what you are selling.
It has been shown that the chances are high that if a person doesn't place a bid the first time they view your auction, they won't come back and place one later. Furthermore, if you can get someone to bid on your auction early, this in itself will attract more possible buyers to your auction. There is an inherent curiosity when searching listings to see why someone has bid on a particular item, so auctions that already have bids stand out from those that don't. This brings even more potential bidders to your auctions.
When writing your auction description, you want to list every attribute that will make it sound as appealing as possible. However, you must also be careful to be as accurate as possible in your description. Details are extremely important.
The more detailed you can be about what you are selling, the better. Potential bidders want to know as much as possible about something before placing a bid on it.
Even things that may seem obvious should be included. Take a few minutes and ask yourself if you were considering buying the item you're listing, what details would you want to know about it? Your description should paint a picture of the item in the persons mind. Write your auction description as if your auction didn't have any photos attached to it.
If there is an imperfection or a flaw with the item, be honest and upfront about it. Ask yourself if you were the buyer and the seller left out the imperfection in the description, how would you feel when you received the item? By making your description as accurate as possible, stressing the attributes, but also giving all the details about any imperfections, you will greatly reduce the chance of having problems when the sale is completed. Your honesty will also quickly gain you a reputation for describing your items accurately.
Your descriptions are also another way of attracting buyers to your auctions. While the main way people search eBay is through the search engine that uses the item titles, they can also refine their search to include words or phrases found in auction descriptions. By writing a thorough longer description, you automatically create more words that in return increase the chances of your auction being included in someone's search criteria.
If there is a story that goes along with the item, include it. The buyer just has your photos and descriptions to make an informed decision with. The more flavor, detail and warmth you put into your listing, the more likely the person looking at your auction will be to bid on it.
Use adjectives freely and play on any unique attributes the item has. Take the time to create a description that will make the buyer feel completely comfortable with placing a bid if it is something that he or she is interested in.
Also be sure that you include all your after auction information in your description. Don't leave potential bidders in the dark concerning the shipping cost. List all shipping options and the cost of each. List the types of payments you accept. Include a definite date by which payment must be received. The clearer your instructions, the more comfortable the bidder will be and the less likely you will run into problems at the end of the transaction.
Naturally all the items you sell are going to be the same. However, there will be portions of your description that can remain the same for virtually every product you sell. Once you have created a description you like and seems to get people to bid, save it and make it your template for auctions.
Then simply change words and add extra information where needed. This will not only guarantee that each of your auctions will have a quality description, it will also allow you to list more auctions since you won't have to write a completely new description for every auction you list.
Gary Hendrickson has been making his living selling on eBay for more than six years. He's the author of two eBay related ebooks, has a blog for eBay sellers, and is the owner of ColdItems.Com.
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Ebay: What Should I Sell?

2007-06-11T10:15:00.000+03:00

There is an art to picking profitable products. It's not just what you want to sell but rather what will sell. Unless you pick a product in demand in the marketplace, you will fail. A fundamental principle of the capitalist system is "supply and demand". It represents a delicate balancing act between "what people want" and how much of "it" is available.
Every Christmas, we see one toy that everyone wants. One year is "talking Elmo" and the next year it's something else. But, it never fails to occur. Because everyone wants "it", so "it" is in high demand. If the supply of the product isn't sufficient to meet the customer demand, prices soar, as do profits for the people selling them.
You could hope you pick one of those products and make a lot of money in one season, or you can be smart and have a profitable business all year round. How? Understand trends in our society and how they help you predict the products which are or will be in demand, now and in the future.
Current Trends In American Society
By reading and watching current news, we should be able to spot trends. These trends will have an impact upon people and therefore, the products they need or want. For instance, some current trends in the United States are as follows:
· Americans are fatter than prior generations (particularly children)
· Baby Boomers (a very large potential market) are getting older. Many are in the 50s or 60s.
· More and more people purchase online from the security and comfort of their own home
· Americans are more security conscious since 9/11
· Travel by car or recreational vehicle is up over previous years
· Diabetes is making major inroads into the general population
These are just some of the trends impacting our culture now. We need to take those identified trends and make some assumptions about them. With these assumptions come product decisions, profitable product decisions.
Using a Trend to Pick Profitable Products
Let's choose the Baby Boomer trends upon which to focus. We know that the Baby Boomer Generation represents a large, and very wealth, segment of the current American society. If we choose to focus upon this group of consumers, we know we have a large potential audience. More importantly, we know we have an audience who can pay.
Determining the products we will offer starts with making some assumptions about our targeted market. What does that mean for the Baby Boomers? We need to take what we know about that market segment and then make some assumption based upon that knowledge. Let's try.
What We Know: What We Can Assume:
We know they are getting older. We can assume they don't like that.We know they are fatter than prior We can assume they don't like thatgenerations. and want to do something about it.
Let's just look at those two trends and how they help us choose products. If this generation is fatter than the last generation, we can assume larger size clothes are needed right now. Is that true? At eBay, plus size women's clothing sold for a total of $90,903.37 in the last 30 days! There's a profitable product selection for the present.
If we assume they are fatter and don't like it, they must want to do something about it. What might they do? Exercise or diet. What does this mean for possible products? Exercise equipment or diet pills. Is this true? At eBay, exercise equipment sold for a total of $1,125,144.50 in the last 30 days and weight loss pills sold a total of $130,795.34 in the last 30 days! Two more profitable, "in-demand", products at eBay, right now.
Choosing the right product for a profitable business does not have to be difficult. Just follow the four easy steps; analyze, assume, test, and choose. You simply have to read and watch the world. Look at leading news articles and magazine stories. What appears to be uppermost in the minds of potential consumers? What assumptions can you make about the trend? What product(s) does that translate to? Sell that product and you will earn money. Continue to follow those four steps and you will be profitable for a long time.
Michele Schermerhorn has over 30 years experience in the business world and over 12 years running her own successful online businesses. She is President of Online Business Institute Inc. (http://www.obinstitute.com). Online Business Institute Inc. exists to "Create Successful Online Business Owners One Person At A Time". They run regularly scheduled free online seminars.






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Flickr

2007-06-06T14:31:00.001+03:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Ebay The Mega Marketplace For Everyone

2007-06-04T10:37:00.000+03:00

eBay is one of the world's largest market places with over 35 million visitors per day. That first sentence is worth repeating because I want you to realize that eBay gives you the ability to reach a customer base of millions and millions of people which is beneficial to you. Say Goodbye to garage sales and hello to eBay.
You don't have to become a major power-seller or wholesaler to take advantage of eBay and what this mega marketplace can do for you. All you need is a computer with Internet access so you can setup auctions for all that stuff laying around the house you've been wanting to get rid of by selling it or giving it away, so why not eBay it?
eBay auction VS garage sale
First lets talk about garage sales. Holding a garage sale consists of getting all of your items ready to sell and placing them on display in front of your house or on your driveway for neighbors and lookers to purchase. You or someone you know and trust needs to be physically present at all times to sell the items as your front yard has now become a small storefront. In other words you have to sit at home all day after getting everything together and promoting your garage sale which is a lot of work especially considering what you can accomplish with less time and efforton eBay.
Time & Money
Just about everybody is looking to save time and money which is exactly what eBay does for you. eBay is a much larger market and can attract many more potential buyers than a garage sale can. The very reason that there are more potential buyers creates more of a demand for your product, toy or whatever you are trying to sell. eBay commands more dollar for your product than a garage sale for this very reason.
eBay also saves you time because once you have setup your auction it does most of the work for you. You don't have to be present to sell the item, you don't have to be home to get paid electronically and you don't have to be there for somebody to see your auction because your potential buyers can look at your item for sale from the convenience of their own computer which saves you precious time.
eBay also gives you the ability to accept different payment methods such as PayPal, money order, check or cash it is up to you what payment methods you wish to accept. Garage sales simply do not offer this sort of flexibility with time and money.
Quick tips
Shipping can be a hard one to get used to - so make sure that you either A. get a postal scale (about $20 at Office Depot) or B. have the post office weigh the packages before you list. Take it from me because I have lost so much money on shipping because I would just 'guesstimate' and that simply does not work. I would recommend always making the buyer purchase Insurance and tracking. I had an issue where a customer said she never got her package and I didn't insure it. We decided to wait a couple of weeks then figure it out, she actually wanted me to refund everything to her, which I didn't feel was fair but was willing to do it because I believe in customer satisfaction. Fortunately the package finally showed up after three and half weeks (and I sent it Priority Mail).
You want to only send to the buyers address if it is registered with eBay. A couple of years ago a gentlemen contacted me to buy a $250 wireless antenna, he said he was traveling and asked me to send it to his satellite office. He paid me through PayPal, I always thought that was safe and would automatically include coverage. Two months went by and then all of the sudden Paypal took $250 out of our account without warning or explanation, when we called them they said that one of our eBay transactions was fraudulent! It turns out the man used a stolen credit card, PayPal told us we were out of luck since we did not send to his confirmed address. Lesson learned.
Always state the terms of your auctions, it is good to come up with your terms to use at the end of every auction that states your policies, if you combine shipping, the payment methods you accept, etc. Also, think of a refund policy. I give a full refund, or for instance my sister-in-law gives purchase amount back but not shipping, those sort of policies are up to you as a seller.
I use Turbo Lister, a free software program, that makes it so much easier to get multiple auctions setup simultaneously. If you do it directly from eBay it seems like it takes forever to enter each one. Turbo Lister is a free download and is available in Seller Tools at eBay.
A way to save money; I always use the free template from eBay. It's not really anything fancy. You can choose to get those cute little borders and clipart on each auction but it costs more money. It's proven that ultimately it doesn't matter to people, they want what you are selling. Your first picture is free after that they are .15 cents for additional ones. So I always try, when possible, to use only one picture. Sometimes if it is a big clothing lot or a large dollar item I will only use more pictures. I also make sure to try and write a great description so potential buyers know what they are getting and are excited for their purchase.
Something that works; I will sometimes utilize the 'Buy It Now' features (they cost extra) but I put the BIN price higher than I would normally expect to get and when somebody really wants an item, they would rather pay the higher price than risk missing the auction end without winning the item. There are many times where this has benefited both myself and the buy it now bidder.
If you are doing a local pickup or have special instructions for your auction make sure you include those instructions ALL OVER your auctions. The mistake I made one time was only putting local pickup only on just the shipping description andthe winning bidder did not notice that. Now I plaster special instructions like that everywhere.
Remember that people love fast shipping so when you do sell try to ship the item out as soon as possible after auction ending. Your customers will love fast shipping. I also include a note thanking them and sometimes I include a bonus item. That's just some of the fun and benefits of selling on eBay.
Lori Osenbaugh sells on eBay in addition to being a licensed Realtor® and Pampered Chef Consultant. You can custom search for Colorado homes at PreferredDenverHomes or search Lori's Pampered Chef Online

Ebay - The Basics

2007-05-28T13:47:00.000+03:00

I began selling on eBay in 1999 and have found it to be an enjoyable and profitable experience. I had owned a retail computer store for a few years and decided to close it. I still had a lot of computer inventory and soon discovered eBay was a good resource for selling the parts.
This turned into an ideal situation as selling this way became a home-based business and the overhead was very low. This was a plus to my income opportunity. A spare bedroom in the basement soon became my eBay selling room.
As time passed, more people began selling computer parts and the margins were getting thin. I needed to come up with a new idea that would keep my profit margins at an acceptable level. Instead of selling the computer parts, I would compile a list of my resources and then sell the list as a wholesale resource. The computer wholesale list became an overnight success on eBay. The list has cost me nothing except time, and I was able to sell the list several hundred times. I compiled the list in Excel and also in a text file. Another option was to have it burned to a CD and then mailed to the customer. I charged an extra fee for the CD, and sold quite a few that way too.
After selling the wholesale list for a few months, eBay changed the rules and would no longer allow cross-posting the same item, and also limited the number of times the same item could be listed at the same time. This change caused sales to drop, and I eventually stopped selling the list.
I still had the eBay bug, and was looking for other (http://www.auctionmanger.biz) eBay resources to sell. I started going to garage sales and looking for unique and inexpensive items. This was also another successful resource and lasted for about a year until more people started realizing this technique, and it was getting more difficult to find the bargains.
The next resource I started using was going to auctions and putting the items I purchased on eBay. So far, this has been another good resource and one that I still use. My best buys are when I can buy a quantity of an item for a very low price.
One example was several boxes of HO scale train cars, engines and accessories. There were over 300 items and I ended up paying $150. That came out to 50 cents for each item. There was a lot of work photographing and writing a description for each item. The worked paid off as each item sold anywhere from $3.00 to $12.00 each, making a very nice profit margin.
Selling on eBay is still a resource for additional income, and I am always on the lookout for the next big sale.
James Hendrix has been putting people in business on the Internet since 1996. He has experience with web hosting, development, marketing and search engine optimization.

Ebay - Tapping Into The Japanese Collector Market

2007-05-21T10:47:00.000+03:00

If you owned a skateboard shop in your local mall would you put a big sign in the window saying "No Baggy Pants Allowed"? Of course not. If you did you would be eliminating 50% or more of your most avid potential customers.
If you sell vintage Americana and don't allow Japanese bidders you might just as well place a "No Baggy Pants Allowed" sign in your auction ads.
Vintage Americana is hot in Japan with thousands of hungry collectors. These collectors have several things in common.

They have money to spend on their interests
They consistently pay high prices for the items they collect
They are highly competitive amongst themselves. This means a collector will often pay an unrealistic price for an item simply to keep a fellow collector they know personally from getting the item
They are extremely polite
They pay quickly - usually with PayPal
Once they have bought from you, they return again and again, quickly becoming loyal repeat customers
They spend money twelve months a year - they don't suffer from slow buying periods as many American bidders do

If don't think Japanese bidders are a force on eBay, consider this.
There is a company that does nothing but act as a bidding agent for Japanese buyers. They advertise in Japan, have a website set up with sniping equipment, and full translation software. They place bids on eBay for their registered members, make payment in US funds, and have the items shipped to them. They then forward them to the Japanese buyer upon payment for the item, shipping, and a healthy commission.
If a Japanese collector is willing to pay $300 plus a $45+ commission for an item, doesn't it make sense to let them pay the entire $345 to you?
Some things to keep in mind when doing business with Japanese buyers
1. Consider using translator software when doing business with Japanese buyers
2. Whether using translation software or not, remember that many of the people you will be dealing with do not speak or write fluent English. Always use complete sentences and try to use proper sentence structure (simple noun - adjective - verb structure you learned in school). Using the chopped off English many of us have become accustomed to can cause confusion for your customer.
3. Always offer surface, air mail, and Global Priority shipping options. Many Japanese buyers want their items ASAP, and you will be surprised how often a buyer will spend $35 to have a $50 item shipped Air Mail.
4. If they want the item insured (most won't), it must be shipped via Parcel Post of UPS.
5. You will find many Japanese buyers hide their feedback. They do this to keep other collectors they are in competition with from finding their sources (remember what was said earlier about their competitiveness). Don't worry about the hidden feedback. It's usually 100% positive.
6. Delivery confirmation isn't available on USPS international shipments. With Japanese buyers it's not a big thing. They won't ask for it.
What are Japanese buyers looking for?
Their strongest interests seem to be for items from the mid d1950's to current times. Here's a list of some things that have high collector interest in Japan.

Fire-King glassware - particularly the advertising coffee mugs they made
Pyrex kitchenware - especially the nesting sets of four mixing bowls in nearly any style or color
The battery operated tin toys manufactured in Japan but sold in the US during the 1950's and 1960's
Much of the kitschy fabrics that were popular in the US during the late 60's and early 70's
Vintage US brand name blue jeans and other denim garments Brand name athletic footwear from the 80's and 90's (particularly anything Michael Jordan related)
Red/white plastic kitchen accessories from the 50's and 60's Japanese manufactured action figures that were marketed in the US
Vintage toys in general from the 60's and 70's

There are hundreds of other items that are avidly sought by Japanese collectors. Many of them things we here in the US don't yet consider collectible.
You can research these simply by looking at the public feedback of Japanese buyers. You can also track their buying habits by searching their bid history.
If you need further evidence of what this market can do to your bottom line, consider this:
I sell a lot of old catalogs from a wide variety of companies. It used to be that whenever I listed a men's shoe catalog from the early 1900's, I could expect a high bid of $30 to $50.
About a year and a half ago, three Japanese collectors began bidding on most of the men's shoe catalogs I listed. It is now a rare catalog that doesn't bring at least $100 from one of these bidders. Many sell for $150+.
Can you afford to give up that kind of additional profits on the items you list?
Gary Hendrickson has been making his living selling on eBay for more than six years. He's the author of two eBay related ebooks, has a blog for eBay sellers, and is the owner of ColdItems.Com.
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Ebays Latest Fee Increases--is This The Beginning Of The End?

2007-05-18T10:07:00.000+03:00

On January 13, eBay sellers received an unwelcome announcement from eBay. Fees were going up.
Partly due to our tendency to "skim" messages and partly due to the way in which the announcement was worded, the result was widespread panic and threats of mutiny.
Many sellers started to "boycott" eBay, and began taking their business to places like Yahoo auctions, and Overstock.com. After issuing another email "clarifying" the price increases, eBay finally sent everyone a "Message from Bill Cobb" on February 6.
Bill Cobb, who became President of eBay North America in December of 1004, stated that he'd been "taking it all in" and "thinking hard about how we can make sure eBay remains a fun, safe place to trade, and a prosperous home for our many dedicated sellers."
Cobb addressed the issue of fee increases, and concerns about customer support, trust and safety, and frequency of changes to the site.
Cobb also promised a number of improvements to customer service, a credit for store sellers and a reduction in the minimum insertion fees for auction style and fixed price listings. He even gave readers his email address and invited comments, promising to read every one of them!
The Bottom line here is that the most significant changes made will affect eBay Store owners. But Store items are offered at a price determined by the seller, so increased costs can be passed along to the buyer. This is what "real world" businesses do all the time. The cost of doing business rarely goes down and Business people learn to expect increases in overhead.
The reason for raising the "But it Now" listing fee is that eBay wants sellers to think harder about how they set prices in this category. Too many have been unrealistically high, which means merchandise doesn't turn over. It becomes "stale". eBay wants to see a fluid market, with quick turnover and fresh merchandise appearing all the time.
The Gallery image feature has gone up in price by about 30%, but the size of the image is being increased by 56%. Pictures sell products, and larger pictures mean that shoppers can see more details. I really don't see this as a bad thing.
If you haven't invested in eBay stock, now might be a good time (eBay intends to split shares on Feb.18). Investors are panicking over eBay's announcements, and their less than stellar 4th quarter 2004 performance in part due to major investments in China.
The dooms-dayers say the "bloom is off the eBay rose". I beg to differ. eBay is still the largest online auction venue, accounting for more volume than all of their competitors combined. There's no way eBay is going away, and it won't be long before sellers realize that business will go on as usual.
You can still make a great living on eBay, whether full or part time.
Carolyn Schweitzer is a retired dentist, eBay Powerseller, and ownner/editor of several websites. You can read the full article plus view eBay's price announcements and the letter from Bill Cobb at http://www.netbrainer.com/site/500041/page/473364


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Ebays Hot Selling Books, Find Out Which Books Sell & How To Find Them

2007-05-17T09:53:00.000+03:00

Selling books on eBay can be a very lucrative business! There are eBayers who sell only books and make a nice little income doing it. Where do they get these books to sell? At thrift stores, estate sales, flea markets, book fairs, yard sales, library sales, grandmas attic, etc. You see, many of these books are just sitting on the shelves getting passed up because they aren't anything special to look at, they're not sparkly and shiny, they don't stand out on the shelf like that Tiffany & Co. crystal & sterling silver vase sitting on the housewares shelf at the Salvation Army. By the way, if you EVER find one of those grab it! -that's a no brainer.
These little hidden gems however, are not that easy to spot just by scanning the shelves- unless you know what to look for. So, how do you know which books will sell? research, study, research, study....
Actually, it's not that hard to get started. I've been researching hot selling books on eBay for a year now. Below is a sample list of my findings:
Wizard and Glass by Dave McKean, Stephen King (1997) Donald Grant First Edition Winning bid: US $207.50 History: 5 bids (US $50.00 starting bid)
The Bourne Identity Robert Ludlum FIRST EDITION HB Marek, 1st edn, First Printing Hardback, RARE!!!! Winning bid: US $140.27 History: 15 bids (US $40.00 starting bid)
THE DAVINCI CODE DAN BROWN FIRST ED. FIRST PRINT TRUE FIRST PRINT,NO RESERVE,FINE UNREAD CONDITION Winning bid: US $123.00 History: 20 bids (US $3.00 starting bid)
Night Probe by Clive Cussler (1981) ~ HC ~ DJWinning bid: US $77.99 History: 12 bids (US $4.99 starting bid)
The Al Kaline StoryWinning bid: US $127.90 (Reserve met) History: 14 bids (US $1.00 starting bid)
Are you surprised? I bet you've passed some of these up before and didn't even know it! Think about it, used books is the perfect product. You may have noticed that it's getting harder and harder to find products to resell on eBay and make a decent profit. Why? because there is a lot more competition as eBay gets more and more popular.
Used, collectible books are the perfect niche. They're everywhere, they're cheap and hardly anyone knows about them!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Get the complete list of HOT SELLING BOOKS on EBAY
http://www.moodykitty.com/ebaybooks

Subscribe to Moodykittys Newsletter & receive an insiders look atpast auctions. Find out what you've been passing by that could've madeyou $500 +
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Ebay - Profiting With Books By Janette Oke

2007-05-15T10:20:00.000+03:00

Janette Oke is a Christian writer whose books about life, love, values and faith have a huge following among women today. Each of her Christian books for adults falls into one of six different series she wrote. These are:

Women Of The West
Love Comes Softly
Canadian West Saga
Season Of The Heart
A Prairie Legacy
Song Of Acadia (the books in this series were written with T. Davis Dunn)

While they show up at FOL and AAUW book sales, they are most often found at garage sales. They won't find them at every garage or yard sale you visit, but spend a morning on the yard sale circuit and you should come home with several of her book and not have paid more than $.50 for any of them.
You will find a lot of these on eBay but nearly all are sold as single titles and that's a big mistake. In order to make the cash register ring for you with her books you should buy them individually or in groups, hold them until you have a complete series, and then sell the series as one auction.
All information and pricing is for soft-cover editions which are by far the most common.
Here's a list of the books that make up each series:
Women Of The West Series (12 books)

The Calling Of Emily Evans *
Julia's Last Hope
A Woman Named Damarus
Roses For Mama *
They Called Her Mrs. Doc
Measure Of A Heart
A Bride For Donnigan
Heart Of The Wilderness *
The Bluebird and The Sparrow *
A Gown Of Spanish Lace *
Too Long A Stranger
Dreams Of Change *

* These six titles were re-written, with the same titles, for young girls (age 10 - 14) and published as the Janette Oke Classics For Girls Series. When buying these six titles be sure to check which series the book actually belongs to.
I've never found the Classics For Girls series to be a big seller and pass them up when I see them. You can try them if you'd like to though.
Love Comes Softly Series (8 books)

Love Comes Softly
Loves Enduring Promise
Loves Long Journey
Loves Abiding Joy
Loves Unending Legacy
Loves Unfolding Dream
Love Takes Wing
Love Finds A Home

Canada West Series (6 books)

When Calls The Heart
When Breaks The Dawn
When Comes The Spring
When Hope Springs New
Beyond The Gathering Storm
When Tomorrow Comes

Season Of The Heart Series (4 books)

Springs Gentle Promise
Once Upon A Summer
Winds Of Autumn
Winter Is Not Forever

A Prairie Legacy Series (4 books)

The Tender Years
A Searching Heart
A Quiet Strength
Like Gold Refined

Song Of Acadia Series (5 books)

The Meeting Place
The Sacred Shore
The Birthright
The Distant Beacon
The Beloved Land

This last series continues under the name Heirs Of Acadia, but Janette Oke was no longer one of the authors and it isn't nearly as popular. It's the Janette Oke name that sells these books.
Mrs. Oke also wrote a series of 12 early readers for children called Janette Oke's Animal Friends Series. It's also a good seller when sold as a complete series. It's made up of the following titles:

The Impatient Turtle
The Prodigal Cat
Spunky's Dairy
This Little Pig
New Kid In Town
Ducktails
Prairie Dog Town
Trouble In A Fur Coat
Maury Had A Little Lamb
Pordy's Prickly Problem
A Cote Of Many Colors
Who's New At The Zoo

Here's some pricing information for each series from the last several months. The prices shown are the averages each series sold for.

Women Of The West - $36.78
Love Comes Softly - $42.17
Canadian West Saga - $13.19
Season Of The Heart - $12.03
A Prairie Legacy - $14.38
Song Of Acadia - $37.14
Animal Friends - $38.63

As you can see some series are more popular than others, but as long as you don't spend more then .50 each per book you will make money with any of them. Just list complete series, start them at $9.95 and let the bidders run them up.
Each of these series was also sold as a boxed set. If you find a set with it's box it will usually add a premium to the the final price.
Gary Hendrickson has been making his living selling on eBay for more than six years. He's the author of two eBay related ebooks, has a blog for eBay sellers, and is the owner of ColdItems.Com. Did you find this article helpful? If so, this is the kind of information you will find each week inside Gary's ColdItems.Com.
ColdItems.ComThe Auction Rebel Blog


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Ebay Online Auction Sniping Secrets

2007-05-14T10:03:00.000+03:00

Since their introduction several years ago, online auctions, such as eBay, have been one of the hottest destinations on the World Wide Web. Auction sellers are attracted by the prospect of a broad venue for their products and the possibility of high profits resulting from emotion-driven bidding wars. Bidders on online auction sites are drawn to the unique shopping opportunities and potential to purchase hard-to-find items at low prices. One technique many successful auction bidders employ is called sniping.
Auction sniping is waiting to place your bid until seconds before the auction closes. In most cases, the last-minute bid precludes competing bids and assures the sniping bidder the winning bid at the lowest price. Some web sites estimate that sniping occurs on 5 percent of all eBay auctions that close with bids.
While this technique is not without controversy ? mostly from disgruntled sellers or competing bidders ? it is permitted on most online auction sites including eBay. In fact, an eBay Community Development representative related eBay's position on one of eBay's message boards:
From: daphne
Topic: Re: Snipers How To Workshop

Just for the record, contrary to what some people think, there's no rule against "sniping," or bidding in the last moments of the auction. You will hear all kinds of debates about which method (proxy bidding or sniping) is more effective, and eBay would recommend proxy bidding, but bidding at the last moment of the auction is perfectly acceptable and legal. :)

Daphne
eBay Community Development
There are several advantages to sniping on auctions. The first is that the sniper prevents counter-bids and is more likely win the auction. The most significant advantage is that sniping prevents emotional bidding wars. These are events that auction sellers dream about ? two or more bidders start running up the price of a listed item because they get caught up in the excitement of the moment. More often than not, the sniper will win the auction at a lower price if they do it correctly.
There are some problems associated with sniping manually. First, you must be online to bid when the auction closes. This may not be convenient if the bidding for that PEZ dispenser you've been drooling over ends in the middle of the night or while you are at work. Second, depending on your connection speed, your last second bid may be submitted too late. The auction might close before your bid reaches eBay.
Not to worry though, there are several software and web-based solutions to automate the sniping process for you.
Sniping software programs, such as iSnipeIt reside on your computer. You simply enter the item number you wish to bid on and input your maximum bid. At the appropriate time, the sniping software connects to the internet and places the bid for you. This requires your computer to be on, the sniping program to be active, and a connection to the internet. One advantage to having sniping software resident on your computer is increased security. Most desktop applications don't require your eBay ID and password to reside on servers continuously connected to the internet. However, the timeliness of your snipe depends on your connection speed and your internet service provider. This can be a problem for some people.
Online services such as http://AuctionInsights.AuctionStealer.com mitigate these connection issues. They have high-speed connections to the internet and can place your last second bid regardless if your computer is on or not. While web based services are generally more expensive than a desktop software application, their reliability is remarkable. An advantage to online sniping services is that they respond quickly to frequent changes in eBay's web site that can disable a desktop software program. The hapless auction sniper who is attempting to use a desktop solution is often out of luck until the programmer modifies his or her code and the user installs the update.
Sniping online auction sites such as eBay can be of great benefit to the bidder. It saves them money and greatly increases the chances that they will win the auction. Give it a try on the next auction you bid on!
______________________________________________
Doug Feiring publishes "AuctionInsights.com", an all-encompassing FREE resource guide that provides nuts-and-bolts strategies, ideas, and tools to build a successful eBay online auction business from the ground up, visit http://www.auctioninsights.com


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Ebay Motors : Buy Or Sell A Car On Ebay

2007-05-11T10:23:00.000+03:00

Are you having trouble finding a great deal on a car in your local area? Well, join the club. Using Online Bidding at eBay Motors can be the perfect answer you've been looking for. More and more people are discovering every day how perfectly easy it is to purchase large items over the internet, including cars and other motor vehicles. Skip the runaround you're going to get at the local car dealer, and start saving money now when you buy and sell eBay.
A car auction on eBay Motors works just like any other eBay auction. You search for what you're looking for using eBay's great search engine, then peruse the list of online auctions that look as though they may be offering what you're looking for. Once you see something that strikes your fancy, you can give it a closer look by examining the listing for the vehicle that you're interested in.
If the seller has prepared properly, you'll see in-depth descriptions and well taken photographs that show the item from every angle. You then have a chance to start to bid on whatever items you are interested in bidding on.
Sell Your Vehicle with an eBay Auto Auction
Do you have a car or truck that you want to sell? You might want to take a look at selling it on eBay Motors. You can reach many, many more people, than you can using traditional car sales methods, such as newspaper listings and large used car dealerships. Some people even make their livings entirely off of selling cars on-line.
eBay Motors is the largest seller of used cars in the United States. You can reach people across town or across the country, which would be next to impossible using traditional methods of selling a car. Would you rather park it in front of your house for the people driving by to see, or park it on eBay where millions of people "drive by" every day?
John Lenaghan writes about eBay and other online auctions for the Online Auction Advisor website, where he writes about things such as dropshippers, how to make money on eBay and many other auction-related topics.


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Ebay Listing Service : Make Managing Your Auctions Easy

2007-05-10T09:48:00.000+03:00

Do you want to have a lot of auctions going but don't have time to keep track of them all? Trust me, you're not alone. With more and more people making significant portions - if not all - of their income from their eBay auction websites the need has arisen for many people to have someone manage the listing of their auctions for them.
Enter eBay listing services. With these convenient services, you don't need to spend all your valuable time listing many repeat auctions. eBay's listing services will automate all the repeat listings of online auctions so that you can concentrate on running your business and keeping your customers happy, and spend less time on repetitive chores.
eBay has lots of easy to use auction management software. One of the best ones for managing repeat online auctions is eBay's Turbo Lister. What this program does is keep track of multiple auctions at once, using a program that looks a lot like Windows Explorer, so experienced Windows users will have no trouble adapting to it.
Using an easy-to-understand WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) user interface, Turbo Lister enables you to keep track of literally hundreds (or even thousands) of auctions at the drop of a hat. The best part? This program is completely FREE to registered eBay users!
What Are Some Other Helpful eBay Services?
eBay provides many helpful listing services to both experienced and novice, small and high volume sellers to help them keep track of their auctions, no matter how much or how little they happen to be selling. For low volume sellers, eBay's basic listing form is very easy to use - you don't need to be a computer expert to use it.
For sellers who sell the same items repeatedly, eBay provides their "Turbo Lister" to help you with your online auction management. And for higher volume sellers, eBay offers their Selling Manager and Blackthorne listing services.
John Lenaghan writes about eBay and other online auctions for the Online Auction Advisor website, where he writes about things such as dropshippers, how to make money on eBay and many other auction-related topics.


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Ebay Is The Greatest Opportunity You Have To Create A Career Online

2007-05-09T09:50:00.000+03:00

eBay's being spoken about everywhere these days. At work, school, down the pub... everyone's getting into eBay, looking for those bargains and trying to save themselves some money. Not a day goes by without eBay getting some kind of press publicity.
Although people are increasingly turning to eBay for bargains, the majority of users are only buying and do not open a selling account. Lets be honest, I expect you've used eBay in the past and I'm sure if your reading this that you've even sold items on it. It's not hard is it?
There are three specific reasons why I believe eBay is the greatest opportunity online to make extra cash or even build up your sales to make a full time online career.
Everyone's Equal.
On eBay everyone's equal. All users no matter what your status, bank balance or feedback is - everyone gets exactly the same opportunity to sell their item, starting with a blank description form.
It's your call how you describe your item and it stands the same chance of being seen as the next persons. If your selling an ebook, you could do it on eBay or though your own website. With eBay you pay exactly the same fee as your competitors. Selling though your own website your can use Pay-Per-Click campaigns to advertise your site & your competitors can outbid and out manoeuvre you easily. I know which one I'd choose to make the task easier.
Targeted Traffic
eBay lets users take away all the hard work by allowing customers to search for you. Normally online it's the other way around with you advertising your product, building links to your website, starting joint ventures, etc just to get the correct type of visitors to your site. I could go on but you hopefully you get the idea.
Getting visitors to your own website to purchase items isn't easy. It can also be costly & timely if your new to net marketing. But by selling on eBay you can forget about it all because users actually search for you. They simply type what their looking for and up springs a list of results including your item.
User friendly
eBay is easy to use and guides you though the selling process. With help at every point, it's hard to go wrong. And if you do it's easy to correct it your mistake. With communities and forums across the net, you don't have to look hard to find someone to help you. Plus there are hundreds of eBooks written on the subject.
So now you know why I rate eBay so highly. Start selling today and make the most of your experience online.
Mark Kenny is an online entrepreneur who specialises in developing turnkey websites including a new eBay Trading Assistants website.
You can see this at: http://www.Trading-Web-Solutions.com/taebay.htm


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Ebay Income Possibilities

2007-05-08T10:18:00.000+03:00

If you've ever read an article about eBay, you will have seen the kinds of incomes people make ? it isn't unusual to hear of people making thousands of dollars per month on eBay.
Next time you're on eBay, take a look at how many PowerSellers there are: you'll find quite a few. Now consider that every single one of one of them must be making at least $1,000 per month, as that's eBay's requirement for becoming a PowerSeller. Silver PowerSellers make at least $3,000 each month, while Gold PowerSellers make more than $10,000, and the Platinum level is $25,000. The top ranking is Titanium PowerSeller, and to qualify you must make at least $150,000 in sales every month!
The fact that these people exist gives you come idea of the income possibilities here. Most of them never set out to even set up a business on eBay ? they simply started selling a few things, and then kept going. There are plenty of people whose full-time job is selling things on eBay, and some of them have been doing it for years now. Can you imagine that? Once they've bought the stock, everything else is pretty much pure profit for these people ? they don't need to pay for any business premises, staff, or anything else. There are multi-million pound businesses making less in actual profit than eBay PowerSellers do.
Even if you don't want to quit your job and really go for it, you can still use eBay to make a significant second income. You can pack up orders during the week and take them down to the post office for delivery each Saturday. There are few other things you could be doing with your spare time that have anywhere near that kind of earning potential.
What's more, eBay doesn't care who you are, where you live, or what you look like: some PowerSellers are very old, or very young. Some live out in the middle of nowhere where selling on eBay is one of the few alternatives to farming or being very poor. eBay tears down the barriers to earning that the real world constantly puts up. There's no job interview and no commuting involved ? if you can post things, you can do it.
Put it this way: if you know where to get something reasonably cheaply that you could sell, then you can sell it on eBay ? and since you can always get discounts for bulk at wholesale, that's not exactly difficult. Buy a job lot of something in-demand cheaply, sell it on eBay, and you're making money already, with no set-up costs.
If you want to dip your toe in the water before you commit to actually buying anything, then you can just sell things that you've got lying around in the house. Search through that cupboard of stuff you never use, and you'll probably find you've got a few hundred dollars' worth of stuff lying around in there! This is the power of eBay: there is always someone who wants what you're selling, whatever it might be, and since they've come looking for you, you don't even need to do anything to get them to buy it.
So you want to get started on eBay? Well, that's great! There are only a few little things you need to learn to get started. Our next article will give you the low-down.
Cassandra Stinchcombe - Why waste another penny on eBay eBooks, when you can get everything you need to know for FREE. Check out our 75+ articles today. http://www.envisionopportunity.com/ebay/buysellebay.html


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Ebay Gold

2007-05-07T11:01:00.000+03:00

Internet auctions are relatively new having been around since the mid 1990's. There are several Internet auctions including Yahoo Auctions and UBid. But of course the undisputed king of Internet auctions is Ebay. Ebay has over 100 million registered users making it one of the top 10 most visited websites in the world.
I discovered Ebay way back in 1998. At first, I was strictly a buyer. I was amazed at the thousands of items that could be found on Ebay. Just about anything you can imagine can be found on Ebay. And there were more incredible bargains to be found than at any other ecommerce website or brick and mortar store I had ever visited. After about six months or so of buying, I began selling items on Ebay. I had an extensive collection of unbuilt as well as built plastic model cars. I began placing the models on Ebay with starting bids of $5.00 and no reserve. To my surprise, people started jumping all over these model kits. Some of them sold for as high as $70.00. It was at this time that I realized the enormous money making potential of Ebay. The key to being a successful seller on Ebay is selling items that people want. There are a number of ebooks on Internet auctions that tell of the importance of a great headline and a killer ad for your auction. While this is true, it is also important to remember that the best ad in the world will never sell an item that no one wants. The items that do well on Ebay are unique or interesting items. Antiques, pottery, collectables and high-end apparel are just a few of the items that will bring high bids on Ebay. If you can easily find the item at Wal-Mart, chances are it will not do well on Ebay.
There are a number of wholesalers around the country that you can buy merchandise from to sell on Ebay. But before you buy, do your homework. It's very tempting to buy a bunch of electronic widgets that sell for $2.00 a piece. You might think you can buy 20 of the $2.00 widgets and then sell them for $12.00 a piece on Ebay and make a killing. Unfortunately, you discover that no one is bidding on your widgets despite the fact that you have started the bidding at a mere $6.00. In fact, there are very few people that are even viewing your auctions. The end result is you are now stuck with 20 widgets that no one wants. The first mistake here was not doing a search of widgets on Ebay to find out if they're hot or not. The second mistake was trying to sell an electronic item. Yes, I know there is a huge market for electronic gadgets. That's the problem; the market is too huge. It is already saturated. How many times a day are you bombarded with offers for the latest and greatest cell phone or digital camera? If you try to sell in this market on Ebay, you're encroaching on Best Buy's turf, which means you'll be smashed like a bug. On the other hand, how many offers do you receive for NASCAR collectibles or Gucci shoes? Or how about die cast models? These are the hot items on Ebay. These are in demand items and more importantly you can sell these items without competing against Wal-Mart and Best Buy.
If you're new to Ebay, the first thing you need to do is to build positive feedback. Feedback is vital to your success on Ebay. Potential buyers will read your feedback in order to determine if you're an honest seller. If you have high numbers of negative feedback, many buyers will look elsewhere. Take a look at some of the Ebay Power Sellers feedback. Many of them have feedback in the thousands with a rating of over 99% positive. It's no secret how these Power Sellers became successful on Ebay. They take care of their customers. This means they'll have plenty of repeat business.
When you first sign up with Ebay, you'll have zero feedback. Most buyers will shy away from an Ebay newbie with zero or very low feedback. Start building your feedback rating by selling personal items from around the house that you no longer want. This is a good way to get the feel of using Ebay and to build positive feedback. You should invest in a good digital camera. Good clear pictures are an important selling feature on Ebay. Remember to describe your items accurately and honestly. Do not try to trick or deceive buyers in any way. You can't afford receiving negative feedback this early in the game.
I came across a perfect example of a deceptive seller on Ebay a while back. The seller had sold a pair of slightly used shocks for a 2003 Chevy pickup. He used Ebay's Buy-It-Now feature to sell the shocks for just one cent. Wow! What an incredible deal! But wait a minute. The unwary buyer forgot to read the entire auction. The shipping charges were a whopping 60 bucks! The result was a pissed off buyer and negative feedback for the seller. This was an obvious attempt on the part of the seller to make money on the shipping costs. He was banking on the fact that the buyer would not read the entire auction and would simply assume the shipping charges would be reasonable. Do not use deception in your auctions or try to make money on shipping costs. If you treat your customers the way you expect to be treated you will never go wrong and you'll be well on your way to building a reputation as an honest top-notch seller.
If you happen to get a few non-paying bidders, resist the temptation to leave negative feedback for these individuals. Leaving negative feedback will only result in possible retaliation by the non-paying bidder and negative feedback for you. Once again, you do not want any negative feedback this early in the game. Buying items off of Ebay is another great way to build positive feedback. When you win an auction, pay for the item promptly. The result will be positive feedback for you. Most buyers will not care whether your feedback came as a result of buying or selling as long as it's positive.
After you've built a feedback rating of least 25, you'll be ready to start purchasing wholesale merchandise to sell on Ebay. Remember what I said about doing your homework before buying merchandise. If you have your eye on a particular item you think might sell on Ebay, first do a search of that item on Ebay to find out what people are bidding if anything on the item. If it looks hot, at least 7 or 8 bids, then it's probably a good bet. If it doesn't appear to be getting many bids, you should steer clear. You can also do an advanced search for auctions that have already ended. It's a great way to find out the final bid price for a particular item. A few extra minutes of research can save you from a giant headache down the road.
About The Author
Are You Tired of the scams and the get-rich-quick schemes? Greg Hayes is founding editor of http://www.mammothprofits.com/. Mammothprofits is the website devoted to helping others filter out the scams and become successful in a home based business.
ghayes@mammothprofits.com


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Ebay - Getting More Bids Using An Auction Preview

2007-05-04T10:58:00.000+03:00

If you sell in small niches as I recommend and are organized enough that you know what you will be listing on eBay 1 to 2 weeks ahead of time, you should give serious thought to previewing your upcoming auctions for your customers. The result can be increased sales and higher final bids.
For two years I used a free hosting service to host a small web site that I used as a pre-auction catalog. Each week this preview site would contain pictures and descriptions of the majority of the items I would be listing on eBay the following week.
When that hosting service eventually dropped it's free hosting, because of time constraints, I let that part of my business slide. Over the course of the next 3-4 months I saw a significant decrease in the number of bids, the final selling price, and the number of auctions that closed successfully. At the time that was an industry wide trend but I also think it had a great deal to do with the fact I no longer had a preview site on-line.
After a few months I moved the site to a cheap hosting company and saw an immediate increase in bidders, final selling prices, and closing prices. Adding an auction preview site to your business model can have significant benefits to your eBay business.
An auction preview site has several advantages - both to you and to your potential bidders.
Advantages to the bidder include:
1. It gives them additional time to do research on an item if they want.
2. It gives them more time to ask questions about an item.
3. It allows them to plan their purchases. Many bidders budget a specific amount of money each month for on-line purchases. I've had several bidders tell me they'd decided not to bid on someone else's item so they would have the money to bid on what I was listing next week.
Advantage to you the seller include:
1. It gives you a chance to hone your description if needed. If you are receiving a lot of similar questions from several customers about an item it probably means you need more or better pictures or to make your description more detailed.
2. In most cases it will increase selling prices. I've found that people tend to bid earlier on auctions that they have been able to preview. This early bidding attracts other bidders to the auction and often drives the final price up.
Your preview site doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive. A free hosting service works just fine for what this would be used for. Most of them offer 10-25 megabytes of space, and easy to use page building tools. That's really all you require.
Another option might be geocities.yahoo.com which gives you 25 MB of web space, 5 GB of data transfer and a helpful web page building utility for only $4.95 a month.
Also most of you will find that your ISP offers 10-25 megabytes of free space. If you have a basic knowledge of FTP and HTML this may be a good route to take.
What should you put on your preview page?
1. The items you will be putting on eBay the following week.
2 Clear pictures of the item.
3. A well written description of the item including any flaws.
4. An easy to find email link so prospective bidders can easily email you with any questions they may have.
Advertise your preview site by including a link on your About Me page. Include it in all winning bidder announcements and other correspondence you have with customers. A link in your signature file is a good idea. If you have a list, send an announcement of your new preview site to your list.
If you try this for a month or two I think you will find the results pleasantly surprising - and well worth the effort involved. And, your customers will love you!
Gary Hendrickson has been making his living selling on eBay for more than six years. He's the author of two eBay related ebooks, has a blog for eBay sellers, and is the owner of ColdItems.Com.
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Ebay Feedback, 5 Key Things All Ebayers Should Know

2007-05-03T12:24:00.000+03:00

eBay's user feedback system is one of the site's most important components. Without the conscientious comments recorded by both buyers and sellers, there would be no way for anyone to build up a trustworthy reputation in the nearly anonymous realm of cyberspace. And without a good measure of trust among users, eBay would be a difficult, if not impossible, environment in which to safely conduct business.
By learning how eBay's feedback system works you can use it to your advantage. Understanding the numbers and feedback comments will go a long way toward making the online trading venue a safer place for you and your pocketbook.
1. How Feedback Works
The eBay feedback system operates in a straightforward manner. Every time you complete a transaction as either a buyer or a seller, you leave feedback for the other party. This feedback is made up of a score of +1, 0, or -1, as well as a one-line comment that sums up how smoothly -- or how poorly --- the process was completed.
A +1 means that you were happy with the way the transaction ended. A 0 score is neutral, meaning you weren't particularly pleased with the efforts of the other person, but you didn't feel taken, either. A -1 indicates that you were unhappy with the transaction as a whole. In addition to the numbered score, you can submit a short comment that explains the reason for your score.
As you browse the scores and comments on eBay, you'll see the vast majority of member scores are positive, and most have form-letter comments that indicate an effortless transaction. Neutral scores are relatively rare. Negative comments are more common than neutral ones.
eBay users often don't realize the importance of the feedback system in terms of establishing a good reputation. Not only do users benefit from garnering a lopsided positive-feedback-to-negative-feedback ratio, but they reap rewards by advancing upward through the various star symbols used to designate successful users.
2. You are a Star
The star symbols displayed next to a username show, at a glance, how many transactions the user has completed with positive feedback. With fewer than 10 feedbacks, users remain starless. With 10 to 49 positive scores, users will receive a yellow star.
There are many other star symbols, but as an example, after an eBay user snags anywhere from 500 to 999 positive scores, will get a purple star. Once a user moves into the stratosphere of eBay, she'll receive a shooting star that indicates she's gathered more than 10,000 positive scores. eBay sellers who reach this level of activity indicate that when they achieve a new star status, their number of sales increases, often dramatically, especially when it's paired with an excellent feedback rating.
3. Feedback is Forever
One of the reasons feedback is so important, and so potent, is that once you've left a comment, you can't go back and edit it later. That means your comments, both positive and negative, say online for all eyes to see, for as long as that member is active on eBay.
eBay does reserve the right to remove inappropriate comments, such as those that use racist or overtly sexual wording, or those that include hyperlinks. however, eBay does not typically delete most other comments, even those that seem unfair or unjust.
When both the buyer and seller agree to retract feedback, there is a procedure called Mutual Feedback Withdrawal, but this option's effect is limited. If two parties initially had a disagreement about a transaction, but they'd like to change the score they left for the other person, they can do this feature. This removes the score from both parties' feedback rating, however, it does not delete the comments that were left, which often makes this option less effective, especially when those comments were damaging to a reputation. You can start a Mutual Feedback Withdrawal request within 30 days of either party leaving feedback or within 90 days after the transaction, whichever is later. To start the process, enter the item number into the online Mutual Feedback Withdrawal form in the Feedback Forum.
4. The Negative Curse
Negative feedback, or "negs" in eBay-speak, is something to avoid because negs are a virtual curse for buyers and sellers. Serious eBay users evade bad feedback as best they can, and those who depend on eBay for a substantial portion of their livelihood will stop at almost nothing to keep these marks from marring their online reputation.
One of the primary reasons for preventing negative feedback, of course, is that a buyer who's browsing for a product is likely to skip a seller who has more than a couple of recent negative comments.
When you leave feedback for an eBay user, he has the option of responding in kind, os his comments land on your profile. If you leave a nasty remark accusing a seller of extremely slow shipping, you'll likely see an indignant comment denying any wrongdoing in your own profile, even if your claim was true.
This kind of retaliatory feedback is the reason most users think twice before leaving negative comments, even if that comment is true. One user posts a negative comment for another party, and as an act of revenge, the slighted party leaves a neg for the first user - in many cases, the retaliatory feedback has no grounds in truth and is intended only to punish on member for leaving a read mark on another user's profile.
Retaliatory feedback is a problem because negative feedback of any kind carries real weight. Not every buyer or seller takes the time to investigate negative feedback, preferring instead to find another user who doesn't have recent angry comments directed at him.
On the other hand, the good news is that one or two negative comments aren't the kiss of death. The more positive feedback comments you have, the more unlikely it is that a negative score or two will cause you problems. Remember this as you deal with other users on the site, but also remember the feedback system doesn't work unless you're honest about transactions.
5. Final Feedback
eBay's feedback system has its share of flaws, but for building trust and creating a safer buying and selling environment, it's indispensable. however, to make the system work best, you'll have to learn to read comments appropriately to get a better idea of how to discern trustworthy users from online swindlers.
Do your research on the items you want to buy and check the feedback of buyers and sellers before you commit to dealing with them. The effort will help you avoid financially draining scams, give you peace of mind, and make eBay a much more productive place for you to do business.
About Adam
Selling on eBay and the Internet is still a relatively a new phenomenon with unprecedented opportunity. Adam Ginsberg, recently featured on NBC's Today Show is an author and educator and has built a small fortune selling on eBay. As an early Internet pioneer, Adam discovered a system for generating wealth - through the power of the eBay marketplace.
Adam personally sold over $20,000,000 on eBay and the Internet in the last three years. Currently he travels the world sharing his knowledge, expertise and experience with others. Adam's book, "How to Buy, Sell & Profit on eBay", went to #1 on Amazon within 3 days of being released. Learn how Adam has solved the mystery of success on eBay and how you can apply his system to capitalize on this hot new money making opportunity. Adam has also created several best selling e-books and software to enable you to enhance your ability to succeed. You can learn more at http://www.adamginsberg.com


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Ebay: Dont Believe All The Hype

2007-05-02T11:25:00.000+03:00

Three billion dollars (that's billion with a "B") in revenues, 135 million users, millionaires all over the place at eBay! Yeah, eBaby!!!, to steal a line form another great author. (See "EBay: No Way?Yes Way (Ten Seller Themes) by Barbara Snyder M.A." at http://www.sbmag.org/howtosellonebay.html)

Yeah! Wow! ? Make a million! Open a store on eBay and get rich! Man this is easy!!! ?NOT!!!

It's way to easy to get caught up in all the hype out there about eBay and to start thinking all you have to do is set up an eBay store and you are on your way to the life style to which you would like to become accustomed. Don't believe it.

Before you start primping for your own segment of "Life-styles of the Rich and Famous," there are a few things you should learn about eBay and small business start-ups in general.

The rate of survival of a traditional small business reads something like half of all new business start-ups fail in the first year and half of the survivors do not survive the second year, and eBay is probably no different. In fact, it's not easy at all anymore (if it ever was) to carve out a fortune on what has been dubbed "the world's largest garage sale".

"But Floyd, take a look at all that money", you say. Sure eBay is doing just fine, but of that three billion dollars, how much of it is actually spent on items in "your" category or product line "you" have for sale?

Everyone has to decide exactly what business he or she wants to be in. Then they have to decide if they are going to be a niche player or try to carve out significant market share. Either way you decide to go, you may find out that the pool you are swimming in is not as deep as it may first appear. Unless you are selling automobiles or real estate, not all or even a large percentage of that three billion dollars is spent in your merchandise category. Make sure you check the water before you dive in head first.

When you do decide to jump in, make sure you are ready both financially and mentally to go through a learning curve of some months. Back in the earlier days this may not have been the case, but today eBay has become extremely competitive and significantly more expensive for sellers. And don't expect a lot of help from eBay directly. They are not the greatest company in the world at customer support. They have a lot of information available, but they also have a tendency to answer help questions with loads of boiler plate "fixes" that usually serve more to confuse then to actually help.

Speaking of fees, this is how eBay lives. They literally nickel and dime you to death (actually its more like quarter and dollar)? thirty cents for the cheapest insertion free, thirty-five cents for a gallery picture, a buck for "bolding" and on and on. And then there's the fair value selling commission and the PayPal fees (PayPal is a must have!). All these small fees add up fast. Don't forget, you pay the listing and insertion fees whether your item sells or not. You will quickly learn that your selling percentage becomes crucial and why it is so important you learn how to make very efficient listings at the lowest cost possible as fast as possible. If you fail to learn this, before for you know it, eBay is taking half or more of your total sales just in fees, not counting your cost of product and shipping.

eBay has been called the "world's largest garage sale" for good reason. You know what people are looking for at garage sales, cheap prices. In the beginning, if you were the only one on eBay selling a specific product, you could demand and get higher prices. Today it's a bit different. The competition is brutal. You are competing against people and business of all sizes, and there is always someone selling your product at very, very low prices, or worse yet, using it as a loss leader. Some of these people are huge jobbers and or the manufactures themselves, hard to compete against. Some sellers are part time or hobbyist and don't need or care if they make much money (and they probably don't). Unless you have a very unique product or are in a position where you can bring a new, hot product to eBay first, you must be prepared for extremely aggressive pricing competition in a market where the average buyer is looking for cheap beer prices on high quality champagne.

So, all said, you may be wondering if it's even worth the effort. That depends on you and how well you prepare.

Before you open your eBay Store or run out and buy a bunch of product, visit Strictly Business Magazine's "How to Sell on eBay Resource Center" at http://sbmag.org and read all the "free" articles. Then buy and read a series of books about eBay, there are a number of them listed there. Start out with a book on the basics and then the more advanced volumes.

After you have read up on the basics, set up a seller's account. Not a Store yet, that starts the meter running after the thirty day free trial. Not a lot of money, but why pay it until you have the necessary education you are going to need to be successful.

Once you have a basic education, experiment with a few items you have lying around the house you'd like to get rid of. This will give you the chance to experience the eBay process and give you an idea of what you are in for. Pick items that sell for under $10, this will give you the cheapest listing fees to experiment with. (A $9.99 item lists for half the price of a $10 item, same thing as $24.99 vs $25). Also make sure you pick items that are easy to ship. Check with the post office for shipping fees and packaging. If you use Express Mail, most of the shipping materials are free and in some cases will more then offset the higher postage fees and will get your product to your customer faster, resulting in better a Feedback Rating, something you will soon learn is very important in eBay.

As you're reading the books you have just bought, watch for important subjects such as Feedback Rating, shipping and handling, product selection, effective listings, taking and using photos and using hmtl in your listings. Also make note of other tips and ideas on keeping your listing professional but at the same time keeping the cost down. Other topics of importance include "keywords" and how they affect eBay search engines and auctions vs fixed price listings.

Don't be misled into believing that the buyers are clamoring all over themselves to bid up every item you offer up for sale. Go browse the listings in the category that you will be listing in. You may be surprised to see that most items don't have a single bid and will not sell at all and others have only a single bid. You may also want to find out what are the best days and time frames most successful auctions close.

The price you pay for a few books and the time it takes to read them and do a little research may be returned ten fold or more in just the first few months after opening your eBay store.

Floyd Snyder is the founder and former owner of Executive Advertising, Camera Ready Art and Strictly Business Magazine. Currently he is the owner of Strictly Business Magazine at http://www.sbmag.org, http://www.FrameHouseGallery.com, http://www.EducationResourcesNetwork.com/and http://www.TraderAide.com.


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ONLINE AUCTIONS: Ebay Consignments: The Giant Opportunity Hiding On Ebay (part I)

2007-04-27T10:40:00.000+03:00

ONLINE AUCTIONS: Ebay Consignments: The Giant Opportunity Hiding On Ebay (part I)

Ebay Consignments: The Giant Opportunity Hiding On Ebay (part I)

2007-04-27T10:36:00.000+03:00

More and more, people are becoming aware that they have potential cash sitting in their closets, attics, and basements. But not everyone has the time or the know-how to tap into it, so these items remain where they are or are given away. Or worse, they're tossed out with the trash. eBay is about to change that.
eBay Consignments are a Growing Opportunity for experienced eBay sellers and a boon to consumers who want to unload their "stuff"
Heres a common scenario:
Renee has a basement full of record albums from the 1940's that she inherited from her Uncle's estate. She has no interest in them, and would love to see what she could get for them on eBay. The trouble is, Renee is not only unfamiliar with how eBay works, but she's also a "technophobe". She breaks out in a rash every time she sees a computer or a digital camera. But Renee has heard something about eBay consignments.
So, Renee asks her neighbor Anne, the eBay whiz, to help her out. Anne does a quick check of recently closed eBay auctions to see what similar items have been selling for. She adjusts Renee's expectations with this information, and the next day Renee drops off her cartons full of records.
Ann takes a couple of digital photos, writes a general description for the lot, and launches the eBay auction. She invites prospective bidders to email her with any questions.
Things go smoothly, and a week later the lot is sold. Renee is pleased with her earnings and extremely grateful to Anne. She asks Anne what she owes her for her hard work. Anne, good neighbor that she is, only accepts enough to cover her eBay expenses and tells Renee she can take her out to lunch some time.
An Opportunity Seized
This kind of informal arrangement has been going on between members and nonmembers of the eBay community for several years. Many auctions will state that "I'm selling this item for a friend", or "a woman in my neighborhood found these in her attic and asked me to sell them on eBay".
eBay, who has a knack for keeping an ear to the ground and spotting to trends, saw a golden opportunity in this kind of arrangement. In 2002, they launched the "eBay Trading Assistant" program.
The program is run on the same basic principal as eBay consignments, only more formalized. Sellers can now advertise themselves as Trading Assistants on eBay, and people with items to sell can use eBay's Directory of Trading Assistants to find someone in their area.
Because of eBay's minimum requirements for becoming a "TA", only those sellers with experience and a good reputation (or high positive feedback ratings, in "ebay language") have the privilege of selling items for others.
Benefits for Everyone
The system benefits the Trading Assistant by expanding their reach far beyond the next door neighbor. When a seller joins the Trading Assistants Directory, he or she is telling the world that they are willing to sell for others.
For those seeking out eBay consignments as a means to cash in their "stuff", the system offers an "official" source of experienced eBay sellers and information about how things work.
And of course all of this brings more business to eBay. As always, eBay is simply the portal for consignment selling, not an employer of the Trading Assistant. So each individual "TA" makes their own rules about how they wish to structure their eBay consignments business.
How it Works
Trading Assistants are experienced eBay sellers who have indicated their willingness to sell items for others for a fee. People who want to hire a Trading Assistant can search the Trading Assistant Directory to find someone to sell for them. All the terms of how the services will work are negotiated between Trading Assistants and their clients. You can become a Trading Assistant if you meet some basic requirements (1 past sale in the last 30 days and a feedback rating of at least 50 with fewer than 2% negative feedback points).
Cost and Requirements
Currently, it costs nothing to become a Trading Assistant and be listed in the eBay consignments Trading Assistant Directory. eBay has not expressed any intentions of charging for it, but they do reserve the right to change their policies.
To become a Trading Assistant, you need to meet the following requirements:
-You've sold at least 4 items in the last 30 days.
-You have a feedback score of 50 or higher.
-97% or more of your feedback is positive.
-Your eBay account is in good standing.
Note: The ability to join the directory is a privilege, not a right, and eBay can remove the ability of a TA to post to the directory if they receive complaints and/or find evidence of unprofessional behavior.
Interestng Facts
According to Walt Duflock, eBay's director of the trading assistant program, consignment selling has really taken off since the program's inception:
-The TA Program began in February 2002
-There are more than 50,000 registered trading assistants worldwide as of August 2004
-"Collectibles" is a very active category for TAs and TA clients
How to Find or Become a Trading Assistant
To find a "TA" At eBay, you'll be asked to enter your ZIP code code to find a Trading Assistant near you who can handle your ebay consignments. To find someone who specializes in particular items or services, you may select an item category or use their "Advanced Search" link.
Provided you meet the requirements listed above, you can fill out eBay's online application to become a TA and start your own eBay consignments business right away. Although you can run your business however you choose, and you're not employed by eBay, they do provide some assistance:
eBay provides extensive resources for the trading assistant program, among them Trading Assistant Worshops such as the recent one entitled, "Getting the Most Out of the New Trading Assistant Directory". The "Trading Assistant Toolkit" is an extensive directory of tools and education to help Trading Assistants market their services better and find more clients.
eBay also offers an Advertising Reimbursement program, which helps PowerSellers market their products and services offline by subsidizing a percentage of their
advertising efforts. And eBay has produced at least two training manuals outlining Best Practices for marketing, selling, fincance, efficiency, and working with clients.
With all of these resources at hand, anyone interested in eBay consignments, whether to tap into "the money in the attic" or to further their eBay auction success, is not likely to be disappointed.
Be sure to look for Part II, in which eBay takes the program to the next level with the Trading Post.
© Copyright 2004 Carolyn Schweitzer DDS. Dr. Schweitzer was a family dentist for 20 years and is now owner and editor of several websites. You can learn more about where to find specific links to the Trading Assistant and Trading Post programs by visiting her website at http://www.netbrainer.com/site/500041/page/449460.

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E Bay.com Html Auction Templates: Which Is Best For Ebay Selling?

2007-04-26T09:38:00.000+02:00

There are a plenty of free e bay.com free auction template services out there and I would like to help you find the service that will best suit your needs by comparing what i feel is the top two contenders. FoamTemplates.com and Auctioninsights.com.
In the left corner? we have www.auctioninsights.com with the number one ranking website in google for the coveted search phrase, "free auction templates" This site contains a large amount of helpful information but the Template Designer does lack customization options. You can enter a title, description, and shipping details like most template makers, but are limited to 3 full size pictures, and there is no easy way to change your color scheme without diving into Html. I would say this site does have an edge on reach because of the helpful e bay.com related information and the site age is much greater so there is a slight reputation boost as well.
In the right corner? we have www.foamtemplates.com. This is a new site and lacks the trusty useful information the opponent has, but it has the strength of being able to not only format your information into tables, but also the ability to easily edit everything there is to edit about your templates design. Many free colors, fonts, and backgrounds are available. You can also upgrade to the premium edition for unlimited picture uploads. When you upload a picture to foam premium, it is optimized, resized, and can also be automatically thumbnailed for you. Great time saver.
I hope you find this review to be helpful in determining which site will best suit your needs. And above all, enjoy the FREE templates and information!
Try http://www.foamtemplates.com today, for Free Auction Templates!


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Ebay Bargain Hunting - Spell Your Way To Success!

2007-04-25T12:27:00.000+02:00

Have you ever wondered how identical items can fetch such widely differing prices on eBay? Or why some items fail to receive any bids at all?
Sometimes it is a matter of luck, or just timing - especially for things which are pretty unique or where there are not manybuyers.
Many commentators however suggest that it has much more to dowith the quality of the item title. With thousands of items listed in each category the search box becomes the buyers best friend and that can in itself present opportunities.
All too often items are listed with spelling mistakes or typosand with millions of lots added to eBay daily this can provide real bargains for the determined eBay bargain hunter.
Buyers for instance may search for a "television" but would not find the several auction lots where the seller listed the item as "telivision" or "televisino". As a consequence the item will probably fail to receive any interest and closes without a bid.
Of course the money saved by finding bargains could be offset if you have to spend many hours trawling through listings searching for misspellings. Now a clever piece of software aims to notonly help you find all those misspelt bargains but does it in a matter of seconds! http://www.auctionspeller.com
With no software to download you simply enter the correct spelling and in many cases it returns misspelt bargains instantly. The cost of this useful (multi-country) tool will also come as a pleasant surprise to bargain hunters - it's completely free!
Finding bargains this way should carry a health warning though - it is rather addictive! http://www.auctionspeller.com
Steve Durkin is a Director of Online Merchants Ltd whichoperates the Auction Lotwatch network of sites. Auction Lotwatchhave been providing a selection of free auction tools and information to the online auction community for nearly five years. http://www.auctionlotwatch.com


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E-bay Auctions: Sell Better, Spend Less Tip #1

2007-04-24T09:23:00.000+02:00

Just about everyone alive today has heard of E Bay.com, but most people don't realize the sheer size and complexity of this Auction beast. Do you have something to sell? Then read on for the single most important tip to Selling better and Spending less.
79 million searches are done on E bay each day. Yes that is a very large number of searches, large enough to contain very valuable selling potential, but there are also around 19 million items on E Bay.com alone on any given day. After you have time to take this in please continue reading this article.
How can I sell more effectively? How can I lower the cost of my auctions? These are good questions with many answers, but I will cover in my opinion, the most important and effective e Bay tip of all.
More Pictures!!!
It is a proven fact that the more pictures taken of an item, the better it will sell. Not only will you get more bids, but you will get a higher final price.
The Problem.
You will never list as many pictures as you should because E-bay by default charges per picture. This causes you to ask yourself, do I really need another picture? This kind of thinking is bad for business. You should instead be asking yourself, how many different pictures can I take of this item? This brings us to the problem. Ebay charges you for every picture they host. So more pictures = more expensive auction.
The Solution
The single best thing you can do as a seller is to look into paying for an Unlimited Picture Hosting Service. These services will host an unlimited number of pictures for you and some are very easy to use. Let me show you an example. My favorite is FoamTemplates.com.
FoamTemplates.com give you unlimited uploads and they are very easy to use. And even more imporantly, they don't restrict how many times your picture can be seen! This is very important. It is very annoying to view an auction and see that Bandwidth exceeded message. Foam Premium costs around $8 a month and includes a really nice template maker that allows you to design your whole auction on the FoamTemplates webpage. It even gives you the option to thumbnail your pictures if you have very many so your viewers don't have to scroll 3 miles down to see your payment information.
If you see any other services that come close to this, please contact me and let me know and I will compare them. Hope this tip will save you as much money as it has me!
Joe Regan is a freelance writer for various websites.
More FOAM Information:
Free e bay.com Auction Image Hosting for your Auction Picture Hosting Needs. FOAMTemplates is compatible with E-bay and other online Auctions. Free E Bay.com Auction Template Maker allows you to design custom auction templates for auction sites including but not limited to E-Bay. Any Html auction service will work. We also offer a members only section with enhanced features such as unlimited picture uploading, and auto thumbnailing. Thank you for your interest. - FOAM Team


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Ebay Auction Selling Secrets - Using Ebay To Launch Your Very Own Highly Successful Website

2007-04-23T10:34:00.000+02:00

Launching your very own successful website is the dream of many people worldwide because it is a new way to make money and be employed by oneself with little overhead. So, once you have your website you will need traffic to make it successful. The question is, how will you get the targeted traffic you need to support your website, sell your products, and realize your dream of a highly successful website? The answer is eBay. Yes, eBay is an auction site and regardless of whether or not you are interested in auctioning off your products, eBay is the perfect forum for generating that targeted traffic you are so interested in. You may be skeptical, but read the following reasons why eBay will get you the traffic you need.
First of all, eBay is affordable and you can run an auction for up to 10 days at a time. During this period you will have use of a small portion of the web and can advertise and describe your product or service for sale in any way you see fit. You can even add links. Ah, now you are starting to understand. These links on eBay will instantly begin to generate traffic to you site. You do not have to search out qualified websites, contact their webmaster, and grovel for a link. All you have to do is pay pocket change to auction off your product or service and add links to your site. This has several benefits.
One, you will be actually auctioning off a service or product so you might even sell it. And two, you will have the links you need to drive people to your website, and this is targeted traffic. Since eBay has billions of pages and millions of members worldwide, you will immediately realize many hits on your web pages from people who are interested in your particular products and services. Your sales will increase and you will have spent very little money to get those visitors to your site.
You certainly will save a lot of time by using eBay as part of your online marketing strategy. On eBay, you can list a lot of auctions in one day and continuously re-list them. That means you are in control of getting your company linked and noticed on the web. You won't have to be so concerned about other companies not linking to you or waiting long periods of time for them to do so. Using eBay will reduce the pressure a little bit and make the job of promoting your site much easier. Go ahead and try it. You might be skeptical, but you'll be amazed with the results.
Michael Turner reveals step-by-step how you can increase search engine traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it now at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/


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Ebay Auction Sellers Guide To Finding Hot Money Making Products

2007-04-20T09:00:00.000+02:00

You might be one of the thousands of individuals who open a trading account with eBay and dream about making auction selling a full-time home-based business.
However, before that dream can become a reality, you need to do many important things while running an auction business.
One of these important things to do is to pick the right products to sell. The right products to sell are the ones that people on eBay want or will buy.
eBay tells you what people actually want and what people actually will buy in four areas of its website.
"In Demand"
One of these four areas on eBay's site is the "In Demand" section. There is an "In Demand" link for each of the main categories on eBay. Listed in these areas are the previous month's top ten products that people wanted and the top ten searches for each subcategory. To see the data in these areas follow the link below and when you reach the page, scroll down and click on the link "In Demand" under any of the categories shown.
http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/sellbycategory.html
"Hot Categories Report"
The next area containing information on finding what to sell on eBay is the "Hot Categories Report." This report lists the "fastest growing" categories on eBay for the previous month. The explanation for what eBay considers "hot" can be hard to understand on your first reading. Nevertheless, the important thing to know is that the categories listed are the ones were buyer demand for the items under those categories are growing faster than the seller supply. This report is a PDF file so you will need Adobe® Reader® to open it. Here is the link:
http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/hotitems.pdf
"eBay Pulse"
"eBay Pulse" is another area where you can figure out what people are looking for on "The World's Online Marketplace®." It contains a category's daily snapshot of the ten most popular searches and the stores with the most active listings. A subsection on "eBay Pulse," known as "Most Watched Items," reveals the ten auctions that are getting the most attention. Visit this page and select a category to study from the drop-down menu.
http://pulse.ebay.com
"Merchandising Calendar"
The last area with information on what to sell on eBay is the "Merchandising Calendar." Here, eBay shows you the categories they will promote on their homepage each month. This is where eBay "tells" you what to sell. You can ignore their calendar and sell anything you choose, but wouldn't it be easier to make sales if you took advantage of eBay's promotional influence? Look at this page and use the calendar as a guide in planning your inventory and listings.
http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/calendar.html
Last Thoughts
Now that you have the links to data that tells you what people will buy on eBay, you can look forward to listing these items and making sales. The next step is finding the wholesale or drop-ship sources that carry those items that are "In Demand." That is when you will be one-step closer to achieving your goal of making a living from eBay.
(c) Leroy Chan - All Rights reserved
Discover the "Insider Tricks" to making money on eBay. Visit Leroy Chan's site, eBay Auction Seller Money Making Reports to receive a free 12-part auction selling course.


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Ebay Auction Bidding Strategies--overcoming The Most Frustrating Situation On Ebay

2007-04-19T09:42:00.000+02:00

The Problem...
It's happened to the best of us.
You've been watching the auction all week, and finally you're about to claim your prize--a rare bronze statue from the Qing Dynasty. Or something just as tantalizing.
You log on a few minutes before the auction closes, and confirm that you're still the top bidder -- no one has challenged you in several days. You're already picturing "your" statue prominently displayed on the living room mantelpiece, your friends green with envy as you tell them about the great deal you got on eBay. You refresh the page a few times, to make sure you're still number 1. You even up your bid a little just to make sure no body tries to outbid you at the last minute.
50 seconds to go...30...10...the auction has ended and the statue is yours!! You refresh the page for the last time so you can see your eBay ID announced as the winning bidder. And that's when your heart drops to your toes. It's not your eBay ID at all, but some joker who calls themselves "SpeedyFingers123".
How could this have happened?
You were the winning bidder with only 10 seconds to go!! Speedy or not, it just doesn't seem humanly possible.
Well, you're right. No one is that fast. SpeedyFingers123 (I made that one up, so if it's your actual eBay ID, please don't sue me!) won the auction in the final 4 seconds. It isn't humanly possible because "speedy" didn't actually place the bid. The bid was place on his or her behalf, from a remote server, using something called Bidding Software.
You've Been Sniped!
The act of placing a bid during the final seconds of an online auction is called "Sniping" and it's perfectly legal on eBay. Bidding wars and sniping are an eBay sellers dream and a buyer's nightmare. Why, you're asking yourself, don't these people just use eBay's trusty proxy bidding process? Why not just discreetly enter the maximum they're willing to pay at the beginning of the auction, then let the cards fall where they may? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, it's not human nature. If all you have to do is outbid the next guy by fifty cents or even five dollars to win, wouldn't you?
Second, it doesn't make economic or strategic sense to place a bid anytime before the last five minutes of an auction.
Think about it. eBay encourages bidders to use the proxy system and place bids early. What this means is that an inexperienced bidder who wants an item will want to be the highest bidder right away, and will keep upping their bid to hold that winning position. They'll only stop when the bidding exceeds their budget. Then the next guy comes along and continues the process. If this starts at the beginning of a seven or ten day auction, and ends with a bidding war in the last 10 minutes, the final price for the item can spiral out of control. Many items sell for far more than fair market value because people get caught up in "bidding fever" -- all they want is to WIN, they're not even thinking about whether the price is realistic.
What to Do?
A better strategy would be for everyone to "watch" the auction until the very end. Again, there's two good reasons. One, the price doesn't spiral up as just illustrated. Two, the auction has zero bids, so it attracts fewer bidders-- less competition. It's a fact that once an auction has at least 1 bid, it becomes a magnet for additional bidders. Shoppers scanning an auction page tend to jump to the ones with bids, figuring there must be something that attracted other bidders. The more bids, the more interesting the item looks.
Wouldn't it be great if a seller started a two carat diamond ring at $0.99 and no one bid until the last five minutes, and they all bid in fifty cent increments? Someone might win the ring for just a few bucks!! Of course, that never happens, but it would be the ideal situation for a buyer-- and it would put eBay out of business in a hurry. eBay encourages early bidding and smiles upon the snipers of the world. eBay makes their profits on listing fees and "final value" fees. The more the item sells for the higher the "final value". This makes eBay very happy. That's why you'll never find any tutorials anywhere on eBay telling you to wait until the end of an auction to bid.
The Solution...
OK, so now that we understand the benefits of sniping, lets get back to our friend "SpeedyFingers123". Speedy probably started out in life just like I did. She learned everything she knew about eBay from eBay and never realized there was such a thing as bidding software. Never knew a computer could do your sniping automatically, bid on your behalf in the last 2 to 8 seconds of an auction, and do it while you're asleep. With sniping software, you tell the software program which auctions you're interested in and how much you're willing to pay. eBay never knows you've seen the auction until your friendly sniping service swoops in and places your bid with only seconds to spare. Neither does your competition. They never see you coming. The only way you can lose is if someone else uses the same program sets their maximum bid higher than yours.
(Yes, my friend, you can still lose. There's no guarantee of winning an auction no matter what system you use, if someone else is willing to pay more. If you set your maximum bid at a million dollars for a hunk of Elvis' belly button lint and some nut is willing to pay a million ten, you're still going to lose!)
"Bidding Fever" Cured
Let's face it, there IS a positive side to losing an auction. It's the satisfaction of knowing that you didn't lose your head and spend more than you could afford!! Trust me, I've been there, done that, and come to regret it. With sniping programs, you can "set it and forget it" and walk away knowing that if you don't win, you couldn't have afforded it anyway.
What's that I hear you saying? "But I could have had it if I'd just upped my bid by another fifty cents!" Hey, did you listen to anything I just said? Do you want to drive yourself nuts? It's only stuff, after all. You can't take it with you, and there will always be more. The beauty of eBay is that there will probably be another just like it, or at least something just as fabulous.
You're in Control
There's another big advantage to using bidding software. Two things, actually. First, sniping programs allow you to do something called "contingency bidding". Suppose you're interested in several very similar items and you want to win at least one of them but not all. Provided they're not all ending at the same time, you can create a contingency plan telling the bidding software to cancel your bids on the other items as soon as you win one of them.
Second, you can change your mind about an item you're bidding on at any time (except in approximately the last 15 minutes). On eBay, it's a huge "no-no" to retract a bid. You can only do this under the most dire of circumstances. Do it too many times you'll be politely asked to leave. Permanently. But, because eBay doesn't register your bid until the Sniping program enters it for you, (at the very end of the auction) you can cancel your "snipe" with no penalty. You're canceling what you've programmed into the sniping software, not an actual bid on eBay.Isn't that nice? No more "watching" an auction you're unsure about, and then forgetting to bid on it. No more babysitting your computer so you can be there for the final moments of the auction. No more finding out you've read the description wrong and you're bidding on an item you don't want. Or finding something you like better after you've already committed yourself to another item, and having to pass on it. (Or worse, spending way too much on both!) And, finally, you have the satisfaction of knowing that winning doesn't depend on the speed of your fingers or your internet connection.
Believe me, the first time you snatch an item away from SpeedyFingers123-- or anyone else for that matter-- you'll be hooked.
© 2004 NetBrainer LLC. An eBay Power Seller and rabid eBay shopper, Carolyn Schweitzer is the owner and editor of "NetBrainer", a site dedicated to improving the performance of buyers and sellers on eBay. (You can learn more about sniping programs at NetBrainer.com ). Carolyn also provides weekly recorded tips on eBay for "Third Mind USA Small-Biz radio".


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Ebay And Dropshipping - A Perfect Fit!

2007-04-18T09:07:00.000+02:00

eBay and Dropshipping go together like a hand in a glove. As you read this article, right now, thousands of eBayers are running there own auction business. Some of them make little money, and some of them make real huge profits. Why? It is mostly due to the products they choose to sell, the Dropshippers they use and how they promote their eBay Business.
If you are new to Internet Marketing, promotion of your new eBay Business is key. Also, staying up to date with all the new and better ways to advertise and promote your business is cruical. Things on the Internet can change almost over night and to keep your eBay Business making money you must keep up with those changes. But don't be discouraged, the ease of using Dropshipperswill allow you more time to concentrate on improving your sales skills and learning how to bring more customers to your eBay auctions.
The great thing about Dropshipping as outlined in my book "eBay Marketing Wholesale SourcePak" is that it will allow you to operate a Home Based Business as an Internet Marketer with out ever worrying about storage of inventory, packaging of inventory, or even shipping of that inventory. How? The Dropship supplier will look after all of that for you. And even greaterstill is the fact that your auction business will cost you very little to get started. The fact is, most Dropshippers charge you nothing to become a member to sell their products. While others may charge just a nominal administration fee. So, with such a low financial risk the only thing you have to lose is a bit of your time.
How does one put together eBay and Dropshipping? It's really very simple. First, browse eBay to see what kind of product(s) you would like to sell. Then sign up as a member with eBay. Once you have decided on a product(s), locate a Dropshipper for that product(s). Sign up with that Dropshipper and then place an auction on eBay for the item. Once your auction is over and you have a buyer for the product email your Dropshipper the required information. The Dropshipper will ship the product directly to your customer, and charge your account the wholesale price for that product. The difference between the wholesaleprice and your retail price is pure profit!.
To run a successful eBay Business you will need to sell what the public wants to buy. Always research any product before you decide to sell it. Make sure it is popular and you can get it at a great price.
Happy Selling!
Joe Clare
Joe Clare is an active Netpreneur and eBayer! He is the author of numerous articles on how to succeed on eBay! Check out his latest Best Selling eBook "eBay Marketing Wholesale SourcePak" Your Passport to Success! at http://www.ebooksnsoftware.com


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Ebay And Dropshipping, A Marriage Made In Heaven?

2007-04-17T09:38:00.000+02:00

Ebay is the 'BEST' opportunity you can use right now to make money online in the dropshipping business from the comfort of your own home.
Thousands of people just like you use eBay auctions on a daily basis to sell and buy products on the Internet; now it's your time to START your own dropshipping home-based business and succeed in the eBay auctions 'game'!
There are no special skills required for this dropshipping business, all you need is a computer, Internet access and some basic computer / Internet knowledge.
Dropshipping is when you sell products on the Web, forward the orders to the dropship supplier and, in return, the dropshipper ships the product to your customer (buyer).
You act as the middleman between the dropshipping supplier and your buyer. You can take orders by credit card, PayPal fax or any other method you can think of. You can sell via your own Web Site, Yahoo store, or even through e-mails.
Your profit is generated on the difference between your selling price and the price the dropshipping supplier charges you.
Thanks to dropshipping you can start making money 'instantly' without any investment in inventory, warehousing, shipping, equipment, employees or office space.
Having products drop shipped by suppliers, allows you to concentrate on truly important aspects like advertising, sales and promotion.
Pay attention! There are lots of companies claiming to be 'Drop Shippers'. However, a legitimate drop shipper is a factory-authorized wholesale distributor, or sometimes the actual manufacturer of the product. A legitimate drop shipper should not charge you an 'account setup fee' or ask you to place a 'minimum quantity order'.
Make sure you find legitimate drop shippers who have the product(s) you want to sell, talk with them on the phone or by e-mail and let them know that you are truly serious about doing business with them.
Customer support counts in the dropshipping business, so don't hesitate to contact dropshipping suppliers before you proceed to work with them.
This will help you decide if you really want to do business with a particular drop shipper or not.
To succeed in the dropshipping business you'll have to LOOK for hard-to-find products that people desperately need and want to purchase.
The key is to sell products with little or no competition.
Do some research for product's you want to sell that you think will have little or no competition on eBay.
I suggest you RESEARCH for quality products & legitimate dropship suppliers, MONITOR the eBay auction listings to see if there's any competition and TEST the market (e.g. find out if people really want to spend CASH on the product you want to sell)
Remember! Dropshipping makes it EASY for you to start and run your own home-based businesses on a shoestring budget; and eBay is the 'perfect' MEDIUM to expose your product to potential buyers all over the globe!
About the Author: Ron Keegan runs Megastar Distributors a red-hot Web Site jam-packed with lots of FREE Resources, Tips & Reports on DropShipping & eBay. Pick-up your *FREE* ebook at http://www.Megdis.com to learn more about making-money dropshipping!


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Ebay After Sales - As Important As The Listing Itself

2007-04-16T09:08:00.000+02:00

Your eBay listing has finished and you have made a sale, now the next important stage starts - the after sales. Again we are aiming to develop the professional image or ourselves in the customers eyes to encourage them to come back to us again and again because it is easier to sell to a current customer than it is to a new customer.
eBay after sales is almost 100% email based, apart from very rare occasions, and you need to set up a process whereby you can accurately monitor the stage of after sales that each customer is at. This is very easy in the early stage with not many auctions but when you start to develop as an eBay seller it needs to become very organised.
eBay start this process off for you, they email you (and the seller) to confirm the sale and provide you with the contact details so you can start your after sales process. Always send a reminder email as sometimes, due to the number of fraudulent eBay emails that are around, the buyer never actually opens the original email.
Again eBay provides this functionality by means of allowing you to send an invoice using the eBay system, always include a copy to yourself (a simple tick box) if you plan to use this method so that you have a record of the email and can use it for your records. I would recommend however that you actually send an email using your own email provider as it forms the basis for developing a customer relationship.
The email you send should include the following:
A short thank you for using your auctions and a congratulations on them winning.
Then the item specifics:
Item Purchased, Final Price, Shipping Price, Total Price Due (final plus shipping), Payment Methods Accepted (also indicated in the listing), Payment Time Frame, Mailing Address for Payment and a link to your feedback page so that you can encourage the buyer to leave feedback.
It is also advisable to provide another email address so that they can contact you if they experience any difficulties using the original and of course always include a link to your own web site (if you have one, if not get one!). It works along the same lines as the eBay about me page method.
I have a draft copy of the contact email saved so I do not need to keep retyping it out, all I do is change the customer specific information and send it.
The customer then sends you your payment and the final stage of the after sales process begins.... Post and Packing.
Visit ebay information central to use the FREE resources to develop your online business.


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Eating And Thriving On-line

2007-04-13T09:42:00.000+02:00

The Internet SHOULD be "the place to shop" for low-carb dieters, diabetics, celiacs, and anyone else on a special diet. The posted prices are well below those in retail stores, the variety is greater, you are dealing with firms whose specialty is dealing with your need, and the products for sale are described fully in type that is designed to be read (isn't that a pleasant contrast to the packages you see in your local store.)
The bad news, of course, is the shipping charge that is attached to every order. Shortly after being diagnosed with celiac disease, I ordered a box of breakfast cereal ($4.00) on-line and paid a $7.00 shipping charge. I learned from the experience that $11.00 box of cereal.
My solution stems from the fact that the cost of shipping items drops dramatically with the size of the total order. For example, the Gluten-Free Pantry charges $6.85 to ship a single but will ship $499.00 worth of merchandise for less than twice that much. At Bob's Red Mill, the shipping charge depends on the weight of the total shipment and depends on where you live, but in my particular ZIP code, a single item ships for $7.39. A 34 pound shipment would cost $13.43. You can probably find similar examples by browsing through the web sites you would like to patronize.
The strategy is to order as much as you can in a single shipment. Don't throw money away, of course, but do everything that you can to increase the size of the order and thereby decrease the cost of shipping each individual items. Work with people who share your diet. The only requirement is that the entire order be sent to the same place and paid for with the same credit card.
Good luck. Eat well. Obviously, internet shopping is easier for persons who are ordering big-ticket items where the shipping cost is largely insignificant. But the system I have just described works.
Paul Colligan is the webmaster at sugar-and-gluten-free.com, a site that employs the shopping system described in this article. Contact him at paul@sugar-and-gluten-free.com to share ideas.
I learned internet shopping out of necessity. I live in a small city and have a very restricted diet not to mention a retiree's budget. I established http://www.sugar-and-gluten-free.com to help others do the same.


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Easy Money On Ebay?

2007-04-12T09:56:00.000+02:00

Ebay was only two years old when I discovered it.
A friend I worked with was also starting to sell on Ebay at about the same time, and we exchanged ideas and experiences constantly. Since we were already working together on our Ebay ventures, we decided to combine our resources into one company and grow it while we were still both working our regular job. We found our niche selling technical books and manuals as our little company began to grow and prosper. Our co-workers at the company we worked at during the day came to consider us the "Ebay Experts". We were answering questions about online auctions on a daily basis, but one coworker had the same comment every day.
"Hey, show me how to make easy money on Ebay!" he would ask. It became a standing joke between My partner and I that usually came up around two or three in the morning during a marathon packing or email answering session. One of us would look at the other and mutter in a disgusted tone "Yea, Easy money on Ebay.."
In January of 2002, we had more sales, and more auctions running than ever before. We were looking at 100 to 150 auctions a day closing, and enjoying a sell-through rate of close to 75%. Our shelves were piled high with books and manuals, the shipping area was well stocked with supplies, and we were ready for long hours of fulfilling our orders.
Then, as if fate stepped in to see just what we were made of, a huge ice storm hit our part of Oklahoma taking out large sections the electrical grid. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that online businesses can do without many things, but electricity is NOT on that list! On the third day of the blackout, we were able to learn from the radio (battery powered) that it wasn't just our area, but over HALF the state of Oklahoma. Worse yet, the damage was so extensive it was going to be at least TWO WEEKS before power was restored! A quick calculation and we almost panicked. We would have over two THOUSAND AUCTIONS END, and no way to contact the bidders! If we didn't keep up with the sales, payments, and shipping on a daily basis, we were in deep trouble... We couldn't imagine what a mess it would be in TWO WEEKS!
The fourth day into the blackout, I made an executive decision. I grabbed the company checkbook, and headed for our closest Lowe's Home Improvement center (about 70 miles away..). The little roadtrip turned into quite the adventure. Strange thing about a massive blackout is gas stations can't pump gas without electricity, and you are burning gas while you are driving around looking for a gas station that was open for business. I was running on luck and fumes before I finally found a station and filled up. With a full tank of gas, I made it to Lowe's and purchased a generator. We assembled the generator in record time, put oil in the engine and then realized... Uh Oh, we need gas for the generator. No local gas stations were open for business, and we didn't want to risk another road trip. Using an old trick I hadn't used since I was growing up on a farm, we were able to get enough gas out of my pickup truck to fuel up the generator.
The little generator fired up on the first pull, and with the help of a few extension cords and power strips, we had a computer network up and running at My partners house. It was then we made another interesting discovery. Cable internet connections do not work without electricity. I had a DSL internet connection at my house, so off we go with a partially charged battery in my laptop to test my internet connection. SUCCESS! DSL works off the phone line power so it was still functional. We made a quick drive back to My partners house to tear down the computer network and load the generator, then back to my house to set it all up again. At 4:30 the next morning We had the network online and a couple of lamps for light. We were self-contained, and open for business. Now we could get to work, and so we did, for the next straight 48 hours. We had a pickup truck load of packages ready for the post office when it hit us, "Is the post office open?". A quick phone call ( by the way, cell phones and cordless phones are useless during a blackout. The simplest plug-it-in-the-wall phones work great.) found us with another problem. Our local post office was closed (no electricity there either.) They did tell us the regional USPS hub had power, and was open 24/7. The bad news is, the regional hub was 75 miles away in Oklahoma City!
Meanwhile, back at the fuel issue... We were relieved to discover that two local gas stations had rented generators and were open for business. We gassed up and headed for Oklahoma City. With the load of packages on the way to customers and most of the other urgent tasks completed, we took a much needed break. We shut down the network and use the generator to power an electric griddle and make a hot meal. The little generator wouldn't power both at the same time without throwing it's breaker.
For the next two weeks, that poor little generator ran constantly keeping the computers running and the shipments going out, the questions answered, and our customers happy. Every other day I would make the 150 mile round trip to the USPS hub in Oklahoma City, stopping on the way back to fill the gas containers for the generator, and fuel up the truck for the next trip.
One evening we took a short break, and stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. We noticed something different.... THE STREET LIGHTS WERE ON! I ran inside and tried the lights... ELECTRICITY!
I went next door and asked my neighbor how long the power had been back on. "Oh, about four or five hours..". We had been so wrapped up working in our self-contained office, we hadn't realized the power had come back on!With our ordeal behind us, we couldn't resist the temptation to elebrate with a cold beer and a toast...
"Here's to "easy money" on Ebay!"
KL Bohn is an Industrial Engineer with a passion for technology and especially Ebay.
Ebay was only two years old when I discovered it quite by accident. 7 1/2 years, and over 85,000 transactions later I'm still hooked on Ebay as a seller, buyer, and shareholder.


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Earn Money Now From Selling Childrens Items On Ebay

2007-04-11T08:53:00.001+02:00

Kids Items You Can Sell
Clothes, toys and videos are good money makers on eBay.
Go to eBay and look up a "lot" of size six girl's cloths. You will find they are expensive! The average price for a lot of 20good conditioned clothes is about $35.00.
When your kids grow out of their seasonal clothes do not throw them out. Bundle them into different lots by category. For example bundle girls dresses separate from girls play clothes, but only do that if you have at least six of each different type.
Lots of any item sell better than single items unless the item is unique or high priced. For example, a hand embroidered dress that you paid a lot for would sell better by itself instead of bundled with other basic dresses.
The next item to lookup on eBay is toys. Most toys in good condition will sell for a lot of money. One idea that works well is to buy hot items in October at Wal-Mart or Toys-R-Us and sell them on eBay. Busy people are willing to pay extra for the convenience of getting the items delivered to their home. For example, last year a Mega Power Ranger came out in stores around October and sold at Wal-Mart for about $45.00. The same item sold on eBay for up to $65.00 plus shipping. The Yellow Power Rangeris yet another example where the store price was about $6.00,while the same item was selling on eBay for about $20.00.
Have your children ever received duplicate birthday or Christmas presents? You can sell those on eBay also. Look at the eBay listings for items of interest to see if selling on eBay is worth more than returning the item to the store.
Kid's videos and DVDs are also good money-makers. Bundle about three of these together, and you can usually make about$7.00-$12.00 per bundle. Bundle more and the money goes up. Disney movies in hard cases can go for a higher amount. This also works for other types of movies as well.
Save those McDonalds toys. Some Kids Meals toys sell high. Take the new Star Wars toys from Burger King...very collectible. You will find them selling on eBay from $1.00 to $5.00, not including shipping.
Ebay has a whole section devoted to dolls and bears. If your daughter doesn't want her collectible dolls anymore sell them on eBay.
Kids Crafts You Can Sell
Around the holidays, especially, have your children place their hand in paint and make a print on some quality paper. Add a holiday related poem and you have a great craft to sell on eBay.
Have your kids make gift jars with ready made mixes. For example, hot chocolate mixes in a jar with a plastic spoon tied to it with a ribbon. Dip the end of the spoon with white chocolate.
Baby Items You Can Sell
Used baby items are very profitable. Baby items cost a lot of money, especially in their first year. Any "gently" used items are generally good sellers on eBay.
If you have baby coupons that you will never use, sell them on eBay! Left over diapers and formula sell well also. A lot of 35used cloth diapers usually sells for around $38.00 plus shipping. Four Fuzzi Bunz diapers (cloth diapers with hemp inserts) can sell for as much as $40.00.
There you have it. Plenty of ideas for selling those leftover kids items on eBay...and you can even make a nice profit while you are at it!
Simon Weaver can help YOU start your own profitable business on the Internet within the next 24 hours! To learn more, visit:http://www.YourOwnFreeBusiness.com/pips.html



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Earn Money Now From Selling Childrens Items On Ebay

2007-04-11T08:53:00.000+02:00

Dropship Your Way To Success

2007-04-06T08:45:00.000+02:00

Many people know they would like to start an Internet business, but they don't have a product to sell. The solution is often drop shipping.
Drop shipping is a business arrangement in which a company (often the manufacturer of a product) sells a product at wholesale prices to a reseller and ships the product directly to the reseller's customers. The retailer makes the company's products available to customers, often through a web site, collects payment, and then orders the product from the manufacturer. This arrangement works well for both the manufacturer and the seller. The manufacturer is able to make the product available to a large number of retailers. The retailers are able to sell products they would not otherwise have access to. Drop shipping allows almost anyone to start a retail company without needing to order large amounts of inventory. This eliminates the need to store the product and cuts overhead dramatically. The reseller only orders products after he has sold it, and in most cases only after being paid. For small businesses concerned about cash flow, this is very attractive.
There are two different philosophies concerning what items to sell via a drop shipper. You may choose whichever appeals to you. The first group believes that you should research the market to determine what items to sell. They say you need to find a high demand item, then locate a drop shipper that sells that item. The second group believes that you should sell what you are interested in. If you like knives, find a company willing to drop ship knives. If you like power tools, find a drop shipper for those. They believe that if you sell something you enjoy, you will do a better job selling. Whichever method you choose, an outstanding way to find a drop shipper is the web site, World Wide Brands (http://databuilders.net/wwb). The people at WWB work full time finding companies willing to drop ship their products for you, Their database is updated constantly to insure only the best companies are made available.
If you decide to go it alone and find a drop shipper yourself, look for a company that either drop ships exclusively, or requires you to register as a member before getting the wholesale prices. If anyone can log into the site and pay the same low price, why should customers buy from you? Many companies require you to provide a business license number before allowing you to register. This is to insure you are a legitimate retailer. If you do not have a license, you should get one. Ideally, the company will deal exclusively in the product you want to sell.
I also do not support companies charging for drop shipping. You may see some offers similar to "Sell hundreds of products for only $29.95 a month." They go on to tell you that you can make thousands of dollars selling their products on E-Bay, so the $29.95 they charge shouldn't matter. There are enough companies that don't charge anything. Avoid paying for the right to sell someone's product for them.
Perhaps the most difficult part in starting a drop ship business, is building the web site. If you have never built a web site before, it can be an overwhelming task. You must consider each detail, from deciding what software to use, to finding a host, and accepting payments. I recommend using osCommerce to build your online store. It is free software that can be modified to look like you want it to. There is an online knowledge base that can answer many of your questions about setting it up and configuring it, or you can let someone else set it up for you.
Thousands of people are making money using the osCommerce, drop shipping combination. It is a powerful, inexpensive way to get your business started.
About The Author
Jason Conley is the owner of Databuilders, a web hosting company for small and home office businesses. He has built a number of drop ship web sites using osCommerce, and contributes regularly to the osCommerce support forum. You can contact Jason at jkconley@databuilders.net, or visit Databuilders at http://databuilders.net.



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Dropship Your Way To Ebusiness Success

2007-04-05T08:28:00.000+02:00

Q: I would like to start my own eBay business, but I really don't want to invest in a ton of inventory until I can get a better handle on what might or might not sell. I read another column about dropshipping, but I'm still a little fuzzy on how the whole process works. Do you think using dropshipping is a good way to start an eBay business and if so, how do I get started? -- Candace M.
A: Dropshipping is a topic that I first addressed in my column way back in April, 2003, which is decades ago in Internet years. But with the continuing growth of eBay and it's positioning of itself as a viable way for anyone looking to launch an ebusiness, the topic of dropshipping is now hotter than ever. It is also now more misunderstood than ever.
Dropshipping has been around since Sears first started selling goods from its mail order catalogs over a hundred years ago. However, the idea of dropshipping still confuses many people who don't understand exactly how the process works.
By definition, dropshipping is a method of selling and distributing goods wherein the distributor or supplier of the product (the dropshipper) ships the product directly to the end user (your customer) on the retailer's behalf (that's you).
The process of dropshipping involves three parties who take a product from manufacturing to market. They are a manufacturer, a distributor, and a reseller.
Let's use a blue widget as a sample product to demonstrate the process: Blue Widget Manufacturing (manufacturer): This is the company that manufactures blue widgets. Blue Widget Manufacturing does not sell directly to the public or supply the retailers who ultimately sell the blue widgets to the end user. They prefer to use distributors to handle the task of taking their blue widgets to market. Blue Widgets sells blue widgets by the truckload to distributors who pay $5 per blue widget.
A1 Distributing (distributor/dropshipper): A1 Distributing is the company that purchases blue widgets in bulk from the manufacturer and supplies them to resellers at a cost of $7 each. The distributor does not ship blue widgets to the reseller, but ships orders directly to the reseller's customers as the widgets are sold.
Big Bob's eBay Widget Store: Big Bob sells blue widgets to the public from his eBay store. Bob orders the blue widgets from A1 Distributing as he sells them (usually one at a time) and has A1 ship the blue widget directly to his customer. Bob sells blue widgets to the public for $10 each, which means that for every blue widget sold he nets $3.
How The Process of Dropshipping Works
Here are the seven steps involved in starting a dropship ebusiness:
STEP 1: Choose A Product To Sell
The very first step in any sales process is deciding what product to sell. There are many factors that should be considered before deciding on a product to sell, but for now let's say that you decide to sell CD players on eBay.
STEP 2: Locate A Supplier Who Will Dropship For You
Using a research tool like Google, Thomas Register, or an industry-specific resource like The Ultimate eBay Dropship Power Pak, you search for and find a company who will dropship CD players for you. The company offers you a 35% mark up over cost, which means that they will supply the CD players to you for $100 each and you should be able to retail them for $135. You make sure that the dropshipper has a good stock of CD players on hand so you don't end up selling a product that must be back-ordered.
STEP 3: Set Up An Account With The Dropshipper
You contact the company that can supply the CD players and set up a reseller account with them. This can often be done online or by phone, but some companies will require that you complete and return a reseller application to open an account. Some companies may also require a tax ID and business license.
STEP 4: Advertise The Product For Sale On eBay
Now that you have your supplier lined up and know that the product is in stock, it's time to make a sale. You advertise the product using an eBay auction. Since you know what you must pay the dropshipper for the product, you know what the minimum amount you will take for the product. In this case you start your auction at $100 since that is your cost. If you are confident that you can get more than $100 for the product you can start with a lower price, but remember that if the product goes for less than what it costs you to fill the order, you will lose money. Also remember that the dropshipper will charge shipping, so you should figure that into your sale.
STEP 5: The Product Sells
Great news: your CD player sells for $135 and your customer pays you with a PayPal instant payment. I highly recommend that if you are selling on eBay you use PayPal or some other online processor to accept instant payments. This allows the customer to pay you faster, which lets you place the order with the dropshipper faster, which gets the product to your customer faster.
STEP 6: Place The Order With The Dropshipper
After your customer pays you, you should contact the dropshipper immediately to order the product on your customer's behalf. The dropshipper then ships the order to your customer under your company name and address.
STEP 7: Follow Up After The Sale
This is where many new ebusiness people drop the ball. Just because your customer has paid you and you've placed the order with the dropshipper does not mean that you are out of the loop. Quite the contrary, if there are problems with the order you are the one that will be held responsible in the eyes of your customer.
Be proactive in your customer relations. Follow up with your customer to let them know that the item has been shipped. Offer yourself as the personal contact for any issues that may arise. This is also a great way to sell that customer more products. Invite them to check out your eBay store or website if you have one.
Many people are afraid to use dropshipping as a method of sales due to the horror stories that fill the Internet about unscrupulous dropshippers who take the money and don't fill the orders, merchandise that is eternally back ordered, unscrupulous middle men posing as dropshippers, etc. Make no mistake, the dropshipping industry ? like most other industries ? does have its share of shady characters who would rob you blind given the chance, but there are also hundreds of honest dropshippers who can help you build a profitable eBay dropship business.
Dropshipping is a complex topic that can't be completely addressed here. For that reason I have written a detailed report on dropshipping that is available to Entrepreneur.com readers for free.Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneurand syndicated columnist, Tim Knox.Tim's latest books include "Small Business Success Secrets"and "The 30 Day Blueprint For Success!"Related Links:http://www.smallbusinessqa.comhttp://www.dropshipwholesale.net




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Drop Ship Your Way To Ebay Profits

2007-04-04T09:22:00.000+02:00

One of the most difficult things to do when looking to start an online business is to find that elusive supplier that will supply you, put simply you need a source of real products to sell. Drop shipping is a perfect way to achieve this and lets you develop the perfect online business..
The perfect online business is one in which you are selling a product whereby you DO NOT HAVE ANY STOCK and you DO NOT PHYSICALLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PRODUCT and all you do is COLLECT THE MONEY AND PASS THE CUSTOMERS DETAILS ON.
Sounds to good to be true! - well it definately is TRUE.
THIS IS DROP SHIPPING AND ANYONE CAN DO IT!
Read the following example :
You decide that you want to sell Mobile Phones, you then realise that to do this the traditional way you would have to hold a large amount of stock so that you have the range and product available for your customers. Without a massive amount of working capital you have no chance, also by the time you get your business noticed the lines you are carrying are out of date and not worth what you paid for them.
However, now consider this:
You sign up to a Mobile Phone drop shipper, they give you a list of products that they can supply. You now go away and advertise this list on your online store. You take an order from your website for a Motorola phone, you have this advertised at $200.. You then collect the customers details via your website, all good shopping cart software provide this feature, and then contact your drop shipper and buy the same phone for $150 and pass them your customers details. That is the end of the sales process for you, what happens next is :
The drop shipper SENDS THE PRODUCT TO YOUR CUSTOMER and usually it goes under plain packaging or some drop shippers can also put YOUR COMPANY DETAILS on the packaging when they send it to your customer.
Thats $50 PROFIT for VERY LITTLE WORK!
Just 10 orders a week will give you $500 profit.
Drop shipping is fast becoming the easiest way of starting your own online business because it offers a very simple formula for success :
The drop shipper sets the price that you pay, you then set the price that your customers pay and the difference between the two is your profit!
SIMPLE ISNT IT.
Because it is that simple a lot of people are jumping on the drop shipping band wagon and it is not unusual to see lots of different websites using the same pictures and sales copy to sell the same product, usually because they just simply publish the promotional materials that the drop shippers provide for them.
It is important at this stage to remember that the internet was based upon the ability to share information and content. It is this simple word, CONTENT, that will help you to distinguish yourself from the rest and will also ensure that your search engine rankings are developed to increase the traffic (ie. customers) to your website.
This is simply using information and content to ADD VALUE to your website, customers want to be able to learn about the product before they purchase and having content specific to your area will allow this distinction in the mind of the customer. In order to make a success of your online business you have to make your customers want to come back. Think of your favourite websites, why do you keep revisiting them? Simple, because they provide you with something that is of VALUE to you.
Drop shipping allows you to develop your business in this manner because instead of worrying about stock levels and shipping you get to focus on listening to the market and discovering the products your visitors want - and then being able to rapidly add them to your site.
Its CONTENT SPECIFIC TO A WANT.
Drop Shipping is EASY - Have I said that?
BUT, don't get carried away. When you see the products that the drop shippers offer you simply think I can sell that, that, that and that and before long your list of things that you want to sell is massive and this is counter productive. In order to make drop shipping successful for you I would suggest to
FOCUS ON ONE PRODUCT AT A TIME
Build this up, when this is established then it gives you the ability to go into other areas a lot easier and your current customer base will give you a good source of potential new customers straight away.
A great way is to focus onto a product that you like, know a lot about or use personally in a hobby etc. This gives you the opportunity to develop your website as an authority on the subject and as such ADD VALUE.
Like any business venture there are some points that should be raised before you build your online empire the easy drop shipping way :
Don't just use the first drop shipper you come across as they may not give you the best deal on this particular product. Like all things shop around a number of drop shippers to find the one most suitable to your needs.
Some drop shippers operate a handling fee over and above shipping costs, this is usually quite a resonable fee and needs to be factored into your pricing structure.
Some drop shippers try to charge you a monthly 'members' fee as another means to make money from you, in my opinion these should be avoided as the only time you should have to pay a dropshipper is in connection with a specific order. You will find that the majority that charge a members fee are the ones that offer no true value to your business anyway.
As with any developing business the question of credibility is key, unfortunately there are a number of con artists out there that are aiming to take your money for nothing in return. A key phrase to remember is :
IF IT SOUNDS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE - IT IS!
Research is key, for example :
How long have the drop shippers been in business?
Do they respond to your information requests quickly and professionally?
Do they offer buying accounts?
What payments do they accept? (if just Western Union run a mile)
This list is endless, that is why I only recommend two sources of drop shippers information. Both these lists are maintained by professionals that constantly update thier lists and only recommend the best, most reliable and trustworthy dropshippers. These sources can be found from the link in my signature box at the bottom of the article.
As you can imagine the idea of drop shipping fits in with online auctions, in particular eBay, perfectly as eBay will provide you with the traffic and all you have to do is make that ad stand out from the rest (my FREE resources on my site will help you) and all the rest of the work is done for you.
You just concentrate on developing your business and using ebays traffic to make money and you cannot lose.
Mike - webmaster at Online Auction Traders Resource
Visit ebay information central to use the FREE resources to develop your online business.





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Drop Shipping Your Way To Increased Profits

2007-04-03T08:40:00.000+02:00

Drop shipping, for those who are unfamiliar with it, is a system whereby you promote the products of a particular manufacturer, take orders directly, and the manufacturer/source handles all the inventory and fulfillment functions for you.
In a nutshell, here is the drop-ship system:
>You generate and accept the order.
>You take your profits out of the sale price.
>You forward the order and the wholesale cost to the drop shipper.
>The source factory ships directly to your customer.
The benefits of this arrangement are probably obvious:
* No inventory cost to you.
* Substantially higher profits to you over what most regular affiliate programs allow.
* The ability to quickly set-up inexpensive, highly targeted, niche or mini-sites to test and promote diverse products.
This process has been around for years and has been responsible for many highly successful mail order dealer relationships in the past. Many of the top catalogers and other direct response marketers, have been using this system to increase profits for decades. If you have ever ordered a high priced item from a mail order catalog and been told that the product was being shipped from the factory... then you have experienced drop shipping first hand.
Drop shipping is, I believe, a virgin un-tapped storehouse of profits for todays internet marketer.
On-line directories exist [http://www.dropshipprofits.com] which reveal essential contact information for drop shippers of over 2,000,000 products and 4,000 brands. Most legitimate drop ship sources will require that you have a state tax reseller number in order to approve you to sell their products and give you the wholesale pricing you are looking for.
Beware of any drop ship source which requires you to pay a fee in order to become a drop-ship dealer... or requires a membership. These are generally organizations which make their money selling "drop ship licenses"... and are, for the most part, scams. Legitimate drop shippers and factory sources never charge you any fees other than the actual wholesale cost & shipping costs of the products you sell.
Another caveat... always make sure that you have a written agreement with the source factory that you own the customer! The factory or drop ship source should agree in writing not to solicit your customers in any form. This is very important to you. Your customer list is one of your most important assets. If the factory you are dealing with balks at this request... use another source who will agree.
Almost every conceivable type of product is available from a drop shipper willing to ship products in single units under your companies name. Pick your interest area... electronics, consumer products, agricultural & industrial products, office equipment & supplies, hobby gear, recreational / sporting goods, clothing, furniture, etc. The list of available products from drop shippers is almost endless.
The products actual source is invisible to the consumer. The seller (you) is able to build a database of customers that he/she owns and controls (by agreement with the manufacturer) and has all the direct marketing advantages that accompany that arrangement... while eliminating the need for maintaining expensive inventory.
This arrangement offers maximum flexibility and cost savings for the seller. If a product does not sell well online you can pull the advertising (web page or mini-site) instantly with very little cost to you outside of the actual time it took to build and test the web marketing effort. Or, since this type of page/mini-site is so inexpensive to maintain and host... you can simply leave the pages online and take whatever orders trickle through... while you move on to the testing and promotion of new drop ship products. A quick marketing test can be done on eBay or other auction site to determine if the product sells... and at what price.
The manufacturer benefits from this relationship by gaining a legion of active marketers promoting their products... at little or no cost (other than those small costs involved with supporting the marketer with online marketing materials like product images, sales materials, etc).
As a marketer you are looking for several key components in developing the drop-ship relationship with a source factory or distributor:
** High Quality Products
** Blanket Product Liability Insurance (if applicable)
** A clear guarantee and return policy
** High Quality Marketing Materials ... product images (gifs, jpegs, etc.), selling copy, other suitable web graphics, etc.
** A Customer Service Department that will work with you to develop the best selling situation for you.
If you are a manufacturer seeking to expand distribution (or an inventor with a new product ) you will find the willingness to drop ship in single units will give you a strong competitive edge while you carve out increased market share at little cost.
If you are an online marketer interested in offering high profit products to your niche market (your website visitors) without incurring high front-end development or inventory costs... then drop shipping is for you.
Internet marketers are uniquely positioned to take profitable advantage of the drop ship arrangement and should give this system a serious look.
(c) Copyright 2005 Thom Reece
Thom Reece is CEO of Online Marketing Resource Center [http://www.E-ComProfits.com] and publisher of "Thom Reece's Web Marketing Strategies & Techniques Newsletter". You may subscribe free at: http://www.WMSTDirect.com, mailto:thom@e-comprofits.com





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Drop Shipping Secrets And Sources Revealed

2007-04-02T09:26:00.000+02:00

Unfortunately for those just breaking into the wholesaling business, drop-shipping source information is jealously guarded. With a firm understanding of the service they offer, it isn't hard to see why. As opposed to the typical wholesale resource, drop-shippers offer a myriad of benefits to their buyers:
? You have no excess merchandise to house between orders.
? You're saved the hassle of calculating shipping, packaging orders, and standing in line at whichever postal service you may use.
? Drop-shipping is a great resource for people who own and run web-sites out of their spare time.
? Drop-shipping doesn't require you to make any out of pocket expenses.
As you can see, drop-shipping is pretty attractive. One of the biggest arenas for wholesalers who use drop-shipping sources is eBay, but it can work with any type of online presence. In an ideal situation, a drop-shipping transaction works as follows (assuming that you already have a customer relationship with a drop-ship source):
First, you'll select which product(s) you'll offer for sale on your website, email ad, auction listing, etc. For each item, you'll need a good quality color photo in .gif or .jpeg format. You'll also need a product description, retail price (giving yourself a margin of at least 25% profit), and check out/shopping cart features.
Then, once the information has been uploaded and is ready for public viewing, a buyer will place an order and make full payment for the item.
After this, you'll place an order with your drop-shipping company and they will locate, package and ship the item to your customer, while (usually) at the same time keeping your cash saving secret safe using unlabeled boxes and invoices, or shipping it using your business contact information. You'll send whatever the wholesale price payment is to them, keeping the extra as profit for your company!!
With the smoothness and ease of this, it's no wonder that people out there are charging outlandish prices for directories, lists and memberships to drop-ship sources "clubs". These packages can run from the low $10's well into the hundreds of dollars.
But not anymore.
Today, I'll reveal to you ten great drop-shipping companies free of charge! While these companies may charge fees for their service, the information is completely free! So don't miss out, get your wholesale business up and running the smart way!!!
1. http://www.qualitybooks.com/dropshippers.htmAll of the information that you'll need to open your own online bookstore!! They also offer a Webpage CD that provides you with products, sales page templates and more. They have a one time, lifetime membership fee of only $49.95, which is covered by a 30 day money back guarantee.
2. http://vistawholesale.zoovy.com/The source for wholesale products such as novelties, general merchandise, novelty lighters and more. They supply eBay sellers, flea market dealers, retail outlets and the general public with the hottest products on the market today, at below wholesale pricing. In addition, there is no minimum order, volume discounts, world wide shipping, no fee drop-shipping, and no membership fees!!
3. http://www.usdropshippers.com/Now you do! With USDropshippers.com, just find the manufacturers you would like to work with on their categorized pages. The manufacturers will look at your store and decide whether or not they would like you representing their products. After the manufacturer accepts your store, you will receive a password to download the manufacturer's product database and digital artwork. And best of all, you set your own prices, It's your store. As orders come in to your web based store, you fax the orders to the manufacturers and they drop-ship to your customers using a generic invoice with your store's information. With USDropshippers.com, your customers are always your customers!
4. http://www.crystalquest.com/dropshippingprogram.htmMake money drop-shipping water filters and related products. Quoted from the website, "It is very easy to resell our products. We work on a "Per Order" basis. Basically, you make a sale, collect payment from your customer then place the order with us. We will ship the order directly to your customers."
5.http://www.optimumdiscounts.com/catalog/wholesaledropshippingcatalog.phpThis website offers a lot of great categories and prices for products that they'll drop-ship. However, they don't guarantee that all products will be in stock. Their shipping costs are based as a percentage of your order price. Categories include: As Seen on TV, Cameras, Electronics, Radar Detectors and more!
6. http://www.information-entertainment.com/Business/dropship.htmlThis website is AWESOME!! They offer an extensive list of companies and their contact information of sources where you can find great drop-shipped products. It'll take a little effort, most of the listings don't include website or email addresses, but the list is amazing and well worth the time and postage.
7. http://stealthwholesale.com/Stealth Wholesale Inc. is a wholesale/drop-shipping company that specializes in products such as tools, electronics, furniture, models, lighting and more. You'll need to open an account, and as best as I could tell from their website, there isn't any charge to open one!!
8. http://www.securitywholesaler.com/A great site that offers security based products (home security, personal security, safety weapons, pepper spray, child safety) for sale and offers drop-shipping at a cost per address of $2.00 or $2.50 if you'd like to include a catalog. Definitely worth checking out!!
9. http://www.ewis.ca/onlinestore/scripts/dropship.aspThis link takes you to an electronic product wholesaler and drop-shipping company. Benefits include no minimum order and no drop-shipping fees. Check out their wide selection of electronic products in the toolbar to the left.
10. http://smartvitamins.com/Cash in on the growing trend in the health and wellness industry! This website offers you the chance to open your own online or auction vitamin/supplement business. Click the link provided to view the many benefits they offer.
Armed with this information, you should have more than enough resources to help you get your online presence up and running. Without the risks of high inventory and overhead, you're giving yourself an even better chance of success. No longer will you have to suffer sitting in the dark while others are reaping the profits of drop-shipping!!
Jennifer Gibbs is a successful freelance writer who lives in South Georgia with her husband and her son. If you're looking for high-quality writing at very reasonable rates, check out her website at http://www.jennifergibbs.com, or send an inquiry to info@jennifergibbs.com.





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Dropshipping On Ebay, Does It Work?

2007-03-30T09:48:00.000+02:00

eBay offers any business owner a new global market to sell his products or services on. You are no longer constrained by geographical positioning. Your small local businesses, when taken online, can become one of the biggest players in the industry. While eBay is a great potential resource, one of the best tools for maximizing your efficiency, and profit, is dropshipping and eBay is the perfect place to start.
Dropshipping basically works like this: a merchant offers a certain good on the market. He has large quantities of that product and needs dealers to advertise the merchandise and bring in buyers. You can become a dealer for a certain product, study the product's specifications, price and quality, take a look at demand and competition and offer it on eBay. Doing business on eBay, especially if you're using dropshipping as a method, requires some careful planning. The more you know about this constantly changing environment, the better are your chances of achieving the success you are looking for.
OK, but where does the profit come from? Well, the dropshipper usually bills you, the trader; only about half of the retail price you sell their products for. If you sell something to a buyer and get $100, about 50% of that will go to the dropshipper, who then has to package the product, label it with your name and return address and mail it to the buyer. This is an excellent way to make some profit.
Of course, you will have some additional costs and won't get to keep half the retail price. eBay charges are one of the fees that you will have to pay. You also have to send your labels to the dropshipper, so that they can attach them to the product. You will also have to pay for your own advertising. This can be done by attracting people to visit your listings on eBay from outside the actual web site. You can get buyers from forums, discussion boards or through your own website. These are all costs you will support on your own, as it is your responsibility to attract paying clients.
As an answer to the title ? YES, dropshipping on eBay can work for you! However, as with any business, you need to invest time, energy and money in order to put it on the right track. You have to find those products that sell well and area easy to find by customers. You also need to know how to employ advertising secrets in order to grab attention and bring more buyers your way. Dropshipping on eBay is just a tool, an amazing one, true, but without proper management it can turn into a bad idea. On the other hand, if you keep connected to the dynamics of eBay and the dropshipping process you may see your profits increases steadily.
Steve Dawson is the editor of the online Freelance Network magazine which focuses on eBay, Dropshipping and Homeworking. Forums and a comprehensive wholesale and dropshipping directory are many of the features available. Find out more at http://www.freelance-network.net





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Drop Shipping Is Your Perfect Home Based Business Solution

2007-03-29T09:27:00.000+02:00

Drop Shipping Is Your Perfect Home Based Business Solution
Drop shipping is one of the greatest businesses to operate from home. With drop shipping you sell another company's products, use their warehouse and shipping facilities, and they provide you with the sales tools you need like product descriptions and images and more - free of charge!
Drop shipping is great for small businesses because you can start with literally nothing & gradually increase to higher levels of success. Drop shipping allows you to leverage other, much larger company's resources!
Any business owner who needs the an inexpensive & efficient means to market items online should look into drop shipping. Drop shipping allows you to sell almost any type of product you want with no warehouse & no inventory.
No inventory = low risk! You only purchase an item from the dropshipper after you've already made the sale! You never get stuck with a garage full of products that won't sell.
Drop shippers packages all of the products for you, they place your name on the return address of the package & then they ship it to your customer. You'll look like you're a multi-million dollar outfit to the customer!
In order to do business with a real wholesaler, some of them (not all) may require proof that you're in business & not just some consumer looking for great prices. So, you may need to file for a Resale Tax ID for your State. It's easy to do I filed my application online in just 10 minutes & even received a temporary certificate that I immediately printed out. I was literally in business within 10 minutes!
If you're SERIOUS about running a business you MUST have one! No ifs, ands, or buts. And, it's so easy to get one, there's no excuse not to.
If a wholesaler doesn't request a Resale Tax ID from you, they're a very small company or they're not real wholesalers, just middle-men.
When you find wholesale companies that drop ship many different types of products, everything from toys to electronics, and they don't request your Resale Tax ID, be aware that probably aren't a real wholesale company. Most legitimate wholesalers focus on a specific product type, like electronics or toys alone.
These middle-men companies just forward your order to the real wholesale company. You won't be able to compete on a level playing field with your competition if you do business with these guys. Chances are your competitors have Resale Tax IDs.
So be aware that you're dealing with a middle-man wholesaler who will have the real dropshipper dropship your products for you. Do yourself a favor & avoid dealing with the middlemen and get a Resale Tax ID. You'll save yourself a lot of money by be able to compete with the big-guns.
After your account is set up with the real wholesaler, you'll get a printed catalog and possibly a CD-Rom with product descriptions and images that you can use.
Middle-men usually don't provide these "bonuses". You just upload the image & description to your web site, decide on the price & wait for the orders to come rolling in!
Drop shipping will allow any person to run a successful & competitive business from home regardless of a lack of start-up funds.
Mike Nalbone is the creator of "The Wholesale Detective" http://www.nalbone.org/detective/ which is a complete resource for people seeking to utilize drop shipping to start or expand their own business.





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Drop Shipping Increases Profits

2007-03-28T09:14:00.000+02:00

You would like to increase your income by selling other peoples` products but you just don`t have the money to stock inventory.
On the other hand, perhaps you have lots of your ownproduct and would like to increase your sales, but youdon`t have a lot of money for advertising.
The solution to both problems may lie in drop shipping.
1. Sell Products You Don`t Own
You would like to sell a variety of products but you don`t have very much money. Don`t worry! Your customers willsupply you with the necessary capital. You don`t have to stock inventory. You can drop ship orders.
For example, you receive a credit card order for a product retailing for one hundred dollars plus five dollars shipping. You now turn around and fax (or e-mail or phone) your order to your dropship supplier. You pay the fifty dollar wholesale product cost plus five dollars shipping using your own credit card.
Your dropship supplier now ships the order to your customer. With no investment in inventory, your gross profit equals fifty dollars.
2. Sell Products You Do Own
Would you like more sales of your own products? Consider drop shipping your products for other dealers.
As an example, you may have a product that sells for one hundred dollars plus shipping. Every time you sell that product yourself, you will have a sale of one hundred dollars. However, how many one hundred dollar sales can you make personally?
Now consider the situation where you offer your dealersa wholesale price of fifty dollars. You could have hundreds or thousands of persons selling for you.
It is true that each product sale now only brings you only fifty dollars in sales. However, these are sales that you wouldn`t otherwise have. What would it cost you to obtain these sales through traditional advertising channels? Would your advertising even bring you the desired results?
Keep in mind that with this drop shipping arrangement, you pay only for results. When a dealer retails your product for one hundred dollars, he is really receiving a fifty dollar profit for selling your product; you could view it as a sales commission. You receive only fifty dollars per product sale but sell way more than without drop shipping.You ship directly to the customer for your dealer.
So, whether you sell other peoples` products or your own,drop shipping can increase your sales, preserve capital, and maximize business profits.
RESOURCE BOX:
J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc.,has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years.
For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/
For additional information about drop shipping, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/dropship.html





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Drop-ship Or U-ship: That Is The Question

2007-03-27T08:19:00.000+02:00

For small Internet retailers, drop-shipping is one of the best innovations since sliced bread. How else can a start-up offer a wide variety of products and convince customers that they have a fully-stocked warehouse-while investing virtually nothing in inventory or warehousing? Before you jump right onto the drop-shipping bandwagon, however, there are some pitfalls to avoid.
While a quality drop-shipper is truly a dream come true for the Internet retailer, there are plenty of painful pitfalls to avoid. Things can get embarrassing and costly in a hurry when a drop-shipper:
? sends products out late
? forgets to process your orders
? sends out poorly packaged products
? double-bills your credit card for orders on a regular basis
? provides cheaply made products and/or shoddy workmanship.
A Matter of Credibility
In addition to the above drawbacks, many customers are not very impressed when they find out you retail drop-shipped products. This is especially the case with the rustic log furniture I sell on the web. Many phone customers ask if we make the products ourselves, or are "merely" drop-shipping.
They are relieved and impressed when they find that we manufacturer, finish or pack most of the log furniture we sell at our warehouse. We sell to a lot of people with expensive vacation homes, and quality is of utmost importance. It's always easier to testify to the quality of furniture when you have seen it yourself, and we are able to offer a more unique line by going to Amish suppliers whose products aren't sold elsewhere on the Internet.
Advantages of Drop-Shipping
With this said, there are still some sizeable advantages to drop-shipping. As the volume of our orders grows, it becomes more and more difficult to package all of that furniture. Fortunately for us, our largest supplier is only two miles away and we have a pretty good deal going: we finish all the log furniture they want finished, and they drop-ship the unfinished furniture. So they make it, we finish it.
That means if somebody orders unfinished furniture, it can go directly from the factory. This might have made me nervous about quality control at one point, but I have developed a high degree of confidence in our log furniture manufacturer. In the five years I have been associated with them, they have never let me down. They fill orders with a high degree of quality and accuracy, which makes our job easy.
Choosing a Drop-Ship Partner
Unfortunately, not all drop-shipping companies are as reliable as the one I have found. This is why it pays to do your homework before choosing a drop-shipping company. If you align yourself with fly-by-night operations, your business will most likely suffer as a result. If you are wildly successful, which you no doubt hope to be, a small start-up may not be able to manufacturer or ship product fast enough to meet your needs. A drop-shipper that is unstable as a business may be happy to take your cash but fail to fill orders on a timely basis.
Any business who drop-ships your orders will affect your reputation as a company one way or another. As a result, it's important to make sure any drop-shipping companies you partner with meet the high level of customer service and quality control standards you set for your business.
Copyright 2005 Log Cabin Rustics
Cari Haus is webmaster for http://www.logcabinrustics.com, an online retailer of quality log furniture.





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Do You Sell Tires By Mail? Maybe You Should Ebay

2007-03-26T09:18:00.000+02:00

I just received an interesting email from eBay and it got me thinking... Do you sell tires by mail? Maybe you should 'eBay' (yes it's now a verb as well as a noun)
I know, if you're in the retail business ? you have a shop, staff, overhead and all that a physical location requires. But what would you say if I mentioned that [at the time of writing this] eBay had concluded over 8,275 auctions for tires and tire related products in the last 90 days. That's about 91 transactions per day. And that number doesn't include other completed auto part auctions which totalled 1,581,529 ? that's 17,573 auto-part auctions per day.
A Retail Sales Dream
Now I'm not suggesting that eBay is the sales answer to your retail dreams, and some of those auctions never resulted in a sale ? but a lot did. Those are online adverts that cost pennies to post and resulted in a great deal of traffic and visibility for your product.
Here's a little known fact ? I'm a registered eBay Trading Assistant. What this means is that amongst all the other things I do, I am 'qualified' to show people how to best sell things on eBay.
An Online Garage Sale
Now this all started a few years back, I had some junk to get rid of, and just for fun I decided to see what this eBay thing was. Well, let's say that a garage sale is never likely to happen again in my household, and I cleared out all the things I never figured I could. I was hooked.
And here's the neat part. Being The Practical Marketeer?, I wondered how I could use this to my advantage ? and here's what I learned.
If you have a website then you should sell on eBay ? and not for the reasons you'd normally think. The main reason is search engine rankings.
Purple Widgets
While I was active on eBay, my adverts and auctions were consistently being indexed by the Google? Search Engine ? I was always showing up in the top 10 searches for the items I was selling. If I was selling purple widgets, and someone went onto the Internet and typed 'purple widgets' thanks to eBay I'd show up ? usually in position 3 for some reason.
Web Traffic For As Little As $0.30
Now pause for a moment?think about this. For as little as $0.30 (the base price of an eBay advert) you can post an advert on eBay and within a few seconds, hundreds, maybe thousands of people will see your advert.
eBay lets you link back to a page on your own website for more information ? trying to cut eBay out of the deal by offering your products on the referred page is not allowed. They frown on that practise and the eBay police ? yes, there are people who police eBay ? will shut down your account.
But if you play by the rules and post adverts for products and services you'd normally sell in your store ? and you offer them online for either the same price or less, you'll get exposure. And lot's of it if you do it right.
A Virtual Retail Store For Pennies!
You might think what's the point of someone 700 miles away seeing my advert ? they'll never become a client. You're probably right about them not driving over to pick up their purchase ? however 'eBayers' are used to paying for shipping and handling, so you would mail out your products.
So for pennies you get a virtual retail store, you'll get good search engine rankings, you'll get web traffic, and you can even expand your business operations by adding a mail order department (that'll impress the bank manager!)
So, as the title of this article so aptly asked... Do You Sell Tires By Mail? Maybe You Should eBay...
AUTHOR BIO: James Burchill is a freelance marketing consultant and author. He's also the editor and associate publisher for two of the automotive aftermarket industry's leading print publications and he's the publisher of http://www.CorrectLink.com - a new Internet publication for the automotive aftermarket in Canada.
In between all that, James helps people 'Sell more stuff, and make more money!' and publishes a series of informational and Internet products about advertising and marketing. His main website is http://www.JamesBurchill.com




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Do You Pay Taxes On Ebay Income?

2007-03-23T12:31:00.000+02:00

Q: I read your last column about paying income tax on eBay sales if you are doing it as a business, but as someone who only sells on eBay occasionally I'm still confused if the IRS rules apply to me. Can you tell me more?-- Norman L.
A: Last week's column on whether you were required to report income earned from eBay sales to the IRS sparked a number of additional questions and comments from eBay sellers who were hoping that I could somehow validate that their eBay activities were mere hobbies instead of actual businesses and therefore not susceptible to IRS taxation.
Several folks argued that just because their little eBay hobby generated a little cash, that didn't make it a full blown business. It seems they consider the income from their little hobby to be financial manna from Heaven and thereby not taxable by earthly tax collectors. I've always been amused by folks who try to impress me with talk about their "little side business" but when the subject turns to taxes they suddenly refer to it as "my little hobby."
All kidding aside, the conclusion that I came to after reading each email was always the same: while you may think selling on eBay is just a fun pastime and the money you're making is not reportable as income, depending on the circumstances, the IRS would probably disagree with you.
It seems that everyone likes making money, but hates carving off a piece for good old Uncle Sam. Welcome to free enterprise, folks. If you're going to come to the dance you have to pay the fiddler.
The IRS rules are clear: you must pay taxes on all personal and business income and that includes money you make selling on Ebay.
In its most basic sense, the IRS rules can be interpreted to mean that if you buy an old vase at a garage sale for $10 and sell it on eBay (or elsewhere) for $20 you made a $10 profit and therefore must report it as income and pay Uncle Sam his fair share.
In reality, if you are a casual seller who only sells a few items on eBay every now and then it's doubtful the IRS is going to let loose an army of agents to collect taxes on the few bucks you make. However, if you consistently sell on eBay the IRS may deem your activities to be business oriented and you will be required to file a Schedule C and claim the income.
As mentioned last week, the IRS uses a number of factors to determine if an eBay hobby that generates sales revenue is actually a business.
These factors include: - Do you carry on the hobby in a business-like manner? - Do you spend considerable time working on the hobby? - Do you depend on income from your hobby for your livelihood?
If the answer to any or all of these question is yes, you're running a business, not carrying on a hobby, and you are responsible for paying taxes on your income.
What's eBay's take on all this? Naturally eBay is vehemently opposed to anything that might rock the eBay boat. eBay does not does not issue 1099 tax forms to sellers, nor does it report seller's sales figures to the IRS.
Ebay considers itself merely to be a facilitator, meaning that they provide a marketplace in which buyers and sellers come together to do business.
Furthermore, under it's current system it would be impossible for eBay to issue accurate 1099s to sellers. eBay does not track if a seller actually gets paid by the buyer, so eBay has no idea how much money - if any - actually changes hands at the end of each transaction.
On the bright side, if you do sell on eBay as a business you can deduct a number of business expenses, including the cost of inventory, listing fees, shipping, envelopes, packing materials, etc.
You might also be able to deduct things like the purchase of a computer for business use, office space (even if it's a home office), office supplies, and more.
Talk to your accountant if there's any doubt as to whether you should or should not be paying taxes on your eBay earnings.
Here's to your success!
Tim Knox
Tim's latest book is "The 30 Day Blueprint For Success!" We asked 58 Top Internet Money Makers: If you lost is all tomorrow and had to start from scratch, what would you do to be back on top in the 30 days? Their answers just might make you rich!
Related Links:
http://www.prosperityandprofits.com
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net





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Dont Sell Grandmas Jewelry At A Yard Sale...get More Money

2007-03-22T10:47:00.000+02:00

Have some vintage jewelry? There are several ways you can sell collectible or vintage costume jewelry. How much your vintage jewelry is worth depends on several things. First and foremost, you need to know what you have and the condition it is in. Refer to our first article for helpful tips on old jewelry research. You may consider taking your jewelry to a dealer. If so, first you need to find a dealer, preferably one with experience in old jewelry. Look in your local phone book and get on the phone. Investing time by calling ahead and talking to them will give some idea on who you are dealing with and how comfortable you will be. Don't expect appraisals over the phone, a dealer usually needs to see and touch it. Here are some other things you should know about dealers:
Dealers
When taking your jewelry to a local dealer, keep in mind there are important considerations about dealers:
1. Be respectful of their time and knowledge.
If you are only interested in information and not planning on selling your vintage jewelry, tell them upfront (ideally on the phone). Offer to pay them for an hour of their time. Some will politely refuse compensation, others will charge you a nominal fee. It depends on the individual. Remember, they have most likely spent years collecting knowledge and expertise. And sadly, too many people expect them to "share" that information openly. Good manners and building relationships will reap far more rewards for you in the long run!
2. Dealers seldom pay more than 30% of market value.
An honest dealer is going to give you a fair appraisal, they are not trying to take advantage of you. Remember, not only do they have business costs but they are taking risks too. It may not sell right away, it may not sell for a long time. It may not sell at all. They are often more willing to give you more if they think it will sell quickly. Retail must "turn" their inventory within certain amounts of time to stay profitable. Consider you own expectations. Know who you are dealing with and the reputation of their shop; if you can't agree on a price, don't sell your vintage jewelry or ask about consignment options. Consignment can be a "win-win" arrangement for all. The dealer limits their risks and you get closer to the price you want.
3. Take notes.
Even if you only bring in one piece of jewelry, you are probably not going to remember everything you learn. It's ok to jot down information and ask questions.
4. Have fun!
Researching old vintage jewelry can be fascinating! You never know what you may find out and it's quite possible you just may be hooked for life!
This is second in a four part series entitled "Don't Sell Grandma's Vintage Jewelry at a Yard Sale". All copyrights are owned by Junky Jewelry at http://www.junkyjewelry.com





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Dont Be A Victim Of Online Auction Fraud

2007-03-20T09:38:00.000+02:00

The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) reported that last year 7.7 million dollars was lost through online auction scams. The actual losses are much greater. Most auction scams are not reported because they involve only small amounts of money.
Most auction Web sites are aggressive at fighting fraud. eBay has a fraud investigation unit that has helped them hold down fraud to only .01% of its transactions. If you paid for an item and never received it, or if you received the item but it was less than what was described, eBay's Fraud Protection Program will reimburse you up to $200, minus a $25 processing charge. In order to qualify for Fraud Protection coverage, you must submit an Online Fraud Complaint with eBay after 30 days and before 60 days from the time the auction ended.
After making a purchase, buyers can leave feedback about their experience with the seller. Before you bid on an item, check the seller's feedback profile by clicking on the number next to the their User ID. There is also a feedback forum and discussion board.
Below are a few actions that you should take to protect yourself from Internet auction fraud.
For a high cost item use an escrow service.

Avoid sellers who request payment by electronic transfer.

Never provide your Social Security Number or Drivers License Number.

Verify the delivery data and the sellers return policy.

Review the online feedback on a seller.

If the seller is a business, check with the Better Business Bureau www.bbb.org.

Prefer sellers who accept credit card payments. When you use a credit card to pay for a purchase, federal law limits your liability for an unauthorized charge to $50. You can also request your credit card issuer to make a charge-back.

Be cautious about buying from a seller in another country. If you buy from a seller in another country, understand the difference in laws governing auctions between that country and the US.
If you become a victim of Internet auction fraud, you can submit a complaint report with an online form at the IFCC Web site www.ifccfbi.gov. The IFCC will review your complaint and refer it to the proper law enforcement agency.

Internet Auction fraud is a large and growing problem. Take the measures outlined above to prevent yourself from becoming a victim.
Copyright(C)2004 Bucaro TecHelp.
Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included.
About The Author
Stephen Bucaro
To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com. To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp





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Doing It Ebay: An Ebay Business Means Fun And Profits In A Global Marketplace

2007-03-19T09:44:00.000+02:00

In 1995, when Pierre Omidyar introduced an online business venue that was essentially a virtual garage sale with auction pricing, no one knew a retailing revolution was about to occur. That site became known as eBay, and it's hard to find someone today who hasn't at least heard about the popular online auction company.
What's important to understand from the start is that eBay is a sales channel that you can use exclusively or in addition to selling through a retail operation, mail order catalog, independent Web site, or network of direct salespeople. You decide the type of business you want to have, what type of merchandise you're going to sell, and how you're going to operate.
To sell on eBay, you'll pay a listing fee to post your merchandise and a final value fee (a small percentage of the sale price) when the item sells. For the current eBay fee schedule, check the eBay site.
What can you sell on eBay?
Though eBay is a popular place for the sale of used items ranging from high-dollar antiques to second-hand junk, it's also a venue for brand-new, up-to-the-minute merchandise of all types and in all price ranges. Deciding what to sell on eBay can be particularly challenging because your options are virtually limitless. Some of the more popular categories of items are cars, computers, consumer electronics, books, movies, music, sports items, collectibles, clothing and accessories.
As you take the first step of deciding what to sell on eBay, keep these points in mind:
· Have an interest in the product. Don't choose a product based on potential profits alone; be sure it's something you'll enjoy working with.
· Cost and sale price. How much will the item cost you and how much can you reasonably expect to sell it for?
· Availability. Is the merchandise readily available or will you risk having to deal with supply problems?
· Storage. Do you have room to store the merchandise?
· Packing and shipping. Consider what is involved in packing and shipping the merchandise. Even though the buyer typically pays the shipping costs, think about your labor, time, and potential breakage.
· Seasonal issues. Will the item sell year-round or be subject to seasonal fluctuations?
How do you sell on eBay?
You have a variety of ways to sell on eBay. In addition to the traditional basic auction, where you post your item with a starting price and wait for bidders to drive the price up, you can use a number of other pricing features and auction types. In addition to auctions, you can also set up your own eBay store, which will allow you to sell auction and fixed-price merchandise from your special location on eBay. You'll pay a monthly fee based on the level of store services you want, plus additional fees for items listed and sold.
The technical side of eBay
eBay has evolved into one of the most user-friendly sites on the Internet. Getting set up as a user is a simple process that you can complete in just a few minutes. You will be required to provide your name, address, e-mail, and telephone number, as well as a credit card number and your checking account information. eBay uses this information to confirm your identity, which protects the integrity of their operation, and to collect auction fees. If your contact information changes, be sure to notify eBay immediately.
You must register to buy or sell on eBay, but you can browse around the site without registering. Before you do any business on eBay, take the time to get to know the site. Set aside several hours to get online and browse around, study listings, read the help pages, understand the various tools and how you can use them, check out the forums, and get comfortable with how the site works.
Once your business is up and running, you'll probably want to consider using supplemental auction management software, which will save time and money, make you more efficient, and improve the level of customer service you offer.
Getting started as an eBay seller
Start off by buying a few things, then start selling, posting just one or two auctions at a time until you're comfortable with how the process works. You'll make mistakes, especially in the beginning, but if you learn from them they'll be worth the cost.
Keep in mind that eBay is ever-changing. As the economy cycles, you'll experience changes in pricing and demand. And as more people start operating on eBay, the competition will increase and prices may decline slightly (great when you're buying, but not when you're selling).
If you plan to make selling on eBay a full-time business, expect to work hard. Though there is plenty of money to be made on eBay, it's not a get-rich-quick or easy deal. You'll invest as much time and energy as you would in a traditional retail operation--but your potential for profits is greater.
Don't be intimated by the sheer size of the operation, and keep in mind that eBay has reached less than ten percent of its potential market-which means there is plenty of room for you. So find your eBay niche, get online, and watch your business grow.
Jacquelyn Lynn is the co-author of Make Big Profits on eBay: Start Your Own Million $ Business (with Charlene Davis, Entrepreneur Press, 2005) and the author of Start Your Own Business on eBay, plus nine other titles in Entrepreneur's Start-Up Guide Series. For more information, visit http://www.jacquelynlynn.com





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City Police Auctions Of Personal Property And Autos

2007-03-16T09:38:00.000+02:00

About City Police Departments Auctions

The City Police Departments handle and store all evidence and property that is seized or found until it is needed for court, returned to its owner, or can be destroyed. Destruction, disposal, or return of property is determined by the property and evidence officer in accordance with federal, state, and local law. Destruction, disposal, or return of evidence is to be determined by the officer who is assigned to the case.
Evidence, once vouchered and received by a unit, can no longer be removed or even physically examined without an authorized person signing for it. Evidence Unit personnel are responsible for writing court orders for destruction of drugs and for the burning of same in the City incinerator, after all appeals have been exhausted.
The City Police Departments also conduct public bicycle/ property auctions as well as seized and abandoned vehicles auctions. They will also sell miscellaneous items (small electronics, computer equipment, household items, cell phones, automobile accessories and jewelry). These auctions will be conducted on either the Internet and/or LIVE in person to interested bidders. The dates of these auctions vary depending on the amount of property that is inventoried. Sometimes there is a full or partial list of available items that are up for auction. They reserve the right to remove any items they choose up to and including the day of the auction before the auction commences.
Rules and information concerning auctions vary with each Police Department.
Direct Access to the Most Complete InformationSome of the more common auction items include:
used autos ? marine vehicles ? jet skis ? aircrafts ? homes ? real estate ? commercial property ? farm equipment ? industrial ? business ? electronics ? computers ? antiques ? art ? coins ? stamps ? appliances ? guns ? travel ? collectibles ? clothing ? crafts ? boats ? bikes ? motorcycles ? mobile homes ? jewelry ? toys ? cars ? trucks ? mopeds ? bicycles ? cameras ? televisions ? clocks ? furniture ? unclaimed property ? abandoned property ? personal property ? office furniture ? condominiums ? town homes ? commercial property ? vacant land ? single family homes ? machinery ? tools ? hardware ? building suppliesand much, much more...
Http://DEAauctions.COM the leading Nationwide POLICE and GOVERNMENT Agency AUCTION information site, is redefining how you use the internet to search and locate these incredible auctions.
No longer will you have to search multiple sites that offer either Police seizures or Government auctions. This dynamic site brings them both together in ONE incredible, comprehensive, and interactive location.
Our innovative site delivers the most reliable and up to date, valuable information that you will find anywhere. By utilizing this unparalleled site, you can start saving and making money today, tomorrow and forever from these amazing auctions at Local, State, and Federal levels.
http://DEAauctions.COM is an UNCHALLENGED LEADER in the Auction information Industry and will transform the way you search & locate the Billions of dollars in property that is auctioned off throughout the country every year.


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Can You Really Make Money Selling New Release Cds & Dvds On Ebay?

2007-03-15T09:49:00.000+02:00

Being an active eBayer, I am often being asked about products to sell. A common question is "Where can I purchase products such as new release CD's DVD's and Video Games for Playstation and X box at a 75% to 100% discount. Well folks, this sort of discount on this type of merchandise is not available from Wholesalers or Dropshippers. The reason being, the competitive nature of the electronics industry, and simple supply and demand.
Still with the tremendous popularity of these products and their ease to package and ship, people want to sell them. So where can you find these products at a great price? Liquidators! Yes that's right, Liquidators! What exactly are Liquidators? You Ask. Well, as explained in my book "eBay Marketing Wholesale SourcePak" a Liquidator is a company who buys surplus, over runs, bankruptcies,and going out of business inventory etc. They purchase this merchandise for pennies on the dollar and in turn pass this saving on to you. There are many Liquidators who would have just what you are looking for. There are General Merchandise Liquidators who basically purchase and sell all sorts of general merchandise. And, there are Liquidators who specialize and only purchase and sell merchandise in a specific niche - say electronics.
An Electronics Liquidator would purchase products from music stores or department stores with an electronics dept or movie rental stores or electronic stores that are going out of business, declaring bankruptcy or who have overstock. From that inventory they would have some of the latest CD's, DVD's and Video Games.
Liquidators are similar to Wholesalers and Dropshippers in that you will have to become a member to have access to their inventory. Most require no fee to become a member, while others may charge a nominal fee. However, Liquidators have a set number of units you must buy in order to get a great price. A Liquidator will purchase inventory in bulk and therefore will want to sell the merchandise in cases or lots.
So, Yes You can make Good Money Selling New Release CD's, DVD's and, Video Games and the likes on your eBay auction by choosing the proper supplier. And remember that selling on eBay is all about research. You must research the product you are interested in selling. What is the best price for the item? What is the best selling price you can get for that item? Also, research that item's market to see just how manypeople are selling this product.
Happy Selling!
Joe Clare
Joe Clare is an active Netpreneur and eBayer! He is the author of numerous articles on how to succeed on eBay! Check out his latest Best Selling eBook "eBay Marketing Wholesale SourcePak" Your Passport to Success! at http://www.ebooksnsoftware.com



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Buying Used Dell Laptops, Pcs And Servers On Ebay - How To Be Successful

2007-03-14T11:24:00.000+02:00

Two years ago I needed a way to refresh more PC's and Laptops at my company without spending more. New Dell laptops were great but expensive and over the years we had accumulated many Latitude C series parts. The C series ran from the CPX C600 C610 C400 and C640 models before their new D line of Latitude laptops were released. The docks, drives and many other parts are usable in any of these models so we decided to take advantage of this and purchase used Dell laptops. eBay was where we sourced these. Over the years I've learned some valuable things about buying these expensive items. Here are some tips and some recommendations of sellers I've found to be very reliable.
Know what you are buying.
Don't just go by the model and specs of the machine. I'm seeing two types of units out there. Those that are complete PC's sold as used units. Also refurbished units that have no serial number on the bottom or in the bios. These units can be had at very good prices and so far I've found them all to be in great condition. The problem is that without the serial you can't even get tech support from Dell and obviously there isn't a warranty. If you don't mind this from the right seller these are great. For my use at my company it just isn't worth the appearance of a model with no serial number. I'm passing on these for now.
Always pay using Pay Pal or some other service that lets you use a credit card.
Even when you use a credit card on Paypal your covered by the dispute and charge back protection provided by your credit card company. I've had two instances where the seller did not ship my laptop and I had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. In both cases I received a credit back from my company and had no trouble from Paypal. Before disputing open a formal case with Paypal as they require that before you do a charge back. I'm not sure what the consequences would be but better to appear as if you are trying to use their system.
Buying regularly? Try to form a relationship with a couple reputable sellers.
After doing business with a handful of sellers I trust I now completely bypass eBay. The sellers love the money they save on fees and I can often have them hunt down mint condition Latitude laptops. Some will even customize the laptop to your specs.
Check the sellers feedback.
Look to see that the seller regularly sells Dell equipment. This tells you two things. One that they are a reputable seller and have a history of people who bought the exact same item and were happy. The other thing is that if you see positive feedback regarding non-similar equipment you can assume that they will have no spare parts or service ability. If you see many sales of similar Dell equipment you can be sure that if you have a problem and notify them right away they will probably be able to fix your laptop.
Ask about warranty or warranty transfer assistance.
If you are lucky the unit you purchase will come with some warranty left from Dell. However Dell will not transfer the warranty into your name unless you have the original owners name and address. If you can find a seller willing to provide this you just struck gold! Note, this is not common at all. You can still get Dell to service an in warranty unit but they won't transfer the ownership to your name.
Buying Servers? Look for Dell refurbished units with a warranty.
I don't know how it works but there are many resellers of Dell Servers that are new or refurbished from Dell. These come with the Dell warranty and are transferable. When the server arrives its in the original Dell box still sealed up. The price can't be beat and I've never had a problem. My suspicion is that for those with the right connections, Dell will sell you volumes of over production and refurbished units far below pricing you'd see in their Dell Outlet site. http://www.scsistuff.com is a great vendor for this type of buy.
About The Author
John Gall is a full time IT Manager and self employed IT Consultant in Minnesota. He runs several hobby web sites related to technology and travel from http://www.gallconsulting.com





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Buying & Selling Gently Used Baby Clothing, Strollers, Toys, And Other Baby Items & Products On Ebay

2007-03-13T11:05:00.000+02:00

Need Extra Money? Buy and Sell Your Gently Used Baby Clothing, Car Seats, Strollers, Toys, Books and Products on eBay!
Hi Moms,

So, you had your precious baby, and you couldn't resist -- all of those cute and beautiful baby dresses, rompers, suits, jean sets, christening gowns, onesies and unique designer baby clothes (like Tommy Hilfiger) that called to you when you were in the Gap, Old Navy, Osh Kosh or Little Me. Not to mention the countless baby clothes that relatives gave you that weren't quite your style, or too big or too small for your baby and still have the price tags on them, never worn.

Well, if you have these baby clothes taking up lots of space in various closets and dressers around the house and thought you would just have to take a loss on these baby items, think again! There is a thriving used baby goods market on eBay, the world's biggest yard sale, garage sale and online auction. If you've got a used baby item, chances are you can sell it on eBay. There are sections on eBay for used baby boy and baby girl clothing for each stage of your baby's life -- 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 2T, 3T, 4T, and 5T. Not only that, but you can also sell your maternity clothes on eBay too!

Have an old car seat, stroller, old or antique baby toys that aren't being used anymore? Have unused diapers, baby bottles, breast pumps or baby toys that have not been used? You can also sell these items on eBay. I have even seen listings for unused leftover birth announcements! I'm telling you, if you've got it, you can sell it on eBay.

Best of all, the process for listing your baby items is easy. All you need to do is sign up to be a seller (it's free), take photos of your items and post them, write a description and you're in business.

Now that we've talked about the benefits of selling your baby clothes online, let's talk about the other side of the coin, buying gently used baby clothes and baby items online. Just as you are selling nice gently used baby clothes, other moms around the country are selling their baby clothes and baby items at bargain prices. Since babies and kids grow so quickly, buying used baby clothes and even used car seats, high chairs and strollers can be a great way to get nice beautiful clothes and baby accessories and save money at the same time. Buying used baby items is just as simple as selling them, if not simpler. Just sign up as a buyer (its free also), search eBay for the baby item you would like and place a bid. Don't want to wait for an auction to end or really want that baby item you see? Search eBay for items with the "Buy It Now" logo and you can just select the baby item and pay for it outright. It's just that simple.

Ready to start buying or selling or even just want to see what's online? Even if you don't want to bid on, buy or sell anything now, you can register on eBay for free (it only takes 2 minutes) so when you want to sell in the future, you'll be all set! The registration process is quick and easy. Visit http://www.mypreciousbaby.com/selling-on-ebay.htm (or click on the link at the end of this article) for more details.
Christina Khan is a mother of a preschooler that that has more than her share of baby clothing and baby products to sell. She has outlined the process for registering to buy and sell baby clothes and baby products on eBay to get you started. Christina also runs a baby birth announcement website with other parenting tips and articles. You can visit her site by going to MyPreciousBaby.com





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Buying At Auction: 6 Hints To Make You A Successful Bidder

2007-03-12T11:22:00.000+02:00

Buying at auction, be it for stamps or coins, antiques or even cattle, can be one of the most exciting and profitable experiences possible. It can also be expensive and utterly frustrating. The best way to come out ahead is to learn the tricks of the trade early. Here are some suggestions that should help you get on the fast track to success.
(1) Do your research. Knowledge is your most important tool, even more important than money.
(2) Learn how to be inconspicuous.
(3) Beware of zombies, shills and lunatics. The best way to avoid them is
(4) Hire an agent.
(5) Be selective. Don't be afraid to spend the extra dollar when something especially rare or in exceptional condition comes your way. You may never get another chance.
To elaborate:
(1) Every experienced buyer knows how important knowledge is. Questions of authenticity, condition, and rarity are always the key considerations. If you are fortunate enough to have both knowledge and money, you have the world by the tail. But even if you have limited funds you can still do very well if you know something the rest of the potential buyers don't.
(2) Once you have spotted something you want to buy, fade into the woodwork as much as possible. The last thing you want to do is attract attention to yourself or the lot you are interested in. After you've been around long enough, your competition will find out who you are. Until then try to keep as low a profile as possible and guard your information. Use a code system to keep track of your limits. I'm constantly amazed at how careless some bidders are with their auction catalogs and what they write in them.
(3) Zombies, shills and lunatics are every auction bidder's nightmare. If a zombie knows who you are, he/she will follow your every move. Their motto is: if that person is willing to spend a hundred dollars for a lot, I sure can afford to spend a hundred and ten. Most people know what a shill is. It is someone working for the auction house or seller who artificially pushes up prices by bidding against you. In order for an item to get a good price, two or more bidders must be interested in it. Shills are especially skilled at figuring out how high you are willing to go. Lunatics are the ones who absolutely have to have a lot and will bid whatever it takes to win it. The best way to deal with these three worthies is to hire an agent to bid for you.
(4) Agents are professionals who have developed skills at bidding at auction. One famous New York stamp auction agent was so skilled at hiding his bids that only the auctioneer and a few other people ever knew how he did it. As strange as it may sound, paying an auction agent the extra 2-5% fee may save you many hundreds of dollars or more in the long run. The zombies, shills and lunatics won't know who is bidding against them.
(5) Finally, one of the most important skills of all is the ability to recognize when to open up the purse strings. Condition and rarity are the two most important determinants of price. The exceptional item is always worth an extra bid or two. One customer who was examining my stamps at a national stamp show remarked, "I've been looking for this one for more than 40 years and you have a very nice copy. But I never pay more than half catalog for anything." I wished him well. It was a scarce stamp and I expect he'll still be looking if he lives another 40 years.
To summarize: knowledge is the primary key to success at auction bidding. Secondly, develop your skills as a bidder and buyer. Then, learn to recognize the individuals you will have to deal with on the auction floor. Cross them up and use and agent. And finally, know when to pay a premium for the exceptional item.
Best of luck!
John Anderson has been bidding at auction for more than forty years and has purchased hundreds of stamps, antiques and collectibles that way. Now semi-retired from stamps he is a full-time writer. His first novel, The Cellini Masterpiece, was published under the pseudonym of Raymond John. He is now hard at work on his second, and an auction plays an important role in the plot. If you would like to contact John or read the first chapter of The Cellini Masterpiece, please log on at: http://www.cmasterpiece.com





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Boosting Your Ebay Auction Profits: Just Add Audio

2007-03-09T10:55:00.000+02:00

According to a recent report, adding audio to your eBay auctions could increase bids by as much as 22% over auctions without audio.
A recent trend showing up on a lot of websites is the addition of an audio clip. The clip is a personal message by the author or the website owner encouraging you to take advantage of what they offer.
The psychology behind this technique is really Marketing 101. It's called personalization. An audio clip added to your eBay auction allows you to personally tell the potential bidder about the product. Using your own voice allows you to make contact with the bidder on a personal level that written words cannot. Because, that's what your eBay auction really is...It's just a long written classified ad asking the bidder to make an offer to purchase your item.
Prior to the advent of the telephone the only reliable way to communicate long distance was by writing letters. It was not unusual back then for lovers to write each other daily or weekly. The decline of letter writing is a well documented event that coincides with the advent of the telephone.
With audio you can describe the item, tell the bidder why you are selling it or even communicate with them about your refund policy or provide your contact information. The possibilities are almost unlimited as a way to establish a rapport with the bidder.
But, the most important reason to add audio clips is that it makes it easy to convey excitement and invoke emotion, giving you a really powerful selling-edge.
How to add audio to a web site:
The simplest way is to upload a .wav or Mp3 file to a website and provide a link to the file. When the bidder clicks on the link his or her computer will automatically recognize the file and play it with the audio player on the bidders computer.
There are some drawbacks to this method. If the bidder's computer doesn't recognize the file it won't play. The overall effect is not as professional as it could be and it distracts the bidder. If you are a reasonably tech savvy type you can easily deal with the drawbacks of this approach.
For the rest of us, there are a number of software solutions and websites that will simplify the task of adding audio to our eBay auctions.
Here are two:
Audio Maker Pro - http://audiomaker.thynke.com - (The one I use and recommend)
Sound Streamer - http://soundstreamer.thynke.com - (Less expensive)
Different programs and websites range from charging a one time fee to monthly fees for the use of the program. The good news is that many will let you test them for as little as $1 for a trial basis or let you download a demo version to see how well it will work for you.
Mike Nalbone is an author, editor, publisher and webmaster who earns a living full-time on the Net. For more, exclusive eBay profit tips like this one, visit: http://auction-revolution.thynke.com
This Article Is © 2005 & May Be Published Solely In Its Entirety, Un-Modified, Provided The Above Resource Box Is Included Along With Active (Clickable) Links.





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Better Than Sliced Bread? Drop Shipping, The New Home Business Craze

2007-03-08T11:02:00.000+02:00

Many of you will probably remember the days when the only way to start a successful home business was to join some sort of multi-level marketing program or sell makeup at parties. In those days, people would have to buy a membership in the 'program' along with an inventory of sample products that they would then sell to friends and coworkers at 'parties.' Most people were not very successful at this and made very little money and usually alienated their friends and family. In the 1990's however, all of that changed for the better with the advent of the Internet and a retail delivery method called wholesale drop shipping.
Wholesale drop shipping is when a wholesale distributor or manufacturer agrees to send out single unit products to customers for a retailer. Many will also even include the retailers name on the invoice so that the customer is never even aware that they got it from anyone else but the retailer. This, along with the Internet has changed the whole dynamics of home businesses in America, making it easier and more cost effective to start your own business.
Home business owners are now able to launch a business without purchasing any inventory up front and are able to open a 'store' without ever having to find a place to setup shop. Millions of Americans have setup ecommerce sites on the internet selling everything from Personal Computers to lawn care equipment all using wholesale drop shipping. As a matter of fact, according to eBay over forty thousand people make their full time living on their auction site alone; many of these are using drop shipping as their main method of product fulfillment.
The only problem for today's small business owner is how to find wholesalers to drop ship. In general wholesale distributors don't make it a habit of getting out there and advertising; obviously the whole reason they are in wholesale and not retail is to get away from doing all of that work. So it makes it very difficult for someone who has little or no business experience to make contacts with distributors when they aren't even sure where to start looking.
To help out those small business owners I'd like to offer some advice for finding wholesale distributors:

Look for trade organizations and magazines to help you make contacts. Many trade organizations out their produce some sort of listings of their members, many of whom may drop ship.

Contact manufacturers. People don't realize that if you call the manufacturer they will provide you with a list of their distributors; so if you are looking for a particular product, ask the manufacturer. The down side of this route is that they may have hundreds of distributors that you may have to contact before you find one that is willing to drop ship.

Find wholesale chat rooms and message boards. There are many message boards on the Internet today that are devoted to a wide range of discussions. You may find boards on wholesale, distribution, supply chain, etc. All of these may lead you in the direction of a wholesale distributor.

However, if you want to get up and running fast, or just don't have the time to go on a search for wholesale distributors much less ones that drop ship, then the way to go is drop ship directories. These are usually pay services that search out drop shippers for you then give you access to their contacts; there are many of these on the Internet today, and many are very good. As with anything on the Internet you must be very careful of the scams out there. Many drop ship directories will end up giving you an outdated list of wholesalers, or when you contact them you will find that they are a true wholesale distributor but they do not drop ship.
Here are some pieces of advice when looking for a quality drop ship directory:

Stay away from the cheap ones! Obviously with everything else in this world you will get what you pay for. If you find one out their for three dollars, you probably are not going to get a good product. In general the one's that offer the best information are charging $60 or more for a six month membership.

Look for one's that will do specialty searches! If you get into a drop ship directory and find that they do not have any products that you would like to sell, or think you can sell, then make sure they will go out and find it for you. If they do not do specialty searches then you will end up being stuck with whatever listings they have no matter what.

Find one with a Satisfaction Guarantee! There are several drop ship directories out there that offer a guarantee that all of their listings are true drop shippers, but in my opinion this is not enough. If you get into their directory and find that they have five hundred listings for widget suppliers and they are all real wholesalers you are out your money and only have access to one product. Make sure they guarantee your satisfaction with their product no matter what, especially if you are going to shell out seventy dollars of your hard earned money.

Look for ones that are going to help you out as well, not just give you a list. Do they offer articles and help material on starting your business or are all they just going to give you listings and nothing else.

However you choose to find wholesale drop shipping, keep in mind that as with anything else in this world knowledge is power. Try and find out as much as you can before you jump in to get your feet wet. It will make your startup smoother and help you get the profitability stage much faster.
About The Author
Tony Keeler is the founder and publisher of The Drop Ship Connection ? www.dropshipconnection.com - The web's only drop ship directory with a step by step guide for the home business owner. He is also the owner of MAR Services which publishes these great sites:
2DollarSoftware ? www.2dollarsoftware.com - marketing, advertising, and internet software.
DingleHopper.com ? www.dinglehopper.com - Funny Name, Cool Products.
tony.keeler@dropshipconnection.com




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Be Realistic When Selling On Ebay

2007-03-07T12:05:00.000+02:00

As some of you know, I spent many years buying and selling both on and offline and several of my products are based upon my own experience in this area. I know that the vast majority of my customers and subscribers have an interest in trading whether it be on eBay or at the local market but more and more I am seeing people with completely unrealistic expectations of what they will be able to do. Most commonly these unrealistic expectations are in respect of how much it actually costs to purchase specific products and what they can then be sold on for.
I regularly get emails from people who want to know where they can purchase products such as mobile (cell) phones, new release DVDs, Playstation games and similar at, say, a 50% discount to resell on eBay. The fact is that such a thing is not available - it is a simple case of supply and demand and competition.
Take DVDs for example, most people think that these are excellent products to resell on eBay because they are very popular, not particularly expensive and easy to package and ship. Unfortunately, they could not be more wrong. The DVD market is one of the most competitive that there is - take a look for yourself and see how many auctions there are on eBay for DVDs at any one time. I have just looked and counted almost 300,000! At any one time there will only be a certain number of buyers wanting to purchase a particular DVD and if you take into account the numerous different places there are that each buyer could purchase from, it is likely that in general, there will be more copies of an individual DVD available than there are buyers to purchase them. This situation causes prices to fall. The other factor that forces prices down is the fact that one DVD is the same as another. By this I mean that from a buyers point of view, there is no difference to a new DVD purchased on eBay to one which is purchased from their local DVD store. Often the only way to differentiate is on price and of course, the only way to make the price more attractive to a buyer is to lower it.
The above reasons help to explain why the wholesale discount on a new release DVD is just £1 or £2 at most ($2 or $3 roughly in the US). When you take into account the fact that the large retail chains can purchase thousands of DVDs at a time and receive a bigger discount than individual traders, you soon see why it is very difficult for a small business to compete in such a competitive industry. You simply cannot purchase new release DVDs at 50% discount and even if you could, it wouldn't be long before prices were forced down as there is always someone willing to sell a little bit cheaper than the next man.
It isn't just DVDs that fall into this category. Take mobile (cell) phones. Here in the UK you can walk down just about any high street and get the latest phones either free or for a minimal token payment. The stores are relying on making their money from the line rental contract that you will have to sign in order to get the phone. Of course, the actual cost of the phone is not free - most new mobiles are actually worth £200 or £300 which means that if you want to buy a batch of phones at wholesale, you are going to be looking at a pretty high unit cost. As with most electrical products, the market is competitive and prices have been forced down which means that the difference between your wholesale buying price and your retail selling price is minimal.
There are numerous products that suffer from the same market conditions as DVDs and phones and new/small traders really should avoid trying to sell such items at all costs because it will usually be frustrating and ultimately not financially rewarding. When trying to decide what products to sell, you need to be thinking about the type of market that a particular product is sold in. If there are already numerous sellers and many large companies selling at considerable discounts this is far from ideal. The exception to the rule is if you are able to add value in some way to make your 'offering' more unique. I wrote about adding value last year in one of my newsletters - you can read it here: http://www.thetraderonline.com/jul2204.html
At the end of the day, it is all about research, being realistic and having an understanding of the market that you want to operate in. Whilst it would be great to be able to buy and sell new release DVDs (or whatever) all day long, doubling your money every time, I am afraid that this is just not going to happen.
Copyright 2005 Richard Grady
Richard Grady has been helping ordinary people earn online since 1998. He writes a free newsletter which is published every two weeks. To subscribe (and claim your free gifts), visit: http://www.thetraderonline.com/newsletter.html




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Before You Sell On Ebay, Take The Most Important Step

2007-03-06T09:56:00.000+02:00

If you want to earn a full-time income selling on Ebay,you must take the first and most important step in all successful business ventures: you must accept that it is possible.
This probably sounds really trite--and maybe it is, but that doesn't mean it's any less true.
Talk to anyone who now earns a full-time income selling on Ebay and they will undoubtedly tell you two things: the first is that anyone can do it; and that is true. Over 720,000 people currently sell on Ebay to earn a part or full-time income. And the second is that the hardest part is getting started. This is also true.
As with any type of business, whether it be on the Internet or in the brick-and-mortar world, the mind sent that the entrepreneur brings into the venture is absolutely crucial to its success.
If you, the entrepreneur, give up in the face of challenges, assuming you aren't skilled enough to persevere, you will never know what benefits overcoming those challenges could have yielded. Instead, you will slowly chip away at your options until you are powerless and without confidence.
As a network marketer and the owner of three Internet businesses, I have seen dozens of peoples truggle and give up because they doubt they canactually achieve what other people have. Many of them give up on the very presupice of a break through because they lack the confidence to work through problems and overcome challenges.
I personally have struggled with this more than once selling on Ebay. I have been so frustrated at times by bad luck and seemingly insurmountable challenges that I was ready to give up. . .only to have a major breakthrough several minutes later.
So, unless you aren't curious enough to wonder where you could have been if you had just persevered that extra few hours--or extra few minutes--I suggest that you factor motivation and attitude into your Ebay selling.
Whatever it takes, make sure you accept that you can reach your goal before you start selling on Ebay. If you don't, you will find yourself putting all new ideas on the backburner or writing them off as impossible.
http://www.workathomerightnow.net/ebay.html - Written by Isaiah Hull, author of "How to Profiton Ebay In Seven Days Without Spending A Single Penny." For a limited time only you can get a pre-publication copy of his book for ONE-FOURTH the post-publication price!





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Bananas - Your Source Of Ebay Packing Materials!

2007-03-05T10:33:00.000+02:00

This is the most boring stage of the process and subsequently where some eBay sellers let themselves down. If the buyer receives thier purchase poorly packed and broken then they are not going to be happy and will want a refund and more importantly never buy off you again which will have negated all the hard work that you put into the previous stages of your professional auction listing.
Packing is not difficult but if you get carried away then it will impact greatly on your profit, all items fall into two categories:
Envelope Packages - always use padded envelopes as these will protect your items properly
and
Box Packages - always use a sturdy box and ideally wrap the item in bubble wrap
As I mentioned packaging costs can impact on your profit, however, if you carefully work out what is required when you are calculating the shipping charge then this cost is covered by the customer as they pay the shipping charge. This doesn't mean use the first supplier of packaging that you can find as the shipping charge will have an effect on the listing and the customers perception of you, the customer assumes that the shipping charge relates only to the postage cost and not to the packaging costs so when they see that they paid more than the actual cost of postage they assume that you are ripping them off and this will ruin anyone's professional image.
There are numerous suppliers of packaging available, with some very good suppliers available on eBay itself. However there are other alternatives, your items do not have to go out in box's that are plain or covered in your logo (if you have one). Customers will not mind as long as thier item arrives in one piece.
My advice would be to become a recycler, when you visit the store keep a look out for boxes that you can use to pack your items and also for packaging materials to secure the item with within the box. The stores are more than willing to let you take these(always ask first) as they only throw them away or recycle them themselves.
I am going to let you in on a big secret, there is a great source of FREE BUBBLE WRAP that anyone can get access to. All it takes is one word :
BANANA'S
Banana's are the single biggest selling fruit in superstores and every box of them comes packed with a sheet of bubble wrap within to protect the delicate fruit. All you do is ask your local produce department manager in your local store to save it for you and hey presto instant FREE packaging. Do not worry about the banana smell tainting the bubble wrap as the bananas are removed from the packaging before they are ripe (the stage they start to smell) as the stores like to ensure a customer life of the product and as such sell them just as they are ripening. Trust me, try it and see.
When you are packing the item, always put a thank you note in to ensure that the customer knows you are grateful for thier purchase and this will also raise your image within their mind. Always use a good strong tape on the box and ensure all flaps are taped down and that no one can gain entry to the box without cutting the tape. When you are putting the customers address on the box I would recommend that you type it out on the PC, firstly it looks more professional and also not everyone can read your writing and this will only cause delays in the mail.
It is also advisable to always get proof of postage from the mail or better still send it recorded, this acts in two ways... it provides a means of tracking the delivery so that you know the customer received it (helps against fraudulent 'not received' claims) and it also provides a insurance cover against loss and damage. The relative costs are minor compared to the piece of mind it gives you and the customer.
The next stage is to develop this after sales one stage further.. please read want money for nothing?
Visit ebay information central to use the FREE resources to develop your online business.





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A Win-win Scenario On Ebay For Buyer/sellers: Tips For Hunting Want It Now Postings

2007-03-02T11:26:00.000+02:00

"Ask And You Shall Receive" Policy Works!
You're one-of-a-kind baby clothes sat for the last month oneBay with no buyer. Why? Perhaps your item is sospecialized that buyers have a hard time finding you. Afterall, how many buyers are looking for a handmade rubber duckysweatshirt for an infant? You'd be surprised, if you knewthe right venues to bring those buyers to you. Maybesitting around eBay with your item listing isn't the rightapproach. Perhaps what you should be doing is going outthere and finding your buyer!
Until now, the only option on eBay was to hope someone wouldmake general searches for items and stores like yours.However, many Buyers get lost in the great web that makes upeBay. Fortunately, for these Buyers, they have a new routeto explore ? "Want It Now", or also affectionately known asWIN.
The easiest way to enter "Want It Now" on eBay is by goingdirectly to "Want It Now" online(http://pages.ebay.com/wantitnow/). Once you enter the homepage of WIN, you can either enter as a Buyer making a postor as a Seller browsing postings. The steps from therefollow the basic eBay protocol.
The beauty of "Want It Now" is Buyers can list theirrequests, referred to as posting, for free at this eBayspecial service. The Buyer's posting fits into one of over30 categories. Inside these postings, many Buyers includean exact description of this wanted item, along withpurchasing restrictions. Rather than wasting their timesearching through pages and pages of general Seller listingfor the exact item that they really want, these Buyers arehoping a Seller notices their "classified want ad" andpoints them in the right direction.
Sellers have long believed that in the eBay listing practiceof "If you build it, buyers will come". However, in thehighly competitive market of eBay, sitting still in one spotcan lead to sitting still in one spot for a really, reallylong time. A wise Seller is willing to go out and find hiscustomer and make a deal that increases the odds for a quickturn-around. "Want It Now" is chalk-full of Buyers whotruly are looking for what you're selling. Simply put, WINis an eager market of willing customers. The cost for aBuyer to browse around these classified ads is free and thebenefits are outstanding if you can convince a Seller ofyour match.
"Want It Now" hasn't been around a long time, under a year;still, this format's concept is an old familiar one. Manypeople's perception of this service is it's a lot like anauction, whereby bidders ask what's available before theactual sale to get a feel for what's out there. Otherpeople compare this set-up to a newspaper's classified wantads, whereby someone is searching for a service or productand wants the sellers to come compete for their business.Even though "Want It Now" is packed with numerouscategories, the best performing categories from theSeller/Buyer perspective is for highly specialized products& services (such as tickets and collectibles), highlysought-after items (such as electronics and clothing), andextreme deals (such as used book & CDs and bulk shopping).
Below is a sample of some WIN categories:
Antiques; Art; Books; Business & Industrial; Camera & Photo;Cell Phones; Clothing, Shoes & Accessories; Coins;Collectibles; Computers & Networking; Consumer Electronics;Crafts; Dolls & Bears; DVDs & Movies; EntertainmentMemorabilia; Gift Certificates; Health & Beauty; Home &Garden; Jewelry & Watches; Music; Music Instruments; Pottery& Glass; Real Estate; Sporting Goods; Sports Memorabilia,Cards & Fan Shop; Stamps; Tickets; Toys & Hobbies; Travel;Video Games; Everything Else; and eBay Motors.
The primary reason that Buyers use WIN is to find a match.For a Seller who works on commission, "Want It Now" is aripe venue for drawing very interested customers into youreBay store. Much like a special mailing announces abusyness's presence, informing a Buyer of your services anditems on eBay is employing WIN as a valuable marketing tool.Upon checking out a Buyer's posting, the Seller has theability to "respond" to the posting. Responding entailsentering your product or service's item number from eBay.The Buyer then receives an email regarding this item numberand has the prerogative of following up or not on this lead.
Do you want to know if a market does exist for your serviceor product? WIN is one way to conduct an easy andinexpensive informal market research. A Seller curiousabout what's hot or in demand can quickly scan these postingfor confirmation. What could be better for a new businessor reviving an existing business than staying ahead of on upand coming trends!
Although from the Seller's perspective, "Want It Now"requires a more assertive approach to finding Buyers thanwaiting around in your tiny corner of eBay, Sellers can useWIN to their advantage and improve their profits. Buyerslike the ease of using WIN and not fiddling around withpotentially getting an item that doesn't meet their needs.After all, what could be better than a source that announcesyour intentions clear and loud to a captive audience!
Jackie McCutcheon is the author of a new eBook titled "What to Sell on eBay to Make a Pretty Penny," a step-by-step guide to increasing your eBay profits. Learn more: http://www.jackiemccutcheon.com





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Authentic Or Fake?

2007-03-01T10:26:00.000+02:00

1. Admit It: Old business models are no longer working. The Internet is bringing us closer as geographical boundaries, language barriers and cultural differences melt right before our eyes. Is is authentic? Is it fake?? What is Real? HMMM...Is the real question defining reality... ?
2. Get the Facts: According to USA Today "Ebay has become a mirror of our times. More than 125 million people use it; $1,060 worth of products flow through it every second. Among the top 10 search terms on eBay in 2003 were four designer brands: Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Coach and Prada. Which designer brand will win 2005? A simple search on eBay will give you the real time information, pricing and style numbers. This information is free for offline and online retailers. If you plan on buying from the licensed wholesale distributor at regular wholesale prices better make sure your prices are competitive with eBay retailers selling Below wholesale.
3. Think Global: If you think eBay is big, this is only the tip of the iceberg. The Embassy of India recently announced "eBay, the World's Online Marketplace (NASDAQ: EBAY - www.ebay.com) has agreed to acquire Baazee.com Inc. and its subsidiary Baazee.com India Pvt. Ltd., the largest online marketplace in India. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of calendar year 2004. There are currently 17 million Internet users in India, and the number is expected to grow to more than 30 million users in 2006." India Folio
4. Process and Plan: Once you have read the facts, process the facts. How will rapid globalization affect Your business? If Ma and Pa Kettle are surfing the internet while watching TV and ordering from India delivered for 1/2 price, where is your business going? Overtaken by this huge evolution of Internet communication, eBay has washed it's hands of policing counterfeits by instituting a inside Vero Team of registered trademark owners who have been given Carte Blanche to pull auctions suspected of selling goods that are infringing on copyrights.. is it legal? is it working?? A quick search on eBay for the words "Tiffany jewelry" January 14, 2005 produced thousands of results for items offered at below wholesale prices Search eBay . Search results for the words "Von Dutch", Tommy Hilifiger, Abercrombie, produces similar results.
Is Vero losing the battle to protect trademarks and copyrights or is Vero accepting the new pricing mechanism that is the result of the globalization brought on by the fastest growing internet company in the world? Mixed messages from Vero/Ebay regarding their policy is resulting in legal battles. Are Grey Market goods legal? Ebay Powersellers say yes and are fighting back and many are winning Read Taberone's Case - Grey Market Goods Tiffany says it is Not legal and the courts agreed that eBay should be taking stronger measures to protect trademark owners. Tiffany/eBay - MSNBC Report Von Dutch is handling the situation a little differently by posting a black list of companies on it's eBay About Me page. "If you bought products from one of these websites, YOU BOUGHT COUNTERFEIT GOODS." Some companies listed are coming forward claiming the statement is not true and invoices will prove it. Containers of brand name goods are entering the USA faster than ever as manufacturers and factories worldwide see new opportunities.
5. Get on Board! Whatever you decide to do - make sure you take a close look at the tremendous opportunity ahead. Celent Communications anticipates the online payment industry in the US will grow significantly over the next few years, rising to $12.5 billion in revenues by 2005. Consider new sources of inventory through off price wholesalers and importers. Where do you fit in this? Old school, new school? Grey area?
Jane's Closeout Marketplace offers a variety of suppliers including licensed wholesale distributors, manufacturers, off price wholesalers and Ebay powerseller suppliers. Buyers and sellers can use our e-Contract technology to make deals online. Ask questions, everything is recorded in writing between buyer and seller. Additional Benefits include 24 Hour Inpection, Community feedback program, order processing and since 1998 no upfront fees.
Please email comments to: feedback @ janesdeals.com. Thanks to Wholesale411 Community.
Jane Rothman
Jane Pate Arnold
Founder
Jane's Closeout Marketplace





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Auctions Make Money!

2007-02-28T11:40:00.000+02:00

An untapped online business resource--outside of your basic Yahoo and Ebay, among others--is setting up your own auction sales venue.
Since most families have items in their home that have outlived their usefulness, they can get started at online auctions for mere pennies.
And, most selling online at auctions does not have start-up or membership fees. There is a nominal fee per item listed and a percentage commission on each sale. Still, you come out ahead.
With this minimum investment, many are flocking to auction sites to gain additional income to get their families and selves through the seemingly ever present economic downturn.
Besides the low financial risk, individuals see auctions as one of the select few online vehicles where scams are not associated, or not as prevalent as with most online business opportunities. Plus, a majority have ongoing fees which you must absorb; auctions do not.
As with most home business opportunities, to be successful at online auctions also takes time to learn the ropes. Many auction sites do much of the work for you, providing standard formats for the sellers to insert data. Sites further assist in communications between buyer and seller as well as additional support.
Perhaps the toughest part is finding the right products to sell. Don't think for a moment that Uncle Charlies' false teeth in a jar that you've preciously held onto for years will fetch thousands of dollars, although nowadays you never know. Irregardless, with sites such as Ebay with over a thousand categories, that remedies that headache!
With over 30 years of media experience plus background in special events, fundraising, development, grant writing and administration plus Internet marketing, Walt Pfarr is now writing his own e-course, ebook and soon will publish the PfarrOut ezine newsletter. He and his wife, Joann, reside in Oklahoma and he may be reached at walterpfarr@lycos.com





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Auction Seller Guide To Success

2007-02-27T09:56:00.000+02:00

When its time to clean-up around the house, some people havea hard time deciding what to keep and what to throw out.What they need is an incentive.
How about collecting cash from stuff that was collectingdust?
You can do this by auctioning-off your unwanted or no longerneeded items on eBay. eBay is the largest online marketplace of its kind. If you are considering this, then youneed to gain some basic knowledge of the listing process.
Here is a 10-item checklist to go over before you beginselling:
1. Look at Other Seller Listings
Do a search for your item. See how other sellers list thesame or similar item. Take mental note of the category, thetitle, the description, the photo and the pricing.
2. Choose the Most Appropriate Category
Make sure your item is in the most appropriate category.Avoid placing it in a category where it doesn't belong.List your item in the wrong category, and people looking foryour item will not find it. Let eBay suggest the categoryfor you, if you are unsure which category your item belongs.
3. Write an Accurate Title for Your Listing
Make it easy for buyers to find your item in a search bywriting a precise title of it. Be as exact and detailed aspossible so your item can show up in broad keyword searchestoo. Avoid using hype words like "Best," "Great," or"Fantastic." Putting these words in the title will not helpbuyers find your item because they don't type in these typesof words in their searches.
4. Set Your Price Low
Entice your buyers by starting at a low price. Set areserve price in your listings so you don't have to sell itwhen the auction ends at too low of a price for you to makea profit.
5. Give Plenty of Time for Your Auction
Let as many people as possible see your auction. Set theduration for five or seven days so weekend buyers will havea chance to bid on your item too.
6. Show a Photo of Your Item
Take a digital photo of your item and post it with yourlisting. Let your buyers see what they are bidding on.Allow the photo to help you sell it. Having to seesomething first before you buy it is only natural. Applythis same principle to online auctions. Buying a digitalcamera is a good investment these days and instructions onloading pictures up to the eBay site are simple enough thatthere really is no excuse not to have a picture.
7. Give Buyers Plenty of Payment Options
Make it easy for the buyer to pay. Providing as manypayment options as available is better. Place in your itemlisting your own merchant account or credit card processorinformation. Sign up with Paypal if you don't have your ownmerchant account. Let buyers pay by check or money order ifyou don't provide payment through Paypal or credit cards.Including all payment options leaves no buyers behind.
8. Be Clear on Shipping and Handling Information
Avoid troubles or negative seller feedback by statingupfront your shipping costs. Mention this clearly in yourlisting. Include your return policy.
9. Give Contact Information
Gain the buyer's trust by freely stating your contactinformation. List your email, phone number or mailingaddress.
10. Keep on Testing
Review the auctions that have ended. Learn from the winsand losses. Try changing the category, title, descriptionor price if it didn't sell. Testing the individual elementsin the auction process is critical to your goal of becominga successful auction seller.
(c) Leroy Chan - All Rights reserved
Discover the "Insider Tricks" to making money on eBay. Visit Leroy Chan's site, Auction Seller Guide to receive a free 12-part auction selling course.





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Auction Sales - Keeping Customers You Worked So Hard To Get!

2007-02-26T11:07:00.000+02:00

If you've studied business concepts you know that finding a customer can be the most expensive part of the sales process. Once you've got a customer why not maximize the money you've already invested in the effort?
This time honored business concept certainly falls under the category of going the extra mile for a customer. Assuming your product, customer service, packaging and shipping all work together to create a positive feedback posting, here are a few simple ideas companies have been utilizing for years to help them stand out from the crowd and maximize the return on sales dollars:
? A personalized thank you
? A drop in
? A thank you gift
Personalized Thank You
Every package you send to a customer should include a personalized thank you letter. Personalized means there is a salutary greeting such as "Dear Customer Name" and your personalized signature. Why personalized? Ever hear the old sales adage, "Don't sell the product - sell the person?" It's taught to sales professionals because it works. A friendly thank you note near the end of a good transaction (more on this later) reminds the buyer they are thought of as a person, not just another sale or number. A personalized touch in today's impersonal marketplace is very refreshing.
The body copy of the note or letter is certainly up you but should be as specific to the transaction as possible (if you also include a packing slip/invoice the letter can be a little more generic). The goal of the note is to let the customer know they, and the sale, are important to you. Here's a short example:
Dear (Customer Name):
I just wanted to personally thank you for your winning bid on our (product name), Item #11111111111, enclosed. Our customers are very important to us. We realize you have a choice in selecting who you buy from and we greatly appreciate your business - now and in future.
Sincerely,
(Your Signature)
Drop-ins and gifts
A drop-in or gift provide extra chances to say thank you, create customer loyalty, increase future sales, and maximize your return on the investment of finding your customers. As an example let's say you're selling pet supplies. For a few pennies each you can have refrigerator magnets printed like business cards that include your company name, email, eBay store, or website address. They can be as simple or complex as you can afford but only need to include something like:
Acme Pet Supplies (Your company name)
For All Your Pet's Needs (A marketing line is a good idea)
Your Website Address (Either a link to your website or auctions)
Other inexpensive drop-ins and gifts could be something as simple as a business card, a sales sheet listing all the product types you carry, a gift certificate (to be used on your e-commerce website) for a future purchase, or an offer for your free newsletter. If you're selling kitchen products you could include your favorite recipe, or if you're selling poker supplies - a print out of the best starting hands might be nice.
Closing the Sales Cycle
Do you remember my comment earlier when I mentioned "near the end of a good transaction"? If you consider sending the product (with a thank you note, drop-in or gift) the end of the sales process you are missing another great opportunity to increase sales and improve you customer relations. Don't consider the sales process completed until you send your valued customer one more email. About a week or ten days after shipping the product, send a follow-up email such as:
Dear Customer Name (again, make it as personal as possible):
Just wanted to follow up on our transaction and make sure everything went smoothly for you. We trust everything went well but if you had any problems please let us know. We are always looking for ways to improve our service and your input is very important to us. We will post positive feedback for you and hope you'll do the same for us. We look forward to doing business with you again in the future.
Thanks again,
Your Name
(Suggestion: To avoid spam filters, in the subject line of your email include the eBay or auction item name and number)
Are the efforts to include a note, a drop-in, a gift, and do follow-ups a little more work and expense? Of course, but with the aid of simple automation packages on your computer the follow-ups can be somewhat automated and the drop-in or gift will help you create a returning customer.
Copyright © Steven Woodward ? All Rights Reserved
About the Author:
Steven Woodward is the owner, editor and publisher of the Auction Sellers Network (ASN); a web site for individuals and companies who are serious about utilizing the online auction marketplace for their business. In addition to topical articles, ASN provides an extensive resource center, news feeds, member forums and classified ads. For more information or to become a member visit http://www.AuctionSellersNetwork.com
No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About the Author tag is left intact and included. We do request that we be informed where it is posted and reciprocal links will be considered.




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Auction Image Hosting For Ebay Auctions: Free Single Most Recommended Tip

2007-02-24T13:31:00.000+02:00

It is a well known fact that the more pictures taken of an item, the better it will sell. Not only will you get more bids, but you will make a superior final profit. This is probably why this tip is the single most given tip when it comes to ebay.
Naturally, You will not list as many pictures as you should because E-bay's service charges per picture. Because of this you tend to ask yourself, do I really need another picture? This kind of thinking is bad for business. You should instead be asking yourself, how many useful pictures can I take of this item? This brings us to the big dilemma. Ebay charges you for every picture they host. So more pictures means a more expensive auction.
The best thing you can do as a seller is to look into subscribing to an Unlimited Picture Hosting Service. These services will host an unlimited number of pictures for you and some are very easy to use. Let me show you an example. My favorite is FoamTemplates.com.
I hope next time you put auction together you will consider posting more pictures, even if you have to use a free photo service. Some of the more popular are photo bucket, or snap fish but any will do.
If you do deicide to go with paid hosting, look into FOAMTemplates.com $8 a month will get you unlimited image uploads with no bandwith requirements, and that is unheard of. They do also offer a free template designer that is also nice.
Until next time, Have a great day!
I operate many affiliate programs in my spare time for sites including but not limited to FOAMTemplates.com. If you need leads, contact me today! or Visit Foam for Auction Image Hosting





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Auction And Its Benefits

2007-02-23T16:18:00.000+02:00

An auction is basically a public sale wherein any object issold to the highest bidder. It can be defined as a process of purchasing and selling things by offering them up for bid, taking bids and selling the things out to the highest bidder. This is what is generally the case. However, a sale to the lowest bidder may also take place, in cases where land is sold for non-payment of taxes to anyone willing to take it for the shortest term; or where a contract is offered to an individual or party willing to take it for the shortest term; or where a contract is offered to an individual or party willing to perform it at the lowest price. Such cases too seem to fairly come under the purview of the term 'auction'.
In case of auction the seller presents the products on a public platform. The selling price of the products are determined by the bids or offers of buyers interested in buying them based on their individual estimation of value of and need of the products. The person offering the highest bid at closing of auction receives the right to purchase the products at the bid price. The winner of the bid is normally legally bound to buy the item auctioned. In recent times auctions have been conducted online.
The benefits of auction are many. Some of the significant advantages are:
a) The auctioned item fetches the highest price in the given situation. Thus, in a way there is the maximization or optimization of profit.
b) At an auction the goods are almost certainly disposed off after bidding by their sale to the highest bidder. Hence, this serves as the right podium for disposing or selling out of accumulated goods. Otherwise, business could have become stagnant due to the stocking of these goods. Certain items could also have perished (in case of perishable goods) or expired if not sold out in time.
c) In case of auctioning a variety of articles may come up for sale, which may not be otherwise available in the market. The buyer can get quite surprised by looking at a treasure trove of antique articles available at an auction.
d) An auction can also be considered as a method for estimating the value of certain commodities which have hitherto undetermined or variable prices.
Author bio:
Author: Kellin
http://www.autocastle.com/
http://www.autocastle.com/dealers.asp





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Attract Ebay Buyers Like Crazy!

2007-02-21T11:42:00.000+02:00

As an ebay(TM) seller it happens very often (too often) that listings close without any bids. Did this happen to you? Many sellers are frustrated and quit their eBay(TM) business. Have you realised that these fees from unsold items can sum up quickly. We asked ourself: "What are the reasons for so many items not being sold on eBay(TM)?"
We did some research on compared many listings on eBay and to see which sites get the most hits. Of course the item itself plays an important role. But we have also found that many ebay(TM) sellers try to sell their items with very unprofessional auction listings. There is just some plain black text with white background. Arrrgh!!! We have seen it many times. The answer is simple. Many listings are closing without any bids because they have a lousy design.
But auction sites with a professional design are more likely to receive bids. A recent online study has shown that attractive and professional designed internet sites convert better than badly designed sites. It's basically the same thing with eBay listings. If it is not in harmony with your eye, people click to another item. Remember, that they are on overage seeing your site for 10-20 seconds. If they like it, they may read it. If not, they'll leave.
But many eBay(TM) sellers don't know any thing about designing professional listings. Until now, these sellers had only the choice of hiring expensive third party auction services or to buy costly auction listing software.Auction Design has changed that. Every serious eBay(TM) seller can create their own professional auction sites without any knowledge of HTML and without spending any extra money for expensive auction services or software. We from auction-design-for-free think that every auction seller should have the right to launch professional designed auction sites without spending any additional money. The listing fees for auctions on eBay are high enough. There is no need for additional costs which would decrease your profit.
http://www.auction-design-for-free.comhas set a new benchmark. This new released revolutionary step-by-step guide helps ebay sellers to get started and to get more bids on their items. This step-by-step guide has been written from ebay(TM) seller for ebay(TM) sellers in a non-technical easy to understand language.
Sit back and enjoy to be guided through every single step - supported by online video tutorials. With this new auction design secrets you can create your own professional looking listing with a breeze. If you are really serious about your eBay(TM) business and want to increase your profit you simply need this Step-by-Step guide. You will amazed how easy it is to make a nice looking auction sites on your own - For Free - without spending any additional cents and attract eBay buyers like CRAZY !!
Thomas Haselhorst is webmaster of http://www.auction-design-for-free.com
- a new website offering active ebay seller information how to design professional looking ebay auction sites without knowledge of HTML.





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Are You An Ebay Shopper?

2007-02-19T13:43:00.000+02:00

As I write this article, I am keeping an eye on an
item on eBay. Do I have to keep an eye on it? No. I
have set up a program that swoops in in the final
seconds of the bidding, leaving the previous bidder,
who thought they had the item, wondering what
happened.
Is that what is happening to you in business? Do you
think you have customers sewn up; success just with
your grasp, but something always goes wrong?
There is talk in the news about the Retail Industry
slowdown in home décor, furniture and home improvement
sales. Pier 1 mentioned they are streamlining and
cutting their merchandise offerings by 25% to focus on
their core customer. Many retailers who were
interviewed mentioned that they have been watching the
slowdown trend for a while and already have plans in
place to manage what's happening.
Is that how you run your business? Do you look at
seasonal, regional and/or global trends that will
affect the future of your business or do you wait
until the bottom falls out and then wonder what you
are going to do. Wouldn't you rather have a heads up
on what's happening, before it happens?
Sometimes even experience researchers find it
difficult to be guided by research. Instead they look
for facts and theories to support the hypothesis that
is already formed.
If you think that research takes too long, sign up for
a number of newsletters and let the information come
to you. If you worry about being spammed, use a
hotmail account. Keep an open mind. Rather than coming
to conclusions before you have the information, make a
list of specific facts and assign weights that will
influence your decisions. Create a chart and fill in
the answers from each information source, tally the
weighted results and then make your decisions based on
fact?tempered by entrepreneurial intuition. Set up a
system that works for you and commit to use it.
If you are in Retail then these two web sites have
newsletters that report on trends from all over the
world.
http://www.springwise.com
http://www.trendwatching.com
No matter what your business, somewhere on the net
there are newsletters/RSS feeds that can deliver
information to give you the edge you need, so you
aren't sideswiped?knocked out of the game in the final
seconds.
And my purchase on eBay?.I missed the first one
because someone else paid more than I thought it was
worth; but the second one?the competition is still
wondering what happened and my purchase is on it's
way. I used my proven system and won.
Do you want things to be your way in your world or do
you want to know what's really going on in your
industry so you can anticipate challenges and make
plans to avoid problems?
A theory must be tempered by reality.-Jawaharlal Nehru
Copyright(c) 2005 Nancy Fraser Nota Bene Consulting,
All Rights reserved
Nancy Fraser is the President of Nota Bene Consulting.
She has been helping clients improve their advertising
results and grow their businesses for over 20 years.
Free advertising and marketing information in the
Notable News http://www.notable-marketing.com





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A Picture Paints A Thousand Words And Creates Auction Euphoria On Ebay

2007-02-16T11:56:00.000+02:00

Ever since I sold my first item on ebay I have been addicted to the site and I have steadily developed it as a supplementary source of income over the last two years. As I gained experience from listing items, I rapidly became aware that the inclusion of pictures in the listings was a major selling point as buyers could literally see what they were buying and as such create a greater interest and desire within them which in turn led to greater selling prices.
To sum it up in one sentence:
Pictures attract attention, help explain details and more importantly stimulates desire which leads to Auction Euphoria.
Auction Euphoria is that process whereby the desire to own an item is that great that all logic goes out the window and the buyer rebids to ensure that they win it, thus increasing the selling price.
This simple bit of knowledge has allowed me to push my final selling prices up on average between 10-30% and as such it amazes me that so many listings do not include one picture and just type out the details in one long line of text (usually all in capitals!). I am not complaining however because this fact alone has allowed my auctions to stand out and make the money.
I started off using eBays add additional photo service to include extra images in my listings which people could use as a reference point and I found out the following :
1. Always make sure that the image is clear and of the actual item for sale, otherwise what is the point of including it? You will find that poorly presented pictures suggest that the seller doesn't care and hence will devalue the potential selling price of the item which is of no use to anyone.
2. Never use a stock photograph of the item for sale, with the increase in fraudulant transactions (especially on the higher value items) this will serve to put the buyer off, again serving to devalue your final selling price. Taking a little extra time to get an actual photograpah shows yours buyers that you care and will endear them to you.
3. Where possible use a digital camera, these are very easily accessable nowadays and relatively cheap and they produce excellent images. A webcam can also be used but does give a grainier picture. Remember the cost of the digital camera can be offset by the gain in final selling prices.
4. Have good lighting on your images, a poorly lit image may as well not be there. Where possible I take mine outside into the garden, put it onto a chair with white paper behind it and take advantage of the natural light. Its a few minutes work that pays dividends in the end in cold hard cash!
5. Never just use one image, always use at least two. I tend to use one image for every one of the details (or faults) that I mention in the listing. This illustrates what you are actually trying to describe and helps to prevent the dreaded negative feedback of 'the item wasn't as described'.
Using the above meant my auctions stood out and I was considered to be true to my word by my buyers so much so that I have multiple return buyers and the Auction Euphoria effect is evident on my auctions as there regularly go for higher prices than similar items listed on eBay.
As I developed my auctions I realised that using eBays additional picture service was COSTING ME a large proportion of my profit so I looked into other ways of getting my pictures on my listings. I also realised that the format of the listings was another major factor. I wanted to use the additional pictures to illustrate a detail or fault but it was no use having the picture at the bottom of the listing away from the description as per eBays standard approach.
So I did some research and learned that the answer to my problems was HTML to generate a template for my listings and allow me to pull my images into them without having to use eBays image service, sure it was still gonna cost me to host my own images but no where near what eBay was charging me. Using this has meant that my eBay Listing Fees have dropped by nearly 90%.
My buyers then started to ask me if they could use my templates and how they could include images on thier listings, advice which I always gave to them. I then decided to put this advice together on a few webpages so that they could use it as a reference and to upload some of the templates that I have used in the past so that anyone can use them for FREE.
I hope that these simple bits of advice help you to take advantage of Auction Euphoria, and really develop your profits from the amazing, and addictive, animal that is eBay auctions.
Mike - Webmaster and eBay Power Seller.
Online Auction Trader
FREE eBay Selling Templates, can be used by anyone you dont need to ask my permission to use them anywhere you want.





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An Introduction To Ebay Consignment

2007-02-15T12:10:00.000+02:00

After I started selling on eBay, I was approached by friends without computers who wanted me to sell their items for them. They had heard stories about the outrageous prices items some ebay auctions brought. They knew I could get more money for them on eBay than they could get selling the items themselves. An added incentive to them was I did all the work. All they had to do is say "I don't want this anymore, sell it for me;" and within a few weeks I converted their castoffs into cash.
I was already selling on eBay, and I had developed a system for listing and dealing with sales that allowed me to list lots of items in a short time. The chance to make a few dollars without any investment was too much to pass up. I made some good money doing this and because I didn't have to tie up my money buying inventory I was able to use it to grow my train business.
Consignment Selling Is The Perfect Way To Start Your Own eBay Business.
There are no set up fees or investments. You won't need to risk your own money buying items to resell. You don't need a detailed knowledge of antiques and collectibles. You only need to know how to find the right category, write an adequate description and take some high quality photos.
Selling on consignment allows you to learn about antiques and collectibles without risking your own money. By selling other people's items you learn the value of items in the most practical way. By handling them and selling them. No matter how many price guides you read, and antique shows you attend, you will never get the feel for items until you sell them.
When you sell on consignment, you provide a service that makes your clients additional money. When most people sell something, they sell to a dealer who needs to mark up the item to make a profit. This is not what happens on eBay.
On eBay the END USER is the buyer and will always pay more than a dealer would. Even after paying a consignment fee, the seller makes more money.
This is the true benefit of eBay consignment selling. Finding the END USER. Before eBay this was a difficult and daunting process. With eBay, a simple listing placed in the correct category, with a good description and some high quality photos, is enough to get a few END USERS to fight over the item.
Things You Need To Succeed With Consignment Sales:
1. You need to take possession of the items. When you sell items on consignment you risk your eBay name and reputation. You take these risks when you sell your own items, but you are in complete control of your actions. In order to lower your risks you need to get complete control of the items you are going to be selling. This prevents sellers from changing their minds, and allows you to ship the items as soon as you receive payment.
2. You should always have a written contract. One of my friends was sued by a consignor who felt the commission was too high. The consignor agreed to pay 20 percent of the selling price, then when the item sold for $8500, got upset about paying $1700 to someone for doing 30 minutes of work. While my friend won in court, it would never have gotten to court if he had a written contract.
3. You'll also need to perfect ways to get items. At first your friends and co-workers will provide you with a good stream of salable items. After a while this stream will dwindle and you will need to go out and find consignors. This is not as difficult as it may seem. Remember, by consigning with you, the seller gets more money than they would otherwise.
Terry Gibbs is a collector/dealer of old toys and trains, and teaches others how to buy and sell antiques and collectibles. Gibbs is the author of two best selling eBay books "The Auction Revolution," and "The Complete Guide To eBay Consignment Sales." He has also written numerous other books about buying and selling antiques and collectibles. Learn more at his website: http://www.news.iwantcollectibles.com
http://www.iwantcollectibles.com/consign5.html
Copyright 2005 IWantCollectibles LLC used with permission.





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A New Definition Of Buyer Beware

2007-02-14T10:40:00.000+02:00

"Who's Suzie?"
My wife Katrina had been acting strangely ever since I had returned home from my Native American cultural class, not to mention the weird phone call I received just before I left, full of little pauses instead of our usual fast-paced communication. Now that I was home she had been pretty much ignoring me completely, then comes this strange question. Katrina was calm but I could tell there was something under her skin as she chopped up the vegetables for the night's dinner.
"I don't know anyone named Suzie." I replied. "Well come to think of it, there's my old friend Peter's wife Suzie."
My wife remained calm, " Do you want to tell me anything?" she replied."There is nothing to tell Kat."
Katrina was heating up; her trademark rosy cheeks had evolved to boiling teapot. Still however, no steam or whistle had been emitted from her pretty spout.
She looked at me thoughtfully, "Well, I looked at your cell phone today. It seems you've been sending text messages to a woman named Suzie. I've read around thirty of her texts in the archive; they're all like "I love you heaps" and "Thinking of you right now". Who is she Tom?" A strange feeling overcame me. Katrina seemed absolutely sure that I was guilty of something. Accused yet innocent, her eyes spoke of the obvious evidence that was piled against me. The thing is, we were really having serious relationship problems at the time, with many arguments and rarely seeing eye-to-eye.
Katrina was on the brink of tears and I simply didn't know what she was talking about. Looking down I could see the cell phone gripped tightly in her hands. Funny, I hadn't thought about the fact that I own two phones and she was holding the one that I rarely use. A few months back I bought it off eBay as it is extremely small and I don't want to have to carry my big expensive "computer" phone on me when I am riding my mountain bike. It was actually my second 'extra' phone as my wife had killed the first when she had put it through the washing machine.
"Are you talking about that phone Kat? Give me a look at it." She handed the phone over reluctantly, as if it were evidence in a murder trial. I looked at the messages and sure enough there were a whole bunch from someone named Suzie. Some of the messages were quite raunchy indeed. Straight away I started to search for the dates of the archived messages, as they would surely prove my innocence. "Look Kat, the dates of these messages were several months ago. I've only had the phone for a couple months. They are obviously someone else's."
Her look of disbelief was starting to rattle me. It is a really horrible feeling when somebody you love so much doesn't have trust in you. I then searched and found the receipt from eBay for when I bought the phone. After showing the date on the form to her I could tell she was starting to see that I was telling the truth, but the wall of disbelief still hung over, clouds covering her bright face.
Finally I decided to search for the guy who sold me the phone. If this didn't prove my case nothing would save me from eternally sleeping in the doghouse. Using the email address he had used in the sale proved fruitless as my message kept coming back 'Return to sender.' Let me tell you I was really beginning to panic! Then, bang! The sound of the gun rang in my ears...just joking. It didn't get that serious! No, the bang was the sound of the flash of inspiration that suddenly entered my mind. I went back on the Internet and eBay and searched for the guy's name. I found it with a different email address, as he must have changed his Internet Service provider. A huge feeling of calmness rushed over me like the first wave at the beach when you have been in the heat all day.
Next I sent him a message asking him about the archived messages to 'Suzie' and asked him to 'Carbon Copy' (Cc) his response to my wife's email address so she would see that it was authentic.
The man then replied with a message that said he was very embarrassed about not deleting the messages on the cell phone. All right, pay dirt! He also went on to say that his wife was named Suzie and gave her address so Kat could then contact her if necessary. He seemed especially nervous about the content of the messages and said that he hoped nothing too x-rated was there as he and his wife often used risqué language to keep their relationship's fire 'stoked up!
O.K. So there's my story. My main message to you from the whole experience is that if you are buying or selling a product on eBay, make sure you clean up any unwanted information. It can really cause problems! Let me also tell you that now I am back searching on eBay as my new phone has also been sent on a mission back to the creator as it too has been on the 'Quest for the spin cycle'!
*This story is based on a true story of someone (not the author) with names changed.
Jesse S. Somer
http://www.m6.net

Jesse S. Somer is a creative writer working at M6.Net: 'The web-hosting company for humans.' M6.Net is working hard to help humanity experience the power and freedom to develop their own part of the Internet, to share their information and connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime.





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An Emerging Market In Ebay Consignments: The Ebay Trading Post (part Ii In A Series)

2007-02-13T10:29:00.000+02:00

In 2002, the eBay consignments business was born, referred to by eBay as the Trading Assistant Program.
It's possible that eBay didn't foresee just how much they would benefit form their eBay consignments program. Designed to unite experienced eBay sellers with people who want heir merchandise sold on eBay without having to do it themselves, the Trading Assistant program has enjoyed enormous success.
As big as eBay had become -- larger than all other online auction venues combined -- they were still missing out on a large segment of the population; the technophobes. These people would sell goods on eBay if they had access to a computer and a digital camera, and had the time and inclination to learn how to run an auction. But they either don't have the technology or they lack the desire to become auctioneers, or both. Since they're not on line, they're not likely to learn about Trading Assistants who advertise primarily through eBay. And even if they saw the ads, they probably wouldn't trust them.
You see, people active in the online community are already comfortable with the environment, which has an element of anonymity. But a non-computer person is more likely to want to deal with a real, brick-and-mortar retail business. They may not trust someone who runs auctions out of their home.
How to reach these people? Introducing the concept of the "Trading Post"...
A Trading post is to eBay consignments what the typical consignment shop is to the average community. It's a drop off location that allows consumers to drop their stuff off and have it sold for them as a service. It's a retail location that markets itself to consumers as a local, experienced ebay consignments seller -- a Trading Assistant with a brick-and-mortar store.
While any ebay trading assistant can establish an ebay consignments service out of a retail location, only a Trading Post can put the eBay brand on their physical storefront. (A trading assistant can only advertise inside their store). With this privilege comes a higher standard, ie, eBay has "raised the bar" on their requirements.
A Trading Post must meet the following additional requirements:
-Offers a staffed drop-off location or storefront with regular drop-in hours, so that clients can visit the location without calling ahead.
-Has a feedback score of 500 or higher
-Has at least 98% positive feedback
-Has sales of at least $25,000 on eBay each month
Online, clients can search for Trading Posts specifically, and Trading Posts may receive priority placement in search results. (Yes, even some online clients prefer the retail setting). Also, Trading Posts are displayed with a special icon next to their User ID. If you're a Trading Assistant who also meets the requirements, you automatically qualify as a Trading Post and do not need to take additional steps.
Walt Duflock, Director of the eBay Trading Assistant Program and a real life trading assistant, has announced eBay's intention of having "secret shoppers" and "customer satisfaction surveys" to see if there are certain Trading Post locations eBay would like to support more than others.
Regardless of your status on ebay, there are tools that everyone can use to build their success as TAs, available on the ebay site. I've found many of them quite valuable. For example, among their efficiency tools, they recommend using contact management software. eBay regards this as a great tool for getting "a better understanding of how many prospects it takes to actually create one new client and how long it takes for a client to go from initial contact to hiring you as a TA."
And as far as support, some of the Trading Posts have become so large that they no longer rely on eBay for help. Some have developed their own proprietary systems for tracking customers and inventory, and managing their auctions. The largest and most successful ebay consignment business will even get you started with your own franchise which includes the use of their proprietary systems. All you need to come up with is $55 K plus operating expenses.
But, never fear. You can start your ebay consignment business on a shoestring, and this is how the majority begin. Since 1998, eBay and similar auction sites have been growing by leaps and bounds. eBay consignments are still in their infancy, but I predict a very bright future!
© Copyright 2004 Carolyn Schweitzer DDS. Dr. Schweitzer was a family dentist for 20 years and is now owner and editor of several websites. You can learn more about where to find specific links to the Trading Assistant and Trading Post programs by visiting her website at http://www.netbrainer.com/site/500041/page/449460.





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An Ebay Computer Purchase

2007-02-12T11:50:00.000+02:00

An eBay purchase that turned sour.
A story of fraud, deceit, and broken promises.
Let me preface my statements by saying that I think eBay is great. I'm a handicapped senior citizen and it's been a boon to me to be able to shop the Internet and particularly eBay. In nearly six years I've had two problems both to do with non-delivery.
One incident was insignificant as it involved a $5.00 purchase and was quickly remedied. It only deserves mention because it was my first purchase, and because I complained about non-delivery the vindictive seller gave me a negative feed back, which remains on my record to this day.
Some months ago I purchased a computer through eBay. It was a very good price, but not so low as to arouse suspicion. I paid through Paypal using a credit card.
I had checked the seller's feedback record, which was perfect. Next day I received an acknowledgment and a promise to ship in a day or so. I waited for a week or so, then followed up the shipment. The seller, Ann apologized and said that she was a government attorney, on call and had been called out of town unexpectedly. She said she was on the road and on her return home would advise me the status of the order.
About a week later I received an email with an email with a UPS tracking number and an expected delivery date. The date was somewhat extended, but I accepted it, as it was coming across country. When the PC didn't arrive as expected I sent Ann another email. Her response was another apology and she said that her father had died and she was in another state for the funeral and would look into the matter upon her return, also that due to the inconvenience she was going to refund half my money.
More time elapsed and after several email inquiries I received an email from Ann's husband stating that on her way home from the funeral she had been in a car crash and was hospitalized. He said he was not involved in the transaction, but on her instructions was looking into the matter, and would see that I received not only my computer but also a full refund. Naturally many weeks had elapsed by this time.
I was beginning to become suspicious and checked their feedback record when suddenly there appeared six or seven bad reviews. On a subsequent check they made their feedback private so it couldn't be accessed. By then it was too late, the next thing I knew their email was suspended.
When I contacted eBay they gave me Ann's phone number. When I called the phone number their service had been disconnected. I was unable to get an address from either eBay or Paypal.
I reported this case of fraud, deceit and broken promises to eBay and Paypal. Both had time limits, which had expired, so they were unable to help me, so I turned the matter over to my credit card company.
Fortunately, I had used a protected credit card, and I was within the prescribed time limit. I don't know what transpired but I subsequently received a notice from Paypal that they had credited my account. Eventually I received a full refund.
Lessons Learned:
* Always uses a consumer-protected credit card. Do not ever use your checking or savings account even though Paypal encourages you to do so.
* Make sure you have a consumer-protected card, some do not have this feature, and be aware of the time limits, and other restrictions
* Do not accept stalling tactics even if they seem legitimate. Paypay has a 30-day limit. EBay's is 60 days, or 90 days in some cases. Put in a claim immediately, you can always retract it.
* Be careful when checking feed back, make sure you're getting reports from buyers not sellers. eBay has made it easier to do this now. These people had deliberately purchased a lot of small items to build up a positive feed back record. I have seen a tutorial that advocates doing it for new sellers who have no feed back record .
* Follow tour instincts, I had ignored a lot of danger signals. ---DON'T DO THAT---use your common sense---If you suspect foul play, Take immediate action.
Remember that scam artists are very good psychologists. They know how to appeal to your sensibilities.
Beware---They're Pros they make their living that way. Fraud and deceit are their tools of trade.
Written by: George W. Cannata the publisher of the web site: http://www.caveatemptorus.com, July 8, 2005.





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