Your Auction Info

2008-08-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

Marketing Your Merchandise on eBay
By Chris Robertson

According to a 2005 survey, close to sixty percent of Americans reported that they dreamed of starting their own business, both to increase their income and their independence. It appears that, more than ever, Americans are turning to eBay to fulfill that dream. According to the same study, almost three quarters of a million Americans are considered professional eBay sellers, using their eBay sales as their primary or secondary source of income. Another 1.5 million Americans reported that they use eBay to supplement their income. With annual eBay merchandise sales at around $20 billion, the eBay economy is a force to be reckoned with. If you haven't yet dabbled your toes in the eBay waters, it may be time to consider marketing your merchandise on eBay.

If you don't know what to sell, begin by looking around the house. If you've ever perused eBay's various sites, you know that sellers move everything from gifts and garments to cars and real estate. Selling on eBay isn't difficult once you get the hang of it, but there is a rather steep learning curve. It's best to start small, with items you have around the house that you'd normally sell at a garage sale. After that, all you need is a digital camera, a computer, and some time. eBay provides online tutorials and will walk you through the process of listing your item.

Once you get a handle on the basics, you'll be ready to sell more valuable merchandise. You can buy merchandise at store sales, from liquidators, or - if you're a weekend warrior - at garage sales. You can also sell on eBay and use a dropshipper to deliver your merchandise to your buyers.

You can spend as much or as little time as you'd like marketing your merchandise on eBay. You can opt to use only auction style listings, or open up an eBay store and sell items at fixed prices. eBay is launching eBay Express, which provides shoppers with a more traditional online buying experience, complete with shopping cart and check out.

Part of your marketing efforts can include developing an "About Me" page, which gives your buyers the chance to get to know you. You can also use eBay keyword campaigns, special listing features, advertising outside of eBay, and other marketing strategies that sellers typically use.

eBay's feedback system, where buyers rate sellers and sellers rate buyers, should be a crucial part of your marketing strategy. Your excellent customer service will garner positive feedback from your buyers, which in turn gives other buyers confidence when trading with you.

Whatever type of merchandise you decide to sell, you can be sure that your marketing efforts will be rewarded.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Visit Majon's Business and Entrepreneurs directory.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com

2008-08-14T00:31:00.000-07:00

eBay Selling Secret - Discover the One Thing That Will Double Your eBay Earnings, Fast
By Ay Samuel

Do you know the one thing that you can use to double your ebay earnings at a fast rate? There are many ideas that comes to mind but I will use this article to list the one ebay selling secret that will quickly double your ebay earnings.

Build Trust In Buyers

Now, you might be wondering, "how the heck can trust double my ebay earnings, and at a fast rate for that matter?" Yes, trust is it. It is the one thing that will do the trick for you.

How do I know this? I have made deliberate effort to build trust in ebay buyers who view my auctions. The result now is that my earnings always rise quickly and get doubled, compared to when buyers didn't have much trust in me.

Sincerely, building trust in buyers who are actually interested in your auction is that ebay selling secret that will double your earnings. So how do you really build trust in ebay buyers?

Mention Every Defect That Your Item Has

This is a very effective way of building trust in your buyers. Be sincere and accurate as much as possible. These are the two secrets to building trust here.

You might be thinking, "why should I mention every defect that an item has?" By mentioning every defect, you are building credibility. Think of it this way. If you don't mention any defect you will receive the small "blow" for any slight flaw that your item has. Compare this to when you mention any defect and you then get a good increase in trust for admitting that defect.

What if your item does not have flaws? Then do not lie or exaggerate highly about your item. Say it as it is. If you are selling a laptop with 200mHz processor speed, do not say its speed is 500mHz. Accuracy and being sincere is important here.

Build trust in buyers by mentioning every defect that your item has. Make sure you are sincere and accurate because trust is the one ebay selling secret that will double your earnings, fast. Buyers will always come back when they trust you.

Now that you have known how to earn the trust of your buyers, why not discover how you can profit massively from products that you can sell on ebay? Get full details by clicking to this ebay selling guide now.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com

Make Money on eBay Video

2008-08-04T20:07:00.001-07:00

2008-01-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

Productive EBay Income - Revealed - 5 Profitable Ways to Advance With EBay Income
By Sean R Mize

Everybody would like to be an eBay powerseller. However, with the stiff competition, everybody is having a hard time getting ahead of the pack. In this article I will show you the 5 profitable ways to advance in eBay so you can be steps closer to becoming a powerseller.

1. Use keywords on your listings. Online shoppers do not browse listings one by one; instead they use the search feature using relevant keywords to find the items they are looking for. If you want your listings to show on the result page, you have to sprinkle appropriate keywords on listing titles and item descriptions.

2. Create your about me page and drive traffic to it. EBay allows you to create your own page where you can introduce and sell yourself. In this area, you can tell your visitors your hobbies, your expertise, why they should transact with you, and you can even post your most recent pictures. To make sure that this page will impact your selling career, learn how to drive traffic to it. The best way to do that is by interacting with other eBay users through message boards where you are allowed to incorporate your About Me page URL on your every post.

3. Specialize and target a specific niche. Choose 1-2 niches that are related to the things you love the most and focus on selling items that are needed by your target market. In doing so, you can make your promotions and content publishing more targeted.

4. Offer paypal as a mode of payment. Millions of people are using paypal because it's safe, fast, and convenient. Do not lose such huge potential clients and register with paypal right away.

5. Proofread your titles and item descriptions. To make your listing easy to search, make sure that your titles and descriptions are free from spelling errors.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, 'Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide'

Download it free here: Secrets of Article Promotion

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published ebooks.

Article Source: www.ezinearticles.com

2007-07-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

Selling on eBay the Right Way Makes the Most Money Online
By Colin Lim

Selling items on eBay is a great way of making extra money in Australia and other parts of the world. The key to succeeding in making good money online through eBay is to sell effectively. The old 80/20 addage definitely applies here in that 20% of the sellers are making 80% of the profits.

Selling effectively versus just selling on eBay can make a lot of difference. By implementing the below tips I would constantly make at least 25-50% more than other people selling the exact same items on eBay. Sometimes I found that I would make more than 100% more!

Firstly, I'm assuming you already know how to list an item to sell on eBay. If you don't, eBay itself has a great step-by-step tutorial how to do this, just visit their main site. Now here are the must do things in order to ensure that you are getting the best price you can when selling items on eBay:

Make sure you put a very detailed item description on your auction listing. Google the model/brand name & number of the item you are selling & get all the details including technical specifications (if you are selling electronic items), or any specifications available for this item. Check as many pages as you can & if selling in Australia, make sure you check the Australian sites as a priority as the item you are selling may have slightly different specifications in other countries. If there are product reviews about the item, its a good idea to copy these as well (just make sure you reference back to the site) or you can just add the URL with the words "for a full review of this product, click here". Never just list the model/brand name & model number as the chances of getting a good final bid price is lower. Bidders like to see all the details of the item they are bidding on. Yes, its true that there are some bidders out there that will already know all about the item you are selling & thus will bid on the item regardless of whether you have the details there or not, but there is also a big group of potential bidders who are just looking for a similar item - e.g. they might just be looking for a video camera but aren't set on one particular brand or model, so they browse the different options available. If you have everything they want to know about on your auction description, then they are much more likely to bid compared to if you just had the name of the item.

Use an HTML editor like Microsoft Frontpage or Dreamweaver to create your auction listings. This way you can make the listing look professional & attractive to potential bidders. You could use the HTML editor on eBay but I always found this to be a little restrictive in its use. Its a good idea to create a template that you can use again & again for different listings. Have a look at what other sellers are doing (those that have fancy auction listings) & see if you can do something similar. Then copy the code from the HTML editor into the "Enter Your Own HTML" box on the sell page of eBay.

Take lots of quality pictures of the item & include them in the auction listing. Make sure you take good close ups of the item from many different angles so that bidders know exactly what they are bidding on. I have always found that my listings with good quality photos did so much better than other sellers listings with no or few or bad quality photos. Using a digital camera with 3.2Mp & up is good enough. If you can, avoid using the camera on your mobile phone as most camera phones take bad quality pictures. Take at least 6 good quality photos.

Following on from the above point, do not use the upload photo feature of eBay because not only does this add to the cost of your listing, it also resizes your photos reducing the quality & visibility of your item. Instead, go out & get a web hosting account - there are many cheap options available. You don't need a domain name, just an FTP account. Upload your photos (you may have to do some resizing of the photos using whatever photo editor you have - do not resize them to too small - I usually make the photos no more than 800 pixels wide & whatever height), & upload them to your web hosting account. Then, copy the link locations into your HTML editor. The easy way is to browse to the actual photos on your website & then right click to copy image & then paste onto your auction description in your HTML editor.

Make sure you include detailed information on the condition of the item. If its brand new, write that its brand new, unopened & make sure you put this in the title of the listing. If its used, describe the condition in as much detail as possible.

Spend some time on the title of the listing. Don't just list the name of the item, include some of its key features, as many that will fit.

Avoid using reserve prices and high starting bids. If you are really afraid that you will be forced to sell the item for much lower than what you require for it, then a higher starting bid is the better of the two evils. Reserved prices put people off as they do not know what your reserve is. They think it might be high & thus do not bother bidding. But if they know upfront what the start price is, then they are more likely to bid if they are comfortable with that start price. At least they know they have a chance of getting the item at that price versus having a reserve price. To be honest, 90% of the time I have always found that having a start price of 0.99c achieves a much higher final bid amount than having a higher start price. This is because people get involved with the auction and the innate competitiveness built in many of us, causes us to push the bid higher if we are competing with other people for the item. Also once someone bids at any price, they watch that item over & above other items listed. If they are outbid, they generally think "what's another $1 or $5. I can afford that to get this item" & so the price goes up. Make sure you do the top points though, as these will help you get informed buyers who are keen to get your product.

There are many more things that you can do to ensure that you get the best price for your listings. The ones I have described above I believe are the key ones but there are others that definitely help.

In any case, selling on eBay can generate you a great deal of extra income if you sell effectively.

For more information including reviews and special tips for Australians, on how to make money through eBay, affiliate marketing, share trading, property and other methods, visit PassiveIncomeInOz Blog.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Becoming an eBay Seller - The First Steps - Darren Gibson

2007-04-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

You've been lurking around eBay for a few months now. You might have even registered and perhaps bought the odd item. Good for you - you have at least taken steps in the right direction!

So what now? You want to start selling and taking your share of the $40+ million that changes hands on eBay every day, but just don't know where to begin. You will find a lot of conflicting advice out there. Some advocate going straight into drop shipping, others say find a niche, but my advice is to take just a few steps at a time.

Although you may be itching to go straight for the high paying options like selling ipods or laptops, just think for a minute and ask yourself "Would I buy from someone with zero seller feedback?" Chances are, unless it is a super niche with limited product availability, you would answer that question with a resounding "No". Also, what if your supplier proved unreliable and your early transactions were absolute disasters. Not the best situation to put yourself in, is it.

One of the best ways to get started as a seller on eBay is also one of the easiest. How often do you go round and fill a basket or bag with unwanted items for your local charity collection - two, maybe three or more times a year. What if you put those items up on eBay as a way of getting positive seller feedback? Look at it logically - you were prepared to give it away for nothing, so even if it only sells for pennies, you are not losing out, as each sale is improving your credibility on eBay (or whichever site you choose to trade on for that matter). If your conscience is getting the better of you, you could decide to donate these initial profits to the charity who you were going to donate the items to.

After the "charity bags" have been sold, why not do a spring clean and identify more items to list. The stack of vinyl LPs you have long since abandoned in favour of compact discs, the VHS tapes you no longer watch - even the pair of jeans you know you will never squeeze into again that you are hanging on to for posterity! These will all contribute to you getting a positive reputation as a seller prior to you starting selling items for the big bucks.

Taking this approach also eases you into the selling process with minimal risk. Look on it as a trial run for the long term - you can get practice and experience writing your listings and you get to see the whole selling process a few times before it "really matters"

For more free eBay seller resources, visit thousands-of-bargains.com or visit the Gibson family web pages.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Buy at Wholesale and Drop Ship to Customers Without a Warehouse - Alan Kirchain

2007-03-02T00:44:00.000-08:00

If you've thought about opening a business for yourself, and want to take advantage of that lifestyle so many people strive for, you'll see that as you read through this article you can start you own endeavor and do it without even having products of your own to sell and only a small amount of money up front.

Honestly, who hasn't dreamed about owning there own mail order business. You know the one where you just go out to the mail box and pick up the checks. Until recently, that was really just a pipe dream and a great marketing pitch for many biz-op companies. But today that opportunity is real and probably as easy as it's ever going to get. It has become particularly easy with the advent of the internet and the ability to auction merchandise from your home.

What I'm talking about is purchasing wholesale and then drop shipping to customers without storing inventory. This can provide an easy way for people to quit their regular day job, if they work at it systematically. You can do it without having to put up a lot of money in upfront capital and basically do it from your home computer and desk area.

Drop shippers can send products and merchandise to your customers without you ever having to touch the products. This allows you to offer real products to customers and not have to worry about warehousing and inventory.

There are many different ways you can set up a great drop shipping business. The simplest way is to start an auction on one of the big auction web sites. You can sell products via the auction and ship them to your customers and it will appear as if they came direclty from your distribution warehouse.

This works by you providing the drop shipper with the customer information. They then take care of the fulfillment and follow through with the shipping process. The best part is that they will affix your company information to the package including logos and slogans if you request, and then provide them the material to do so.

When your customer gets there merchandise it appears that your warehouse sent them the products and they have no clue that it came from a drop ship resource.

Besides the obvious benefits this allows you to spend more time on setting up new promotions via auction or regular website, rather than focusing on packaging, and shipping chores. Way more productive and profitable to your bottom line.

Establishing a rapport with several wholesale drop shipping companies will be a key to your success. At first most companies will want you to pre pay in some fashion for products that get shipped. This usually can be done using a credit or debit card.

Getting your merchandise to your customers in a timely fashion should be a primary goal. Ultimately, you should be able to establish a credit line with your suppliers and be billed on terms. This way you will be able to add a new dimension to your business providing even quicker service, thus allowing you to reap more profits.

One central component to a profitable drop shipping business is finding real wholesale suppliers. It’s important to remember that lots of companies claim to be wholesalers and promote themselves as being such. Unfortunately many are not. They are actually middlemen and profit by selling you merchandise above the true wholesale cost.

Finding true wholesalers can be a tedious and painstaking task. Be sure and take your time when researching wholesalers so that you are dealing with the closest point to the manufacturer.

Getting started in a wholesale business and then drop shipping the merchandise can be profitable without a huge financial risk. Do your homework and find out what the best margins are for your particular products. The beauty of this is that you can sell your product without actually purchasing it and then warehousing it tying up precious funds that can be used in different ways.

The wholesale drop shipping business is fun and exciting. It allows you to profit in many cases prior to actually having any capital expenditures of the wholesale merchandise. If your thinking of starting a home based business a wholesale and drop shipping is a good business model to cut your teeth with.

If you would like to discover how smart people locate real drop shippers and manufactures with just the click of a
mouse, visit http://www.wholesaleanddropshipdirect.com You can also get additional info on Drop Shipping Wholesale Company

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Kirchain
http://EzineArticles.com/?Buy-at-Wholesale-and-Drop-Ship-to-Customers-Without-a-Warehouse&id=471084

How to Make Money on eBay Selling Other People's Stuff - Joshua Spaulding

2007-02-18T22:34:00.000-08:00

Everyone and their brother have things lying around that they no longer have a use for. Many of these things have great value to others. Even though many people know that eBay is there, they do not know how it works or they just do not feel like messing with it, this is where you come in.

We all love to have a little extra money and when we are told that we do not have to do anything for it, it’s even better. That is why this technique is so profitable. The great thing about it is that there is nothing scandalous about it. You can even offer this service to friends and family. This type of marketing is often called ‘soft marketing’.

So what am I talking about? As long as you know how to put up goods for auction on eBay, you can sell other peoples stuff for them. You will of course charge a certain percentage per sale. It is actually extremely easy to pull off. You do not have to pay for advertising or do any other kind of stressful marketing. All you have to do is ask people.

It will eventually turn into ‘viral marketing’. This type of marketing is when one person tells their friends, their friends tell their friends and so on. “Hey, John sold my boat for me on eBay and I got $2,000.00 out of it!” When people hear statements like that, they want to give it a try as well.

As you have probably noticed, this is no mind-blowing secret that I have uncovered. It is actually something that thousands of people do everyday. The great part about making money on eBay by selling others people stuff is that it does not matter how many people do it, it will always be profitable.

There is no reason not to do this. The cost is very limited when compared to the profit potential. A few roles of packing tape and some boxes and you are in business. Just get the word out that you can sell other peoples stuff on eBay and you will be amazed as to how many people are interested.

Joshua Spaulding is an Author and Webmaster providing Proven ways to Make Money at Home through his site at EZ-OnlineMoney.com and his Make Money Blog. Joshua would like to invite you to join in on the Free Online Training by visiting his site or blog today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Spaulding
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Make-Money-on-eBay-Selling-Other-Peoples-Stuff&id=459365

Get Creative: Sell on Ebay And Make Some Great Extra Cash - Kirk Smith

2007-02-11T00:36:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt that you've had the perfect item to sell on eBay? Have you done your research and you know that others are selling the same thing with great success? Yet when you list the same item, you're shocked when you don't even get one bid. Why is that? You know it's a hot item, and you've heard all the buzz, but now you're stuck with an item no one will bid on. Often, even the hottest items won't sell on eBay due to a saturated market. Digital cameras are very popular but how many cameras does the average person need? So what are you going to do? Don't give up! This just might be the place where you need to do a little creative marketing.

First, remember that it's always important to test market your product first. Buy a small number of the item you're interested in selling on eBay. If those sell as you had hoped then you can buy more. Never buy in bulk until you know how well your product will do. You don't want to end up with a garage full of electronic widgets that no one wants.

When selling on eBay run your test market on two or three different items at the same time as opposed to just a single item. This will save you time as you can simply continue with what works and discontinue what doesn't.

Getting Creative

Try adding extra value to your items. Everybody loves the product that comes with a free gift. For example, if you're selling blenders, try adding a set of free spatulas or 101 favorite blender recipes. If it's an electronics product you might offer a free carrying case or set of headphones for an auto device. No matter how small the added value gift might be, never over look the power of the word "Free".

Remember that selling on eBay is like any other business, whether on the web or a brick and mortar store. You must do your planning and market research, offer something unique, and pin point your target market. Actually writing out a business plan will give you a clear image of .you want to do as well as help you identify problems before they arise.

One of the most important things to remember when selling on eBay is to not get discouraged if your first test markets don't work out. Even the top eBay sellers had to start someplace and you'd probably be surprised to learn that many of them weren't successful in the beginning either. It's a trial and error game and in the end persistence is what pays off.

Finally remember that everything old is new again and that timing can truly be everything. It's amazing how something that isn't selling well today can suddenly become tomorrow's hot item. Take for instance sewing. While a number of years ago the interest in home sewing dwindled and home made clothing was not considered fashionable, today it is on the rise again. Due to a struggling economy and the desire to save money as well as sewing machines and patterns that can make anyone look like a couture seamstress, sewing is gaining in popularity again. The key to selling on eBay is to become aware of rising market trends. What's the latest hot item with the stars in Hollywood? What's new with the teen crowd? Read and research all the time and catch those trends and fads as they form and you might just find your next big item to sell on eBay.

If you've ever thought about selling a product online to make some extra cash then Ebay is a great way to start. To get ahead of the game and learn some uncovered and essential information, I urge you to Download My Free Ebay Package Now. Please also be sure to visit me at http://www.kirksmiths.com and http://www.kirksmiths.com/blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kirk_Smith
http://EzineArticles.com/?Get-Creative:-Sell-on-Ebay-And-Make-Some-Great-Extra-Cash&id=447026

Ebay Millionaire Secrets - Munyaradzi Chinongoza

2007-01-30T21:25:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for ebay millionaire secrets? Well, the first question you probably have to ask yourself would be, is there really such a thing? The second question, would probably be, if the are secrets involved with cashing in big on ebay, who knows them and where can you find this person so they can hopefully share them with you.

Before, I reveal the good news. Let's talk a little about ebay. Ebay now has over 150 million users worldwide and with everyday a lot of them are starting to realise the true profit potential of this super marketplace. Apparently, ebay processes about $1000 of sales every second, and this does not even include the various fees charged, for each transaction.

There are now a lot of people from all corners of the world making crazy money from selling things on ebay but at the same time they are a lot of people making losses every single day. The main reason for this is, they do not know the ebay millionaire secrets. I do believe that if you have access to a good mentor, you can easily duplicate their success.

With this in mind, I have just been introduced to a self-made ebay millionaire. This is a gentleman from Nebraska, who goes by the name Brandon Dupsky. He says he started on eBay selling "odds-and-ends" he found in his basement. He tested like crazy, learned by "trial and error," and last year he managed to crack the $8,000,000 mark!

So what do ebay millionaires know, that you don't? They know Which products are "hot sellers," and guarantee the biggest profits, Where to find in-demand products that you can buy for cheap and resell for massive profits, how to attract tons of bids and even techniques for driving 1,000s of qualified bidders to ANY auction listings!

Just from listening to this guy I realised there are lots more ebay millionaire secrets out there than I thought, and the only way you can ever find out even just a few of them, would be to get close to an ebay millionaire. These ebay power sellers usually lay low, and tend to be difficult to track. So if you happen to get close to one, cling on like a leach, and only let go, when you have learnt all their secrets.

Discover how a regular guy who got his start on eBay by selling a few odd-and-ends he found in his basement has refined his ebay millionaire secrets to the point where he made $8 MILLION in just one year! Click Here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Munyaradzi_Chinongoza
http://EzineArticles.com/?Ebay-Millionaire-Secrets&id=434692

Sell Like an eBay Powerseller

2007-01-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

There isn't a week that goes by without someone asking me how to sell products on eBay. It's a great question! And I enjoy talking about the topic quite a bit, but my answer is always the same - sell like a Powerseller! Here's what I mean...

An eBay Powerseller is someone that generates $1000 or more in sales for three consecutive months. You don't have look too far on eBay to realize that the place is literally crawling with Powersellers.I've spent over 5 years studying eBay, as well as, buying and selling products under several eBay IDs. I noticed that there are two types of eBay Powersellers:

1. Niche Powersellers

2. On-Demand Powersellers

The Niche Powersellers specialize in a particular area - like antiques, coins, dolls, etc. This particular area is a hobby to these people and they are very good at finding products at a low enough cost within this market to sell for a nice profit. These Powersellers are hard to imitate.

On the other hand, the On-Demand Powersellers are not very familiar with the products they sell, but they are very familiar with what the eBay community wants and how they can go about getting it. I call them On-Demand Powersellers because they seek out products to sell based on the level of demand inthe eBay community. These are the Powersellers that you should try to follow.

A common misconception that new eBay users have is thinking that all Powersellers are large retail outlet doing business on eBay. This simply isn't true. The majority of the Powersellers that I know typically run their business out of a basement or garage. Ebay has a great way of leveling the playing field in this respect. For example, a student can open an account and create ads that are just as enticing as any large company that happens to be selling the same products on ebay.

So how can you do business like On-Demand Powersellers?

That's actually an easy question to answer; obtain a seller's permit, find a demand for a particular product, and then find a wholesale supplier for that particular product.

A seller's permit will allow you to purchase products for wholesale from wholesale venders. This is the first thing any legitimate wholesale company will ask for, and if you don't have one, they could very likely not do business with you.

You can obtain a sellers permit at http://www.businessnameusa.com

You can find the demand for numerous products on eBay by using the eBay 'Hot Items' resource (in link below). This resource consists of (among other things) a 40+ page pdf document that lists which items are hot sellers in the numerous categories. The data is usually for the previous 2 months.

Find out 'What's Hot' on eBay at http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/whatshot.html

After you've identified which items were hot sellers, go to eBay's Advance Search and conduct a search for those products to make sure they're still hot sellers (have plenty of bids). Also do a search for the same product with the 'Completed Items' option in the Advanced Search checked. This will show you which auctions sold and how much they sold for.

Once you have a product in mind, do a search on Google for the manufacture of the product. When you get to the website, look for a contact number, or a 'Dealer inquiry' number. This information is also usually on the box of the product itself, so it may take a run to your local store if you don't have any luck on the web.

Give them a call. Inform them that you run a business and are interested in becoming a dealer of the product. Most are very helpful in getting you setup. However, be aware, some may have a minimum purchase order. Never the less, if you did your eBay research correctly, you'll know how much these items have recently sold for, and how much they are currently selling for, thus, you can be pretty confident that the money will be made back.

I recently came across two Powersellers that are extremely successful doing with this process. One Powerseller had sold over $100,000 worth of those little robotic-vacuuming-Frisbee thingies in 60 days! The other Powerseller does extremely well selling dog chews. Both Powersellers simply identified the demand for these products, then sought out the manufactures and became dealers… the rest is history.

Sincerely,

Michael Ellis

About the Author:

Michael Ellis is an Internet technology expert that specializes in marketing products and services online. Be sure to visit Michael's website http://www.VictoryKey.com for FREE Internet Marketing articles, tips and discussion forums.

Pay Less for eBay Products than Many Power Sellers Do! - Steve Myers

2007-01-18T18:04:00.000-08:00

"Help! eBay emptied my attic!"

Most eBay Power Sellers started by selling their junk... "underappreciated treasures" if you prefer.

In our eBay training course, we direct students to begin their eBay selling career with a cardboard box. They walk around their home, putting various things in the box which they can do without. When the box is full, they put the items up for sale on eBay.

It's a great way to get started, since you don't invest anything. You get some experience with the process of listing on eBay.

But what happens when you run out of things to sell around the house? Eventually you've gotten rid of not only the things you own that you don't want anymore, but those you don't want which belong to your spouse, kids, etc. :)

A Nasty Addiction is Born

Many sellers begin hitting yard sales in search of treasures. Let me just warn you from my own personal experience that you'll end up with stuff that's just "too good" to part with, so it never gets sold on eBay. Notice how I'm NOT mentioning my wife's ever-growing "previously loved" teddy bear collection here.

Here's a better way. There's a growing list of companies which provide the products you need at warehouse prices. Some drop-shippers don't require a penny from you up front, so you can sell their products on eBay without risking anything more than the eBay listing fees.

Landmines and Bear Traps

I'll warn you now that not all suppliers are created equal. Some don't give you much room for profit margin.

Hidden "drop ship" fees can eat into your profits. Additionally, pay attention to who pays the shipping costs and so on. This article will arm you with the information you need to find a great supplier.

Where to Start

No list of drop-shippers and other suppliers could remain complete or timely (but we'll list a few later on in this article). That's why you need to know how to ferret them out yourself. When you begin a search for anything, where do you start? Likely, you begin with your favorite search engine such as Google, Yahoo, or MSN.

Compile a list of keywords with which to search for suppliers. Because new suppliers come online all the time, it's not enough to do this search once, so keep this list for future reference.

For example, let's say you want to find vendors for children's educational toys. You might search on phrases like:

educational toy vendor
educational toy manufacturer
educational toy supplier
educational toy wholesaler
educational toy distributor
educational toy dropshipper

Beware: When you use the word "dropshipper" in your search you'll get an endless list of businesses selling dropshipper catalogs and books. Most of these aren't worth it.

Because each search engine gives different results, don't narrow your search to just one. I typically use Google, but maybe I'll find the best vendor with Yahoo this time. Don't limit yourself.

Drop Shipping Resources

Drop Ship Companies:

Overstock
CA Wholesale
Saves U Cash
Style Smart

Newsletters:

Drop Shipping News

Wholesale Bulk Companies:

Roden Imports
MBK Wholesale
Closeout Dealers
Dollar Days
CompNet USA Technology
Evolve 1000
TDW Closeouts
BNF USA

Catalogues:

Worldwide Brands

Small Fee to Join Wholesalers and Directories:

Wholesale Central
WWW-Wholesale
My Web Wholesaler

Another great place to go is Ebiz Drop Ship. You'll have to join their site to use it, but it's free to join.

Creative and Unusual Sources of Products

Here's a source of products with no risk to you. A friend of mine makes a good side income selling on eBay. She found one source of products that will have you head-slapping yourself if you didn't think of it already.

Walmart, Cosco, and Sam's Club are her sources. Because of the buying power of each of these national chains, the prices they offer direct to consumers are often lower than what drop-shippers offer! They often sell for much more on eBay than these retail stores sell them for.

No-Risk Product Sourcing

Here's the part I thought was a bit clever. She buys the products she sells on eBay at one of these retailers. But what happens if her listing doesn't sell? She simply returns the item to the store for a complete refund. She only risks her time and maybe some gas money. She's never stuck with unsold inventory.

Some folks may have a problem with her product source. It does cost the retailer a bit of time to re-shelf the products that don't sell. On the other hand, they end up selling more products than they would have without her.

This may or may not be the solution for you. All I'm saying is you have to get creative. As much as I hate the phrase, you have to "think outside the box." When you do exactly what your competitors do, don't be surprised when you only make the profit they make.

And when you're the little guy, you've got to get creative and try things others don't. Your competition sure isn't telling you their secrets, so you'll have to find your own.

Tune in Next Time...

This is the first of a 2-part series on finding and selecting the best sourcing solution for your eBay business. In the next installment, you'll learn to use your local library to uncover hidden product sources.

You'll learn how to network with local retailers as a source of underpriced products. We'll show you how to approach them with an appeal these retailers might not have considered before.

Most importantly, you'll learn how to evaluate and select the best product sourcing solution. You'll learn how to compare one against another to help you find the most profitable long-term product supplier for your eBay business.

Read Part 2

Steve Myers - Online Marketing Consultant for HammerTap eBay Auction Research http://www.hammertap.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Myers
http://EzineArticles.com/?Pay-Less-for-eBay-Products-than-Many-Power-Sellers-Do!&id=418815

Government Seized Properties - Countless Opportunities Await You In Government Auctions - Albert Lee

2007-01-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

Each person is unique in his own way, that is why an individual is distinct and separate from the rest. He is identified by his personality and unique traits. Habits are formed while a person is still young, and those habits are carried until he or she grows old. It's quite hard to shy away from, old habits.

If you're the type of person who likes to purchase unusual items and properties, then perhaps you might be interested in government seized properties. You can choose from stamps, furniture, real estate, and other unusual items from police and government auctions. These items and properties are considered seized or surplus, having been bought using money associated with the crime committed. And if you're quite lucky, you may be able to find new amongst old ones.

The government is initiating and creating a reasonable marketplace that is centered on the needs and demands of its citizens. The ordinary people and small/big businesses can have access to forfeited merchandise, exchange assets, and other items through auctions mobilized by the government. Government auctions happen both online and in other designated places.

By doing a search online, you can find huge listings of surplus goods and properties in the US. The listings are usually divided into state listings, making it easier for people to access their needed information. If you're diligent in your search, you can even find listings of these surplus properties in the local level. If you've already decided on what particular property to purchase in the auction, try to find the right US custom agency that hosts the auction. Your ticket to making a good purchase is on your fingertips. So why wait?

Other agencies of the government are also reliable sources of seized properties, because the owners of such properties failed to pay the necessary taxes. All the items are sold through an auction.

Before taking part in any auction, you must choose between bidding online or in person. Making a bid online will give you an opportunity to see the property's pictures. If you're thinking about practicality, then you might as well settle with bidding in person. You will also have an opportunity to see the properties up close like houses and portions of land.

Another government department that holds a lot of unusual items is the police department. A large number of goods and properties are used as evidence during trials, and after that, it's quite impossible to trace its rightful owner. The police department must therefore dispose of these goods and properties, and the best way is through auctions.

What's good about government seized property auction is that the properties are sold at lower prices. If you want to acquire properties a fraction of its market value, look into government auctions. You can now have an opportunity to build your so-called 'net worth'. It's easy to tell if you're buying a new or old property. By checking their description and the price, you can already assess what the property has to offer. Although bidding may require knowledge and experience, new players and bidders can also take part in auctions, but they have to be cautious.

Remember that you're there because you want to purchase properties and other items at a low price. So don't be fooled; by doing your research and asking help from other experienced bidders, you can arrive at a good deal.

For listings of government seized property auctions, please visit http://www.real-estate-foreclosed-home.info

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Albert_Lee
http://EzineArticles.com/?Government-Seized-Properties---Countless-Opportunities-Await-You-In-Government-Auctions&id=409269

Earn Fast Cash on E-Bay with Your Hobby - Mary Johnson-Gerard

2007-01-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

Earn Fast Cash on e-Bay with Your Hobby
Want to learn how to take your hobby or passion to the next level and make almost instant money on it? We learned how to do this on E-Bay over the past 8 years and have thousands of positive feedbacks to show we can help you learn how to use E-bay to make money. The more you learn about how to sell.. the more money you will have for dabbling further into your hobby or using on other projects you have in mind.

We have identified a 9 step Earn Fast Cash on E-Bay Process to guide you to successful selling. This article is going to briefly describe each step to get you started thinking about whether you want to undertake starting your own home-based E-Bay business. Following this article, there will be 9 other articles each one going into depth on a separate step of the process.

This process differs from other E-Bay Guides you can read about or buy that focus on learning how to find surplus, overstock items or items that other companies want you to sell for them. This process is about learning how to earn money with your hobby or passion.

Our experience on E-Bay started when our family room started to bulge at the seams with our 1950s, 60s, and 70s retro, atomic, mod, groovy, Danish Modern collectibles. What started out as a wonderful first experience of buying a set of jewel colored spun aluminum glasses (a blast from our past) turned into an addiction.

We now have a separate building to house an inventory that would make any collectors eyeball roll. What we have learned though is that we could still make good regular money on E-Bay without having this size of inventory and this is what we want to teach. Read through the list of steps to see if selling on E-Bay is a good fit for you and if so, return to Helium to read the nine articles.

Now blasting off to the point of this article, here’s the Earn Fast Cash on E-Bay Process:

Step One: Develop a list of what you want to sell on E-Bay. Create this list by defining your hobbies and your passions. What would you like to begin selling? What do you know a lot about? Article 2 gives you an example of what a list like this looked for our E-Bay business.

Step Two: Take each of the items on your list and research E-Bay to see if the item is being sold and what is the typical selling price? Article 3 will give you real examples of what we found when we did our research on our list of retro atomic, Danish Modern collectibles.

Step Three: Open an E-Bay Account. Article 4 takes you step by step through the E-Bay registration process.

Step Four: Think about your process for receiving payment. Article 4 talks about the different methods of payment, their pros and cons, and walks you through opening up a PayPal account.

Step Five: Prepare to add pictures to your auction. Article 5 talks about set up a free service to host your pictures, photo preparation, and uploading.

Step Six: List and Item. Article 5 guides you through how to list an item including some basic HTML code samples that can be pasted right into your item description to help your listing stand out and grab attention, how to find the right category to list under, how to determine and opening bid price, how to list items so bidders know the quality and specifics of the item, and how to include your specific requirements for payments and returns.

Step Seven: Record keeping following an Auction. Article 7 talks you through using E-Bay’s auction tracking system and provides you with insight on how to deal with customers after an auction has ended all the way through leaving feedback and receiving positive feedback.

Step Eight: Ship your item so it will arrive safe and undamaged. Article Nine is maybe one of the most important in the series. You can sell items fairly easily on E-Bay but getting them to the customer undamaged is a science and an art. This article describes all shipping options, their pros and cons, whether to ship internationally, how to track shipping, and how to pack items for safe delivery.

Step Nine: Trouble shooting. Article 9 defines some of the leading issues we have had in our eight years of E-Baying and provides information on how we found solutions to them.

Mary Johnson-Gerard and her husband Walt have operated a home internet business for over 8 years. When their long-time hobby of collecting items from the 50s to the 70s started to run them out of house and home, they decided to try their hand at selling on E-bay. After 8 years and over 2,000 items sold, they have written an E-Book that describes 9 steps to successful selling on E-Bay.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Johnson-Gerard
http://EzineArticles.com/?Earn-Fast-Cash-on-E-Bay-with-Your-Hobby&id=403093

Should You Run Auctions On Other Sites Besides Ebay? - By Kirsten Hawkins

2007-01-04T23:32:00.000-08:00

eBay doesn’t have very many competitors, and the ones that there are remain small by comparison – that’s part of what makes eBay so powerful for niche items. If you’re selling more common things, though, you might like to list auctions on other sites besides eBay, to increase your potential customer base and avoid some of the occupational hazards of relying on eBay for all your business. But which ones are worth bothering with?

Yahoo! Auctions.

Yahoo Auctions wins in one big way: selling there is free. There are no listing fees or final value fees. What’s more, Yahoo is still one of the biggest sites around, and gets plenty of traffic to its auction site. The site benefits from Yahoo’s experience in providing good, categorised searching, and the site is easy to use all round.

The rub, though, is that dodgy buyers and sellers are even more rampant on Yahoo than they are on eBay, and that’s saying something. Sellers on Yahoo Auctions can expect to run into far more non-paying buyers than they would on eBay. Also, the site is plastered with text ads, which get in the way, and the design in general leaves a lot to be desired – but then, so does eBay’s.

uBid.

uBid’s model is to offer more security for less flexibility. They pre-screen everything: sellers must be registered businesses and buyers must pre-register a credit card. It takes some of the ‘Wild West’ feeling out of selling – but it also takes away most of the fun.

On eBay, you have complete control over what you’re doing, while selling on uBid feels like you’re just a faceless supplier for a big company. Searching for anything vaguely non-mainstream will come back with no results, to the point that it will quickly get frustrating for your buyers. If you’re just selling common consumer goods for the money, though, then by all means do it at uBid.

Amazon Auctions.

Amazon Auctions is an underused auction site. The design is quite bad, and searches don’t turn up many results. The payment system is the same one people use to buy things from Amazon itself, though, which seems more secure that PayPal.

You might be more interested in becoming an Amazon Marketplace seller, which means that you can list your items on their main pages for people to see when they click the ‘Used & New from…’ link. This can be a good way to make a few sales, as you can simply keep your inventory updated at your Buy it Now prices and someone will occasionally buy something. You don’t even have to write a description or upload any pictures. This is probably a better thing to be using than Amazon Auctions.

To sum up, registering your items at a few other auction sites could get you a few extra sales – but compared to eBay, they’re all very unimpressive, and have nowhere near as many users.

If you’re trying to think of ways to expand your business, then there might be a shock in store for you with what I’m going to tell you next. Did you know that your eBay income is taxable? But stay calm – the next email will explain everything.

About the Author: Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

Source: www.isnare.com

What You Need To Know About Ebay Marketing - Philip S.

2007-01-02T23:32:00.000-08:00

If you have been trying to get into the whole ebay marketing "game" or you are going to try to do it then I have some little tips and advice for you.

You know, I've read a lot of material about selling and marketing on ebay and although a lot of it was very good information and gave me some great ideas, it was really geared towards the more experienced ebay marketer, none of it was the basics, you know, the stuff that everyone needs to know in order to sell successfully, so that's why I'm writing this article.

Here are some things you really need to know:

* Sell what people are buying - Ok, I know that being an innovator is great and all, everyone wants to come up with the next greatest thing but to be honest, I think a lot of people waste tons of time and effort trying to be an innovator when they could just sell what people are already buying.

Don't try to market some hot new product at the beginning, just find out what people are already buying and sell that instead, you should find you have quicker success this way.

* Get a plan ready - A plan is a very powerful thing to have, it gives you the ability to follow something with an end result in mind and can allow you to be much more productive and gain success quicker. To many people think that they can just go on to ebay and make a fortune in a few weeks with little or no work, well, although ebay is definitely not a hard thing to master, you are not going to make a fortune unless you know what you're doing.

Get a solid plan and stick to it.

* Learn from the successful people - Why would you try and figure everything out for yourself when you can just get the facts directly from those have been there and done exactly what you are trying to do, with success?

One of the best ways, in my opinion, to quickly gain the knowledge and uncover the little goldmines is to learn from the people who are already successfull at what you are trying to do, learn from successful ebay sellers and you will get there faster.

These are just a few of the basic ebay marketing points that you should really understand, once you can do all these things you will be able to move up and really become a master at ebay selling and build your business up to extreme levels, so get started now.

Discover How You Can Become A Wildly Successfull Ebay Marketer:

==> http://the-internet-marketer.com/MakeBigMoneyOnEbay

It's A Simple, Step By Step Plan For Your Success!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_S.

The Most Vital Element Of Selling On Ebay - Philip S.

2007-01-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of very important factors when it comes to buying and selling on ebay but what is the most important one, the most vital element of ebay marketing, the one thing that can boost your business and increase your profits the most?

The answer is testing.

Yes, that's it, testing is, in my opinion, the most important thing you can do for your ebay business, it gives you the power to increase efficiency, find out new and better way to market and sell, improve your sales pages and processes, basically it gives you the ability to improve every single aspect of your business, therefore you can do everything in your power that will result in more profits for you.

Now, don't get me wrong, you don't have to do all the testing yourself, I mean, obviously you need to focus on running your business at the same time and working to make sure everything goes ok but don't worry because you can use the test results of other sellers also.

Yes, this is the real beauty of it, you can use the test results that other people have discovered to improve your own business.

Here's how you can do it:

Find a group of like minded people - This can be done on the web, you can find websites that have communities and membership areas that allow you to discuss ebay marketing strategies and test results with other sellers.

It's as simple as that, when you are part of a group of like minded people you will find that most of the members love to share their experiences and discuss their business and marketing tactics and pretty much just talk selling.

You can leverage the efforts of other sellers to boost your own business and much more.

This is one of the big secrets to massive success and riches, if you aren't doing it then you could be leaving a lot of money on the table, wy don't you start using ebay to create the lifestyle you desire?

Would You Like To Have Your Own Money Making Ebay Business?

Visit ==> http://the-internet-marketer.com/MakeBigMoneyOnEbay

You Will Be Able To Meet Other Ebay Sellers And Grow Your Business Quickly!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_S.

eBay’s Site Map Can Put Money In Your Pocket - Donny Lowy

2006-12-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

Did you know that one of the simplest features on eBay can put money in your pocket?

While most eBay sellers look for arcane strategies to help them make money, one of the most basic site features can help them make directly increase their auction results.

This feature is the Site Map. The Site Map is a link on eBay that directs users to a page that displays the entire contents of eBay.

Before overlooking this simple component think of what it can deliver when used properly.

It can quickly help you navigate through what is certainly the world’s largest online
auction site.

You can avoid countless hours of fruitless search by using the Site Map to locate the information you need.

Here is an example of the links that the Site Map contains.

Promote Your Item. This feature allows you to further enhance your auction’s potential by using eBay tools.

Block Bidder/Buying List. Prevent fraudulent and deadbeat bidders from ruining your auctions.
You can increase your auction success ratio by eliminating bidders who are not serious.

Answer Center. Which eBay seller doesn’t have questions that need to be answered? Take the guess work out of your business, by participating in the Answer Center. You can increase your revenue by having the answers to your auction related questions.

Chat Rooms. Communicate with other eBay members who can share their experiences and knowledge with you. Information is the name of the game. What better way is there to gather information, than to get it from your fellow eBay members.

Donny Lowy runs http://www.closeoutexplosion.com an online wholesale and closeout business that supplies brand name products to eBay sellers, retailers, and flea market vendors.

Donny can be reached at 718-389-5502

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donny_Lowy

Generate 100% Profit on Ebay... Seriously - Jim Cockrum

2006-12-26T22:06:00.000-08:00

Generate 100% profit on Ebay...seriously.

Put on your best "confused" blank stare and read this...

First, I say:

"I know an item that you can sell on eBay for (almost) 100% profit. It costs you NOTHING TO DELIVER, DOESN'T HAVE ANY COMPETITION, IS AVAILABLE IN UNLIMITED SUPPLY, and SELLS LIKE HOTCAKES."

This is your line:

"Oh yeah right Jim - you are nuts!"

I'm used to that reaction. It's okay. Let me prove it please. Even EBay corporate is helping me make my point! So many of us are making so much money selling "digital or downloadable products" on eBay.com that eBay.com is finally making it easier for us!

First, for the newbie, "What are digital or downloadable products?"

Quite simply they are the MOST PROFITABLE ITEM YOU CAN EVER SELL ANYWHERE PERIOD. As defined by eBay, a digital item is "a computer file or special information that you can access online or have delivered electronically."

Examples of digital items are a word processor file, an image taken with a digital camera, an MP3 file of an original song, software, an original dessert recipe etc.

Some Benefits of selling digital goods -

No shipping cost for buyer or seller
Virtually NO competition
Swarms of customers if done right
Extremely high profit margins (in the 95% plus range)
No restocking expense for seller if refund is sought
No boxes to pack EVER
Immediate confirmed delivery to customers
Sellers grow a mailing list with every sale
Easy two step marketing tool (i.e. sell a $1 report on eBay for leads)

I could go on and on...

Up until recently there was quite a bit of confusion for some people when it came to selling digital items on eBay. Due at least partly to pressure from many eBay sellers eBay is now embracing the concept of selling digital goods.

Can you tell I'm excited?

Let's talk about the new rules of the game that eBay has set up... Here's a link to the BRAND NEW page eBay has set up explaining it all:

http://pages.ebay.com/choosingformats/digitalitems/faqs/?ssPageName=CMDV:AB#1

As I read the new rules and features that they have added it all sounds like a HUGE step in the right direction from my vantage point. There are a few items of concern but I'm 95% happy. In summary eBay.com is helping remove many of the barriers that kept the masses from selling digital goods.

For example, eBay now lets you establish a download page where customers are automatically sent after paying for a digital item through PayPal. This was a pretty difficult task before, but now it's automatic. It won't be long until eBay provides an easy "upload" area and hosts these files for us...you heard it here first.

Some of the other highlights from the new eBay "digital goods" policies:

-If you have a Web address where you host your digital files for sale, eBay can provide your buyers (after they pay) with direct access to the files they purchase. It's easy to do - while setting up your digital goods auction simply select "Provide Web address for download" from the pull-down menu.

-As a seller of digital goods you have to have a VERIFIED paypal.com account to take full advantage of the new features. EBay would like us as digital goods sellers to offer PayPal's 'Immediate Payment' option so that delivery information can be exposed at the point of sale.

In other words they (eBay) want you to be able to take payment and deliver the good immediately (even at 2AM). You can deliver manually by email when you first get started though. That's what I did.

-It appears to be implied that digital goods will be allowed in MANY categories now instead of being restricted to the one "hidden" category that they used to be forced into. This isn't spelled out clearly in the new policy, but the new policy makes reference to "multiple categories" being used for digital goods. Stay tuned for clarification on that one.

All that is really good news folks.

When I started selling downloadable products (eBooks) on eBay several years ago I ran into all kinds of hurdles. Customers were confused and skeptical, eBay was confusing and inconsistent with policies and there were only a handful of us doing it (still - we were making great pr0fits mind you).

Now the doors of opportunity have been opened wide by eBay.

P.S. When people hear me say that they can sell an item on eBay for nearly 100% profit that costs them NOTHING TO DELIVER, DOESN'T HAVE ANY COMPETITION, IS AVAILABLE IN UNLIMITED SUPPLY, and SELLS LIKE HOTCAKES I hope I'll get far fewer blank stares from now on...

Jim Cockrum has been selling on eBay and the Internet since 1997. He’s sold multiple millions of dollars of products and services and has been helping others start successful eBay and online businesses since 2000. His free newsletter “Creative eBay Selling” is read by over 100,000 subscribers. He has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, eBay radio, and in various news articles.
http://www.SilentSalesMachine.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Cockrum

Is This The End For Online Auctions? - Maurice Clarke

2006-12-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

In recent years online auctions have grown to huge proportions, attracting vast audiences and making the owners mega rich in the process from listing and process fees, but is it all good news for web surfers?

Buying, or rather going through the motions of trying to be a buyer of goods listed on an auction site is fun and interesting, and tinged with much disappointment when you fail to land a bargain buy. All too often you are beaten in the final minutes of an auction after spending days watching progress.

Some reports suggest that buying by online auctions are like gambling and can become highly addictive. Safe for sure if all you do is watch or bid, but never WIN or buy anything. All too often out of frustration or desperation you can end up buying an item for a silly high price often more than the new cost.

All too often buyers forget the risk they take over quality and authenticity of their buy and the extra cost of postage and packing which often can be higher than the cost of the goods bought.

The higher the value of goods bought potentially the higher the risk, no one minds loosing a few dollars or pounds but hundred or thousands is another far serious and sinister issue. Let the buyer beware is never more true with online auctions.

Would you run 3 miles to buy a dollar for 30 cents?

For low value goods the high cost of listing fees and display options can erode the eventual sale price (if any) or leave the seller with no sale BUT a hefty fee for listing.

The amount of work and effort to list low value items makes for the seller a less attractive deal, and many have found the new bred of swap or trade sites an attractive alternative.

For a small fixed annual fee at worst the new breed of web site allows users to list items on offer (usually free) and all you as "buyer" does is agree a trade - either with something you have and they need or for points.

Once you see a desirable item - clothes, jewellery and other wearables seem the most popular at present you offer a trade with the lister usually just for the cost of postage. Since no actually money changes hands for the goods fraudsters are deterred from listing on such sites and users to date are enthusiastic about quality of offers.

Whether this new community of swappers will grow, only time will tell, but let's not forget the massive online auction sites are only a few years old, showing how quickly a new idea can spread across the internet.

Maurice S Clarke is founder of the wearable goods trading web site http://www.whatweusedtowear.com and lives in Rugby, UK. This article may be freely republished provided it remains intact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maurice_Clarke

Getting Started on eBay for Nonprofit Auctions - Michael Saunders

2006-12-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

Auctions have long been a staple in the toolkit of nonprofit develepment professionals. The emergence of ubiquitous online access have made online auctions an excellent vehicle for nonprofits and charities to raise funds while engaging stakeholders and other consituencies in their causes. eBay, the leader platform for online auctions also provides a number of offerings for running nonprofit auctions. Running a charity auction on eBay is simple, but getting the most from your efforts involves developing a strategy and understanding the ins and outs of eBay. Luckily eBay provides lots of information on how to be successful using their services.

You’ve probably heard about how much money can be made on eBay. With dreams of quick riches and easy money, you are probably ready to jump in with both feet – right now! The best thing you can do if you are serious about making money with eBay, however, is to slow down. In fact, just stop for a minute. Don’t rush straight in. Take your time, and do it right.

eBay has over 100 million members. Think about that number for just a minute or two. When you get your eBay business set up, that is how big your customer base will be – instantly. 100 million people - 100 million people who are just waiting for you to get set up and running so that they can throw money at you! Well, not quite. It is true that there are over 100 million members, but at this point, they don’t know that you exist. In fact, no matter how well you do on eBay, most of them will never know that you exist. 100 million is a very large number.

The most successful eBay sellers started out as buyers – and you should too. This will give you a sense of how everything works. It will also show you how things are from the buyer’s side of the fence. Let’s call this period of time ‘consumer research.’ You are literally studying how eBay works, from a customer’s point of view. You may not realize this, but this eBay buyer experience will actually make you a much better seller – right from the very start.

In addition to eBay, other vendors offer vehicles for nonprofits to run fundraising auctions. CMarket - www.cmarket.com offers services emphasizing the importance of bidders, donors and sponsors, and their respective roles in a successful auction. Their Website is a valuable source of fundraising auction tips.

Really pay attention to the customer service you receive from the buyer. Think about how you want to be treated as a buyer, and take notes. Take your time during this process. Interact with the sellers. Get involved in hot auctions to see what they are like. In your spare time, start making notes about the hot items that you see. These notes will come in handy later.

eBay works just like any other business. You have to determine what people want to buy before you can hope to be successful. There are very specific items that sell really well on eBay – you just have to figure out what those items are. There are many resources for finding out this information. Start with the lessons that eBay offers to their sellers. Strongly consider attending the eBay University as well. This is the next step in the process. After you have had the eBay buyer experience, it is time to learn how to be an eBay seller.

Read all of the information eBay provides for you at the site. The information is free and you will learn a great deal from it. Take full advantage of this – before you start setting up your first auction or your eBay store! By reading through all of the resources, you will avoid making numerous mistakes that so many before you have made. This is another step towards building a successful eBay business. Once you’ve made it through the learning process, you should know everything you need to know to get started with a money making eBay business of your very own.

Michael Saunders has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He edits a site on Fundraising Auction Tips and is president of Information Organizers, LLC.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Saunders

eBay: Business Opportunity - You Bet - Steve Dempster

2006-12-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

You have probably read dozens of articles about how you can make shedloads of cash from eBay with little or no effort. I just hope that this article doesn't burst the bubble . . .

That eBay is a phenomenon is a fact few could deny. It is a child of its time and its originators were both fortunate and astute in starting their business at a period of intense expansion on the part of the internet. Since the advent of inexpensive broadband access the use of the internet has exploded - I myself spend several hours each day working the web - and this is the first year when online spending could overtake the high street. So - is eBay a viable business option?

You bet it is. Having been part of a 'normal' business for over fifteen years I can say that, for those who may have little or no business experience, eBay is an absolute gift. Consider a few services that eBay provide:

Integrated selling and payment (Paypal) tools. Massive exposure for the tiniest trader. Buyer and seller protection - to some degree anyway. Marketing tools that would cost serious money to develop yourself. Analysis tools that most accountants would sell their mother to get.

So it should be easy for anyone to become a millionaire on eBay!

Wrong. Business, as is said, is business. If you don't understand business, you will struggle to make it on eBay.

I'm not talking about the 'original' eBay dream of a community selling their unwanted goods to like-minded individuals. That business model, though still extant, is of utterly no use to anyone wishing to run an eBay business. Anyone launching on this premise will rapidly grind to a halt as Aunt Agatha's attic rapidly empties out. So what's needed for success?

Simple. Not easy, but simple. Any product-based business, wherever it is run, whatever its trading arena, relies on the flow of goods and cash through it to survive. If you cannot source goods to sell, the business fails. If you cannot get paid for your goods, the business fails. If you cannot sell your goods - the business fails. So how do you ensure the ongoing success of your eBay business?

Firstly, you run it like - a business. How do you do this? Look at these points:

Identify your chosen market. This can be done by searching eBay. What do you want to sell? To whom? Why? Obtain goods to supply your market. eBay or Google can be used as powerful tools for identifying possible suppliers. The internet has literally thousands of suppliers bursting to sell their goods to you. Supply your customers. Use eBay's auction, best-offer or buy-it-now tools to market your product. If you have done your homework correctly, you are off and running!

It's all going so well, isn't it? Well, maybe. Do not forget some of the other aspects of running a real business. And these are?

Let's start with customer service. To many people, this means 'complaints'. Rubbish. Customer service starts with the sale listing and means exactly what it says: giving your customer - the one who chooses to buy from your auction or eBay shop - the best service you can. Period.

The Bottom Line: what's that? Simply put, that's the money left when you've paid everyone. Don't fool yourself by thinking you have only yourself to pay. These are some others you have to pay:

eBay - listing fees and final value fees. These can be significant, particularly if you use some of eBay's selling tools, especially their image listing options. It depends on the per capita value of the item you're selling.

PayPal - don't forget it costs you to receive money. About 5%, in fact. In context, an online trading account from a bank might set you back 2.5% to 3.5%. The difference is that with Paypal there are no setup costs. Again, this has to be balanced against your business turnover volume - there will be a point where PayPal is no longer cost-effective.

Carriage: an often-forgotten cost. This must be factored in to ensure profit. Don't forget that carriage doesn't just cost the price of a stamp!

Webhosts - do you have your own website? Are you getting the best deal?

To conclude this (far from comprehensive) article, I would summarise an eBay business as being a great opportunity for those who have limited funds. The entry-level cost is so low that almost anyone can build a business. Maybe you will have to start small - a lot of businesses do - but with perseverance and a real will to succeed you can definitely have your own viable eBay business - and the sky's the limit!

Steve Dempster has been an internet junkie for more years than he cares to remember. His eBay shop can be seen at his site The Invisible Edge

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Dempster

eBay: Business Opportunity - You Bet - Steve Dempster

2006-12-15T20:14:00.000-08:00