How To Post Your First Ebay Auction in Five Simple Steps - By Ahmed Nassar

Ebay is the internet's largest marketplace, and it's an excellent place for buyers to find what they want at bargain prices, and for sellers to find buyers. If you haven't posted an auction on ebay before, It’s fairly simple to post your first auction on eBay. Just do the following five steps.

Step 1: Open an eBay seller’s account.

Obviously, this is the first thing you need to do . If you’ve bought things on eBay, then you already have an account – just log in with it and click ‘Sell’ in the toolbar at the top of the page, then click ‘Create a seller’s account’. If you’ve never used eBay before, then you’ll need to open an account first using the ‘register’ link underneath the toolbar, and then click ‘Sell’ and ‘Create a seller’s account’. The eBay site will then guide you through the process. For security, this may involve giving card details and bank information.

Step 2: Decide what to sell.

For your first little experiment with eBay, it doesn’t really matter what you sell. Take a look around the room you’re in – I’m sure there’s something in there that you’re not all that attached to and could put in the post. Small books and CDs are ideal first items. Once you get more used to how things work, try to indentify which market is right for you.

You need to consider two things in your market choice. The first is market size, which indicates how much demand exists for the products you're considering to sell. Second, your personal intterest in what you sell. You must balance between those two factors to be successful.

Another thing I noticed on Ebay is what I call the Uniqueness Factor. What I mean by that is how unique are your offerings. If people see a lot of people selling the same item. They will tend to buy the cheapest, and that starts price wars between sellers. A smart seller chooses a smaller, more profitable niche to conquer. When you differentiate your offerings your profits and chances of making a sale will be higher. That's why starting with your own things at home will be unique enough and wouldn't cost you much for your first auction.

Step 3: List your item on Ebay.

Click ‘Sell’, and you’re on your way to listing your item.

Before you go ahead and list your item, look at some other existing sellers and learn from them. Notice how they layout their auction page, what keywords they use. Also note their starting prices and determine some of the startegies they use to attract bidders.

Next, choose a category – it’s best to just type in what the item is and let eBay choose for you. Next, write a title and description. Include key words you think people will search for in the title box, and all the information you have about the item in the description box.

Make sure you build an attractive and inforamtive auction page. Use pictures and headlines to highlight the benefits of your product. Answer as much questions a buyer might have as you can. Clearly state your refund, shipping and payment policies and contact information.

Now set a starting price. $0.01 is the best starting price, as it draws people in to bid who otherwise wouldn’t, and items will almost never finish at such a low price. The next thing to set is the duration of the auction: 3, 5, 7 or 10 days. This is up to you: longer sales will usually get more bids, but will also seem to drag on forever. If you’ve taken a picture, add it now – items with pictures always sell for more. Finally, tick the payment methods you will accept (just PayPal is best for now), and where you will post to (limit yourself to your own country to begin with). Submit and you’re done!

Step 4: Wait for it to sell.

This is just a matter of sitting back and letting eBay do its thing – buyers will find your item and leave bids on it. Some bidders might email you with questions about the item, and you should do your best to answer these questions as quickly as you can.

Remember that if your item doesn’t sell then you can list it again for free.

Step 5: Collect payment and post it.

eBay will sent your buyer emails guiding them through the process of sending you payment for the item. Make sure you have the money before you send anything.

Once you’ve got the payment, all you need to do is pack the item for posting (make sure to use some bubble wrap), take the buyer’s address from the confirmation email eBay sent you, and write it on the parcel. Put some stamps on, post it, and you’re done!

I hope you will enjoy selling your first item on Ebay.

Ahmed Nassar is the founder of a wholesale distributors directory that has great resources for ebay sellers and ecommerce website owners. Ahmed is commited to helping people better undestand ecommerce and benefit from it.

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Tips For Online Coin Auction Enthusiasts - By Lee Dobbins

Coins are fascinating mementoes of history, sentiment and art. Coins vary in sizes, shapes and design. Art-lovers love to paint on it. Scientists love to tinker on its material, which are usually tough and long-lasting. Kids love to hear the ringing sound when it collides with their piggy banks and trinkets. Some people make galleries out of it. I even find some ancestors lovingly giving them through the generations of family members just to give a memory reminder from their not so distant past.

There are coins which are just meant to be treasured and not exchanged for any monetary value. But apparently, even the most rugged and sentimental looking coins which no longer has economic monetary relevance has still not lost its money-generating charm, thanks to the influence of online coin auctions.

Believe it or not, a lot of people would be more than willing to trade wads of paper bills just to get a piece or two of the more exotic finds in the coin depositories available in antique shops online and offline. A good question to consider: How would you know if it’s worth it? That is a question of discernment and of quality.

I can't blame coin aficionados who take their collection to the next level. And there's no telling how far they would go just to be able to make their much-anticipated and regulated quest for the exotic pieces. There are actually online coin auctions available for the most enthusiastic coin seeker. And online is the best place to connect all tribes and regions and thus, have more opportunity for variety, competition and quality.

In participating in any online coin auctions, knowledge of the household rules is a must. It varies from site to site and just like shampoo for your particular hair type, you would need to do a bit of searching for the site which will best suit your coin fancying needs. There are different subcultures in the search for old and new coin galleries. Some would prefer the European coins over the Asian ones. There are different specific markets for every website. Every coin collecting online bidder must be willing to search through various threads in order to get to the right auctioning group.

Of course, one rule of thumb is that if something is too good to be true, then it most certainly is. Be very aware that some scammers can get very deceptive and lead you to give more information in exchange for nothing but sugarcoated promises. This is where proper use of available information comes in. If there is not adequate information regarding the person or company that you intend to do business with, it would be most ideal to hold your horses and tough it out in the online coin auction scene than set yourself out for disaster.

In making use of coin auctions online, being specific would definitely save you lots of precious time. If you already have an idea on the make, grade and size of the coins you are looking for, searching for the perfect group which caters to that particular type would not be so hard.

Also check for latest updates on the website. If it seemed like a considerable amount of time since the website was updated, you might think twice about trying to avail some coins from there. Some websites are just abandoned and without any formal announcement whatsoever that it stopped its operations. The best bet for any beginning online coin buyer is to find that site where there is always an update or it is bustling with activity. It would also help to build a network first before investing. Advice from the pros to the business might be more than helpful than any other information from write-ups combined. Besides, not all bidding rules are written out for you to read. There are some unwritten norms that you will have to fish out from the people involved before you take the plunge.

Coin collecting is a very rewarding hobby, as proven by coin collectors who convene and stay together online to continually improve and modernize this age-old trading industry. True, you may be trading coins as extinct as the dinosaurs, but your savvy in bidding and scoring the best of the best among the various coins need not be as extinct.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://auctions.pagechic.com where you can learn more about buying and selling at auction.

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Need Products To Sell On Ebay? Get a Steady Supply By Learning Arbitrage As A Comprehensive System - By Don Hoppe Jr.

Arbitrage, in its simplest form, is to “Buy Low and (re)sell High”.

One of the biggest hassles of selling on ebay is product sourcing. Finding a constant supply of profitable items to sell on ebay has to be one of the most talked about challenges most sellers have to deal with – ask any of them, or just read about anything that’s been written about selling on ebay. Being skilled and prolific at ebay Arbitrage alleviates this problem - Permanently. Not only does the ‘lack of supply’ problem disappear but substantial income can also be made this way. In addition, it’s a rather enjoyable endeavor!

Arbitrage aside, below is a brief review of some typical ways (and associated problems) of acquiring inventory while moving up the ebay volume ladder:

Items around the house – This is a great way to get started and learn about selling through ebay as one goes, but supply eventually runs dry.

Garage sales – Finding the right items that will sell for enough money is a skill in itself. It can be very time consuming, and not reliable for a steady flow of goods. Garage sales should not be ignored as a supplement though – great finds can sometimes be found nowhere else as easily.

Dropshipping – A great concept but certain hurdles include low profit margins, handling fees, supplier reliability, and heavy competition.

Liquidation/Surplus – Some hefty profit potential exists here but so do some unwelcome obstacles such as logistics, storage, inventory control, shipping, manifests, disposal, repairs, etc.

A large number of ebay sellers swear by these methods and do very well, especially if they are in positions to easily take advantage of them. For the majority of others who are in a state of supply acquisition flux, Arbitrage is the solution.

A prolific arbitrageur can find auctions that have many characteristics which prevent them from being bid on by others. By purchasing these items and then re-selling them the proper way, there exists a significant difference between initial purchase price and the eventual resale price.

Many people have already tried ebay Arbitrage by guessing, misspellings, misplacements, or random, aimless searches but simply get lost in all the thousands of listings or just got too overwhelmed to know what to do next. A chronological step-by-step education from start to finish is what’s required to turn anyone familiar with the ebay basics into a knowledgeable and prolific arbitrageur, in a rather short period of time.

Arbitrage is best achieved though bid sniping and is the most recommended way to bid in order to guarantee a win. Among other reasons, sniping is bidding on an auction within the last few seconds of it’s close with the goal of beating other bidders to the punch before the auction closes. Many free and low cost 3rd party services are available to automate sniping so additional auctions can be found and targeted without having to babysit existing ones.

Through knowledge and practice, instincts become sharper and more accurate, and better deals are spotted more often with higher profit potential. This comes without even having to be an expert in any particular item category .

What becomes an addicting and exciting treasure hunt eventually causes one to reluctantly force themselves away from ebay and the dread of missing out on more great finds! Inventory starts growing faster than it can be resold and shipped back out - dry spells are history. It’s easy to see that Arbitrage can easily become a full time occupation.

Most of the original work, like packing, is already done. In fact, there’s really no obligation to have to leave to go anywhere. Most shippers provide supplies and the means to produce and print labels. In addition, packages sold are picked up at the same time sniped arbitrages arrive.

Many established authors of ebay manuals, tutorials, and newsletters refer to Arbitrage in several forms within portions of their work. To date, a dedicated guide strictly focusing on ebay Arbitrage itself has been missing. As a result, the author of “eBay Arbitrage – The Complete Guide to Flipping” has taken experience and practice to put together as much material as possible - in one book – about ebay Arbitrage alone.

How else can one work at their own pace, answer to nobody, and have complete control over what’s going to be sold, how much it cost, and how much profit can be made?



Copyright © 2006 Don Hoppe Jr. - Hog Mountain Wholesale, LLC

All Rights Reserved

http://auction-arbitrage.com

The Most Comprehensive System on How to Find, Buy, and Re-Sell Products on eBay for Profit.

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The Zen of Car Auctions - By Randall E. Rhodes

We will take a look at the two types of auctions available today; local auctions and online auctions. We'll discuss how they are setup and run and how best to use them to buy or sell a used car to save you time and money.

Local vehicle auctions

You must first register if you'd like to buy or sell at a local auction. If you plan on participating as a buyer, you may have to place a small down payment at the time you register for the auction. This will be used if you are the high bidder but returned to you if you don't end up buying anything. Once you register, you should receive a paper explaining all the rules and procedures. You'll find the auction staff very friendly and helpful and will be happy to help you or, explain any of the rules or procedures in more
detail. They can also help you with "how to bid" type questions. If you plan on bidding on a car, make sure you inspect it very closely prior to the auction taking place. Also set some predetermined spending limits before the auction begins. You don't want to get into an emotional "bidding frenzy" once the auction starts. be sure and clearly signal you bids.

If you plan on selling a vehicle, you'll normally be given a unique identifier number when the car is registered. If the auction is a lot, you'll normally be told where the car is located. When registering your vehicle, it's important to be very accurate as to the condition the vehicle is in, the mileage and whether you have a clear and clean title to the car.

If you're lucky enough to be the high bidder on an auction, you will next want to inspect the car, again, very closely to make sure it's in the as-advertised condition. The auction staffers will assist you in how to go about paying and, will also guarantee clean title. Though you do not usually have to produce immediate funds to pay for your newly won car, it's always a good idea to get pre-approved financing BEFORE bidding on a vehicle. THe auction house will normally give you a few days to pay and take final
delivery.

You should also be given a copy of the invoice or sales receipt so you can drive the vehicle home (don't forget about plates) or, have the car shipped. Ask the auction staff about shipping companies, they can normally assist you in finding a good, reliable one for the best price.

Online vehicle auctions

Online auctions, like eBay for instance, are not much different than local auction. About the only differences are you cannot inspect the car, in person, prior to bidding on it, unless you live close enough to the seller. And, you will not be standing next to your competitors... they'll be located somewhere else in the world. Most reputable online sellers will make a full disclosure of the condition of the vehicle and provide many pictures, detailing all the areas of the vehicle and, trouble spots. If you are using a service such as eBay, make sure you check out the sellers feedback as well. Feedback is a rating (Positive, Neutral, or Negative) and short comment left by each previous buyer.

Since online auctions can be held just about anywhere, you may have more likelihood of having the car shipped to you. There are several reputable shipping companies that can be found on the web or, ask the online auction company for some referrals. Careful though, you want to make sure the auction company is recommending someone because they are good, not because they are paying a large percentage
"finders fee" back to the auction house. The shipping company will most likely have a website that you can checkout and verify their prices.

Purchasing vehicles at either online or local auctions is probably your best bet as far as finding the lowest price. Sure there is some work involved but in the process, you'll save thousands of dollars as compared to a dealer or even a "private party" newspaper ad. I think you'll find the small bit of effort worth it in the long run.

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Randall E. Rhodes is a 7 1/2 year verteran on eBay with over 1500 transactions completed. He has revealed his expert buying tips, tricks and techniques in an online
instructional series showing how he buys cars on eBay for incredible prices.

eBay Car Buying Videos

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eBay Among America's Largest Car Dealers - By Randall E. Rhodes

EBay auction sold over 325,000 used cars last year. That's just a fraction of the estimated 41 million used vehicles sold in the U.S. But, eBay's totals makes it among the largest used car sellers in the country, reports The Wall Street Journal (wsj.com).

eBayers are willing to buy cars that are thousands of miles away, sight unseen. For the most part, they trust what they are purchasing. "Sellers photograph their vehicles in detail because dealers who unload junk through eBay risk having their overall feedback (a permanent rating and comment left by each buyer) reduced by angry customers."

No wonder eBay is doing so well in used cars. If you've ever battled with a used car salesman, the chance to give feedback in front of 60 million other buyers is GREAT.

Here are some useful eBay car buying tips:

Know what you're looking for: Choose a make/model, then hit eBay. Much easier to make daily checks on the market when using a known model in the eBay search field.

Patience: Watch the auctions for awhile before jumping in. Use the "watch this item" feature to track sales and search "completed items" to track final sale prices.

Tools: Always check the feedback on a seller. Make sure the seller is rated as a seller, not a buyer. Read the auction description seveal times (the small print) and don't be afraid to ask for more pictures if needed.

Develope a rapport: It can be calming to develop a friendly business relationship with the seller. You may find the sales terms are more flexible than you thought.

No-reserve auctions: Look for auctions that don't have reserve price set (minimum price the vehicle will be sold for). This price is set by the seller

Buy-it Now Auctions: Careful of the Buy-it Now price set by seller's. It is often as high as the car's retail value.

Have an out: Bid only on auctions where sellers allow you to cancel after you inspect the car if problems are found.

Cash is king: There are banks who cater to the online auction market but its always best get pre-approved or have cash on hand to negotiate the deal.

Have the car inspected: eBay offers inspection services in 50 major metro markets, as well as a free limited warranty for the drive home for many cars.

Use Carfax: The company's online vehicle history report can tell you where the car has been, its accurate mileage and whether it has been damaged in a crash or flood. It is very reasonably priced and is cheap insurance.

Use on-line pricing services: Free services like the TMV (True Market Value) at Edmunds.com give a quick, realistic idea on retail and wholesale values of used cars.

Factor in travel or delivery costs: You have to pick up the vehicle or have it shipped when you win the auction. Include gas, hotels, food, lost work time and plane tickets in the final cost.

Buy round-trip plane tickets: Sometimes a discount round-trip ticket is less expensive than a one-way ticket, and it gives you options if you decide you don't want the car when you see it.

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Randall E. Rhodes is a 7 1/2 year verteran on eBay with over 1500 transactions completed. He has revealed his expert buying tips, tricks and techniques in an online instructional series showing how he buys cars on eBay for incredible prices.

eBay Car Buying Videos

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Ebay- An Insider View For Starting A Profitable Business - By Joaquin Reveron

Sure, anybody can sell their five years old camera and receive sometimes twenty or thirty percent as their return of initial purchase expense- but are those results the ones you are looking to achieve while starting an eBay business from scratch? I know the answer for such question, but lets begin to analyze that edifying point immediately.

It is my experience and feedback, that many people start getting the touch of eBay by first buying a few items, getting to know the buying process and how everything is done from the beginning you bid on a item, till the end of the auction when you receive the goods to your home. It does not get any simpler in order to get a learning experience with eBay. But then you wish to go up new levels and start the exciting venture of selling your first item on eBay. You go on to eBay, login into that account, add the bank account needed if you have not done so, and you begin doing your research as to where exactly to put your tangible item up for sale for the best selling category. You keep going on with the process, you add the pictures for that excellent in-conditioned, 5 years old camera and your emotions start to rise-up upon seeing your auction live upon hitting the eBay search query for the specified title keywords you designated. Days pass and you start getting multiple memorable bids along with numerous questions for your unique camera that you are selling on eBay. You get excited once you see the final bid ended. Now you receive the eBay email notice notifying you that your unique camera sold for $109.32 cents. You shipped the camera- the winning bidder receives your excellent condition camera and treats you great by giving you a positive feedback as a form of the regular testimonial thank you eBay has set for millions of buyers to see. You transferred your $109.32 from your Paypal account and you get even more excited when you see that quick cash in your savings account 2-3 days business days later. You say to yourself that you want to do the process once again and even more times when your second auction is successfully finished and gets delivered to the customer.

Now I do not know what to sell and I run out of things to offer on eBay- what would you sell Joaquin?

The answer to that question for me would be real interesting, but simple. Since eBay is a very competitive auction giant, you have to research and test new merchandise that you think would be profitable and in demand by current eBay visitors. But you run out of patience and time investment and you still don’t have the answer as to what to really sell for a profit. So you quit and decided to go for that job you have hated for a lifetime. You quit.

Do you happen to know why most business fail on eBay as my experience and feedback goes? The once enthusiastic small business owner quits the eBay business before the business has even started. Such business owner never had the enthusiasm for doing his own research, market studies and getting the right wholesale list contacts for receiving an excellent profit out of the future item up for auction. Now we know why he failed, he never had a passion for what he was selling on eBay and in short and precise words- he never reached the right wholesale distributors for getting the best possible price in order to beat his niche competitors.

So, what do I sell on eBay for a profit? I would sell something that I feel passionate about, I could sell something that I feel knowledgeable and that is profitable at the same time. That is what I do on eBay every single year. You should start doing the same, as for me- it changed my life.

Joaquin Reveron is a leading expert in online and offline businesses. His focus today is on assisting people create wealth through the Wholesale Video Games business

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The Cons of Online Aution Sites Like Ebay - By Jeffrey Solochek

Ebay has over 120 million registered users and it can be a great place to make extra money by selling what you now longer need or even starting a business. My wife and I used to have 7 employees doing Ebay full time and we were making a net of about $8,000 per week. But what about the buyers? They shop sites like Ebay hoping to find lower prices on items that they are looking at buying any way. A pair of pants that sells at American Eagle for $40 and here it is on Ebay for only $30. Is this a deal or what? But wait, after you pay the $12 shipping you are actually spending more.

Sites like Ebay are like a drug. People keep bidding on items going higher and higher in price because they will do anything to win. People get in a frenzy and by the time they have won the item they have paid a lot more then they could have gotten that same item for at a local store. Once in awhile this would not be that bad but what about the people that keep on repeating this? The cannot provide the basic necessities for their kids because most of their money is being spent on these online auction sites like Ebay. Yahoo has auction, amazon auctions, Ubid the list just goes on and on.

People need to truly look only for deals. Maybe by looking for items with free shipping. I sold video games that by the time somebody one the item and you add shipping they were still paying less than they would have paid at the local game store. Bargains can be found you just have to look for them. Also look at the sellers user rating and read what past customers have to say about them.

Another area which can be very disastrous is all the scams that are on these online auction sites. I know one gentleman who was selling a car on Ebay. Some Nigerian won the auction and sent the seller a check for the amount of the auction plus a lot of money extra. The Nigerian said the rest was to pay for shipping and if the seller could please wire the balance back by Western Union. The check was counterfeit and by the time the bank realized this it was too late. The seller had already wired several thousand to the buyer via Western Union. He had deposited the check in his account and the bank gave him the funds right away. Now this man is in jail, owes the bank the money for the check, and his car was seized by the FBI because it was used in the act of a crime. This was this mans first time in jail and I think he ended up spending a month there.

Ebay would offer no help because they claim it is a liability issue. There are so many buyers and sellers out there and they all are potential victims. You would think that sites like Ebay, amazon,Yahoo, and the others would issue a warning to their buyers and sellers but they don't. My wife and I once got paid for some computers with stolen checks. We did everything that a responsible merchant would do like calling the bank they were drawn from and doing everything that we knew to do. I had to spend almost a month in jail for this and jail is no place I wish to have to go back to. We lost 3 years of our lives because of this plus we lost out business. This is happening to millions of people worldwide.

It should be a law that if you have a site like Ebay that you need to protect your buyers and sellers but unfortunately it is not. There are no second chances with an online auction site like Ebay. With sites like Ebay you need to be careful if you are just a buyer.

Jeffrey Solochek is the Purple Cow of todays writers always adding his own unique wit and humor to everything. http://www.nosugarcoating.info

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How To Protect Yourself From Fraud On Ebay - By David Maillie

Fraud in online auctions like Ebay and Yahoo are a growing concern. This fraud has grown quickly due to the quick turnaround, fast cash, and hard to trace aspects of online transactions. Most fraud is still coming from overseas out of countries like Nigeria and Spain, but they use accounts of people in the U.S. or set up fake accounts so it can be harder to detect. This fraud can range from an Ipod that was never delivered, to cars in much worse shape then described, or even buyers sending fake checks, money orders for more than the full amount, etc. There are still a lot of great positive deals made every day through Ebay, but you need to be wary of fraud.

Here’s what to watch for:

1. If it sounds to good to be true it probably is. When you see an item way below where it should be, don’t get caught up in thinking you are getting the deal of the century. Instead use the tools Ebay has to offer to do a little research. You can look at completed listings for the same item and see what the going price range should be. If the price is extraordinarily low there must be a reason why.

2. Feedback ratings. Feedback is what sets Ebay apart from all other sales avenues. But it isn’t foolproof. Lately a lot of fraud has been attributed to account takeovers or feedback manipulation. Don’t just go by their feedback score. Look into it. If it has been over a year since their last feedback entry then there may be something fishy going on there. Feedback is a good indicator, but should not be solely relied upon.

3. Grammar. This is key. According to Ebay fraud statistics, over 90 percent of fraudulent listings contain poor grammar. Read the listing. If it is very poorly written it is usually a dead giveaway that it is a fraudulent listing by someone in a foreign country. If they can’t spell and have horrible grammar don’t buy. Its just like spam email. Most of the Nigerian and similar scams have poor grammar and spelling.

4. Look for authentic licenses and such when purchasing medical or cosmetic supplies. Call and verify their licensing. Upon perusing through the Ebay site, I looked up TCA peel and found this person claiming to be a doctor. Upon review it was found that they had posted a fake doctors diploma (not a license) as their credentials. Upon contacting their state medical board they never had a license and are not a doctor or medically licensed in any way. Upon contacting the seller it turns out their contact number is at a coffee shop at a mall. Very sketchy and outright dangerous. Make sure you qualify your Ebay sellers, look into them and make sure they are who they claim to be, and when they are not, report them to the appropriate authorities so they won’t hurt anyone else.

5. Some purchases like laptops may be better off at your local discount store like Costco or BJs. The price will be about the same and you have zero chance of fraud. Also there is no risk of the item being lost in the mail.

There you have it, how to avoid getting ripped off or hurt by fraud on Ebay and other online auction sites like Yahoo. Bottom line, don’t buy or bid with money you can’t afford to lose.

David Maillie is Cornell Alumni and award winning writer and researcher. For more great free info, tips and ideas like this please visit the award winning and nationally top rated blog: http://www.bestbraindrain.com

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Starting Out On Ebay - By Kelly Smyrk

When starting out on eBay you may have dreams of quick riches and time spent relaxing by the pool. You would be wrong.

Sellers come and go, but few make it into the money. Why? Because they give up before they make any money. Learning how to sell on eBay can be a long process of trial and error. But when you get it right it can be one of the best and most rewarding times you will experience. Not having to worry if you are selling more than what your fee's will be, relaxing that you wont need to juggle your time around work, kids, home and eBay is one of the best feelings around.

On eBay I sell ebooks, lots of people love them and some hate them, no matter what your view, they sell - and sell well.

So what is an ebook? An electronic version of a hard back book that is sent out via your computer. No postage and packing problems and something that you can resell time and time again. Because it is not in physical form, the price is lower than what you would be charged in a shop. The information that it contains is just as valuable though. eBooks contain information from such a wide variety of subjects that it would be impossible to list them all. But if you want to know about a subject then you can bet there is an ebook out there about it.

If you can find a subject that has not been written about and is a popular one then you could make some serious money.

People who want to break into the eBay market with ebooks often fail. You can search eBay now and find thousands of different sellers selling thousands of different ebooks, but half of those sellers will be gone next month. People have a belief that ebooks will make them money and fast. For a few they might just get it right first time round. But the whole process can take time and lots of it to set up. However, once it's set up (if done correctly) it becomes a very simple and easy way to make a very nice second income.

Once you have it all up and running smoothly you can then start to expand your business and take it to a whole new level. This is when you can make a choice - Keep it as a second income or start to work on it full time and give up that boring 9-5. This is exactly what I did last year. I NEW there was money to make on eBay, I just needed to find out how.

I was that confident that I could make money that I discussed throwing in my 9-5 with my partner and although he was sceptical he supported me. So I spent about four months purchasing nearly every ebook and guide on eBay and read them. Most just repeated what the last had said, some had some extra little piece of information in it, some just contained utter rubbish. But I stuck with it and soaked up ever piece of information that I could.

Now I am running away with myself on eBay and loving every minute of it. I work maybe a five hour day and choose the hours. I feel that I made a great choice and wouldn't change it. I don't advise everyone do what I did, but if you can go for it and give it everything you have.

If anyone wants to get involved and ask any questions then please feel free to contact me.

See you on eBay soon.

Kelly

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Ebay Australia - By Alastair Harris

What has made each succeeding civilization, 'civilized', is not so much the great monuments they build, empires they conquered but rather how they provided goods and services to improve the daily lifes of their citizens. Whereas previously the merchantial class was often limited to an elite thanks to the internet anyone and I mean anyone with a computer and an internet link can start their own online business.

One of the shining beacons of this new world of online commerce is ebay. Despite is being existence for a number of years and being used by millions of people the surprizing thing is the number of people who have still not given it a go. Until this year I had yet to ebay. Now its at least a weekly if not daily addiction. Why?

Firstly ebay has a number of advantages. Its a worldwide marketplace with ebay in most countries around the world. The shear number of items for sale is massive - on ebay Australia alone at any given time there are at least two millions items for sale (this doesnt' even include multiple lots). Thus the variety available is massive. If you want it, its probably for sale on ebay. Cars, collectables, clothes, gadgets, you name it. One of the few things they don't sell is animals, livestock, something I argue they should.

Another advantage is most items you can pick up at a substantial discount to the retail price. Half price and even bargins at 10% or less of the going rate. How can people make a profit selling at these rates. Well, they don't have retail overheads, no rental, storage, staff, etc and in the case of second hand stuff, they really are not too fused on the price so long as they get something. This makes ebay a great place for buyers.

Some people would think that it is then not worthwhile to sell on ebay, nothing could be further from the truth. 95% of all people on ebay are buyers, that is a great ratio. Also your only cost is the ebay listing fee and the % they take from the sale. This mean so long as you can source your product cheaply you don't need the 100%-1000% mark up the retail stores require for a profit. There are average people who have become millionaires by selling on ebay alone. Many others are making $100,000 a year. All that is required is an in demand product that you can acquire at a price that still allows a profit on ebay. Although pick up is an option on ebay, most successful items are sold via the post so have to be lighter enough and small enough to go through the post. Thats why items like mobile phones, computer games and clothes are such hot sellers.

In your own house ebay estimates you have $2000 worth of products that you no longer use and are likely to throw out. I know this is true because my wife and I sold $2500 of stuff around the house that would have been thrown out - old computer games, old baby clothes, etc. So long as you have looked after them there is no reason someone else won't get good use from them. Got unwanted gifts - convert them into cash.

I will admit that it takes a little while to learn how to list on ebay and even longer to learn all the tricks but anyone of average intellegience can do this with ease. I reccommend going in through an established banner link so that you go to the real ebay site (yes success always breeds counterfeits and frauds) see the link below and you will find an ebay banner which goes to ebay, then go the country link at the ebay site to go to your own countries site.

Why ebay rather than the many other trading sites on the net. Well firstly its size. It is currently the biggest. Secondally with paypal you have the option of a security net to protect the buyer and seller. Another advantage to ebay is that it is an established company and is not going anywhere soon. With some of the smaller trade sites thats not such sureity. Ebay also has a well defined set of rules to deal with problems. My only criticism is as a seller that you have to wait a couple of weeks to get your listing fee back from non-buyers, but I find if you ban anyone who has less than a 10 feedback this gets rid of anyone who's not a serious buyer. The feedback rating is another good ebay benefit. You can go back through a person history to determine if they are someone you want to ebay with. Not every person is suited to ebay - if you can't wait a week for the product to come in the mail, then don't ebay, if you prefer to bragg about how expensive something you brought was, then don't ebay, if you don't like searching for a bargin, then don't ebay.

http://www.getfinancialfreedom4u.blogspot.com

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Maximising The Benefits From Your Ebay About Me Page - By Stephen S Alison

eBay allows you to create an About Me Page to tell the world about yourself and your interests. The About Me Page is one of the most powerful features of eBay, but not many people seem to use it or use it to its full advantage.

In the language of eBay you can use your About Me Page to:

• Let the eBay community know who you are;
• Show off your fabulous finds;
• Display your items up for bid;
• Describe your favorite hobby;

There are of course, restrictions on the use of the About Me Page and you will need to continuously check on the ever-changing eBay policies and rules.

Do's - The About Me Page may be used to describe your seller's business, and may contain Web addresses or links to the seller's individual Web site. You may also include links to your About Me Page in your listings. However, you may not include language within those links that promotes items or other Web sites.

Don't's - Your About Me Page may not specifically promote off eBay sales or sales of items prohibited on eBay, nor may it contain links to commercial Web sites where goods from multiple sellers are aggregated by a common search engine.

Step 1 - Check out what other sellers have done with their About Me Page.

Step 2 - Set up Your About Me Page. The eBay instructions are clear, simple and easy to follow.You will need to know something about HTML. Prepare a professional About Me Page which is both sticky and which will attract visitors to your website. Strictly follow the eBay Policies and Guidelines.

Step 3 - Encourage people to visit your About Me Page by placing a link at the top or at the bottom of your auction listings and direct bidders to your About Me Page.

Step 4 - Use the eBay Policies and Guidelines to the full by describing - on your About Me Page - your business activities and providing an URL link to your website (s). Since you cannot offer items directly for sale on your About Me page, you can offer:

• more information on your items;
• a recommendation to a web site you like;
• free tips on how to do something;
• links to your other auctions selling your impulse items;
• links to your other eBay accounts selling impulse items;

Step 5 - If you have multiple registrations with eBay, you should maximise the potential of these multiple registrations by setting up an About Me Page for every User ID you have.

Step 6 - Offer a different link to a different product on each About Me Page. The more information products you can offer on multiple About Me Pages the more potential visitors and potential income streams you will have.

Stephen S Alison is a retired "bean counter" who spent 26 years in middle management positions for major US financial institutions in Europe and a further 10 years as an adviser/consultant to a number of European financial institutions. He has traded successfully on eBay for over 2 years using the same strategies and tactics published in his websites:
http://www.howtomakeyourfortuneonebay.com and http://www.learntomakeyourlivingonebay.com

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Why eBay Auctions Fail – A Look at the Top 7 Reasons - By Paul Heitman

EBay is one of the most popular auction web sites across the vastness of the internet. Many people make full-fledged businesses out of eBay auctions. Just as with any business, perhaps more so than other businesses, an eBay business can quickly and easily become a failure. There are a few sure-fire methods that will ensure that your eBay business becomes an almost instant failure. The following is our top seven reasons why eBay auctions fail.

Price

Price plays a big part in the success or failure of your eBay auction. If you set your starting price too high, bidders will look elsewhere. Many successful auctions set their prices low to begin with and leave it to the bidders to raise it higher. The same holds true for buy it now items (fixed price). If the price is too high, it will not sell, period. Aim a little lower for both. This area also includes shipping prices. If you charge excessively for shipping, it will keep bidders away.

Photograph

If you don’t have a picture of your item, your customers will again look elsewhere. Bidders want to buy what they can see. If you provide at least one clear photograph of your item, it is more likely to sell then without any photographs at all.

Reserve Price

These are horrible words to a bidder. Bidders want to bid freely and not worry about a reserve price. If you have something you want to minimum price for, you should consider a fixed price auction.

The Listing

If your listing is loud and flashy with an abundance of spelling errors or simply written in a way that no human being on earth could read it, your auction will fail. Ensure that all titles and text of the description are clear, concise, and clean.

Negative feedback

If you have negative feedback, you will have problems selling on eBay. Bidders want a seller they can trust.

PayPal

If you do not accept PayPal on eBay, you most likely fail. Most bidders on eBay use PayPal and ONLY PayPal. Consider creating an account for eBay purposes.

Being Difficult

You will want to avoid making statements in the listing that will make you appear as a difficult seller. You will want to be clear on your return policy, but do not be so strict in the policy or who you will sell to, that you put the bidder off your auctions forever. Be firm, but fair.

Paul Heitman is the owner of http://www.spot-deals-here.com Here you'll find more eBay articles and other resources like our free misspelling tool.

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By James Newton - eBay Raises Their Store Listing Price and Chases Business Away

eBay announces that beginning in late August they will be increasing the store listing fees by as much as 500%, and final value fees for store listings by an additional 2%. Many store owners are listing using drop shippers. These merchants list the suppliers products, sell them, then purchase, and have the supplier ship directly to the buyer.

Drop shipping has been a great way to earn money on eBay. And has given eBay buyers a great place to purchase new merchandise. Many e-books, infomercials, and articles have been published on how to make money with drop shippers. Since so many have climbed on board the drop shipping train it has become a very competitive market. The drop shippers usually have a minimum mark up of 100%, or, the cost of the product X 2. Since the market is competitive that's the price merchants will generally list it for.

Auction format does not work well for these merchants. They have to have a minimum bid of 2X the product cost, they generally will loose money or make very little profit if they sell in this format because of the cost in listing fees, final value fees, and pay pal fees, not to mention drop shipping fees. In order to make up for the auctions, they will generally use the buy now button option in hopes of selling from the store inventory. Using the auction to advertise their store, meant they could take a loss on the auction.

You may have seen a lot of new merchandise listed on eBay with a starting bid of .01 or .99 and think.. wow, I'll bid a dollar. When you win the bid, you find out there is a shipping fee of $55.00. This is a dirty trick to sell the item in the auction format. Obviously they made the money in the shipping fees. You may have gotten a good deal still, but, you feel like you got ripped off because you did not expect to pay that much.

Auction format works great if you purchased an item at a yard sale, made the item yourself, if you have a hot, hard to find item, or a collectible item. eBay sellers that sell these goods will continue to do well with eBay. Even if you are selling a high dollar item, then there is enough room for the fees to be absorbed, eBay will continue to do well.

The merchants that buy wholesale, or use drop shippers are going to find it difficult to make a profit. They will be forced to increase the sell price, or pull out completely. The terrible secret is that many merchants also run web sites where they can list as many items as they want, and sell at lower price and make a higher profit due the lower overhead. If eBay buyers ever learn this secret, there will be a huge increase in web site purchases. Either way, this increase may be a bad move.

Store listing currently account for 83% of active listings on eBay. If they decide to start listing at other auction sites, or web sites exclusively, then buyers are eventually going to start moving too.

This could be the start of the end of the eBay dominance.

Jim Newton owns http://www.neutronmarketing.com where he list many ways to make money on line including eBay secrets and techniques. Neuton Marketing also has web host packages, dropship list, and SEO tools to make it easy for you to make money at home.

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How To Develop And Maintain Your Ebay Reputation - By Stephen S Alison

In any local community your credibility, honesty and reputation are important for making friends. The same concept applies for doing business nationally or internationally.

Many professional bodies and businesses add “better business bureau” type logos to their letterheads and website in an attempt to attract a measure of public confidence and to distinguish and identify their company as being both reputable and trustworthy.

The same applies on eBay where Feedback from your peers is at the heart of your reputation. Feedback is a valuable weather vane or indicator of a buyer's or seller's reputation on eBay enabling other buyers and sellers to develop trusting relationships based on open, honest insight into the track record of their trading partners. Every eBay member has a Member Profile which includes an overall Feedback number or score in parentheses, as well as comments and ratings from other members you've bought from and sold to.

Your Feedback Score is the most important aspect of your reputation at eBay. If you are the best and most responsive buyer or seller there can be, then good Feedback will obviously follow.

The Feedback rating system and policies are simple and are designed to encourage transparent and honest trading. Stars are awarded to eBay members for achieving 10 or more feedback points. You receive:

• +1 point for each positive comment;

• 0 points for each neutral comment;

• -1 point for each negative comment;

• A star icon for 10 or more comments;

There are several ways to build a good reputation for yourself at eBay, including but not limited to some basic eBay rules that you must follow.

Honesty - There is an old adage that says Honesty is the Best Policy. First of all, you should always be honest in describing your auction item (s). If an item is damaged why not say so. The chances are that your customer will find out anyway when they take delivery. But that should not be the reason for your upfront honesty.

Leaving Feedback - As an eBay user, you should use caution and good judgment when leaving feedback for another user. What you write will be a permanent part of that user's record on eBay.

Always leave Feedback and your counterpart will most probably reciprocate. As a rule of thumb always leave feedback as soon as you have received payment for your auction item. Conversely you should expect to receive Feedback from the seller as soon as you have made your payment. Some buyers and sellers are very slow or unwilling to leave feedback. As a seller you may wish to offer your buyer a free gift for leaving you early feedback after they have received and examined the goods and are satisfied.

Caution: Be very careful with the wording of your free gift to leave early Feedback offer as you do not want it to be misunderstood and you must be careful not to violate eBay’s Feedback Solicitation Policy.

Leaving Negative Feedback - Be careful about leaving negative feedback for someone who most probably deserves it. Always try and find some other solution to resolve disputes. If necessary use the PayPal, Square Trade or other available arbitration service. It is normal for bidders to retaliate with their own negative and unfair comments. Leaving either neutral Feedback or no comments is preferable to leaving negative Feedback.

Code of Ethics and Compliance With eBay Policies - A Commitment to ethical professional conduct and generally accepted ethical standards is expected of every eBay member. Adherence of professionals to a code of ethics is largely a voluntary matter. Here are some points to consider:

• Avoid harm to others – harm means injury or negative consequences;
• Be honest and trustworthy. Honesty is an essential component of trust. Without trust an organization cannot function effectively;

• The honest buyer/seller will not make deliberately false or deceptive claims about a product, but will instead provide full disclosure of all pertinent limitations and problems;
• Be fair and take action not to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, age, disability, national origin;

• Honor property rights including copyrights and patent. Violation of copyrights, patents, trade secrets and the terms of license agreements is prohibited by law in most circumstances. Even when software is not so protected, such violations are contrary to professional behavior. Copies of software should be made only with proper authorization. Unauthorized duplication of materials must not be condoned;

• Give proper credit for intellectual property even in cases where the work has not been explicitly protected by copyright, patent, etc;

• Respect the privacy of others. Computing and communication technology enables the collection and exchange of personal information on a scale unprecedented. Thus there is increased potential for violating the privacy of individuals and groups;

• Honor confidentiality. The principle of honesty extends to issues of confidentiality of information. The ethical concern is to respect all obligations of confidentiality to clients, and users unless discharged from such obligations by requirements of the law;

• Know and respect existing laws. Obey existing local, state, province, national, and international laws;
• Follow the Policies and Procedures of the organizations in which you participate i.e. eBay’s Guidelines and Policies;
• Honor contracts and agreements. Honoring one's commitments is a matter of integrity and honesty;

• Uphold and promote the principles of this or a similar Code. Not only is it important for buyers/sellers to adhere to the principles expressed in this Code, each member should encourage and support adherence by other members;

• Treat violations of this code as inconsistent with membership in eBay;

Safe and enjoyable Trading!

Stephen S Alison is a retired "bean counter" who spent 26 years in middle management positions for major US financial institutions in Europe and a further 10 years as an adviser/consultant to a number of European financial institutions. He has traded successfully on eBay for over 2 years using the same strategies and tactics published in his websites:
http://www.howtomakeyourfortuneonebay.com
http://www.learntomakeyourlivingonebay.com

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An Online Auctions & Ebay Business Model - By Stephen S Alison

Since they began in 1995 Online Auctions have changed and are changing the way we shop and already are having a huge impact on consumer shopping habits and the work at home opportunity, by effectively creating a massive virtual marketplace where millions of people gather to buy, sell and trade the hot items of the day.

As a business, Online Auctions are probably the only opportunity that allows everyone the chance to play on a level playing field. Everyone involved in online auctions and eBay has the same opportunity to reach and sell to literally millions of people – whether they are just looking to make a few extra bucks a week as pocket money; hope to develop a thriving and profitable work at home business and earn valuable part-time or full-time income; whether they are a working Mom making a modest income; or a big Company with lots of inventory to sell.

A Conventional Business needs a fair amount of both Capital and Time to be established and organised before you can really start trading profitably. And if you were planning to manufacture your own product - then depending on your product design and manufacturing cycle - there can be a big time lag before your products are delivered to the buyers and consumers and turned into sales and revenues.

In order to start-up and run any conventional business, there are certain minimum requirements which must be met before you can open shop and start trading including but not limited to:

• Capital or Equity;
• You – including your managerial and organisational skills;
• Time – weeks or months or even years of advance preparation;
• Business Strategy and Plan;
• Financial Plan and Short-term to Mid-term Budget;
• Marketing Strategy;
• Business Premises including Location and Layout;
• Manufacturing Premises if you plan to manufacture your own products;
• Equipment – Office and Manufacturing;
• Personnel;
• An Inventory of Products to sell – either manufactured by you or purchased from a supplier;
• A Reasonable Advertising Budget;
• Banking Facilities;
• Trading Licences and Certificate of Incorporation;
• Customers;
• Other Requirements depending on your country and place of business;

But as an Online Auction Seller or Auctioneer there are really only 6 easy to meet requirements:

1. Registration with the online auction house or eBay. It’s Free!
2. A Little Computer Knowledge;
3. A Computer or Access to a Computer;
4. A Good AD;
5. A Valid Credit Card – for setting up your seller’s account;
6. A Valid eMail Address;

Once you have registered with the online auctions site or sites of your choice, you can begin to sell any product you want at a profit. Registration and the beginning of a successful business can normally be accomplished within 24/48 hours with:

• No Need for Capital – it costs about $0.30 to list an auction and the listing fee is normally billed monthly;
• No overhead or upfront costs;
• No Need for Sales Staff or Distributors;
• No Need for a Website;
• No Need for Business Premises;
• No initial investment required;
• No need to ship products yourself if you use established, professional drop-shippers;
• Millions of captive online auctions buying customers;

The Strategic Advantages of this business model are clear and beyond dispute:

1. No Time Constraint – Bids can be placed at any time, 24/7, seven days a week and l65 days a year. Items can be listed for up to 10 days at the discretion of the seller, thus giving purchasers adequate time to search, decide and bid. This convenience increases the number of bidders;

2. No Geographical Constraints – Buyers and Sellers can participate from anywhere in the world that has access to the Internet. This makes the auctions more accessible, reduces the cost of “attending” an auction, increases the number of listed items/sellers and the number of bids/bidders for each item. Also there is no need to ship items to a central location, reducing costs and the seller’s minimum acceptable price;

3. No Language Barriers – Buyers and Sellers can participate from anywhere in the world that has access to the Internet and in their own language.

4. Intensity of Social Interactions – The social interactions involved in the bidding process are very high as the bidders wait in anticipation hoping to “win” and many bidders bid primarily to “play the game” rather than to obtain the and product;

5. Large Number of Bidders – Online auction sites attract a large amount of traffic making them an ideal place to capitalise on readily available, widespread exposure for your product and/or company. Because of the potential for obtaining highly valued items at a relatively low price, the broad range of products and services available, the ease of access and the social benefits of the auction process, there are usually a large number of bidders;

6. Large Number of Sellers – Because of the large number of bidders, the potential for a relatively high price, reduced selling costs and ease of access, there are usually a large number of sellers;

7. Network Economies of Scale – The larger number of bidders encourages more sellers which, in turn, will encourage more bidders, which will encourage more sellers etc. in a virtual spiral. The more the spiral operates, the larger the system becomes and the more valuable the business model becomes for all participants;

Stephen S Alison is a retired "bean counter" who spent 26 years in middle management positions for major US financial institutions in Europe and a further 10 years as an adviser/consultant to a number of European financial institutions. He has traded successfully on eBay for over 2 years using the same strategies and tactics published in his websites:
href="http://www.howtomakeyourfortuneonebay.com">http://www.howtomakeyourfortuneonebay.com http://www.learntomakeyourlivingonebay.com

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Online Auctions & Ebay 8 Point Game Plan for Selling Your Products - By Stephen S Alison

Many thousands of home-based entrepreneurs and work at home moms have already discovered the immense joy, profits and financial independence that trading on online auctions and Ebay can bring. Thousands more are discovering these facts each and every day.

In some popular categories the competition can be fierce and your product listing can easily get lost amongst hundreds of other listings. So whatever you are selling or plan to sell, there are certain essential keys to successful selling at online auctions and Ebay. You need a Game Plan! Here are some suggestions:

Online Auctions & Ebay Game Plan 1 - Select Your Auction Site

First of all you have to think about and decide which online auctions site you are going to use. eBay is the obvious choice because of its reputation, size and amount of traffic it receives. But different auction sites tend to cater to different demands and markets and you may have more luck selling your auction item on a site that has less direct competition.

• Determine and identify which auction site is best for your product;

• Check out the top three or four in your product(s) area;

• Also look at the specialised sites and the big ones;

• Check out item quantities, bid lists and going-going-gone listings to establish how much demand there is for your product and the prices;

• Try bidding on an item or two to get a feel for the process but you should avoid bidding on an item you did not plan to buy;

Online Auctions & Ebay Game Plan 2 - Select Your Products

In the world of online auctions, niche markets are responsible for over 40 % of total sales and the remaining 60% covers non-niche markets. Collectibles are the best selling items at online auction sites. Whilst popular, sought after, items may be easy to sell, you could also make a killing on any unique item with a high profit margin.

You will need to decide what product or products you are going to sell. Are you going to specialise and sell collectibles or unique items, one at a time? Or do you have a product you can sell in large quantities – the so-called consumables?

Also you can cash in quickly on "fad items". However it would probably not be worth the effort to devote too much time and effort around a fad item, if by the time you are ready, the fad might already be old news. But online auction sites do give an almost instant audience at a very low cost. So if you spot a trend or a change in trends, you can hop on and off the wagon as quickly as possible. The bottom line is you can make money with all of the above but you need to choose.

Online Auctions & Ebay Game Plan 3 - Select Your Listing Options

Online auction sites typically offer a variety of listing options for you to choose from. The basic or regular plain vanilla listing option is the least expensive and, for example, costs about $0.30 per listing on eBay. You will need to choose one or some of the following:

• Regular Listing – a regular listing is just what it says. You choose your listing category and your product gets listed in it. While this is the most common and probably the least effective way to list your product, you should start with this option. You should wait and see how your product performs before spending money on featured listings;

• Reserve Price Auctions – you can specify the minimum amount at which your product should sell by selecting the "Reserve Price" option. This is sometimes done to prevent “auction sniping” which happens when bidders wait until the very last moment to place a bid and then grab your item without starting a bidding competition. Reserve price auctions can be to your benefit but they may also discourage bidders who are looking for the best deal;

• Dutch Auctions – Also known as “English Auctions” these are one of the best ways for people selling in quantity to place their products because you can list multiple identical items at once in each auction;

• Featured Items – On eBay and most of the larger auction sites, you can get your items rotated through the auction site’s homepage as well as listed in the "featured items" section on payment of an additional fee;

• Listing Period – The standard listing option is a 7-day listing. You also have the choice of listing your items for 3, 5, 7 or 10 days and of course you always have the option to re-list at the end of this time;

Online Auctions & Ebay Game Plan 4 - Select Your Listing Category

You definitely want to place your listing in a specific category but you do not want to limit yourself. You should explore the product categories on the various auction sites to broaden your knowledge of what goes where. While you are doing this you should also check out the competition in different categories and establish how much bidding is going on.

The best way to decide in which category your product should be listed is to do a search on similar and related products, establish which ones sell best and see which categories they are in:

1. Use the search method to pick your main category and, if required, your sub-category;

2. Before you finally settle on a category, you should use the auction site’s search tools to check out how easily your product can be found;

Whatever you do, do not try to gain more attraction and exposure by placing your product in an unrelated category as the auction site will probably cancel your listing or even close your account.

Online Auctions & Ebay Game Plan 5 - Create Your AD

Once you have decided where and how to list your product, you will need to turn your attention towards selling it. And this means you will need an excellent advertisement – including a title and a description.

Think about your target market – who is going to buy your product and why? You need to grab the attention of your target market and influence them to buy from you.

You must focus on the product benefits, rather than what are its features – in other words how does this product solve the buyer’s problem? Firstly you need a very good Title:
• Be specific and state exactly what your item is;

• Make the most of your title by carefully choosing keywords a buyer might use when doing a search on eBay. What will buyers most want to know about your item? What are its most appealing characteristics?

• Use descriptive keywords in capital letters without punctuation. Avoid using words like rare, beautiful, unusual, or L@@K as no one usually uses these words when they are searching on online auctions;

• The same techniques apply to your product description. Use as much information as possible to write a complete description of your item;

• Use a friendly and inviting tone to attract buyers. Include all item attributes. For example, model number, year the item was made, colour, dimensions, and most importantly the current condition of the item;

• Emphasize the positive things about your item a little or even include a story about the item;

• Be truthful in your description and think of ways you can influence your bidders by providing extra bonuses such as money-back guarantees, free shipping, bonus items;

• Finally, if possible, add a photo as most people prefer to buy what they can see and on average are prepared to pay at least 10% more for an item that is accompanied by a photo;

Online Auctions & Ebay Game Plan 6 - Establish Your Credibility & Trust

The best way to establish yourself as a trustworthy and reliable seller in online auctions is by having a good Feedback rating. A Feedback rating is a listing of independent customer comments, rated as positive (+1), neutral (0), or negative (-1).

If you have a positive rating, you can probably increase your sales by as much as 7-9%. And this number will steadily increase as the Feedback rating system catches on. If you are not trustworthy, your Feedback rating will warn other buyers to stay away from you.

Both giving and receiving Feedback is important. Whenever possible ask for Feedback from your buyers as a large positive Feedback rating establishes both your credibility and establishes you as an experienced seller. To ensure that you get a positive Feedback rating you should always:
• List shipping costs or any additional costs up front;

• Deliver your product right away;

• Deliver exactly what you have advertised;

• Answer any buyers’ questions immediately;

• Always follow-up with excellent customer service;

• Consider giving a free gift or bonus;

Online Auctions & Ebay Game Plan 7 – Get Exposure For Your Auction Listing

You have put in a lot of time and effort into creating a great title and description for your auction listing, so use it to your advantage by attracting as much traffic to your auctions.

eBay and most other online auctions sites have restrictions on the kind of links you can post from your auction listings to your website homepage. But you can still link your auction listings to your eBay “About Me” page. So be sure to take advantage of this option. Also keep a list of all your buyers and send them “thank you for your purchase” messages, details of new offers, complementary product information and newsletters on a regular basis. Your best customers are repeat customers who will be responsible for 85% of your sales.

Online Auctions & Ebay Game Plan 8 – Test, Split Test & Test Some More

You should always be testing and tweaking your auction listings. Even if they are really good, you may find that one or two simple changes dramatically increase your sales. Start by doing regular listings on two or three different auction sites, and, by changing only one element at a time.

Stephen S Alison is a retired "bean counter" who spent 26 years in middle management positions for major US financial institutions in Europe and a further 10 years as an adviser/consultant to a number of European financial institutions. He has traded successfully on eBay for over 2 years using the same strategies and tactics published in his websites:
http://www.howtomakeyourfortuneonebay.com http://www.learntomakeyourlivingonebay.com

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The Ebay Auction Site - By Carmen Anderton

The Ebay Auction Site is arguably the most influential and most successful online business of all. The history of this site and its prominent rise since then is as amazing as it is unlikely. The Ebay Auction Site was founded in Pierre Omidyar's living room in San Jose, California, back in September 1995. It was from the start meant to be a marketplace for the sale of goods and services for individuals, so the common person would have a way to buy and sell goods from other common individuals, with more access to buyers and sellers without having to pay high premiums for a low value item.

Pierre was not the sole founder. Jeff Skoll was also a co-founder, and in 1998 they made one of the best decisions they could by hiring Meg Whitman, who is now seen as one of the most powerful businesswomen in the world. The Ebay auction site was different than any other business, and so it was only appropriate that they would come up with a unique vision for the company: the Ebay auction site would be a company that was in the business of of connecting people, not selling things to them.
The format of the Ebay auction site is pretty simple and straight forward. Their web site has built a trading market place online. Buyers and sellers are brought together in a way so sellers are permitted to list items for sale, buyers to bid on items of interest and all users to browse through items organized in a very specific fashion. The Ebay auction site is revolutionary in that it has taken the technology that has brought us the internet and used it to make a global version of person-to-person trading, which until the last decade has always had to be conducted through garage sales, collectibles shows, flea markets and more.

On the Ebay auction site looking around and actually bidding on auctions is free, but sellers are charged two separate kinds of charges. When a buyer lists an item a non- refundable “Insertion Fee” is charged, which varies depending on the value of the starting bid. Fees are charged for optional additions to promote the item, increase traffic, and increase appearances to make it look more attractive. Sellers will also be charged a final value fee at the end of the seller's auction. This fee generally ranges from 1.25% to 5% of the final sale price.

The growth of the Ebay auction site has been amazing, at it has come along way from its original version. The popular legend is that Ebay started as a way for the founder’s girlfriend to trade Pez dispensers with other collectors. He says this is partially true, which is why at Ebay’s main offices there is a display case of Pez dispensers. The original version of the Ebay auction site appeared in September 1995. It was a slow and humble start, but it has exploded. Ebay had $3.3 billion in revenue in 2004, getting to that mark faster than Dell or Microsoft. It has 135 million users worldwide. They bring in far more money and material than Amazon.com and Yahoo, which were two companies started about the same time.

When it comes to online businesses, there is no question that the Ebay auction site is king. They do the business and provide the benefits, and whether the person is a staunch business person checking profit margins and trying to put up thirty listings a day, or a casual shopper just looking for a good deal, or someone just looking to sell a bunch of extra supplies, there is no better place to go than to the Ebay auction site.

Carmen Anderton is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Auction-Registrations.com.

She provides more tips and information on her website Ebay Auction Site

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So You Want to Start an eBay Business - By Judy Howard

Many people are making a good living as Affiliate Marketers and having your own eBay business can be just as profitable. But don’t dive into it right away without some basic knowledge of how the business works. Believe me, if you don’t have some basic understanding of how eBay works you will drown. Buy a book that gives you the basics on how to get started. There are many good books on the subject so you have a good selection to choose from. Otherwise, there are some very good articles on the internet written by eBay experts. All you need to do is go on any search engine and in the search box type “ebay how to profit” or “ebay business” and a number of results will show up. You can also go to any article directory such as Article City or any ezine directory and in the search box type ebay. A list of articles will then show up.

The Benefits of Running a Business on eBay

• Targeted Traffic. People searching on the internet who are specifically looking for a product that is on your website would be directed to a landing page featuring your eBay store or auction page. Because the name EBay is branded you have a huge advantage. Who hasn’t heard of eBay?

• Millions hit eBay websites. 79 million searches conducted daily on eBay will certainly enhance your online marketing campaign. Listing on eBay will save you on traditional advertising giving you huge savings.

• There are communities and discussion forums and it is to your advantage to get involved. There is such a large community of other eBay affiliates helping each other out. You can get a wealth of information from those forums even with some seasoned pros contributing to the community.
Learn from successful people. As a partner you are provided with a variety of free tools and support to get your business off to a good start. In 1995 10,000 people traded goods. Now, eBay has more than 135 million registered users and ½ a million are making a full or part time living as affiliates. In 2004, statistics indicated eBay’s annual gross merchandise sales exceeded $34 billion and $1.2 million of that was in the business and industrial categories. Getting started is quite simple and eBay has a step by step guide to help you become successful. This is crucial for beginners. You gain access to many tools and strategies that will optimize running your website, its effectiveness with the search engines and on the internet. You have access to their learning centre at anytime. Your success is their success. It’s the perfect win-win situation. eBay is constantly evolving to match the world of e-commerce. As partners you both succeed. What a perfect business partnership. Some affiliate partners make up to $25,000.00 per month. But this didn’t happen overnight. It took work to build up a business that would generate that type of income. Some people will have the time and energy to devote more time to their business so that they start to generate an income. Everyone is different so your results will be unique to you.

So to recap:

• eBay is a brand name that you as an affiliate would be partnered with.

• You are provided with a large variety of free tools and support to help you succeed making your business more profitable and efficient.

• Targeted Traffic. Millions of people hit eBay websites and there is something for everyone.

• You have a large community of other affiliates, some of them being seasoned pros.

Getting started is easy and eBay has a step by step plan to get you off to a good start. Here’s to your success.

Copyright 2006 Judith Howard, www.bestinbargains.com

Judith Howard is an affiliate marketer offering the best affiliate business opportunities, the best eBay products and many helpful articles on eBay written by leading experts.Visit: http://www.bestinbargains.com

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eBay Explained: eBay Express - By Mark Kenny

Ebay Express, already launched in the US is gearing up for an autumn 2006 launch in the UK. For sellers, this represents an exciting opportunity to expand your business and get further exposure, at no additional cost.

Express offers a venue for sellers to offer new goods, at fixed prices without the need to wait for an auction to end. Listings within eBay Express are taken from approved business sellers offering Buy-It-Now auctions or shop inventory who meet the specific standards within their auctions.

No additional fees are payable by the seller for inclusion within eBay Express, however the seller must offer a return policy for a minimum of seven days unlike traditional listings on eBay where a return policy is not mandatory. Additionally, the seller must include a photograph of the item within the description, must specify reasonable postage costs and send the item from within the UK.

Unlike eBay, eBay Express will also offer buyers the facility to complete checkout for all their items at once. This gives them an advantage of paying several sellers at once which has not previously been possible with eBay.co.uk or eBay.com

Ebay Express initially will offer goods within Audio, TV & Electronics, Baby & Nursery, Books, Cameras & Photo, Fashion, Lifestyle & Accessories, Computing, Health & Beauty, Home & Garden, Jewellery & Watches, Mobile Phones, Music & DVDs, Video Games, Sports & Leisure, and the Baby, Kids & Toys category. More categories are expected to be included at a later date.

Most experts suggest eBay is launching express as a way to compete with Amazon, and other online shopping sites. Recently eBay has lost ground to such sites & they see abandoning their auction format as a way of making up lost ground.

Mark Kenny has been selling successfully online & though eBay for more than five years. You can see visit his eBay & Auction Forum at http://www.AuctionCUT.com or visit Mark Kenny blog at http://www.Trading-Web-Solutions.com/blog

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How to Win Your Favorite Collectibles and Other Items at Auctions - By Monique Hawkins

Some people are interested in obtaining more collectible items for their collection. Some are seeking music boxes and other mechanical music. Many others are looking for items such as cars, houses, jewelry, and household items for a cheap price. There is a very inexpensive way to get your favorite items. How? Auctions!

You can find auctions in your area. Most local towns and cities have an auction house. You can usually check your local newspaper, which should have a section in the classifieds for upcoming auctions. Another good source is the Internet when looking for auction houses. Sometimes, you might be driving down the road and see a sign for an upcoming auction as well. Your local library is also a resource.

Once you find the auction or auctions you are interested in, make sure you check the time it starts. You want to do this because it is important to view the collectibles, music boxes, mechanical music, or other items you are looking to bid on before things get rolling. You will want to carefully assess their condition. So give yourself plenty of time for this. Make sure you also take a notepad and pen to make notes of the items and the top dollar you are willing to bid. You also will be able to find out who the auctioneers and auction workers are. You will want to get to know them since they will have important information about the particular items you are interested in. This also helps them recognize you when you bid and maybe cause them to be more apt to look your way for a bid.

Next, you will want to find out where the auction will start and what direction it will likely go. This is necessary because sometimes there may be more than one auction ring if there are many items. Believe it or not, some auctions last for several days! Each auction ring will have an auctioneer, a recorder, and helpers. It is best to figure out how many rings and which auctioneer will be in which ring. Some auctions have multiple estates represented, so don't be surprised if some sections of items may look like they do not belong with particular items.

In addition to the auctioneers, recorders, and helpers at an auction, there will also be a payment table and registration table. At many auction these two tables are the same table. It will be necessary to stop at the registration table before the auction starts. You will need to register your name, address, phone number, picture ID, and tax number if you have one.

Keep in mind that the auction can be indoors or outdoors, so make sure you dress appropriately. Otherwise, you might be too hot or too cold! You might want to think about taking a snack or lunch since there might not be a vendor available near the auction. Getting a good parking spot is also important so that you can transfer your music box, mechanical music, collectibles, and other items to your vehicle easily.

When you are at the auction, you will notice that items will have lot number or description associated with it. This information may not be on the actual item, but the recorder will have it. It will be on the tickets for each of your winning items. It is always is a good idea to keep track of what are your winning bids and what the winning bid was. This way, you can match each up to your ticket when you check out.

The items up for auction are usually kept in boxes or flats. The items may be auctioned per box or per item. If need be, you should be able to request a certain item be pulled out of a box to auction separately. A lot of times, however, you can get a better deal and bargain if the item you want is grouped together in a box with other stuff that may not be as desirable.

The more expensive item are kept in locked cases with an attendant close by to open the case for inspection of the items. The auctioneers usually will determine beforehand how valuable pieces and will be which items should be auctioned individually. Get yourself positioned so that you can see the items as they are auctioned and so that the auctioneer will readily see you for your bids. Make sure you have your bidder numbered card ready to show the auctioneer when you bid and when you win an item.

Sometimes, prior to and during an auction, as people look at the items, some may get moved from box to box. Make sure you pay close attention to what is being auctioned as in some case some things are moved. Depending upon the auctioneer, bidding could start at what the auctioneer thinks the item will eventually sell for. That offer may not get any bids, so in order to get people bidding; the auctioneer will lower the starting bid. If you are really interested in a music box, mechanical music, a collectible piece, or other items, you may want to bid first thing. This quick bid may scare off other potential bidders and you will win the item. Toward the end of the auction, there may not be as many people still at the auction. This is a great time to get some good deals also.

If you win, take your things straight to your vehicle. Once you win the bid, the item or items are you possession and you are responsible for them.

At the end of the auction, or when you are ready to leave, make sure you take the payment or registration table to pay for your winning items. They will have a list of items or a ticket for each winning item. Make sure the item and price match what you have recorded. It will be much easier to resolve any conflicts immediately rather than later.

Follow the above tips and you will be sure to win that coveted music box, mechanical music, collectible, or other item you were looking for!

Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins

Established in May of 2005, http://www.My-Music-Box.com is a music box gift store specializing in music box products such as inlaid ballerina music boxes for ballerina rooms décor, whimsical carousel music boxes, and musical jewelry boxes. The company provides interesting information for music lovers of all ages. Owner Monique Hawkins is also the author of the blog "What You Never Knew About Music" http://whatyouneverknewaboutmusic.blogspot.com , and owner of the eBay store "Monique's Music Box" at: http://stores.ebay.com/Moniques-Music-Box Monique can be contacted at (540) 858-2885.

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Should You Try To Use eBay To Buy Items Wholesale? - By Gregg Hall

I must confess that I, like many millions of people all over the planet, love eBay. I have used the online auction giant to buy and sell everything from vintage jewelry and old books to cars. It doesn't matter what you are in the market for you can find it on eBay. As the largest auction provider in the world, they offer the largest variety you will find on virtually any subject. You will even be amused by some of the strange things you find on eBay like a piece of toast with the face of the Virgin Mary!

If you are like me then you are probably oblivious to how incredible eBay really is. I have been using the site for several years, almost since the beginning. I wish I had had the foresight to buy some of their stock, but that's another story. What I do get a kick out of is the fact that I can buy and sell and do business with people all over the world from my home computer. Who would have thought that would even be possible for the average person as recently as ten or fifteen years ago? The way that eBay is set up by categories and the search engine that is used to help you find items is just incredible. You will stumble on things that you want without even directly looking for them.

As far as doing business through eBay, they have made it super easy. You don't even have to worry about currency exchange, or shopping carts or any of the other issues normally associated with e-commerce. If you have an email address and a Paypal account you are in business.

If you are looking for old or rare items eBay is like a giant treasure chest and sometimes if you are lucky and very attentive you can find really good deals on stuff that is truly valuable.

Now, on the other side of the coin we need to take a look at some of the negative aspects just so you have the full picture of doing business on eBay. I wouldn't want to leave you thinking that everything was totally perfect.

If you are going to do business in eBay, one of the things you must be aware of is shipping costs. If you are looking at buying a large item from overseas, let me stop you before you even get started.

International shipping costs are outrageous, which is why most eBay sellers in the United States will only sell to and ship in the U.S. and Canada. You could buy a lamp for $1 and pay $75 for it to be shipped!

Another issue that I have to warn you about is that there are tons of people who prowl around eBay that are crooked. They are fraudsters who will send thousands of emails to people claiming they bought an item and will demand payment or threaten to report you. I get this garbage everyday. Just be aware that they are there. You also have the people who place items up for sale that are non existent or not what they claim them to be. This is why it pays to only do business with people who have a long history of good feedback ratings.

Hopefully this has helped to give you a good overview on buying through eBay, now put the information to use!

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about using auctions and buying wholesale at http://www.buywholesaleclub.com

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Is eBay a Viable Place to Start Growing My Online Business and Attract New Customers? - By Charlotte Alice

How you market your new online business will be something on the top of your mind from day one. It’s an important aspect, right? If people can’t see your site, you don’t make any sales, so it is not surprising that so many people look at eBay and try to work out how to leverage their vast streams of traffic.

Without doubt eBay is one of the world’s most popular web sites, so just attracting a very small percentage of that traffic could make a huge difference to a fledgling new business. However, it is not just a case of using eBay to sell your products or services, it is about encouraging them to visit your off eBay web site.

This takes a lot of time, the first thing you will need to do is build up a great reputation. Understand the intricate nature of how eBay works and learn how to position your products to sell them best. Once you have mastered this, you can then begin on your strategy to take your business off of eBay.

The reason why it is important to do this is because of the fees. Put simply, eBay is an expensive place to sell your wares. If you can cut out the middle man so to speak, your margins increase. Fortunately, eBay provide you with some great sales tools, you will have access to your customer’s email details, you can send them newsletters and you can pre program automated email responses. In fact all of these tools are powerful in their own right, so try to use them as often as possible as they will come in handy.

Once you’re comfortable with these tools, there is no reason why you can not use them to highlight your Internet business. Perhaps you might put a link to your site in every automated email you send, remember you can configure the standard eBay emails to whatever you want (within reason), another strategy is to include some kind of direct marketing response. For example, a limited time only offer of 10% should one of your customer’s buy something through your site.

The trick is to ensure that you’re encouraging users to click through to your other web site as much as possible. If your ducks are in line, you’ll be able to continue to grab your customer’s details. Maybe offer them a free eBook in return for them signing up to your newsletter, before you know it you will have a reasonable sized mailing list. Now every time you launch a new product or service, you can converse directly with people you know are already interested in your company.

The great thing about this is that you’ll soon start to be able to offer affiliate products, this is another way to make money through your site. If your mailing list is large enough, other web site business owners will approach you for inclusion in your newsletter, of course you can charge for the privilege.

In summary, eBay is a great way to start life as an online business, however it is important to have one eye on the future. Start planning your migration away as soon as possible, why should eBay take all the profit? They have enough already!

Charlotte Alice is a professional author for Guide to dropshipping and full time Content Writer

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Saving Money With Government Auctions - By Gabriel J. Adams

Government auctions are where items that various government agencies have seized are sold, often at excellent prices. With a little knowledge, you can save some money with government auctions. Here is some basic information and tips to help you make the most of government auctions.

What items are for sale at government auctions?

Usually, big ticket items, such as vehicles, houses, land, boats, airplanes, computers, etc.

Where have the items come from?

Usually, the items have been seized by a government agency. Items might be seized in a raid, repossessed due to unpaid taxes, etc. Agencies that seize and sell items include the FBI, IRS, police departments, DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), etc.

How are items sold?

Depending on the auction, items may be sold at an internet auction, at a fixed price, or at a conventional auction.

How can I find out about items for sale?
There are many ways to find out about items for sale. Searching the internet will provide you many websites that list government auctions. Some of the sites require a paid membership, others are free.

Tips for buying at government auctions

Look carefully at items you wish to bid on or purchase. Items are almost always sold as is, meaning that if it does not work as you expected it to, or other problem, arise, you cannot return the item.

If there is a preview for the auction you plan to attend, take advantage of it. In some cases, the items will not be available for review during the auction, so it is advisable to attend the auction preview to look at items you are interested in.

What other auctions can I attend to save money?

You may also want to check out foreclosed property auctions. Items at these auctions have been seized by a bank due to non payment of the loan on the item.

Visit http://www.allgovernmentauctions.com to save money with Government Auctions.

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