eBay Buying & Selling

Learn about eBay buying and selling and how to save and make money and get the best deals possible on eBay, plus many other great eBay buying and selling tips.

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Saturday, January 16, 2010

Excellent video of Will Smith sharing his awesome wisdom.

This is a very inspirational video. I know of people who have watched this video six times in a row. Enjoy!




Sunday, October 01, 2006

How to Pick Hot Items for eBay Auctions - By Monique Hawkins

Hot eBay Items, eBay research, eBay Power Seller


So, you have a great collection of music albulms from the 60's era you want to give away. Maybe you have some antique music boxes you no longer can use, or maybe you even have some vintage jewelry. Whatever the case, you want to sell these items on eBay.

If this description fits you, then you are one of many people who are trying to start an eBay business and who spend a great deal of time trying to figure out what will sell best on eBay. Many of these people have elaborate systems for determining this information, and many others purchase expensive courses that teach them how to find this information as well. The fact is, none of that is necessary. Everything you need to know is right in front of you. Where? On the eBay website which is good news for you!

Here is what you need to do. Create an eBay account which is free. After you do this, take a look at any category, and you will see the word "hot" beside some items. These items are not marked as hot sellers randoml. There is a method to the madness! Items only get marked as hot when there have been more than thirty bids placed on the. All you have to do is surf around the eBay website for a while to find an item that will do well. So, it would be a good idea to just spend some time wandering around eBay based on your interests.

Most power sellers agree that there is more to figuring out which items sell best than this. In fact, they claim that it is a science. A great way to start your search for items that will result in a successful auction in the future is to do research on the auctions that were successful in the past. You can view old listings that have completed at: http://listings.ebay.com

A new way to determine what items sell best on eBay is "eBay Marketplace Research." Marketplace Research will allow you to view important statistical information on the buying trends at eBay. This product contains all of the data one could possibly ever need to determine how well or how poorly an item will do in an eBay auction. There is a small fee for using the eBay Marketplace Research tools, however.

Yet another tool that will be very useful in your quest for finding hot selling items for your eBay auctions is the listing of popular eBay search terms that is found on the site. This list can be found at: http://popular.ebay.com/. This list is divided into categories, which will make it easier to determine how popular your potential item may be.

Avoid the mistake of thinking that an item will do poorly, or that it will do well without doing your homework first. Some things sell for the highest prices, while items that would sell quickly in any other environment just sit there. Almost any eBay Power Seller will tell you that the key to a successful auction rests in the amount of research you put into the items you hope to sell. The lesson here is to research, research, research!

Starting a eBay business where you can sell your music albulms, antique music boxes, vintage jewelry, or whatever you have does not have to be difficult. eBay provides you will all the tools you need to get started right! Why not begin today?

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

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


Hot eBay Items, eBay research, eBay Power Seller



Wednesday, August 23, 2006

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

Article Source: EzineArticles.com



Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Why eBay Auctions Fail – A look at the Top 7 reasons

eBay Seller

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.

eBay Seller



Sunday, July 16, 2006

Help! I can’t find what I need on Ebay!

eBay Buyer

So, you’re looking for a digital camera on EBay? Do you know how to find it quickly and painlessly? This article is to help the average eBay consumer become an eBay search crackerjack.

With all the items available for sale on eBay, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find what you are looking for. The following tips should help to make your search a breeze.


Search, don’t browse.

Searching for a digital camera is a lot more efficient than browsing. While browsing will give you more options, searching will yield results quicker and in less time, leaving more time for capturing the perfect picture!


Use The Advanced Search.

Using the advanced search for digital cameras will narrow done the search, making the search more concise. To get to the advanced search, click the link under the search box. Once at the advanced search, enter a keyword, select a category and press the search button. A good example of a keyword would be the manufacturer’s name and camera type. For example, Sony Cyber Shot 6 megapixels. When just using the search box if you type in Sony Cyber shots 6 Mega pixel, it will come up in the results and possibly other cameras that are 6 megapixels. The advanced search method is more efficient then just merely using the search box. That will be easier to sort through than if you used just 'digital camera' as a keyword, in addition to being more detailed on your search criteria. There are even more boxes below that will allow you to put the results in order such as price, time left on the auction and current bid. You can also change the view to see just pictures or item number. Also, you can change how many results are on one page.

Using these tips, you will be able to find that “perfect” camera in no time and be able to find all those accessories to make the neighbors envious. Happy Searching!

eBay Buyer



Sunday, June 25, 2006

The Tales and Thrills of eBay Drop-shipping Dealers

eBay Seller

You can find some great deals on eBay here:

Spot eBay Deals Here



After giving much thought in producing a productive and useful article on eBay, I came up with this. Hope you find what you need about eBay in it.


The Tales and Thrills of eBay Drop-shipping Dealers


Have you ever heard of eBay drop shipping? If not then prepare to be impressed because for some of you it may sound like an eBay seller’s dream. You don’t need to keep any stock at all with drop shipping. You basically list auctions for what the drop shipper is selling and you actually don’t even see the merchandise yourself

Some people think that some of this type of information about eBay is false. However, believe us when we say all that is written here is accurate and true!

As they say failure is the stepping stone to success. Thus, if you fail to understand this article on eBay the first time you read it, please don’t worry. Read it over a few times and you will surely get its meaning eventually.

When something your advertising sells, you inform your vendor, and they deliver it for you – straight to the customer. The price they’ll charge you will be very close to the wholesale price for the item they delivered. Then you charge the customer the retail price you both agreed on and then you profit by pocketing the difference.


The Thrills and Magic

EBay plays a very prominent position in this composition. For this prominence, people should take the time to get to know more about eBay and the role it plays.


By utilizing eBay in the appropriate manner you can avoid a heck of a lot when selling on eBay. You don’t need to set a side extra room in your residence and you don’t need to have the money to buy it with either. You don’t need to take big risks by buying items that might not sell very well. You don’t have to work with suppliers. You don’t even have to pack or post the auctions yourself. Isn’t that incredible! Just imagine how amazing this would be if you could pull it all off?

But, as with all things in life, if it sounds too good to be true…


The Tall Tales and Myths

If you’ve had any experience at all working with drop ship wholesalers then you might already be aware of the lies and corruption some unscrupulous people will try and tempt you with.

Drop-shippers don’t necessarily do deals with just anybody. If you come across a drop shipper who says they’ll take orders from unregistered businesses is most likely to be a scam artist. They might send out very poor quality merchandise that your customer will return to you for a refund, or they might not send out anything at all.

Also, be cautious of companies that announce they’ll charge you a fee for contacting drop shippers. This is undoubtedly a rip-off. The safest and most reliable way to find drop shipping companies is to contact them in the ‘real world’ and not by typing ‘drop shipping’ into a search engine.


The Real Deal

If you’re just starting out be prepared to make quite a small profit with drop-shippers. You’re not going to make sales on eBay at a big mark-up from drop shipping prices. In addition, you will need to acknowledge that you can’t examine stock before it gets sent out, and some of your descriptions might not be as factual as you had hoped.

Another important point to bear in mind is your drop shipper’s work ethic and people skills may not be the same as yours and this can be very frustrating at times. When one of your customers informs you that their product is a week late you just may be hearing that ugly news for the first time from a very unhappy former potential life long client of yours.

If you can accept all these issues and find yourself a reputable drop shipper, then there’s definitely good money to be made. Best of luck and remember to read this article again to help digest all of the important points.

eBay Seller



Sunday, April 09, 2006

eBay Buyer

What Are Your Rights As An eBay Buyer?

When purchasing items on eBay, you pay the seller upfront before they’ll mail you the things you ordered. You as the buyer are therefore susceptible to a variety of potential problems. The items you paid for may be broken or defective, or you might not get exactly what it was you intended to buy. Fortunately, when you purchase something on eBay you have two very significant rights to support you.


Your Item Buying Receiving Rights

Perhaps the seller forgot or made a mistake and never sent the item, or maybe it was somehow lost in the mail. Regardless of what took place, you paid for the item. Whether the undelivered item is the seller’s blunder or not, if it doesn’t get to it’s intended destination as described in the advertisement then you as the buyer have a right to a refund or replacement.

You have the same exact rights when buying something on eBay as you would have if you bought that same thing in a shop by where you live. [Note: These type of rights are similar pretty much every where else in the world.] In addition, the seller is not permitted to change the deal once the auction ends, according to eBay’s rules and regulations. Once the auction is over, it becomes a valid and legal contract and thus you must buy and the seller must sell, otherwise face penalties from eBay.


Your Item As Described In The Auction Rights

Now and then items become damaged during shipping due to sellers not packaging them properly. Occasionally sellers write misleading descriptions that are just plain wrong to begin with, leaving out critical details that would have forced you to not even consider buying to begin with. If something like this happens to you, again you have the right to a refund or replacement.


So How Can You Use Your Rights?

First of all, you should try and take it up with the seller – most will be responsive, as they will not want to have their reputation lacerated when an upset buyer leaves negative feedback for all of their future buyers to see. If that doesn’t work, then you’ll have to report them to eBay.
Unfortunately eBay doesn’t have many employees handling complaints between buyers and sellers. However, they do have a relatively effective set of automatic procedures that handles common problems amongst both parties.

Finally, if that doesn’t work, then you should seek advice from consumer groups in your country, and as a last resort from the police. You should never have to get this far, though: problems on eBay that can’t be resolved easily are extremely rare. Although, it does and can happen but as long as you’re a circumspect eBay buyer you shouldn’t encounter such a situation.


You Shouldn’t Be Too Quick

Always remember not to become too irritated and to be unreasonable with the seller. In the past good sellers have agreed to grant me a refund for items that I didn’t receive, only for me to find out a short time later that the items were waiting for me down at the postal service. Constantly try your best to communicate maturely and professionally with the seller. Also, try to think of everything that might have gone wrong. EBay works best when both buyers and sellers work out their problems constructively together, instead of getting all upset and reporting each other to the authorities straight away.


Final Thoughts

Anyone can access information about eBay through the Internet because there are no boundaries on countries. All somebody has to do is surf the web and they can find useful and informational material on eBay such as this article here.

Maintaining the true value of eBay was the main motivation for writing this article. Only in ways like this will people like you and me be able to learn and know more about eBay. We will be able to share our information and experiences, whether good or bad, but most importantly avoid costly mistakes.

Please inform all your eBay loving friends and relatives of this article so they to can also reap the benefits of it and be a satisfied, safe and successful eBay user.

eBay buyer