Video Professor

As an avid cyclist, I’m routinely looking for good deals on cycling gear. And if you know anything about cycling, you know that good deals are essential, unless of course you’re okay with monstrous credit card balances. Come spring, I visit most of the local cycling shops and do my share of helping the online economy. However, the one resource I’ve found most helpful is eBay®.

My guess is that unless you live under a rock, you’ve used or at the very least, heard of eBay®. Billed as the world’s largest marketplace, eBay® is truly a global market where people flock to buy and sell any number of goods. Looking for a hard-to-find part for your car? Try eBay®. Want to sell off some of your stamp collection or vintage LPs? Sell them on eBay®. Really, if you’re a buyer eBay® will have a seller. And if you’re a seller, eBay® will get you your buyer.

But maybe you don’t feel comfortable doing business on eBay®. That’s okay, because thanks to a number of companies, it is possible to take an eBay® class. So why would anyone take an eBay® class? More importantly, where can you take an eBay® class?

The reasons for taking an eBay® class are varied, but perhaps the most important reason is to gain the confidence you need to buy and sell items on eBay®. However, for folks already familiar with eBay®, who are looking to set up an eBay® business, taking an eBay® class will help them understand how to do so.

As mentioned, there are many companies, both online and traditional, that offer eBay® classes. One of my favorites happens to be Video Professor. You know who I’m talking about, that company that sells software tutorials through late-night infomercials. Anyway, I’ve taken their eBay® class and was impressed by the level of detail and the clarity of instruction. They take you though the ins and outs of both buying and selling on eBay®, and also show you how to set up your own eBay® business. Best of all, the class didn’t take too long and wasn’t boring.

Since I took Video Professor’s Learn eBay® class, I’ve bought and sold quite a few things on eBay®. It is funny how simply having that much more confidence has made such a difference. Not only have I found all the bike stuff I was looking for, I’ve been able to sell a lot of my old bike parts that have been taking up so much space in my garage.

eBay® is one of the most useful and practical sites out there. And if your confidence is lacking, I highly recommend that you take an eBay® class. Check out all the offerings, but do me a favor, make sure to look at Video Professor’s eBay® class. My guess is you’ll be happy you did!

To sell or not to sell, that is the question. When it comes to eBay, the question is not whether or not an item will sell, it is how long will it take? Veteran eBay users differ on selling standpoints. Is it better to have a hot product, or a more rare product? Many agree that the “hot” product of the moment isn’t a great idea. With hundreds of people trying to sell the same thing, you need to either be the first, or the cheapest to make a sale. So when deciding when and how to list on eBay, you need to first learn how to sell on eBay.

So, why not ask a professional how to sell on eBay. I have set out to find the ‘secrets of the trade.’ Many successful eBay sellers will tell you to research the marketplace and the competition to determine the profitability of your product. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. How many people are selling this same product?
2. What is the lowest and highest listed price?
3. On average, how long are the auctions?
4. In which categories is this product listed?

When wondering how to sell on eBay, try testing the market with one or two units before committing to an entire product line. You may end up tying up your cash reserves in inventory that will never sell! The last thing you want is to be stuck with a product that no one wants and that won’t be profitable.

Experienced eBay sellers know to adjust their product offerings until they find a product or product line that sells consistently. Understand the market you are selling to. When you understand your market and who wants your product, you will learn how to sell on eBay much faster. Ask yourself whether or not you are in for the long haul, or if you just want to sell a few items to make a quick buck. Long-term success on eBay doesn’t come from on and off sales. So, if you are interested in generating some side income, the key is to find a product that sells well and then sell that product over and over again.

Timothy Mina wrote a book called “The Online Auction Expert’s Bible to Selling on eBay.” It is about his thoughts on launching a successful eBay business. According to Mina, those who want to start an online business should heed the following when learning how to sell on eBay:

1. When you find a profitable niche, you’ll become a certified guru of the items you sell and ideally be the only one on eBay offering the products.
2. Your expertise will make it 10 times as easy to spot bargains when you’re shopping for products to resell. Bargains might be all around you, but if you don’t know anything about what you’re selling, you won’t know how to spot bargains that are right in front of you.
3. You’ll find different ways to add personal value to your products. These low-cost add-ons or unique twists to your products will drastically increase your sales and profits by making your items unique and desirable.
4. You’ll have little or no competition from other sellers, so you can corner your niche market.
5. By dealing with the same type of customer over a long period of time, you’ll get to intimately understand the mindset of your target customer and what your customer wants. This will help you sell your products better and allow you to market your products in ways others haven’t thought of.
6. You’ll be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what you sell, and you’ll be attentive to your customers’ desires. This results in satisfied customers, name recognition and a lot of repeat business.
7. You’re going to find something you’re passionate about and specialize in it. If you love what you’re doing, you have a much greater chance of sticking to it and loving it. It won’t even feel like work–it’ll be like you’re getting paid to play.

Good luck, and get started, learn how to sell on eBay!

Placing eBay bids can really be done by anyone with a fundamental knowledge of eBay, but placing eBay bids should not be taken lightly because things can go wrong with your purchase if you are not careful. And you also want to ensure that your eBay bid is not higher than it needs to be. After all, the point of purchasing items on eBay is often to get what you want at the most reasonable price.

 Before Placing an eBay Bid

It is absolutely necessary to always check the seller’s feedback before placing an eBay bid. There’s a link from each item to the seller’s feedback. Feedback is a list of comments that other buyers have left after buying an item or items from that particular seller. The feedback is intended for future buyers to use as a guide to judge each seller’s reputation. Before placing an eBay bid, it is best to look for sellers with less than 2 percent negative or neutral feedback. It is also a good idea to read the negative comments so you can get an idea of what the complaints are, if they are legitimate, and how the seller responded to the complaint. 

Follow your gut. If you are feeling unsure about an item or a seller before you place an eBay bid, don’t. Ebay is massive and there is almost always more of the same items.

Always be cautious of postage or shipping and handling costs before placing your eBay bid. Sometimes, it is an exorbitant amount, and if you place that eBay bid and win the auction, you will be responsible for that cost.

 When Placing an eBay bid

One trick is not to bid in round numbers, because that is what most people do. If you place an eBay bid that is a couple cents higher, it can sometimes give you the upper hand.

What I always do, so I am not stuck constantly monitoring my eBay, is to figure out the highest amount I am willing to pay for the desired item and bid that amount. For example, if you see an item where the current bid amount is $5 but you are willing to pay up to $20 for it, don’t bid $6, bid $15.04. If no one bids more than $20.06 on it, then it’s yours, but if no one bids on it or placing a high bid that is lower than your high bid, you will get it for a lesser amount. And you won’t have to pay that eBay bid anymore attention.

I buy stuff from the eBay auction site all the time and have been for at least five years. Now, I think I am ready to start selling some items myself, but honestly I don’t know how to start selling my items on the eBay auction site. So I did some research and it goes something like this. First, I would need to sign up as a seller and provide all the information that the eBay auction site asks for and a credit card number. Once I have done that, I would be ready to begin listing my items. I found a top 10 tips for success on www.procomputernews.com/news. The article is called “A Beginner’s Guide to Selling on eBay.” It outlines ten tips that will help to make my auction a success so I can reap better profits from my sales. I selected five of these top ten tips that I found the most helpful.

1. Your title should be authoritative and tell exactly buyers what the item is. Instead of saying Turkey Platter, list specific info such as Turkey Platter, stoneware, late 70’s and maker. You are limited to around 80 characters for your title, so be sure to choose it wisely. Avoid words like ‘look,’ ‘must see’ etc., as most experienced eBay auction site shoppers don’t pay attention to them.

2. Choose the category for your listing carefully. With hundreds of different categories to choose from, this can be a bit difficult to determine. If you feel your item fits in more than one, feel free to select a second category. More than one category does incur extra fees, so be aware of that as you list.

3. A picture is worth a thousand words in an eBay auction site listing. All items need at least one picture. Higher priced items need more than one. Use a good quality digital camera or a scanner if the item is flat. Proof your pictures to make sure they are clear and crisp, and crop where needed.

4. List all the details of your item in the description box. Be sure to point out any flaws in the item. Think of any keywords that you would look for if you were searching for the item and include those in the description. Also list what payment methods you will accept, how long the buyer has to get payment to you and what shipping methods you will use.

5. Choose your listing time wisely. Many sellers feel that the eBay auction site has a higher traffic ratio on the weekends. Some feel that Sunday afternoons (between church times) are best, while others close their auctions late on Friday or Saturday night.

Selling on the eBay auction site sounded really scary to me because I was going to be responsible for items that I am selling to people I have never even seen. With some good advice and preparation, I have found my new endeavor profitable and fun.

Everyone wants to be and have the best. They want to have the best car, the best house, the best family, the best pet and the best job. Which “best” do you want? Personally, I want the best job. I tend to think that if you are happy at work, your energy is up and you are smiling, all the other things will eventually fall into place. But, let’s say that right now, you aren’t happy at your job. Let’s say you want a career change. Well, now what do you do? How do you go about starting a new job? Change is tough, but with the advent of the Internet, finding a new job can be less stressful.

Starting Out

Starting from scratch is hard, and don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t. It takes time, devotion and endurance. If you wanted to take the easy route, you should have stayed where you were. But did anyone ever get anywhere great without struggling a little (Paris Hilton is not included)?

As our world moves online, businesses are doing the same. They realize the potential global market and are taking advantage of it. So, why not do the same? What would make your job feel great? Being your own boss perhaps? So, with that in mind, let’s talk about eBay. eBay is in the foreground of the new business market and the best eBay business idea could be in your head right now. Do you have a skill, or a niche interest? Well, chances are, on the Internet, there is someone looking for what you have to offer. The best eBay business isn’t necessarily selling jewelry or movie memorabilia (although it could be), the best eBay business is what you make it! If you love origami, the best eBay business for you might have something to do with origami, or cooking, or matchbooks, or watch repair. Really, when it comes to eBay, the sky is the limit. If a man can sell a jar with his cousin’s ghost in it, why can’t you sell your collection of vintage postcards?

Moving Up

So, what’s left other than getting started? eBay is easy to use, and very user friendly. If you have never been on eBay before, look around the site. See the other businesses online and see where you fit in. The best eBay business is an open slot, because on eBay there are so many different people selling so many different things, you can find your place and sell your product with a little effort, some good pictures and writing, and the right attitude.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Simply put, if you want to sell your item on eBay, a picture will help draw in more views and start the bidding faster. Pictures can do a lot for your eBay page. When you post pictures on eBay, you are helping the prospective buyers. When you go into a store, you like to see what you are about to purchase, it works the same on eBay. Reading an item description is great, but seeing a photo of the item next to the description is even better.

Take Pictures That are Worth Posting

The easiest way to get photos on eBay is by using a digital camera. The process will be much faster and easier. So, for arguments sake, let’s say you have a digital camera on hand. Next, set up an area to take the picture. Make sure the area isn’t cluttered, simple can be better, it will draw your attention to the subject (your object for sale). A solid background will emphasize the item you are selling. Remember that when you post pictures on eBay, you want your item to look its best. Try playing with the lighting. Good lighting can make all the difference. If you are selling clothing, you might want to consider investing about $10 to buy a half mannequin. When you post pictures on eBay, remember that you are trying to convey a certain feeling to your perspective buyer. Advertise your item in a way that it might appeal to you, as well!

The Don’ts of Photo Taking for eBay

Since we just went over the things to do when you want to post pictures on eBay, let’s talk about the things you should avoid.

• Don’t copy pictures without permission from another eBay seller or manufacturer/retailer. You can get in some copyright trouble and infringement issues could arise. 
• Avoid using a flash if your item is reflective. So, mirrors, glass on picture frames, crystal, etc. should be captured flash-free.
• A good rule of thumb is to avoid using the flash at all. If the flash comes on automatically, try adding more light yourself to the scene.
• Don’t let your item get lost in the scene, take a close-up if necessary.

Buyers really like pictures, and the more pictures you have, the more they’ll feel like buying their item from you, and not from your competitor. Many buyers will avoid a site completely if the seller did not post pictures on eBay.
 
Good pictures show that you mean business. They help create trust between you and the buyer. Spending time on the photos could mean you will offer great customer service. And, they help your auction stand out. Generally speaking, people are drawn to visual aides and are more likely to pay attention to a result with a picture. So, when you post pictures on eBay, does it mean that you will always make a sale? No, but it will increase your chances.

Let’s say you have a product you want to sell. It could be something basic, something common, something you have a lot of or something you created by yourself. If you believe that you can make some money selling this product, you might want to start a business in order to sell it. There are a few different ways you could try to sell your product or products.

The traditional route would be to buy a store. You can search for the right sized property in the right area to attract the proper clientele. You will then have to buy all the supplies and furnishings to make your store functional and appealing. Then hire employees, find advertising, get all your finances straight, and promote yourself. You could do that in order to appeal to your local community and sell your product to them, or you could think about starting an eBay business.

Starting an eBay business is almost as easy as setting up an e-mail account or a profile to shop online. You can perform all the steps of starting an eBay business on your computer, from the comfort of your home. Create a profile, provide some background information, post contact information, and post pictures and descriptions of your items. Your business will then be available to the entire online community, other wise known as anyone who has an Internet connection.

You can have plenty of success with the traditional business model of opening your own store, but the potential for making money online is so much greater. There is no limit to what type of customer you will be able to attract. If you are starting an eBay business, you will no longer have geographic limitations on your customer base. People from all over the globe will be able to purchase items from you rather than just those willing to travel to your location.

By starting an eBay business, you can also benefit from the unique auction method of selling. If you have a desirable product, the selling price of that product could be driven up far past the price you might set in a retail store. The great thing about this process is that you don’t even have to do anything extra. Just post the item and hope that competition will fuel extra profit for you.

Another great aspect of starting an eBay business is that you could easily sell items online and open your own store. Your eBay store can drive people to your physical location as well as provide a way for people outside of your area. An eBay business is much easier to maintain than a normal business. There are no employees to stay on top of, no store repairs to worry about and no worry about attracting enough customers. Plenty of people use eBay every day and all you need to do is post your products for auction. Let your eBay store pull in the money for you, or use it as a compliment to your already existing business.

I caved. I never thought I would participate in eBay shopping. I didn’t really want to deal with making bids, tracking the progress of a potential sale, or competing with other people. First, I am too competitive, and it is very possible, if not likely, that I will overpay for something just so someone else doesn’t get what I want. Second, when I am trying to buy something, I want to buy it and have it immediately as opposed to hoping that I will be able to buy it in a couple days. But then I was looking for a deal on a new snowboard by browsing web sites. I decided to check out this eBay madness and was shocked when I found the snowboard I was looking for, priced $250 less than any other site. I couldn’t pass on the potential to get this product at such a discount and before I knew it, I was eBay shopping.

I created my profile and was in the mix for a discounted snowboard. It turns out that eBay shopping is easier than I thought. Placing an eBay bid is very easy and creating the profile was pretty easy, as well. I tracked my potential purchase for a day or two and the price did climb. As I competed with other people it drove the price up and my dream of getting a really nice snowboard at half price slowly died. My competitive nature came in to play, and I was determined to get this snowboard. In the end I won the bid and ended up paying less than any other site was selling the board for, even after the shipping costs. I certainly paid a lot less than I would have at a retail store.

There were also the other conveniences of eBay shopping. I did it all from my house and each time I had to check in on the status, it took about five minutes. I was able to accomplish several other chores rather than taking a day to travel to several different stores. eBay shopping was done entirely from my computer and then my board was delivered to me within a couple of days. And one of the most surprising aspects of my eBay shopping experience was the selection. I found the board I wanted in several different sizes, and I even found the board in my size from several different sellers. The selection was so much larger than any of the web sites that specialized in selling snowboards. I essentially bought from a private dealer of the brand of snowboard I wanted and did it from my home. I’m not ready to fully endorse the site, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well my eBay shopping experience went.

I haven’t bought anything on eBay since, but I will occasionally check the site when I am looking for something at a discount. I don’t have to drive all over town and deal with the relatively limited selection and high prices at the quality snowboarding stores that I go to in order to find quality products. I was amazed at the amount of quality snowboards for sale on eBay, and it’s a very nice alternative to traditional shopping.

There is a market for just about everything on eBay. There is little that you can’t find on this massive auction site. From cars to houses to celebrity memorabilia, I am constantly amazed by the items that are for sale on eBay and the wide selection of goods that seem rather obscure. There are eight different sub-categories inside the Entertainment memorabilia category and over 64,000 pieces of movie memorabilia. The most expensive piece of movie memorabilia is selling for over $10,000. The amount of money that can be made from a good eBay business idea is just staggering.

What is equally staggering are the eBay stores that have grown from a simple eBay business idea into some of the largest stores on the planet. Creating an eBay store takes a lot fewer resources and a lot less time than creating a real store. By selling a large selection of products on eBay, you give yourself a chance to reach the entire world and broaden the size of your customer base. You could use an eBay store as an extension of your existing business or, if it became popular enough, it could become your sole source of income. The right eBay business idea can become overwhelmingly successful. Take a look at some of the most successful eBay stores.

One of the largest stores on eBay is NorthKey Movies. This is a rather simple eBay business idea. The store sells a ridiculously large amount of movies, music and video games. At any given moment they stock well over 300,000 items. You can find everything from Collective Soul karaoke CDs to unknown facts of the Grand Canyon DVDs. Certain DVD box sets sell for over $500. This would be a great eBay business idea to run as an offshoot from a normal video store. It would be rather easy to run as a very profitable side project from your business. Having an eBay store is even easier than having you own web site.

Another huge eBay store is Mile High Comics, which boasts the largest selection of comic books in the world. They sell over 220,000 items on eBay in addition to their business web site, through which they also sell plenty of comics. They have a few comics that sell for over $7,000 each. This is another eBay business idea that is very easy to run and probably very profitable. They already sell plenty of comic books online, but by using eBay they gain a huge customer base that might not find their web site otherwise.

There are plenty of other eBay business ideas that have found huge success by creating an eBay store. Vintage clothing, paintball equipment, quilts and surveillance equipment are just a few of the products that are sold in some of the largest eBay stores. Some people even sell personal services and business plans through eBay. There is little limit to what can be sold on eBay and little limit to the amount of money you can make.

By now, most people in our society are aware of eBay and understand the concept. I feel like it is similar to a really good and consistent athlete to a sports fan. It is always there and producing so you end up taking it for granted until you find another reason why it amazes you. Every once in a while I will go on eBay and just browse around for looking for a good deal on something or for an item that is hard to find. More than half the time this leads to me stumbling upon something that amazes or dumbfounds me either by its sheer shock value or the stupidity. People who are trying to make money from eBay by selling alien eggs or supposed alien carcasses would fall into the category of the things that strike me as amazingly stupid.

There are certain things that I run into that actually impress me, mainly how some of these stores seem to make money from eBay sales at an incredible rate. Upon my most recent visit, the largest store on eBay was a comic book store entitled “My Comicshop.” This store had 261,668 items for sale. The store claims to stock 62 percent of all comics ever published, the largest selection in the entire world. The most expensive comic they have is available for $2,090, a rather efficient way to make money from eBay. This is obviously an extreme example of how Internet sales have taken off, but even if you had a modest collection of comic books or some other type of collectable, you could stand to make money from eBay sales. This particular store has been selling comics since 1961 and was among the first stores to sell comic books online, which brings me to another example of ways to make money from eBay. If you already have a business, and it is feasible to sell items on eBay, there is little reason to not open an eBay store.

Creating an eBay store is easy and provides you the opportunity to expand your customer base from whatever local market you have to the entire world. Not a bad scope for expansion. It is probably the easiest way to be able to reach anyone in the world, and you don’t even have to go to the trouble of creating an entire web site. If you already own a business, you can add to your profit, make money from eBay, and gain advertising just by opening an eBay store.

The other stores that round out the five largest stores on eBay include another comic book store, two stores that sell movies and a car parts store. Some of these are expansions of an actual store and some are strictly eBay businesses. As a seller on eBay, you are judged by customer feedback. This information is displayed for anyone who wants to read it. The formula is simple; if you treat your customers right, you will attract others.