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Auction Pro Riches
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Auction Pro Riches
Auction Pro
Riches
Auction Pro Riches
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: eBay 101 - What is eBay?
How Can eBay Make You Rich?
Registration
User ID and Getting Verified
Password
User Agreement
My eBay Page
Feedback and eBay Rating
How Cost Effective is eBay?
What If Someone Doesnt Pay?
eBay Fees
Auctiva.com
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Chapter 2: Starting an eBay Business

Structure and Organization
Building Your eBay Rating
Finding Your Niche
Creating a Website
Understanding eBay Rules and Safety Programs
Scheduling Your Work Days
Benefits of Opening an eBay Store
Promoting Your Store
Managing and Tracking Your Success
Success Stories
Becoming a PowerSeller
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Chapter 3: Introduction to Buying On eBay

Bidding
Products to Buy
Misspelled Listings
Sniping Auctions
Best Time to Buy
Places to Find Deals
Keeping Inventory
Negotiating
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Chapter 4: Selling - The Basics

Creating Professional Listings
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Taking Pictures
Knowing the Market Value
Communication is Key
Maximizing Your Profits
Second Chance Offers
Knowing What You Can and Cannot Sell
Knowing the Condition of Your Product
What If Your Item Doesnt Sell?
Congratulations, Your Item Sold!
Scheduling Your Auctions for the Week
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Chapter 5: Payments
What is Paypal?
Creating an Account
How Paypal Works
Benefits of Paypal
Other Accepted Payment Methods
Refunds, Claims, and Disputes
Dont Get Scammed
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Chapter 6: Shipping
Creating a Shipping Room
Packaging
Recycling
USPS
Other Shipping Services
Tracking Shipments
eBay Shipping Advice for Sellers
Communication
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Chapter 7: Wholesaling and Drop Shipping

What is Drop Shipping?
Pros of Drop Shipping
Cons of Drop Shipping
To Drop Ship or Not to Drop Ship
Choosing the Right Drop Shipper
17 Tips for Analyzing Drop Shippers before Choosing One
What is Wholesaling?
How to Buy Wholesale
Wholesale & Drop-shipping Companies
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Chapter 8: eBay Motors

Vehicles and Parts Only
Finding Great Cars to Sell
Do I Need a Dealers License?
Know It All on eBay Motors
Selling Your Car
Pictures
Shipping
Payment Options
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Chapter 9: Buying and Selling Real Estate on eBay

How to give 147 million people access to your property
The Legal Role of eBay Real Estate
Set up Account
Minimum Feedback Rating for Real Estate
About me
Buying Real Estate on eBay
Different Types of Formats
Length of Listing
Start Time of Listing
Design Tools
Features of the Property
What if Property Doesnt Sell
Just because on eBay, Still Promote
Checklist
Binding and Non-binding Contracts
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Chapter 10: Your Website

Why a Website?
How Do You Process Orders?
Referrals to Your Website
Professional Appearance
What to Do First
The New Office
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Chapter 11: Internet Marketing

So What Is It?
Getting Started
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What is Spam?
Avoid the Spam Can
Formatting
Frequency and Subscriptions
Include an Unsubscribe Link
Server Setup
Email Content and Design
Use the Double Opt-In Strategy
Trigger Words to Avoid
Contact Information
Cater to Your Audience
Hold a Contest
Include Your Website
Use Proper Grammar
Simplify the Subscriptions Process
Include a Privacy Notice
Develop a Relationship With Your Clients
Use Creative Subject Lines
Chapter 12: More Marketing, Marketing, and Marketing
Marketing for Free
Nine Ways to Market for Free on Facebook
MySpace
Other Social Networking Ideas
Article Sites and Nice Guy Strategy
Using Google AdWords
Banner Ads
So How Can You Use This for Your eBay Business?
Guidelines for Effective Banner Ads
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Congratulations! You just made, potentially, one of the greatest

business decisions of your life: you purchased my course. Youve
taken the first step to success, and I will be your guide to help you
reach your goals. Now, I know what youre thinking. This is just
another get-rich-quick scheme like you see on TV, where they never
tell you what youre selling or how to sell it, but you can magically
make money. Well, youre wrong. Im not the guy wearing a suit
covered in dollar signs claiming you will become a millionaire
overnight. If you remember that commercial, it was a marketing
scheme for that clown to make money off getting people excited over
nothing. I know how it is. Ive been in your shoes before, believe me. I
was desperate to get rich quick, and tried all kinds of business
opportunities throughout college. And guess what? They were flops.
Not only do I understand your skepticism, but I also welcome it. It
gives me a chance to prove you wrong and show you exactly what I
did that led to making piles of cash today.
Many people fantasize about starting their own business, and
some even go through with it.But one thing people dont realize is
that it generally takes months or even years to make any real profits.
So while youre waiting for your revenue to outgrow your debt, what
will you do about the mortgage and car payments? How about the
electric bill? Maybe some of you need to pay college tuition or just like
the idea of building an emergency fund for a rainy day. Well, thats
the great thing about eBay: it puts money in your pockets today.
When you sell something, you get paid within hours. The money can
be deposited in your PayPal account and available for you to transfer
Auction Pro Riches
to your bank account for immediate withdrawal. (Dont worry, Ill

show you how to set this up.)
So while only some of you are hoping to grow an eBay business
that pumps out $20,000 each month, all of you can benefit from
learning the strategies involved with making money when you need it.
Its like riding a bike: once you learn how to do it, you never forget.
Once you master eBay basics, youll never be without a job. In todays
economy, where people are losing jobs daily, eBay can become a very
valuable tool. Its a simple way to make ends meet and can keep
families from losing their homes. Ill show you how you can, with
minimal effort, make an extra $200 each week, supplementing your
monthly income by $1,000! Even my own mother can do it. Of
course, Ill also show the hardcore eBay enthusiasts how to grow a
more lucrative online business.
Is it going to take a lot of hard work and effort? Yes, just like
any successful business. Im not telling you it will be easy, even
though thats what you want to hear. Everyone wants to know how
easy it is to make millions without leaving the comfort of their own
homes. But thats not reality, and Im here to give it to you straight. If
you work hard the right way, you will create a business foundation
that will allow you to grow at incredible, yet controllable rates. Thats
where the big bucks are: controlling your business. There is nothing
worse than growing too big too fast because, before you know it, your
business will be controlling you. Believe me, Ive been there. I made
every mistake in the book before I succeeded. I learned from my
mistakes, so you wont have to make them yourselves. Think of me as
Auction Pro Riches
an eBay martyr whose faults and failures will lead you to the
Promised Land.
Some of you may be more advanced eBayers, while some may
be completely new to the online scene. Thats okay. Ill walk you
through the entire process from registering properly to mastering
network marketing. All I ask is that the more advanced eBayers bear
with me while our rookies catch up.It will be a great refresher for
everyone, and my methods may simplify some of the processes for
you.
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Chapter 1:
eBay 101 What is eBay?
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For those of you who dont know, eBay is an online auction

website where people can buy and sell literally any type of goods
worldwide. The website was created in 1995 and has grown into an
international powerhouse. It is the largest online auction site in the
world. Millions of items from unlimited categories are sold on eBay
every single day, making it the second-largest web traffic website in
the world, behind Google. With over 200 million registered users
(potential customers), the opportunities are endless at eBay.
How Can eBay Make You Rich?
Before we get into the basics of how you can get started, I want
to share with you how I got started.
I was a sophomore in college when my roommate introduced
me to eBay. Being a Division I baseball player, I didnt have time for a
regular job so eBay was the perfect opportunity for me to make
money. I had no idea what I was doing, but I figured it was worth a
shot. I began literally cleaning out my dorm. I sold everything from
old calculators to belts and worn-out shoes to beat up hats. I made
enough money to eat pizza and hydrate myself on the weekends on
campus, but that was about it. I wasnt satisfied with the just-gettingby paychecks I was getting. I needed more. I was a go-getter, and still
am. I did my market research by searching eBay auctions for anything
I could get my hands on and turn into a profit. My roommate and I
soon found our niche in Air Jordan basketball shoes. I bought
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Jordans from inexperienced eBay users who continually misspelled

words and took unprofessional pictures. I cleaned the shoes up with a
little soap and a toothbrush (dont worry, I have two) and resold them
for a hefty profit. We averaged $40 to $50 in profit per pair and never
settled for less. I was now bringing in $400 to $500 a week just by
reselling Jordans. I went from eating pizza to feasting on steak
dinners by finding my niche and knowing what I was good at.
I was living the life: going to a couple classes a day, playing a
baseball game, and the most exciting part, coming back to my dorm
to see how many sales I had made. I recognized the business
opportunity in eBay and decided to make it my career. I knew that
$400 to $500 a week wasnt going to make me rich so I racked my
brain for a better way to maximize my profits. My friend and I spent
hours bouncing ideas off each other. I suggested we buy brand new
Jordans from a wholesaler and resell them. He thought it was a great
idea, but had just one important question: how we were going to find
a wholesaler? We scoured the Internet and finally got a response from
a Nike wholesale company. A wholesaler is a business that purchases
supplies from a manufacturer in bulk and resells them to buyers. At
the time, we didnt know what the heck a wholesaler was, but we
decided to give them a shot. In this world, you need to take a risk
every now and then to be successful. So I purchased five pairs of
Jordans to start, and before I could skip another class, I was profiting
$80 to $120 per pair. I kept this up over the next year and improved
my marketing abilities and business skills. By my senior year of
college, I was raking in $10,000 a month, while still playing baseball
and going to school. Not too shabby for a Boston kid with a 2.5 GPA.
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It took more than two years for me to launch my business to

turn a casual hobby into a career. If you follow my steps and learn
from my mistakes, I can get you there a lot quicker.
Registration
Now that youve gotten an idea of my process for success, lets
get you started. Dont worry, you dont need to sell 40 pairs of
Jordans a week like I did. I sold them because I was confident in my
knowledge of the product and my ability to spot a worthwhile
investment. I knew I could take an old pair of shoes, buff em up so
they looked brand new, and double my money. Finding your niche is
one of the most important aspects of your business, and we will cover
that later on in this manual. For now, we need to get you signed up.
First things first: you need to fire up your computer and open
your favorite web browser. Now go to www.eBay.com and click
Register. This will take you to the standard eBay registration form.
Enter the required personal information. This is a secure site so you
do not have to worry about people stealing your identity or your
financial information.
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User ID and Getting Verified

Now comes a very important part: creating your user ID. You
want to take this very seriously and give it a lot of thought because it
will greatly affect your business. Would you buy a pair of Armani
sunglasses from a seller with the user ID KrazyEyesKillah? Probably
not! So be both professional and creative when choosing your user ID.
You want it to stand out in your customers minds. You also want it to
relate to your business. For example, a good user ID for me would be
BowserDeals4U. It is original, creative, and professional. Think along
those lines.
You are allowed to change your ID at anytime. If you decide to
change your business name or want to attract more buyers with a
creative ID, go to My Account Information And change it. You can
also increase your professional credibility by becoming ID Verified.
This establishes your proof of identity, which makes eBay buyers and
sellers more confident trading with you. The ID Verify icon in a
members profile proves they have been verified. Here are some of the
features you can enjoy as a verified user:
Become a Seller
Open an eBay Store
List with the Buy It Now or Best Offer feature
List using Multiple Items or Fixed Price format
Buy items priced over $15,000 with Buy It Now
Bid above $15,000 on auctions
Access and sell on eBays Adult Only category
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Higher credibility to customers

Lends credibility to your business
There are qualifications, limitations, and fees that eBay requires
in order to grant you ID Verification. You need to provide the basics
such as your home address (not your companys address), your name,
and your date of birth. You also need to identify certain installment
and credit accounts and agree to their associated monthly payments.
All other requirements are listed in the Using ID Verify category on
the eBay Help page.
Password
Next, choose a password that is difficult to guess but easy for
you to remember. Your first name is probably not a wise choice for
your password. If you add your second cousins birth year and your
8th grade basketball jersey number, then you have a password! Be
sure to commit it to memory. I cant tell you how many times I tried
to get too creative with my passwords and had to retrieve them from
the website. Its an annoying process.
User Agreement
Now youre ready to read over the eBay User Agreement. Many
people simply check the I agree box because theyre too lazy to read
the agreement, but I highly recommend reading it. It covers your
rights and responsibilities when selling on eBay. Sure, we will cover a
lot of whats in it throughout this manual, but you always want to go
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the extra mile when your dealing with money. Take pride in the
ownership of your new business.
Once you agree to the terms, eBay will send a confirmation
email to the email address you provided. In that email, click on the
confirmation button "Complete eBay Registration." This will confirm
that you submitted the right email address to eBay. The link will take
you to the Welcome to eBay page where you can get ready to bid.
Wait! Before you do anything, we need to create a seller's
account. We're here to make money, not just buy stuff for your living
room! Click on the "Create a Seller's Account" link in the center of the
page. This will take you to a sign-in page where you will need to enter
your user ID and password. The next screen will ask you to fill out
your generic personal information: name, address, email, phone
number, etc. Fill out the form and click continue.
Now is the part where people over 50 start to raise an eyebrow.
You're required to enter your credit or debit card information so that
eBay can verify your identity. Keep in mind that eBay is a secured
website, meaning it is extremely difficult for anyone to hack into it
and steal your identity. So dont worry. You will not be charged for
registration. eBay only charges fees when you sell, not when you sign
up. So enter the information and click continue.
My eBay Page
Congratulations, you have now created a seller's account and
have positioned yourself to begin your eBay business! Youre now
taken to the My eBay page. This is your control base where you can
monitor and oversee all of your actions. Let's do a quick rundown of
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what's on the page so you are familiar with your soon-to-be favorite
page. You don't have anything up for auction yet, so not all the
features will be visible.
Items Sold keeps track of everything you sold, ordered by date
sold. This is a great way to keep track of all of your sales to make sure
all of your transactions are running smoothly.
Items Won tells you what items you recently won. This will
also tell you if an item has or has not been shipped.
Bidding On will keep track of the items you are currently
bidding on and will keep you informed of who has the highest bid.
Watching will track all the items you are interested in.
Whenever you view an auction, you can click the "Watch" button to
add it to the list. It's a nice feature because you won't have to write
down and search for the auction number later when you want to
check the bidding close to the end time.
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Selling will track all of the items you have up for bid. You will
know how many people are watching your items and whether
anybody has bid on them yet. There are few better feelings than
seeing your auction price skyrocket at the end of an auction. This is
where you can indulge that pleasure.
Message Box is your personal eBay email server. You can send
and receive messages from eBay members regarding any item. It is
very important to stay on top of your messages because
communication is key. But we will touch on that later.
Feedback and eBay Rating
You may notice that at the top of the page, your user ID reads
something like this: BowserDeals4u (74
). That number, 74,
indicates your feedback rating, a crucial number that tells members if

you are reliable.
Essentially, this is your trust score. The higher the rating, the
more people will trust you and your product. So how do you get a high
feedback score? Every time you buy or sell an item, you can leave
positive, negative, or neutral feedback for the other user, and they can
do the same for you. Users are also able to leave a brief comment
regarding their reasoning for the rating theyve given, as shown
below:
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A positive rating will increase your rating numerically, while

negative feedback will decrease your rating. Neutral ratings do not
add to or subtract from your score. As a seller, one rule of thumb is to
leave feedback immediately after you receive payment from the
buyer. Otherwise the buyer really has no reason to leave you feedback
and will probably forget. On the flip side, as a buyer, it is best to leave
feedback as soon as you have the item in your hands . Sometimes
people can be inconsiderate and leave negative ratings without
justification. These are usually the people with feedback scores under
five. Try to avoid these members as both seller and buyer whenever
possible.
I cannot stress enough the importance of a near-perfect rating
when building your business. People will take one look at your
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feedback history and know immediately whether they wish to do

business with you. Just like in any business, reputation is everything,
and that is what the feedback system establishes in the online auction
market.
Often a negative rating results in a negative rating in return.
Remember you're dealing with human beings, and they have a
tendency to hold grudges. So before you leave negative feedback, try
to resolve the issue. Sometimes a simple explanation for a late
delivery is all that is needed.
When I was starting my business, I was still learning and made
some crucial mistakes. I was so late in delivering one item that the
buyer kept sending me messages asking when it would be there. I did
not tell him the truth. I actually lied to him! My excuse was that I was
out of town for a business trip. I could just as easily have said that I
was so busy studying for my exams that it was nearly impossible to
get to the post office. But instead I chose to be deceitful. It's terrible, I
know. But you know what? I paid the price. The buyer figured out
that I couldn't possibly be on a two-week-long business trip; he left
negative feedback and he returned the item! I was out $150 and
received a negative rating. Please learn from my ignorant mistake.
Communication is king in the online world. People cannot see your
face or hear your voice to know that you care. You need to show it
through professionalism and etiquette. You will see the results in no
time, and your rating will shoot to 100 before you know it.
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How Cost-Effective is eBay?

Unlike most businesses, eBay businesses are extremely
inexpensive to start up. You can literally build a successful business
without using a dollar out of your pocket! It is free to sign up for an
eBay account, and you can sell items that are sitting in your basement
to build the necessary funds for your business. Take personal
belongings that you dont use and sell them on eBay. Then take the
money youve made and invest in more expensive and profitproducing products. Before your corporate neighbor can fight the
traffic to work, your business will be established and your earnings
will skyrocket.
In most businesses, you need to invest thousands of dollars for
equipment, employees, and office rent. eBay eliminates those
expenses and gives you the freedom to sell the items you want to sell.
Yes, you will have money tied up in inventory, but thats just more
money to be made. The larger your inventory of products, the more
you can sell 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
This business allows you to do what you want, where you want,
and when you want. You can list items on the beach with a laptop, or
at home with your family while youre packaging items; you can
answer customer complaints while watching TV in bed! You can take
days off whenever you want and still be making sales. The freedom an
eBay business allows you is simply amazing. Theres no other
business opportunity like it.
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What If Someone Doesnt Pay?

Picture this: Your antique vase has five watchers and the bid is
already $100 more than your listing price. There's two minutes left
and an eBay user, GotNoMoney08, has a zero rating and is the
leading bidder. He battles it out with the other bidders, and wins your
vase for $500! You're jumping up and down because you just made a
300% profit. You send your invoice (don't worry, well get to that
later) and patiently await his payment so you can ship out that old
vase. Two days pass and no payment. Four days. Seven days. Ten
days! You send him messages and he doesn't respond. Well, guess
what? GotNoMoney08 really had no money. He skipped out on the
bill, and stuck you with the eBay fees. So what do you do?
eBay allows you to open a non-payment dispute by going to the
dispute console on the My eBay page. After seven days but before 45
days, you can file a Non-Paying Bidder complaint. eBay will send the
"buyer" a warning message, and if he still does not pay, eBay will
credit the fees back to your account.
eBay Fees
So what are these fees you keep hearing about? An assortment
of fees is one of the ways eBay makes money. They're like Uncle Sam
coming for your paycheck. They hit you with a fee to list an item, to
sell an item, and for any feature you can think of from pictures to
reserve prices. eBay is the fee monster of the online marketplace. You
can't stop fees; you can only hope to contain them. There's a strategy I
developed to help alleviate those costs. You need to devour every
piece of promotional meat eBay throws to the wolves. Every so often
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eBay will have 10-cent listing days when, go figure, everything you list
is 10 cents! That's huge, and that's when you need to list your pricey
items. Once you know when those days are, you can schedule your
listings around them.
Insertion Fees: Auction Style
Starting or Reserve
Price
$0.01 - $0.99**
$1.00 - $9.99
$10.00 - $24.99
$25.00 - $49.99
$50.00 - $199.99
$200.00 - $499.99
$500.00 or more
Insertion Fee: Books, Music,

Insertion Fee (other
DVDs & Movies, Video Games* categories)
$0.10
$0.15
$0.25
$0.35
$0.35
$0.55
$1.00
$1.00
$2.00
$2.00
$3.00
$3.00
$4.00
$4.00
Final Value Fees: Auction Style

Closing Price
Item not sold
$0.01 - $25.00**
$25.01- $1,000.00
Equal to or Over
$1000.01
Final Value Fee

No Fee
8.75% of the closing value
8.75% of the initial $25.00 ($2.19), plus 3.50% of
the remaining closing value balance($25.01 $1,000.00)
8.75% of the initial $25.00 ($2.19), plus 3.50% of
the initial $25.01 - $1,000.00 ($34.12), plus
1.50% of the remaining closing value balance
($1000.01 - closing value)
Insertion Fees: Fixed Price

Starting Price
$1.00 and Above
Books, Music, DVDs & Movies, Other

Video Games*
Categories
$0.15
$0.35
Final Value Fees: Fixed Price
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Category
Consumer
Electronics, Video
Game Systems,
Cameras & Photo
Fee Range
(Item not
sold: No Fee)
$0.01 - $50.00
$50.01 $1,000.00
Equal to or
Over $1,000.01
Computers &
Networking
$0.01 - $50.00
$50.01 $1,000.00
Equal to or
Over $1,000.01
Clothing, Shoes &

Accessories
$0.01 - $50.00
$50.01 $1,000.00
Equal to or
Over $1,000.01
Books, Music, DVDs

& Movies, Video
Games
$0.01 - $50.00
$50.01 $1,000.00
Equal to or
Over $1,000.01
All Other Categories
$0.01 - $50.00
$50.01 $1,000.00
Equal to or
Over $1,000.01
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Final Value Fee

8.00% of the initial $50.00, plus
4.50% of the remaining closing
value balance ($50.01-$1,000.00)
4.50% of the initial $50.01$1,000.00, plus 1% of the
remaining closing value balance
($1,000.01 - closing value)
value balance ($50.01-$1,000.00)
value balance ($50.01-$1,000.00)
value balance ($50.01-$1,000.00)
value balance ($50.01-$1,000.00)
6.00% of the initial $50.0126
$1,000.00, plus 2% of the

*Includes the following media categories and the related subcategories: Books,
Music, DVDs & Movies, and Video Games (excluding Video Game Systems).
**Fixed Price listings and the Buy it Now feature have a minimum price of
$1.00. Multiple Item Auction (Dutch Auction) listings have a minimum
price of $0.99.
The Insertion Fee for Multiple Item Auction (Dutch Auction) listings is
based upon the opening value of your items. The opening value is the starting
price, reserve or the fixed item price multiplied by the quantity of your items. The
maximum Insertion Fee for any Multiple Item Auction is $4.00.
The Final Value Fee for a Multiple Item Auction is determined by taking the
Final Value Fee of the lowest successful bid and multiplying it by the number of
items sold. The Final Value Fee for a Multiple Item Fixed Price listing is
calculated per item sold, based on the final sale price of the item.
PowerSellers who maintain high detailed seller ratings may qualify for
discounts on Final Value Fees.
Reserve Price
Fee
$0.01 - $199.99
$2.00
$200.00 and up
1% of Reserve Price (up to $50)
Buy It Now Price

Fee
$1.00 - $9.99*
$0.05
$10.00 - $24.99
$0.10
$25.00 - $49.99
$0.20
$50.00 or more
$0.25
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Feature
Fee
First Picture
Free
Each additional Picture
$0.15
Picture Pack (1-6 pictures)
$0.75
Picture Pack (7-12 pictures)
$1.00
Feature
Value Pack
Gallery*
Gallery Plus
Listing Designer**
Subtitle
Bold
Scheduled Listings
Gift Services
Border
Highlight
Featured First
Home Page Featured
List in Two Categories***
Fee -- Auction Style,

Fixed Price Format (3,
5, 7, 10 Days)
$0.65
Free
$0.35
$0.10
$0.50
$2.00
$0.10
$0.25
$4.00
$5.00
$24.95
$59.95
x2
Fee -- Fixed Price (30

Days, Good 'Til
Cancelled), Classified Ad
$2.00
Free
$1.00
$0.30
$1.50
$4.00
$0.10
$0.75
$8.00
$10.00
$74.95
$179.95
x2
*Gallery is included automatically for listings that provide a picture.

**The Listing Designer fee for eBay Motors is greater, see the eBay Motors fees
page. There is no Listing Designer fee for Selling Manager Pro subscribers.
***Double the Insertion and listing upgrades fees (excluding Scheduled Listing,
and Home Page Featured, and Final Value Fees to list in two categories.)
10-Day Duration
Listing Type Fee
Auction Style $0.40
Fixed Price
Free
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Auctiva.com
A great way to cut back on feature fees is to become a member
of Auctiva.com. This is a listing website that works in conjunction
with eBay and allows you to generate listings to be placed on eBay. I
highly recommend registering as soon as possible because it's free to
sign up, and it will help keep your overhead costs down. You can
schedule listings, provide gallery pictures, and customize templates to
help your listing stand out, at a very low rate. Where eBay charges
$.15 per picture, this website allows you to upload pictures for free!
Auctiva.com also manages your sales and stores pictures in one
simple place. It saves all your listings so you can easily make minor
edits, like shirt sizes for instance, without having to create an entirely
new listing. It saves you time, money, and stress while making your
listings stand out from the crowd with professional flair. For more
details visit the website, www.Auctiva.com.
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Chapter 2:
Starting an
eBay Business
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As with anything in life, you need a plan to be successful. I had a

goal of becoming a Division I baseball player, and there were concrete
steps that I consciously made to achieve this dream. When I first
started selling on eBay, I also had a goal: to be rich enough to retire
early.
The first step I took was I answered the following ten questions:
Where do I want to be in a month? A year? Five years?
What type of house do I want to own?
Where do I want to live?
How many hours do I want to work each week?
How many weeks of vacation do I want to take each year?
Where do I want to vacation?
What do I want to do when youre not working?
At what age do I want work to become optional?
Where do I want to retire?
How much money will I need to retire?
This should give you a solid idea of what you want in life. But
how do you achieve your Utopian lifestyle? To do so you need to
develop attainable goals for your business. All the questions you
just answered are either directly or indirectly related to the amount of
money you will have in your bank account. Many people say that
money cannot buy happiness. I think thats ridiculous. Sure, money
cant buy you a loving family, but it can give you peace of mind.
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Wouldnt you be happier if you didnt need to worry about next

months mortgage payment? I sure would.
If your business is successful, your life will be successful. Keep
that in mind, because only you can decide why you are in the eBay
business. Is eBay your full-time career or just a part-time hobby to
earn a few extra bucks?
There are thousands of successful people who make eBay their
part-time job. Choosing this path can give you the extra money you
need to go on vacation or pay off bills that have piled up while
working minimal hours each week. Its an excellent revenue source to
supplement your monthly income. I dont know anybody who
couldnt use an extra $1,000 each month. With that said, eBay can
also keep you out of the poorhouse. Use the funds to create an
emergency fundstash away two months worth of living expenses in a
separate account; use this money only in an emergency and replenish
it each time you use it.
If you decide to make eBay your career, you need to figure out
how big you want your business to become. The sky is the limit with
this online business, but you need to be aware of the work that goes
into it. Never bite off more than you can chew; thats a sure path to
bankruptcy. Take your time and build your business at a steadily
growing pace. Nothing is easy in this world, so be prepared to work
very hard for your first few years before you start seeing six or even
seven figures in your bank account. However, once you get to a
certain point, your business will practically run itself.
Post your answers to the ten questions on your office wall and
review them a few times a week. This will assure that your business is
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moving forward and on track to achieve your goals. It will also give
you a reality check every time you feel yourself stressing out.
Structure and Organization
Congratulations! Now that youve decided to start a career in
the eBay business, you need to register a limited liability company
(LLC). This is especially important if you open an eBay store because
it will prevent unsatisfied customers from claiming any of your
personal assets if your company is sued.
Always avoid combining your personal and business expenses;
it can create confusion when tax time rolls around. Be sure to keep
clean and accurate books, and create a business checking account in
the name of the business. Like any other business, you need to obtain
the appropriate insurance coverage for your business and its
employees. I recommend you hire a certified public accountant (CPA)
to handle all of your books. A CPA can give you all the answers you
need regarding record-keeping for your business. He or she will also
notify you of all the tax write-offs your business is eligible forthis is
a huge benefit because many, many things are deductible if you own a
business.
Building Your eBay Rating
Once you have your seller's account youre ready to make big
bucks. But before you jump right into selling your money-makers, you
need to build up your rating (as discussed in the end of Chapter 1).
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You need to build your credibility before people will trust your
products, just like in any business. So let's take it slowly, simply, and
logically.
Remember that garage sale you were going to have last
summer, but you didn't have time to sit behind a table while the
neighborhood grandmothers haggled over a $2 set of coasters? Well,
take the goal of the garage sale and apply it to your business. Start
your business by selling stuff around the house that you never use. It's
that simple. Go clean out your attic and closets because this is the first
step to finding success on eBay.
Another great way to find items to sell is through your family,
friends, and acquaintances. Believe me, people want to get rid of
unused items, but they often need a little motivation to do so. Go help
them clean out their basements and offer to sell their "junk" on eBay
for 10% of the profit. The sale might bring in a mere $10, but every
successful sale generates a positive feedback rating that will increase
your odds of future success. Think long-term with this strategy. This
next strategy will require a small financial investment on your part. A
great way to build your inventory is by buying low-priced items at
garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets, and even eBay itself. You may
need to cough up $20 at the local thrift store, but you will have the
freedom to choose what items you want to sell and may even turn a
quick profit. I used to frequent the thrift store down the street from
my school, usually spending about $30 each visit. I would buy
anything from clothes to old cassette tapes; youd be surprised at the
value you can find. Once I bought a pair of Tommy Hilfiger shorts for
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$3 and sold them for $28 on eBay. Think logically and always pick
items with designer names people will recognize.
I cannot overemphasize how feedback ratings affect your
business. Therefore, the transaction process needs to be impeccable.
That means that you, whether you are the seller or the buyer, need to
take professional responsibility for communication. Email, call,
and/or message the other party on eBay to insure the completion of
the transaction. An early negative rating will destroy your business
faster than you can imagine. Take it upon yourself to see that things
get done. Don't rely on the professionalism of other eBay users
because they often dont have any.
Let's examine the process. Put yourself in the shoes of a 50year-old mom searching for a birthday present for her son. You want
to get him a bicycle. You find two identical items up for auction on
eBay. The first is listed at $60, and the seller has a rating of 200 with
98% positive feedback. The other is listed for $50, but the seller has
only a rating of 7 with 93% positive feedback. Being a mom, you're
probably worried about the quality of the items and are unsure which
to place a bid on. However, after a quick comparison of feedback
scores, you are willing to pay the extra $10 to insure quality and
speedy delivery for your son's birthday.
Finding Your Niche
Once you build up your rating, it's time to find your niche so
you can start raking in the cash. When starting your eBay business,
it's important to sell items that are familiar to you. The logic of this is
pretty obvious. If you have an intimate knowledge of a product it
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gives you a distinct advantage over buyers and other sellers. For
example, let's say your niche is bicycles. You can go to a garage sale
with a trained eye looking for a good deal. Once youve identified a
good value, youll know whether it will be worth more if you sell it in
one piece or disassembled, as parts. Selling parts can be an excellent
way to make a nice profit.
As I mentioned earlier, my niche was Air Jordan shoes. I
learned everything there is to know about them. I would go to the
local thrift store and buy a pair of used Jordans, clean them up with
some soap and a toothbrush and resell them for a profit. Sometimes I
would hunt eBay for great deals on a pair that I knew I could sell.
Even if the shoes were not in great shape, there were still ways to
make a profit on them. I could sell a pair of shoe lacesshoe
laces!from a used pair and turn a quick $20 profit. It's unbelievable
what people will pay for, and there is nothing wrong with exploiting
it. It's the name of the game.
6 Steps to Find your Niche

1. Make a list of all the possible niche markets that are familiar to
you.
2. List 5 to 10 items in each of those markets. So if one of your
markets is video games, list the ten most popular video games.
3. List the price for which you could purchase each item on the
commercial market. Do this by running a Google search to find the
retail price.
4. Search completed listings on eBay to see what similar items sold
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for. Do this by going to the left sidebar on the normal search page.
Click Completed Listings and click Search. See if one area
jumps out at you as a potential winner.
5. Run a test-sell by listing 5 to 10 of the items in your potential
niche.
6. Re-evaluate your niche to make sure you are making at least a 10%
profit on these items. Otherwise, it will take a lot more work to
achieve your goals.
Creating a Website
Let's face it. We live in a technologically driven society where
the newest, fastest, and coolest gadgets become popular over night.
Without a website, your business is miles behind the competition.
Fewer companies purchase advertising in the yellow pages nowadays;
instead they allocate that money toward growing their websites. If
you are not web-savvy then it is highly recommended that you scrape
up the cash to hire a professional or knowledgeable friend to create a
well designed website for you. I will get into more detail about
websites in Chapter 10.
Understanding eBay Rules and Safety Programs
It is very important to follow all of eBays rules and regulations.
Be sure to read and understand the eBay user agreement and safety
policies under Help Topics because a breach of any policy may
result in suspension, or even expulsion, of your eBay account.
Obviously that would not be good for business! If eBay sees any
suspicious activity, they have the right to shut down your account
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without warning. It sometimes takes days or even weeks before you

are back up and running. There can be abuses by both sellers and
buyersit is important to be aware of them.
Three Common Selling Abuses:
Shill Bidding
Listing an auction and bidding on your own item

through another eBay account. At first, it seems
like a slick way to increase your selling price, but
trust me, they catch you and it's never fun.
Fee Avoidance
A user reports a lower price than the actual final

price or illegally submits a final value fee credit.
The most common type of fee avoidance occurs
when a seller lists an item with a Buy It Now
price well below market value, then makes up the
difference by listing a very high shipping cost.
Hot Bid
A user, with the help of an accomplice, enters
Manipulation
dozens of phony bids in order to reach the 30 bids

needed to qualify for a Hot Auction appellation.
Three Common Buying Abuses:

Bid Shielding
Two users work together to lower the

price. User A intentionally bids an
unreasonably high amount and then
retracts the bid in the closing seconds of
the auction, leaving user B with a lower
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winning bid.
Unpaid
A user bids and wins an auction and does not pay
Bidder's Strike for it. This is extremely common and is why you
need to value feedback on buyers. These users are
known as deadbeats and receive a strike when
they do not pay. Their account is suspended, and
most likely cancelled, when they receive three
strikes. So be sure to pay for something when you
win the auction!
Bid Siphoning
A user sends emails to bidders of a current

auction to offer the same merchandise for a lower
price at either a different auction or even a
different website.
Do not hesitate to contact eBay Support if you have any

questions or concerns about these policies. It's better to be safe than
sorry because, trust me, you do not want to go through the hassle of
fighting to get your account back. It never works.
Scheduling Your Work Days
Now that you know the proper strategies for organizing your
business from the ground up, it is essential to plan out your workdays
to keep yourself organized. Know when every yard sale, storage
auction, and closing sale is in your area, and be there to get first dibs
on the good stuff. The early bird gets the worm, right? Being early will
give you the best shot at getting the best deals. Get on mapquest.com
or googlemaps.com and literally map out the closest yard sales in a
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specific area, then work strategically in order to save time. Always

show up on the first day of the sale. Sometimes its beneficial to
return on the final day of the sale because you can lowball some items
that the seller may be looking to dump. Excellent candidates for this
strategy are people selling their homes or moving locations.
Constantly check your eBay messages because you will be
notified on 10-cent listing promotions. On these days, you should
logically list as many items you can in order to save on listing fees.
If your finances permit, you might want to look into a cell phone
with Internet access such as a Blackberry. You can also purchase a
wireless card for your laptop from Verizon for about $30 a month.
This will give you Internet connection anywhere you go.
Benefits of Opening an eBay Store

eBay stores are a great way to market your products and save on
eBay fees. Your listing fees can start as low as $.05 if you have an
eBay store. Saving $.25 per auction may not sound like a big deal, but
if you're listing hundreds of auctions every couple of days, it adds up.
Youre also allowed longer durations for auctions, including 30-day
auctions and auctions that are valid until you cancel them. These
benefits give you huge advantages over regular sellers. You also get an
online storefront that's integrated with eBay's website to attract
customers and repeat buyers. You can choose from three different
subscription types, as shown below:
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Promoting Your Store

Once you own an eBay store, its important to promote your
store just as you would any other business. Take pride in your
ownership. You will receive special access to marketing features like
cross-promotions on item pages. This feature gives customers a
chance to view all of the items you have up for sale on any one of your
auctions.
Networking is essential in all forms of business and is prevalent
in the online auction world as well. Build relationships with other
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eBay users. This will trigger repeat customers and word-of-mouth

referrals. You can also make your store come to life by posting flyers
in appropriate areas for your target market as well as email
marketing. I will cover email marketing later on in the book.
Managing and Tracking Your Success
You can manage your expenses by strategically listing items for
longer durations with the store inventory-listing format. This helps
you stay organized and allows you to take control of your business.
You can also offer discount pricing in your store and use Markdown
Manager to drive buyer excitement by creating a sale. It's just like
walking into the Gap and seeing your favorite dress shirt at 25% off.
Same concept, but your customer will be online rather than in person.
Just like in any business, it is important to keep track of all your
sales in order to keep pace with your daily, weekly, monthly, and
yearly goals. In life, we must always be working toward some sort of
goal, and in business, the concept is no different. By owning an eBay
store you get real-time reporting, like stock quotes, which tell you
what keyword buyers use to find your store, what pages they view, etc.
Your store also makes bookkeeping easy by allowing you to export
transactions into QuickBooks Accounting Software.
Success Stories
The following success stories were taken from
www.thebeehive.org:
Adam Morgan used to sell pool tables out of a Los Angeles
retail store. As a test, he decided to auction one off on eBay. When it
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sold, he posted a second table, and the pattern continued. Today, his
retail store is closed and he sells exclusively on eBay. Adam expects
his 2008 eBay sales to hit $500,000.
Hector Rivera worked for a financial services company while
collecting and selling early edition Hot Wheels at a local antiques
shop. When he finally decided to sell his cars on eBay, he managed to
sell $1,200 worth of cars in one week. Hector now makes $2,000 a
month on eBay.
Daphne Esposito learned about eBay from her former boss,
who asked her to research ways to sell merchandise online. She
started selling baby and children's furniture on eBay in 2000 and
predicts her 2008 eBay sales will be as high as $150,000.
Becoming a PowerSeller
Earlier, I talked about the feedback score next to your user
ID.One of the best symbols you can receive is a PowerSeller badge of
honor. eBay PowerSellers earn between $2,000 and $2,000,000
every month from online auctions. First, you will need to have an
active eBay membership for 90 days. Then youll need to generate at
least $1000 in sales per month for three straight months. You will
also need to attain an overall feedback score of 100 with at least 98%
positive feedback. Finally, youll need to be in strong financial
standing.
Here are some of my strategies for becoming a PowerSeller. Its
quite simple. First you need to list your auction with clear, descriptive
titles. Describe your items fully, giving every crucial detail. The more
detail you give, the more the buyer will trust you. Lastly, you need to
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take studio-perfect pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words and

will absolutely lead you to make thousands of dollars. You can
describe your item with Shakespearean quality, but if your picture is
unclear, no one will buy it.
The credibility you earn when becoming a PowerSeller is
equivalent to earning a promotion in an organization. You will earn
top market value for every product you sell because buyers see your
incredible track record and say, This seller must have amazing
products! People will know what type of service to expect. Credibility
is one of the most critical factors that will affect the success of your
online business. People buy Nike products because they know the
brand represents high quality they can trust. The same concept works
for eBay buyers: they will spend an extra $15 to $30 if they feel it will
assure them of receiving top of the line products. Being consistent is a
major factor in earning credibility and that is highlighted in your
feedback score. Your credibility will speak for itself if you take pride
in your $10 sales the same way you take pride in your $1,000 sales.
Using testimonials is a great way to create credibility. A
testimonial is a statement from a happy customer explaining how
your product or service helped them. You receive testimonials in your
feedback score. Its important to include these testimonials in your
listings so that everyone viewing your auction can see them. Simply
copy and paste the quotes in your auction listing. You must ask the
customers permission before placing their user ID in your listing.
Send them a message explaining what you want to do, and wait for a
response. If they say yes, great. If they say no, you can still use the
quote, but you cannot include their ID.
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Five Levels of PowerSellers

Bronze
$1000 per month
Silver
$3000 per month
Gold
$10,000 per month
Platinum
$25,000 per month
Titanium
$100,000 per month
Where do you want to be?
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Chapter 3:
Introduction to
Buying on eBay
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On any given day, millions of items are bought and sold on

eBay. eBay is the worlds largest online auction website by a long shot.
For buyers, there are unlimited opportunities in countless categories.
It makes sense to buy on eBay because you have a tremendous chance
of buying an item at less than retail price. If I could buy groceries on
eBay, I would. Well, I probably wouldnt trust the expiration date on a
carton of milk, but I guess thats why eBay hasnt gone down that
road! In all seriousness, its incredible how much time and money can
be saved using eBay. I will show you how to take advantage of it.
Bidding
The bidding process is simple. To find what youre looking for,
you can either type in a specific item description in the search bar,
such as Tom Brady jersey, or you can browse through the
categories. If you type in the description, the next page will show you
a list of items up for auction that use the search terms you entered.
The more specific your item description is, the fewer, but more closely
matched, items will come up in the list.
You can browse the auctions by numerous categories, but I
prefer price and auction end time. This maximizes your chances of
finding the best deals. First, itemize the auctions by auction end time
because you want to be sure you are not missing any of the last
minute auctions. Then browse by price to see what could potentially
be a steal. Remember, other users could be doing the same thing so
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do not count on the price being the same three days later. Click on the
auction you like, and analyze the pictures and description. If you
think it is a good deal, place a bid by entering the maximum bid you
wish to be placed. For instance, the Tom Brady jersey is currently
listed at $25, and you place a maximum bid of $35. The pricing is
adjusted by the leading bidders maximum bid and your bid. So if the
leading bidders maximum bid is $30, you will become the leading
bidder because your bid of $35 outbids his $30. If no one else bids,
you will win the auction for
$30.
Be sure to click watch this item so you will be notified when
the auction is about to end. This will let you snipe the bid, or put in
a bid at the last minute that is only slightly higher than the last bid,
rather than place a large maximum bid to win the item. This is when
Internet availability is a must.
Once you win an auction, you are sent an invoice from the buyer
directing you to pay via PayPal or check. PayPal (which we will
explain further later) is the safest and easiest way to pay.
Communicate with the seller either by email or eBay message to make
sure the transaction runs smoothly, and simply wait for the item to
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arrive. Once you get it, leave feedback. Generally, professional sellers
wait for you to leave feedback before leaving theirs. Thats the bid
process. It may sound confusing, but once you do itstart with small,
inexpensive auction items just to learn the ropesyou will have it
down in no time. I promise.
While buying on eBay is important, I want you to realize that I
am not encouraging you to spend all your money on eBay. You need
to learn to buy strategically from eBay, Craigslist, yard sales, closeout
sales, etc., and resell the items on eBay for a profit. Remember, you
bought this course to help you make money, not to buy the collectors
edition of Golden Girls, no matter how hilariously entertaining it may
be.
Products to Buy
ElectronicsThe greatest thing about selling electronics is
that they always sell. It is one of the most popular categories on eBay.
Electronics are easy to ship and generally inexpensive (except for
computers and other high-end items). I sold hundreds of cell phones
each month and shipped them first class, which cost me $3.30.
AntiquesIf you have a niche in antiques then you might have
just hit the lottery with eBay. I know nothing about antiques, but I do
know a kitchen set collecting dust in your house might be worth a
boatload of money on eBay. Antiques can sometimes be worth more
than your house (Im not kidding!). It may not be a bad idea to get
involved in the antique market.
Sporting GoodsPick your favorite sportthe one you know
most aboutand specialize in selling its equipment. You already know
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the most popular brand names and the value of each item, so all you
need to do is the legwork and go find the deals. Your best deals will
come during the off-season of that sport.
ShoesThis is where I made my money. Jordan and Nike shoes
were my niche. I stuck to what I knew most about. I always received
top value for my items because I knew every word to include in each
title, and I already knew the selling price before I listed it! I cannot
stress enough that you need to sell what you know most about
because you will always get the best price.
Misspelled Listings
Misspelled listings are very common on eBay. Its an easy
mistake for anyone to make, and we can take advantage of it. Not
many people take this into consideration, but it is a gold mine. People
frequently misspell certain words, and then no one can find their
auctions! Remember when you typed your item description, Tom
Brady jersey in the search bar? Now imagine you are the seller, and
by mistake you wrote jersy in your listing. Now you, the wise buyer,
looking for items with low or no bids, type in the misspelled
description, Tom Brady jersey, and find a lonely listing with zero
bids. You can bid on this item and may have no competing bidders.
Cha-ching! You just cashed in on someone elses carelessness. Thats
business, baby.
Back in my Jordan shoes days, I would spend 30 minutes each
day searching for Jordon shoes to find a misspelled listing. And
guess what? I would find a great deal every week. Once you find one
misspelled auction, add the seller to your favorite sellers list
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because they will most likely do it again. Once a misspeller, always a

misspeller. Fortunately for me, I won my 3rd grade spelling bee, but
thats a whole other book to write.
Here is a list of some excellent websites that search eBay for
misspelled listings. All you do is type in the correctly spelled eBay
item, like Apple, and this software will conduct a search for every
possible way this item could be spelled and provide you with those
auction listings. You can save yourself hours upon hours of research.
Do yourself a favor and add these two websites to your arsenal:
AuctionLotWatch.com
TypoTracker.com.
Sniping Auctions
When youre buying on eBay, you need to be able to snipe
auctions. It can save you a lot of cash, and eliminates a bidding war
with someone else. So what doessniping mean? To sniping an
auction means to win an auction at the last second.
Before you do anything, you need to decide the maximum
amount of money you are willing to pay for the item and resolve not
to bid a penny more. Heres what you do to snipe the auction. Say the
auction is ending in a day, and there is no Buy It Now price. Fight
the urge to place a quick bid; your bid means nothing until the
auction ends.
Placing a bid only lets other interested buyers know they will be
competing with someone else to win the auction. So dont bid until
the auction is in its final minute. Watch the auction until it has 3
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51
minutes left. Now, continuously refresh the page to see if the bidding
has increased. In the final 30 seconds you can take one of two routes:
1)
You can bid on the auction with 30 seconds left, and

then place your maximum bid with 5 seconds to insure
you are going to win the auction.
2)
Place one bid in the last 5 seconds with your maximum

price.
Sometimes my maximum bid is $30 to $40 more than the

current price, because I will only need to pay a tick higher than the
second highest bidder. You rarely need to pay your maximum bid
amount. By using this strategy, nobody knows that youre interested
in the auction. The other buyers will get complacent, and then in the
last 5 seconds you become the high bidder thereby sniping the
auction!
Best Time to Buy
A great time to buy on eBay is during special events when you
know millions of people dont care about winning auctions. You do,
however, and thats why youre going to be scouring eBay during the
Super Bowl, Thanksgiving dinner, and New Years Eve. (Christmas is
actually a bad time to buy because people are looking for items they
didnt find under their tree.) On the flip side, these are terrible times
to have an auction end because of the lack of eBay traffic.
Great times to buy in the real world are the start of a yard sale
so you have your pick at the best items; closeout sales; or Black
Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when stores have drastic sales.
These are the best times to pick up bargain deals.
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This last piece of advice Im going to share with you is especially

important: be the first one at the store when a new product is
released. You can make huge amounts of money because people do
not want to camp out in front of a store but are willing to pay double
the retail price. I did this when PlayStation 3 came out.
You first have to understand that people want what others dont
have and cant get. That made sense to my roommate and me in
December of 2006 when the gaming world was anxiously awaiting the
release of PlayStation 3. We werent interested in playing video games
on the new console; we were interested in the money that could be
made from it. The console was to be released on a Friday, and on
Wednesday we happened to drive by a local Best Buy and saw a line of
people already waiting! These people had the same idea as us but beat
us to it. Being the competitive businessmen we are, my roommate,
four of our teammates, and I drove three hours to a Wal-Mart in my
hometown of Boston to literally camp out. We paid four of our friends
to wait in line with me because each customer was only allowed to
buy one console. After a night of camping out, we walked away with
six consoles, listed them on one-day auctions on eBay and walked
away with $4,000 profit. Not a bad day for sitting outside a WalMart!
Before you head out to search for good deals, you need to know
what a good deal is. To determine this, choose a few items youre
interested in and search for them on eBay After youve searched, click
on Completed Listings in the left column, under Preferences. This
will allow you to see what those items have recently sold for. Now you
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can use the suggestions I gave for finding deals to see if you can find
those items for substantially cheaper than theyre selling for on eBay.
You make your money when you buy, not when you sell. It may
seem crazy to buy a pair of shoes for $400, but if I know I can sell
them for $500, I can make a big profit. The eBay market fluctuates
just like our economy so be sure to stay on top of how items are
selling. Buy low, sell high. Its the only way to go.
Places to Find Deals
Craigslist.org: This is a website designed to attract people in a
specific geographic area. For instance, when you first visit the site you
are required to click on your state, city, and/or region. You are then
directed to the local Craigslist where people are buying and selling in
your area. Its confusing to navigate at first, but once you play around
with it, the site is actually quite simple. When in doubt, use the
generic search bar on the left and choose a category from the
dropdown list. If you are buying you will see the list of things for sale
right away; if you are selling you will have the opportunity to post
after the list of items for sale comes up. This site is great because you
are only competing with people in your area, as opposed to on eBay
where everyone is in the same pool. Sometimes, if you are the first to
contact a seller, theyll sell you the item as soon as you can get it. Act
fast because this classified-ad-like website has plenty of steals and
even offers things for free (see the free section under for sale on
the main page). In fact, I got an entire family room set for free. Most
people only take cash and will require you to pick up the item
yourself.
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Yard sales: As mentioned earlier, the sooner you get to a yard

sale, the better. The good stuff goes quick so it is essential that you
arrive early on the first day. Try coming back on the final day because
the seller will be practically giving items away to avoid tossing them
in the dumpster. One mans garbage is another mans treasure.
People with For Sale signs on their front lawns are potential yard-sale
candidates. Check back or even ask to find out if and when they are
having a sale.
Thrift Stores: Looks can be deceiving because these stores are
not always the prettiest or best-kept, but there are often diamonds in
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the rough. Take $30 cash and you will come back with 15+ items to
sell on eBay. Sift through non-clothing items because these are great,
cheap feedback builders.
Storage Unit Auctions: These can be tricky. When storagespace renters dont pay their bills for too long, the facilitys owner can
auction off the contents of the renters entire unit. The problem is that
you will have no idea in advance of what is inside. It can make for an
exciting auction because you never know what you might get. You
could pull out old Mickey Mantle baseball cards stuffed in a Gucci bag
or you could get stuck with a stained mattress and a cassette tape of
The Fugees Greatest Hits.
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Going-Out-of-Business Sale: This type of sale often draws a

lot of customers but can still be rewarding. Usually these stores will
have incredible markdowns on all their items, sometimes as high as
75% off. If you catch the right sale, you can really clean up by selling
the heavily discounted items for just below retail value on eBay.
Flea Markets: This can be a great way to get a variety of items
in many different categories. Flea markets are famous for selling stuff
you would not normally see anywhere else. Sometimes they sell
authentic comic books or video games. They can be a good place to
buy original craftwork, which can sell surprisingly well on eBay if the
seasonal timing is right.
Colleges: I included this because I know first-hand that most
college kids do not care what price they sell their stuff for so long as
they can make some beer money. At the end of every school year,
countless students get rid of all the junk they accumulated in their
dorm rooms and do not have the energy or patience to pack. You will
find students practically giving away items like TV sets and futons.
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When you go to these different marketplaces, it is important to

remember your niche. Know what you sell, and sell what you know.
You need to be able to spot a good deal from a mile away, and the
only way of doing this is by buying items you are most familiar with in
price and value. You need to get to a point where you can see an item
for sale and know how much profit you make reselling it on eBay.
Once your skills are at this level, youre ready to make it big.
When is the best time to buy a winter coat? When you dont
need one! Thats the mindset you need to use when you buy offseason and sell in-season. You can pay $50 for a winter coat in June
that will sell for $150 in December. Holiday items, like Christmas
stockings, are always winners.
On my Thanksgiving break during school, my roommate and I
made a stop in Utah before we went home to enjoy a nice turkey
dinner. We spent a day shopping at a warehouse sale that featured
hundreds of Christmas items. We did our homework beforehand,
crunching the numbers to make sure we would make a profit after the
travel expenses. We found that Pottery Barn Christmas stockings
were our best bet. The Utah warehouse was selling these stockings for
$2 to $3. We were able to resell them for $40 to $50 on eBay! We
bought their entire stock of stockings, all 100 of them. During the first
two weeks of December, we unleashed them in three-day listings,
each of us turning a $2,500 profit.
It is important to be very careful of scammers. There are
thousands of piranhas out there ready to devour your bank account.
Before you buy an item, whether it be online or in person, you need to
do some sort of homework beforehand. Dont jump on a great deal
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too fast because they are sometimes too good to be true. If its easy,
its probably sleazy. Always use PayPal when sending money across
the Internet because its the safest way to pay and is fully protected.
Never send money orders or checks to someone you dont know and
cant trust. Hackers can activate other eBay user accounts so think
twice when someone approaches you with an unusual email trying to
complete a transaction.
New eBay users are a solid source for inexperienced pricing.
This breed is no stranger to listing items in wrong categories, taking
bad pictures, coming up with poor headlines, and writing sloppy
descriptions. And, of course, they often misspell key words. New
users are where you can find some of the best deals. And there is less
competition from other buyers, but for good reason. New users have
low feedback scores, which means their credibility can be a toss-up.
Buy at your own risk, and use good judgment.
Keeping Inventory
Every business knows the importance of keeping inventory up
to date with the market. You should always be aware of what you have
in your inventory because the eBay market value of each item
fluctuates daily. An iPod might be worth $250 one week but only
$200 the following week. By knowing your inventory, you can make
hundreds of dollars as well as save hundreds of dollars. In a perfect
world, you should only list items that are already created, prepackaged, and ready to ship. If your business is at that stage, then you
are doing well. But for the vast majority who arent, read the following
carefully:
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I recommend maintaining a spreadsheet, like Excel, to keep

track of your inventory. After you purchase your products from your
supplier, immediately add them to an Excel spreadsheet. Once you
sell an item, immediately update your inventory. This way you can
actively track your inventory without leaving the computer, which is
where you will be conducting most of your business anyway. Its very
simple once you develop a routine. If Excel is too complicated for you,
there are companies that can actively manage inventory for you. You
can also pay for inventory software with all the bells and whistles.
Just conduct a simple Google search with the keywords inventory
tracker. I recommend hiring a professional or using this special-use
software if you really have no clue how to use a computer or have
grown your business to astronomical levels. Otherwise, save your
money and do it yourself on Excel.
Be sure to categorize your merchandise accordingly. Think of
your eBay room as your store, and organize it so that finding an item
is like locating the bread at the grocery store. Also label everything.
Set up tables or shelves where you can display the products in a nice,
organized manner. This may sound excessive, but theres nothing
more irritating than having to reship an item because you sent the
wrong size. Prevent this simple but annoying mistake by taking the
time to organize everything.
Organizing merchandise information is just as important. For
every product you bring home, create a file. This file should contain
product information like color, size, purchase price, photos, and a
copy of the description and title that you will post on eBay. That last
part is extremely important and helps save a lot of time. By saving a
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copy of every single listing, you will never have to create an item
description from scratch again! Simply refer back to the file, copy and
paste into the new listing. When I was flipping cell phones, I dealt
with both used and new. I would keep track of the type of phone, its
condition, what accessories it came with, and the price Id paid for it.
Having all that information on file made the listing process simple.
Negotiating
Negotiation skills are valuable in any business. Not many
professional businessmen settle for the first offer theyre given. In
fact, most transactions call for three or four price adjustments before
both parties are satisfied. Keep this in mind with your eBay business
because you can save hundreds of dollars each week.
Buying on Craigslist.org is when you will utilize your
negotiating skills the most. When someone is asking $300 for a cell
phone, always make an offer $25 to $50 lower. The worst they can do
is say no. You can also use a negotiating tactic known as low-balling.
This is where you make an extremely low offer, like $150 for the cell
phone. Then the transaction will go in one of three directions:
1) You get the phone at $150;
2) The seller counters with a higher price lower than his asking
price;
3) The seller says no.
Two out of three directions results in a bargain price for you. I
like your odds.
Always tell people you can pay in cash and can meet that day. It
will surprise you how many offers will get accepted. They are looking
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for quick cash, so use it to your advantage. They could sell it on eBay
for a higher price, but either they dont know how, theyre lazy, or
they want the money right away.
Another great buying strategy is the take it or leave it tactic.
Its a one-shot deal so dont expect to haggle after you make the offer.
Heres how it works: come up with a reasonable offer for them and a
great deal for you. Now, make them decide on the spot by saying, Ill
give you $185 for the cell phone. Take it or leave it. Some people will
tell you to get lost. Some will give in to the pressure you created.
Either way, you need to maintain confidence in your offer. Never let
them push you around. By doing this, you are showing them who is in
charge of the negotiation. Hold your ground and stay confident.
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Chapter 4:
Selling The Basics
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63
In this chapter, we discuss selling on eBay. Lucky for you, Ive

created AuctionStats, a software package designed to optimize your
profitability and make you more efficient. [Where is this software? If
it is part of the package, say so. If not, where do they get it?.
AuctionStats will save you hours and hours of research on eBay, so
take advantage of it. This is the best tool for doing research on eBay,
and I have provided it for you in my course. Using this software will
give you yet another distinct advantage over the competition. It will
tell you the best time to start and end auctions, provide accurate
starting prices, and give you the average amount sold for your specific
item, along with many other critical features. You dont have to worry
about these critical aspects of eBay businesses because my software
does it all for you!
Creating Professional Listings
Now that Ive given you the tools to create a dynamite listing by
using my research software, its time to figure out what you need to
include in it. Its important to maintain professionalism in your
listings in order to gain the customers trust in both your product and
your services.
I recommend creating listing descriptions in HTML format and
then transferring them onto eBay. This is easier than creating them
directly on eBay [Im guessing at what you mean here easier than
what?] and allows you to use more features and add more pictures.
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eBay has a 24-picture maximum. Although 24 pictures sounds like a

lot, the more pictures you have, the more your buyers will trust that
the merchandise is good.
Revise, revise, revise, and revise! Its critical to look over
everything before you finalize your item listing. Of course, you can go
back and edit your listing, but it will take precious time and in the
meantime you may have lost buyers. The last thing you want is a
misspelling, as we touched on earlier. [This is not why you said it was
a problem! Sending a bad message to the buyer is minor compared to
what you already said which is that buyers may not even find the
item.] I made common mistakes when selling football jerseys because
I rushed to get things done. Re-listing auctions is an easy way to rack
up profits, but if there are inconsistencies in your listing it can cause
problems. I had written size 50 in a headline but size 48 in the
description. I got so many messages from users asking which size was
right! Talk about making a bad impression! I learned from my
mistakes, and hope you learn from them as well.
Cross-promoting your business can boost traffic and,
ultimately, revenue. State, in your listing, that you are currently
selling other items on eBay. Someone who decides that whichever of
your items theyre perusing is not for them may be interested in one
of your other items. Promote your website and eBay store in the
listing as well.
The headline is the first part of your listing people look at, so do
not treat it lightly. A crisp, clever title will set you apart from the pack
and increase your profits.
Here are five things to know when creating eye-catching titles;
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1. Use your words wisely - there is a 55-character maximum.

2. Focus the headline to your target market (potential buyers).
3. Use strong words like new, free, how to, buy, love.
4. Do not leave out the category of the product youre selling. If
youre selling a watch, be sure to include the word watch in
your title.
5. Use the Abbreviation List for Words listed below . It saves
space and proves you are no stranger to eBay.
Abbreviation Meaning
Numbers & Characters
$/EA
Dollar amount
per item each
$/TRADE
For sale or trade
0FB
Zero feedback,
refers to a new
member
1st ed.
First Edition
(books,
magazines,
prints)
1Day
A one day
auction/listing
1TO
One time only
3Day
A three day
auction/listing
4WD
Four wheel
drive
(automotive)
A
A+
Good condition
A1
Perfect
condition
A/C
Air conditioning
(classifieds,
automotive)
access.
Accessories
(classifieds)
acctg.
Accounting
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ADDY
ADV
ADV
AEK
aft.
AFAIK
AAFA
AGW
AKA
AIR
AL
ALUM
ALUM/W
ANT
ANTH
(classifieds)
E-mail address
Advertise
Adventure
(books,
magazines,
prints)
All-electric
kitchen (real
estate)
After
(classifieds)
As far as I know
Antique
Americana Folk
Art
Actual gold
weight
Also known as
Airmail
Auction listing
Aluminum
Aluminum
wheels
(automotive)
Antenna
(automotive)
Anthology
(books,
66
AO
approx.
ARC
ASAP
ASE
AS IS
ASW
AT
AUTO
magazines,
prints)
All original
Approximately
Advanced
reader copy
(books,
magazines,
prints)
As soon as
possible
American Silver
Eagle (coins)
"As is / where
is." Usually
means no
returns.
Actual silver
weight
Automatic
(classifieds)
Autographed
B
B2B
Business-tobusiness
B2C
Business-toconsumer
BARE
No box,
accessories. etc.
BATT CHGR Battery Charger
(automotive)
BBC
Bottom back
cover (books,
magazines,
prints)
BC
Back cover
(books,
magazines,
prints)
BCE
Book club
edition (books,
magazines,
prints)
BF
Best fit
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BJ
BK
BK
bk.
bkgrd.
B&M
BLB
BL
BM
BO
BP
BSMT
BTH
BTS
B&W
BWI
BC
BIN
BNWL
BUNG
BV
C
c.
Ball jointed
body (dolls &
toys)
Bent knee (dolls
& toys)
Broken
Broken
(classifieds)
Background
(classifieds)
Brick-andmortar (retail
store)
Big little book
Big lot
Branch Mint:
Any U.S. mint
other than
Philadelphia
(coins)
Best offer
Blister / bubble
pack
Basement (real
estate)
Bathroom (real
estate)
Back to school
Black & white
Boxed with
instructions
Back cover
Buy it Now
(eBay's Instant
Purchase)
Brand new with
label
Bungalow (real
estate)
Bullion value
(coins)
Circa
(classifieds)
67
C
C/VAC
C2C
CAYOR
CC
CC
CCE
CCG
CD
CDN
COND
CEIL
CF
C&I
CHSNS
CIB
CLA
CM
CNP
COA
conven.
CPN
Cr.
CS
Cartridge (video
games)
Central vacuum
(real estate)
Consumer-toconsumer
Cash at your
own risk
Cashiers check
Classic
collection (toys,
action figures)
Certified coin
exchange
(coins)
Collectible card
game
Compact disc
Canadian
Condition
Ceiling (real
estate)
Centerfold
(magazines)
Cartridge and
instructions
(video games)
Cushions
Cartridge in box
Cleaned,
lubricated,
adjusted
(cameras)
Customized
Complete (with)
no package
Certificate of
authenticity
Convenient
(classifieds)
Coupon
Circle
(classifieds)
Customer
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C&S
C&S
CT
Cust.
D
DBL
DJ
DK
DOA
DRS
DUTCH
E
ea.
EAC
ed.
EF
EFI
EIK
ELEC
EMB
ENS
EP
service
Creamer &
sugar
Cup & saucer
Carats (jewelry)
Customs
Double
Dust jacket
(books,
magazines,
prints)
Deck (real
estate)
Dead on arrival,
meaning item
does not work
Doors (real
estate)
Dutch auction,
meaning
multiple
quantities of the
same item are
available
Each
(classifieds)
Early American
Coppers (coins)
Edition
Extra fine
Electronic fuel
injection
(automotive)
Eat-in kitchen
(real estate)
Electric
Embossed
En-suite (real
estate)
Extended play
68
EUC
EUR
EX
exc.
F
F
FAQ
FB
FC
FC
fdbk
FDC
FDD
FDR
F/E
FEX
FFP
FN
FL
FP
FR
(records,
movies)
Excellent used
condition
Euros
Excellent
(condition)
Excellent
(classifieds)
Fair (condition)
Frequently
asked questions
Feedback
Fine condition
Front cover
(books,
magazines,
prints)
Feedback
"Fleur de Coin,"
meaning
flawless, no
wear (coins)
Computer
floppy drive
(computers &
electronics)
Formal dining
room (real
estate)
First edition
(books)
FEDEX /
Federal Express
shipping
Fireplace (real
estate)
Fine (condition)
Firing limit
(pottery, glass)
Fixed price
Fair (condition)
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FS
FS
FSoT
FT
FV
FVF
FVFC
G
G
galv.
GF
GD
gen
GMM
GP
gr
GU
H
HB
For sale
Factory sealed
For sale or trade
For trade
Final value
Final value fee
(eBay)
Final value fee
credit (eBay)
Good
(condition)
Galvanized
(classifieds)
Gold filled
(jewelry)
Good
(condition)
General
Gallery Mint
Museum (coins)
Gold plate
(jewelry)
Grade
Gently used
(condition)
HOF
Hard back
(books)
Hard cover
(books)
Hardwood
floors (real
estate)
Hole in cover
(books)
High ceilings
(real estate)
Hall of Fame
HP
Home page
HPF
Home page
featured
HC
HDWD
HIC
HI CEILS
69
HTF
HW
I
IBG
ICG
IFG
IM
IMG
IMMAC
INIT
ISH
ISO
J
JD
K
kt.
Hard to find
Hot water
Inside back
cover (books,
magazines,
prints)
Independent
Coin Grading
(coins)
Inside front
cover (books)
Instant message
Image
Immaculate
Initials
Issue
(magazines)
In search of
M/
M/O
MAG
MBR
MET
MFG
MIB
MIJ
MIM
MIMB
MIU
MNB
MO
MOC
MOP
MOWMT
Missing
Money order
Magazine
Master
bedroom (real
estate)
Metallic
(automotive)
Manufacturer
Mint in box
Made in Japan
Make it mine
Mint in mint
box
Made in USA
Mint no box
Money order
Mint on card
Mother of pearl
(jewelry)
Mint with mint
tags
Microsoft
Mint state
(coins)
John Deere
(classifieds,
automotive)
MS
MS
Karat (jewelry)
Abbreviation Meaning
N
L
L
LDYS
LE
LF
LN
LPUO
Lt
LTD
LVGRM
Large
Ladies
Limited edition
(collectables)
Looking for
Like new
(condition)
Local pick up
only
Light
Limited edition
Living room
(real estate)
M
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NAI
Not all inclusive
NAP
Not affected
play (records)
NARU
Not a registered
user
NATL
National
NBW
Never been
worn
NC
No
cover (books,
magazines,
prints)
NEG
Negative
70
feedback
OP
Original post
NRFB
Never removed
from box
OP
Operator or
operated
NIB
New in box
OPT
Optional
NLA
No longer
available
ORN
Ornament
NM
Near mint
OTT
Ottoman
NNPW
New never
played with
NORES
No reserve
NOS
New old stock
NP
Not packaged or
no package
NPB
Poor (condition)
PB
Power brakes
(automotive)
PCGS
Professional
Coin Grading
Service (coins)
Non paying
bidder/buyer
pd.
Paid
(classifieds)
NR
No reserve
Pgr.
N/R
No reserve
Pager (contact
details)
NRP
Not
reproduction
PICS
Pictures
Pkg.
New without
tags
Package
(classifieds)
PLS
Please
New with tags
PM
Post marked
PM
Priority mail
PORC
Porcelain
NWOT
NWT
O
OA
Online auction
POS
Point of sale
OAS
Online auction
site
POTT
Pottery
OBO
Or best offer
PP
PayPal
O/C
On canvas
(paintings)
PR
Poor (condition)
PR
Proof (coins)
OCC
Occasional
PR
Pair
OEM
Original
equipment
manufacturer
PROP
Propeller
Priv.
Private
PS
OLTP
Online
transaction
process
Power steering
(automotive)
PTO
Power take off

(automotive)
OOAK
One of a kind
PW
OOP
Out of print
Power windows
(automotive)
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Q
qual.
Qtr.
Quality or
qualifications
(classifieds)
Quarter or
quarterly
(classifieds)
RS
Rhinestone
(jewelry)
RT
Right
RTM
Read the
manual
S
s/
Signed
(classifieds)
SCR
Scratch
(condition)
Reprint (books)
RA
Rear axle
(automotive)
SCU
Scuff (records)
RAD
Radiator
(automotive)
SGN
Signed
S/H (S&H)
Shipping and
handling
RAH
Real American
Hero (toys,
action figures)
S/H/I
REMAN
Remanufactured
(automotive)
Shipping,
handling, and
insurance
SIG
Signature
RET
Retired
(collectables)
SIL
Silver
SLD
Sealed
RBC
Right side of
back cover
(books)
SLT
Slight
RBLT
Rebuilt
RFSO
Request for
Standing Offer
(real estate)
SNAIL MAIL Regular surface,

basic postal
shipping
method
S/O
Sold out
SP
Speed
RND
Round
SPD
Speed
ROM
Romantic
(books,
magazines,
prints)
SS
Stainless steel
SS
Still sealed
SS
Sterling silver
(jewelry)
SS
Single sheet
(stamps)
SSL
Secure Socket
Layer
STC
Stand up cab
(automotive)
RP
Return policy
RP
Reproduction
RSVP
Rpondez sil
vous plat
(respond,
please)
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STER
Sterling
UPI
Unpaid item
STR
Sell-through
rate
UPR
Upper floor
(real estate)
STV
Stove (real
estate)
US
United States
SWB
Short wheel
base
(automotive)
USPS
United States
Postal Service
SYI
Sell your item
SZ
Size
V
VERO
Verified
registered
owner
VFM
Value for money
T&G
Tongue &
groove
VG
Very good
(condition)
T/W
Tilt wheel
(automotive)
VGC
Very good
condition
TA
Trading
assistant (eBay)
VHTF
Very hard to
find
TD
Turbo diesel
(automotive)
VICT
Victorian
V/M/D
TDF
To die for
TIA
Thanks in
advance
Visa /
Mastercard /
Discover
VU
TM
Trusted
merchant
(overstock)
Views (real
estate)
TM
Trademark
W/ (w/)
With
TW
Township (real
estate)
W/C
Water color
(paintings)
W/O (w/o)
Without
U
U
Used
WB
White border
UID
Unpaid items
dispute (eBay)
WIC
Walk-in closet
WKNDS
Weekends
(contact details)
WOB
Writing on back
WOF
Writing on face
WP
Waterproof
WR
Water resistant
WRK
Work
UNC
UNREG
UNU
Un-circulated
(coins)
Unregistered
vehicle
(automotive)
Unused
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WS
Widescreen
WTB
Wanted to buy
WU
Wind up
X
XL
Extra large
Y
YGF
Yellow gold
filled (jewelry)
Yr.
Year
(classifieds)
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Taking Pictures
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this
definitely holds true on eBay. In fact, a good picture of your product
can be worth hundreds of dollars in profit! You need to invest in a
quality digital camera in order to maximize the quality of your
pictures. Make sure to conduct your photo shoots in a room with
bright lighting and a light background. This will improve the quality
of your pictures. Many people dedicate an entire room to picture
taking, but its not necessary. When I was selling in college I would
often have to take pictures on the kitchen floor!
When listing your item, always use the Gallery feature. Items
with a Gallery picture sell for an average of 14% more than those
without one. A gallery picture will allow buyers to see a thumbnail
picture of your item on the search page next to your headline. Some
buyers only look at gallery-pictured listings so you may get left behind
if you dont use this feature. Take a look at the graphic below. Its a
prime example of how pictures can increase profits. Notice that
providing your own picture and not using a stock photo can increase
your profits sometimes by 20 to 30 dollars
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Maintaining an ethical and credible business is essential in

building your profits. With this in mind, it is important to show
pictures of your items defects. I promise, your item will sell for more
if you show everything, and you will have fewer returns.
Dos and Donts of Taking Pictures
Do
Take pictures of your items outside in daylight whenever

possible.
Get extra lighting by using your cameras flash.
Take several pictures of each item; you can pick the best ones
after youve seen how they look on your computer.
Dont
Get so close to the item that the flash washes out the entire
image.
Steal images from other eBay auctions.
Use fancy backgrounds; they distract viewers from your item.
Knowing the Market Value

Knowing the right starting price for your auction items is
essential to the success of your business. Pricing can be a tricky
situation because a starting price that is too high will turn away a lot
of buyers, while a low price can result in a smaller profit. First, use my
software tool to conduct the proper research to discover the best
starting price. This software will also tell you the proper Buy it Now
price for your item and whether you should even be using one. Buy It
Now is an excellent strategy to use when dealing with an item that
people might not want to wait three or five days to buy, or when
youre selling items in bulk that have the potential to sell quickly.
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You need to decide whether you want to set a reserve price

for your item. This feature allows you to establish a minimum price,
and if none of the bids exceed that amount, you do not have to sell the
item. I am not a fan of these because I like to start my auctions at a
low price, but I want you to be aware of all the possible strategies.
Low starting prices attract more bidders because everyone wants to
buy something at an amazing price. You will get more views and
heavier traffic at your auction, which creates a motivation to bid
higher. Lets say you have a pair of Jordans that should sell for $200.
Start the listing at 99. Trust me, Im not crazy! It works, and it also
saves you money in fees. You just need to know the market trends for
your item so that you can be confident it will sell at a good price.
The traffic created by your low starting price will market your
other auctions as well. The idea is to market all of your products to
millions of people. If more and more people are viewing your
auctions, more will also visit your eBay store, website, and other
auctions!
If you do the homework and use my software, you will squeeze
the maximum profit out of every sale.
My software gives you an excellent advantage over other sellers.
When you punch in your item title, Auction Profit Generator will
compile the average starting and final price for that item, and tell you
the best day to list the item and the optimal auction duration.
Statistical graphs highlight market trends for your particular item
through live eBay data.
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If you are confident your item will sell at a good price, go ahead
and list it at $.99. If youre skeptical at first, refer to the eBay fee chart
in Chapter 1. With knowledge of the fees, you can save money.
Instead of listing an item at $25, list it at $24.99. It will sell for the
same amount, and you will have saved $0.55 in fees! Learn this
pricing information and apply it to your business.
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Communication is Key
Every business professional will tell you that behind every
important deal is strong communication between the two parties. Its
a critical skill in personal relationships and in the business world.
Without communication, its impossible to put your customer in a
comfortable state of mind before, during, and after the transaction.
eBay is a little different than most sales transactions because
everything is done electronically. You cant take your client out to
lunch or play a round of golf. Instead, all you have is good oldfashioned electronic correspondence. That means every word you
type is important in sending the proper message to your customer.
Always be professional in your wording and cordial to your buyers, no
matter how ignorant they can sometimes be.
It is crucial to stay on top of your messages and maintain an
open line of communication with potential buyers and past
customers. Never let your inbox build up like those thank-you notes
you planned on writing. And so send thank-you email to your buyers.
This will insure positive feedback and will leave them feeling good
about your business transaction.
Ive sold items that definitely would not have sold if I hadnt
kept close communication with my customers. Even if your answer is
not what they want to heareven if you dont have an answer at all
send a message that you are working on the solution to their question
or problem. It is extremely important not to ignore your customers.
They want to be heard and acknowledged. They want to know you
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didnt forget about them or, worse, scam them. Unanswered messages
will lead to unsold items.
Always be honest with your customers about the item youre
selling. You may have to reduce the selling price to complete a sale,
but it will keep you from receiving negative feedback. Not only is it
the ethical thing to do, but you will gain your buyers respect, thus
generating repeat-customers and referrals.
Never claim an item is brand new if its not. You might get away
with it at first, but it will always bite you in the end. It is damaging to
both your bookkeeping and your self-esteem when someone returns
an item. These negative habits will eat away at your business like
termites on a deck.
When someone messages you, always be proactive in sending them
links to your website and your auctions. It will increase your traffic,
and ultimately your sales. Always be marketing yourself through any
means necessary. It pays off in the long run.
Maximizing Your Profits
Our ultimate goal is to sell our products for as much money as
we can. On eBay, there are completed listings showing that two of the
exact same item can sell for two different prices $50 to $100 apart,
sometimes even at the same time. The first time I noticed this, I was
confused. How can the same item sell at different prices? The
question baffled me for months. Then it hit me. The higher-selling
items always stood apart from the crowd in some way. The
descriptions were perfect, and the pictures were crisp and clear. By
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creating professional listings you will maximize your profits on every

auction.
Knowing a few key tactics will get you that extra $50 to $100
profit. You need to understand that people bid when the item is first
listed and then during the last few minutes of the auction. Think
about it: the item is cheapest when it first hits the eBay market, and
the soonest ending auctions are first on the search page. Starting your
product at the right price is important, and adding some extra eBay
features will help a lot too. Here are my favorite features on eBay:
Buy it Now It never hurts to use the Buy it Now feature for
the top market value price for the item. Americans are impatient and
sometimes they dont want to wait 3, 5, or 7 days for your auction to
end. Say your item is listed at $50. You can add a Buy it Now feature
to let people instantly win your auction at, say, $80.
Subtitle Your most expensive items need the most attention.
Subtitles will allow you to include a few extra title words that you
cant fit in the main title. It works. I use this feature when I sell items
like cell phones. If the phone has a car charger and a protective case, I
would use the subtitle, Bonus items include car charger, case. $49
value. When eBay browsers search through the listed titles, mine will
stand out from others. Also note that once you open an eBay store,
you can use countless features that regular eBay users cannot use.
Second Chance Offers
The Second Chance Offer tool can double your monthly sales
in the blink of an eye. The Second Chance Offer was created for
the situation in which the winning bidder doesnt pay; it allows the
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seller to offer the item to the second highest bidder. But it can also be
used in other situations, such as if you have more than one of the
same item to sell. Heres an example:
Lets say you bought three XL shirts for $15 each, and you sell
the shirt for $50 on eBay. The auction winner obviously gets a shirt,
but that leaves you with two more identical items. Now you can
Second Chance Offer the item to the second highest bidder who bid
$45 and to the third highest bidder who bid $40. Bidder two and
three can buy your item for their bid prices of $45 and $40,
respectively. You just created three sales in one auction for a
combined profit of $90.
Knowing What You Can and Cannot Sell
There are three categories of things that you need to know
about when selling: prohibited items, questionable items, and
potentially infringing items. Prohibited items can not be sold on eBay.
Questionable items are sold under certain criteria and conditions.
Potentially infringing items could be in violation of copyright,
trademarks, or other rights.
Its important to know what you can and cannot sell because
you dont want to spend hours listing items only to return the next
day and find them removed. So think twice about selling a Louis
Vuitton belt unless you can prove it is authentic through receipts
and/or pictures. You can also lose your account in certain situations.
Its not fun. It happened to me due to my not researching an item. I
bought it from a guy who told me it was real, and I took his word for it
but it turned out to be a cheap knock off. No wonder I got such a good
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deal on it! Reinstating your account requires a brutally long appeals

process. Just do your homework before listing an item. Refer to
eBays Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) program for details.
Knowing the Condition of Your Product
Creating an accurate item description is just as important as
creating a catchy title. You will, for the most part, be selling used
items. Describing the condition of these items is crucial not only to
your profit margin but also to your credibility.
eBay buyers will refer to your feedback ratings to confirm your
statements about the condition of the product up for auction. Never
be vague when describing your item. It will come back to haunt you
when your customers want a refund. Always use a lot of detail.
Be sure to include the definition of your terms (poor, good,
excellent, etc.) in your description. Below are some great charts you
can include in listings, especially for electronics.
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Condition Words used in Listings

Brand New
New Without Tags
Mint
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Never used; straight from store or

supplier
Brand new but is missing tags or
box
Barely used, not a scratch or tear
Used for a couple days, may have
one minor defect
Item is used and may have more
then one defect
Below average item but may be
beneficial to some buyer
Item has excessive use, multiple
defects and does not work
What If Your Item Doesnt Sell?

So what the heck do you do when your item doesnt sell? Well,
first of all, dont panic! It happens. Your item is not always going to
sell right away, but that does not mean it wont sell the next time
around.
First, go back and review your listing. Click on the Revise
button, and it will lead you to a page where you can edit your listing.
Here is a checklist for review:
Are the pictures clear?
Do you need more pictures?
Is the listing price too high?
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Did you misspell any words?

Are there any grammatical mistakes?
How is your formatting?
Does your listing look professional?
Would you buy your item?
Once you have corrected the shortcomings, click Re-List Your
Item and expect the best. Whats great about eBay is that you are not
charged fees when you re-list an item and it sells the first time.
However, if it doesnt sell the second time and you re-list a third time,
you are charged the standard fees.
Another strategy to re-list an item is to click on the Sell
Similar button next to the listing on the My eBay page. This will let
you revise your auction listing with the data already entered. This way
is most effective when you want to change the auction start time.
These are the nuts and bolts of selling on eBay. Remember to
use my software because it will alleviate some of your stress and
answer a lot of your questions.
Congratulations, Your Item Sold!
Dont worry. As long as you follow our listing guidelines to
optimize your auction, your item will sell. So what do you do when it
sells? If you want to take the easy way out, you can just take the
money and run. But youre not taking the easy way out, especially if
youre telling people that you learned about eBay from this manual!
Send a Congratulations email This can be very simple,
but sometimes simple goes a long way when your customer is
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thinking about buying from you again. Be sure to set reasonable

expectations. Dont tell your customer they will receive the item in
two days when you know darn well it wont get there until next week.
Send an invoice Along with sending a congratulatory email,
send an invoice with the total purchase price for the itemtheyve won.
Do this by going to your My eBay page and clicking Send Invoice
under the Items Sold category. Make sure to adjust shipping prices
if someone in a different country won your item because it is going to
cost you a lot more to ship.
Ship quickly Once youve received payment and it has
cleared in PayPal or your bank, make sure you ship the item out
within 24 hours. Late shipping can be detrimental to your feedback
score. Even if your customers love their merchandise they may give
you negative feedback if they feel it took too long to receive; this
happened to me in my early days. Always remember that once your
good customer has paid for the item, he or she is anxiously awaiting
its arrival.
Send tracking number Once you have shipped the item, be
sure to send an email to the buyer with the tracking number. Also give
them an update as to when they should be expecting the package.
What if they dont pay? If two days go by and you still have
not received payment, then resend an invoice along with a message
inquiring when they plan to pay. Be courteous and professional, but
dont let them walk over you if they are just stalling. Heres an
example:
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Dear Customer,
I want to congratulate you again on winning my auction. I
have yet to hear from you about when I should expect your
payment. Please let me know within the next 48 hours
whether or not you intend to complete this transaction.
Thanks,
Your first name
If you do not receive a response, repeat this process on the
fourth day and again on the sixth day. Also check their user feedback
to determine whether this is something they do frequently or a fluke.
If they still havent paid after seven to ten days, you have what we call
in eBay terms a Deadbeat Bidder. While in the process of filing
unpaid bidders strikes and negative feedback , remember to stay calm
and ethical in your messages. When dealing with these types of
customers, acting in a professional manner can go a long way to
reaching your end goal: getting paid.
Once youve determined that trying to get payment is a hopeless
endeavor, be sure to block the deadbeats User ID so he or she is
unable to bid on any of your auctions. Also be sure to post negative
feedback before your 90-day period elapses. It is crucial to leave
negative feedback for someone in this situation; otherwise they can
continue to do this to other sellers.
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Scheduling Your Auctions for the Week

You can schedule auctions on either Auctiva or eBay. I usually
spend my Monday mornings scheduling all of my auctions for the
week. If I have similar items for sale, I schedule them a couple of days
apart so Im not cutting into my own profits (buyers can bid on either
of your auctions, which results in lowering the final price). Remember
to research which day your item is likely to sell for the highest price
(use my AuctionStats software) and schedule that auction 3, 5, or 7
days before that day. That is, if your best selling day is Wednesday,
schedule a three-day listing on Monday. Once youve scheduled your
auctions, all you have to worry about is answering questions and
shipping items.
One third of your workweek is done within the first few hours of
the week. How cool is that? An eBay business allows you that kind of
flexibility and freedom, so take advantage of it!
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Chapter 5
Payments
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Now its time to talk about my favorite subject: how you get
paid. Just because you sell something does not necessarily mean that
you will get compensated for it, as we touched on earlier. Minimize
your losses by making sure your payment systems are fully
operational and efficient. There are various ways a buyer can pay for
an item, but the most important one of all is PayPal.
What is PayPal?
PayPal is the industrys leading financial service website. It is
the safest and easiest way to pay and get paid for a transaction on the
Internet. Users can pay through the website in a number of ways,
including using credit cards, bank accounts, buyer credit, or simply
just using the funds in your account without sharing personal
information that can jeopardize their identity and financial security.
According to www.PayPal.com: PayPal has quickly become a
global leader in online payment solutions with more than 70 million
active accounts worldwide. Available in 190 markets and 19
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currencies around the world, PayPal enables global e-commerce

by making payments possible across different locations, currencies,
and languages.
PayPal was founded in 1998 and was acquired by eBay in 2002.

Since eBay owns this company, they make it incredibly easy to use
this payment method for your auctions. More than 90% of eBay
payments are completed through PayPal. Dont miss this boat. Many
buyers and sellers only complete transactions with verified PayPal
users. Lets walk through how to set up your PayPal account.
Creating an Account
Go to the website, www.PayPal.com, Click on the Sign Up
button underneath the account login box on the left. Select your
country and languagefor most of you those will be United States and
English. You can choose to create a Personal, Premier, or Business
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account. Personal accounts are for people who casually buy items
online; Premier accounts are for people who buy and sell online;
Business accounts are for merchants who use a company name. Youll
probably want to start with a Premier account.
The next page will require you to enter your personal
informatione-mail address, a password for PayPal, your name,
address, phone number, etc.
Before you submit your information, be sure to read over the
user agreement. As is the case with eBay or any other site, it is
important to know your rights and regulations when using this
website. Im not saying you have to memorize the entire agreement,
but it is worth understanding what you are getting into with PayPal.
Once youre done reading the user agreement, click the Agree
and Create Account button. PayPal will then send you a confirmation
email so you can confirm that you want to create an account. Open
the email they send you and click on the Activate Your Account link
provided. This link will bring you to the PayPal website where you will
be required to enter your password. Once you do this, your account
will be confirmed. PayPal will send you another email welcoming you
to their website and providing you with general information to get
familiar with the site.
Now you need to add your bank account information. Click on
the Unverified link on your Account Overview page . Its under
your name and above your PayPal balance. The next page will guide
you through adding your bank and verifying your account.
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Click Add Bank, then enter your banks full name and select
the account typechecking or savings. Enter the routing number and
account number. You can find these numbers on a regular check:
Once you click Continue, you are required to verify your bank
account. There are two ways to do this. One method is by logging on
to your online banking account. This is the simplest and quickest way
to get verified. However, if you do not have online banking, you can
verify your account another way. PayPal will make two small deposits
into your account within a few days. Check with your bank or look at
your bank statement and make note of the exact amounts. Return to
PayPal and enter the amounts on the Get Verified page. A little
more legwork is involved in this method, but PayPal does donate
about $.35 to your account. Cant beat free money! You are now ready
to sell with a verified PayPal account. Congratulations.
How PayPal Works
Now that youve set up your PayPal account, let me explain how
it works in conjunction with eBay. After someone has won one of your
auctions, they proceed to a checkout page. . If they choose to pay
using PayPal, when they click on the Pay Now button, they will be
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directed to log in to their PayPal account. Once theyve logged in and

completed the necessary information, theyll click Pay, and PayPal
will debit the money from their account and credit your PayPal
account. After youve received a cleared payment, you can print
shipping labels directly from PayPal! I will explain how to do this in
the next chapter. When you cash out your PayPal balance, the
money will be transferred to your bank account and will be available
to you in about three to four days.
Just like eBay, PayPal makes their money in fees, so it is
important to know what these fees are and how they can affect your
business. Here is the PayPal fee chart from www.PayPal.com:
Personal Account
Premier/Business Account
Open an account
Free
Free
Send money
Free
Free
Withdraw Funds
Free for bank accounts in

the U.S.
Fees for other withdrawal
options
Free for
bank
accounts in
the U.S.
Add funds
Free
Free
Free
1.9% to 2.9%
+ $0.30
USD
Receive payments
funded by PayPal
Balance, PayPal Instant
Transfer or PayPal
eCheck
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Receive payments
funded by Credit Card,
Debit Card or Buyer
Credit
4.9% + $0.30 USD (limit of

5 transactions per 12 month
period)** for domestic or
U.S. transactions
2% + applicable fees. Fees
for cross border payments
1.9% to 2.9%
+ $0.30
USD
4.9% plus $0.30 USD for

card payments received
using PayPal on Skype
Multiple currency
transactions
Exchange rate includes a

2.5% fee**
Fees for cross border
payments
Exchange
rate includes
a 2.5% fee**
Fees for
cross border
payments
These fees apply to U.S. users only.

** If your transaction involves a currency conversion, it will be
completed at a retail foreign exchange rate determined by PayPal, which
is adjusted regularly based on market conditions. This exchange rate
includes a 2.5% spread above the wholesale exchange rate at which
PayPal obtains foreign currency, and the spread is retained by PayPal.
The specific exchange rate that applies to your multiple currency
transaction will be displayed at the time of the transaction.
**Personal accounts may not receive payments funded by credit card,
debit card or Buyer Credit for eBay or eBay Express transactions without
upgrading to Premier or Business accounts.
Does not apply to Website Payments Pro or Virtual Terminal.
Business or Premier Account Fees
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Sending Payments
(excluding Mass
Payments)
Free
Sending Payments
through Mass
Payments
2% up to a maximum of $1.00 per recipient.
Receiving
Payments (applies
to all payments)
Withdrawing your
Balance
Standard rates:
2.9% + $0.30 for domestic payments.
3.9% + $0.30 for cross border payments.
Merchant rates (based on monthly transaction
volume and a one-time application):
1.9% - 2.5% + $0.30 for domestic payments.
2.9% - 3.5% + $0.30 for cross border payments.
Free to transfer to a bank*
$1.50 for a physical check*
*Plus the Exchange Rate & Fee if you are
converting currency.
Chargeback Fee
$10.00 unless you are protected by the Seller

Protection Policy.
Exchange Rate &

Fee
The currency exchange rate is determined by

PayPal based on the current market price and
includes a 2.5% Fee. This Fee only applies when
PayPal performs the currency conversion.
PayPal Debit Card Fees
ATM Withdrawal
U.S.
Signature
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$1.00
(Plus any amounts charged by the ATM
owner.)
$3.00 if a signature is required.
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Withdrawal
Non-U.S. ATM
Transaction
(Using an ATM
machine that is not
in the U.S.)
1%
This fee will apply even if the transaction does
not require a currency conversion.
Non-U.S. Debit Card

Usage
1%
(Making a purchase
from a seller that is
not in the U.S.)
Exchange Rate &

Fee
This fee will apply even if the transaction does

not require a currency conversion.
The currency exchange rate is determined by
PayPal based on the current market price and
includes a 2.5% Fee. This fee only applies
when PayPal performs the currency
conversion.
Additional Fees
$1.95
Credit Card
Confirmation Fee
This amount will be refunded when you

successfully complete the credit card
confirmation process.
$10.00 (per item)
Records Request
Fee
PayPal Plug-In
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We will not charge you for records requested in

connection with your good faith assertion of an
error in your Account.
1% for cross border payments even if a currency
conversion is not required.
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Benefits of PayPal
Another benefit of PayPal, in addition to making money
transfers quickly and painlessly, are its itemized transaction pages.
For every transaction you completed you can refer easily to the
invoice and other details you may need in the event of a dispute. It
also keeps you organized when doing your bookkeeping.
PayPal provides you with several kinds of protection. Your
credit card information is kept private so there is minimal
opportunity for fraud. And in the event of a dispute, it is simple to file
a claim. A majority of buyers will only deal with verified users, as I
mentioned earlier. Take advantage of the credibility afforded to you
by getting this designation.
Another key feature of PayPal is that you can set up monthly
transfers to pay your eBay fees automatically. If you do not pay your
fees, eBay has the right to suspend your account until the balance is
paid. Sometimes paying these fees can slip your mind, or maybe you
just dont want to think about them. With this feature you will never
get behind on your payments.
If you ever get tired of transferring money back and forth to and
from your checking account, you can apply for a PayPal debit card.
This allows your PayPal account to act as a checking account and
funds can be withdrawn directly from your account when you make
purchases. You can also set up a backup funding source so that you
can make debit card transactions when your PayPal balance isn't big
enough to cover the entire payment. I would not suggest doing this
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because it is too easy to accumulate debt. The idea of this book is to

make money, not borrow it!
Other Accepted Payments Methods
Although PayPal is preferred, I want you to be aware of other
ways to accept eBay auction payments. These other methods can be
useful in certain situations, so adding them to your arsenal can be
helpful. Besides, you wont have to cough up the money for PayPal
fees.
Credit Card You can accept credit card payments online
through a merchant account with your bank. You can also upgrade to
a business account with PayPal to accept one-time credit card
payments. However, every time someone completes a credit card
transaction through your merchant account, you are charged a fee.
Pay Upon Pickup Many items sold on eBay would cost

more to ship than the item is worth. Thats why some sellers post
Pickup Only in the shipping category. This means that the item will
not be shipped, and your only option is to pick the item up at the
sellers house or business. Items for pickup only are usually very
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heavy items like cars or furniture. Most sellers who list Pickup Only
items will want to receive payment, usually cash or money order, on
the spot. If you are selling one of these items, always state that you
only accept cash when they pick it up. [Youve just said this above.]
Other Merchant Accounts There are merchant accounts
other than PayPal that you can use to accept payments. The reason I
stress PayPal is because the company is owned by eBay, and 95% of
eBay buyers will only pay through PayPal because it is the most
secure site. I have never personally used other merchant accounts,
but there are plenty of companies, including Google, that people can
make payments through. Other examples are Charge.com and
MerchantExpress.com. Once you become a credible seller, however,
you wont need to worry about your acceptable payment methods
because users will always buy from you. Until then, I recommend
sticking with PayPal.
PayPal is by far my preferred payment method; however, it is
important not to limit your auctions to only PayPal users. Thats like
opening a restaurant and only serving people over six feet tall. You
may get enough customers for a start, but youre limiting the rapid
growth of the restaurant. Shorter people need food too! How else will
they grow? So be open to other payment methods but always be
smart about it. And the number 1 rule: make sure you have the money
before you ship an item!
Refunds, Claims, and Disputes
You cant avoid dissatisfied customers. Youre going to get some
no matter how great a business you run. Just accept it. A buyer may
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complain the item is not as described and wants a refund. Always give
refunds to anyone who wants one; I would rather get the item back
and sell it to someone else than take the chance of receiving negative
feedback or other types of trouble. Instruct the buyer to return the
item, and send a refund when its in your possession. Ill repeat that
again. Only issue a refund when you have the item in your hand.
PayPal actually demands that the item be in your hands before the
refund takes place, otherwise PayPal will not insure you anymore.
Some sellers say outright that they do not give refunds. Its
completely up to you whether you want to or not. However, if you
decide not to honor a refund request, the buyer can file a PayPal
dispute, which can result in a claim.
If someone files a dispute against you, PayPal withholds your
funds while you and the buyer try to resolve the issue. If its not
resolved within 20 days, the dispute is escalated to a claim. Once the
transaction reaches the claim stage, the funds are frozen and are in
PayPals hands. PayPal will contact both parties to hear each side of
the case. If PayPals investigation team finds in favor of the buyer, the
amount of the transaction will be refunded back to the buyer less any
fees due to you. If you win the case, PayPal will transfer the money
back to your account.
Dont Get Scammed
There are hundreds of eBay users out there trying to scam you
on an eBay transaction. One common tactic is they have you ship the
item to their friends address where they supposedly now live.
Never ever ship to an address that is unconfirmed on PayPal.
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Heres another scam tactic: they will ask you to ship the item
the instant they make the payment, and then right after they pay they
cancel the transaction. An easy way to avoid this scam is to wait 24
hours after the money clears in your account to ship out the item.
Another way to avoid scammers is to include this in your
auction: Any interested buyers with a 0 or 1 feedback score need to
contact me before bidding. Do this to make sure they know your
requirement to complete the transaction. It will also weed out a lot of
deadbeat bidders because 95% of them have a 0 or 1 feedback score.
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Chapter 6:
Shipping
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Now you know what items to sell, how to sell them and how to
get paid for them. Youre getting what you need, but what about the
buyer? You must ship their item in a timely, safe, and affordable
manner to insure the smooth completion of the transaction. Shipping
is always an annoyance to the seller. All we care about is seeing our
revenue totals grow higher than California redwoods. But we wont
have a business if our customers dont get what they order.
In my early eBay days, I was always a procrastinator. I would
put off shipments until the last possible minute. I really didnt care
that much about the customers getting their items. My main priority
was making money. And that is the worst possible attitude to have
when you own a business. The customer always comes first because,
without the customer, you have nothing. I soon felt the repercussions
of my selfish outlook and decided an attitude adjustment was the best
thing for my business and me.
Creating a Shipping Room
What can you take away from my mistake? Well, the best thing
you can do is stay organized, especially when youre selling hundreds
of items to hundreds of different people. Its very easy to get lost in
the shuffle and see your to-ship list piling higher and higher,
drowning your workspace with clutter. Thats no way to conduct
business.
Youre going to want to dedicate an entire room to your
shipping. Think of it as your personal warehouse, where you stash all
your merchandise No other work shall be done in your shipping
room. Remember, we need to stay organized.
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Next, gather all of the supplies you will need for shippingtape,
bubble wrap, labels, various sized boxes and envelopes. I use
www.usps.com because you can order free boxes, and their shipping
supplies are always professional-looking. Be sure to order small,
medium, and large boxes. Also buy shipping envelopes. These weigh
less than boxes and can still service medium-sized items. The less
weight, the less money you spend.
Now that you have your supplies, organize your shipping room
so you can package the items quickly and easily. Think assembly line.
Start off by placing your item in its box or envelope. Then move to the
taping station, and then on to the label station. Bing, bang, boom.
Youre ready to ship.
Packaging
There is no better sign that you are a professional than a
perfectly packaged item. Nobody wants to receive an item with sloppy
taping and crossed out writing all over the box. No matter how good
your product is, ugly packaging will still leave a bad taste in the
customers mouth. But appearance problems are nothing compared
to breakage due to lazy packaging.
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I once sold my old laptop for a decent price. It was about three
years old and slower than a tee-ball game. This thing literally took
about 45 seconds to load a page. I was truthful in the listing, and was
able to find a buyer who wanted to sell the parts. I sold it to him for
about $350not a bad profit. I packaged it in bubble wrap and
carefully placed it in a large USPS box. However, when the buyer
received the item, he claimed the laptop was damaged and wanted a
refund. I thought back to how Id packaged the item, and foolishly
remembered Id only bubble-wrapped the sides, leaving the corners
vulnerable. It was my fault, so I had no choice but to give a refund to
the buyer.
The heartache could have easily been avoided if Id taken the
time to carefully package the item. Instead, I rushed through it
because I just wanted to get rid of the darn thing.
The goal of your packaging process is to insure that the item
arrives in the customers hands in the exact condition you described
in the listing. Make sure all the sides are completely protected. Do not
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leave room for even the smallest scratch. Some buyers are extremely
particular about condition of the items they buy. Can you blame
them?
Try to limit the weight of your package because the heavier the
box, the more you pay for the shipping label. Bubble-wrap is the most
economical weight-saver because its cheap, light, and will protect
your item.
However, if youre using a flat-rate shipping box, there is no
need to worry about the weight. You may pay a little more for the box
itself, but you can save money if youre smart about it. Do use these
boxes for small, heavy items. Dont use these boxes for large, light
items.
Lastly, you want to recycle any packaging material you use. If
you buy something, save the boxes and bubble wrap because you can
always use it when you ship something out. I had an entire closet
dedicated to shipping boxes. It saved me the time and energy of
hunting for boxes around my campus.
Recycling
Be sure to recycle all your shipping materials. I dont mean the
recycling you did with beer cans in college. I want you to save all
different types of shipping material. Take the box that your new
basketball shoes came in, and put it with all the other boxes in your
shipping department. Good boxes are hard to find. Be sure to save all
the Styrofoam as well. Nothing says classy business like packing
peanuts. Everything has value, whether its monetary or not. Thats
the mentality you need to have when youre in the eBay business.
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USPS
The United States Postal Service is my favorite shipping
company. Theyre extremely reliable and provide tracking numbers
with every shipment. Their rates are reasonable and they deliver in a
timely manner. USPS is usually the cheapest shipping service and
allows you to use a variety of options.
Here are their rates as taken from usps.com:
Domestic Prices
Domestic Service
Average
Delivery Time
Starting
Price
Pricing Factors
Prices based on
weight and distance
Flat rate envelope
available!
Overnight,
most
locations
From
$12.60
Priority Mail
1 3 days
Prices based on
weight and distance
From $4.80
Flat rate options
available!
First-Class Mail
1 3 days
From $0.42
Prices based on
weight and shape
Parcel Post
2 9 days
From $3.67
Prices based on
weight and distance
2 9 days
Prices based on
From $2.23 weight (content
restrictions apply)
Library Mail
2 9 days
Prices based on
From $2.12 weight (content
restrictions apply)
Bound Printed
Matter
2 9 days
From $1.89
Express Mail
Media Mail
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(content restrictions
apply)
International Prices
International
Service
Average
Starting
Delivery Time Price
Global Express
Guaranteed
1-3 days
Express Mail
International
3 5 days
Pricing Factors
From
$29.95
Prices based on
weight and distance
From
$23.95
Prices based on
weight and distance
Flat rate envelope
available!
Priority Mail
International
6-10 days
From
$9.95
Prices based on
weight and shape
Flat rate options
available!
First-Class Mail
International
Varies
From
$0.72
Prices based on
weight and distance
Express Mail This is the USPS overnight shipping service. Its

pricey, so only use it when the customer pays top-dollar for the item
and needs it in a rush.
Priority Mail This is a fast and cheap way to get your item
delivered in about two days. Its the best option when youre willing to
pay a little more to get the item delivered quickly. Also, take
advantage of their flat-rate boxes when you can.
Priority Mail Flat Rate Options
Price
Discount
Price
Size
Priority Mail Flat

Rate Envelope
$4.80
$4.75
12.5" x 9.5"
Priority Mail Flat
$9.80
$9.30
11" x 8.5" x
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Rate Boxes
5.5"
11-7/7" x 33/8" x 135/8"
$12.95
Large Priority Mail APO/FPO
Flat Rate Box
destinations:
$10.95
$12.50
APO/FPO
destinations:
$10.50
12" x 12" x 51/2"
First Class Mail This is your trusty steed when shipping

lightweight items (13 oz. or less). Its the cheapest service and still
delivers within three days. When in doubt, go First Class.
Packages
Weight Not Over
Price
1 ounce
$1.17
2 ounces
$1.34
3 ounces
$1.51
4 ounces
$1.68
5 ounces
$1.85
6 ounces
$2.02
7 ounces
$2.19
8 ounces
$2.36
9 ounces
$2.53
10 ounces
$2.70
11 ounces
$2.87
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12 ounces
$3.04
13 ounces
$3.21
Large Envelopes
Weight Not Over
Price
1 ounce
$0.83
2 ounces
$1.00
3 ounces
$1.17
4 ounces
$1.34
5 ounces
$1.51
6 ounces
$1.68
7 ounces
$1.85
8 ounces
$2.02
9 ounces
$2.19
10 ounces
$2.36
11 ounces
$2.53
12 ounces
$2.70
13 ounces
$2.87
Priority Mail International This is your best option when

shipping internationally. Its fast, reliable, and an affordable way to
ship merchandise to over 190 countries. Prices vary based on weight,
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but flat-rate boxes are available. Take advantage of these when it

makes sense.
PayPal and USPS Another great benefit of shipping USPS is that you
can pay for your shipping labels through PayPal. It doesnt get more
convenient than this. There are no monthly fees or processing fees. Its the
best way to keep track of all your shipments, and you can save time with
pre-addressed labels taken directly from your buyers PayPal information.
After you receive a payment, click the Print Shipping Label
button on your Account Overview or History page to access the
shipping tools. From there, you can prepare your shipment in a
matter of minutes.
Choose a shipping carrier based on the information we
discussed earlier and fill out the necessary package information. It is
a good idea to invest in a scale so you can easily determine the
package weight.
Once a label appears, you can just print it, attach it to the
package, and drop it in the mail!
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A delivery confirmation number is registered with every

shipment so you can track the items delivery. You can also opt for
shipping insurance. Its a good idea to use this when shipping items
over $100 in value. I wish I had bought this insurance when I shipped
my laptop!
Another great feature is that you can schedule pickups and have
USPS pick up packages from your house. This is a great time saver
when there are no authorized drop-off centers in your area. As
always, the more time you save, the more money you make!
Other Shipping Services
If USPS doesnt do it for you, there are other reliable options
you can use. In fact, these services are often more reliable than USPS,
but with that benefit comes higher rates. I suggest using USPS for
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laidback, get-it-whenever customers, and use one of these options for

your need-it-now customers.
United Parcel Service UPS is the world's largest package
delivery company and a leading global provider of specialized
transportation and logistics services. As with USPS, you can schedule
a pickup and track the shipment. The price of shipping depends on
your zipcode and the weight of the package.
Delivery Commitment
Service
Same Day
Delivery time provided

when order is placed
UPS Express Critical
Next Business
Day
Delivery as early as 8:00

a.m.
UPS Next Day Air

Early A.M.
Next Business
Day
Delivery typically by
10:30 a.m.
UPS Next Day Air
Next Business
Day
Delivery typically by 3:00

p.m.
UPS Next Day Air

Saver
2 Business Days
Delivery typically by
10:30 a.m.
UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.
2 Business Days
Delivery typically by end

of day
UPS 2nd Day Air
3 Business Days
Delivery by end of day
UPS 3 Day Select
1-5 Business
Days
Delivery based on
distance
to destination
View U.S. Ground Maps
UPS Ground
1-5 Business
Days
Delivery based on the

UPS shipping service you
choose
UPS Hundredweight
Service
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I suggest using UPS Ground for routine deliveries because it

includes guaranteed day-of-delivery in the 48 continental states. UPS
also offers a full range of freight services for heavyweight shipments
more than 150 pounds. However, they do not guarantee delivery date.
DHL DHL is the leader of the international express and
logistics industry. They specialize in providing customers with
excellent customer service and can customize order transportation.
They offer the same features as UPS and USPS, but are more
expensive because youre paying for convenience and guaranteed
arrival times. DHL has a few surcharges that other services do not
have, such as a $3.00 pickup fee, and $1.75 residential delivery fee.
They do offer better rates for opening an account if you agree to ship
more than one package a month.
Federal Express Like DHL, FedEx offers excellent
reliability and customer service. They cater to small businesses, and
you can coordinate a shipping schedule with them. For packages of up
to 70 pounds, FedEx offers door to door same-day delivery, 365 day a
week including all holidays. FedEx is a good delivery option for rush
orders and they offer specific-time deliveries. They also offer freight
services for deliveries of up to 2000 pounds. However, there are
surcharges added to select zipcodes so make sure that additional cost
isnt being applied to your delivery.
Tracking Shipments
All of the shipping services I mentioned offer tracking numbers
that allow you to trace your package from shipment to delivery.
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Always keep your tracking numbers handy because customers will

often ask for updates on the deliveries. Many customers will ask for
the tracking number so they can do it themselves.
This tracking number is also proof that you shipped the item.
This is extremely important. Lets say someone opens a dispute
because they never received your item. The customers first thought is
that they were scammed. However, if you can provide the tracking
number to PayPalwhich will be requiredyou can prove that you did
in fact ship the item. PayPal will recognize this, and you will win the
dispute.
When I first started my business I was so excited that Id sold a
pair of shoes for a great profit that I never took the time to write down
the tracking number. I shipped it off assuming it would get there
within the week. I didnt care. I thought once it left my hands it was
the customers problem. Well, I was wrong. The customer never
received the package, opened a dispute, and won because I couldnt
provide proof of shipment. The customer got a refund through PayPal
and is probably wearing his pair of Jordans now with a big smile on
his face. Dont let this happen to you.
Pay the extra moneyalways less than a dollarand keep the
tracking number with the order. I would suggest emailing the
customer the tracking number even before they ask for it.
eBay Shipping Advice for Sellers
1.
Use USPS priority mail service for items under 15 lbs. within
the United States. The cost is similar to UPS prices but with
less shipping hassles.
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2.
Once you pick your primary post office, ask the clerk for a
Frequent Shipper card. This card will allow you to ship eBay
items without having the clerks look into each box. You
wont be able to receive one of these cards until you ship a
few items with them.
3.
Be sure to always overpack your eBay items. It doesnt

matter if youre selling a $2 item or a $200 item, the first
thing your buyer sees is the way you packed the item. By
packing your items well, you show the buyer you take pride
in your business. That makes you a credible seller.
4.
Use Styrofoam peanuts and/or packing paper as needed. I

use Kraft paper, unprinted newsprint, and peanuts in my
packaging. The peanuts won't prevent a heavy item from
shifting, but the Kraft paper will. This paper is also good for
light fragile items that would be damaged by compressing
peanuts around them.
5.
Make sure to use online shipping. This way your packages

are already paid for and ready to be shipped when you bring
them to the post office. This will save you several hours of
waiting at the post office each week. PayPal and USPS both
offer online shipping.
6.
Find cheap places to buy your shipping supplies. I usually

purchase from a packaging wholesale company or even
through eBay. Stay away from places like U-Haul and office
supply stores.
7.
When picking up shipping supplies, look through the

discount section of the store. I once bought 500 boxes I
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could use to ship out shoes for 25 cents a box. I dont like
spending money on boxes, but for 25 cents it was much
better then searching through dumpsters.
8.
Take advantage of the free priority boxes. Youre able to

order theses boxes online at www.usps.com, and they will be
delivered to your door. They also sell labels and packing tape
on the website. A good place for tape, labels and bubble wrap
is on eBay or Wal-Mart.
9.
Never use liquor or beer boxes to ship out items. Shipping

companies wont accept these types of boxes, and the box
may be returned to your own doorstep.
10. Be prepared when you arrive at the post office and make it
easy for the clerk to help you. Do this and they will provide
you with their best service.
11. Once you pick your post office, always use that post office to
drop your items off. You want to build a relationship with the
clerks. Building good rapport with a mail clerk can reap
some nice rewards. I was friends with my mail clerk at
college, and he would allow me to ship items after the
window was closed. I just had to knock on the door in the
back! Creating this relationship will also reduce your time
spent at the post office. When I was shipping off 100 items a
week, I was able to drop everything off on the side of the
building because the clerk knew everything was ready to go.
12. Find out if your post office will allow you to dump your
packages right onto the loading dock. Just throw them all in
a cart, and youre off to the races.
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13. One place to find good-sized boxes is behind restaurants.

There is usually a separate dumpster for cardboard only.
That keeps the boxes clean and they are usually folded up. I
always went to Starbucks because my mom managed the
store and would set aside all the boxes for me.
14. If you use international shipping, dont use priority mail
labels or supplies. It may slip past the clerk, but other postal
employees may have it sent back to your doorstep.
15. Never flip a Priority box inside out so you can ship with
parcel post rates. It looks cheap to your buyers and is
unprofessional. If they notice youre cutting corners, they
may not want to buy from you again.
16. Be sure to include your name and address along with a
printout of the auction that they won inside the box. This will
prevent any problems if your label falls off during shipping.
You may also want to thank your buyer again for purchasing
your items. Include a simple note like, Happy Holidays,
when the time is right. Small gestures can go a long way with
a customer.
Communication
Its important to keep the lines of communication with your
buyer open while the shipping process is underway. Even if you gave
them the tracking number, follow up with them about the shipment.
Dont think of it as overkill. Customers will always appreciate your
concern and will leave you positive feedback.
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Shipments do not always go smoothly; dont leave it up to the

buyer to take care of problems. The transaction is not complete until
the buyer is satisfied with the product. Only then can you stop
worrying. It is your responsibility to insure smooth delivery.
Sometimes a problem will arise and you have to contact the post
office yourself. Contact authorities immediately and keep your buyer
apprised throughout the process. They will appreciate that you are
including them in the loop and will often leave positive feedback even
if the delivery took longer than theyd expected. The best eBayers are
excellent communicators. Its what professionals do.
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Chapter 7
Wholesaling
and Drop
Shipping
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Now that youve learned the general strategy behind shipping

and handling, its time to learn how to drop ship and how to take
advantage of it.
What is Drop Shipping?
Drop shipping is basically selling items you dont have in your
possession. The manufacturer will ship the item directly to the
customer without you ever coming in contact with the item. By using
this strategy, you can save yourself a great deal of time and
headaches. Keep in mind; the luxury comes with a hefty price tag.
Heres how it works:
1.
Make an agreement with a manufacturer/wholesaler to have

them drop ship the items you buy directly to the customers
who purchase these items from you.
2.
List the items on eBay before you pay the manufacturer. This
insures that you will not be overstocked with unsold
merchandise.
3.
Once an item sells, you collect the payment as usual. This is

the retail price (selling price + shipping).
4.
Pay the manufacturer for the item and shipping costs. This is
the wholesale price (always lower than the retail price).
5.
Give the manufacturer the correct name and address of the

customer.
6.
The manufacturer will then ship the item to the customer.
7.
You pocket the difference (retail price wholesale price).
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Pretty cool, right? No headache of shipping the item, and no messy

storage rooms. However, its not always a walk in the park. Just like
everything else, things can and will go wrong. Its important to find a
drop shipping company that you trust and is reliable. Ive had issues
where the drop shipper mixed up the addresses and sent the wrong
item to two different customers. Resolving that issue was a
nightmare!
Given the risk involved, drop shipping may not be for you. Here
are the pros and cons, to help you decide for yourself:
Pros:
No storage space required.
No packaging and shipping required.
No trips to the post office.
No wasted money on shipping supplies.
You can reach agreements with suppliers to pay once for a
months-worth of shipping materials (payment plans).
Spend more time on other areas of your business.
Cons:
You are responsible for any shipping problems including lost
items, broken items, or bad packaging.
Low stock levels from suppliers.
You pay for the cost of labor per item.
Here is a list of websites where you can find wholesale drop shippers:
www.DropShipSites.com
www.Doba.com
www.DropShipDesign.com
www.DropShipDirect.com
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www.DropShipStore.com
www.Shopster.com
I used a wholesaler when I didnt have time to do the shipping
myself. We worked out a drop shipping deal, and it has been very
effective.
Drop shipping should not be used for all of your orders. Only
use it when you are buried in other projects, dont have the time to
package items, or you simply do not have enough room for storage.
Keep in mind that you will be spending more for drop shipping as
opposed to doing it yourself. Prices will vary from company to
company so choose accordingly.
To Drop Ship or Not to Drop Ship
Business is all about efficiency, and theres no better time-saver
than drop shipping. A lot of drop shippers will double as wholesalers
because they buy in huge volumes, allowing them to sell at a discount
(more on this later).
If you market your product properly and pay a low enough
price for it, you will do well in the drop shipping business. It gives you
the freedom to spend more time with your family and friends while
your drop shipper does all the dirty work. Many of your business
expenses will decrease because youll no longer need to buy shipping
supplies or rent a warehouse to store items. Your storing, packaging,
and shipping worries are overthats half your business!
If youve built a profitable enough business or your storage
space is limited, then drop shipping is an excellent weapon in your
arsenal. However, keep in mind you will take a cut in profit for this
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convenience. Since you do not actually see the item in person, it is

very important to find a credible drop shipper. Lets explore.
Choosing the Right Drop Shipper
Training is a crucial aspect of every business. Its success rests in
the hands of trained employees as they sift through the day-to-day
operations. In an eBay business, one of your most important
employees is your drop shipper.
Not all drop shippers are effective. In fact, I ran into problems
when I was in the jersey business. My drop shipper was very
inconsistent. He would ship a Peyton Manning jersey to someone who
wanted a Tom Brady jersey. I never had a clue until I received the
negative feedback! It is vital to find a company that takes pride in
pleasing your customers, which in turn pleases their customeryou.
I recommend asking for references before committing to a drop
shipper. Naturally, they will give you a satisfied customers contact
information, but at least you will gain a different perspective on the
drop shippers quality of service. Make sure to inquire about the
presentation of the items when the customer first receives them. The
company must complete each task in a professional manner. That
means proper packaging, timely shipping, double-checking the item
before its sent out, and making sure each product goes to the right
person. You need to take all of these qualities into consideration when
you are out searching for the right company. If you find a quality drop
shipper, order a selection of their products and have them shipped to
your door. If youre comfortable with their service, then have the
items sent to your customers.
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17 Tips for Analyzing Drop Shipper before Choosing One

1.
Are they integrated with eBay?
2.
Do they offer data feeds?
3.
Are they a blind drop shipper? [define]
4.
Do they allow you to use their pictures and descriptions?
5.
Do they offer price guarantees/matching?
6.
Do they offer brand name products?
7.
Do they offer educational training or multimedia sources?
8.
Do they offer sample products for you to test?
9.
Do they offer a toll-free number for customer service

support?
10. What types of payment methods are acceptable?

11. Do they have a good reputation with the Better Business
Bureau?
12. How quickly do they fulfill orders?
13. How much do they charge for shipping and are there drop
shipping fees?
14. Is there a minimum order requirement?
15. Does the supplier offer true wholesale pricing?
16. Are their products readily available and in stock?
17. Does the supplier offer a back-order system?
What is Wholesaling?
Many drop shippers double as wholesalers, as I mentioned
earlier. Wholesalers provide the main route for manufactured goods
to reach the retail market. They buy product in large quantities
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directly from the manufacturers and sell them in bulk to retail

businesses, who then sell the items individually at a higher (retail)
price. You have a better shot at winning the lottery than buying
directly from the manufacturer without a license and without buying
in huge bulk. This is because so many businesses dont have the
working capital to purchase such a high quantity from the
manufacturerthats why the wholesaling market is huge.
Wholesalers can provide goods from a wide range of
manufacturers across the world. There are specific wholesaling
companies that specialize in certain items. For example, an
electronics wholesaler will offer anything from cell phones to
computers. But some wholesalers sell only a particular item. For
instance, a computer wholesaler will only sell computers. Its better to
contact companies selling single items because they will give you the
highest quality items at the best prices.
How to Buy Wholesale
To buy or sell wholesale, you must obtain your resale tax
identification number, known as Wholesale License[Well, no, its not
explained above it just says to get one.]. Obtaining a license to large
scale trade shows often requires extensive paperwork proving
business location, volume purchases and business licenses.
The first questions to ask a wholesaler are the amount of their
minimum order and what amount is required for a re-order. This
amount can vary from $100 to thousands of dollars. It is important to
have a budget and stick to it because its extremely easy to get caught
up in the excitement of the market and overspend.
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When starting to sell wholesale, you are most often in the

position of salesman, either offering larger volumes to existing
customers or hitting the pavement to find new volume-buying
customers. If you can handle the volume, the same market centers
where you would purchase wholesale products may have temporary
vendor spots for specialty market days.
The key to buying wholesale is to remember that you are a small
business and your purchases need to reflect your business size. Don't
forget your niche, and target it carefully, offering a small number of
items that will not become dated. Starting small is the best way to
protect your investment and grow your business.
Here is a list of several wholesalers that double as drop
shippers. Note that these are just alternatives for you to research, and
I have not used their services. Some of these have free-trials, which I
highly recommend. Visit the websites for more details.
www.WorldWideBrands.com
www.Liquidation.com
www.Wholesalersnetwork.com
www.SunriseWholesaleMerchandise.com
ww.Wholesalecentral.com
www.jigsaw.com (directory)
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Here is a list of 85 different wholesaler and drop-shipping

companies. These are the top 85 companies in my belief that can
provide you with hundreds of thousands of product with top notch
service.
Wholesale & Drop-shipping Companies

1. Doba.com
Orem, Utah United States
A Drop-shipping source to wholesale products for small & medium businesses, that use
drop shipping to sell online without inventory hassles. Start for free.
2. Custom Sweatbands & Headbands - SerTop
Las Vegas, Nevada United States
Custom cotton personalized sweatbands, armbands and headbands. Try them at your
sport event, fund raiser, school team or as music band merchandise. These are the
perfect promotional product, fashion accessory, or marketing item. These terry cloth
sweat wristbands come with your logo or phrase.
3. ND Wholesale
Manhattan, Kansas United States
NO FEE FOR DROPSHIPPING!!! They are an established wholesaler supplying General
Merchandise, Toys, Automotive Tools & Hardware, Automotive tools, Musical
Instruments & MORE! LOW PRICES! LOTS IN STOCK-SHOP NOW OR CALL #785537-8732
4. Megagoods.com
Los Angeles, California United States
Online Drop-shipping and Wholesaler of Brand Name Electronics. They wholesale and
drop-ship Cellular Phones, Xbox 360, Sony, Panasonic, Video Games, Digital Cameras,
PS2, Xbox, Perfume, Audio Electronics and more.
5. Atlanta Leather
Marietta, Georgia United States
Atlanta Leather specializes in the manufacturing and wholesale of quality leather apparel
for Bikers. They also offer drop shipping services.
6. Mingzhou Oriental Imports, Ltd.
Cincinnati, Ohio United States
Theyre an importer 7 wholesaler in the US specializing in oriental furniture, home decor,
fine gifts, figurines, wood, crystals, souvenirs, pewter, jewelry, ceramics, antiques,
general gifts, glass, arts & collectibles. Experience the eastern culture, they drop ship.
Visit them at www.moriental.com
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7. Cheng's Trading Inc.

Carlstadt, New Jersey United States
They are importers, exporters and wholesalers specializing in footwear. They ship
nationwide and worldwide & do drop shipping.
8. Keen Int'l Group, Inc.
South El Monte, California United States
Spice up your life style with their attractive wind spinner, windsocks, wind wheels, wind
spirals garden figurines, solar power outdoor decor, metal wind spinner & more!!! All of
their products are imported directly from the factory, saving you more $ in cost means
you make more $ in profits.
9. Four Seasons General Merchandise
Largest Wholesaler Of General Merchandise, Dollar Store and Discount Items, Party
Supplies, Bath Products, Kitchenware, Health & Beauty, Hardware, Novelties, Gifts,
Stationery, Figurines, Baby Items, Toys & more. Over 10,000 items in 50 Categories!
Inventory updated daily! Disney & 50+ brands.
10. Sasser Distributing Company
Goldsboro, North Carolina United States
HCF Electric Scooters, top quality and affordable. Full parts line in stock and available at
low cost. Drive Belts, Controllers, Motors, Inner Tubes, Tires and more. HCF Pacelite
Scooters are easy to operate and easy to fold for travel and will be the scooter that last a
life time. Drop shipping available.
11. JME WHOLESALE
SAN ANGELO, Texas United States
CHECK THEM OUT!! They are a Wholesale Distributor of Knives, Swords, Daggers and
Collector Cutlery. Order as much or as little as you like. THEY DROP SHIP!!! Located in
San Angelo, Texas
12. 24hrWholesale.com
Fort Worth, Texas United States
Hundreds Of Popular, High Quality & High Profit Merchandise For Resale Online Or In
Your Store. Fashion, Gifts, Automotive, Clocks, Game, Fine Gifts, General Gifts, Home
Goods, Recreational, Sporting Goods, Hunting Knives, Fishing, General Merchandise
Overall & More. Fast Shipping & Great Customer Service at 24hrWholesale.com! They
have Drop-shipping.
13. Shopster.com - Dropship and E-Commerce Solutions
San Francisco, California United States
Get direct access to 1,000,000+ Products from world-class Drop-ship Suppliers! A full
Drop-shipping service and E-Commerce solution, with popular, hot-selling, brand-name
products at competitive prices. Also provide Electronics, health & beauty, apparel, and
jewelry. Sign up for a FREE 14-Day Trial.
14. Evergreen Marketing, Inc. Functional, Funky & Fun
Baltimore, Maryland United States
We have the Unusual & Unexpected: Neon Signage, Gags, Gift Basket Goodies, Mobile
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DJ up-sells, eBooks, Sexy Candy, Tattoo Sleeves, Point Of Purchase Displays, Jewelry,
Toe Rings, Baby Gifts, Chocka Ca-Ca, Patriotic & Fragrances. We offer drop-shipping.
15. Drop Shipping
Monroe, Michigan United States
Largest selection of Brand Name products at lowest Wholesale prices! All categories
including Books, Computers, Electronics, Fragrances, Health, Jewelry, Apparel, Outdoor
Equipment, Music, Pet Supplies, Software, Sports, Video Games, Videos, etc. Rated
16. byCASE.com
Fountain Valley, California United States
Wholesale Hot items, TV Games, Toys, RC Cars and RC Toys, Radio Control Toys,
Towels, Bathrobes, Balloons, Same Day Shipping, very low prices. They offer dropshipping.
17. R/C ARE US
Your direct source for Remote Controlled Helicopters and Planes. They supply the
HOTTEST products, the BEST quality and the LOWEST prices.
18. World Distributors
Chicago, Illinois United States
Importer & Distributor of General Merchandise. Great Deals on Watches, Collectibles,
Jewelry and $0.99 store items. They provide an online catalog with more than 3000
different items. Call or visit them for a full color 80 page catalog. They also carry adult
videos, DVD's & magazine packs. They offer drop-shipping. Call Toll Free 1-800-2510200.
19. Anchor Hardware
Brooklyn, New York United States
They are A Wholesale Of Tools Power-Tools Locks And Other Hardware. They Stocks A
Variety Of Items And Maintain A Large Inventory To Insure Rapid Delivery Of Your
Order. Their Experience In Dealing With A Wide Variety Items Guarantees You'll Get
Just What You're Looking For At A Very Competitive Price.
20. WWW.EZDROPSHIPPER.COM
Clearwater, Florida United States
EZDropShipper.com aka Salco Distributors LLC- Wholesale Distributors & Dropshippers
of "As Seen On TV" Products, Gift Baskets, H&B, & General Merchandise Pre-loads
web stores available, visit or call today 1-800-504-2209.
21. Direct Wholesale Products
Danville, Indiana United States
They specialize in Neon Signs, Lighters, C-store items, Novelties, As Seen On TV,
Airsoft and other unique items. They offer dropshipping.
22. Allfootwear
Miami, Florida United States
Great Quality Merchandise at Discounted Prices. Over 400 Styles Shoes Available In
Men Women And Children Sizes. Great collection of high quality imported perfumes for
men and woman. They offer drop-shipping. A color catalog is available upon request.
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23. Accessories with Style, Inc.

Plantation, Florida United States
Latest New Handbag Trends. See the newest trends of Fashion Handbags, Wallets,
Jewelry, Gifts, Perfume and more.
24. Bottom Line Wholesaler
Barefoot Bay, Florida United States
Wholesale supplier of thousands of quality gifts, dolls, figurines, ceramics, engraving &
etching collectibles, angels, patriotic, glass, pewter, nostalgic, oriental, crystal, porcelain,
general gifts, general merchandise & seasonal. No minimum order. They offer dropshipping, no drop shipping FEES! # 1 in customer service. Call 772-663-0126.
25. YMCtoys.com | YMC Import & Export Corp.
They specialize in Die Cast collectibles, Toys, Novelty, General Merchandise, Gifts,
Seasonal Items, Die Cast -Maisto Muscle Machines Motor Max Sunny Side Kinsmart
Toys - Dolls Radio Control Educational Beauty Sets General Merch. - Baby Items Locks
Calculators Novelties - Key Chains, Novelty Dolls and Glo.
26. Native Remedies
Boca Raton, Florida United States
True wholesale discounts from 55% off retail prices and higher! Native Remedies & PetAlive offer 100% natural herbal/homeopathic remedies for a wide range of conditions
and disorders for both people and pets. They also offer a no-fee dropshipping program.
27. BCA Distributing, LLC
Midlothian, Virginia United States
Distributor of grooming tools for men. As seen in Playboy, Men's Journal, and USA
Today, we carry quality nail clippers, grooming scissors, combs, brushes, trimmers,
tweezers and more from the ACE for Men line. THEY OFFER DROPSHIPPING!
28. TepTronics
New York, New York United States
Your one-stop electronics provider with solutions for car, home, mobile & marine. They
also carry As Seen on TV, Self-Defense Products and DJ Gear. They offer dropshipping.
29. Silver Wholesale of Myrtle Beach
Surfside Beach, South Carolina United States
Silver Wholesale directly Designs and Imports Fashion and Sterling Silver Jewelry,
Religous/Inspirational Jewelry, and Engravable Shells. Huge selection of Watches and
Totes at true Wholesale Prices! Drop-shipping Services Available.
30. V.J. Rendano
Cleveland, Ohio United States
Importer, Distributor & Wholesaler of a large variety of Musical Instruments, Accessories
and Musical Toys. Drop-shipping Available.
31. MIDWESTERN WHOLESALE
Lombard, Illinois United States
They offer some of The best selling gift products, home & garden decor & Much More At
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True Wholesale Prices. They Also Offer Weekly, Monthly and "Sizzling Hot" Specials.
No Minimum Purchases, No Membership or Monthly Fees! Drop-Shipping Service at No
Additional Cost. Live Customer Support 7 Days/Week!
32. Gift Basket Drop Shipping
Cape Girardeau, Missouri United States
Over 250 beautiful quality gift baskets and gifts shipped directly to customers with your
company name on the gifts and card enclosures. No set up Fees, No Minimums!
33. Scentimental Gifts, Etc.
Glen Saint Mary, Florida United States
Specializing in Aroma Fragrance Beads, Essential Oils, Fragrance Oils, Oil Burners,
Bath & Body Products, Fragrance Lamps, Reed Diffusers & Potpourri- Drop-shipping
available.
34. Go Natural - The ALL-IN-ONE Cosmetic - Seen On TV
Hottest Beauty Product this Year. Join over 500 retailers & distributors worldwide.
Imagine - 1 Single Product that's 8 Cosmetics in One AND 1 Shade works on All Skintones - Amazing. Now Offer a Full Line of Cosmetics with one product. Buy Wholesale
Manufacturer Direct. They offer drop-shipping!
35. EOS Trading Corp (dba Sale Stores)
Tel 305-652-0442. Fax 305-675-6412. They sell Consumer Electronics, Computer
Hardware & Supplies, Phones and Communications Equipment, Appliances, Office
Equipment & Supplies, Projectors & Cases, Security Systems, Office Furniture. Great
General Merchandise. Etailers, Wholesalers and Exporters. Serving their customers
since 1990. They offer Drop-shipping.
36. Digital Watchguard
Merrick, New York United States
Digital watch guard Inc is the complete source for video security, digital, and Network IP
based video products. They are a master stocking wholesale distributor of security
related electronics and offer drop shipping services for resellers. ***516-868-3600***
37. Wholesale Car Covers & Accessories, Inc.
Brooklyn, New York United States
The #1 Wholesale Car Cover droppers! They import and distribute their own line of
covers for just about anything on wheels or water. They also carry a full line of car
accessories to offer your customers! Contact them now and get started with a real
money making drop ship program!
38. TLC Worldwide
Mc Calla, Alabama United States
TLC Wholesale specializes in top quality leather products, including leather apparel for
men and women, motorcycle gear, luggage, handbags, wallets, Harley Davidson
products, Sunglasses, Goggles and other great gifts. They offer Drop-shipping. ***866891-7203***
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39. SAFETY TECHNOLOGY

Jacksonville, Florida United States
Sell Stun Guns, Pepper Sprays, Self Defense Products, Hidden Cameras, Spy and
Surveillance Systems and DOUBLE--or Even TRIPLE--Your Money! They drop ship and
can build you a website.
40. Drop Shippers with Wholesale Products | Doba.com
Orem, Utah United States
They combine over 200 suppliers totaling over 1,000,000 Drop Ship Products such as
Electronics & computer, video games, outdoor & camping, home, health & beauty,
apparel, jewelry, craft, general merchandise plus more all in 1 site and 1 account. It's an
easy and quick registration. Start for Free.
41. Sav-On Closeouts
Gwinn, Michigan United States
Your source for below wholesale, dropshipping and closeout merchandise, toys,
seasonal items, holiday items, novelties, dollar store items, baskets, figurines, fashion
jewelry, gift bags, plus liquidations as low as a penny! Over 1000 great offers with no
minimum order requirements or membership fees.
42. FragranceNet.com
Happauge, New York United States
Trusted since 1997 Fragrancenet.com carries over 11,000 genuine brand named
fragrances, skin care, hair care, aroma therapy & candles all at wholesale prices up to
70% off retail. Drop shipping available no fees.
43. CECT Cell Phone *Wholesale/Dropship: eBay - Amazon
Best deals for Brand new Unlocked CECT Cell phones from
www.cectcellphone.com.They are cect cell phones specialist. Our US registered
company: SIFSOF Global Trade, is present in China Hong Kong, Paris France.Call us:
1(323) 988-5889. They offer Drop-shipping, for Drop-shipping customers, to sell on
Ebay, Amazon.
44. FRESCOS dba 1wholesalejewelry.com
bainbridge, New York United States
Unheard of prices from Wholesale Jewelry company, handbags, general merchandise &
more. Established since 1974.
45. Real Action Paintball
Santa Clara, California United States
Manufacturer & Distributor of Military, Law Enforcement & Paintball Gaming Equipment.
OVER 1000 PRODUCTS IN STOCK - THEY DROPSHIP!!!
46. Commercial Bargains Inc
Waukesha, Wisconsin United States
Commercial Bargains is your Health and Beauty headquarters! Locate the best health
products, flat irons, hair irons, detox foot spas, detox foot bath,Ionic Cleanse, blow
dryers, hair straighteners and more! Also find out about anti-aging products. They offer
the most lucrative wholesale program!
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47. Center Stage Greetings Inc.

Clearwater, Florida United States
They are a Wholesale Distributor of factory fresh greeting cards, handbags, general
merchandise & other gift related merchandise. They offer DEEP DISCOUNTS on all
there products. DROPSHIPPING SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE!!
48. www.N1-DROPSHIPPER.com
TORQUAY, England United Kingdom
Worldwide Wholesale Shipping: PDA, Mobile Phones, Playstation 3, PSP, Nintendo,
Laptops,Ipods,Mp4,Mp3,USB FLASH DRIVES,PSP,iphone, plasma tv, GSM Watch
phones,Digital Picture Frames,Cellular phones tell : 00441803326883
49. Pacific Cellular Supply
Huntington Beach, California United States
Wholesale Distributor of OEM & Generic aftermarket cell phone accessories for wireless
and PDA retail stores, online stores & wholesalers. OVER 4500 READY-TO-SHIP
ITEMS with REAL-TIME Inventory. They are the largest wholesale accessory Dropshipper in the industry. Call or Email us today!
50. The Silver Box
Inman, South Carolina United States
Your Wholesale and Drop Ship Source for Sterling Silver Jewelry. Auctioneers and Web
Businesses Welcome! Wholesale Minimum Order is only $50.00. Great Selection of
Rings, Necklaces, Pendants, Earrings, & More!
51. Cornerstone Drop Shipping and Wholesale
Ft. Smith, Arkansas United States
Tired of the same old drop shipping problems? Cornerstone Drop Shipping is the leader
in the next era of drop shipping. We have eliminated backordering, never have to refund
an order again...We are also the only drop shipper to offer a one of a kind Auction
Template program. TRY US FREE!
52. Sassy Perfume
LARGEST SELECTION OF DESIGNER PERFUMES FOR MEN AND WOMEN.
53. 10 Stars Wholesale
Brea, California United States
Cosmetic Cases - Professional Cases - Jewelry Boxes - Jewelry Armoires - Train Cases
- from small stylish cases to professional cases that have wheels.
54. Mazer Wholesale
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States
They carry a wide selection of goods in dozens of categories including Housewares,
Hardware, Plastics, Tools, Painting Items, C-store Items, Dollar Store Items, Baby
Supplies, Stationery, General Merchandise and much, much more. Low minimum
orders, drop shipping, wide variety and quick shipping make them a source.
55. MCS Depot Wholesale Warehouses
Location, British Columbia Canada
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They drop-ship from their warehouses across the USA and Canada. They have a huge
inventory of Tools, Golfing Supplies, Lawn & Garden, Hunting Supplies, Toys, and more.
They provide quality products and selection at low prices. See their web site for details
and DEALS! Give them a call 416-944-8605 or email them at info@MCS.
56. Wholesale Auto Parts Car Accessories - MIMOUSA
Staten Island, New York United States
Manufacturer & Wholesale Distributor Of High Quality After-Market Car Parts &
Accessories. They Drop Ship All Your Automotive Products FREE Of CHARGE.
Products Such As Body Kits, Vertical Doors, Dash Trim Kits, Floor Mats, Etc. They Have
Dedicated Sales Representatives.
57. GoToBaby's Luxury Wholesale Baby Gifts
Nationwide, New York United States
They offer luxury baby gifts that sell great plain and many you'll be able to easily
embroider upon should your customers desire! See our lush Blankets, Robes, Roll Neck
Sweaters, Totes, Baskets, Burps & much more! Blind Drop-Shipping at No Additional
Cost. Call them Toll Free 1-866-510-Baby with any questions.
58. Your Wholesale Dropship Source
charlotte, North Carolina United States
Wholesaler & Dropshipper of Electronics, Ipods, Computers, Perfume, Apparel, Video
Games, As Seen on Tv, Tools & More. Thousands of Popular Products To Choose
From. No minimums, No Upfront Costs, Free Drop-shipping and Auction Tools. Custom
Automated Websites Prestocked With there Products.
59. National Dropshippers
Manchester, New Hampshire United States
OVER 100,000 PRODUCTS!!!! National Drop-shippers is your source for Drop-shipping.
More Products At Half The Price such as Luggage, Apparel and much more. Pre-loaded
Ecommerce Web Stores are now available. Go see what everyone is talking about
TODAY.
60. Smart Blonde
Phoenix, AZ and Seattle, Washington United States
They are Manufacturers and Distributors of Novelty License Plates, Signs, Decals and
License Plate Frames. We stock over 1600 items in 30 categories including a huge
military collection and offer custom manufacturing too - Great Pricing; Fast Turnaround.
Same Day Shipping, Drop-shipping, Discounts.
61. Vista Wholesale Inc
Greencastle, Indiana United States
They carry great products such as Airsoft, Novelties, Wind Chimes, Candle Warmers,
Licensed Fleece Throws and More! Drop-shipping Available!
62. PB Evolution
Puyallup, Washington United States
PBEvolution is a wholesaler of leather apparel and accessories with the "first-time"
business owner in mind. Free Shipping, No handling hassles, They send it to your
customers for you! Get out of the "Rat-Race". Great drop-shipping.
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63. WWT Group - PRICES ON SITE ARE RETAIL

Richmond, Virginia United States
Unique products. Cooling & Heating Seats for your car, Micro Super 1 button Car Jack,
DigiWrench, Auto Jump Starts, EZ Lug, NoCord Rechargeable Shaver. CALL FOR
WHOLESALE PRICING. THEY DROPSHIP.
64. Swiss Outpost
Natick, Massachusetts United States
In Business Since 1972, Swiss Outpost Is The SUPERSITE For Genuine SWISS ARMY
Knives, Watches And Perfumes. They Also Do Drop-shipping.
65. Blossom Scented Candles
Mobile, Alabama United States
Candles made from real soy! Many colors and scents available smell the fragrance with
all natural Blossom Scented Candles! Fast sellers high profit!
66. Wholesale Buyout
Gautier, Mississippi United States
OVER 10,000 ITEMS. They supply many types of retailers such as: grocery,
convenience, drug, houseware, hardware, office supply, party supply, gift, floral,
hispanic, special and or dollar store. There customer service and international
distribution departments aid customers in a timely and professional manner & they dropship.
67. Lehman Partners
They Are an Established Liquidations Company, Offering Great Deals on Tons of
Professional Hand Tools! Come Check Them Out Every week For New Savings! All
Tools Are Repackaged & In Excellent Condition, Buy With Confidence! Currently
Offering Combination Wrenches, Screw Drivers, Sockets
68. Wholesale Automotive Keychains
Minneapolis, Minnesota United States
Distributor Of Licensed Keychains. They carry Keychains Licensed For Automotive
Companies, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA & NASCAR. They have Drop-shipping
Available. Give Us A Call 952-935-4192. Or Visit Them Today.
69. Sunrise Wholesale Merchandise
They DROPSHIP! Thousands of gifts, including Christmas holiday & seasonal gifts,
brass, glass, home & garden decor, toys, candles, angels, pewter, dolls, statues,
figurines, kitchen, office, tools & more. Resell for big profits - make money today! Great
general merchandise.
70. www.SELECT-WHOLESALE DROPSHIPPING BRANDS
Torquay, England United Kingdom
SIMPLY THE BEST - Wholesaler & Dropshipper of Electronics for Auto, Home
Entertainment, MP3, Video Games, Cameras, Computers, Cellular and more.
71. Pathway Electronics - Wholesale Electronics
Paterson, New Jersey United States
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Wholesale Consumer Electronics, Car Audio, Digital Cameras, Computer Electronics,

MP3 Players, Bluetooth Products, MP4 Players, Spy Cam, Video Games, and more..
They DROP SHIP!
72. International Wholesale & Drop Shippers Corp
Springfield, Missouri United States
Direct Importer of Home Dcor, Gifts & Collectibles. Worldwide Distributor for Enesco,
Roman, Encore, Blue Sky, & VanGroup w/ Licensed Products from John Deere, Coke
Coca Cola, Jim Shore, & more. Established 1992. 1-800-216-1970. FREE DROP SHIP
PROGRAM!
73. ClothingIsland.com
All there Clothing is guaranteed to be first Quality. They guarantee there items to be of
highest quality standards of the industry. Call today. Lowest Prices on Denim Jeans,
Womens Tops, Skirts...."The more you buy the more you save" They DROPSHIP! 800652-8275
74. Weddingstar
Dunmore, Alberta Canada
Weddingstar offers a large range of bridal acccessories. They are an idustry leader and
offer stylish and unique items. You can see there complete line at www.weddingstar.com
-- website is in reatil pricing -- your wholesale would be less 50% Contact Paul Baker
weddingstar@cogeco.ca
75. S&S Vegas Distributors
They are a wholesale distributor supplying many ebay powersellers, flea market dealers,
individual wholesalers, retailers and premium users with a variety of wholesale products
at the lowest prices. They drop-ship leather goods, jewelry, electronics, & much more
general merchandise.
76. CUTTING EDGE PRODUCTS, INC.
Winterville, North Carolina United States
They are a Importer/Manufacturer of Streetwise Security Products: they carry 900,000
Volt Stun Gun, 17% Pepper Sprays, Small Electronic Gadgets, Can Safes, Laser
Novelty Products, Alarms, CCTV and Dummy Cameras. LOWEST WHOLESALE
PRICES. THEY DROP SHIP and can create a website for you. Call them at 800-4970539 or visit them at www.CuttingEdgeProducts.net
77. Brook Textiles
Chattanooga, Tennessee United States
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTOR OF Blank Active Wear. They Sell Graded Irregulars and
Closeouts from GILDAN, ANVIL, FRUIT OF THE LOOM, Jerzees, MJ SOFFE,BADGER,
BELLA and private labels. There stock includes T-Shirts,Sweatshirts,Tank Tops, Shooter
Shirts, Shirts,Tye Dye,Junior and Missy Apparel and more.
78. York Marketing Ltd.
York, Pennsylvania United States
JUST ADDED!!! "Terry Toppers"--the world's most absorbent sweatbands-REVERSIBLE, REUSABLE--REMARKABLE!! Also feature the kewl line of "TUFF
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NOUGIES" protective headgear!!! GREAT ITEMS such as batteries, baby products,

general merchandise overall & much more for "swap meets' & flea markets--check.
79. www.RafaelTools.com
Paramount, California United States
RAFAEL WHOLESALE TOOLS is exactly what the name says. Come in and check
there new LOW PRICES. They provide quality automotive tool products at wholesale
prices. They have drop-shipping. There family-owned and operated company has been
in business for over 20 years. Call Tool free 800-704-2120 or 562-408-0330.
80. www.RafaelTools.com
Paramount, California United States
RAFAEL WHOLESALE TOOLS is exactly what the name says. Come in and check
there new LOW PRICES. They provide quality automotive tool products at wholesale
prices. They have drop-shipping. There family-owned and operated company has been
in business for over 20 years. Call Tool free 800-704-2120 or 562-408-0330.
81. Martial Imports
Memphis, Tennessee United States
They are a drop-shipper of Swords, Knives, Collectibles, Home Decor, Biker Jackets,
Biker Accessories, Drop Shipper, Airsoft, Sporting Goods.
82. A 2 Z PERFUMES INC
New york, New York United States
A 2 Z Perfumes Inc Is The Leading Wholesaler Of The Widest Selection In Current
Designer Fragrances & Colognes. They Can Ship Your Order 24 Hrs. They Offer Free
Shipping On Orders Over $5000.
83. Cathy's Concepts
Indianapolis, Indiana United States
Cathy's Concepts is a leading wholesale manufacturer and distributor of gifts for all
occasions, personalized gifts, wedding accessories, spa accessories and novelty
apparel.
84. GLOBAL CRAFTS - Unique Fair Trade Artisan Gifts
Edgewater, Florida United States
1000 Plus Unique Artisan Products + 60% plus Margins + Great Artisan Stories = Old
Fashioned Good Business ! FREE SHIPPING on ALL $500 Domestic orders. Try there
Starter Kit - delivering 60% Gross. Fast Shipping. No minimums. Call Toll Free
1.866.468.3438. GlobalCraftsB2B.com
85. MeDropship.com
Marietta, Georgia United States
Wholesale Dropship supplier of Collectibles, Swords, Daggers, Knives, Self Defense, &
General Merchandise. New Products added Weekly. Great Service, Great Prices,
Shipped Direct to your customer! You always know your profit with MeDropship.com
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Chapter 8:
eBay Motors
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When youre ready to move up in the auction world, you can

take advantage of eBay Motors. Its just like other eBay auctions
except its for buying and selling cars (and car parts). Im not just
talking about your 1975 Pinto. You can find anything from mopeds to
trucks to luxury sedans, new or used. On eBay Motors, a Corvette sells
every three minutes!
I had a two-door Jeep Wrangler that I was trying to get rid of at
the end of a summer because I didnt want to go through another
winter in the Northeast freezing my butt off. I put it at the end of my
driveway with a For Sale sign on it. I was only looking for $1,200
because it had 160,000 miles on it and some wear and tear on the
body. It sat at the end of my driveway for three weeks and not one
person showed any interest in buying it. So I took the For Sale sign off
it and washed it from front to back. I made it look three years newer
by adding a little wax to the body and vacuuming and scrubbing down
the inside. I took 24 pictures of the Jeep and wrote up a detailed
description, then posted it on eBay for seven days with a starting
price of $999.99. I was shocked when I saw that it sold for $2,150.00
to a man in North Carolina. He flew up the following weekend, paid
me cash for the Jeep, and drove it home. Its important to note a
couple differences between eBay Motors and regular eBay auctions:
Vehicles and Parts Only Anything with a running engine
can be sold on eBay Motors, even boats. But sell your toy cars on
eBay; only sell your real cars on eBay Motors. You can also sell
mechanical parts of vehicles.
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There are hundreds of sellers who make a living selling car parts
on eBay Motors . Lets say youve bought a broken-down car for
$1,000. Sure, the car doesnt work, but you can still make money on
it. You just need to know how to do it! You could sell the transmission
for $600, the carburetor for $300, the tail pipes for $200youre
already ahead by $100 and thats only three parts!
Its all about having a niche and exploiting it. If youre a car guy,
sell car parts. If your specialty is boats, sell boat parts. If youre a
computer whiz like my brother, sell computer parts (but not on eBay
Motors). I once met a fellow eBay seller who bought bicycles, took
them apart and sold them piece by piece. He would profit $500 to
$1,000 because he knew the exact price each piece would sell for on
eBay. Thats where you want to be. Once you can spot an item for sale
and instantly know how much profit you can make, youll be skipping
down the golden brick road to financial success before you know it.
eBay Motors Fees With higher prices come higher fees.
Here are some of the basic fees you will encounter on eBay Motors:
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Fees on the First Four Listings in a 12-month period*

Category
Insertion
Successful
Reserve
Fee
Listing Fee
Fee
Cars & Trucks,

Other Vehicles
$0.00
$125.00
$7.00
Motorcycles
$0.00
$100.00
$7.00
Powersports
$0.00
$100.00
$7.00
Powersports
Vehicles Under
50cc
$0.00
$10.00
$2.00
*Vehicles that are re-listed using the official eBay Re-list feature do
not count towards the listing count.
Fees Starting with the Fifth Listing in a 12-month period**

Category
Insertion
Fee
Successful
Listing Fee
Reserve
Fee
Cars & Trucks,

Other Vehicles
Motorcycles
$20.00
$100.00
$7.00
$15.00
$80.00
$7.00
Powersports
$15.00
$80.00
$7.00
Powersports
$0.00
$10.00
$2.00
Vehicles Under
50cc
**All other fees (PayPal fees and all other optional listing upgrade
fees) still apply.
Finding Great Cars to Sell

Selling cars on eBay is an excellent way to make tons of money
in a short period of time or over the span of a successful career.
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Essentially, youre an online car salesman. Buy a car, fix it up, and sell
it for a profit. Sometimes you dont even need to fix up a car because
the profit you will make without doing it will outweigh the time and
effort of replacing old parts. If done correctly, this strategy is the
cash cow of eBay; let me show you how to do it. There are three
effective strategies that you can implement in your business. You can
buy used cars on Craigslist.com, attend car auctions, or simply search
eBay for great deals.
Craigslist As discussed earlier, this website is essentially an
online flea market with people posting ads for anything. Theyoften
only accept cash. The Craigslist car market is huge. Instead of posting
ads in the newspaper, sellers will put their cars up for sale on this site
mainly because its free and easy. As a buyer, you can filter the ads by
price, make, model, and year. On average, 250 car listings are posted
on Craigslist each day.
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Since anyone can post their ads, the possibilities of finding a

gem are good. However, with the large market comes large risk. Be
careful of people trying to dump their broken down cars on you. It
happens a lot because most people will only test drive the car around
the block. It may pass that test but then a week later, the car
completely falls apart, and all youre left with is a steering wheel. The
moral of the story: always get the car inspected before you buy. Its
worth paying the extra cash. Trust me.
Car Auctions There are three types of car auctions: local,
national, and repossession. Before attending, its important to check
the current eBay market value of the car you hope to purchase. This
will give you an idea of how much you have to bid. Remember, do not
get caught up in bidding. Have a set dollar amount you want to spend
and dont go a dollar higher. Most auctions require a dealers license,
but Ill touch on that later.
1. Local Auctions You wont find as many cars available at
local auctions as you will on Craigslist. However, a great
advantage is that few people attend these auctions. This
means you have a great chance of winning the auction at a
great price, but your chances of finding a worthwhile car are
slim. Check the local newspapers for auction dates. There
should be detailed information listed. Some specialized
vehicle newspapers and magazines might even publish a list
of the vehicles at the auction. Check the lists before attending
to avoid wasting your time.
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2. National Auctions These auctions are usually held once

or twice a year in big cities. They draw high-end car
enthusiasts who are willing to pay top-dollar for certain cars.
You will most certainly need a dealers license to attend, but
you will be able to buy excellent cars at solid prices. The
National Auto Auctions Association (www.naaa.com) gives
detailed information about upcoming auctions, You need to
be a paying member to attend their auctions. Examples of
national auction providers are Manheim, ADESA, COPART,
and QCSA.
Bottom line: Unless you are willing to pay over $10,000 for a
car, I would suggest sticking with the local auctions and with
Craigslist.
3. Repo AuctionsThese auctions are held by the local police
department or other government agency. These are the cars
that have been repossessed either for non-payment or
because their owners are in legal trouble. It may sound
creepy to buy the car of someone who may be a convicted
felon, but you can make great money here. The government
just wants to get rid of the car. Any money they make is
profit. Cars typically sell for 50% to 90% off the market value
at these auctions! Government seized-property or surplus
auctions are held all over the country at various locations
and on various schedules. Typically an auction is held at a
particular location on a regular basisusually monthly,
quarterly, or annually. Local and national newspapers often
have listings and details. I suggest finding out for yourself by
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contacting the police department or government agency

directly. You can also subscribe to /www.gov-auctions.org/
and have them do the legwork for you. Its a one-time fee of
$40. If youre a serious car-buyer, its worth the fee because
they offer information on what to do before, during and after
the auction.
4. eBay Motors As Ive said before, there are so many bad
listings and inexperienced sellers on eBay that finding a deal
can mean hundreds or thousands of dollars in profit. Be sure
to read the entire listing before buying a car at an eBay
auction for resale. As with other sources, people are always
willing to deceptively sell you a lemon. Do a background
check on every car by searching the Internet or asking a
specialist in the car industry. Unfortunately you cannot get
these cars inspected or even see them in person, so there is
an especially high risk involved. I would suggest only using
this strategy if you are experienced and knowledgeable about
cars.
Do I Need a Dealers License?
A dealer's license will be required if you buy or sell five or more
vehicles in a 12-month period. The law states that if you are in the
business of buying, selling, brokering, or otherwise dealing in
vehicles, you need a dealers license. In the law, this refers to: any
vehicle required to be titled, motor vehicles, trailer coaches, and
trailers weighing over 2500 lbs.
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Licensing fees are typically around $160. Your state needs to

approve and zone your location, so there is no guarantee that you will
receive a license. It can be a tough process and is not for everyone.
Bottom line: If you are serious about wheeling and dealing cars
for the majority of your business, get a dealers license. But if you only
want to sell a couple of cars a year, then you can get by without one.
Keep your objective in mind: You are finding these great deals
and marketing them to the entire world, unlike Craigslist and live
auctions, which can only market in their immediate areas. Keep this
thought in the back of your mind. It will certainly put your goals in
perspective when youre bidding on cars.
Know It All on eBay Motors
The more you know about eBay motors, the more cars you will
sell. Familiarize yourself with how it works before you start making
reservations for your next vacation. Theres a lot of money to be made
in this industry, but one mistake can cost you hundreds, if not
thousands, of dollars. The Vehicle Purchase Protection Program
offered by eBay will help minimize your losses and offer some peace
of mind.
Vehicle Protection Program The eBay Motors Vehicle
Purchase Protection (VPP) program provides protection of up to
$50,000 per vehicle against certain losses associated with fraud. eBay
automatically enrolls you into the program at no charge when you
purchase an eligible vehicle on eBay Motors.
However, it is extremely important to understand that VPP is
not an insurance policy. You are reimbursed only under specific
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circumstances as outlined in the Terms and Conditions of the Vehicle

Protection Program page on the eBay Motors website. It is imperative
that you understand the program so you do not lose out on any
credits toward your account.
Bottom line: You still need to complete the proper research
before buying a car.
Condition Guarantee by Seller This policy means that
you are required to deliver the car in the exact condition that you
described in the listing. If the buyer feels the condition is inconsistent
with how you described it, they have the right to open a dispute. Be as
clear and detailed as possible when describing your car, just like any
item you sell on eBay. Mention any nicks or scratches and take
pictures of the problems so the buyer is not in for any surprises.
Vehicle Inspection Inspections are always a necessity
whether you are buying or selling a car. It gives a professional seal of
approval to the car, which gives the buyer confidence. eBay Motors
recommends arranging your inspection through SGS Automotive. Its
$99.50 for most vehicles and offers inspections nationwide with 24hour turnarounds.
Vehicle History Report This report will tell you the history
of the car you are interested in buying. It will reflect any major
problems with the car that result from it having been stolen, had the
odometer rolled back, or been used as a taxi. These are all need-toknow facts about a car before you place that bid. A single report costs
$7.99 through eBay Motors and is a worthwhile investment.
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Selling Your Car

Now that youre familiar with the ins and outs of eBay Motors,
you can begin to create your listing. Make your headline catchy and
professional. Save the details for the description.
When describing your car in the listing, use as much detail as
possible. Describe in exquisite detail. Believe me, you dont want
someone to pay $5,000 for a car, and then later have to issue a refund
because there was a tiny scratch that you didnt report. People are
nuts, and they will put you through the headache just to pinch a
penny.
So be sure to explain every defect. Your car will actually sell for
more, because people will know exactly what they are getting and will
perceive you as a credible seller. It takes integrity to tell potential
customers there is something wrong with your product, but they will
admire and respect that about you.
Give a full description of how the vehicle runs, its age, and any
work that has been done to its interior and/or exterior. Include the
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) so the bidders can run a history
report on the car. Lastly, be sure to let the buyer know that you accept
financing options. This will definitely increase the number of bidders.
I will discuss these payment options later.
Pictures
As with any item, pictures are more valuable than words.
Provide as many pictures as eBay will allow. The quality of the
pictures is even more important here because you are dealing with
high-priced items. Now is your chance to become a professional
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photographer. Get creative with your angles so you can maximize

your cars appearance. A high-quality picture can result in hundreds
of extra dollars. I recommend including at least 12 pictures of every
car you sell including a picture of the title. This will increase the
bidding.
Shipping
Delivering a car is unlike any shipping methods you have ever
dealt with before. Shipping a car across the country is a bit more
difficult than mailing a letter. Your best option is to ask the buyer to
pick up the car. This will save them money and you hassle.
However, sometimes that option is not available. eBay Motors
recommends you use Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS) because they
are reliable and offer discounted rates to eBay members. You can
arrange for DAS to pick up the car, or you can drop it off at any of
their 95 locations across the country. With DAS, you can ship a car
from Manhattan to Los Angeles for as low as $715. Go to
www.das.ebay.com to learn more and to set up a shipping schedule.
Payment Options
There are several payment plans that offer financial flexibility to
buyers for high-ticket items. For example, if you sell a car for less
than $5,000, you can state in your description that you want the
money in full within ten days of the auction ending. If you sell a car
for more than $5,000, then you can state that you want a 10% down
payment within five days of your auction ending with the full amount
to be paid within 30 days. If your buyer chooses this option, they are
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required to find a loan company that will provide them with the
money to pay you on time. PayPal is always the best option for down
payment transfers.
eBays Financing Center will provide you with all of the options
for your specific situation. Heres how it works:
1. Answer a few simple questions about your
desired loan amount, your state of residence, and
the type of vehicle purchasing.
2. Click the "Continue" button to be directed to the
appropriate lender.
3. Complete a credit application on the lenders
secure Web site. (Your loan is a confidential
contract between you and the lender. Your
personal information is not shared with eBay.)
A cautious approach is to use an escrow company for your
pricey items. These companies reduce the potential risk of fraud by
acting as a trusted third party that collects, holds, and distributes
funds as needed. Protection is given to both the buyer and seller.
Buyers can receive and inspect the merchandise before the seller is
paid, and sellers receive their money when the buyer accepts the
merchandise. Use www.escrow.com because they work directly with
eBay and are familiar with these kinds of transactions.
That wraps up my section on selling cars. Dont make it more
complicated than it is. Follow my strategy for finding deals on cars
because thats where you make your money. Once you find your deal,
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the car will practically sell itself. All you need to do is describe it
accurately, make sure it gets shipped on time, and keep an open line
of communication. Do this and you will be sailing a yacht into Rio de
Janeiro in no time!
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Chapter 9:
Buying and
Selling Real
Estate on eBay
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How to Give 147 Million People Access to Your Property

Although a variety of treasures can be found of eBay, many
people are not aware that you can buy and sell real estate on the site.
The reality is that eBay offers a huge opportunity to both find and
promote properties for sale, reaching far beyond your local market to
millions of potential buyers and sellers worldwide.
According to the National Association of Realtors, almost 80
percent of all real estate buyers use the internet as their first resource
when searching for a property. And, almost 30 percent of all
properties that are purchased were first seen on the internet.
As a seller in todays real estate market, it is imperative to
promote property both inside and outside of your local area. Since
eBay is known as the worlds leading marketplace for online goods
and services, it makes sense to use the power of eBay to look for and
promote property. Real estate advertising services on eBay are offered
by eBay Real Estate Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of eBay,
Inc.
Many real estate investors especially those who buy and sell
property regularly have begun using eBay as an exit strategy in their
investing, as well as making it a part of their overall marketing
strategy.
Using eBay to promote property for sale can provide you with
some real advantages over the traditional means of marketing real
estate. Oftentimes, buyers in other cities and states may be interested
in purchasing property as a home or investment. Even potential
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buyers from other countries can learn about your property if it is

listed for sale on eBay.
In fact, eBay has the ability to promote property to over 147
million potential buyers often at a cost that is less than advertising
in your local newspaper. Each month, on average, over 4,300
properties sell on eBay Real Estate.
Since eBay can be accessed from anywhere there is an internet
connection, the site gets over 20 million visitors per day. This results
in an average of $86 million dollars changing hands via eBay every
day. Therefore, because eBay is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
your property ad is always working for you. In fact, every single day,
there are over 370,000 eBay real estate page views.
eBay Real Estate isnt just used for selling houses. You will also
find a variety of other types of property listed on eBay, such as:
Land
Commercial Property
Condominiums
Farms
Manufactured Homes
Mobile Homes
Timeshares
Vacation Rentals
Lodging (i.e., hotels, vacation homes for rent, cabins, etc.)
In addition to physical property for sale or rent, you can also

offer private mortgage notes on eBay. These mortgage notes, created
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when a purchaser of real estate obtains all or a portion of the

financing from the seller, may be sold to a third party. In this case,
eBay requires that the mortgage note must be in existence due to an
official real estate transaction. And, the interest offered to buyers
constitutes the entire note. All mortgage notes are required to be
listed only in the Other Real Estate category.
One thing that is not permitted is selling an undivided interest
in a land real estate property. An undivided interest is defined as a
partial interest by two or more people in the same property.
There are many different ways to offer your property for sale on eBay.
These include auctioning the property itself, auctioning the down
payment amount, and setting up an eBay classified ad to promote the
property and collect potential leads.
In addition, you dont have to just offer your property for sale
on eBay. There are many types of strategies you can be involved in.
You can use the site to rent out a property, lease option it, sell it with
other types of owner financing such as a land contract or wraparound mortgage, sell it using a straight out sale or auction, buy-itnow, or to wholesale or assign your real estate deals.
If you are a real estate agent or investor, yet another advantage
of using eBay Real Estate is that it can help you to build a large
database of potential buyers. With potentially thousands of people
looking at your eBay real estate listings, over time you will generate a
large number of prospective buyer leads. You can keep those leads
and follow up with them to promote your future property listings.
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The Legal Role of eBay Real Estate

It is important to note that regardless of how you offer your
property on eBay, the role of eBay Real Estate is limited to hosting the
ads by real estate sellers, and to providing a venue for
communications about properties. Therefore, eBay Real Estate is not
responsible for, and it does not engage in, the actual selling or leasing
of the properties that are posted on the website. And, it does not act
as a multiple listing service, or MLS, in the manner that term is
traditionally used.
In addition, although there can be bidders and sellers of
property on eBay, the website does not counsel buyers or sellers, nor
does it show properties, negotiate sales contracts, or hold a position
of trust or confidence.
Even though you may have a property listed for sale on eBay,
there is not a traditional real estate brokerage relationship or any
agency or fiduciary relationship. Therefore, eBay Real Estate does not
make any representations about the properties that are advertised on
eBay, nor about the sellers or the buyers of these properties or the
information provided by either party.
Any seller of property on eBay who is a licensed real estate
agent or broker must ensure that their property description conforms
to all of the laws and regulations that are applicable to other online
advertising of property, including your name as a licensee, any firm
with which you are affiliated, your office location, and the
jurisdictions where you are licensed.
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In addition, when selling real estate, many jurisdictions also

require that you provide a disclosure statement to any prospective
buyers regarding the condition of the property.
As a buyer of real estate on eBay, you are still advised to perform any
due diligence that you would normally undertake when purchasing a
property in the traditional fashion.
A good way to think about eBay Real Estate is as that of an
advertising medium used to promote or find property for sale, yet
holding no legal responsibility as to the actual condition of the
property or the consummation of the sale.
In any case, no other medium of advertising will get your
property listing in front of more potential buyers worldwide for
anywhere near the reasonable cost of promoting a property on eBay.
Conversely, few if any, websites allow you the opportunity to search
for potential property worldwide, with such direct access to the seller
(or their agent) as you will find with eBay.
I. Set Up Your eBay Account
Prior to doing any transactions on eBay, you must first have an
account. Setting up an eBay account is easy, and generally only takes
a few minutes. You will need to choose a UserID and you will need to
provide information such as your name and contact information. In
addition, you will need to have a credit card on file.
Although it is not mandatory, it is also a good idea to set up an
account with PayPal, since the majority of buyers and sellers on eBay
use this method to send and receive payments. When dealing with
real estate, it is likely that you will also use other methods of payment.
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However, eBay members often use PayPal to fund a portion of their

money due on these types of transactions.
Before being able to buy or sell property on eBay, you must have
an eBay account in good standing, as well as a minimum number of
feedbacks. Because of the potential for fraud, eBay has set certain
rules in place to help buyers and sellers build trust with each other.
Minimum Feedback Ratings for Real Estate Transactions
All eBay members have a feedback profile. This profile includes
basic information about the member, a summary of his or her
feedback over the past twelve months, the members Detailed Seller
Ratings, and a list of feedback comments that have been left by the
members trading partners both buyers and sellers from previous
transactions.
Only winning buyers or sellers can actually give each other
feedback. Sellers may give positive feedback to buyers, or they may
choose not to leave feedback at all. Buyers, on the other hand, can
leave feedback for sellers as either positive, negative, or neutral. In
addition, short comments may be left for others to read regarding the
buyer/seller, the item, and/or the overall transaction. Once feedback
is left for another eBay member, it is typically permanent and cannot
be removed without a significant amount of difficulty. Therefore, it is
important to leave accurate feedback for your trading partners, as
feedback not only affects other members impressions, but also the
visibility of a sellers listings.
In addition, unlike buying or selling less expensive items, the
purchase or sale of real estate generally constitutes large sums of
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money. Therefore, although not 100 percent foolproof, minimum

feedback standards can help to ensure that both the buyer and seller
of the property have completed numerous transactions through eBay
in the past.
Buying from sellers with a low feedback rating makes some
eBay buyers a little nervous, while buying from a seller with a high
and positive feedback rating makes buyers feel much more secure
in the transaction.
In order to help build trust between buyers and sellers, eBay
has established minimum feedback standards for engaging in certain
types of transactions. For an eBay member to promote or purchase
real estate on the site, they must have a minimum feedback score of
50.
To some eBayers who are just starting out, this may seem like a
lot. However, it is not difficult to build up your feedback score within
a very short period of time. Here are a few ways to quickly build up
your feedback rating:
Purchase low cost items from other eBay sellers. Although
you will have to spend a few dollars for the item and the
shipping, it is well worth it in order to quickly build your
feedback score. In addition, these items could also be used as
inventory for you to resell on eBay.
Sell low cost items that are purchased quickly. You can
quickly accumulate low cost items to sell on eBay by searching
your home for items that you no longer want or need. You can
also find inexpensive items at garage sales or dollar stores.
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Post feedback quickly for your trading partners. Soon after

you buy or sell an item, post feedback for your trading partner.
This can help to entice them to return the favor and quickly
leave feedback for you.
Send a thank you note to your buyers. It has been estimated
that only about 40 percent of buyers on eBay actually leave
feedback for sellers. Therefore, it may be helpful to send a
Thank You email to your buyers and to remind them to leave
feedback for you.
About Me Page
In addition to your minimum feedback rating, if you are
offering real estate for sale on eBay, you will also want to create an
About Me page. By simply creating this page and putting information
about yourself and your business on it, you can help to reassure
bidders. You can also use your About Me page to add special offers for
people who view the page. For example, if people subscribe to your
mailing list, you can email them a free report and regular information
about your future property listings.
If You Are Buying Real Estate on eBay
EBay is not only a great place to offer real estate for sale, it is
also a great place to purchase property. You can find many good
properties listed on eBay. And, in most cases, you can obtain a great
deal of information about the properties right from the eBay listing
itself.
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Prior to actually bidding on a property, there are a few things

you will need to consider. In researching your property purchase, you
should have a good understanding of the following things:
Price. Are you bidding on the full price of the property, or
just on the down payment?
Title. Is the title of the property clear, free of any liens or
easements that could cloud it?
Insurance. Will you be able to obtain title insurance for the
property being purchased?
CCRs. Are there any covenants, codes, or restrictions on the
property being considered?
Deed. Do you know what type of deed you will be getting on
the property?
In addition, you will want to research the seller of the property.
Do they have a good feedback score? If not, be careful. Feedback can
tell a lot about the way a person does business on eBay.
You should also conduct a good amount of due diligence. As
with any other type of real estate purchase, do your homework and be
sure to get full information about the property you are considering. In
fact, in many cases, it is a good idea to involve an attorney in the
transaction.
II.
Different Types of eBay Real Estate Ad Formats

Even though eBay is primarily known as an auction site, there
are numerous ways you can list a property for sale. These include
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placing an ad, using an auction with a reserve, using an auction

without a reserve, and running an auction for the property down
payment.
Ad Format
An ad format listing on eBay is what is formerly known as the
Classified Ad. With this type of ad, a seller can advertise items,
services, or real estate properties for sale with the intention of
generating multiple leads.
With an ad format on eBay, interested parties can fill out a
contact form in order to send their information to the seller. The
seller can then contact them with additional information. In addition,
as a seller using the ad format, you can use this system to collect leads
and build a database of contact information for future properties as
well.
As a seller who collects contact information, it is important to
note that you must treat this information in full compliance with
eBays Privacy Policy which prohibits the use of this information for
any purpose other than communicating with the potential buyers
about the services and information referenced in your item
description.
With the ad format, no bidding actually takes place. Ads may be
placed for either 30 or 90 day durations. A seller can promote their
property, giving all of the pertinent information, as well as the asking
price. The ad format also allows sellers to revise their item description
at any time during the advertisement duration.
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Since no bidding actually takes place with the ad format, the

sale is not actually completed on eBay. Therefore, no feedback can be
given or received when using this type of format.
Similar to other types of listings on eBay, there is a cost to list a
property using the ad format. Cost will vary depending on the
duration of your ad.
Residential, Commercial and Other Real Estate
Duration
Insertion Fee
30-day Listing
$150
90-day Listing
$300
Timeshare, Land, and Manufactured Homes

Duration
Insertion Fee
30-day Listing
$150
90-day Listing
$300
Squeeze Page
Many eBay sellers also add a squeeze page to their property ad.
A squeeze page is a web page with the primary purpose of capturing
contact information from visitors for future marketing. The main goal
of a squeeze page is to obtain the visitors email address. Once
obtained, the visitors email address provides a great opportunity for
the eBay seller to send information about future properties for sale or
other types of offers.
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Opt-In Box
Visitors email addresses are typically captured via an opt-in
box. An opt-in box is normally found near the top of a web page. It
typically only asks for a visitors name and email address. Requesting
too much information from the page visitor may cause them to leave
the webpage without giving any information at all. In addition, as an
enticement for giving their name and email address, page visitors are
usually offered something of value such as a report or eBook.
Opt-in boxes are important because they allow you to request
permission not only to contact the individual about the specific eBay
listing they were viewing, but also to send information about future
properties you have for sale or other money-making offers such as
books or courses about real estate where you could receive a sales
commission. Over time, you are likely to collect hundreds or even
thousands of names for your database. In the internet marketing
world, your list can become quite valuable. In many cases, you are
allowed to continue sending email offers to the names on your opt-in
list until the individual requests you to stop, or opts out of your list.
Auctions with a Reserve
A second option for listing your real estate on eBay is to use an
auction with a reserve price. Using an auction format ad, a property
seller lists a property on eBay in a similar fashion to listing other
items on the website.
Generally, a starting bid price is listed at which the bidding may
begin. And, in this case, a reserve price is also used. The reserve price
is typically the minimum price at which the seller will sell the
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property. And, unless the reserve price is met by bidders, the seller is
not obligated to sell the property. Therefore, at the end of the auction,
if the highest bid is below the auction reserve price, it is considered
that there is no winner in the auction.
As with other types of eBay auctions, having a reserve price in
your auction can allow you to start the auction at a very low initial bid
price. For example, you could set the initial price of your property bid
at $19.99. This extremely low initial bid price will entice more people
to view your auction, thinking that there is a chance they could end
up winning a property for a very low price.
When you use a reserve on your auction, bidders do not know
what the reserve price is. Some potential buyers, however, may ask
you what your reserve is. It is up to you whether you tell them this
information.
The auction format on eBay Real Estate is designed to help
sellers identify the most interested potential buyers. However, unlike
submitting an actual real estate contract for the sale of a property,
due to the wide variety of laws that govern the sale of real estate, the
high bid on eBay Real Estate listings does not result in an actual
binding agreement to buy or sell real estate property.
However, eBays rules require that sellers and the top-bidding
potential buyers follow through on the transaction in good faith.
Therefore, after the bidding ends, if there is a winning bidder, the
buyer and seller are expected to contact each other to prepare and
sign the necessary paperwork, complete the sales contract, set up a
property closing, and take any other necessary actions that are
required by local laws.
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In this case, potential real estate buyers are asked not to bid on
a property unless they have the full intention of completing the
purchase of the property that is listed for sale. As in other types of
real estate transactions, sellers are required to give buyers a
disclosure statement prior to the completion of the sale. In addition,
there is the possibility of contingencies associated with the real estate
sale.
Auctions with No Reserve (Absolute Auction)
You can also auction your property using an auction format
with no reserve. This is known as an absolute auction. An absolute
auction is defined as an auction in which the property is sold to the
highest bidder, regardless of the amount of the winning bid.
In this case, you will want to set your initial bid price much
higher than the $19.99 discussed above. In fact, using an absolute
auction, you will likely want to price your property at least at the
minimum amount you would like it to sell for. Remember, in this type
of auction, regardless of the amount, the highest bidder is considered
the winner of the auction.
This type of auction will attract more watchers on eBay, as there
will likely be a bidding war at or near the end of the auction time
period. This is because people realize that the property will sell for
whatever the highest bid is, so there are many more interested
parties. Sometimes this type of eBay real estate auction causes a
bidding frenzy in the final minutes of the auction.
Regardless of whether your auction has a reserve or not, there
are numerous time durations in which you may list your property for
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sale. These include 1-day, 3-day, 5-day, 7-day, 10-day, and 30-day
options. When to use the various time durations will be discussed in
more detail later in this guide.
Fixed Price / Buy-It-Now
Another type of auction listing on eBay is the Fixed Price
listing. With this type of listing, the seller of the property simply lists
his or her property with a Buy-It-Now price. If a buyer offers to
purchase the property at the sellers Buy-It-Now price, the buyer is
then considered to be the winner of the auction.
Buy-It-Now listings also have the option of 1-day, 3-day, 5-day, 7-day,
10-day, or 30-day durations.
As with the eBay ad format, the auction style and Buy-It-Now
formats have fees to list your property. These listing insertion fees
differ depending on the type of property listed.
Residential, Commercial and Other Real Estate
Duration
Insertion Fee
1, 3, 5, 7, or 10-days
$100
30-days
$150
Timeshare, Land, and Manufactured Homes

Duration
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Insertion Fee
1, 3, 5, 7, or 10-days
$35
30-days
$50
169
Final Value / Notice Fee

In addition to the property listing insertion fees, the eBay
auction and Buy-It-Now formats also have a Final Value or Notice fee
if your property sells. However, this depends on the type of property
you are selling. For example, if your property is in the Residential,
Commercial, or Other Real Estate categories, then you will not be
charged a Notice fee.
In addition, you will not be charged a Notice fee is there are no
bids on your property, or if there are no bids that meet the reserve
price on your property when using an auction format with a reserve.
However, if your property falls into the category of Timeshares, Land,
or Manufactured Homes, and your property sells or there are bids on
your property that meet or exceed the reserve amount, then you will
be charged a Notice fee of $35.
In addition, most properties listed in the ad format will not be
charged a Notice fee. However, if your property listing is in the ad
format with the Best Offer option and your property sells, you will be
charged a Notice fee.
Down Payment Auction
Another type of format for marketing real estate on eBay is the
down payment auction. This is a great technique if you want to get
buyers to bid on the down payment to purchase your property. It can
also be used for bidders to bid on the option payment if your property
is a rent-to-own scenario.
With a down payment auction, you list the purchase price of
your property, and bidders place bids on the down payment they wish
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to pay. The great thing about using the down payment auction
strategy is that you can name your purchase price and thus have no
risk of not getting your desired price.
When using the down payment auction strategy, it is important
to clearly indicate to bidders that they are bidding on the down
payment, and not the price of the entire property. In other words, if
you have a property you are selling for $100,000 and you are running
a down payment auction, it is important to let potential buyers know
that if they bid on the down payment, they are essentially also
obligating themselves to purchase the property at the asking price of
$100,000.
III. Length of Listing
Similar to other types of eBay listings, there are a variety of
choices when it comes to the length of your eBay property listing. In
most cases, the 1, 3, 5, and 7-day listings are not utilized. This is
because these shorter durations may not allow enough time for a
good number of potential buyers to view the listing.
Unlike most other types of eBay listings, serious buyers of real
estate need to get financing in order and make other preparations
when they are moving forward on the purchase of a new property.
Therefore, longer listing durations are normally used for selling
property on eBay.
10-Day Listings
The 10-day listing may be used when the property is in a
popular location or has unique features that would likely make it a
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target for a bidding frenzy. The 10-day time frame gives potential
buyers enough time to prepare their bid and their financing. Yet, it is
a short enough time frame that it can create urgency for bidders to
bid on the property or risk losing the chance to purchase it to other
bidders.
Another type of auction where the 10-day listing duration is
used is with the down payment auction. This, too, could indicate a
property located in a great location or a property that is unique and
will likely sell fast and generate lots of bids. As mentioned, with the
down payment auction, you have already named your asking price.
Bidders, therefore, are essentially committing to purchase the
property, and are simply bidding to see who can offer the seller the
highest amount of down payment.
30-Day Listings
The 30-day listing duration is likely the most common duration
for real estate. It does not create quite as much urgency as the 10-day
duration. However, the 30-day listing duration allows an ample
number of potential buyers to view the property, ask questions, and
get their financing in order prior to bidding. This duration may also
allow potential buyers to physically view the property. Oftentimes,
sellers will hold an Open House for those who wish to physically walk
through the property prior to placing a bid. The Open House can also
work the other way in that it could entice those viewing the home who
are not regular eBay users to place a bid for the property on eBay.
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90-Day Listings
There are also some situations where the 90-day listing
duration is the best option. A good example is if the property is
located in a location that is not considered a hot market. These
types of properties sometimes take longer to locate the perfect buyer.
The 90-day duration can also be a good option when the property is
in need of repair. This longer time frame allows for more people to
view the property. And, it gives those who are interested time to
obtain bids and information on how much the needed repairs will
cost. These costs will likely factor into what the bidder will offer for
the property on eBay.
The recent soft real estate market has also led to longer listing
durations. Properties in general, regardless of condition or location,
take longer to sell in a down real estate market. Additionally, even
interested buyers may need more time to line up their financing and
down payment funds.
IV.
Start Time
There is a great deal of proper timing that goes along with
selling a property on eBay. For anyone who has sold items on eBay, it
is a popularly known fact that having your auction item end on
Sunday evening is a good strategy. This is because the majority of
people are online on Sunday evenings.
According to Skip McGrath, author of Titanium eBay A
Tactical Guide to Becoming a Millionaire Powerseller, here is a
general rating of the best and worst days to end an auction:
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Day
Rating
Monday
Fair
Comment
A lot of people surf eBay at work.
After the weekend, they need
their eBay fix. Monday evening
is also good - the best evening
of the week after Sunday evening.
Tuesday
Worst
Tuesday receives the lowest

number of bids on eBay.
Wednesday
Poor
Wednesday is not quite as bad as
Fair
Thursday is not a bad time to end
Tuesday.
Thursday
an auction in the spring and

summer, because people who go
away for the weekend will bid
on Thursday before they leave.
Friday
Good
Friday before 6:00 p.m. can be a

good day for students and
young people.
Saturday
Good
Weekend days are usually better

than weekdays.
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Sunday
Excellent
Sunday evening is the time of

highest bidding activity on
eBay. If your auction ends about
11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, you
will maximize your bidding
activity.
Whenever you launch an auction, you should always think

ahead to what is happening 10 or 30 days (depending on the length of
your property auction) from then. For example, dont launch an
auction that will end on a holiday weekend when no one is home or
during the Super Bowl when most people are in front of their
televisions.
And, although the evening is generally the best time to end an
auction, it really depends on who you are selling to. Therefore, it is
important to research not only your market, but to also study what
has worked successfully for other sellers who are listing real estate on
eBay.
Search Completed Listings
One great method used to research successful real estate (or
any) auctions, is to check completed listings. In order to research
completed listings, go to eBays home page and click on Real Estate in
the Shop Your Favorite Categories list. You can then click on the real
estate category that you want to research. For example, if you wanted
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to research completed listings of single family homes, you would click

on the Residential link.
Once you are in the Residential Properties category, scroll down
the left side of the page and click on Completed Listings to see what
has recently sold. You can also pare your choices down even more by
determining a more specific location, what type of auction (auction
style or Buy-It-Now), number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms,
square footage of the home, and whether the property was a new or
existing home, as well as if it was a foreclosure.
Completed auctions that sold will have the price listed in green.
Those that did not sell and / or did not meet the reserve price on a
reserve auction will have the unsold propertys price listed in red.
You will also be able to determine whether the winning bidder was
bidding on the actual price of the property, or on just the down
payment for the property.
On the successfully sold listings, check and compare the most
popular end time and day. If you see a pattern or any other
similarities, then you may want to consider having your property
auction end on a similar day and time.
Consider the Different Time Zones
When doing this, you will also need to consider the different
time zones throughout the country. Since eBay is located on the west
coast, eBay time is Pacific Time. Therefore, if you are located on the
east coast, there will be a three hour time difference. When listing
your auctions, be sure that if you are on the east coast, your auctions
do not end too early for those on the west coast. Conversely, if you are
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located on the west coast, try not to make your auctions end too late
for those who are located in the Eastern Time zone.
Sunday is The Day for Sales
All things considered, it is most likely that you will want to have
your real estate auctions end on Sunday. This is not only a popular
eBay day, but it has traditionally been a good day for real estate
buyers in general primarily single family home purchasers to view
Open Houses and other real estate for potential purchase.
V. Design Tools
Just like marketing any other item on or off eBay you are trying to
capture the attention of as many potential buyers as possible. There
are ways that you can create your listing on eBay to maximize your
ads pull and attract more viewers.
Spice Up the Look of Your Listings
EBay offers numerous features that will allow you to spice up
the look of your listing. For example, some of the optional listing
features you can add to help increase bids and the chances of selling
success include:
Additional photos. Certainly if you are offering real estate
for sale on eBay, you will want to include photos of the
property. In an arena where potential buyers may be bidding on
the property sight unseen, the more photos you can include,
the better your chances of obtaining more bids on the property.
On all eBay listings, you are allowed one Gallery picture for free.
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There is an additional charge to add more photos, however, in

most cases the small additional fee is well worth the potential
for additional bids received on your property.
Gallery Plus. You can use Gallery Plus to enhance the
photos of your property for sale. When you use Gallery Plus, it
displays a larger picture when the viewer places his or her
computer cursor over the item. Viewers will also see a link to
Enlarge your photos. When dealing in property, this is
especially important, as you want potential buyers to be able to
see as much as possible with the photos you have provided.
Listing Designer. The Listing Designer actually allows you
to improve the visual appeal of your listing by adding an
attractive theme to it. This feature allows you to create a very
professional looking listing page, without having to use HTML.
Subtitle. Adding a subtitle helps you to add more of a
description and additional information below your main item
title. This can help to create even more interest and actually
pull potential buyers in from the search results. You can also
add more keywords in the subtitle, which can essentially help to
pull potential buyers to your listing from both on and off eBay.
Bold. You may also want to make your listing title bold.
Even this simple strategy can help to attract more page visitors
to your listing by making the title of your property listing stand
out from others in the list of properties.
Scheduled Listing. When timing the start and end times
for your listings, you do not have to physically list your property
at the time you want the listing to begin. You can actually create
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your listing and then schedule it for the time and date you
would like it to begin.
List in Two Categories. As with any eBay listing, you must
pick a category for your property to be listed in. However,
sometimes it makes sense to have your item listed in two
categories. When you do this, your property will show up in the
search result lists for both categories, which provides a better
chance that your listing will be seen by more viewers.
There are additional picture hosting fees as well as fees to add

upgrades to your listings. However, in most cases the cost is minimal.
And, when you compare a large description with numerous pictures,
contact information, and a long and detailed property description
in most cases for less than half of what a small local newspaper
classified ad would cost it is well worth the additional fees!
Include Keywords
In addition to listing upgrades, you will need to help drive
traffic to your eBay property listings by adding keywords into your
item title. These keywords should fit the description of your property,
yet also be the most likely words that a potential buyer would type
into the search bar when looking for a specific piece of property to
buy.
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For example, if you are selling a 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo in St.

Louis, you should use keywords such as: condo, condominium, St.
Louis, Missouri, 2 bedroom, 2 br, 2 bath, 2 ba.
Oftentimes sellers waste valuable space in their title bar by
putting in such words or characters as: CA$H, $$$, LOOK, beautiful,
nice, or WOW. While these words may attract the attention of some
viewers, they are not words that a potential buyer would type into the
search bar in order to find a particular property. Therefore, when you
are creating your title, remember that you only have a certain amount
of space in order to maximize your keywords.
In addition, potential buyers who locate your property listing
via keyword searches are likely to be more interested buyers. This is
because they found your listing by searching for listings with specific
words that closely match the title of your listing. So it is likely that
your property has at least some or all of the property features they
are looking for.
It is also important to note that squeezing in as many keywords
as possible to your title may make the title appear not to flow well. In
other words, your title may not flow like a complete sentence. That is
ok. What you are aiming for is to get as many keywords as possible
into that space. And, although it may not flow well, most potential
buyers understand that your title is not supposed to read like a
complete sentence, but rather it is to showcase as many of the
features as possible into a small space.
You will also not want to leave a lot of white space in your
title. Using our example above of the 2-bedroom condo in St. Louis,
you will not want to leave wasted space in your title bar by typing only
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the words: Condo in St. Louis. Instead, you will want to use as much
space as possible to highlight as many features as you possibly can
into the title.
Auctiva.com
In addition to eBays listing tools and upgrades, as I mentioned
earlier theres an easy-to-use listing tool known as Auctiva. Auctiva
can help you to save a great deal of time and effort especially if you
need to create numerous listings on eBay. This auction listing tool
offers a wide variety of templates you can use to make your listing
look more professional. In addition, it can help you save time by
allowing you to schedule listings to post to eBay at specified times.
You can also load a group or batch of items into the Auctiva inventory
system and then automatically list and sell the items one after the
other. This can help a great deal if you list a large number of
properties in a short amount of time.
This also helps to eliminate typing the same information over
and over again into different listings. For example, you may have a
section in your property description that discusses the Terms &
Conditions of the auction regarding a down payment, escrow, and
other pertinent details. Using a system such as Auctiva, you wont
have to retype this information into each and every listing.
Auctiva can also help to save you time by automatically relisting
properties that do not sell the first time they are listed. And, it can
save you money by allowing you to upload multiple photos for free.
Vflyer.com
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Although eBay has millions of site visitors every day, you will
still need to promote your property listings outside of eBay in order to
drive more traffic to your specific listings. One great way to do this is
by posting flyers, or in this case virtual flyers, to numerous other
online sources.
Vflyer.com is an online source that will assist you in marketing
your property listings on eBay by creating, managing, submitting, and
posting online classified ad flyers to dozens of other online
marketplaces where they will attract the attention of more potential
buyers for your property.
Vflyer produces very professional flyers through the use of
numerous templates and tools that help to drive traffic to your
property listing that may not currently be searching for property on
the eBay site.
Some of the websites your ad will be promoted on could include
large social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace where
virtually millions of additional potential property buyers could see
your ad.
Youtube.com
As the internet has grown, so has the ability to promote your
items in various fashions. One popular method of advertising is
through the video sharing website Youtube.com.
By uploading a video of your property, you can literally offer a
virtual tour of the property to millions of additional potential
buyers. A video is a great way to virtually walk a potential buyer
through the entire property. And, if you add sound, you can also
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narrate the tour, pointing out various features of the property that
may be of interest to potential buyers.
In addition to just viewing your video on YouTube, potential
buyers may be able to find your video if you embed the link on other
websites. For example, if you are a member of Facebook, you can
embed the link to your video on your profile and status, allowing
everyone who comes across it the ability to view it.
Auctionmercial.com
Weve all seen late night infomercials. Many times these
commercials are very informative as to how their products work,
highlighting the benefits, and often making you want to reach for the
phone to purchase the product.
Imagine if you could create that same type of experience for
viewers of your eBay property listings. Now with Auctionmercial.com,
you can.
Auctionmercial.com allows you to make videos using your eBay
photos and voice in seconds. It is very easy to use, and it creates a
nice, professional way to enhance your eBay listings and pull
potential viewers in to view the video.
With Auctionmercial.com, all you need to do is type in your
eBay item number. Auctionmercial.com literally takes care of the rest.
Your pictures and property description will be taken directly from the
eBay listing.
You can then choose background music, as well as a male or
female voice to narrate your item description unless you want to
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use your own voice. The auctionmercial will show up inside of your
eBay listing.
By adding voice and music to your listing, viewers will feel more
like they are watching a television program or are on a guided virtual
tour of the property.
Once your auctionmercial is complete, you can not only
promote it on eBay, but also on other sites as well, including
YouTube.com.
VI.
Features of the Property

When selling high ticket items such as property on eBay, it is
imperative to include in your item description as many features as

possible. Being vague or including very little information about the
property can make potential buyers skeptical and leave them
wondering why you have not included more information on your
listing. This could cause many or all potential buyers to leave your
listing without placing a bid or requesting additional information.
Include a Google Map
Certainly everyone knows that the three most important
features of real estate are location, location, and location! That is why
it is important to let potential buyers know exactly where your
property is located.
With so many online tools available today, it has become easier
than ever to give potential buyers the exact information they are
looking for. This includes giving them the precise location via a
Google map.
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This will allow potential buyers to view not only the exact
location of the property, but also to expand and see what is around
the property (if they are not already familiar with the location). In
addition, should they wish to physically view the property, the Google
map feature can assist them with directions to the property as well.
Pictures, Pictures, Pictures
On the eBay website, you are allowed various options for adding
pictures to your listing. For smaller, less expensive items, a Gallery
picture is often all a seller may need to show potential buyers what
they need to see prior to bidding.
With real estate, however, the more visuals you can add, the
better your chances are of attracting potential buyers and ultimately
bids.
To add photos, you can use the eBay photo services when
adding Gallery photos. And, you can add more photos in your listing
by using the photo pack option. When dealing directly with eBays
photo services, you can have up to 12 photos of your property.
Other auction tools, however, can allow you to add more photos
often for free. As mentioned, some of the auction management
services such as Auctiva, allow you to add multiple photos. There is
also a slideshow option available through Auctionmercial and other
similar services.
When you list real estate on eBay, especially if you have
potential buyers who are unable to physically view your property
prior to bidding, the more visuals you can offer, the better the
potential buyer will feel about placing a bid on the property.
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Honesty is the Best Policy

It is a known fact that oftentimes properties may have some
defects or repairs that must be made. When conducting the sale of
real estate where potential buyers can physically inspect the property
before bidding, defects often are able to be better detected.
However, when a buyer is depending on your photos and
description to make a bidding decision, it is in everyones best interest
if you describe the property in as much detail as possible including
any defects or problems that the property may have.
In this case, potential buyers can get a better idea of repairs that
must be made, as well as an idea of the cost of those repairs. It is
much better to have this information out in the open before a bidder
wins the property in your eBay listing. Not disclosing any defects
could be grounds for the potential buyer to back out of the sale,
causing you to have to relist the property again. And, if you are in an
auction or Buy-It-Now situation, you also run the risk of receiving a
negative feedback from the buyer.
VII. What If Your Property Doesnt Sell?
It is a fact of life that not all items listed on eBay will sell. This is
true for property as well. Even though you may have a detailed
description and many great pictures, for one reason or another, your
property may not always sell.
In a soft real estate market, even the ideal property with a well
promoted listing may end up going unsold for a longer period of time
than normal. When this situation occurs, you have several options.
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Re-List Your Property

One option if your property goes unsold is to simply re-list the
property again on eBay. If you do so, you may want to consider
revising your listing so it does not appear to be stale. Several ways
you can revise your listing include:
Trying a new layout. If you used a particular color or
theme in your original listing, you could try using a different
color or pattern in your new listing. Although you are
promoting the same property, the listing will perceptually
appear new and different to potential buyers.
Revise your item title. You can also try revising your title.
Remember, keywords are what will drive traffic to your listing
from both inside and outside of eBay. So, it could be that mixing
up your keywords may drive additional or different potential
buyers with your revised listing.
Revise your price. Depending on how quickly you want (or
need) to sell the property, you could lower the price. Possibly
your property was priced too high for potential buyers in your
original listing. By lowering your price, you open up your listing
to a new host of potential buyers. You also let other potential
buyers know that you are open to negotiation on the price, and
are not stuck on your original asking price. Knowing that your
price is negotiable could also entice potential buyers to get the
bidding process started.
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Advertise on Craigslist
In addition to eBay, there are other websites that allow
members to list and sell items, including property. One such site is
Craigslist.
Cross promoting your property on Craigslist can help you to
find additional buyers. Although Craigslist is available nationwide,
you generally place your listing in a specific city or location. Therefore
by advertising on Craigslist, you will likely attract a great deal more
local buyers to your listing.
Unlike eBay, Craigslist only allows you to post up to four photos
of your listing. In addition, the listing format on Craigslist is not as
professional looking as the choices you have for your eBay listings.
Because of this, you may consider placing a link to your eBay property
listing within your ad on Craigslist. In addition to taking a potential
buyer to a more professional listing template and more photos, you
also take your potential buyer to where they may place a bid on your
property if they wish to do so.
Advertise on Local Radio
Another great way to cross-promote your property listing is to
advertise on a local radio station. In your ad, you can let listeners
know that the property is also listed on eBay. If you give listeners
specific keywords, they may then search for the property on eBay and
get additional information.
If you have a website, you can also give listeners your website
address. You can then drive your website visitors to eBay to view the
actual property listing.
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eBay For Sale Signs

You should also let any passersby know that your property is for
sale. One way that has always been a method of advertising real estate
is to put a For Sale sign in the front yard.
When you list your property for sale on eBay, however, you also
have the option of putting a sign in the yard that specifically lets
people know that the property is also listed on the site. In fact, there
are many promotional items available from sellers on eBay that let
people know your property is listed on eBay.
These promotional items include:
Yard signs
Sign riders
Banners
These signs and promotional items are colorful and they let
people know that they can obtain additional information about the
property by going to www.ebay.com.
VIII. Just Because Your Property is on eBay, You Still Must
Promote It
Although eBay is a great venue that provides access to millions
of potential buyers for your property, it will still be necessary to
promote your property in additional ways. It is through a variety of
advertising and promotional methods that you will drive additional
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traffic to your eBay property listing, and eventually get your property
sold.
This is known as having a good marketing mix. When you mix
several different marketing methods, they will work together to
promote your property to a larger number of potential buyers than if
you simply relied on just one method.
Open Houses
One way to really allow potential buyers to get a feel for your
property is by hosting an Open House. These are typically conducted
on Sunday afternoons, as this is the time that most families have free
time to drive around and view homes.
Oftentimes, a potential buyer may not want to contact you and
set up an individual showing of the property. However, if they notice
that the property will be open for viewing to the public, they will be
more likely to come by and view the property.
Many properties have been sold by hosting an Open House.
This is an especially good way to showcase any rehab work or updates
that have been done to the property.
Advertise the Listing
Other traditional ways to promote your listing can include
advertising the property in the local newspaper. Although many
people turn to the internet for property information, the local
newspaper is still a good source to promote your property. This is
especially true if you advertise in the local Sunday edition. This
edition of most local newspapers especially those in larger
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metropolitan areas normally has a specific section geared just for

real estate.
Here, too, you can cross promote your property by placing
information in your newspaper ad about how potential buyers can
obtain more information by going to your eBay property listing.
Potential buyers will be happy to find out that they can view a very
broad listing description, along with numerous photos of your
property directly on the eBay site.
Hire a Broker
Certainly another option to help promote your property is to
hire a real estate agent or broker. Licensed realtors have access to
services such as the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) where they can
promote your property to even more brokers.
Often when a realtor has a client looking for a property with
specific features, they will type this information into their MLS
database and come up with a list of properties that best match the
search criteria. With this in mind, your property is likely to match the
criteria of many potential buyers.
In addition, real estate professionals often have a personal
database of potential buyers. Therefore, when a new listing comes on
the market, the realtor can send an email to his or her database to
promote the property and see if it matches the criteria of anyone in
the database.
Flyers
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Flyers are another great way to promote your property for sale.
Depending on the type of property you have for sale, you can often
place flyers at neighboring business establishments, such as
restaurants and grocery stores, where many local people shop.
The flyers are likely to catch the attention of someone who is either
looking for a property like yours, or knows someone who is. In any
case, flyers are a relatively easy and inexpensive way to promote your
property.
As with the other forms of promotion, you can place
information on your flyers about how potential buyers can obtain
additional information by going to your eBay listing. Be sure and let
the reader know that you have many photos of the property on eBay
as well.
IX. Checklist
When selling real estate on eBay, it may be easier to use a
checklist in creating your listings. This way, you will ensure that you
include all of the necessary information as well as key points, such as
your Terms and Conditions.
Honesty is the Best Policy
First, as with any eBay listing, using honesty is always the best
policy. When selling any item online, it is important to remember that
in most cases, your potential buyers cannot physically see or touch
what it is you are offering. Because of this, it is even more important
to make sure you include all relevant information even if that
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means including information regarding defects or necessary repairs

that must be made to your property.
Clear Property Description / Selling Points
The more clear the property description for your property is, the
more comfortable potential buyers will be in bidding on the property.
Even if and in most cases, especially if you discuss any of the
negative features, potential buyers will feel that you are an honest
seller and will be more comfortable in bidding.
In most cases, you will need to supply your potential buyer with
an official sellers disclosure statement that provides additional
relevant information about the property, any defects, and any repairs
that have been made.
You will certainly also want to include the selling points about
the property. These not only include features about the property
itself, but also discuss other positive features such as whether the
property is in a good location, is easy to find, and any other details
that would make the property unique and appealing to potential
buyers.
Terms & Conditions
Have the small print clearly visible on all of your real estate
auctions, giving details of things such as what your financing terms
are, what happens after the auction ends, and any other business
related practices you may have.
This gives potential buyers an idea of what to expect following
the auction, as well as an idea of what is expected of them. A detailed
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Terms & Conditions statement in your listing also helps to build more
confidence with potential buyers. It will make your listing look much
more official. And, specific terms can sometimes depending on the
situation - protect you in the event that certain procedures are not
followed through with by the buyer.
HOOK Who Would Buy Your Property
When creating your property listing, you will want to write it in
the eyes of the buyer. In other words, ask yourself what would
appeal to a potential buyer. How can you grab their attention
especially when your property may be competing with several other
similar properties that are also listed on eBay? If you were a potential
buyer searching for property, what keywords would you be searching
for?
All of these things factor in to creating a good listing that will
draw in as many potential buyers as possible.
Sell the Benefits, Not the Features
Make sure that your property description focuses on the
benefits that your property can give to the buyer, and not just its
features. This is a classic sales technique. A great example of this
would be to avoid saying unexciting things like the house has
Bermuda grass, and instead say, This house has a beautiful
Bermuda grass yard that is low maintenance, requires less mowing,
and rarely needs watering. This easy to maintain yard will allow you
more time to enjoy other things like relaxing in the hammock in the
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back yard! That will actually paint a picture in a potential buyers

mind.
If you have trouble with this, remember that the phrase low
price is a feature, and the phrase cash back is a benefit. Write as if
you were reading the description and try to paint a positive picture for
the reader in terms of what it would be like if they owned the
property.
Help Your Buyers to Close the Sale
Other things you can do to help move people through the
buying process is to offer assistance with things such as obtaining a
loan for the property or finding a good title company. For example,
helping your buyers find a good lender will really pay off. Linking
them to one of your top lender contacts can help to ensure that they
close the deal.
Build Your Buyers Database
As you know, there can only be one winning buyer for your
property. Yet, in most cases, you will likely have hundreds or even
thousands of people look at your property listing through the listing
duration. Many of these individuals may have given you their contact
information. So what can you do with all of those buyer leads?
Keep them and follow up with them on your future property
listings. As your buyers database gets larger, you will continue to
accumulate more and more potential buyers for each of your future
properties. Within minutes, you can send an email blast to hundreds
or thousands of potential buyers on each of your future deals. The
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more names you have on your buyers list, the more likely you are to
find somebody who may have an interest in purchasing your next
property.
X. Binding and Non-Binding Contracts
Because of the wide variety of laws that govern real estate sales,
property and other real estate listings on eBay do not involve offers
that are considered to be legally binding to buy and sell the listed
properties.
Although eBay is considered an auction website, eBay Real
Estate is not a property auctioneer. Therefore, eBay is utilized more
as an advertising source rather than an actual broker or agent of real
estate transactions.
In addition, eBay is not actually involved in the specific
transaction between the buyer and seller of property. Because of this,
eBay does not have any control over the quality, safety, or legality of
the property listings that are advertised on the site. Nor does eBay
have control over the accuracy of the listings, the ability of property
sellers to sell, or the ability of buyers to actually purchase the
property they have bid on.
The bottom line is that even through properties are listed for
sale on eBay, the website cannot and does not ensure that the buyer
and the seller will actually follow through and complete the
transaction.
What is a Binding Contract?
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By definition, a binding contract is a contract that a court of law

will recognize as legal. It is a binding agreement by two or more
parties for performing, or refraining from performing, some specified
act in exchange for lawful consideration. The parties involved in a
binding contract will be held responsible for their promises. A
binding contract is enforceable by law.
What is a Non-Binding Contract?
Conversely, a non-binding contract is not enforceable by law.
All bids made in the eBay Real Estate category are considered to be
non-binding. These bids are considered to show a buyers interest in
the property, however, the bid does not create a formal contract
between the buyer and seller. Therefore, a seller is not allowed to
claim in his or her eBay Real Estate listing description that a winning
bid will result in a legally binding obligation to complete the
purchase. (It is important to note that bids placed on eBay in
categories other than eBay Real Estate and eBay Motors are
considered to be a legal commitment to purchase the item.)
EBay Real Estate has established some guidelines in terms of
what is allowed and not allowed regarding bids. Actions that are
allowed include:
Using listings to find buyers that are interested in purchasing
your property
Including information about what buyers will need to do next
after the bidding ends
Adding a reserve price to your listing so that your minimum
price is met
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Actions that are not allowed include:

Bidding without the intention of completing the purchase
Retracting a bid on an item that does not fall into a nonbinding bid category
Backing out of the transaction due to buyer or seller remorse
Backing out of the transaction because buyers did not place a
high enough bid and the seller did not have a reserve price
Stating in your listing that bidding could result in a binding
obligation to complete the purchase
Although bids in the eBay Real Estate category are considered

non-binding, it is expected that the buyer and seller of a winning
property bid follow through with the transaction in good faith. Buyers
should not bid on a property unless they truly have an intention to
buy it. However, it is acceptable to have the completion of the real
estate sale be contingent on financing and / or other factors such as
the property passing an inspection.
As a seller of real estate, you should include information in your
listings regarding the steps a winning bidder needs to take at the end
of the auction, such as making a deposit, completing paperwork, and
other necessities of the transaction.
And in any case, it is always a good idea to seek the advice of
real estate and legal professionals when you are involved in the
buying or selling of real estate.
When Does eBay Consider the Sale Complete?
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Although it is advised that buyers and sellers complete

transactions, eBay considers the sale to be complete at the time the
auction ends. EBay does not hold any responsibility regarding the
actual follow through or completion of the sale.
In addition, eBay cannot and will not provide any type of legal
advice to buyers or sellers of property on their site. In the case of eBay
Real Estate, the website should be viewed solely as a means to locate
potential buyers who may be interested in purchasing a property.
The Law Sees eBay Auctions as Verbal Agreements
Because bids placed in the eBay Real Estate category are
considered to be non-binding, the law sees these bids to be similar to
verbal agreements. Therefore, in cases such as this, the seller of real
estate in an eBay auction will not be able to enforce the completion of
the transaction, even in court.
Although it is possible to leave negative feedback for non-completion
of a transaction, this still will not get your property sold.
In order to avoid situations where the winning bidder walks
away, it is important to not only provide very detailed instructions in
your listing as to what the buyers next step should be, but it is also
imperative that you contact your winning buyer as soon as possible
after the auction ends. This will help you to build rapport and
establish a business type of relationship with them, helping to ensure
that you proceed through the steps in completing the sale of the
property.
Essentially, until an actual real estate contract is written and
signed, you do not have a binding agreement with the buyer.
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Conclusion
EBay provides a great venue to promote property that you have
for sale. It opens up a huge potential market that far outreaches your
local area.
For the same price and often for far less than the price of a
5-day newspaper ad, you can advertise your property to millions of
people for up to 90 days on eBay. The inclusion of numerous color
photos, videos, and virtual tours, allows potential buyers to get a
much better idea of the specifics of your property than they would by
reading a tiny newspaper classified ad.
If you are a real estate investor, or even if you are simply selling
your personal home, listing your property on eBay Real Estate can
truly enhance your real estate marketing efforts.
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Chapter 10:
Your Website
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Creating a website is one of the smartest things you can do for

your online business. If you market your business correctly, satisfied
eBay customers will flock to your website seeking even more of that
great service you offer. A website will allow your eBay store to be open
for business 24-7. Millions of people around the world can browse
your site at all hours of the day. Your website will also give your
customers confidence in your professionalism. I guarantee Johnnyaverage-eBayer does not have a website. Talk about having an
advantage! Websites can also increase your referrals. It's a heck of a
lot easier to give someone a website address than to tell them to
search through hundreds of listings offering the same products.
People will begin to recognize you as a seller and not just the products
you sell.
Another major advantage of a website is that you wont have to
pay eBay fees once people start buying from you directly through your
website. The more web traffic you draw to your website the more
sales you can make.
However, eBay restricts you from advertising your website
directly in your listing. That wont stop the cunning business person
you are from finding a way to market yourself. If you create an eBay
store, your customers can click on any one of your products and the
link will take them to your website. However, there are extra fees to
pay in order to gain the eBay store recognition, as we discussed
earlier. Another approach is to include the name of your website in
your auction listing but without "www" and ".com." For example, if
your website is www.ShoesForYou.com, then type "Visit
ShoesForYou" in all of your listings. This will not come up as a
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website when eBay scans your listings but still allows your customers
to catch on to your site. You can also include a link to your website in
your eBay About Me page, which is your user profile that everyone
can see.
Once your website is created, be sure to list all of your current
auctions on it so that visitors are encouraged to bid on eBay. This will
increase your auction "views" thus giving you a better chance of
boosting a higher selling price. This gives you a great advantage over
other eBayers.
Your Website
eBay Auctions
Customer buys directly

from you
Customer bids through

auction process
Customer is guaranteed
a product
Customer is not
guaranteed to win the
auction
You make the rules
Customer must conform

to eBay policies
Only need to pay for

shipping
Customer must pay listing

fees
Set price for product
Potential for high profits due

to bidding
Why a Website?
Having a professionally run
website is one of the strongest
messages you can send to a
customer. It shows that you have
the resources to conduct a
successful, reliable business and
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that you care about your customers. A website also provides a

simplified means of purchasing. People will do business with you as
long as you make it easy.
People will drag their feet looking for any excuse not to buy
something. Dont give them an excuse. A complicated website will
only confuse the buyer and ultimately turn away your business. Your
site may be the first chance
you have at making a good
impression on a potential
buyer. If it looks like it was
designed by a barrel of
colorblind monkeys, your
chance at making a good
first impression will be lost.
Let me clarify one point: I'm not saying you should put all your
efforts into selling your products on your website. But if you are
looking for repeat business, wouldnt it be nice for your buyers to
have an easy way to come back to you? Dont you typically shop at the
same stores for jeans and for groceries? The reason that you do that is
because you like their product and their price, and you know you can
find that same product and price by going back to the same place.
One of the great things about the Internet is that it has leveled
the playing field when it comes to competing with the big boys. With a
well-designed site, your little operation can project the image and
professionalism of a much larger company. The inverse is also true.
I've seen many big company websites that were so badly designed and
hard to navigate that they completely lacked professionalism and
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credibility. Too bad for them; good for you. When it comes to
benefiting from a website, size does not matter. I don't care if you're a
one-man show or a 10,000-employee corporate giant; if you don't
have a good website, you're losing business to other companies that
do.
Your website is an important part of your business. Make sure
you treat it that way.
How Do You Process Orders?
Like eBay, you can offer the customer the option of using
PayPal to pay for their merchandise. However, you will also want to
give them the option of using a standard credit card like Visa or
MasterCard. For that you will need a merchant account. A merchant
account is a contract with a bank that permits you to accept credit
cards. under which an acquiring bank extends a line of credit to a
merchant, who wishes to accept payment card transactions of a
particular card association brand. Without this contract, you cannot
accept payments by
any of the major credit
card brands. The bank
will process your credit
card transactions and
deposit the funds in
your account.
As with any
contractual
relationship, it is
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important to become as informed as possible before any commitment.

There are a lot of fees associated with merchant accounts and it is
important that you understand them. Merchants have few third party
resources to guide them in the process of full evaluation of the many
providers. The most widely used third party is the Better Business
Bureau--or Merchant Service Bureau. These bureaus maintain a list
of most providers with a rating based on the number of complaints
and how the complaints were addressed.
Here are three merchant accounts I recommend: Authorize.net,
IcommerceGateway.com, and 1ShoppingCart.com.
Referrals to your Website
No matter what type of business you own, customer referrals
are a great way to increase traffic. A happy customer is an unpaid
advertisement for your business. Communication plays a big part in
referrals so be professional and polite to all of your customers. Always
ask your customers to pass along your website name to their friends.
Emphasize you will give their friends the same cost-savings and
benefits as youve given them. You can offer a 10% discount to anyone
who brings in a referral. This added incentive goes a long way.
You can also add a How did you hear about us? box. If the
customer fills in the name of a past customer, you can give that
customer a 10% discount on the next purchase. Would you be willing
to pay 10% to a customer to collect 90% of a sale? Of course!
And what about cash? How motivated would you be to promote
a website if the owner of the company sent you cash every time you
referred someone? Cash is king, especially in this market. Or you
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could give them a choice between 10% in cash or a 20% gift certificate
off of a future purchase.
Professional Appearance
A sharp-looking template can do wonders for your eBay
auctions, and the same holds true for your website. Customers will
look at your company website with a magnifying glass because they
are sizing you up against your competition and want to make sure
youre not scamming them. So take this seriously.
Having a professional-looking website to complement your
business will increase your sales. You could pay someone to
professionally design your website, or you could take the chance of
doing it yourself. I would suggest coughing up the couple hundred
bucks, because a professional website will bring in enough profits to
justify the investment in a matter of weeks.
What to Do First
Register a domain name. The domain name is essentially the
address that allows your customers to find your site. eBays domain
name is eBay.com (when you go to the website the domain name is
normally, but not always, preceded by www.). Yours should also be
as close to your business name as you can get. For instance, if your
business name is ShoesForYou, youd want your domain name to be
ShoesForYou.com, but if that was unavailable you might try to get
Shoes4U.com or Shoes4You.com, etc. Keep looking for names until
you find one that is not taken but that still represents your business
well and, ideally, is easy to remember.
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Check if the domain name you

want is available and to register the
name, go to a registration site such as
www.GoDaddy.com or
www.networksolutions.com. These
providers can also host your site
(although, if you are hiring a website
designer, you may want to let them
recommend a hosting site). Once you register your domain name you
will be ready to talk to your web designer. They can work with you to
develop the site and to upload it to your host.
The New Office
The great thing about a website is that it immediately becomes
your new office. You need to have a place of business, and what better
place than the comfort of your home? You can interact and tinker
with your website from anywhere that you have a network
connection. However, you must not slack on the job. Sure you can
take a break whenever you want, but you need to be available so that
people can reach you quickly. You can do business all day long in your
underwear, as long as you frequently monitor your customer
communications. Business in the 21st century is done over the web
and over the phone. How awesome is that?
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Chapter 11:
Internet
Marketing
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Email is a great way to market your business. I know what

youre thinking. Why the heck would I send out mass emails to people
when they will just delete them? We all get these emails and, yes,
most of the time we do delete them. But at the same time, your
prospects are familiarizing themselves with the name of your website.
Its all about repetition. Remember those old commercials that you
thought were so annoying? We all do, but do you ever stop and
wonder why you still remember them? When choosing between two
competitors offering the same product, you will generally lean toward
the one you are most familiar with. You do this because credibility
and trust come with familiarity. Thats the goal of advertising, and
that is your goal with email marketing.
So What is It?
Email marketing is just what it sounds like. Its compiling a
mailing list of people in a certain demographic and sending them an
email regarding your business and products. Of course, the email you
send will be tailored to the specific audience you are addressingfor
example, your merchants, customers, prospects, etc.
The entries in your opt-in mailing list are as good as money in
the bank. This is a list of people who have chosen to hear what you
have to say, and by submitting their email address, have given you
permission to send them periodic emails. These are not only website
visitors but also potential customers.
With that in mind, it should be obvious why any online business
owner needs an active email marketing system on their website. Start
building a list now!
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Advantages
Its cheap and free in most cases.
Delivery is immediate.
You control the target audience.
E-mail messages are easy to track.
You can generate repeat business affordably and automatically.
You can reach a substantial numbers of subscribers with one
email.
People check their e-mail on a daily basis.
Direct response medium encourages immediate action.
While email marketing sounds like a walk in the park, there are
several key disadvantages of using this marketing strategy.
Disadvantages
Could be marked as spam and never come across prospects
queue.
Skepticism among prospects when receiving random email.
Difficult to retain the readers attention through informative
emails.
Unexpected emails could be perceived as containing viruses.
Generic emails are directed at a group of similar people, not the
individual.
We will discuss how to avoid the generic tag later in the chapter.
For now, I want to show you how to get started in your email
marketing campaign.
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Getting Started
Your first step is to find a legitimate email server to use. You do
not want to simply send emails through your Hotmail or Gmail
account because it is not professionally appealing. There are some
really inexpensive services that can do it for you. Here are some
recommended sites. These resources will connect with your database
and you can send emails to your clients or your prospects:
www.ContactManager.com
www.AWeber.com
www.ConstantContact.com
The first and most crucial step in creating your email marketing
system is to start an opt-in email list. If your current web server does
not support this type of mailing list, there are several web-based
services that allow you to achieve the same end result, and most are
free. Once created, you should immediately implement the opt-in
form in a prominent position on your website so that as many viewers
as possible will be given the opportunity to sign up. Most people put a
sign-up page button on the left or right side of the page like this one:
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This website shows the opt-in link in the bottom

right corner with the button, Sign Up Today!
Now that your email marketing system is in place, it is up to you

to use it responsibly. Any misuse of this type of list is known
commonly as spamming. You must be careful not to spam. But
sending a periodic newsletter with useful tips and information is a
great way to stay in touch and keep your name in front of your
potential customers.
What is Spam?
Spam mail is any type of unsolicited or unwanted email. You
must obtain permission before sending someone emails about your
business. Spam is illegal in 18 states and can result in fines. If you get
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added to a Spam blacklist, your email address will be automatically

filtered from major ISP servers, and your emails will never be
delivered. Plus your ISP will terminate your service. That cant be
good for business.
Avoid the Spam Can
Being tagged as spam is the worst label you can get in the email
marketing world. With spam comes spam filters and spam filters can
wind up blocking legitimate email. Spam boxes and filters will
completely dissolve your marketing campaign faster than Alka-Seltzer
in water. There are key strategies to avoid the spam can, and they will
ultimately improve your results. Lets kill two birds with one stone
and develop the proper email marketing techniques.
Formatting
When formatting your email, keep it simple and professional.
Excessive use of different colors, fonts, sizes, images, and so forth will
result in a higher spam filtering rate. Keep your email as clean as
possible, and try to stick to a maximum of two or three different font
types and sizes. Overly large sized fonts will surely add to an email
being flagged as spam, as will too many images.
Here are some other key tips and techniques to avoid ending up
in the spam folder and to get the most out of your email marketing:
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Frequency and Subscription

Never send an email to someone who wont be expecting to get
an email from you. Make sure all your sign-ups are clear and
double-opt in (discussed in detail later).
Make sure you regularly remove emails from your list that are
bouncing or you may end up sending to spam traps. Do this
seven or eight days after every send to allow for receipt of failed
delivery attempts to nonexistent domains.
Send a smaller email weekly rather than a large one monthly.
This will allow you to keep your list more up to date and will
keep your newsletters as something expected by your users and
less likely to be marked as spam. Smaller emails are also easier
for your customers to skim among their other emails.
Include an Unsubscribe Link
Test and make sure the unsubscribe link actually works. If the
unsubscribe returns an error they may just mark you as junk
instead of letting you know its broken.
Make the unsubscribe process easier than the subscribe
process.
Make sure the subscribers know and can recognize the senders
email address.
Server Setup
Insure your email server is not an open relay that allows
spammers to send their emails through a third partys email
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addressyou! Be sure to test this here:

http://www.abuse.net/relay.html.
Insure that postmaster@<yourdomain>.com and
abuse@<yourdomain>.com go to someone who can and will
actually do something about complaints.
Make sure your forward and reverse DNS for your mail server
match up.
Insure your email server is not listed on an RBL (real-time black
list).
Setup SPF for your domain so that other people have a harder
time pretending to be you. This can also help with Hotmail
deliverability (SenderID actually but in most cases it works out
to the same thing).
Setup domain keys to help with deliverability to Yahoo mail
accounts.
Some web mail systems (e.g. Hotmail) base junk filtering on the
reputation of your IP address. If you have just gotten an IP
address and are getting filtered to the junk, then you may need
to build up your reputation as a legitimate mailer before you
stop getting filtered into junk mail folders.
Email Content and Design
A pretty email is nice to look at, but the most important thing is
getting your information to your subscriber. So dont get too fancy
with the design. Lots of design elements will get stripped out by mail
clients and Outlook 2007 will display very few of them.
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Dont use spam-like words and phrases in your email (A list is

included below).
If you include a text part (and you should), be sure to use html
format.
Dont include too many images in your email (1-2 per email
should suffice) or some filters will flag it.
Dont use a similar color for your text and background; some
filters will see that as trying to hide text, and your subscribers
will have a hard time reading it!
Make sure the content of the email is what the subscriber signed
up to receive. Dont send them emails about jerseys if they only
wanted to know about shoes.
Use the Double-Opt-In Strategy
The double-opt-in strategy requires that the user both
voluntarily subscribe to your mailing list and confirm their
subscription. After they subscribe, they are sent an email with a link
that they must click on to confirm their subscription.
This is very important because many people can accidentally
enter an incorrect email address. When the person with the
(incorrect) email address receives an email asking them to confirm a
subscription they didnt ask for, they are given one of two options:
they can ignore the message, or they can reply saying they do not
want the subscription. In either event, you do not add them to your
mailing list. If they do confirm, then you can add them to your list.
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Trigger Words to Avoid

Many spam filters work by analyzing the words in the suspect
email. Your priority should be to avoid such words while keeping your
newsletter as professional as possible. Here is a list of words to avoid
(keep in mind, however, that this is a constantly updated list):
Free!
Satisfaction Guaranteed
% off!
Serious Cash
Click Here
Search Engine Listings
Call now!
Multilevel Marketing
Subscribe
Million Dollars
Earn $
Opportunity
Discount!
Compare
Eliminate Debt
Double your income
You're a Winner!
Reverses Aging
"Hidden"
Information you requested
Lose Weight
Removes
Collect
Amazing
Cash Bonus
Promise You
Credit
Loans
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I know it seems difficult to avoid some of these words, but dont

worry. You will only get labeled as spam if you use these words
frequently. So be sure to go back and check your email carefully
before sending it out!
Contact Information and Unsubscribe
Along with your Unsubscribe link at the bottom of your
emails, you must also display your contact information (phone, fax
and address) clearly. This greatly increases your credibility because it
allows a potential customer to contact you.
Cater to Your Audience
As previously mentioned, it is important to tailor your emails to
the audience you are targeting. If your business offers games for
toddlers, then you will want emails that have a light-hearted touch,
with fonts and graphics that appeal to young mothers. Does your firm
appeal to young consumers who like things that are unusual? Let your
fonts and graphics do the talking.
The tone of your writing and the topics you include in your
emails are building up an image of your business in the minds of
those who read them. Try to be consistent and reach your target
audience with content that appeals to them, and youll see response
rates grow.
Hold a Contest
You can use email to hold a contest and offer prizes to winners.
This is one method of increasing interactivity. Encourage contest
participants to get others to sign up as well.
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Include Your Website

Always, always, always include a link to your website. Thats the
main reason for sending out the email in the first place! You want
people to gain interest through your email and visit your site.
Use Proper Grammar
Nothing says unprofessional more than a poorly written email
with grammatical mistakes peppered throughout. If you are not a
good writer, consider hiring a professional to do it for you. Before
clicking send, be sure to review and edit your email numerous times
to catch any mistakes.
Simplify the Subscription Process
Have a very simple way for a person to subscribe to your
mailing list on your website. Add a subscription button that simply
asks for their email address. Do not ask too many questions regarding
their personal informationage, sex, phone number, etc.because
you will scare off your potential customers.
Include a Privacy Notice
The number one reason people do not give out their email
addresses is fear of getting unwanted emails from many different
spammers. The solution is simple. Place a privacy notice near your
subscription form that states: Your privacy is important to us. We
will never sell or disclose the information that you provide us.
Theres your disclaimer.
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Develop a Relationship with Your Clients

Once youve made an initial contact and built some rapport with
a subscriber, you can then ask for additional information. Your first
email is your welcome email, which describes your business and its
objectives. Give some information about yourself and why you started
the business. Be personal and professional. Your next email can ask
for more information relative to your business. Heres an example:
Dear Subscriber,
In order to give you the highest quality service, Id like to know a
little bit more about you. With your permission, I would like to ask
you the following questions.
o
What is your age?
Gender?
Geographic location?
Occupation?
These questions are for research purposes only and your answers
are strictly confidential. You do not have to answer any question
you do not wish to answer. Any information is appreciated and will
help me service my customers more efficiently and effectively.
Thank You,
<Your Name>
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Be sure to say, with your permission. This is called

permission-based selling. It puts the customer at ease by letting them
feel as though they are in control of the situation.
Use Creative Subject Lines
A lot of people dont even have to open an email to know they
arent interested in reading it. They can tell a lot by the subject line.
Its a crucial aspect of email marketing. These basic techniques will
help you create effective subject lines:
Be specific Dont say: Check out my store. You can save
money! Do say: Online shoe store saves 15% off Nike and Reebok.
Grab their attention Dont say: Watch out for fake shoes.
Do say: Five ways to spot a fake pair of shoes.
Dont look like spam Dont say: Save $1000 a week from
home! Do say: Trim the fat off your shopping budget.
Short and sweet Dont say: Check out my website because
I offer amazing products at competitive prices ever day! Do say:
Online store offers daily discounts on products.
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Chapter 12:
More
Marketing,
Marketing, and
Marketing
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Ever wonder why the same websites keep popping up when you
search through Google? Or how about those banners you see on every
website you visit? The answer is simple: Internet marketing.
This is our last topic and it is geared toward the advanced
eBayers looking to take their business to the next level. I discussed
how to use email marketing to direct traffic to your website, but now I
will show you how to use the Internet marketing strategies
implemented by multimillion dollar companies every single day. Lets
get right into it.
Marketing for Free
Social websites like MySpace and Facebook have grown
substantially over the past five years. If you are selling products on
eBay, odds are your buyers are Internet savvy. There is a good chance
that they are using some sort of social networking to keep in touch
with their friends and family. You can take advantage of this by
building a strong friend list on MySpace and/or Facebook. These two
sites are by far the top of the game right now. And the best part is,
your marketing there is 100% free.
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Nine Ways to Market for Free on Facebook
1.
Profile Page: The starting point for your presence on
Facebook is your profile page. Your profile page is basically a landing

page that you create to introduce yourself to others. . The actual
design of the page is very simple. Facebook supplies a general
template for everyone, but you can put all of your information in
certain areas on the site.
Not only is your profile the page that you have the most control
over, its the place where you can most deeply and authentically
express your passion for the brand, company, or product you want to
promote. Your profile page is an opportunity to craft a credible realworld story around the reasons your products or services are so
valuable. Take advantage of Personal Info, Work Info, Photos, and
Applications to tell bits and pieces of your narrative as it relates to
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your brand. If youre not buying your own stuff, why should anyone
else?
Finally, people dont realize how many page views profile pages
generate. One common habit of Facebook users is browsing the
profile pages of friends and stalking the profile pages of people they
want to learn more about . By connecting to hundreds of partners,
customers, associates, and friends on Facebook, youll drive a huge
amount of traffic to your profile page. Take advantage of that
opportunity.
2.
Facebook Groups: Groups are oldest and simplest way to
build community around your brand or company on Facebook. By

starting a group, you create a central place for customers, partners,
and friends to participate in conversations around your brand.
Facebook groups come with boards for posting discussion topics,
photos, videos, and links. You can also easily send news and updates
to your group members as often as you likemessages arrive in their
Facebook Inbox. And the best part about Groups is you can create as
many as you like for free.
Groups are one of the simplest ways to do viral marketing on
Facebook. Once members have joined your group, they can easily
invite their friends to join the group via a built-in Invite feature. If
your members are excited about your group, it can grow very quickly.
3.
Facebook Pages: Pages were launched by Facebook in
November 2007 as a way for businesses of many types to easily
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establish a brand presence on Facebook. Pages are a lot like groups,

with some important differences:
Pages are more customizable than groups. You can add HTML,
Flash, or even Facebook applications to your pages to extend
their functionality and the depth of experience users can have
with your brand.
Pages get more prominent Bumper Stickers real estate than

groups on the profile pages of your fans.
4.
Facebook Events: Facebook Events is a free application
developed by Facebook that anyone can use to promote marketing

events, sponsored parties, or even product launches, transactions, or
company milestones.
When you create an event, it gets a fully featured page, much
like a group, that includes a wall, discussion, photos, videos, and
links. You can invite all of your friends to the event; friends you invite
will receive a special notification requesting their RSVP. The best part
of this is when your friends invite their friends, and so on. This is
where your message starts hitting people who you never could have
reached through other means.
Facebook Events makes it easy to get the word out to hundreds of
people, manage your guest list, and build community around
upcoming events.
5.
Facebook Networks: Facebook Networks are like group
pages for everyone whos a member of an educational, work, or

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geographical network. While no Facebook members own any pieces

of network pages, network pages offer 1) another way for users to
discover events, posted items, and 2) discussion forums and walls
that any members can post to.
6.
Facebook Notes and Photos: Notes and Photos are two
Facebook applications that allow you to share blog posts and pictures
with your friends. You can use these features to post content about
your brand.
In Facebook Notes and Photos you can tag, or label, your
notes and photos with the names of your friends who are included in
them. When you tag a friend in your photo or note, he or she gets a
special notification. However, you dont have to use tagging only to
tag people that are actually included in the note or photoyou can
also use it to selectively choose certain people whose attention you
want to bring to the content youve created. When they view your note
or photo, theyll see the other people you tagged in itso make sure
its a group of people theyd be complimented to be included in.
7.
Facebook Messages: The rise of Facebook Messages as a
popular alternative to email has confused many old people.

Nevertheless, Messages can be a powerful vehicle for targeted
marketing on Facebook.
Messages are like email, except a lot less fully featured Facebook offers no way to search, sort, filter, or categorize messages.
While Facebooks default privacy settings prevent you from seeing the
full profile page of most people you are not friends with, Facebook
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does allow you to send messages to users you have no connection

with.
8.
Facebook Share / Posted Items: Facebook Share is an
application that lets you promote any Group, Event, Photo, Link, or
Application you come across by a) giving it space in your Posted
Items list on your profile page, or b) sending it directly to your
friends Inbox.
By posting it on your profile page, you can direct some attention
to the shared item.
9.
Mini Feed and News Feed: While all the channels Ive
described above are useful for grassroots marketing on Facebook, the

wind that blows your marketing seeds is Facebooks News Feed.
While youre not able to publish directly to the feeds (unless youre
willing to pay or build an application), Facebooks Mini Feed and
News Feed archive your users engagement with your brand and
syndicate it to their friends, networks, and beyond, amplifying the
reach of your campaign by orders of magnitude.
When Facebook users join your group, RSVP to your event,
become fans of your page, or share your photos, Facebook
automatically adds a feed item to their Mini Feed. That feed item
exists for all to see, and is often in a prominent location on Facebook
profile pages. Facebooks News Feed, which occupies most of the
login landing page, then goes to users friends Mini Feeds into one
unified stream of Recent News. Its possible that one Mini Feed
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item generated by a Facebook user could be seen in hundreds of their

friends News Feeds.
The News Feed has revolutionized the way information is shared
between friends on Facebook. This can mean great things for your
campaign and your brand. [Please check this News Feed section
particularly, to make sure it is still working in the updated Facebook
the way youve described it here.]
MySpace
Another major hitter for social networking along with
Facebook is MySpace.com. Thousands of users join for various
reasons, whether its to make friends, share photos and videos or to
promote their products. As MySpace grows in popularity, members of
the competitive marketing industry have discovered the gold mine
that MySpace really is when it comes to its advertising potential.
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There are a number of tools and methods that allow users to

maximize their marketing potential and benefit from access to a huge
community.
Firstly, the wider your audience, the higher the chances of your
scheme really working. MySpace works similarly to Facebook. Your
goal is to become friends with people and allow them to view your
site. As far as the marketing strategy goes, you want to gather as
many friends as you can so you can get your message out to as many
people as possible. There are a number of automatic programs that
allow users to collect friends and build up a strong contact list. Yet,
many users find that the personal approach is best because it allows
people to target their audience, even if it takes longer. This means
going through a number of profiles, and friend-requesting those who
you deem appropriate recipients of your advertising spear. (There is a
limit to how many people you can add in a day.) This approach is
especially useful for niche businesses that cater to a significant target
market.
Once you have built up a large contact list, there are a few steps
you should take to insure your friends interest in hearing about your
endeavors. This is usually done by creating a captivating and
interesting profile, based on your niche market. If you dont complete
a profile, most users will take you off their friends list. It is best if you
include personal details, a few photographs, and update your blog at
least twice a week. Also, changing the look of your page reassures
people that youre participating, and will add to your growing list of
friends. The friend-requesting process is most successful if all these
details are taken care of at the outset. Stay in touch with your friends
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and leave comments on their MySpace pages. This will encourage

them to visit your profile regularly, and there you can subject them to
whatever marketing techniques you are employing.
Once your friends list is ready and youre a popular member of
the family, its time for the wheels to start moving. Launch your
marketing plan!
One of the greatest advertising tools at your service is the
bulletins option. Bulletins are like forum posts, but they cant be
replied to and are only visible to users on your friends list. Theyre
especially useful if you have a targeted list of friends. But beware that
if you post too many advertising bulletins, most people will drive you
to the edges of the MySpace circle and you will be subject to your
friends annoyance. Thus, it is best that you post only occasionally, no
more than four bulletins per month. Since you have access to graphics
and flash in your bulletins, try to make them original, interesting, and
a vehicle that delivers your product with expertise.
Another great method to employ is mass messaging. This works
well for both target and bulk marketers, since it allows a huge number
of users to receive your message. This can be done by using an
automated messaging program. It is important to write an
informative message but insure that it sounds personal and include
the link to your site at the bottom of the message. If users appreciate
your message and find it useful, they will probably pass it on to their
friends and thus the never-ending, profit-making chain of viral
marketing will commence.
Today, MySpace is used by both big and small businesses and
by individuals to promote their products and to bring increasing
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traffic to their websites. The system is one of the latest and one of the
most successful on the face in the earth of online marketing.
By using an informal, word-of-mouth approach, you can attract
the interest of thousands of potential customers.
Other Social Networking Ideas

There are plenty of other social networking sites. Give each a try
and find out where you are getting the most action. The point is to
always be marketing. No matter what business you are in, you are in
the marketing business.
Here are some other ideas for social marketing:
1. LinkedIn.com This is a professional networking site. Its used
mostly by professionals
looking for other
professionals. But it can be
great if you are selling
specialty products on eBay. You can find people who specifically
buy those products and can build a strong relationship with them.
2. Blogs Its imperative that you always stay in touch with your
customers. Blogging is a good way to maintain a nice casual
rapport with a lot of people who share your interests. Believe me, it
may not be easy to think of things to blog about that relate to your
eBay business. Youll need to get very creative here. Think about
how you can make your product fun or sexy. Think about how you
can teach your customers about your product, or how you can
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incorporate some sort of

entertainment that will
induce them check out your
blog.
3. Video Sites Another
great way to market to your
group would be to post
videos on the web and have
your customers watch them
on sites like
www.YouTube.com or www.Vimeo.com. If you are not techy and
do not know how to get videos onto the web, one great resource is
a Flip camera. This camera retails for around $99. You can video
anything up to an hour and then just upload it to YouTube. It is
really incredibly easy. Then you send the link that YouTube gives
you out to your list. You can also post link on your blog and send
out a link to your blog; then your viewers can see your products
right after watching the video.
The best thing about these networking sites is that theyre free,
so take advantage of them. I suggest using this strategy first, but if,
after you try it, you are struggling for website hits then try out these
additional ideas.
Article Sites and the Nice Guy Strategy
One way to generate more hits on your website is to post
articles relating to your product on the web. Google and other search
engines will pull up these articles when people type in your product
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name or description in the search bar. Articles typically come up
higher on the list in searches because they are typically full of content.
Search engines love content-based stuff. They rank higher than
advertisement sites. So the strategy here is to become an expert in
your field. Start posting articles relating to your product so that you
can generate more traffic to your website where, Oh, yeah, you just
happen to sell that exact product.
One of the best sites to post your articles is
www.ezinearticles.com. EzineArticles is absolutely free. It has
thousands of articles written by experts and writers covering various
topics. Since youve created an online business and website, you are
officially a self-proclaimed expert! Write articles that are between 500
and 1250 words. At the bottom of each article place a bio about
yourself and your business and post a link to your website. Just by
posting on EzineArticles.com, your articles will receive maximum
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exposure to thousands of daily visitors, and a significant number of

those visitors are likely to follow the link to your website
Writing a published article will also boost your credibility,
because prospects will see that youre dedicated to your business and
take it seriously. The strategy is not to write an article about your
business and why people should buy from you; write about the best
techniques for buying products online and talk about what customers
should look for in a credible seller. This is an excellent way to tell a
customer they can trust you because youre giving them inside
information from the sellers perspective.
This is an indirect and effective sales strategy because you are
gaining the customers trust and, ultimately, their business, through
the Nice Guy Strategy. People naturally put up a wall when
salespeople ask them directly for their business. Its human nature.
Most people do not like being asked to make an immediate decision.
So rather than trying to knock down their wall with cheesy sales
techniques, a successful salesperson will take the role of friend and
consultant. Offer the prospect advice and act as a consultant. Focus
on the clients needs and what they should do to fill those needs. Your
prospect may not buy from you right away, but you will definitely be
top on their list when theyre ready. Why? You were nice enough to
offer advice when youre not directly benefiting from the solution. As
my dad always says, its nice to be important, but its more important
to be nice.
Lets go back to EZine articles. Prospects see direct sales
messages all the time. If you try to sell to them directly, they will
merely brush past your article like they did the other 25. Instead,
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offer advice about how to be a more competent buyer. Do this and

watch your website hits soar.
Do you dislike writing? Thats okay. There are some websites
you can use to find other people to write articles very inexpensively
for you. One example of this is www.Elance.com. At Elance.com you

can post specific projects that you need someone to do. Lets say you
are looking for a few articles about your Ebay antiques business. You
may want someone to write articles on how to maintain your antiques
so that they stay in excellent condition. All you have to do is post it on
Elance and people will bid on your job. You dont even have to state
what youre going to pay. Let the market tell you what they will work
for. These sites are great for people who dont have the time to write
articles or content, but who dont want to spend a lot of money to get
them written. Other sites similar to Elance.com are www.gurus.com
and www.hiremymom.com.
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Using Google AdWords

Weve all seen these advertisements. Theyre the Sponsored
Links at the top and far right side of the Google search page. How do
you get to be a Sponsored Link? Its really quite simple, and its an
easy way to market your business to people who have already
acknowledged an interest in your products. It does require a
monetary investment on your end, but it will increase your business
revenue if used correctly.
Heres how it works - You create an advertisement on
www.adwords.google.com, where advertisers bid on keywords that a
user might type into the Google search engine. If you bid on a
keyword, and your bid is high enough, your ad will pop up as a
Sponsored Link on the search page whenever anyone types in your
keyword(s). Since the people have typed in the exact keywords you
bid on, your chances of completing a transaction are quite high. It
takes target-audience marketing to another level.
The best part is you are only charged an advertising fee when
someone actually clicks on your website link. There are no upfront
costs to create your advertisement; instead you pay per click. You can
also set a daily budget, or limit, so you are not charged an
astronomical amount you cant afford. For example, you can bid a
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maximum of $.20 for each click on your ad, with a daily budget of
$10.
Google AdWords offers you tips in selecting effective keywords.
This is important because the last thing you want to do is waste
precious advertising money on useless hits. If youre vague and
indirect with your keywords, you will be wasting time and money.
Pick the right keywords and youll find this strategy to be very
effective.
Google has tracking tools that allow you to view your
advertising activity and results. Monitor this daily to make necessary
changes to keywords and/or pricing limits. Google offers default
settings and automatic adjustments for effectiveness, but I suggest
just using their ideas as guidelines for creating an optimal advertising
campaign.
Google also allows you set your ads to only appear in certain
locations. You can also create local business ads that are highlighted
on Google Maps.
Banner Ads
A company buys advertising for two reasons: branding and
direct sales. Weve all experienced brandingthe process of
impressing a company name or a product name onto society's
collective brain. A direct sales ad attempts to persuade you to do
something today, right now, as you look at the ad.
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Banner advertising is a
combination of the two. Im sure
youve run into your fair share of
banner adsthose small
rectangular advertisements that
appear on web pages all over the
Internet. Banners are an
extremely simple marketing
concept: if you click on them, your
Internet browser will take you to
the advertiser's website. Thats all
there is to it.
The response rate for banner
ads is low. For the most part, the
industry average is between two
and five clicks per 1,000 impressions of the ad. In other words, if a
banner ad appears on 1,000 web pages (or is viewed 1,000 times on
one page), between two and five people will click on the ad to learn
more. Advertisers evaluate the success of their banner ads using clickthrough rates (CTR). This simply tells a company how many people
clicked on the ad.
So How Can You Use This for Your eBay Business?
You can ask other people to let you place your banner on their
web pages. They will charge you a fee or will ask you to trade banner
ads with them. Dont advertise on mainstream websites because it
will become too costly. Instead, advertise on websites that will attract
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your target audience. If youre selling designer purses, advertise on a

website that sells designer shoes. Youre likely to have the same target
audience. This is an excellent opportunity for you to network with
other online business ownersoffer to do a banner trade with them.
Banner ad rates usually depend on the amount of traffic on the
host website. The more traffic, the higher the price, because more
people will have the opportunity to see your ad. Also, banners come in
various sizes, so they take up different amounts of physical and
memory space. There are no universally set rates because each
website has their own set of guidelines. Banner ad rates are declining
so it is not uncommon to find a website or broker selling ads for $.50
per thousand impressions. Thats very reasonable.
Guidelines for Effective Banner Ads
1. Learn from the best. To start out, visit the major websites
and look at the different banners. Try to identify at least three banner
ads that catch your attention and figure out what they have in
common. Refer to these ads to give yourself new ideas.
2. Be clear with graphics and messaging. Your main
objective is to have people click on your banner to view your website.
A strong, clear message will seal the deal, while a cool graphic will
help catch their eye.
3. Say it in six words or less. If you use fewer words you can
make the font size bigger, which increases the impact of your
message. It will also save you money, which is always a plus in my
book.
Auction Pro Riches
Page #241
4. Use power words. These are single words that state a

customer benefit and create immediate interest: free, unbelievable,
affordable, guaranteed, trial, etc. Brainstorm for words that fit your
product and website.
5. Select images carefully. Adding visuals is like cooking
with spices. Too few will lead to a bland banner, while too many will
destroy the desired effect. Use images relating to your product. And
remember, space is money!
6. Use contrast to capture attention. Make sure there is
contrat between the background colors, text message, and
photograph. Do this by using different font sizes, bold text, and
colors.
7. Less is more. Cluttered messages will dilute impact. Limit
the number of elementscolors, fonts, graphics, and words. Always
ask yourself, is my primary message clear?
Use these guidelines to create an effective banner. When its up
and running, monitor your banners for efficacy. Constantly check the
website that hosts your banner because you never know when their
marketing strategy will change. (What if they change their target
market from young women to senior citizens?)
Auction Pro Riches
Page #242

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WARNING!

REPRODUCTION OF THESE COPYRIGHTED AUDIO CDS AND

Auction Pro Riches

Adapted from a Declaration of Principals jointly adopted by a Committee of the

Auction Profit Builders, Inc

Auction Pro Riches

Auction Pro Riches

Chapter 2: Starting an eBay Business

Chapter 3: Introduction to Buying On eBay

Chapter 4: Selling - The Basics

Auction Pro Riches

Chapter 7: Wholesaling and Drop Shipping

Auction Pro Riches

Chapter 8: eBay Motors

Chapter 9: Buying and Selling Real Estate on eBay

Chapter 10: Your Website

Chapter 11: Internet Marketing

Auction Pro Riches

Auction Pro Riches

Congratulations! You just made, potentially, one of the greatest

Auction Pro Riches

to your bank account for immediate withdrawal. (Dont worry, Ill

Auction Pro Riches

Auction Pro Riches

Auction Pro Riches

For those of you who dont know, eBay is an online auction

Jordans from inexperienced eBay users who continually misspelled

It took more than two years for me to launch my business to

Auction Pro Riches

Auction Pro Riches

User ID and Getting Verified

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Higher credibility to customers

Auction Pro Riches

Auction Pro Riches

). That number, 74,

indicates your feedback rating, a crucial number that tells members if

Auction Pro Riches

A positive rating will increase your rating numerically, while

feedback history and know immediately whether they wish to do

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How Cost-Effective is eBay?

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What If Someone Doesnt Pay?

Insertion Fee: Books, Music,

Final Value Fees: Auction Style

Final Value Fee

Insertion Fees: Fixed Price

Books, Music, DVDs & Movies, Other

Final Value Fees: Fixed Price

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Clothing, Shoes &

Books, Music, DVDs

All Other Categories

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Final Value Fee

8.00% of the closing value

$1,000.00, plus 2% of the

Buy It Now Price

Auction Pro Riches

Each additional Picture

Picture Pack (1-6 pictures)

Picture Pack (7-12 pictures)

Fee -- Auction Style,