Auction Power Guide

I have tried selling items before but they haven’t sold, does anyone have any good tips on selling an item!

Be truthful!! If an item you are selling has a mark on it, or is damaged,or faded etc you must put it in the description.Take a couple of good photos and include the the price when bought new.get the postage cost right too-a lot of sellers bump up their sales by adding too much on postage. I always get items properly weighed then add a bit for packing.Make sure you get your spellings right-so many sales are lost because of this cos the ‘search’ doesn’t pick them up.And make people think they are getting a bargain.I personally think that reserve prices put people off-I never bid on anything with one as you can usually find the same item without a reserve price.Be realistic, think about the minimum amount you would let the item sell for then use that as your starting bid.Auctions that start at 1p are great, but there’s always the chance that this could be your only bid and you end up paying out more in fees than what you sold it for.Always put at least one photo on-people won’t buy what they can’t see.Good Luck

What is the cheapest way but yet the most profitable way to go on ebay? doing auctions or just running a store. I have bought some things off ebay and have my paypal account but have never checked out the costs to get setup or how much time it takes. I’d love to hear from sellers on ebay to tell me what they think.

The basic eBay store subscription costs $15.99 a month. One advantage of an eBay store is the insertion fees for store inventory range from $0.05 to $0.10 for a one month listing. You can list multiple quantities of the same item for a single insertion fee. When you compare that with $0.20 to $4.80 for a single standard auction listing, it is a bargain.

The insertion fees may be cheaper, but the final value fee (FVF) charged when an item is sold from an eBay store is significantly higher. The fee is almost double the final value fee of a standard auction. For example, the FVF for a $100 item selling in an eBay store is $7.75. For an auction, the FVF is $3.75. This difference in FVF needs to be factored in when deciding whether to list an item as a store listing or as an auction listing.

The main disadvantage of using an eBay store is the store inventory only appears in the main search results when there are 30 or fewer auctions and fixed-price listings found. This means if you are trying to sell a very popular item in an eBay store, it will not will not be included in the standard search results. This makes it very difficult for buyers to find store items.

An eBay store works best if you have multiple quantities of the same item. The best strategy is to list one unit as an auction and list the rest in the store. When buyers see the auction listing, they may check the other items that are listed for sale by the seller. This list will include items from the seller’s eBay store. Buyers may chose to buy the unit out of your store instead of waiting for the auction to end.

Good Luck,
Bill
Visit http://www.newlifeauctions.com for more eBay tips.

I want to go to a government seized auto auction to get a car. Since your not allowed to test drive these cars, I definetly will bring along my mechanic to look at the car. What are the most important things for him to check since the car is sold "as is"?

Also, most of these vehicles are newer (2000 or newer) so they’re not very old.
Somebody here said to not buy a car that is clean on the outside because it usually means that it is in bad mechanical condition. Why is that?

If your mechanic is an ASE Certified mechanic familiar with used car inspections he’ll know exactly what to look for. If he’s not, find one that is.

Auctions are a very risky venture, you need to be extremely cautious since there are so many hidden things that can go wrong with a car. Many of them undetectable, even after a thorough inspection.

The positive thing is you can generally find a real bargain at the auction. But don’t expect to buy a car that is free of defects and won’t need to be serviced. Assume that anything you buy will need at least one repair as soon as you drive it home.

Should I have lower prices on ebay than the same items sold via the webstore; should it be the other way around, or both about the same? GENUINE, SERIOUS answers only, please.

I completely disagree with rlecor (in a friendly way of course 😉 but you can price your goods at exactly the same price (if not cheaper, minus ebay’s fees of course) on ebay as your webstore. I do agree with rlecor when he/she says "shoppers there are really looking for a bargain".

Keeping in with that understanding, the best way to use ebay is to support your webstore. Offer an item for cost on ebay to attract visitors to your webstore. Have something ultra unique? Put it up for auction and use your webstore as the reference point.

There are so many ways you can go. Either way can be very successful or a waste of effort and time. Take a look at this…

http://www.StartMySmallBiz.com

This program has a TON of techniques and strategies for developing a successful ebay and/or webstore among some very unique ways of promoting your goods.

Good luck,

Tom

I am a mom of 4 chidren and have recently posted some items for sale on Ebay. I’ve heard that a lot of people have had success doing this. I’m concerned though that no one is bidding on my items because I don’t have a rating score yet. How will anyone trust that I will ship them the merchandise they purchased or that I’m legitimate. I know I would be skeptical to purchase anything from someone w/ no rating score. Can anyone give me any tips. I’d love to hear some success stories! I’m not looking to be rich. Just make some extra spending cash for the kid’s and myself. I am a stay at home mom and thought this would be great for me. Thanks in advance for your responses!
Thank you…thank you for all your responses. I know the fees Ebay charges sometimes makes me wonder if it’s worth the while. Guess I just have to be patient.

My personal opinion, I think ebay has dried up.
But, dont worry about your lack of rating score.
Everyone starts at zero. You may wish to buy in ebay a few things to get your numbers up. People hardly even leave feedback anymore. Now, ebay appears to be a liquidation centre, so sure, try your things that are sitting around at home. I got some good cash back when I liquidated my jewelry business, last January 2006, BUT, certainly never got more than what I originally paid. This past year I sold nice NEW wooden toys, that was unsuscessful. Imagine I did not make it to December, christmas time! My feedback is almost 300, a fast rise to superseller in Feb2006, then downhill. Those add on ebay fees can be unwittingly cumbersome, and shipping fees. Maybe my biggest shortfall is that I live in Canada. Ebay is a great place for those looking for a bargain, but you dont want that bargain to be at your expense. So, I think used items, and used toys could do you well. You do have a large market base (USA).

I hope my experience story was somewhat helpful to you.

Can anyone please send me a link from Ebay’s help site to answer this question: Is it legal for a seller to add extra fees into the shipping and handling of an item after the auction has ended? Provided that the listing did not mention any such extra fees?

I know that the seller cannot do this. I remember once seeing it written down and thinking "Why would any seller be that stupid?" Just my luck that it just happened to me. Seller charged a flat rate shipping, with no insurance availible. That’s ok, I didn’t want any….just a delivery confirmation. Now this seller is wanting extra money, which I know is because the items I purchased are worth far more than what she feels they are worth. I got a bargain!

I can’t seem to find it listed anywhere under the help section. I want to send this link to my seller as proof that I do not have to pay these extra fees.

If the seller ask for extra money then what is agree, he or she screw up. It too bad if they didn’t put in the correct amount, they shouldn’t be selling if it a big deal. If the seller complain that the bid was lower than what he or she expected, tough luck because they are going to learn their lesson.

If they refused to ship things then they better give you the refund or file a complaint.

eBay is a semi-legal binding auction. You and seller agree as eBay is a transaction system for auctioning.

Avoid selling the things you love, but, perhaps no one else does. Your hobbies and personal interest can be a great way of making money, but only if plenty of other people are interested in them too. Another scenario is when you find wholesale products that you think is absolutely wonderful and could be the next best thing…but no-one seems interested in buying it.

Oh well you think, it’s only short term, eventually they’ll learn about my item and start flocking to buy it. Ah, no they won’t. It’s lonely work trying to educate people on the benefits of a product all on your own. As fabulous as the wholesale products might be, it’s nigh-on impossible to start a trend on your own. To make money from a trend, you need magazines and newspapers, word of mouth and television to do some of the work for you.

There is a danger in very large items also. Unless you already have experience selling and shipping large items like furniture or pianos, then it might be wise to start with something smaller. Shipping such large items is a major operation. Not only that, these items will sell less often than mid-priced items as they won’t attract the same number of impulse buyers.

Be careful about selling items too cheap, under $10. It sounds like a great idea – after all, everyone likes a bargain don’t they? But items that sell for under $10 have one big problem: Shipping. It’s quite likely that the shipping for the item will cost more than the item itself and this can be very off-putting to buyers.

For example, if the item costs $4.50 and shipping costs $6, the total cost for the item is $10.50. If the buyer can purchase the item at their local store for $8, then this suddenly becomes a much better deal. For small items and accessories, the way to get around this problem is by grouping the items together, such as sets of 6 golf-balls or 5 tea towels.

Some items are very difficult to ship such as fragile china, plants. Of course these are not bad items to sell altogether. Many sellers do very well from these items. But I don’t suggest you sell such difficult items when you are first starting out. Both these items have an above-average shipping risk, particularly if not packed properly. As a new seller, any negative feedback you receive at this early stage could be especially damaging to your career.

here are items that are very hot with many people selling them, that doesn’t mean that you should. Many sellers think that the best way to get started on eBay is to sell items that everyone else is selling. Surely those super hot items such as ipods, cell phones, psps and so on will be a quick route to riches?

Well, no. The sellers who are already selling these items are not only more established on eBay – and thus familiar to and trusted by buyers – but they will be able to buy wholesale products in larger bulks lots than you will, so their prices will always be better. Thus it will almost certainly be very difficult for you to make a profit in a market that is already well supplied.

Eldridge Williams

It’s probably fair to say that one of the key reasons why many auctions end unsuccessfully on eBay is because people have got their auction title WRONG.

With the eBay marketplace becoming ever more over-crowded, it’s now increasingly more important to create auction titles that work. You really do need to stand out from your rival eBay sellers.

So what does an auction title need to do?

It’s most important job is to get people to click onto your auction. You can have the most amazing bargain in the world, or an absolutely fantastic and compelling advert, but if people never get that far then you’ll never make sales. The first step in the buying process is for people to click onto your auctions.

So how do I create a “winning” title?

The tips below are what I’ve learned as an eBay seller over the past few years. I’ve tried many different strategies and ideas, and these are the ones that work. They bring in the buyers time and time again.

“MY TOP 6 TITLE TIPS”

Create mystery.

A relatively unknown ‘secret’ is to create mystery around your auction or product. This intrigues people, and ultimately results in more people clicking onto your auction.

Let’s say you’re trying to sell an ebook called “Profits from Adwords” that contains information on how to create an income through ads on Google. Instead of using a traditional title like “Profits from Adwords eBook: the secrets to success,” trying using a title such as “Make a Great Income from Writing Three Lines of Text.” You’re not revealing exactly what the product is you’re trying to sell, rather what the product can do for the buyer. Another example may be with relaxation oils. Try a title such as “The Most RELAXING Thing I’ve Ever Tried.”

Once you think of a few catchy titles you can test them out if you happen to have multiple identical items. See which title sells the best when all other aspects of the listing are kept equal. These little experiments can drastically improve your sales conversions once you learn how to test properly.

People may feel more compelled to click on your auction with a catchy title like the ones mentioned above, but of course it does have its disadvantages, and it may not be the correct strategy for every product. After all, it’s pretty hard to create excitement and mystery around a pack of envelopes for example! It also slightly contradicts one of my rules below… but it CAN and DOES work if it’s the right product.

Use capital letters

This is a MUST in an eBay auction title – Start Each Word In Your Title With A Capital Letter Like This. It makes your title stand out from people who don’t, and can actually be more effective than using paid eBay options such as a bold title. You can also try putting certain key words in full capitals to draw attention to a unique selling point or a particularly attractive feature. If the item you’re selling is brand new then draw attention to this fact in your title.

Make sure you include as many keywords as possible

Most people find items on eBay by using the search facility, therefore it’s important that you include words in your title that people are likely to be searching for. People that write titles which are just too plain will lose out on sales. This tip seems like an obvious one, but you would be shocked at how many people don’t optimize their titles with proper keyword use!

Spell accurately

Spelling mistakes don’t show up in search results. If I search for “Playstation” and your auction title has it listed as “Playstataion” then I won’t find your item. Most people don’t make spelling mistakes purposely, that’s why they’re called mistakes. If you notice that you did make a mistake after you’ve already listed your item you may still be able to go back and correct it if you do so prior to any bids being placed. One misspelled keyword can ruin all your hard work!

Be descriptive

If you’re selling a new item, make sure you point that out in your title. If your item is in excellent condition, again make sure you say so. Try to be creative as well, look at your auction title as a buyer would.

Example, instead of saying “Pair Of Computer Speakers Used Condition Work Great”… try “Pair Of Computer Speakers w/ Manual Included Like New.”

Finally…

Use paid options sparingly. eBay offers all kinds of options that are designed to increase clicks on your auctions, such as Bold and Highlight, but I’ve usually found that these don’t have a large enough impact on auction visitor numbers to justify the cost. It may well depend on what you’re selling, but I firmly believe that good wording is much more important. You can’t always buy success on eBay.

Remember:

1.) Create mystery and excitement
2.) Use capital letters
3.) Include keywords
4.) Spell accurately
5.) Be descriptive
6.) Use paid options sparingly

Chris Vendilli
http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/how-to-create-winning-ebay-auction-titles-90415.html

No one like it when they get no bids on there Ebay auction, but it happens.
Some auctions get hundreds of bids, but some go much more slowly, getting only a few bids or even none at all for days. Auctions are generally much slower during the summer months than they are in the winter – and sales on eBay are slowing each year, for more details visit to www.auctions-profits.com as more sellers than buyers sign up, hoping to get rich quick. There are a number of ways that you can take advantage of slower auctions to get the best price.
Wait to Bid.
If you bid, then everyone can see you’re interested – and that might make them interested too. Leaving the item alone for as long as you can bear will make it look less popular, and keep the price down so you can come in at the last minute and get a bargain.
Make an Offer.
If the seller is selling an item using ‘Buy it Now’ and it still hasn’t sold when the auction is about to end, use eBay’s ‘Best Offer’ service to make them an offer on it. The chances are they’ve listed the item two or three times before, and they’ll be so annoyed at the prospect of re-listing it yet again that they’ll accept your offer just to get rid of the thing.
Conspire with Other Buyers.
You might not have thought of this, but if there are two auctions for the same item and only you and one other buyer are bidding, for more details visit to www.auction-professional.com why not get together and work out a ‘you take this one and I’ll take that one’ deal? This avoids you raising the price on both auctions just to get one each. If you make a few friends, you can even work together on auctions long-term, taking it in turns to bid.
Be Snobbish.
Send the seller emails asking questions about the condition of the item, and making it very clear that you are a discerning buyer and will only accept things of the highest quality. This will make them feel better about selling you their item for less.
Don’t Feel Guilty.
There really are too many sellers on eBay now, to the point where you can get common items at very low prices. Long-term, this will probably force those sellers out of business, but that’s the way a market works – it’s supply and demand.
Buy in Bulk.
When auctions are slow, many sellers will have had the same stock for a long time. If you offer to take ten things off their hands all at once then you can almost name your price – the chances are that they’ll fall over themselves to give you a good deal. If you come back again and buy another ten items then they’ll love you even more.
The longer you spend on eBay, the more experienced you’ll become – and the greater the chances are that you’ll stumble across an auction for something very odd, and quite unexpected. In the next email, you’ll hear all about the strangest eBay items ever sold.
In fact, there are all sorts of tricks you can use on eBay, if you want to get ahead of the game. Remember that most buyers on eBay are casual, and don’t know what they’re doing: a little knowledge can go a long way in getting you an advantage. When your sellers aren’t in such good standing, though, you need to be careful to avoid being a victim of fraud. There are a few scams that you especially need to look out for – we’ll cover them in the next article.

madhuri
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/as-extended-as-you-can-stand-will-make-it-look-less-popular-755539.html

Some will call it the Ebay alternative, as online auctions bring thousands of visitors daily, and the number continues to climb.  Why?  Is the excitement of winning?  What about the opportunity of obtaining brand name products for pennies on the dollar, or for as little as Zero.  Typically, bidding on a product forces the price to go up.  What if the price goes down?

Online auctions are played by using purchased bid credits and placing bids, and like Ebay, in the end a winner is awarded.  It is an online phenomenon and proven successful across the globe. 

Well, for you competitive fanatics looking for a bargain, are you ready for a twist?  What would you think if you could actually earn an income from people participating in online auctions?  What?  Make money from something that hundreds of thousands of people are already doing?  It’s genius! 

Finally, a concept that is proven, fun, exciting, and everybody wants in.  Who wouldn’t want to play, AND EARN?  Do you have to play to earn?  Absolutely not!

Friends, online auction entertainment has been taken to a whole new level, at ZapADeal!  A proven concept where you can play and/or earn, you decide. 

Forget those days of making huge investments to join, or those large minimum purchase requirements, just to qualify to earn income.  Wait, ZapADeal does have a minimum bid purchase requirement each month.  What would you say to $20 bucks?  Do you think you could give up a night out on the town each month for an opportunity to earn a substantial income from something that people are already doing? 

Friends and families are hopping on this money train, how about you?  Taking advantage of this opportunity is so easy.  You really have to see it to believe it. 

Check us out at http://www.getzapped.homestead.com/

Kim Koronas
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/auction-entertainment-brings-a-brand-new-twist-693060.html