Donna Knight's Internet Marketing Tools and Reviews

Category: Online auctions

Online auction articles to help you make money from Ebay and other online auctions.

  • How to Find Out What Is Selling On Ebay

    Find Out What’s Selling on eBay – Fast

    I’ve mentioned this before, and it’s worth repeating:

    “If you want to make money (online or offline) you have to know what people want to buy…”

    Most people do NOT succeed on the Internet because they are selling things no one wants. If you want to be successful sell ONLY things that people really, really want to BUY.

    Sounds easy doesn’t it?

    “Sell ONLY things that people WANT to buy!”

    This is THE SECRET of ALL BUSINESS SUCCESS!!

    Is it easy?

    It is… you only have to find out what they want and GIVE IT TO THEM!

    Nothing beats hard research.

    In direct marketing, you can always find out what’s selling by referring to the SRDS Direct Marketing lists. They will provide you with the number of buyers, the ave. ticket (sale) price and more.

    It’s an amazing resource for finding out what people are actually buying…!

    If you want to sell something on ebay you have to know what the supply and demand is for thousands of items… finally you can!

    Check out this, under-used, but extremely valuable resource for discovering what’s selling on ebay right now and what the hot selling items are:

    http://pulse.ebay.com/

    The report I’m about to tell you about is from 2007 but it is still useful since it gives you an ide aof what types of items were hot back then. You can use this as a starting point for your research and determine if these same items are still hot sellers. According to Ebay this report will help you discover … ” which categories and products are on fire—where bid to item ratios are high and demand is outpacing supply!”…

    http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/hotitems.pdf

  • Sell Used Musical Instruments and Equipment on Ebay

    There is a very strong market on Ebay for used musical instruments and equipment used by musician’s and performing artists.

    Such equipment includes mixers, amps, and other equipment used by musicians.

    This is the world’s largest online listing of used musical instrument prices, updated every day.

    There are over 4,000 products in the database.

    Check the current street prices for used brand names like Emu, Korg, Roland, Yamaha, and many others… for free!

    These items sell for hundreds of dollars on ebay and have good profit potential if you can buy them cheap locally…

    http://www.prepal.com

  • A Free Way To Get Started Selling on eBay

    If I had to pick only one way to market online, it would be on eBay.

    I mean there are over 80,000+ new registered users coming on eBay EVERY DAY… the market is HYPER-ACTIVE.

    You can get started in a few minutes just by listing a few things laying around your house, but that’s not how the BIG money is made…

    Pay close attention because I’m going to reveal how some really big money is being made- with no investment!

    I initially started by selling stuff around the house on eBay, including a Dictaphone machine that originally cost $800 when I did medical transcription.

    I would take a quick picture of the product with my digital camera, write a brief description and list the item for 7 days, or if was really rare, 10 days to get as many visitors to the page as possible.

    If you have a collecting interest you can start generating money from your hobby by listing a few of your items on eBay today.

    But what happens when you run out of stuff of your own to sell? You could hit the garage sales and estate sales … but that is small potatoes.

    Here’s just one real secret to making BIG money on eBay:

    Specialize in ONE type of item that you have an advantage in buying cheap that few people can match. How do you find items like that?

    In your own backyard.

    Look through the phone book… find manufacturers in your area that make any kind items, contact them and see if they have any ‘imperfect’ or any discontinued items. Offer to buy them for pennies on the dollar wholesale. That’s a good way to start, without a large investment…. but it’s still an investment.

    Here’s a way to make money on ebay with NO investment:

    Take the same products but offer to sell them for the manufacturer on *consignment* … you could also look at what types of products are produced by handcrafters in your area… offer to represent one or more for a percentage of the sales you generate. Take the items on ‘consignment’ and sell it on ebaY for them.

    Take 30% or more as your commission on anything up to $2000 and then negotiate with the seller for items that sell for really big money.

    It’s a win-win… they move products and you get a comission!

    Only represent quality items that are unique. A great guide to running an ebaY consignment business can be found here,

    Ebay Consignment Business ToolKit

    Even though the Biz Kit targets ‘antiques’ I would add a ‘twist’ and go after the handcrafted items unique to your area as well as higher priced items.

    Here’s how I would do it:

    Take a look at the Big Ticket items that are selling on ebay and possibly specialize in one or more of them,

    Big Ticket Items Being Sold On eBay

    There’s money on eBay… just start looking for items in a category you would like to sell in, source a product and start selling… it’s easy – and there is no investment if you operate on consignment.

    I’ve heard of at least 3 people, who operate in their own areas clearing $200,000 or more each year doing this.

    For Members only benefits and a clear and ‘insiders’ view of this type of business take a look at this,

    Ebay Consignment Business ToolKit

  • Ebay Slaps Digital Product Sellers In the Face

    By Donna Knight

    In March 2008, popular online auction site, Ebay.com announced that sellers selling digital products with automatic download will no longer be allowed to list their products in auction-style listings. They will only be able to list them in classified ads. Ouch!

    The only way you can sell digital products using auction style listings is if you are going to ship the product to the customer.

    The disadvantages of selling digital products by classified ad listings are:

    • Classified ads are a lot more expensive at $9.95 per ad.
    • There is no feedback for ad listings.
    • More time-consuming to ship products than to have an automated pay and download system.
    • Classified ad sellers cannot qualify for power seller status.

    The reasoning given for this upsetting change was that too many digital product sellers were using auctions to manipulate the feedback system. For example, sellers could list products for a penny. While they would lose money, they could gain lots of feedback doing this.

    My prediction is that many digital product sellers will go out of business or leave eBay in search of someplace else, probably more expensive, to sell their digital wares.

    My guess is that eBay didn’t make much money from sellers selling very cheap digital products anyways, so it probably won’t hurt this billion-dollar company that much if all these cheapo product sellers leave.

    As an ebook reseller, I have mixed feelings about this. I never liked the fact that people buy expensive ebooks then turn around and sell them for $1; however, I do not think that this move by eBay is justified. They could have set a minimum price for feedback or something similar. This change on eBay will definitely hurt a lot of the little guys and render a lot of books about selling on eBay outdated.

  • Basic Tips on How to Sell On Ebay

    By Donna Knight

    So you want to sell stuff on eBay, but you have two minor problems: You don’t know how and you don’t have stuff to sell. Not a problem. For tips to get you pointed in the right direction, read on.

    Before you begin you’ll need some basic equipment: A computer, Internet access, a digital camera, and some space to put your stuff in. That’s really all you’ll need. You’ll also need shipping and packing supplies but that is addressed later.

    Next you’ll need to learn how to list auctions. Go to the eBay sellers’ overview: http://pages.ebay.com/education/sellingtips/index.html. This will be your lifeline. There is a plethora of information there on everything you always wanted to know and more. Don’t get overwhelmed; just take it one step at a time. You’ll see there is information on listings, on bidding, on photos, and on feedback – it’s all there.

    Next you’ll need to figure out what to sell. Before you zero in on a particular niche, you need some experience and some feedback. Buyers are generally leery of sellers (and bidders who are brand new who have a feedback rating of less than 10 evaluations. While you are getting your feet wet, look around your own house first. You’d be amazed at what people buy. You could list outgrown clothing, magazines, candle holders, CD, books, flannel sheets, recipes, the ugly old lamp that was Aunt Mildred’s, all those goofy Christmas gifts sitting in your basement, or that old baby gate with a stain on it. Get the idea? On Ebay, one woman’s garbage is another woman’s treasure. You never know what someone will want.

    While you want to just get experience with your first posting, you don’t want to list something that isn’t likely to sell. Do your research first before you invest the time in putting together a listing. An easy method to use is do a “search” on eBay, then look up COMPLETED ITEMS, then sort by HIGHEST price. Then you’ll see if your Tommy Bahama shirt is really worth anything. Or you’ll see that your old baseball cards had 23 listings and not one of them sold.

    Pricing is another issue to consider. This is another subject you’ll need to research. You’ll do this following the same previously mentioned steps to see what the item is going for. Don’t try to overcharge. You know how you feel when you go to a garage sale and you see a pair of jeans for $15 or books for $4 each. Most people come to eBay looking for a bargain. Consider how much you have invested into the item. If you have an item from around the house, you may consider that something is better than nothing, so you may be inclined to start the bidding quite low. If you bought it with the specific intention to resell, you will, at the very minimum, want to break even, so take the price you paid for it and consider other costs, i.e. listing fees, final value fees (all explained in your lifeline – eBay seller overview above). People are much more apt to bid if the bidding starts LOW. Sometimes though, you will have collectibles that are worth a chunk of money. Don’t give away that vintage postcard that is worth $56! Make sure you do your homework before you price it.

    The next big question is how do you get paid? You determine what you would accept. Online payments via PayPal (paypal.com) are very convenient. You can also decide that you’ll accept money orders or personal checks. The more options you leave your buyers, the more likely you’ll get more bids. Your goal is to get as many people as you can competing to bid on your item.

    You also need to decide how you want to ship your items to the auction winners. Many sellers use USPS, while others prefer UPS. If you use USPS and ship via Priority Mail, you can get your envelopes and boxes free from USPS. If you ship First Class or Parcel Post or UPS, you’ll have to shop around for deals on boxes or envelopes and bubble wrap or packing peanuts.

    I hope this isn’t too overwhelming. Yes there is a lot to learn, but it’s not rocket science. Just take it one step at a time. It’s a learning process. You’ll find that getting support makes it all the easier. Some yahoo groups (or MSN or AOL, or whatever your preference) are great sources for support and camaraderie with others who are doing the same.

    So in short, if you want to just get your feet wet as a seller on Ebay and learn on your own, YOU CAN DO IT. If you do better chatting with others, those resources are available too. Use what is available.
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    Donna Knight is a Website Promotion Specialist who has sold everything from digital products, including ebooks and software, to hard goods such as computers and medical transcription equipment on Ebay. For more tips to help you sell your product or service online, visit her Internet Marketing Tools and Reviews blog at http://www.DonnaKnight.com
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    Copyright (C) 2005 Donna Knight. All Rights Reserved. Permission granted to post this article in newsletters, free ebooks or websites as long as the article and resource box remain intact. For product reviews, you may substitute your affiliate referral link for the product URL.

  • How to Start a Profitable Business on eBay

    By Donna Knight

    Unless you’re new to the internet, you already know that eBay is the most popular online auction site. Here’s how it works: Sellers get potential buyers to bid on an item, with the highest bidder buying the product for the price he or she offered.

    Like all successful sites, eBay started out as a simple site created by Pierre Omidyar for his girlfriend Pam (who is now his wife) to help her find other Pez dispenser collectors in the Bay area. Now this site is a billion dollar industry.

    Why should you care about Pierre’s success? Because Pierre is not the first or the last person who will become a success with eBay. Many people have quit their jobs by selling on eBay. Likewise many businesses have found untold riches on eBay.

    First thing you need to do is open a seller’s account in eBay. You will be asked for verifiable personal information so eBay can make sure you are not a criminal trying to scam people. This information will allow them to catch you if you are. Let’s assume you’re not a scammer though.

    Next step is to choose what payment methods you will accept from buyers.
    Most important is choosing what item you want to sell and how much you want to sell it for.
    Once you’ve chosen what item you want to sell, get your camera and take a picture of it. Upload the picture to the site and decide on the starting bid. Then sit back and relax. Let the bidding begin. If you’ve chosen your product wisely, people will be fighting to bid on it.

    Many people have found financial freedom on eBay. I’ve personally spoken to people who left high-paying jobs because their eBay business become so successful that they couldn’t do both. And why would they want to, when their eBay sales were more profitable? If you could choose to be your own boss, work your own hours from the comfort of your own home, wouldn’t you?

    One thing you must know is that these people hit the jackpot with eBay because they are trustworthy sellers, and that is essential in making buyers come back for more.

    Another ingredient for a successful eBay business, which I’ve already mentioned, is choosing the right product to sell. You don’t have to be the first to sell it, but you do have to sell an item that has few enough sellers to keep the demand high and keep it profitable.

    Some sellers set up online stores on eBay so that they can offer buyers a variety of products to choose from.
    There are almost no limitations on what you can sell on eBay, as long as it’s something that’s legal to sell. You can sell items like wedding dresses and all kinds of clothing, furniture, books, jewelry, and electronics, and lots more. Many items you might have difficulty selling offline do just fine on eBay, such as antiques and eccentric items.

    In fact, eBay has a ‘Weird Stuff” category in its items-for-sale directory and that category is subdivided into ‘Slightly Unusual,’ ‘Real Weird,’ and ‘Totally Bizarre.’ You can’t imagine just how eccentric and unusual the items being sold under these categories are. You should take a look for yourself. You won’t believe it.

    Let’s say you don’t want to sell weird items but still can’t think of an item to sell. Take a look around your home and see what you can get rid of. eBay is the ultimate proof that one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure. You probably won’t get thousands of dollars from your trash, but then again you never know. You’ll certainly get more than you would by throwing it away if it’s any good. Sometimes even broken items can be sold for the parts.

    There once was a seller who thought no one would bid for his broken transistor radio, but he decided to put it up for auction anyways. He was shocked when an engineering student bought it. When the seller asked the student why he bought it, the student said he wanted to learn about repairing electronic gadgets.

    Here’s another crazy story: Jay Leno from The Tonight Show confirmed that someone actually paid for a Doritos chip shaped like a Pope’s hat for a thousand dollars. That’s not the first or the last time food shaped like a religious symbol has commanded seemingly ridiculous amounts of money.

    Now that you know how to get started and understand that you can sell almost anything, there’s no reason not to. Whether you’re an individual who wants to make some extra money or a business owner who is already selling a product offline, there is literally money waiting to be made on eBay. All you have to do is get started today.
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    Donna Knight is a Computer Trainer and Website Promotion Specialist. She has built over 200 websites and helps new site owners promote their site cheaply. For tips that will help you save money and save time when marketing online, visit her Internet Marketing Tools and Reviews blog at http://www.DonnaKnight.com
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    Copyright (C) 2005 Donna Knight. All Rights Reserved. Permission granted to post this article in newsletters, free ebooks or websites as long as the article and resource box remain intact.