 |
|
|
 Technology News | November 2007 
Getting Familiar With eBay; How, What To Sell
 Jamie Herzlich - Newsday.com
go to original
So here's a brainteaser for you:
What do a time share in Puerto Vallarta, an American Indian wedding vase and a 5-cent Jefferson Davis postage stamp have in common?
Not a heck of a lot, except for the fact that they're all being sold on eBay.
With more than $52 billion worth of items sold last year alone, eBay has become a veritable feeding ground for entrepreneurs wanting to sell practically anything to practically anyone, experts say.
In fact, approximately 1.3 million sellers worldwide rely on the online marketplace as their primary or secondary source of income, according to a June 2006 ACNielsen International Research Survey.
"It's a great place for entrepreneurs to get their feet wet and learn the whole spectrum of selling," explains Alice LaPlante, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based business and technology writer and author of the Better Business Bureau's "Starting an eBay Business."
But just like any other business, it requires proper planning, says LaPlante. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
First, you need to get a sense of how eBay works, so before you start selling anything, try purchasing a few items to familiarize yourself with the system. Keep in mind that, although eBay is best known for its auction format, users can also buy and sell in fixed-price formats.
"Buy things from other sellers on eBay," recommends Marsha Collier, the Los Angeles-based author of the "For Dummies" series of books about eBay, who has been selling on the site for more than a decade. "See how they ship and package their items."
Then test the system yourself by selling a few items you may have just taking up space.
"Start slow with baby steps until you learn how the system works," Collier advises.
Just be sure to do your homework first and see what comparable items are selling for and how saturated the market is for what you're selling, adds LaPlante.
You can research what items sold for by clicking on advanced search on eBay's Web site, entering in your keywords and checking the box marked completed listings, explains Jim Griffith, dean of eBay education and author of "The Official eBay Bible," who is based in San Jose, Calif. This will show you everything in that category that has closed within the past two weeks.
"If your items aren't selling, there's a reason," Collier says. Perhaps they are overpriced or your items' titles or descriptions aren't good or the market is too crowded, she notes.
The best sellers on eBay are generally the "unusual, the hard-to-find and the deep discounted deals," Collier says.
Bob McKenna, owner of hardtofindmusicandmovies .com in Port Jefferson Station, can attest to that.
"Buyers are definitely looking for what the stores won't carry," says McKenna, who runs more than 200 auctions a day on eBay and lists another 2,000 fixed-price items in a dedicated online eBay store.
It costs him about $300 a month in fees to list his items for auction and maintain the online store, but he says the cost is well worth it. "You have a worldwide audience," explains McKenna, who generates about 30 percent of his revenue from eBay.
But you also have a lot of competition, so it's important to keep your customers happy or they'll go elsewhere, says Frank Verzyl of West Babylon-based Long Island Comics, which runs about 75 eBay auctions a week and lists another 400 fixed-price items in its eBay store, most of them rare or pre-1970.
You want to generate as much positive customer feedback as you can, he says, noting that there's an option for customers to leave feedback about you for others to read.
In addition, make sure you offer a reasonable shipping and handling rate, advises Donna Lipschutz of Lindenhurst, who specializes in selling other people's goods on eBay for a commission.
Last, take detailed and professional-looking pictures, and always be honest and thorough in product descriptions, says Lipschutz, who sells under the name Uniquehoney.
It will save you a lot of grief in the long run.
WHAT CAN YOU SELL?
Clothing that no longer fits or is out of fashion
Old radios, stereo and video equipment
Leftovers from an abandoned hobby
Merchandise that's out-of-season, or goods you want to liquidate Toys, books, music, records, movies
Home decor you want to change
Exercise equipment
Autographs
jherzlich@aol.com
Sources: Marsha Collier; "eBay for Dummies" and "Starting an eBay Business for Dummies" |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us