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You also want to find someone that is helpful and knowledgeable about the products they are selling! Make sure to contact them before you consider reselling their items, see how quickly you get a response and how helpful the response is! Remember this is the same service you can expect once you are in business with them! If it is less than your standards consider using someone else!

How do you find a Dropshipper? There are several ways to find a Dropshipper perhaps the easiest is to purchase a list from an online auction! Thoroughly read the context of the ad and ask questions if need be. Make sure you are buying the list you need!

Once you have made your purchase you will receive a list of contacts that you can easily view without having to find them one by one! I personally sell Dropship Lists on Ebay at www.stores.ebay.com/Dropship-Specialists , to give you an idea what to look for. For the most part they are already thoroughly checked out, and deemed to be good upstanding Dropshippers.

Selling an item on eBay should be simple but it is surprising how many people make some very silly mistakes.

As a buyer this is fantastic, you can pick up some absolute bargains by finding poorly listed items. However, if you are a seller you need to ensure that every item you put on eBay will be found and therefore have a better chance of commanding a high price.

Your auction title is really the most important part of your auction, after all, it is this feature which attracts buyers to view your description.

You have 55 characters to use to attract the bidders, try and use all of them - it is free and the more relevant keywords you can add, the more search results your auction will end up in.

For example:

A listing with the title: “Band of Brothers Region 2 – 6 DVDs – UK Version – Mint”, is likely to receive a great deal more interest than one with the following title: “band of brothers dvd”.

Also, try and avoid writing the entire title in capitals or using unrelated words like “L@@K” and “W@W”. This simply annoys other eBay users and is not good netiquette.

Never keyword spam either. You see this all of the time on eBay, sellers add unrelated keywords to the title so their auction lands in more search results.

The problem is that these keywords won’t attract more bids but simply attract users who are searching for something else entirely.

If you list an auction for a Playstation 2 but use the title “Playstation 2 not Xbox not Nintendo” it will attract people who are not looking for a Playstation 2. Quite simply, people who are not looking for a PS2 will not buy one.

Your time would be better served adding more relevant keywords to the title. “Sony Playstation 2 (PS2) – Mint in Box - No Reserve” is a much better title.

Where possible, try and include descriptive keywords to attract bidders. Some good examples are the following:

Rare, Mint, OOP (Out of Print), Low P&P, No Reserve or NR, Low Starting Price, 1p Starting Bid, Brand New etc

Ensure you spell check your title before you list it. This is easy to do if you write the title in Microsoft Word first. If you spell an important keyword incorrectly you will miss out on a lot of potential bidders.

To make the title look more attractive, add a capital to the front of every major keyword.

“Microsoft Xbox - Mint in Box with 4 Games - No Reserve”

looks more attractive and stands out more than

“microsoft xbox - mint in box with 4 games - no reserve”

If you are unsure of the best way to write your title, try searching for the same item under Completed Listings and see how others have done it before.

If their auctions have commanded high winning bids then their titles have worked.

Don’t be afraid to copy them.

About The Author:

Ben Catt is an active eBay seller and owner of an eBay Tips and Tricks site found at http://www.bencatt.com. He is also interested in Financial Spread Betting and has a site at http://www.financialspreadtrading.co.uk

More and more people try their luck at selling on eBay everyday. With all of that growing competition it is important that you do everything possible to make sure that you stand out from the crowd. By following a few simple steps you can greatly improve the odds of your auction being noticed, that browsers will convert to bidders, and that those bidders will become repeat customers. Begin practicing the follow seven tips and watch your eBay auction sales explode.

1. Inundate your potential buyers with details. It is much better to provide a lot rather than a little information and this will also be a great opportunity for you to pepper your listing description with keywords. Do be sure, however, that your auction listing is informative and not filled with hype. Those extra exclamation points really aren’t going to make the sale. Actually, they will only make you look unprofessional. Also, give your readers details as appropriate such as models number, item condition, color, size, etc.

2. The title may not seem like a vital part of the equation, but it really is of great importance. It is the first thing people see when browsing through the auctions, so it has to not only grab their attention, but also entice them to click. Do not enter you title in ALL CAPS. This will only make you look like an amateur. Include as applicable; keywords, model numbers, seating information, brand names, item size, color, etc.

3. A picture is worth a thousand bids. Okay, well maybe not a thousand, but it will certainly help your item sell. Think about it; would you buy something sight unseen? Of course not and neither will the majority of buyers on eBay. Be sure to take care when photographing your item. Lesser quality photos are just as bad as no pictures at all. Also, the more expensive the items; the more photos you should provide.

4. State all of your requirements up front. Tell potential bidders how much you intend to charge for shipping, to which countries you are willing to ship, if you will accept returns, or anything else that you might wish to specify. You really can’t make things up as you go along. You have to get all requirements out there at the beginning.

5. If a potential buyer contacts you with a question then be sure to promptly respond. If you wait you may lose a much needed bidder. Also, be sure to be polite in your response as no question is too stupid to warrant anything other than but a courteous reply. Even if that person doesn’t bid on your item they will certainly remember your pleasant attitude and that could mean a future sale.

6. The majority of buyers on eBay prefer to pay for their purchase via PayPal. That is why it is vital for you to accept this method of payment. It is also beneficial to you as it eliminates the potential for bad checks or money orders.

7. After the sale most winning bidders will expect the seller to begin the completion of the transaction. Send an email, an invoice, alert the buyer when the item has shipped, and be sure to leave feedback after the transaction.

About The Author:

Heather Wallace is a writer whose work has been published in national, regional, and online publications. To receive a FREE eBay Seller’s Resource Guide, send a blank email to mail to: eBay-Sellers-Resource-Guide@fetchingsites.com

by: T. Patrick

The Ebay explosion has hit astronomical proportions. Over 11 million people did a search for Ebay last month alone on the internet. From all walks of life, everyone is drawn to Ebay.

Some people use Ebay as a hobby to make extra cash. Some people have quit their jobs and are making their living off Ebay. On a monthly basis, the phenomenon of Ebay continues to expand and grow.

Naturally, the best advice is to start selling part time on Ebay so that you can learn the tricks and secrets. It will take some time to learn the inside secrets that the top sellers know. It can be a great way to make extra cash. Ebay will take some work and is not a get rich quick scheme. However, if you take your time and do research, you could make extra income for yourself and your family. After you start to make money on a consistent basis, you might consider doing Ebay as your full time job.

For your Ebay business, all you need is internet access and a product to sell. Don’t worry! If you don’t have a product, there are plenty of companies where you can purchase items to sell. SMC (Specialty Merchandise Corp)is one company where you can purchase items at reasonable below cost prices.

SMC can be found at: http://www.smcorp.com

Many people start off selling old or odd items from their homes. Others are going to garage sales and picking up great deals and then selling these products on Ebay. You can find almost anything on Ebay. You are only restricted by your own imagination.

Here is a little tip: Other’s people junk can be your gold mine! That old Barbie doll up in the attic or in the basement could be a gold mine and bring in a huge profit. For example, it is reported that the Collectibles Category is the top selling category on Ebay. An old barbie doll, old red wagon, and old clock are only a few examples of items in the Collectibles Category.

TOP 10 SECRETS FOR SELLING ON EBAY

1. Do your research!

Make sure there is a need for the item that you are selling. Do a search for your item and see how many items are found for your keyword search. Examine each auction and see the bid amount and number of bids. Follow a number of auctions for several days and see what the final bid is. This will give you an excellent idea if there is a need for your item. It will also help you estimate the amount of profit you can make from the auction. If you don’t find your item, it might not be worth your time listing that item. Try to find an item that people truly want. After you start making money with Ebay, you can always go back and list that original product.

2. Find the right Category for your item!

If you are selling a collectible, please make sure that you list it in the collectible category. If you are listing a toy or hobby, please make sure that you list it in the Toy and Hobbies Category. This could make it easier for people to find your item. Do your homework? Search for your item and see what categories other sellers listed the same item in.

3. Keywords and descriptions are critical!

Use the appropriate keywords to describe your product. If you are selling a Barbie Doll, specify the type of doll it is: 1980 Holiday Barbie Doll. If you are selling a model train, specify the type: HO Santa Fe Caboose. Your descriptions are critical to avoid any future problems or potential returns. Honesty is the best policy. If there is a chip, crack or dent, specify this in the description. This could save you a lot of aggravation later on. If a buyer truly wants your item, a crack or chip won’t stop them from bidding on your item.

4. Always post a photo with your auction!

Auctions with photos sell much better than ones that don’t have pictures. Try to take a picture of the actual item that you are selling. Many Ebay sellers will use stock photos or photos from the internet. This is a turn off and raises a question in the buyers mind. People can tell it is not the original item and this could hurt your bids. Show the buyer that you are honest and have nothing to hide. If you put a picture of the actual item, it builds more trust between you and the buyer. In my case, I have bypassed auctions with stock photos. If you don’t have a digital camera, you can always purchase a disposable camera. When you take the camera in to be processed, tell them that you would like to have the photos placed on a CD.

5. Make the Buying process Easy! Sign up for PayPal!

You want to make your auction easy for the buyer. PayPal is becoming very popular and many buyers prefer to pay with their PayPal accounts. The easier you make your auction, the better it is. In addition, you don’t have to worry about bad checks or money orders. It is a safer payment method for both the buyer and seller.

6. List your items during “Hot Time” buying Periods!

Time your auction so that it ends during peak buying times. If you live in the Eastern Time Zone, list your auction between 9pm-11pm, Central Time Zone list between 8-10pm, Mountain Time Zone between 7-9pm, and for the Pacific Time Zone list between 6-8pm. Thus, this will give you the biggest exposure at the end of your auction. If your auction ends at 2 in the morning, there won’t be to many people placing a bid. The debate is out as to what day your auction should end on. Some sellers report that Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are best. Other sellers report that Saturday and Sunday are best. Try experimenting with this to see what works best for your auctions.

7. Create an “About Me” Page on Ebay or another Free Website Page!

An “About Me” page can be critical to your success. It gives you chance to let the potential buyer know about you and your products. You can also get a free webpage from many companies in which you can promote yourself and your ebay auctions.

8. Feedback is Critical!

An ebay buyer looks at the feedback ratings. A negative feedback rating can ruin your chances of being successful. After your auction is over, please follow up with your buyer. Send them an email or call them if you have their phone number. Make sure that they are happy with their purchase. This is also important with your description. If you weren’t honest with your description, the buyer might be very disappointed and give you a negative rating. Ensure that your buyers are happy!!!

9. Excessive Postage costs can prevent bids!

Be reasonable with your shipping costs. Calculate the costs ahead of time and only charge the buyer a reasonable amount. It is not worth trying to make a couple extra dollars off the buyer because it will scare many people off. Charge the buyer the actual cost of shipping and state this in your auction so that there are no secrets. Be honest and the buyer will appreciate this.

10. Reserve Prices and Buy-it-Now can scare away potential buyers!

Buyers can be scared off by Reserve Prices and Buy-it-Now. In addition, Reserve Prices can limit your final auction price. Buy-it-Now shows that you have a certain limit to sell the product at. This is an auction! Let the buyers keep bidding at your products. If they feel they are getting a deal, they will place a bid.

You can be very successful on Ebay but you need patience and you need to do your homework.

Have fun with Ebay!

About The Author:

T. Patrick is an avid ebay enthusiast and has spent time
researching ebay for inside tips and tricks used by the power
sellers. Patrick’s website includes: Ebay Quickie Tips,
Benefits of being an Ebay Seller and Secrets for Selling on
Ebay. Patrick also provides additional information on becoming
a top seller on ebay. Please visit the following website for
valuable information: http://www.geocities.com/ebayauction411

The irony of eBay is that as it grows to be ever more successful, it draws the unsavoury element of the internet towards it. I’m talking about people who make it their business to attempt to defraud you and I in our eBay and PayPal transactions.

Of course, not all dodgy dealings on eBay are fraudulent. Some are just mischievous. Others are by chancers, who perhaps reckon their victims won’t be bothered to pursue them.

Whoever causes it, it’s left to the targeted buyer or seller to try and sort out the problem. All that we as users can do is to be extremely vigilant and cautious in all our eBay and PayPal activities.

Here is a list of practical steps, in no particular order, which buyers and sellers can take to help avoid becoming the next victim.

Hopefully you are already aware of some of these. It doesn’t necessarily follow that if one of these applies the auction or person is fraudulent. But if you use your head, and build up a view of the overall transaction based based upon a number of these factors, you will reduce your chances of getting conned.

a) Stock photos and descriptions

Because they don’t have the item they are “selling”, some fraudsters use a stock photograph of the item. And they will probably use the manufacturer’s product description too. So, stock photos and no original description might be a sign. Search for other auctions by the same seller, and see if they are brazen enough to advertise the same item more than once.

b) A price too good to be true often isn’t true

A fraudster wants your money quickly, so you may find they offer to close their auction early with you as the “winner” having bid a price which you know to be somewhat of a bargain. Why would anyone close their auction early if the price hadn’t reached market levels? I’ll give you one guess.

c) High value or high volume, newly registered sellers

Although the vast majority of new sellers are genuine and honest, be cautious of buying from people selling high value items in bulk, very early on in their eBay career. This pattern isn’t quite normal. Think back to your own first sales. You would have been tentative, and probably have tried single, low value items initially. So, a new seller fitting this profile may be someone who has perhaps been previously suspended and has registered another ID.

d) 1 day listings

Although 1 day listing are used by genuine sellers who have more than one item or who want a quick sale, unfortunately this duration is attractive to fraudsters too. They sometimes use a 1 day auction duration to gain a quick sale before their actions can be reported and acted upon. So, be extra wary on auctions with 1 day listing.

e) Invitations to trade off-eBay

This is a classic ploy of fraudsters. Having made some kind of contact with you, or you with them, they will invite you to purchase or to sell off eBay i.e. without using eBay’s auction services. The attraction here to the fraudster is that they can drive the transaction along the lines they prefer, whether that be escrow, PayPal etc. Another reason why trading off eBay is not a good idea is that you have to keep your own formal records of the transaction, and you forfeit any cover from eBay buyer protection and PayPal buyer protection. Plus, and this might be a minor point, but you will not be able to leave feedback to let others know your experience with this seller/buyer.

f) Payment methods with no recourse

Fraudsters prefer to chose payment methods in which the buyer has no protection, like wire transfers where the buyer has no way of tracing where the money is going. Western Union Money Transfers and BidPay are favorites and should be totally avoided. Postal orders are similar although they are a popular payment method among the genuine sellers as they require no clearance time. Bank transfers and cheques can only provide the possibility of your bank investigating the details of the account the money was transferred into. For the best protection use Paypal and fund with a Credit Card. Note there are limits on eBay and PayPal protection, and you should make yourself aware of what these are.

g) Unusual sales pattern

If your seller’s feedback indicates that they normally deal in collectables, DVDs or other specific items, be suspicious that they are suddenly listing laptops, plasma TVs or other high value items. The change may indicate that this seller’s account has been hijacked.

h) Bad english gives you a pointer

Some fraudsters operate from abroad but pretend to be in UK or USA. As they aren’t particularly adept at the english language they might use a translation tool like Babelfish to create their emails to you. So, watch out for emails that are not good english. In itself, it doesn’t prove anything, there are plenty of genuine eBay sellers for whom english is not their first language. But it might add to further evidence you have.

i) Location Location Location

In the case of lazy fraudsters you might find their locations don’t match up. By that I mean the auction says the goods are in the UK, but the seller’s ID details show their location to be, say, Ukraine. This is not a good sign. Often in these cases if you contact these sellers you will receive an excuse as to why the item is not in the UK, and therefore can’t be collected in person. In short, if an auction says the item is in the UK and the seller says that it is not, I would avoid the auction. And don’t forget to cross check with their PayPal account, and see in which country this resides.

j) Ask questions

Always, always ask your seller a question. Any question. Their response, if you receive one, will help you judge how genuine the seller is. Beware auctions that carry a message asking you to contact the seller via a given email address as opposed to via the ‘Ask seller a question’ link. This could be an account hijacker trying to prevent buyers from ‘Asking the seller a question’. They want to stop this from happening because such questions could be routed to the real account owner.

k) “eBay can vouch for me” email

A warning about a relatively new tactic used by fraudsters. If you are proving hard to land as a buyer/seller, they may claim they can get eBay to email you proof of their validity so that you can trust them. eBay, of course, will NEVER do this. The email sent out, however authentic looking, is fake and is designed to get you to part with your money or your goods. This applies equally to Square Trade and PayPal. They will never email you certifying the genuineness of anyone.

l) A PayPal warning

There are fraudsters who use stolen PayPal accounts to accept payments. To lower the possibility of this, check your seller’s location as shown in eBay, and then see if it is one of PayPal’s permitted countries by clicking here:

http://www.workwinners.com/nlr701.htm. If PayPal don’t offer their service in the country that the seller resides, be very wary.

m) Passwords

Never have the same password on your eBay and PayPal accounts. Or indeed on any other financial or personal site. Change your passwords every 30-60 days on both eBay and PayPal.

n) Escrow

If your seller asks you to use escrow, and proposes an escrow company they’ve used before, this is a clear indication they are fraudulent. There are many fake escrow sites which will take your money fraudulently. The only escrow site recommended by eBay is
http://www.escrow.com. An alternative in the UK is http://www.auctionpix.co.uk Please don’t be tempted to use any other escrow company, however professional looking their websites might be. It is a fact that 99% of escrow companies on the internet are fraudulent. They are set up solely to defraud money out of unsuspecting buyers, and to get goods without paying for them from unsuspecting sellers.

o) Pointers in feedback

Try to read the positive feedback as well as the negative. Read the way your seller responds to negative feedback as this will often give you an idea of how the seller will react if something goes badly wrong. If the seller is offering high value goods, be wary if their feedback has been built up quickly from low value purchases. Also, if the overall rating is good, but there are a disproportionate number of negatives in recent days/weeks, this might indicate the account has been taken over. Finally, be aware that feedback is not the guarantee it once was. Feedback can easily be manufactured. Also, if the user ID has been hijacked, you’ll be reading the feedback of the original account owner, not the person with whom you’re currently dealing!

p) Credit Card payment

For high value items, or for amounts of money you can’t afford to lose, make sure you pay by credit card which has online fraud protection. This will give you some recourse if the seller is fraudulent. In this context, paying via PayPal is not the same. PayPal do have a buyer protection scheme, but there are criteria which the eBay auction has to satisfy in order to qualify. Even if the transaction qualifies, PayPal’s standard protection currently has a maximum value of $1,000. Note that payment by debit card provides zero protection.

q) Address and Telephone check

Use the Ask the seller a question link, and request they email you with their address and telephone number. Any reputable seller will give you their address and telephone number. When you get the number, call it, and see if you get through to the genuine seller.

r) Keystroke capturing virus

This is a computer virus which you inadvertently download onto your PC. It’s task is to capture the keystrokes you make, and to send them to the virus placer. The fraudster then uses pattern recognition software to identify and extract personal information, like username, password, credit card numbers etc. To avoid this happening to you, it is wise to have good, up-to-date virus, firewall and spyware checking software on your PC. Here is where you can get free software for each of these functions:

Virus protection:

http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

Firewall:

www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/comparison.jsp?lid=ho_za

Spyware checking:

www.lavasoft.com/support/download/

s) Shill bidding

Shill bidding is where people work in cahoots to inflate the bidding on an item. A seller has a “partner” who makes bids on the seller’s items with a view to bumping up the bid price. They have no intention of buying the item. Fortunately, shill bidders and their associated seller can be stupid. The shill bidder will usually makes bids on other items from the same seller. Here’s how to check to see if shill bidding is a feature of a particular seller. First, look at the seller’s closed auctions over the last 30 days. If most of the closed auctions have no bids, it is unlikely the seller has shill bidders working with them. If all of the closed auctions have bids, take a look at the bid history. See if the same bidder appears in the list of bidders, usually with aggressive bidding and normally at the start of the auction. If so, you may have uncovered a shill operation, so avoid that seller’s auctions.

t) Keep your transaction information

Keep your own record of the transaction when you’re buying. Don’t just rely on eBay. You want a record of the seller’s identification, the item description, emails sent and received, plus the time, date and price of your bid.

u) “I noticed your bid….”

Never deal with anyone who contacts you after seeing your bid on another auction. They will say something like, “I saw you bidding on that digital camera. I have the same model available for sale. I don’t have time to list it on eBay. It has more accessories than the one you lost out on. You can have it for xyz.” If you bite, they’ll probably take you down the fake escrow route. Also, if you entertain this proposition, you’re operating outside of eBay and therefore have no auction protection whatsoever.

v) Changed eBay ID

Never deal with anyone who has a changed ID icon next to their name. This icon means they’ve changed their ID in the last 30 days. Few legitimate people change their eBay ID. When was the last time you changed yours? There’s a 1% chance that an ID change is genuine, but 99% that it is fraudulent. Why take the risk?

w) Changed email address mid-stream

If a seller or buyer changes their email address on you in the middle of a transaction, stop dealing with them. It is likely their previous email account was closed down due to some irregularity - such as a previous victim reported them. If you think about it, why would any genuine buyer or seller change their email address whilst corresponding on a transaction they wish to conclude expeditiously?

x) Complications

Never get involved in any transaction where the seller/buyer tries to introduce a third person into the financial arrangements. They might ask you to pay xyz, who will then pay the seller, and you will receive a discount or commission for your co-operation. Such proposals are always fraudulent. They prey on greed. Don’t be tempted.

y) Time is of the essence

This is a scam which is has more potential for success than traditional phishing attacks, as it is time sensitive. The fraudster searches for high value auctions that have just ended. The bid history for an auction contains hyperlinks to each bidder. The fraudster checks to see if the winning bidder is selling any items of their own. If so, they go to that auction and embed a request for payment from the first auction within a question for seller. This works because winning bidders are expecting request for payment shortly after an auction ends. A variation of this is to offer a bidder a “second chance”. This time the “Ask the seller a question” email pretends that the real winner has backed out, and offers the item at a lower price. The buyer, believing the story, is lured into paying to whom they believe is a genuine seller. Many eBayers have heard of the second chance system, but have no experience of it. This unfamiliarity coupled with the fact that a few weeks might have passed, makes this an effective method for fraudsters. The moral of this story is never get involved in any transaction which arrives in your inbox via the Ask the Seller a Question feature.

z) eBay IDs

Never us your email address as your eBay ID, or part of your eBay ID. Fraudsters have software which monitors internet traffic looking for information such as this. If your eBay ID and email address are the same, it is simple for a fraudster to plausibly communicate with other eBay members in your name.

That’s all in my list. If you have any further ideas on how to prevent fraudulent transactions on eBay, please let me know and I will promote these through future newsletters.

In the meantime, be aware, and be safe in your eBay buying and
eBay selling.

About The Author:

Brian McGregor specializes in showing website owners how to make more money from their sites by applying inventive and original use of eBay. For a free copy of ‘The eBay Traffic Funnel’ which shows you how to use the power of eBay to

What are some of the strategies and techniques that these Powersellers use?

As someone who achieved Powerseller status a little over a year ago and continues to study other Powersellers, I’ve compiled a listing of the 21 Success Strategies of eBay Powersellers.

Powersellers are serious - Powersellers treat their eBay business just like they would any other business. They are dead-serious about it. Look at any Powerseller operation and you’ll find organized systems and “assembly-line” techniques being used. While a Powerseller may not have invested thousands of dollars into her operation, she treats it as if she has.

Powersellers are focused - A Powerseller is focused on listing, packing and shipping, often on different days of the week. Their focus is as intense as that of a Corporate Executive or an Olympic athlete, because they are juggling various activities at the same time.

Powersellers are organized - The Powerseller is organized, otherwise they wouldn’t make it to the level of Powerseller. Since Powersellers do a huge volume of listing, packing and shipping each month, they must develop processes to ensure that the items sold are delivered within a reasonable period of time and that customer satisfaction is always at the forefront.

Powersellers delegate - Powersellers delegate because they have to! Their volume dictates that they hire an assistant to do some of the more repetitive tasks that don’t require the Powerseller’s attention. This way the Powerseller can focus on the important money-making tasks of product acquisition and marketing.

Powersellers use assembly line techniques - The Powerseller has developed smooth running systems to make sure that product fulfillment is accomplished as quickly and efficiently as possible. This may involve setting up a large 4′ by 8′ table with bubblewrap and packing materials at one end, products in the middle, and boxes, labels and packing tape at the far end.

Powersellers use Dutch auctions - Many Powersellers have graduated from selling one-of-a-kind knick-knacks found at yard sales and are now selling a volume of the same item through Dutch auctions. In a Dutch auction, a seller can place a large number of the same item up for sale. The bidders can bid on one or more of the item, but the highest bidders will be first in line to actually get or “win” the products they bid on. So there is a possibility that if someone bid too low, they might not get a product. A Powerseller uses Dutch auctions often because it is a huge time-saver. This is a true “assembly line” auction from start to finish. The packing and shipping goes a lot faster when the same item is being packed and shipped over and over again.

Powersellers do efficient work - Another trait of the Powerseller is that they are extremely efficient, knowing that time is money. A Dutch auction is a great example of this efficiency. In the same period of time that it takes to list one item, you are listing dozens, or even hundreds of items! This time-efficiency is a powerful way to leverage your time and profits.

Powersellers “Bulk List” their auctions - Bulk listing your auctions using a bulk listing software or auction management service will dramatically organize your time and allow your eBay operation to run a lot more smoothly. There are various options in this area, from eBay’s own “Mister Lister” to Blackthorne software to Andale, and Auction Watch auction management services, there are a lot of options for you to look into. These services allow you to list your auctions at your leisure and then schedule them to go live on a certain day and time. This saves you the hassle of having to list your auctions on the particular day that you want them to go up.

Powersellers use clearly focused photos - Powersellers have acquired their status by using clear photos or scans of the items they are selling and making sure that the photos show all flaws. In effect, along with all of the other skills they have acquired, they have also become semi-pro photographers! Many have built a “mini-studio” with optimum lighting and background, that is available at their beck and call for those quick shots when they need to e-mail an additional photo to a bidder. The Powerseller usually has both a Digital Camera for photographing 3-dimensional items and large items and also has a scanner for the paper items and flat items.

Powersellers use headlines with key words and no fluff - A Powerseller resists the temptation to use “fluff” words like “L@@K”, “WOW” and “MUST SEE”. Instead, the Powerseller uses descriptive words in the headline, realizing that the headline is the “ad for the ad”. A Powerseller is also “search engine savvy”, realizing that keywords in the headline are picked up by the eBay search engine. They are sure to load the headline with descriptive, key words that help the bidder determine if the item is what they are looking for and keeps out the “fluff”.

Powersellers write thorough and detailed item descriptions - A Powerseller has achieved their level by maintaining a high ratio of positive feedback. This is primarily accomplished by having clear and accurate descriptions of the items so that the bidder can clearly “imagine” the item as if it were sitting in front of her. The art of writing a great item description involves an interesting mix of using “selling words” (such as “beautiful”, “fantastic”, “intricately designed”, “gorgeous”, “spectacular”, “powerful”, “colorful”, etc.) along with describing the flaws in the item. A great description should entice the bidder to bid while at the same time providing full and complete disclosure of the item’s condition. Your test of whether you have a great description or not is if it answers the following two questions well:

A. If I were to compare the description to the item, while holding the item in my hand, would it be an extremely accurate description? or would I have good reason to return the item?

B. Does this description entice me to place a bid on the item?

Powersellers give “Benefit of the doubt” customer service - Customer service is such a cliched catchphrase in American Business today. In the eBay auction world, it is mandatory that you implement a very meticulous level of customer service. Powersellers have a clear reflection of their level of customer service in their feedback profile. One glance at any eBay seller’s feedback profile and you have an instant snapshot of that individual’s customer service rating. (Imagine if regular “brick and mortar” stores had a feedback rating posted at the front door!) This public feedback rating is both your best advertisement (if you provide great customer service) and can also be your downfall. (if you don’t) A Powerseller is constantly aware of this “sign at the front door” and places a high priority on giving stellar customer service. I call it “Benefit of the doubt” customer service because even in those instances where the customer is clearly wrong, the Powerseller doesn’t argue or get into an emotional “war of words”, she simply refunds the money or reduces the shipping cost or sends an unexpected gift with the package. The Powerseller realizes that business and ego don’t mix, they leave their ego on the table - they go on to build lifetime customer relationships.

Powersellers have their own websites - A Powerseller realizes that business conditions change. On the Internet, business conditions can change literally from quarter to quarter! Because of the transient and high-speed nature of change in the Internet business, the Powerseller realizes the value of having their own storefront on the Web. They have either built a website themselves or have had someone build a site for them. They have developed a following and a customer base through their eBay auctions that can help sustain them even if dramatic changes come about on their main selling venue. As eBay continues to evolve and change - applying restrictive and invasive policies - this will become more of a priority for all eBay sellers, not just Powersellers.

1. Write a simple description and do not clutter your auction with unneeded items like animated Gifs, and colored backgrounds. Remember, you are selling not entertaining.

2. Charge a flat rate for shipping, and mention the shipping costs prominently within your auction description.

3. Write a title that accurately describes your item. Use manufacturers name and model number within the title if applicable.

4. Write a detailed description that allows prospective bidders to make a decision about purchasing the item. A basic tip is the description can never be too long as long as it is describing the item.

5. Include large clear photographs. Invest in some lights and a quality camera. Your investment will pay for itself in higher eBay selling prices within only a few auctions.

6. Host your own pictures. By hosting your own pictures, you will save money, and, more importantly, be able to use as many pictures as you need to adequately show eBay bidders your item. This is the simplest thing to do, and yet 70 percent of eBay sellers ignore this simple tip.

7. Optimize your images for the web. Many sellers use the highest resolution settings on their cameras and generate huge files that download very slowly. Computer monitors only show 72DPI, any extra detail is just a waste of the bidder’s time.

As you may know, finding items to sell on eBay can be tough and most of all, it takes time. You have to search through junk at garage sales and even thrift stores.

But what I’m about to reveal to you will be an easy way for you to make some extra cash on eBay. It may even be enough to pay your mortgage or car payment. And best of all, it is very simple. You don’t even have to search your local garage sale or flea market for that hidden treasure to sell on eBay.

So here is what you do. First of all, you have to find a market on eBay that is buying. Take a look at expired auctions or current hot auctions. Once you find a hot subject, write up a 3-5 page report that gives solid content on that subject. If it solves a type of problem or explains “how to” do something, even better. Sell your report on eBay for something around $2.99 to $5.99. Be sure to make your listing keyword rich so it gets viewed by the right audience.

Now, here is the part that may earn you even MORE money AFTER the sale of your report. If you haven’t heard of “affiliate marketing”, then you are missing out! In a nutshell, affiliate marketing means that you sell someone elses product, and you get a percentage of the sale. There are multiple places you can sign up to start promoting other peoples products. A couple big ones that come to mind are cj.com, Linkshare.com, Clickbank.com and even Amazon.com. When you sign up, you find a product you want to promote, and then you you can pick either text links or banner ads to promote the product. When someone buy from that link or ad, you get paid. Plain and simple.

If you really want to make SERIOUS money on affiliate products, I would highly recommend you pick up your own copy of Rosalind Gardner’s Super Affiliate Handbook. She makes over $400,000 a year just by selling other peoples products! She will show you exactly what to do to make great money. Go to:

http://dayne.us/affiliatehandbook.html and grab your copy.

The fact is online auctions are a new kind of home- based business created by the Internet with no capital investment and no risk.

An online auctions business has the following advantages:

• No start-up costs

• No financial risk

• Work whenever you choose

• Targeted customers brought to you by auction
  sites such as Ebay

• No technical skills required

• Start-up in 5 minutes

• How do I start an online auctions business?

First, if you are not familiar with the process of buying and selling, you need to understand how auctions operate. By far the biggest online auction site is Ebay (http://www.ebay.com), boasting millions of users worldwide.

However, this is the tip of the iceberg. Other popular auction sites include:

1. Yahoo Auctions - http://www.auctions.yahoo.com

2. uBid - http://www.ubid.com

3. OnSale - http://www.onsale.com

4. QXL - http://www.qxl.com

Start off by buying an item yourself to get the feel of how it is done. This will give you an overall insight into the process of registering with the auction site, bidding, paying for your goods and the delivery arrangements.

Don’t Feel Forced to Buy

As a buyer you should not feel pressured into buying something that you know is overpriced because you think it is the last item. There are many online auctions and there is a good chance that you will come across the same item at another site.

Leave Your Bid Late

Experienced online buyers will leave their bids until the last few minutes before an auction closes to prevent the price being driven up too high.

Use Automated Bids

If you don’t want to spend a lot of time waiting for an auction to close, you can use an automated bidding service such as eSnipe (http://www.esnipe.com). You can open a free account and type in the auction number and the amount you want to bid. ESnipe can then place a last-minute bid for you just before the close of the auction. If you win the bid, you pay eSnipe a small fee and if you lose you pay nothing.