Billion Dollar eBay Products They re More Common Than You Think

Ebay does a massive amount of business on a global level every day. Last year, in fact, eBay sold 38 billion dollars worth of goods and services. 14% of all transactions that take place online are done via eBay's auctions. 45,000 people buy products through eBay every day, and it's only growing as eBay expands and enters new markets. Ebay provides a tremendous amount of opportunity to all people of an entrepreneurial mindset.

So what are people buying on eBay?

The truth is that people are buying anything and everything. Of source, there are some markets that are more popular than others. The billion dollar business takes place in the following categories:

· Clothing. In eBay land, an article of clothing sells every three seconds. Much of this clothing is gently used, bought on clearance, or has been sitting in a closet for years. Power Sellers usually buy wholesale and sell below retail.

· Electronics. This covers a lot of technology - televisions, broken equipment for parts, outdated computers. A digital camera sells every minute on eBay - an important thing to know if you're constantly upgrading your own technology at home.

· Collectibles. This is the niche lover's dream. Avid collectors of antiques, artifacts, pop culture, and even used dental equipment swarm to eBay to compete over the next addition to their collection.

· Jewelry. People buy costume jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, wedding bands, precious stones and antiques. The profit margin is usually much better than you will get at an estate sale or pawn shop.

· Sporting goods. Every day somebody throws in the towel and gets rid of that unused ab cruncher, weight bench, or boxing gloves. There always seems to be somebody else that is eager to take that sport or activity on themselves.

· Cars. This is the top grossing category on eBay by far. Ebay sells more cars in a moing than most car dealers sell in a year. This is why many car dealers are taking their hard-to-sell trade-ins and auctioning them off on eBay. Other car sellers on eBay have tued their fixer-upper mentality into a profit by going to local govement auctions, replacing parts, and then auctioning the car off to the highest bidder.

No matter what you're selling on eBay, there is a market for your product. These categories will give you an idea of where the most common profits come from, but don't think that you can't carve a niche out in a different category. There is plenty of room to develop, and test, new products on eBay and find your own spot in the market. Just do your research, be creative in your marketing, and make sure your auctions have good descriptions and accurate pictures. And if something isn't selling, you can always change to a new category or change your product lines. In many cases, you can actually change your entire focus oveight! How many offline retailers can do that?

Matt Bacak, Entrepreneur Magazine e-Biz radio show host became a "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to Retire From Your Job This Year and Still Make More Money Than the Average Medical Doctor... You Can Do It Once You Know the Proven Steps Outlined here! ==> http://www.inteetmillionairemind.com

8 Top Tips For Successful Art Auction Listings

Why is it that some artists seem to make easy money on eBay while others struggle to break even? Seller A and seller B could be selling paintings of the same calibre, yet seller A tus a good profit year in year out and has Powerseller status, while seller B struggles to even make a profit at all. Often it has a lot to do with the look of their auction listings.

I have been selling my original artwork on eBay for 5 years now and boy was I green when I started off. I didn't own a digital camera - I used an ordinary camera with film ... you know that old stuff ... I would take photos of my artwork, then tramp into town, wait three days for the film to be developed, then scan the prints into my computer. The quality of my photos were obviously pretty poor in those days.

I didn't know anything about HTML, templates, how and when to list to get optimum benefit from my auctions. It's a wonder I even got off the ground! But get off the ground I did - though dogged persistence and a willingness to lea, I went from selling paintings for a couple of pounds/dollars, to eaing a good full time living. These days I am a Powerseller and often get hundreds for my paintings.

So, here are my top tips to make your art auctions stand out and promote you from part - time pin money eaer to top seller;

1; Think about KISS .... Keep It Simple Stupid! A listing that has lots of different colours, fonts, animated pictures, text in capitals can be very confusing for the reader. Don't bombard people with too much information.

2; Be factual in your description. If your item has a fault - list it. This way a buyer knows exactly what he/she is getting and there will be no negative feedback later. I have sold paintings that had repairs where they had had small rips in them. I was honest in the fact that the paintings weren't perfect, but my buyers were perfectly happy because they knew beforehand what they were buying.

3; Never be negative. Recently one artist who was struggling to sell anything at all (despite being a very good artist) complained how eBay just wasn't working for him. After looking at his auctions I could see why! His listings were basic to say the least, but he could have gotten away with that. What was stopping any chance of him selling were the words at the end of his auction;

"The artist is unwilling to offer this item at a lower starting price as to do so would be insulting."

Potential buyers might look at this statement and think "well I wouldn't want to insult anyone" or "well if you feel insulted, why list it?" and click away ... to someone else's paintings. Comments like this are far too negative.

4; When selling art, a picture paints a thousand words, as the saying goes. Try to make your pictures as high quality as possible. Include side views of your canvasses and possibly a room view. Don't clutter your listing with pictures of other artwork you have for sale - it's just confusing. If you have an eBay store, you will get automatic 'cross promotion' for several other items at the end of your auction anyway.

5; Don't undersell yourself / under price your work. Who takes 5 to 10 pounds / dollars as an opening bid price seriously? Only very well known, well established artists with large fan bases can get away with starting a listing so low. Until you are established, don't risk selling your art for pennies. You'll not even cover your listing fees, never mind make a profit.

6; Utilise keywords effectively. I saw a pencil drawing of a mum and baby Koala in a tree listed as "A mother's Love Original Pencil Drawing" Unfortunately, it is very unlikely that anyone will search "a", "mothers", or "love". Well maybe love .... but not in the context of an original drawing of an animal. The seller was wasting a lot of keyword space there. Better would have been something like "Original Contemporary Drawing Sketch Koala Bear Bears" Doesn't mean much as a sentence in itself, but it is packed with keywords, people might use to find that type of item.

7; Offer excellent customer service. I have always prided myself on the number of positive feedbacks I have attained over the years. On various eBay IDs I have well over 1000 unique positive feedbacks. This is money in the bank! A happy customer will come back again and again, and it is much easier to sell to an existing customer than to gain a new one. Keep your buyers happy and they will reward you with loyalty and repeat purchases.

8; Have a 'ME' page. With art buying, people like to know who they are buying from. They like to 'get to know' the artist. If you can offer a small biography and artists statement on your me page, your potential buyer can feel like they already know you. I have a bio, a photo of myself with my artwork and a recent article that appeared in a regional arts and culture magazine. This allows buyers to see a friendly face - yours - and to feel like they know a little about you and 'where you're at' before they buy.

I hope these tips help you a with your eBay art career. There's loads more I could add, but eBay is a real leaing curve. Often success comes simply though experience and trying different thing until you find something that works for you. The above tips, however, will get you off to a good start to becoming a successful eBay art seller.

Gail Miller is a professional artist whose wild funky artwork is a visual feast of line, colour and fun. Visit her brand new updated website at http://www.gailmiller.com or her eBay store at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/painttillyoufaint

An Emerging Market in eBay Consignments The eBay Trading Post Part II In A Series

In 2002, the eBay consignments business was bo, referred to by eBay as the Trading Assistant Program.

It's possible that eBay didn't foresee just how much they would benefit form their eBay consignments program. Designed to unite experienced eBay sellers with people who want heir merchandise sold on eBay without having to do it themselves, the Trading Assistant program has enjoyed enormous success.

As big as eBay had become -- larger than all other online auction venues combined -- they were still missing out on a large segment of the population; the technophobes. These people would sell goods on eBay if they had access to a computer and a digital camera, and had the time and inclination to lea how to run an auction. But they either don't have the technology or they lack the desire to become auctioneers, or both. Since they're not on line, they're not likely to lea about Trading Assistants who advertise primarily through eBay. And even if they saw the ads, they probably wouldn't trust them.

You see, people active in the online community are already comfortable with the environment, which has an element of anonymity. But a non-computer person is more likely to want to deal with a real, brick-and-mortar retail business. They may not trust someone who runs auctions out of their home.

How to reach these people? Introducing the concept of the "Trading Post"...

A Trading post is to eBay consignments what the typical consignment shop is to the average community. It's a drop off location that allows consumers to drop their stuff off and have it sold for them as a service. It's a retail location that markets itself to consumers as a local, experienced ebay consignments seller -- a Trading Assistant with a brick-and-mortar store.

While any ebay trading assistant can establish an ebay consignments service out of a retail location, only a Trading Post can put the eBay brand on their physical storefront. (A trading assistant can only advertise inside their store). With this privilege comes a higher standard, ie, eBay has "raised the bar" on their requirements.

A Trading Post must meet the following additional requirements:

-Offers a staffed drop-off location or storefront with regular drop-in hours, so that clients can visit the location without calling ahead.

-Has a feedback score of 500 or higher

-Has at least 98% positive feedback

-Has sales of at least $25,000 on eBay each month

Online, clients can search for Trading Posts specifically, and Trading Posts may receive priority placement in search results. (Yes, even some online clients prefer the retail setting). Also, Trading Posts are displayed with a special icon next to their User ID. If you're a Trading Assistant who also meets the requirements, you automatically qualify as a Trading Post and do not need to take additional steps.

Walt Duflock, Director of the eBay Trading Assistant Program and a real life trading assistant, has announced eBay's intention of having "secret shoppers" and "customer satisfaction surveys" to see if there are certain Trading Post locations eBay would like to support more than others.

Regardless of your status on ebay, there are tools that everyone can use to build their success as TAs, available on the ebay site. I've found many of them quite valuable. For example, among their efficiency tools, they recommend using contact management software. eBay regards this as a great tool for getting "a better understanding of how many prospects it takes to actually create one new client and how long it takes for a client to go from initial contact to hiring you as a TA."

And as far as support, some of the Trading Posts have become so large that they no longer rely on eBay for help. Some have developed their own proprietary systems for tracking customers and inventory, and managing their auctions. The largest and most successful ebay consignment business will even get you started with your own franchise which includes the use of their proprietary systems. All you need to come up with is $55 K plus operating expenses.

But, never fear. You can start your ebay consignment business on a shoestring, and this is how the majority begin. Since 1998, eBay and similar auction sites have been growing by leaps and bounds. eBay consignments are still in their infancy, but I predict a very bright future!

© Copyright 2004 Carolyn Schweitzer DDS. Dr. Schweitzer was a family dentist for 20 years and is now owner and editor of several websites. You can lea more about where to find specific links to the Trading Assistant and Trading Post programs by visiting her website at http://www.netbrainer.com/site/500041/page/449460.

Are You an Ebay Shopper

As I write this article, I am keeping an eye on an item on eBay. Do I have to keep an eye on it? No. I have set up a program that swoops in in the final seconds of the bidding, leaving the previous bidder, who thought they had the item, wondering what happened.

Is that what is happening to you in business? Do you think you have customers sewn up; success just with your grasp, but something always goes wrong?

There is talk in the news about the Retail Industry slowdown in home décor, fuiture and home improvement sales. Pier 1 mentioned they are streamlining and cutting their merchandise offerings by 25% to focus on their core customer. Many retailers who were interviewed mentioned that they have been watching the slowdown trend for a while and already have plans in place to manage what's happening.

Is that how you run your business? Do you look at seasonal, regional and/or global trends that will affect the future of your business or do you wait until the bottom falls out and then wonder what you are going to do. Wouldn't you rather have a heads up on what's happening, before it happens?

Sometimes even experience researchers find it difficult to be guided by research. Instead they look for facts and theories to support the hypothesis that is already formed.

If you think that research takes too long, sign up for a number of newsletters and let the information come to you. If you worry about being spammed, use a hotmail account. Keep an open mind. Rather than coming to conclusions before you have the information, make a list of specific facts and assign weights that will influence your decisions. Create a chart and fill in the answers from each information source, tally the weighted results and then make your decisions based on fact…tempered by entrepreneurial intuition. Set up a system that works for you and commit to use it.

If you are in Retail then these two web sites have newsletters that report on trends from all over the world.

http://www.springwise.com

http://www.trendwatching.com

No matter what your business, somewhere on the net there are newsletters/RSS feeds that can deliver information to give you the edge you need, so you aren't sideswiped…knocked out of the game in the final seconds.

And my purchase on eBay….I missed the first one because someone else paid more than I thought it was worth; but the second one…the competition is still wondering what happened and my purchase is on it's way. I used my proven system and won.

Do you want things to be your way in your world or do you want to know what's really going on in your industry so you can anticipate challenges and make plans to avoid problems?

A theory must be tempered by reality. -Jawaharlal Nehru

Copyright(c) 2005 Nancy Fraser Nota Bene Consulting, All Rights reserved

Nancy Fraser is the President of Nota Bene Consulting. She has been helping clients improve their advertising results and grow their businesses for over 20 years. Free advertising and marketing information in the Notable News http://www.notable-marketing.com

Boosting Your EBay Auction Profits Just Add Audio

According to a recent report, adding audio to your eBay auctions could increase bids by as much as 22% over auctions without audio.

A recent trend showing up on a lot of websites is the addition of an audio clip. The clip is a personal message by the author or the website owner encouraging you to take advantage of what they offer.

The psychology behind this technique is really Marketing 101. It's called personalization. An audio clip added to your eBay auction allows you to personally tell the potential bidder about the product. Using your own voice allows you to make contact with the bidder on a personal level that written words cannot. Because, that's what your eBay auction really is...It's just a long written classified ad asking the bidder to make an offer to purchase your item.

Prior to the advent of the telephone the only reliable way to communicate long distance was by writing letters. It was not unusual back then for lovers to write each other daily or weekly. The decline of letter writing is a well documented event that coincides with the advent of the telephone.

With audio you can describe the item, tell the bidder why you are selling it or even communicate with them about your refund policy or provide your contact information. The possibilities are almost unlimited as a way to establish a rapport with the bidder.

But, the most important reason to add audio clips is that it makes it easy to convey excitement and invoke emotion, giving you a really powerful selling-edge.

How to add audio to a web site:

The simplest way is to upload a .wav or Mp3 file to a website and provide a link to the file. When the bidder clicks on the link his or her computer will automatically recognize the file and play it with the audio player on the bidders computer.

There are some drawbacks to this method. If the bidder's computer doesn't recognize the file it won't play. The overall effect is not as professional as it could be and it distracts the bidder. If you are a reasonably tech savvy type you can easily deal with the drawbacks of this approach.

For the rest of us, there are a number of software solutions and websites that will simplify the task of adding audio to our eBay auctions.

Here are two:

Audio Maker Pro - http://audiomaker.thynke.com - (The one I use and recommend)

Sound Streamer - http://soundstreamer.thynke.com - (Less expensive)

Different programs and websites range from charging a one time fee to monthly fees for the use of the program. The good news is that many will let you test them for as little as $1 for a trial basis or let you download a demo version to see how well it will work for you.

Mike Nalbone is an author, editor, publisher and webmaster who eas a living full-time on the Net. For more, exclusive eBay profit tips like this one, visit: http://auction-revolution.thynke.com

This Article Is © 2005 & May Be Published Solely In Its Entirety, Un-Modified, Provided The Above Resource Box Is Included Along With Active (Clickable) Links.

Boost E Bay Profits With Web Audio

Can you boost profits significantly by adding audio to your E-Bay auctions? According to a recent article on a net business site the answer is a definite yes. In fact, one e-book author suggested that adding audio to your auctions could potentially increase bids by as much as 22% over auctions without audio.

A recent trend showing up on a lot of websites is the addition of an audio clip. The clip is a personal message by the author or the website owner encouraging you to take advantage of what they offer.

The psychology behind this technique is really Marketing 101. It's called personalization. An audio clip added to your Ebay auction allows you to personally tell the potential bidder about the product. Using your own voice allows you to make contact with the bidder on a personal level that written words cannot. Because, that's what your E-Bay auction really is...It's just a long written classified ad asking the bidder to make an offer to purchase your item.

Prior to the advent of the telephone the only reliable way to communicate long distance was by writing letters. It was not unusual back then for lovers to write each other daily or weekly. The decline of letter writing is a well documented event that coincides with the advent of the telephone. The power of the human voice to convey a message triumphs that of the written word.

With audio you can describe the item, tell the bidder why you are selling it or even communicate with them about your refund policy or provide your contact information. The possibilities are almost unlimited as a way to establish a rapport with the bidder.

There are some technical elements to adding audio to your E-Bay auctions. The simplest way is to upload a .wav or Mp3 file to a website and provide a link to the file. When the bidder clicks on the link his or her computer will automatically recognize the file and play it with the audio player on the bidders computer.

There are some drawbacks to this method. If the bidder's computer doesn't recognize the file it won't play. The overall effect is not as professional as it could be and it distracts the bidder. If you are a reasonably tech savvy type you can easily deal with the drawbacks of this approach.

For the rest of us, there are a number of software solutions and websites that will simplify the task of adding audio to our E-Bay auctions. These different programs and websites range from charging a one time fee to monthly fee's for the use of the program. The good news is that many of them will let try them for as little as $1 for a trial basis or let you download a demo version to see how well it will work for you.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Discover 101 Ebay Auction Tips in this FREE ebook www.push-button-online-income.com/ebooks

Make Your Ebook Auctions Stand Out

Selling ebooks on eBay is an inviting idea. By carefully shopping for in-demand content and wisely purchasing it with resale rights, you can secure a product you can sell over and over again with only a one-time expense. A very small initial investment can give you the opportunity to create a long series of successful auctions.

The hassles associated with shipping and handling also disappear, as delivering an ebook can be as simple as sending an email to the buyer. There are even great software packages and services available that make automated instant delivery of purchased ebooks possible. You can truly create a system that runs on autopilot, generating profits with little or no effort on your part.

That's the good news. The bad news is that a lot of other people have also noticed the opportunities presented by selling ebooks on eBay. As such, there is bustling market on eBay for electronically delivered information products and it is easy for your auctions to get lost in the crowd. No matter how inexpensive setting up your ebook auction business might be, the effort and expense will be wasted if no one is purchasing your products.

As such, it is important to make sure your auctions stand out from your competitors. There are a few great general techniques that when coupled with your own skills and originality can set you apart from the crowd and make your ebook business a success.

Look Different

Have you ever searched through the ebook offerings on eBay? Often, you will see the very same ebooks sold again and again. The auction titles look the same, as do the graphics used to promote them. If you follow the herd, you are simply hoping that of the many similar auctions offered, an interested buyer will happen to pick yours from the crowd merely by luck. This is not a particularly sound strategy!

Instead, you should make the effort to differentiate your auction from the others. Secure and utilize a different graphic than the standard ebook cover shot being used by everyone else. You should also spend some time writing a title for the auction—if your title reads like all of the others; your chances for success are reduced considerably.

Read Differently

Look through the auctions carefully and read the product descriptions and sales pages of the other eBay sellers in your market. You'll probably notice that many of them seem like carbon copies of one another. You need to make your eBay auction unique.

Spend some time and effort developing a sales pitch for your product that stands out from the rest. It will require some creativity and effort, but by writing the perfect sales pitch and creating a truly unique auction, your product will be perceived as a unique offering in a sea of sameness.

Offer Something More

If everyone is selling the same ebook, or several similar ebooks on the same theme, you need to make your auction different. There has to be some unique reason why buyers will flock to your auctions instead of others.

One used to be able to create a distinction by simply offering a better price or having higher feedback ratings. As the ebook marketplace has grown, these characteristics are tougher to use to your advantage. Prices are often set at low margins across the board already, and there are a variety of sellers with impressive feedback in the field.

Bundle something extra into your ebook auction. Perhaps a special report you have personally written, insuring the uniqueness of your auction is in order. Maybe you can bundle up an additional ebook for which you have resale rights into the deal. The possibilities are limited only by your own imagination.

In a more crowded marketplace it is possible to succeed. However, the days of merely listing a series of ebooks and waiting for the money are over. If you want to increase your chances for ebook success on eBay, it's time to do something that separates you from the pack.

John Thohill trades on eBay under the useame planetsms For more advice on how to succeed on eBay with information products visit http://www.planetsms.co.uk