Get Yourself A Piece of The eBay Pie

Ebay is without a doubt the greatest internet marketing phenomenon of all time. Millions of people log on every minute and every second there are hundreds of items listed, sold and bought, and of course money is made. It has become the world's largest marketplace, where the potential for selling an item is exponentially increased due to the sheer volume of people who can view the item for sale.

The attraction Ebay holds for the most people is the possibility of selling or buying anonymously, and getting a great bargain. And for the first time ordinary people are making extraordinary incomes selling literally everything from beanie babies to diamond rings and cars. For those who venture out of their comfort zones into the cybermarket place, the following may com in handy as a guide to selling on Ebay:

A. RESEARCH WHAT IS LIKELY TO SELL, DON'T JUST SELL ANYHTING

Contrary to what you might think, not everything sells on Ebay. Your success on Ebay depends on selling what people want and need, and what they will pay for. You can find this out by browsing closed auctions of items you are interested in selling, see how many bids there were for the item and how high the bid price went. The more bids and the higher the closing price the more successful the auction.

B. ASSESS THE COMPETITION

It's no use selling an item that there are hundreds of thousands to choose from. Your chances of success will be severly diminished. The rarer the item and the fewer the number of people selling the same item the better your chances of making a sale. Find out how many similar items there are for sale by using the search feature on Ebay. Avoid items that are oversupplied and that everybody else is selling.

C. FIND THE CHEAPEST SOURCE OF THE ITEM

The best way to begin is by using a dropshipper. This is a wholesaler who will ship single items on your behalf to your customers and does not charge you a fee to do so. You don't have to keep inventory of the items you sell, and you order the item to be shipped to the buyer after you have sold it on Ebay, thereby reducing your risk to near zero. Remember the principle "Buy low and sell high" That is the key to maximizing your profits.

D. LEARN THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE

It is prudent to learn as much as you can about how Ebay works before you start, as there is more to it than meets the eye. There is no surer way to fail than to jump in without doing your homework well and believe me, it is work. If anyone says otherwise they're simply not telling the truth.

E. START WITH A SMALL MONTHLY BUDGET AND STICK TO IT

Don't spend more money that you can afford to lose. As with all businesses it takes time to tweak your skills to perfection. It is very easy to fall prey to internet sharks who promise fantastic returns in a short period of time. It simply does not work that way.

F. GIVE IT TIME

Forget about making a lot of money in a short time. It is slow tedious work,a ndmake some allowances for failure. Don't get discouraged. Find out what works and what does not work and improve yourself as you go along.

© Michael Schandorf-Lartey 2004
http://www.amazingdealz.dropshipdesign.com

Michael Schandorf-Lartey is an internet entrepreneur, and operates a successful wholesale sourcing website that assists internet newcomers to launch their own Ebay businesses. He lives in Clermont, Florida with his wife and three children.

More Resources

Ebay And Dropshipping, A Marriage Made In Heaven?
eBay is the 'BEST' opportunity you can use right now to make money online in the dropshipping business from the comfort of your own home.Thousands of people just like you use eBay auctions on a daily basis to sell and buy products on the Internet; now it's your time to START your own dropshipping home-based business and succeed in the eBay auctions 'game'!There are no special skills required for this dropshipping business, all you need is a computer, Internet access and some basic computer / Internet knowledge.
How to Sell Your Crafts on eBay
Artists, craftspeople and photographers are successfully selling their wares everyday on the online auction site, eBay. According to a recent analysis of eBay sales, a crafts-related item is sold every nine seconds, a scrapbook item is sold every minute, and 40 cross-stitch items sell in an hour on eBay.
How I Was Nearly Conned On Ebay
I am not sure how many people have had bad experiences on Ebay, I hope not too many. I was having a great time on there until some man tried to defraud me out of £170.
Negating Negative Feedback on eBay
Taking some pride in my one hundred percent positive feedback score on eBay, I was horrified to see a negative feedback appear against me.What had I done wrong? Had I overlooked an auction win and failed to deliver product as promised? Had I given poor, slow service? Was I rude to the auction winner?Certainly, if I had been guilty of any of these things, the negative feedback may have been deserved.
Everything You Need To Know About Ebay Money Making Opportunities
Ebay money making opportunities are simply the best thing to come along since the wheel. Seriously, everybody from grandmothers to middle school kids are cashing in on what's been called the $14 billion ebay pie.
How To Find Tons of Hot Items Selling On EBay ...In Less Than 10 Minutes
There are many ways to start a home business online, and few are easier than eBay - the world's largest online auction site. However, there is one critical condition - you have to know what to sell and how to sell it.
An Emerging Market in eBay Consignments: The eBay Trading Post (Part II In A Series)
In 2002, the eBay consignments business was born, 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.
From Ebay Zero to Power-Selling Hero: Don't Be That Random Ebay Guy
If I could convey only one concept to someone who wasabout to start selling on Ebay, it would be this: no one has ever purchased anything on Ebay with this in mind--"I think I'll buy something on Ebay from some random guy and pay more than I would at the storedown the street."No one has ever said that.
8 Collectible Dolls That Sell Well on eBay
From the beginning, eBay's primary growth came from thecollectibles market. There are two basic models for eBaysales:1.
The Secret Of The Ebay Money Machine And How To Get Your Share
If you have all the money you need, then this information wont be of much use to you!If however, like most of us, there are times when you could do with a little more, read on.At times we all come across circumstances where we could do with some extra income, be it that extra special present we need to buy, that unexpected bill that needs paying or just to make ends meet.
How Do You Find A Reliable Dropshipping Source?
A Dropshipper is someone who will anonymously send the goods you order to your customer! There are no markings on the box and no invoices enclosed! Finding a reliable dropshipper can prove to be a strenuous task. When selecting a Dropshipper you want to be sure to find someone that has a large inventory and quickly replenishes items that become sold out!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 BIG MONEY on eBay - Your Unlimited Cash Cow
Let me be brutally honest; until recently, I had never bought anything on eBay, I'd never sold anything on eBay, and, dang-nab-it, I disdained auctions. (Bidding wars just weren't my bag.
Mistakes to Avoid in your eBay Auctions
Online auctions continue to grow in popularity as an easy and efficient way to make money on everything from unwanted household items to rare and expensive collectables and even to bulky items like cars.Log on to eBay and you will see countless auctions on any item you can imagine.
Buying At Auction: 6 Hints to Make You a Successful Bidder
Buying at auction, be it for stamps or coins, antiques or even cattle, can be one of the most exciting and profitable experiences possible. It can also be expensive and utterly frustrating.
Ebay Auction Selling Secrets - Using Ebay to Launch Your Very Own Highly Successful Website
Launching your very own successful website is the dream of many people worldwide because it is a new way to make money and be employed by oneself with little overhead. So, once you have your website you will need traffic to make it successful.
How Drop Shipping Works
One of the most frequently asked questions on the Net is: "What should I sell online?"Many people know what products they want to sell. However, they don't know how to do this.
Taxing eBay Part Deux
When my column on paying income tax on eBay profits ran it brought a wave of emails on whether you were required to report income earned from eBay sales to the IRS sparked a number of additional questions and comments from eBay sellers who were hoping that I could somehow validate that their eBay activities were mere hobbies instead of actual businesses and therefore not susceptible to IRS taxation.Several folks argued that just because their little eBay hobby generated a little cash, that didn't make it a full blown business.
How To Stop Ebay Buyers From Sniping Your Auction For Less Than Its True Value
There are many savvy eBay buyers who use automated bidding programs, which are referred to as sniping software. Sniping allows the eBay buyer to place an unseen bid in the last seconds of an eBay auction allowing them to win the ebay auction at a very low price if there was no reserve.
Losing Sales By Overcharging For Shipping And Handling
As a serious seller on eBay you're familiar with their fee circumventing rules. If not, visit: http://pages.
A Picture Paints a Thousand Words and Creates Auction Euphoria on eBay
Ever since I sold my first item on ebay I have been addicted to the site and I have steadily developed it as a supplementary source of income over the last two years. As I gained experience from listing items, I rapidly became aware that the inclusion of pictures in the listings was a major selling point as buyers could literally see what they were buying and as such create a greater interest and desire within them which in turn led to greater selling prices.

More Auction Information:

Related Articles

Start an Easy Home Business: Become an Ebay Trading Assistant
EBay's online auctions have created business opportunities for thousands of people. Now the Trading Assistant program is making it easier than ever to start a business from home.
eBay Auction Bidding Strategies--Overcoming the most Frustrating Situation on eBay
The Problem..
eBays Hot Selling Books, Find Out Which Books Sell & How To Find Them
Selling books on eBay can be a very lucrative business! There are eBayers who sell only books and make a nice little income doing it. Where do they get these books to sell? At thrift stores, estate sales, flea markets, book fairs, yard sales, library sales, grandmas attic, etc.
eBay - The Basics
I began selling on eBay in 1999 and have found it to be an enjoyable and profitable experience. I had owned a retail computer store for a few years and decided to close it.
Importing Products to Sell on eBay
The interesting thing about online buyers is they are extremely price sensitive. A survey done by Forrester Research shows that 73 percent of surveyed online buyers expect prices on the Internet to be cheaper than in stores.
Louis Vuitton -- Avoiding the Ebay Nightmare Fakes
Without a doubt, eBay was one of the cleverest on-line ideas that anyone has had so far. The idea of creating a site where you can bid on and buy items ranging from an eggcup through to a disused Boeing 747 or a Nuclear Missile Silo was pure genius.
Using Paypal for eBay Purchases
Paypal is the preferred payment choice for many buyers because Paypal allows buyers to pay instantly for eBay purchases. In this article, we will review using Paypal on eBay from the buyer's point of view.
eBay Auction Sellers Guide to Finding Hot Money Making Products
You might be one of the thousands of individuals who open a trading account with eBay and dream about making auction selling a full-time home-based business.However, before that dream can become a reality, you need to do many important things while running an auction business.
Making Your Auction Business Stand Out From The Crowd
When my sons were growing up they started playing hockey when they were 6 years old. Each of them, in their first year, scored more goals than the rest of their team combined.
8 Top Tips For Successful Art Auction Listings
Why is it that some artists seem to make easy money on eBay whileothers struggle to break even? Seller A and seller B could be selling paintings of the same calibre, yet seller A turns 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.
The Top Ten Tips For Auction Success!
If you were to look through eBay, or any other online auction site for that matter, you would find that many people make some very basic mistakes. And, they repeat these mistakes over and over again.
Attract eBay Buyers Like Crazy!
As an ebay(TM) seller it happens very often (too often) that listings close without any bids. Did this happen to you? Many sellers are frustrated and quit their eBay(TM) business.
Make Money on eBay the EASY way!
Probably just like you, I had an overwhelming desire to spend more time with my family and friends, doing the things that are important to me and living a comfortable lifestyle without financial worries ? and yes, less time working to pay for it!!! So with my quest to find financial freedom, I "googled" my way through searches looking for ideas on how I could fulfil this desire with minimum effort and expense. After all, I wanted to make money not spend it! I had aspirations of making wad loads of cash so my family & I could truly enjoy the pleasures of life - together.
Start Your Own Business: Sell Things on eBay
The popularity of online auction site eBay has beenlegendary. With millions of transactions completed daily,it is no surprise why many individuals who do not usuallyshop online regularly purchase items through eBay.
Selling on Ebay-Get Started in 7 Easy Steps
Ebay auctions are definitely the easiest and fastest way to start earning money online. Ebay.
7 Great Reasons Why You Should Start an EBay Business Today
EBay is a great part or full time business. An Ebay Business can be used as a way to promote your Online Home Based Business.
How Do You Find A Reliable Dropshipping Source?
A Dropshipper is someone who will anonymously send the goods you order to your customer! There are no markings on the box and no invoices enclosed! Finding a reliable dropshipper can prove to be a strenuous task. When selecting a Dropshipper you want to be sure to find someone that has a large inventory and quickly replenishes items that become sold out!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.
eBay Listing Service : Make Managing Your Auctions Easy
Do you want to have a lot of auctions going but don't have time to keep track of them all? Trust me, you're not alone. With more and more people making significant portions - if not all - of their income from their eBay auction websites the need has arisen for many people to have someone manage the listing of their auctions for them.
Photos on my eBay Auctions: How Do I Add Them?
On another forum I'm involved with, someone's asked a great question: I want to sell products on eBay, but I want to include photographs with my items. How do I do that? What kind of camera do I need, and what settings should I use?The first step is to buy a digital camera.
Instructions on How to Put Picture on Ebay
Like many folks, you have heard of online auctions. Heck, even non-computer users have heard of Ebay.