The Top Sellers On eBay & What We Can Learn From Them

A fascinating eBay case study is the number one seller on eBay, a little outfit called Marie's CDs, but is better known under its old name "1 Cent CD." Jay and Marie, current ID "jayandmarie", are an institution on eBay and are a big part of what makes eBay such an amazingly popular phenomenon.

This little company is literally an eBay dream come true. They started small out of their home in California in 1999 and began growing quickly. To date they have completed over 1 million auctions on eBay and have a feedback rating of 177,018 with 99% satisfaction from their customers!

When I say grow, I mean it in a Jack and the Beanstalk kind of way. Their business started out as a little fly-by-night outfit and has now sold over 1 million dollars (yep, that's $1,000,000) annually for the past three years? Let me repeat that: over a million dollars in sales each year for three years running! Now THAT is growth!

They employ several people, have three small buildings in southern California, and ship items all over the world (mainly CDs). They got their fame from their auctions for CDs that start at only a penny?

What can we learn from this fascinating case study? What do Jay and Marie actually do?

Well, for one thing, they have huge numbers of auctions. Today, they have 83 pages of auctions listed. eBay lists 50 auctions to a page, so that is over 4,000 auctions.

Secondly, they offer great value, because their CDs begin at one cent. Yes, all of them.

None of their auctions has a reserve. Does it pay off? You betchum! Today, looking through 4 pages of eBay auctions, only 3 of them had no bids - so far.

And, naturally, their great feedback and reputation work heavily in their favor. After all, how many eBay sellers have 177,000+ feedback points with over half a million transactions completed.

This case study shows all of us how smart marketing and a great business model can pay off on eBay - and ecommerce, in general.

Sydney Johnston, the AUCTION QUEEN, was one of the original sellers on eBay and has been selling on eBay since the winter of 1996. She is the originator and teacher of the famous Auction Genius Course, a powerful 16 hour multi media seminar on the Internet that teaches her students how to sell on ebay.

More Resources

Game Theory, Nobel Prize, & Auctions - Auction Primer Series - Part 1
William Vickrey, highly regarded as the founder of auction theory, was an economics professor at Columbia University when he published two papers outlining his views on auctions:"Counterspeculation, Auctions, and Competitive Sealed Tenders", 1961, Journal of Finance"Auction and Bidding Games", 1962, Recent Advances in Game TheoryIn 1996 he received a Nobel Prize "for fundamental contributions to the economic theory of incentives under asymmetric information." It's important to understand that asymmetric information is an essential component of auctions, where potential buyers have varying levels of knowledge about the value of the item.
The Webs Best Online Auction Sites
The best online auction links for buyers and sellers are - not surprisingly - eBay, eBay and eBay. eBay began the entire wacky world of online auctions back on the Labor Day weekend of 1995.
E Bay.com HTML Auction Templates: Which is Best for Ebay Selling?
There are a plenty of free e bay.com free auction template services out there and I would like to help you find the service that will best suit your needs by comparing what i feel is the top two contenders.
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.
Learn How To Be A Successful eBay Seller
Anyone can sell anything on eBay. Open an account, list your product, and wait for the bids to start coming in.
Authentic or Fake?
1. Admit It: Old business models are no longer working.
Search... Search... Search Your Way To eBay Cash!
One of the most valuable things in life is the ability to learn a skill. One of my dad's favorite sayings was "You can give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, or you can teach a man to fish and he will never go hungry.
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.
The International Affiliate Program of EBay
eBay trades in more than 33 international countries with over 157 registered users worldwide with 75 million based in the USA and 10 million in the UK.eBay's affiliate program must be the mother of all affiliate programs as far as size and potential scope for earning an income through promoting other peoples items.
Why Its a BAD Idea To Promote Hot Selling Products on eBay
Do a quick search on Google, Yahoo, or your favorite auction resource site, and you'll quickly discover there are several software programs targeted to vendors who want to promote hot selling products on eBay.The infatuation with hot selling products exists because sellers believe if you target items that have a robust sales pattern, you'll have a better chance at profiting on eBay.
12 Items You CANT Sell On EBay
Millions of would-be entrepreneurs want to sell things on ebay. eBay is the #1 home-business opportunity in the world right now, so it's natural that many are eager to find highly profitable items for re-sale on eBay.
Before You Sell On Ebay, Take The Most Important Step
If you want to earn a full-time income selling on Ebay,you must take the first and most important step in allsuccessful business ventures: you must accept that itis possible.This probably sounds really trite--and maybe it is, butthat doesn't mean it's any less true.
The Ins and Outs of Dropshipping on eBay
Dropshipping is an attractive marketing technique, but when you take it to eBay it becomes a real phenomenon. There are tens of thousands of people running dropshipping business as you are reading this article.
eBay is the Greatest Opportunity YOU Have to Create a Career Online
eBay's being spoken about everywhere these days. At work, school, down the pub.
How to Sell on eBay Internationally without Risk
eBay allows you the opportunity to sell all over the world. It is exciting to communicate with a customer from England, Australia or Japan via email.
When You Need Extra Cash Ebay Fits the Bill
We all have items in our closets and stuffed in drawers that we no longer have a use for. Some of us use our free time to manufacture craft items that we give to our friends and families for gifts, and still others of us buy candles and other items in bulk to sell to family and co workers for a little extra cash.
How To Cut Your eBay Fees By More Than 90%
Now, are you ready for the REAL TRUTH about selling on eBay?It's simple; don't list too many items for sale using their auction format. Instead, set up one of their stores.
An eBay Computer Purchase
An eBay purchase that turned sour.A story of fraud, deceit, and broken promises.
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.
How To Sell Santa's Slip-Ups
Shoppers spent more than $15.5 billion this Christmas on gifts on the Internet alone.

More Auction Information:

Related Articles

Image Hosting For Online Auctions
Use eBay picture service or host your own photos?If you use the eBay picture service, your first photo is free. But each additional picture will cost you $0.
From Ebay Zero to Power-Selling Hero: How To Learn New Tricks Without Spending
The Internet is the fastest-changing marketplace on earth. Million-dollar ideas from one year ago might notgenerate a single penny today.
Dropshipping on eBay, Does It Work?
eBay offers any business owner a new global market to sell his products or services on. You are no longer constrained by geographical positioning.
Auctions Make Money!
An untapped online business resource--outside of your basic Yahoo and Ebay, among others--is setting up your own auction sales venue.Since most families have items in their home that have outlived their usefulness, they can get started at online auctions for mere pennies.
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 To Sell On Ebay: The Money Is In The Back-End
Many people who sell on Ebay completely neglect the follow-up process. They post an auction.
Where To Find Items To Sell On eBay
One question that always seems to pop up is, "Where do I find products to sell on eBay?" Here are some ideas to get you started.Start at HomeWhen you first get started, it can be a little unnerving.
eBay Motors : Buy or Sell a Car on eBay
Are you having trouble finding a great deal on a car in your local area? Well, join the club. Using Online Bidding at eBay Motors can be the perfect answer you've been looking for.
How To Sell On Ebay: Using Store Policies To Cement Your Credibility
In your quest to build credibility as an Ebay seller, few things are more important than creating and following consistent store policies. Doing so will provide your customers with an attractive buyingatmosphere, where they will feel safe making any transaction.
Can You Really Make Money Selling New Release CDs & DVDs On eBay?
Being an active eBayer, I am often being asked about products to sell. A common question is "Where can I purchase products such as new release CD's DVD's and Video Games for Playstation and X box at a 75% to 100% discount.
All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) Sell Well On eBay
ATV auctions are healthy markets on eBay. All terrain vehicles have changed in the last few years (naturally) and the major change has been from one person ATVs to two person models.
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.
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.
Effective Auction Listings - How To Create Them
Once you've created the best possible title for your item, you will move on to writing your auction description. Here, you have more space to give a detailed description of the item you are selling in the body of your auction.
5 Secrets To Make A Killing on EBay
Secret #1: Find a 'real' wholesale and drop ship companyDo you know what one of the biggest problem is to be successful on eBay? 'What should I sell"? I can tell you, I get many emails per day from eBay sellers, asking me what they can sell. Let me explain this more in detail.
Is Selling On eBay Just A Hobby Or A Real Business?
Q: I made extra money selling things on eBay last year. These were items I picked up at yardsales mostly.
Traditional Marketing Techniques for eBay Auction Ads
Ya know, I sort of giggle when I look at an ad on eBay that's just a black and white description of the item or product that's up for bid. It wasn't long ago at all that I would have done the exact same thing, but once I understood some traditional marketing techniques, not just been exposed to them; everything looked totally different.
Taking Paypal on eBay
Accepting Paypal as a payment method might increase your selling prices and your profits. This depends on what you are selling.
Auction Sales - Keeping Customers You Worked So Hard To Get!
If you've studied business concepts you know that finding a customer can be the most expensive part of the sales process. Once you've got a customer why not maximize the money you've already invested in the effort?This time honored business concept certainly falls under the category of going the extra mile for a customer.
How Pop-Culture Collectibles Can Increase Your Online Auction Profits
How Pop Culture collectibles can increase your Online Auction profitsWith the increasingly competitive environment for products to sell in the online auction arena, sellers are getting more creative as to the items they purchase for re-sale.While some of the Dutch Auction items that are frequently sold on eBay will always maintain their commodity status and always sell well, Pop Culture collectibles will usually generate a higher profit-per-item simply because of a combination of two forces.