Amazon (FBA) Grows Yet Again!

Just when the issues with shipping to numerous warehouses seem to settle down, Amazon announces plans for more new fulfillment centers.  

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey and Amazon have reached a deal that hinged on Amazon paying sales tax on purchases to New Jersey residents.  The collection of sales tax will begin in July 2013 at the end of a 15-month exemption period.  The agreement also resulted in Amazon making plans to open two new fulfillment centers in New Jersey (exact locations have not been determined).   As with other new centers, the projects are expected to created nearly 1,500 new full-time jobs in addition to thousands of full-time temporary, seasonal, and construction jobs.  Gov. Christie believes this new arrangement will bring in between $30 to 40 million dollars in additional sales tax revenue.

Expect to see these new centers online in 2013. 

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eBay Marketing Calendar: June 2012

Today, we welcome back Chris Taylor of Page Mage with tips to market more successfully for June:

One of the keys to becoming a successful eBay merchant is marketing the products at the right time. June brings us a variety of events that eBay merchants should leverage to help bring in money from those impulse buys. What makes this selling strategy even more successful is how heavily these events are pushed by other businesses. Essentially they are doing your marketing for you.

Are you ready?

Father’s Day – June 17th 
Searched for on Google over 100,000 times each month, Father’s Day is a great holiday that every eBay seller should be looking forward towards. Few people know exactly what to get their Dad for Father’s Day, so take advantage of that by offering a large variety of options for them.

From ties to golf clubs, cigars to gag gifts, there are endless opportunities for you to sell off your men’s inventory during the Father’s Day rush.

First Day of Summer – June 20th
Summer break, vacations, hot weather and lots of time by the pool are all on the minds of eBay buyers starting as early as April. This is a great time to break out summer-themed listings such as barbeque equipment, pool toys, summer clothing and anything that would help entertain kids during the long summer months for parents.

NHL and NBA Playoff Finals
With the NHL and NBA seasons wrapping up in April, we’re now on to the championship rounds for both leagues. With only two teams remaining in each league, team memorabilia will be at its highest for all four franchises. From new fans to old, everyone will be looking to get their hands on just about anything with their team’s logo on it.

Consider increasing your inventories of autographed memorabilia, decorations and of course, clothing for each of the remaining franchises. You may even see the other franchises in both leagues selling well as fans of their sport prepare for a long summer until the next season begins.

Graduations
High School graduations, a memorable event years in the making. Parents, friends and family members will be looking for the perfect gift to send to their graduate as they prepare for college and/or the working world. Stock up on graduation party items, themed-gifts and basically anything with an inspirational quote on it.

Making Your Listing Stand Out
Don’t forget about the importance of making your listing stand out from the competition. Other eBay sellers will be trying to capitalize on these seasonal events as well, and you can enhance your listing by using a custom eBay listing template. A custom template will help give you the professional and trusted appearance buyers are looking for when spending money online.

Want more ideas on what you to sell this month? Checkout the eBay Retail Marketing Calendar from Page Mage to see a complete list of monthly events and trends that you should be leveraging.

Chris Taylor is VP of Marketing at Page Mage. Page Mage, a recipient of eBay's 2011 Ecosystem Champion Award, offers Billboards, a "Top 10 Most Popular" application for free custom eBay listing templates for eBay sellers looking to stand out from the competition.

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What Happened to The Guy Who Auctioned His Life On eBay.au?

Ian Usher was a seemingly normal guy who was working as a rug store manager, and thought he was happily married. One day his wife left him after being together for more than 12 years. His life was in shambles, and he came up with this idea to auction his entire life: his job, possessions, his friends… the whole ball of wax. He chose eBay as the answer. He wanted to start his life anew. Below is a screenshot of the actual auction for his home while it was open. This was four years ago, and now his life is very different.
 

Ian set off to do things that he had never done before like skydiving and swimming with humpbacked whales. He took the time to raise thousand of dollars for bowel cancer research, the disease that claimed his father. A woman named Maureen Boksa (his current lady) was reading about Ian on the internet. She messaged him with a challenge that said he was invited to come to Yukon to ride on a husky powered sled. Maureen thought this could be one of the items he could add on to his bucket list. He did respond and went to Yukon, and completed the challenge. He decided to move on and complete more items on his list, and he didn’t see Moe (Maureen) for another 15 months.

During those 15 months away from Moe, Ian began to have strong feelings for her. He was ready to settle down and find his dream home. He hired a real estate agent and they found a place called “Dolphin Bay.” The island was a 20 minute boat ride away from Yukon, perfect for the solitude he was looking for. After three years, he purchased the property. This was the perfect setting for a man starting all over again. During this time Disney bought the film rights for Ian’s life for 220 thousand dollars.

It took Ian three months to clear the land on his private little island. The island was nicknamed Gilligan’s Island, after the television series. He began to build his home and plant crops. Moe visits him often.

Ian is very happy with the way his new life is shaping up. He living life the way he wants to live it. No one could ask for more than that. eBay can really change a person’s life, even unconventionally.


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Good Grades = Gas for Scouting Trips!

If the kids in your family are getting good grades, you may qualify for gas cards for your scouting trips. Tesoro, the gas company, is sponsoring a new program. If your student is between the ages of 13 and 23 (at the time of submission) and are enrolled at a qualified school, you may qualify for a gas cards you may use at a Tesoro store.

If the student has an A average, you will receive a $10 Tesoro gas card. You can get a $5 Tesoro gas card if the student has a B average. To participate, you must live in one of the following states:

Alaska

California

Hawaii

Idaho

Minnesota

Nevada

North Dakota

Oregon

South Dakota

Utah

Washington

Wyoming

This program is for grades obtained between August 15, 2011 and June 30, 2012. For more information or to participate, please click here. Forms must be submitted (by mail) before mid-August.
 
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What to Sell for Summer on eBay?

Today, I am featuring a guest post by Jenn Cangelosi of Boutique Bargains:

Summer is coming soon and this is the best time to sell vacation and summer season items on eBay. If you have been selling on eBay for a while, you already know that selling seasonally or timing your auctions with the seasonal supply and demand is a good idea. Summer is a peak time for travel. So this is the best time to sell those old travel and vacation items. No point in letting them take up valuable space or fall into disrepair. By selling those items on eBay you can make back some of the money you invested in the item while helping someone else enjoy their summer and vacation time.  

Here is a list of some of the items that sell well for summer:  

Consumer electronics - truthfully these sell well most of the year. Even many consumers buy the high-end still and video cameras only to realize they won't use them as much day-to-day as they did on that big vacation. Don't forget about portable DVD players for the kids during those long airplane flights or car rides. Also GPS systems, mp3 players, and other similar electronics.  

Luggage and specialized bags/carriers - Unless you travel a lot, the bags you used for that last vacation or trip are likely gathering dust. Regular luggage items are not always a great seller, they are not particularly rare or valuable on eBay, but name-brand items do sell. However, your specialized luggage items can sell for near the same as their original purchase price. Specialized luggage can include; camera cases, computer cases, serious hiking or mountaineering packs, and purpose-made carriers of different kinds.

Baby and kids items - There are many different kinds of special travel gear that is needed when traveling with infants and children. There are travel carriers, restraint systems, many kinds of harnesses, high-end and all-terrain strollers, portable bottle warmers, flotation devices, and even portable sleep furniture and aids. All these things can be sold on eBay. Since children are always growing and their needs changing it is safe to pass on the items from last year that may not get used again.  

Recreation equipment - Skis, inflatable tubes, bicycles, snow and water boards of all kinds, even small watercrafts. These are all items that may have been purchased for a summer trip, and now sit in the garage or storage shed. Just be sure to carefully select your shipping terms as you list these larger items or mark as local pickup only if necessary.  

International versions of common electrical items and appliances - Moved recently from another country? The summer is a great time to sell your non-demestic appliances that rely on alternative standards of power or other features. Selling these items can also help fund the purchase of similar domestic items.  

Power conversion aids - Some travelers are able to get by with the small and inexpensive travel adapter kits when they travel the globe. However, the traveler with more typical needs often ends up with the large transformers or converter systems that can get quite expensive. If you have one of these and think it unlikely that you will you it again, then sell it on eBay for another traveler to use.

Now is the time to clean out those old vacation items and make some cash doing so. Many vacation items have been used only the one time and still have lots of use left for a new owner to enjoy.

Thanks, Jenn! These are great ideas for bringing in more summertime sales!


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Selling a Piece of History

The day of the shiny diner has come and gone but many are still holding on to the nostalgia that those buildings provide. Recently, a Washington, DC diner owner faced reality and his failing business and put his shiny diner up for auction…on eBay!

The authentic modular Silk City diner that was build in 1947 by the Paterson Vehicle Company was originally located in Avoca, NY. After 60 years in that location, the seller purchased the diner and moved it to Washington, DC where it spent two years as the Capital City Diner. After facing major competition from a national chain that located near the diner, the owner had to make the difficult decision to close the diner in January 2012.

Instead of limiting his buyers to only the Washington area, the seller decided to list the diner on eBay. Below is a screenshot of the actual listing.

The seller listed the diner on February 28, 2012, with a beginning amount of $20,000. Ten days and nine bids later, the seller had a winning bidder who offered up $40,000 for the diner. No word on if the buyer was local to DC or not. The seller did inform bidders that he had the contact information for a reputable company to move the diner to the buyer’s location. Shipping was separate and it was the responsibility of the buyer to arrange the move, if needed.

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The Wrong Way To Build Your Inventory

Amazon FBA has been life-changing opportunity for so many of us in such a positive way. Many of use use the local libraries to build our inventory through library sales. Unfortunately, there are some “sellers” who are building their inventory with libraries in ways that are not so positively life-altering.

There have been many cases over the years since Amazon FBA came into existence that have shown people the wrong way to become an Amazon FBA seller. In 2010, an Ohio State law student was accused of stealing books from the Moritz Law Library. At the time of the charges, the student had allegedly sold more than 230 books on Amazon for a total of almost $10,300 and had more than 1,350 books for sale. A Glen Ellyn, IL man was charged in 2011 for stealing thousands of books and DVDs from the Lisle Library and selling the items on Amazon.

Most recently, a southern California woman stole thousands of books from libraries in Carlsbad, Oceanside, and San Diego, California. The woman checked out the books about cooking, crafts, and animals. Yes, she actually checked the books out. The librarians from Carlsbad called the police once they noticed the large number of books that were missing. The books, valued at about $5,400, were found at the woman’s home with the barcodes ripped off and many were already wrapped for shipping.

The offender plead guilty to felony burglary. She has been ordered to pay $7,600 in restitution and was sentenced to three years of probation. She also will not be allowed to have accounts on eBay, Amazon, or Craigslist and will not be allowed anywhere near a library.
Building inventory is necessary for growing a successful Amazon FBA or eBay business. Breaking the law to do it is no necessary. Visit the links below and other posts throughout this blog for ways to find inventory for little or no cost.

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Book Keeping Service for eBay Sellers

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from clients and on my Facebook group is, "Book keeping is so tedious and boring and it takes up valuable time that could be used for product sourcing and running my online business. How can I find a book keeper?" Many online sellers feel that bookkeeping is not an income producing task and their time should be spent on the income producing activities they are good at, not on bookkeeping. A truer statement was never spoken! This is where outsourcing can save you time, money, and energy. Outsource tasks that are not your specialty, use up valuable time, and use that extra time to focus on what you do best.

If this describes your situation, I have great news! A colleague (and part-time eBay seller) has started a virtual book keeping service that my be just what some of you are looking for. Melissa Wright-Baughman has just launched "My Money Girl."  She offers services such as  bookkeeping services, Quick Books set up, and Quick Books training and consulting. You can hire Melissa to take care of the job for you, or she can teach you how to maintain your records in Quick Books yourself.

Melissa has 15 years experience with Quick Books and bookkeeping in a wide variety of industries. She herself is an entrepreneur and has had several home businesses including selling on eBay. I have known Melissa professionally since 2005 and she was a tremendous help to me in getting my online business going. You can see my testimonial here on the My Money Girl website.

As a special for my readers, Melissa is offering free Quick Books set up or consulting on an existing set up when you sign up for any monthly or quarterly service for 1 year. That is a $99 value. Just tell her that Suzanne The eBay Coach sent you! Please note that fees are not posted on her site as every business is different and the number of transactions, accounts, and other factors will determine the amount of time needed to handle your unique business.

I can honestly say that outsourcing my bookkeeping and accounting 2 years ago was one of the best moves I ever made. I don't have to stress about bookkeeping, it is taken care of automatically, and I can focus on what I love doing that produces income.

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Are Your Kids Scouting?

Image Courtesy of Whosay.com 
Is eBay or Amazon FBA in his or her future? Then your child may enjoy a new website! Mike Wolfe of The History Channel’s American Pickers has a new website for kids under the age of 14.

Kid Pickers is a new online community that helps kids learning about history through picking. Wolfe began picking at an early age by finding a bicycle in the trash that he resold a few days later. The site provides an opportunity for kids to tell the others about great finds. A couple of the sites profiles show an 8-year old from Georgia that has more than 2000 pieces in his Star Wars collection and a 12-year old New Yorker who has a collection of presidential memorabilia. It also has a lesson guide for parents to help turn picking into a learning opportunity. The site does carry a one-time membership fee of $5. Half of the membership fee is donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Kid Pickers is also sponsoring a contest. Some young pickers will have the chance to be featured in Wolfe’s upcoming book, Kid Picker Book: From Junk to Treasure – A Guide to Picking for Kids. To join or to find out more about the site, please click here.


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eBay Goes Green with its Green Driving Site

If you are looking for a new tool to connect you with eco-friendly driving information and vehicle, look no further than eBay! eBay recently announced the opening of eBay Green Driving.

eBay Green Driving has tools and resources, and green vehicles and vehicle parts. You get all of this through one website. They are introducing drivers to green vehicles thus helping the public save money when they purchase green vehicles. With the rising cost of fuel every day, it’s a fact that green vehicles are less expensive to drive. Your fuel cost will plummet when you choose a green vehicle.

The new eBay Green Driving site has amazing features that include:

Fuel Type Comparison Tool; This tool gathers information from the Department of Energy, their website is www.fueleconomy.gov it compares fuel technology, data on driving range, estimated green vehicle cost, estimated annual fuel costs, along with the ecological impact and other relevant information.  

eBay Green Machines; Here you can get a look at the green vehicles that are for sale now, or those vehicles that have already been sold on eBay Motors. Some of those green vehicles include a 1919 Rauch & Lang Electric Coach, and the 2012 Fisker Karma. This is a great place to get current information about the most unique green vehicles.

Popular Green Vehicles; Here you will find information on the most popular green vehicles today such as the hybrid Toyota Prius, or the electric Tesla Roadster.

Once you have read the information from the above categories, go back to the eBay Motors ads if you are looking to purchase a green vehicle now. If you do not know exactly which vehicle you are looking for and want to see them all categorically, search eBay vehicle inventor. You may look them up by fuel type, body style or lifestyle.

Green Driving New and Reviews a great resource for those who want to learn everything there is to know about green vehicles. eBay Green Driving will update their website often with current content about the latest green vehicle information. eBay hopes that Green Driving site visitors will enjoy and learn from their website. It may be a good resource for making those scouting trips eco-friendly! For more information, click here.

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