Mega-Seller eBay Moms Featured in Woman's World Magazine

 

Check out this week's Woman's World Magazine (on checkout stands in grocery stores, WalMart, Target, etc.) for an article about making big bucks on eBay. The article, on page 12, is titled, "Make a bundle on eBay...just like they did!"

I'm thrilled and honored to be featured alongside other superstar eBay moms including Sonya Lee Han, Jeanette Bushell, Marsha Collier, and Lynn Dralle. It is a great piece explaining how eBay can work for anyone and can be tweaked to fit whatever selling style or type of inventory that works best for you.

Woman's World is a weekly magazine, and this issue is only on news stands until August 19, so grab a copy quick and check out different ways to make eBay work for you!

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And Now for Something Completely Different...

 

I am so excited to announce launch of my brand new website! I have been hard at work for the last few months developing several new projects - all of which will help online sellers be more successful, make more money, and enjoy the freedom of working from home. The site is only about 50% complete. Here is what I have so far:

A free gift for all my readers! Download a free copy of my eBook, "Cash Hiding in Your Home" - a list of 30 items commonly found in many homes that look like junk but actually have value in the eBay marketplace. These are items hiding in plain sight! You may have cash all around you and not even realize it.  Head on over to my new site, SuzanneAWells.com and grab a copy - there may be items on this list that even seasoned eBay sellers don't know about. (And thanks to the members of my Facebook Group for helping contribute to this fantastic list! I learned a bunch of new things reading their ideas, and I've been selling on eBay for 10 years!)

Have a question or just need some quick guidance on an eBay or Amazon issue? Schedule an appointment for a 20 minute consultation using my online scheduler here.

Coming soon:

Ready to learn more about online selling? Sign up to receive updates about my new online eCommerce school, Unite eCommerce. This online school will have a community college feel - you choose what courses you want to take depending upon your most pressing needs, your current skill level, and what interests you. No monthly membership fees, no prerequisite classes, no experience or education required. Just show up and learn something new. Class fees will be reasonable and affordable. I'm busy recruiting other experienced sellers with eCommerce specialties to help teach their passions. Some classes coming soon include:

eBay for Beginners

Selling Pre-owned Clothing on eBay

All About eBay Shipping

Authenticating Designer Items (to avoid VERO violations on eBay)

Hiring Help for Your At-Home eBay or Amazon Business

Book Keeping and Basic Tax Info for eCommerce Sellers

Selling Children's Clothing

eBay and Amazon Best Practices 

Selling Books on Amazon   

Using Amazon Reports

Holiday Selling Strategies

I've got some fantastic teachers lined up and we are hard at work creating these courses to help you learn more, do more, and make more money! Sign up here to receive more information about upcoming classes, class schedules, and other information about this revolutionary new online learning center. If you have an idea for a class please leave a comment below. And if you are an experienced seller and would like to join my team, I'd love to hear from you! Just contact me here and let's talk!

Take a look around my new site here and stay tuned for more announcements coming soon!

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Are Your Photos eBay Legal?

The deadline is approaching for all eBay photos to meet the new guidelines set forth in the Spring 2013 update. July 1 is the deadline for all photos to be updated to meet the new standards. Just a friendly reminder:

All photos must be a minimum of 500 pixels on one side.

Photos cannot have borders.

Photos may not contain any seller-added text, watermarks, or artwork.

When you list a used item outside of books, movies, music, and video games, you cannot use the eBay catalog stock photo in the primary photo position. You must upload your own photo. 

All listings must have at least one photo.

If you are a "Last Minute Larry," and still have some photos to fix to meet the new standards, here are a few free tools and tips to help in the process:

ISDNTEK Tool - enter your seller name in the box on the top left and this free tool will tell you which photos need repair. Don't panic, this tool pulls up all of your listings. Just pay attention to the number next to "Listings to repair."

PicResize.com - upload photos and specify custom size to resize your picture so that it is at least 500 pixels on one side.

So get those photos fixed! According to eBay.com, "Pictures that violate these requirements will be blocked from listing or will be subject to removal from the site after listing. Sellers who repeatedly violate the picture quality requirements may be subject to further administrative action, including selling restrictions and possible search demotion."

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Marketing Your eBay Listings on Pinterest

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New Podcast - Selling Vintage Perfume Bottles on eBay

This is a really fun niche and these items are often overlooked at garage sales and estate sales. While everyone else is rushing towards the fine china, sterling silver, and furniture, you can casually make your way to the bathroom or bedroom and check out the vintage perfume, perfume bottles, and cosmetic related items. In the past, I have made great money on vintage perfume bottles (empty!), discontinued perfumes,  and old soaps. Listen to the podcast here.

Repurposing also comes into play with vintage perfume bottles. If you are on Pinterest, no doubt you have seen all the ways old bottles are being repurposed and made into beautiful new things like oil diffusers, jewelry holders, flower vases, or just embellished as a creative decorative piece. DIY folks love these things! They are unique and fun. I've even seen some wedding centerpieces holding fresh flowers made out of old perfume bottles. Crafters have to get these items somewhere - and they are looking on eBay and Etsy for their supplies to make these lovely pieces:

 

This just goes to show you that something old and empty can be valuable!  Get on over to Blog Talk Radio and check out my latest podcast, "You Sold WHAT on eBay?" and learn more about this interesting niche. And be sure to subscribe to my podcasts so you will be notified of new episodes.

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The People Who Bought the Morgue Refrigerator on eBay

In case you missed my story on the eBay Examiner last week - the latest weird sale on eBay was for a morgue refrigerator.  New York State Office of Mental Health Manhattan Psychiatric Center auctioned off a real morgue refrigerator on eBay. (See the listing here.) The item sold for $3,049. After I wrote the article for The Examiner, I received this email from the buyer:

"I was just scrolling through News360 when I came across an article about the Morgue Fridge being sold in NY.  I was actually the lucky buyer.  I went to disassemble it from the old morgue at The Manhattan Psychiatric Hospital yesterday, which was interesting to say the least.  I know you're probably wondering why I bought it, well my company does Haunted Houses in NJ so I'm planning on using it as a prop for this October.  So I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that yes, it was definitely a real item and taking it apart was creepy.  The whole fridge has a musty smell about it and the metal slabs were sticky!"

The attraction is called BANE Haunted House and this year they are located at The Rockaway Mall in NJ.

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The Customer is Not the Enemy

I'm seeing a lot of discussion on my eBay seller's Facebook Group (almost 5,000 strong now!) about blocking eBay buyers. Here is a sample discussion:

Seller A: I just had the weirdest question from a customer. He asked xyz and that just made me nervous. What should I do?

Seller B: Block him! You are just asking for trouble if he buys from you.

Seller C: That person is probably a loser! Block him!

Let's examine these responses and think about how you can grow your business if you are shutting out potentional buyers. Slamming the door in a potential buyer's face isn't going to help you make money. Bending over backwards to help them may put money in your pocket.

Blocking buyers by name is really a huge waste of your valuable time. I see a lot of talk on eBay groups about blocked bidder lists, exchanging names of non-payers, and outing "bad" buyers on groups. Sellers are spending valuable time (that could be spent sourcing, listing, or researching) blocking buyers on these lists. If a buyer is really a crook, he is going to have multiple IDs anyway, so blocking one of them isn't going to help you much. Why shut out someone who wants to buy something from you?

I don't really understand this knee-jerk reaction to an odd or unusual question. So what if the buyer asks something strange? Can you accommodate them? Sometimes an unusual situation is an opportunity for you to get the sale, because other sellers think it is weird or a little kooky and they will shut down and not even answer the buyer out of fear. Investigate your options. Is what the buyer asking do-able? Is it eBay legal? eBay is a very competitive place and to get the sale, you have to be willing to go the extra mile and give better service than your competitors. See a buyer's problem as an opportunity - turn the situation around and you have a sale.

If you set up your account to exclude buyers with certain criteria, and they contact you asking why they can't bid, the professional response is to explain why. A friendly professional response, even to a non-payer helps make us all look good. There is no reason to be hostile - you have no idea why the person has these strikes. Sometimes life gets put on hold when emergencies happen and eBay is not the highest priority.

Also, if a buyer knows why they are being blocked because of their past actions, they may do what is needed to clean up their act. Educating the buyer in a professional tone is always a good response. The customer is not the enemy - he / she is our best friend and we cannot survive without them. The best way to deal with non-payers is to file unpaid item strikes so that the buyer will be suspended if he reaches the maximum number of strikes. Let the system work. Don't react out of fear and lose a potential customer. Think through your options.

Related Articles:

Recognizing Spoof eMails from eBay

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eBay Sellers - If You Have It, List It!

Ok, folks, as Dr. Phil says, "It's time to get real!"

Raise your hand if you have a pile of stuff like this waiting to be listed on eBay. (I'm seeing a few hands slowly going up.....) Don't worry, you are in good company. I am here to push you out of your comfort zone and tell you, "If you have it, list it!" If you are using the excuse that your item is out of season, and probably won't sell anyway, you are now busted. Here are a few of my and my daughter's sales for the past 2 weeks (this is June) that are WINTER items! The season is irrelevant - anything can sell at any time, and if your items are in a bag or box in the corner of your office waiting to be listed, well, you are just missing opportunities to make money.

My daughter sold these Columbia snow boots last night. Bought at a garage sale in April for $3. They are going to a buyer in the state of Georgia! Really? A pair of snow boots sold in June to a buyer in one of the warmest parts of the USA. Not a huge profit, but a sale nonetheless.

We bought this cashmere sweater for $5 at Goodwill recently. It sold on June 2 for $19.97.

Another cashmere sweater sold on Best Offer for $14.97:

So no more excuses! Winter clothes and boots sell in the summer time, too. If you are not shipping internationally, be mindful that the seasons are opposite on the other side of the world and international customers buy winter clothing when it is summer in the USA. (Check out my International Shipping Tutorial to learn how to ship internationally.)

So put on a pot of coffee, put a movie in the DVD player and get busy listing! Customers all over the world are waiting.

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Specialty Monopoly Games and Pieces Hot Sellers on eBay

Thanks to the members of my Facebook Group, now 4,400 members strong, I have learned a lot about selling used board games on eBay. I always assumed the games had to be complete sets and in mint condition, but this is definitely not the case. I have been finding games at garage sales and thrift stores for less than $5, so hopefully you can find them at those prices, too.

The games themselves are good sellers, and the pieces and boards can be sold on their own either as replacement parts or as craft or decorative items. So if the game is cheap enough, but doesn't have all the parts, go ahead and buy it and start stockpiling the pieces to sell in a lot when you accumulate enough pieces. (Crafters buy the game tokens to make jewelry, clocks, and other cool items.) The game tokens sell on their own, but prices range from $2 - $5, so it may not be worth your time to list them individually, unless it is a rare or discontinued piece.

When it comes to board games, think special edition, collector's edition, or anniversary edition. The fewer there is of something, the more it will be worth in the eBay marketplace.

Here are a few examples of some completed listings of different Monopoly games to give you an idea of what to look for when you are out shopping at thrift stores, garage sales, or church rummage sales:

Garfield 25th Anniversary Monopoly game sold for $34.99 on April 29.

Pokemon Collector's Edition Monopoly sold for $34.95 on April 23.

Simpson's Monopoly game sold for $28.99 on March 14.

47 Monopoly game tokens sold for $41.00 on February 6.

Lord of the Rings Monopoly game board only sold for $12.99 on April 24.

So don't walk away from a special or collector's edition Monopoly game just because it isn't in pristine condition with all the parts. You can dissect it and sell the components if necessary. Make sure you are shipping these internationally! Collectible are wanted all around the world. (Not sure how to ship internationally? Check out my eBay International Shipping Tutorial.)

On a side note, I am always interested in hearing from guest bloggers. If you would like to contribute a guest post, just drop me an email at ebaycoach @ yahoo and share your idea. If published, your post will include a back link to your site or eBay store.

More Resources:

What to Buy at Thrift Stores to Sell on eBay (Kindle Book)

eBay Coach Podcasts - free on iTunes

Free eBook for Moms Starting to Sell on eBay

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Podcasts are Back - Learn by Listening

I am excited to announce my new podcasting channel on BlogTalkRadio! I'm structuring these podcasts as educational in nature, sharing what I know and what I have learned about ecommerce over the last 10 years. Podcasts will be 15-20 minutes in length and focus on teaching a specific aspect of the business. I have some interesting guests lined up so you will want to subscribe and check for new episodes daily. You can listen to podcasts from your computer while you work or from your phone on iTunes. (It will take a couple of weeks for the iTunes feed to start, and I will post a link to the iTunes feed on a future blog post.)

Right now, I am using the audio upload feature, so the shows aren't live yet, therefore listeners aren't able to call in. But that will change in the future. At this point, the podcasts focus on some basics for newer sellers to use for reference in later episodes. So far, the following lessons have been posted:

eBay International Shipping
(New multi-media lesson: eBay International Shipping Tutorial)

eBay Return Policy - Why Every Seller Needs One

The Importance of Record Keeping

I have some fun ideas for recurring shows, like "You sold WHAT on eBay?" Where sellers share good money makers that are hiding in plain sight. Making money on eBay isn't just finding and selling the obvious collectibles like Hummel figurines and baseball cards. The key to making money on eBay is learning to recognize items that have value in the eBay marketplace, but may look like junk to a less savvy seller.

I would love to hear your ideas for shows and topics that you need help with or are interested in learning about. I've been coaching private clients of all levels since 2009 and have a lot of great material to share. We can all learn a lot by talking and listening to each other. Everyone's ecommerce journey is different - beginners to advanced seller, we all bring something valuable to the table to share and help each other prosper!

Check out my new show, Online Selling with Suzanne Wells and be sure to subscribe either through Blog Talk Radio or iTunes.

Related articles:


Source for eBay Inventory - Your Local Library

 What to Buy at Thrift Stores to Sell on eBay (my book on Kindle)

One-on-One Personal Coaching

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eBay and Amazon Workshop Updates

Last fall, my eBay and Amazon on-site mentoring workshops were a big hit! I was able to hold 6 workshops before the holiday rush began. After a busy January and February, workshops can now resume!

I've paid attention to feedback from clients who attended the workshops last year, and want to offer what clients are requesting so that I can better help them achieve their goals. I have made some changes to make the workshops more convenient and the topics are more beneficial to the individual attendees. If you want to take your eBay or Amazon business to the next level, hiring an expert to personally show you the ropes and teach you the business based on their perspective and experience will save you time, money, frustration, and your business will succeed faster with fewer problems and setbacks. Hiring an expert to hold your hand and guide you through the minefields will put you on the fast track to success and you can jump into your business much further along the learning curve than if you had to learn the process on your own. I have been coaching clients in person and over the phone since 2009 and have coached over 350 clients worldwide.

Changes to workshops include:

Workshops are now private one-on-one training tailored to the unique needs of the individual participant. Each workshop is designed to accommodate either 1 client alone, or 2 clients working together as a team such as spouses, mother-daughter team, or business partners. Information presented will be customized to the individual clients' skill level, experience, business style, and goals.

Workshops are scheduled at the client's convenience, evenings and weekends included. Scheduling is very flexible based on the client's availability.

Amazon FBA sourcing workshop can be taught at the store of the client's preference such as Wal-Mart, Target, grocery store, TJ Maxx, Walgreen's, etc.

All workshops are held in the Metro Atlanta area and length is 3 hours of intense individual instruction based on the client's unique needs and goals.

Each workshops comes with bonuses including 1 week of email support following the workshop, eBooks, and 3 months free subscription to my membership site Online Selling Coach.

For more information on both types of workshops, and to submit your request for this highly-specialized individual training, visit my website:

eBay Sourcing Workshop

Amazon FBA Sourcing Workshop

If you have questions about the workshops, send me an email at eBaysellingcoach @ gmail or ebaycoach @ yahoo to discuss further.

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Hostess Twinkie Feeding Fenzy Results from Baker's Union Strike

The Hostess Company announced late Thursday evening, November 15, that it would be closing its doors. According to the Chicago Tribune, November 17 2012:

"The company said Friday it has asked a bankruptcy judge for permission to go out of business and lay off 18,500 workers, blaming a labor strike by members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union."

This announcement caused a frenzy of Twinkie and Sno Ball lovers to flock to local stores and bakery outlets to stock up. Many were stocking up for inventory to sell on eBay and Amazon. According to FoxNews.com on November 17, "As of midday Friday, nearly 900 items for sale on eBay were Twinkie-related, including single-size snacks, unsealed boxes, and even lunchboxes, baseball cards, and magnets. One seller in North Carolina even set a price of $5,000 for a single Twinkie." Below is a screenshot of even more ridiculous offers on eBay as of Saturday, November 17:

According to different eCommerce Facebook groups, many sellers made substantial quick profit and were thrilled with the results. Chris Green, who runs the Facebook eCommerce group ScanPower, posted this screen shot of his own Hostess snack cake sales by late Friday evening. He was up to 26 sales by just after 6 PM. (Reprinted with permission.)

Once the news hit eCommerce groups that Twinkies, Sno Balls, and cupcakes were selling out so quickly, sellers hit the streets to stock up. Besides grocery stores and bakery outlets, sellers hit less obvious places like Walgreens, gas station convenience stores, and even hospital vending machines. (Now there's a captive audience - if you are going to eat a Twinkie the hospital is the best place to do it!)  Here are some photos contributed (reprinted with permission) by members of the various Facebook groups having these discussions. This seller posted her haul Friday night:

And this seller hit the streets early Saturday morning:

Many sellers reported lightening fast sales, high selling prices on both eBay and Amazon, and a very profitable weekend. By Sunday evening, eBay had over 21,000 listings with the keyword "Twinkie." Listings ranged from the actual snack cakes, boxes, advertising signs, store displays, domain names, and collector figures. One seller even listed his last box of twinkies in the category of Funeral and Cemetery.

Now the burning question: Will buyers experience buyer's remorse for paying inflated prices for Hostess products? Amazon's A-Z guarantee allows for unhappy buyers to file a claim within 60 days of their purchase. Most Amazon sellers see this regularly when buyers make incorrect assumptions about listings. In the grocery category, the item does not have to be returned. The buyer can simply contact Amazon regarding his complaint, and his money will be refunded. Will eBay buyers file "Item Received Not as Described" claims in an effort to recover some of the money spent after regretting their purchase? eBay buyers have 45 days to file such a claim.

Then there is the issue of feedback on eBay and Amazon. Will buyers regret getting caught up in this frenzy and punish sellers with negative feedback after the storm calms? Only time will tell. But many sellers decided to take the risk to make some quick holiday cash by jumping on the Hostess bandwagon. Hostess cakes may not be dead forever. It is entirely possible that another company will take over production and Twinkies will live on. However, if you are a Twinkie connoisseur, remember the saying, "The longer an item's shelf life, the shorter yours." Just sayin'......


Shortages of an item can increase an item's value on the secondary market including eBay and Amazon. Here are a few more examples of past shortages:

Today Sponge Shortage (2009)

Aveeno Eczema Cream Flip (2008)

Zhu Zhu Pets (2009)

Let's hear your Hostess stories. Leave a comment below if you participated in the Hostess Frenzy or had an interesting Hostess experience!

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eBay Thrifting Workshop in Atlanta November 13

We have an eBay Thrifting Workshop scheduled in Atlanta, Marietta area, for November 13. I realize this is short notice, but have 2 spaces still open. (Max class size is 5.) The next one won't be until January. The one-day workshop will focus on showing attendees how to purchase profitable items at thrift stores for resale on eBay. Product focus will be clothing, shoes, toys, household goods, sporting goods, kitchen items, craft supplies, and decorative collectibles. The purpose of this workshop is to teach participants how to select items to sell on eBay and concentrates on items that are commonly found in thrift stores and are repeatable.

Workshop includes 3 hours of thrifting in the morning, lunch at a local restaurant, 3 hours of thrifting in the afternoon. Attendees will learn:

Types of items that sell on eBay and why
Best selling brands, styles, and types of clothing
Items that appeal to international buyers and why
Consistent sellers that ship easily
Listing tips
How to get deeper discounts when shopping
Tips for out-selling competitors
How to use smart phone apps when buying inventory for eBay

Cost is $350 for the one-day intensive workshop. Participants will have ample opportunity to buy as much merchandise during the workshop as they like.

Click here for more information or email me at ebaycoach@yahoo.com. 

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eBay and Amazon Sourcing Workshops - Small Group Mentoring Program

I am thrilled to announce a new service - eBay and Amazon Sourcing Workshops! Have you ever thought you could learn more about eCommerce if you had a personal guide to show you how to buy items locally for resale? I have taken a few clients to stores in the Atlanta area to demonstrate how the process works. Now, I have designed a program to personally mentor anyone who wants to learn more with hands-on instruction.

I am offering two types of workshops, one to teach how to buy thrift store items for resale, and one focused on buying new retail goods for sale on Amazon. These workshops are structured as "one-day intensives" with small intimate groups of 3-5 people. I am located in Atlanta where the thrift stores and retail stores are gigantic and abundant. It is a great place to learn if you are located in a smaller city. (Plus we have lots to do here in Atlanta and now you have an excuse for a road trip you can write off for business!) Or, I can travel to your location and help you in your own shopping environment.

Here is a summary of how each workshop is structured:

eBay Sourcing Workshop

The one-day workshop will focus on showing attendees how to purchase profitable items at thrift stores for resale on eBay. Product focus will be clothing, shoes, toys, household goods, sporting goods, kitchen items, craft supplies, and decorative collectibles. The purpose of this workshop is to teach participants how to select profitable items to sell on eBay and concentrates on items that are commonly found in thrift stores and are repeatable. As a full-time eBay seller since 2003 and over 25,000 sales, I have developed my own system for "thrifting for profit." (You can visit my eBay store here.) I will explain:

1.     Types of items that sell well on eBay and why.

2.     Bestselling brands, styles, and types of clothing.

3.     Explanation of bestselling clothing fabrics

4.     Items that appeal to international buyers and why.

5.     How to examine items before purchasing.

6.     Consistent sellers that ship easily

7.     Items to avoid that may be problematic to sell.

8.     Overlooked niche items.

9.     Listing tips, such as benefits of different listing types.

10.   How to “work” a thrift store and sections to focus on when shopping time is limited.

11.   How to get deeper discounts when shopping at thrift stores.

12.   How to handle questions from other shoppers and employees when sourcing.

Workshops will be held in Atlanta or your city ( if enough people are interested). Click here for more details about eBay Workshops. Be sure to fill out the information form. Workshops will begin in the Atlanta area in mid-October.

 Amazon FBA Sourcing Workshop

One day workshop will focus on showing attendees how to source retail items for Amazon FBA using various techniques including smart phone apps, understanding retail marketing and positioning, identifying consumer trends, and more. The purpose of this workshop is to teach participants how to select profitable items to sell using Amazon’s FBA system and concentrates on items that are repeatable. I will explain:

1. Basic scouting tips and shortcuts.

2. Types of items that sell well on Amazon FBA and why.

3. Items that appeal to international buyers and why.

4. Items to avoid that may be problematic in the FBA system.

5. Overlooked niche items.

6. How to examine shelf positioning, advertising, and hidden clues that indicate a product may be a good seller on Amazon.

7. How to move away from the herd of Amazon FBA competitors using creative strategies.

8. How to use both free and paid smart phone apps in combination with each other for more thorough and faster sourcing.

9. How to handle questions from other shoppers and employees if purchasing a large amount of inventory.

10. How to secure larger amounts of profitable items using your smart phone.

11. How to identify discontinued items vs items temporarily taken off the market and understand your selling window.

12. How to get deeper discounts on repeatable items.

13. How to scout with poor cell phone service.

Workshops will be held in Atlanta or your city ( if enough people are interested). Click here for more details about Amazon FBA Workshops. Workshops will begin in the Atlanta area in mid-October.

If you have any questions about how the workshops will be structured, or want to schedule one for your city, please send me an email at ebaycoach@yahoo.com, or message me on Facebook.  I look forward to working with you in person!

Related Articles:

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Amazon Recipe for Success eBook

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Ever Wonder Why People Sell Nice Items at a Loss on eBay?

I get this question all the time, "How can people be selling XYZ product so cheap on eBay? Where are they buying it for such a low price? How are they making a profit?" Astute observation. Large sellers afford to sell their products at a loss. This done by design. They are not even on eBay to make money - they are there for something else.

eBay is one of the largest and busiest websites in the world. Millions of people are assembled, cash in hand, eager to buy. Large sellers and big corporations ("The Big Boys") must have a presence on eBay. The strategy goes something like this:

A big corporation opens a store on eBay and sells products cheaper than the competition just to get the sale. They don't care if they are losing money. After the money changes hands, the seller has the buyer's address and email address and has a business relationship with that customer. When the seller ships the order, they can include marketing material in their order in the hopes that the customer will visit their website and buy the product directly from them. Big companies are using eBay for cultivating new customers. The seller is taking a $10 loss on each sale, but they are gaining customers who they will build long term relationships with. These sellers are looking at the big picture rather than the individual sale.

This strategy works extremely well if the product is consumable such as skin care products, gourmet coffee, printing supplies, batteries, or cosmetics. Consumables get used up and have to be replenished on a regular basis. Companies find customers on eBay, establish contact through one sale on eBay, recruit the customer to visit their own website instead of eBay, and sell $20 or $30 worth of goods a month to that customer for many years. The long-term relationship and steady revenue stream far outweighs the initial loss on eBay.

The next time you are checking out your eBay competition and find a competitor whose prices are ridiculously low, examine the seller's their feedback page. Are they selling hundreds of items a month? If so, those sellers are on eBay for one reason, and it isn't to make money. It is to harvest customers. But don't let this scare you - there is still a place for the small seller on eBay. There are some things we can do better than the big guys.

Need help with your eBay business? Contact me at ebaycoach@yahoo.com for information on coaching and consulting.

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How to Price an Item to Sell on eBay

One of the most frequent questions I receive as an eBay consultant is, "How much can I sell this for on eBay?" Here is a video that demonstrates the process for determining how to set your starting bid or buy it now price. In this example, I am listing an item that sells for $92 and has a 100% sell through rate.



Summary:

1. Choose your keywords carefully. Choose keywords that correspond with the highest average price. Don't be so concerned with the NUMBER of listings with a keyword, focus on the keywords that bring the highest average price. (Of course, you can only use the words that apply to your item.)

2. Remember that the average price is an average. There may be listings in the data that bombed because the seller started his price too low, made mistakes in his listings, had a bad photo, or made other mistakes that caused him to receive a lower price. Strive to do better than the average!

3. Pay attention to listing type. This will tell you which listing format to use in order to get the highest price.

Happy Selling!

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