eBay...Maximizing Your ProfitsWhether you are a seasoned business person or a novice entrepreneur you will find these articles both interesting and informative. A must read for those who want to learn successful eBay marketing techniques. Read one or all of these vital articles covering all facets of eBay marketing...
Read E-Bay, Part1: Trash to Cash…Where to Get Things in Your Own Home
to Sell by Lynn Dralle, The Queen of Auctions (Special E-Bay Info)
Read E-Bay, Part2: How to Utilize all 55 Characters in Your Title-Adjectives to Fill Your Listing!
by Lynn Dralle, The Queen of Auctions
Read Shill Bidding: How Scumbag Bidders Rob Honest Sellers Like You
By: Sydney Johnston
Read Queen of Auctions Ezine: October 11, 2005 Volume I, Issue 9 by Lynn Dralle
Read Book Review of Lynn Dralle, the Queen of Auctions' book "The 100 Best Things I've Sold on eBay"
Read Book Review of Dennis L. Prince and Lynn Dralle's book "How to Sell Antiques and Collectibles on eBay…and
Make a Fortune"
Trash to Cash…Where to Get Things in Your Own Home
to Sell by Lynn Dralle,
The Queen of Auctions, Updated 5/17/05
Where can you find merchandise to make all that money on eBay? We have been very fortunate in our eBay adventures because our Grandmother (my mom's mom) Cheryl Leaf owned and operated an antiques store for 52 years! 52 years…Can you imagine how much stuff we still have? We are probably the exception not the rule. But think about it, most Americans are pack rats. The first place to look for merchandise is……in your own house.
Get a big box and start a pile. I tell people that you will be amazed once you start doing your research what sells and what doesn't! The exception is the RULE. You just never know-I am shocked every day at what sells and what doesn't. I was listing some incredible antique majolica jardinières the other evening and when doing my research I found that they only sell in the $20 range. I had a new creamer/sugar in the shape of a trailer and Nash automobile that was going for $44. Kitschy, unusual and strange often sells for more than authentic and antique.
In General you should be looking for the following:
1. Items you don't use or need anymore
2. Things in good condition
3. Items that are still in the original box (MIB-mint in box)
4. Anything with a brand name or signature
5. New or like new clothing-mint with tags is great (MWT)
6. Unique or unusual things
7. Items that were very expensive originally
8. Shabby Chic, Vintage and Antique items
9. Items made in the USA, Europe and sometimes Japan
10. Stay away from items made in Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan
Go through your home and look in your:
Garage
Toys, Sports Equipment, Hunting & Fishing items, Golf is really hot right now, Car Parts (a woman at my last LA Class told me about a friend who got $8,000 for a rare car part!) etc.
Attic
Look for antique clothing, ephemera (paper goods like Victorian scrap, letters and postcards)--you would not believe what old magazines can bring. My ex-husbands skateboard magazines from the 1970's sold for $20 to $100 each! Old toys, collections, anything that has been put away for a while.
Kitchen
China, Dinnerware, Silverware, Appliances, Refrigerator Dishes are desirable now, Anything that has a brand name or is signed, Old Tins, etc.
Bedrooms
Your Closets: Look for clothing with brand names that is in good to excellent condition, brand name purses, scarves, signed costume jewelry, bakelite (an early form of plastic).
Your kid's closets: Clothing that is gently worn, brand names like Baby Gap, Old Navy, Gymboree, Tommy Hilfiger (I just sold a Tommy size 7 boys denim shirt with new tags for $16.49-I paid $7.99 at TJMaxx) etc. all do well, NWT (new with tags) always does well.
Your kid's toy cabinet: Look for brand names and anything you can put back in an original box. Little Tykes, Barbie and Thomas the Tank Engine are all good. Trains, Cars, Dolls, Books, Airplanes etc.
Bathrooms
Old perfume bottles, medical bottles and vintage (1970's) cosmetics. We sold a Faberge Dusting Powder Set from the 1970's in the original box for $25.00. Wild!
Bookshelves
Old Books do sell well. Look for unusual titles, author signed and first editions. Also, look for magazines.
China Cabinets
Look for antiques, glassware/china/porcelain that is signed. Stemware like Waterford does great. Lladro, Precious Moments and Boyds are some popular collectibles now.
CD/Cassette/Record Cabinet
Yes even old LP's and CD's sell well on eBay. I just sold a James Bond Casino Royale Album for $31.00!
DVD/Video Case
Same with videos and DVDs. It all just depends on the demand. A girl in one of my classes was making $1000 a month selling her old videos and CD's at online auction.
Do your Research. Once you have your big box or pile of items it is time to do your research. This is the fun part! Go to eBay and do your completed auction research.Click on the blue advanced search button in the upper right hand corner. When the next screen comes up type in key words and make sure you click the completed listings only button. If you do a search by what is currently up for sale, you will have no idea of the value of what you are trying to buy. Most buyers only bid in the last few seconds and these results will only show up in a completed auction search. By doing this completed auction research, you can find out what your item has sold for from other sellers and you can strategize a maximum price to pay. eBay makes this data public record for the past two weeks. This information is invaluable.
Type in as few key words as you can. For example, for the Majolica jardinières I typed in Majolica planter. Look at as many of the listings that are close to what you have. You can learn a lot by reading the descriptions. If you have decided to list your items, now is the time to take down notes. My auction tracking sheets-I sell-are perfect for this. You can find my record keeping books here. Write down the best category and it's number, write down any interesting facts and anything that will make your listing better.
As another example of research, for the creamer and sugar, I typed in creamer trailer and up came about 10 listings. From my research into the cream and sugar I found that they were made by Fitz & Floyd and were very desirable. I wrote all this down on my tracking sheets. I also wrote down the price range of what they sold for. Again, I was shocked to find that they were selling in the $40 range.
Happy Selling!
I hope that gives you some good places and ideas to get started. Clean up your home and make money! GOOD LUCK and Happy Selling. http://www.thequeenofauctions.com/index.html
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How to Utilize all 55 Characters in Your Title-Adjectives to Fill Your Listing!
by Lynn Dralle
The Queen of Auctions
Updated 5/17/05
How can I best utilize all 55 characters in the Title?
Your title is the single most important factor in selling your item. It is what will get buyers looking at your auction, whether they use key word searches or just spot your eye-catching title while browsing. Always use the entire 55 characters available to you. Try to use an adjective at the end of your title to generate interest. Here are some great words to use when you have between one and thirteen characters remaining:
1 Letter:
!
+
2 Letters:
A+
FE-First Edition
NR-No reserve
3 Letters:
Art
Big
FAB
Fun
Hip
HTF-Hard to Find
MIB-mint in box
MWT-Mint with Tags
New
NWT-New with Tags
OEM-Original Equipment Manufacture
Old
Rad
WOW
4 Letters:
Chic
Cool
Cozy
Cute
Deal
Deco
Fine
Gift
Glam
Good
Huge
L@@K
Less
Look
Mini
Mint
More
MWMT-Mint with mint tags
Neat
Nice
Rare
Tiny
Wild
5 Letters:
Artsy
Cheap
Clean
Eames
Early
Funky
Great
Large
Quiet
Retro
Ritzy
Scary
Small
Steal
Super
Sweet
Weird
Young
6 Letters:
Beauty
Choice
Earthy
Estate
Exotic
Groovy
Lovely
Mellow
Modern
Museum
Native
Period
Pretty
Rustic
Scarce
Strong
Subtle
Superb
Unique
Visual
Whimsy
7 Letters:
Amazing
Antique
Awesome
Bargain
Classic
Country
Current
Dynamic
Elegant
Far Out
Flowing
Glowing
Have It
Massive
Mission
Natural
Organic
Quality
Special
Stunning
Stylish
Vibrant
Vintage
8 Letters:
Art Deco
Artistic
Beautiful
Colorful
Creative
Discreet
Fabulous
Gigantic
Inspired
Original
Powerful
Precious
Pristine
Reverent
Tasteful
9 Letters:
American
Effective
Essential
Expensive
Exquisite
Fantastic
Glamorous
Incredible
Luxurious
Miniature
Must Have
Necessary
Oversized
Victorian
Whimsical
Wonderful
10 Letters:
Decorative
Flattering
Magnificent
Minimalist
Noteworthy
Sculptural
11 Letters:
Art Noveau
Collectible
Contemporary
Outstanding
Traditional
12 Letters:
Extraordinary
Hard to Find
13 Letters:
Inspirational
http://www.thequeenofauctions.com/index.html
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Shill Bidding: How Scumbag Bidders Rob Honest Sellers Like You
By: Sydney Johnston
Shill bidding deal is a 21st century version of a confidence game.
The purpose of shill bidding is to buy merchandise at an artificially
low price which can then be resold for a healthy profit. It involves
either two different buyers or one buyer who possesses two different eBay IDs.
Shill bidding is often easy to detect and therefore is usually more successful
with an inexperienced seller who doesn't know what to look for. We can't know
for certain, but most likely shill bidders look for sellers with low feedback
because they know a more experienced seller might realize what is going on.
Shill bidding is only worthwhile with an expensive item. If you are selling
many low priced, high-volume items, shill bidding will not be a concern of yours.
Let's use an extreme example so that sellers can easily identify the shill
building pattern and be aware of what it looks like. Forewarned is forearmed,
and all that.
Let's pretend that a seller has an antique doll for sale. She has seen a few
other dolls similar to hers and she knows she can expect approximately $300 for
this doll. Our unscrupulous bidders also know that $300 is a reasonable and legitimate
price and they want to get it for much less. The seller decides to open the bidding at
only $9.95 to encourage collectors to flock to her doll auction.
Basically the way the scam works is like this:
Buyer A will open the bidding at $9.95.
His confederate, Buyer B, will offer an inflated bid, above and beyond the true value
of the doll. Let's say he builds $350.
The purpose of such a high bid is to discourage all legitimate prospective buyers
from even getting in the game. Obviously, genuine collectors and buyers will not be
interested in paying in excess of $300 if that is what the doll is really worth.
There may or may not be a few intervening builders between the placement of the
opening bid and the absurd one. If there are any bids, they will be nearer the opening
bid of $9.95 and therefore will not raise the price very much. In fact, our dishonest
pair might be happy if someone else bids, because more bids make the auction look more legitimate.
The auction will hang there in eBay limbo until only hours before the closing deadline.
Shortly before the conclusion of the auction, Bidder B will retract his $350 bid. Since
he and Bidder A are in communication with each other, Bidder A will know the exact moment
that the high bid is canceled. He will then raise his bid just above the highest one,
if any, so that he is now the highest bidder.
Our dishonest pair hopes that no other sellers notice this last minute retraction and
place bids. If an honest bid is placed, they can afford to top them because they still
have lots of financial room to play with. After all, even if the bidding rises to $150,
they can still double their money on a $300 doll.
The result: the dishonest bidders won the doll at a fraction of its value. The shell-shocked
seller is left in a daze, wondering what happened to her glittering auction profits.
In a variation on this practice, Bidder B may allow the auction to expire with his bid of $350.
When the seller contacts him for payment, he will ignore her requests until she gives up and
realizes she is never going to get her money.
eBay has a "Second Chance" program. In the event that a buyer doesn't live up to his obligations,
the seller can offer the item to the second highest bid - which belongs to Bidder A and is artificially low.
If an honest seller sees this kind of pattern in one of her auctions, she can recognize the
possibility of some dishonesty going on and take steps to verify the extraordinarily large bid.
Sometimes such a high bid is totally legitimate because it is from a collector who is determined
to own the item for sale.
Fortunately, shill bidding is relatively easy to detect and it isn't common anymore. At one time
it was much easier to pull off this kind of fraud than it is now. Any seller who has a question,
however, should feel totally justified in contacting the high bidder and asking some tough questions.
Without satisfactory answers, it is certainly wise and prudent to contact the Bay and discuss the
situation. In this way, no seller will never be ripped off by dishonest shill bidders.
About The Author:
Learn how to sell on eBay with 16 hours of online instruction taught by a 10 year eBay veteran.
Own an eBay business instead of an eBay hobby. http://www.auction-genius-course.com
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Queen of Auctions Ezine: October 11, 2005 Volume I, Issue 9 by Lynn Dralle
" Keywords in Your Title
" Always Spell Correctly, but Use Misspellings in Your Title
" eBay Radio Today with Griff
" This week's question...Where do I find bargains?
Keywords in Your Title:
The most important thing you can do when listing for maximum visibility
on eBay is to put 'buzz' words in your title. When selling antiques and
collectibles you need to always use all 55 characters and here is a list
of great words to use. Notice that I did a search of completed listings
for the past two weeks and these are the numbers of how many titles used
these particular words. Very interesting!
# of Titles using Keyword
(Last 2 Weeks)
1,252,576..........Vintage
826,886............Art
747,881............Rare
544,242............Antique
514,644............Mint
425,687............Old
313,119............Original
82,216.............Unique
65,024.............Early
55,471.............Collectible
36,288.............Collectable
23,379.............HTF
19,473.............Ancient
11,244.............Help
3,786..............Period
I learned a lot from this exercise. I found out that vintage is more
important than collectible or even antique. I will try and use vintage,
rare, antique and mint in more of my listings. The ? at the bottom has
no number because I couldn't just search by ?. A lot of dealers use Help
or ? in their listings when they are stumped. I know I do. This can be a
great way to pick up bargains in your area of expertise.
Even if you don't sell antiques and collectibles, do the same kind of
key word search (completed auctions only) for 'buzz' words in your industry.
You will learn what words to use most often.
Always Spell Correctly, but Use Misspellings in Your Title:
It is very important to spell correctly when listing on eBay. That said, if
there is a common misspelling for your item, you can put the correct spelling
and the misspelling in the title to get more viewers. Here are some misspellings
in the antiques field.
# of Titles with Correct
& Incorrect Spelling
(Two weeks data)
10,585..........Art Nouveau
---374.............Art Noveau
-----7...............Art Nouvou
-5,937...........Bonsai
---166.............Bonzai
15,925..........Buddha
---571.............Budda
---105.............Budha
-9,544...........Cloisonné
---226.............Cloissone
----41..............Cloisone
-5,443...........Majolica
-----6...............Majollica
-----5...............Mayolica
-5,855...........Millefiori
---529.............Millifiori
---294.............Millefiore
---103.............Millifiore
Notice again that there are quite a few auction titles with misspellings.
Use this to your advantage when buying on eBay and search by the misspelling.
I made a spelling error recently (well really more of a proofing error) that cost me money.
I hate it when that happens! I knew how to spell 'Foo Dog' but didn't check my work. I had
found an awesome pair of vintage Foo Dogs (always popular) and couldn't wait to get them
up for sale on eBay. I started them at $9.99 because I didn't have much money in them
($2 to $3). I couldn't believe it when they were receiving no bids. The auction finally
ended with one bid at $9.99 and I was still puzzled. They should have sold for closer to $50.
Then I realized that my title said 'Food Dogs.' Some smart buyer got my 'Food Dogs' for
only $9.99. Yikes! Always proof your work.
My I Buy and I Sell tracking binders are going to be carried by the eBay Store. They will
be featured this week on the front page of The eBay Shop! If you have been thinking of
buying one of these awesome organizers, please do so now here. Let's show eBay that they
have picked a great product. Thanks!
This Week's Question:
It is getting so hard to find bargains to sell on eBay anymore. Now it seems even the
Thrift Stores are using computers for their pricing. Do you have any ideas for getting
items at great deals? Sincerely, PI
Lynn's Answer:
Hi PI,
It has been getting harder and harder to find things in thrift stores. I am still doing
great at garage, estate and yard sales. Also, I have one thrift store that doesn't use
computers to price and I try and hit them every day. Also, you may try placing the wanted
ads we talked about in the last newsletter. Also, if you can specialize in something like
books or clothing and really know your stuff--you can always do well. Another idea, is to
buy by the lot or pallet--even on eBay. Break it out and sell the items individually.
Another idea is to become an eBay trading assistant and sell for others.
Good luck to you. Lynn
The response to our ezine (newsletter) has been tremendous. I get so many wonderful
questions from all of you that I can't possibly answer them all. To address this, I
will answer one each issue and we are also adding a FAQ (Frequently Asked Question)
section to the website. Please check it out here.
Happy Buying & Selling! Lynn
For more great eBay tips and stories, visit my web site at:
http://www.thequeenofauctions.com
Please contact me with any questions or suggestions for future issues. I would love to
hear from you Lynn@TheQueenofAuctions.com
Lynn is an experienced eBay Power Seller, author and teacher. If you want to know the
eBay tips, tricks and tools that Lynn uses for buying and selling at online auction click here.
Copyright © 1998 - 2005 Lynn Dralle - All Rights Reserved
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