| Most people using eBay are casual users who sell on | | | | When the Wii game controller first launched right |
| the site instead of piling everything in front of their yard | | | | before Christmas, production was so low, poor parents |
| for a garage sale. But of the billions sold on eBay each | | | | were standing in line for hours only to walk away |
| year, about a million users are using the auction | | | | without a Wii. The games were selling on eBay for |
| website as income-generating home business. How do | | | | hundreds over cost. |
| they do it? | | | | Remember, buyers pay attention to those high |
| For one thing, many hard-core eBay sellers aren't just | | | | customer ratings. Why buy from someone with a low |
| selling their own stuff. They're selling their neighbor's | | | | customer rating when you can buy the same item at |
| stuff too. They operate a sort of on-line consignment | | | | the same price from someone who has a high rating? |
| shop, where the seller gets a commission for selling an | | | | Ship items on time. Get shipments right and get them |
| item for someone else. The cost of operating such a | | | | there as promised and undamaged. Offering PayPal, |
| business is extremely low, since most eBay sellers | | | | which offers some financial protection to the buyer, as |
| charge for shipping. And if you sell someone else's | | | | a method of payment also goes a long way toward |
| property, your cost is zero; all you're seeing is pure | | | | earning the trust of buyers. |
| profit.eBay sellers also sell what's hot...and what's not. | | | | Another strategy is to make certain your item is seen, |
| For example, someone who lives in Vermont might sell | | | | especially if it's a big ticket item, such as a computer or |
| real Vermont maple syrup. They can probably buy it | | | | Xbox 360. If twenty people are trying to sell the latest |
| cheaply there, then resell it at a profit in California | | | | fad you can make certain your sale is one of the |
| where someone who's hankering for real Vermont | | | | "featured" items. You can pay $19.95 to eBay to get |
| syrup is willing to pay a premium price. If you do hop | | | | your item "featured." Basically, that ensures that your |
| on a bandwagon and try to get in on a trend, | | | | item will appear on the first page of that category. |
| remember, you're not the only one who's going to try it. | | | | To really rack up the sales, eBay offers sellers their |
| A few years ago, the Webkinz craze hit hard (those | | | | own "eBay stores" where sellers can list everything |
| are the little stuffed animals that you can play with | | | | they have for sale on the site. Customers can |
| online as a virtual pet). Every kid had to have a | | | | bookmark your page, so you can create a customer |
| Webkinz and they sold out fast and furious. It lasted, | | | | base, not just hope someone stumbles upon your |
| perhaps, four months. Then Ganz ramped up | | | | listings. It's a virtual store with almost no overhead. |
| production, the fad started to fade, and no doubt there | | | | And don't bother paying for "starter kits" or "insider" |
| were a bunch of people out their stuck trying to sell | | | | information about how to tell on eBay. Everything you |
| Webkinz without any buyers. It can work out, however. | | | | want to know is on eBay or online. |