Review: eBay 101: Selling on eBay For Part-time or Full-time Income, Beginner to PowerSeller in 90 Days
January 30th, 2011 Filed under: Investing Tips — Investing Author
The Lowest Price we could find is $18.95 $17.89
With today’s rocky economy and unsteady job market, there’s never been a better time to earn extra cash online. And now there’s a new book that guides you each step of the way: eBay 101: Selling on eBay For Part-time or Full-time Income, Beginner to PowerSeller in 90 Days. Access the world’s biggest marketplace, right from your own home.
You’ll learn how to:
– Register at eBay and PayPal
– Start part-time and expand your income when you’re ready
– Find great inventory at low prices
– Auction to the highest bidder or sell at fixed prices
– Identify niche markets for big profits
– Get tax deductions for your eBay home-based business
– Guard against scammers and rip-off artists
Starting a business on eBay is perhaps your fastest route to the American Dream. The payoff can be high, and the barriers to entry are low.
The world’s most popular online marketplace, eBay has millions of registered buyers waiting to do business with you. For less than $100 and very little risk, you can start an eBay venture with profit margins rivaling those of any business. Exactly how much money you earn depends mostly on how much effort you put into your new enterprise and how efficiently you operate it.
In this new eBay guide, you’ll see:
How eBay works … Register your business … Sell your item … Build your listing
Timing, planning your auction … Make a picture worth $1,000 … Use Pre-filled Item Information … Price your item … Reserve Pricing … Multiple Item (Dutch) Auctions … The auction alternative: fixed prices … Best Offer listing option … Upgrade your listings … The best time to list
Profit with a niche … Start with used merchandise … Win with niche selling … Cash in on collectibles … Autographed items … Trust, but authenticate … How to recognize fake autographs
Get more great inventory … Estate sales … Bankruptcy sales … Thrift shops … Local artisans … Close-out merchandise … Library sales … Overstock distributors … Find overlooked gems at estate sales … Live auctions … Postal Service auctions … Treasury Department auctions … GSA Auctions … Government Liquidation … Law Enforcement Auctions … Classified ads … Get merchandise on eBay … Get merchandise on consignment … Become a trading assistant
Expand your business … Create your `About Me’ page … Cross-promotions … Open an eBay store … Set up shop … Promote your store … eBay Express … Using eBay’s Half.com site … Google Base … Why many would-be PowerSellers fail
Prevent problem customers … Set Buyer Requirements … Be a feedback fanatic … Completing sales … Communicate with a packing slip … Respond to feedback … Mutual Feedback Withdrawal … Feedback policies … Handle customers right … Unpaid item disputes … Work with PayPal
Avoid scams and fraud … Spot shady buyers … Recognize predators … Avoid phishing e-mails … Beware of hoax e-mails … Avoid drop-ship, wholesale scams … Recognize crooks and middlemen … Warning signs of bogus wholesalers … Know a fake from the real McCoy
Ship efficiently … Choose a shipping company … Communicate when you ship … Pare shipping costs to the bone … Sell Get It Fast Items … Handle delivery snafus … Print online postage … Organize your inventory … Design your SKU system
Get efficient with fulfillment software … TurboLister … Selling Manager … Software for media sellers … Research prices wirelessly
More eBay rules … Prohibited and restricted items … Shill bidding … Keyword spamming … Fee Circumvention … Sales taxes … Income taxes … Business use of your home … Hiring employees
–This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.
From the Publisher
Praise for Steve Weber’s eBay 101:
“I wish I’d had this book when I started on eBay. It’s a virtual encyclopedia of tips for selling successfully on eBay-information that takes years to learn.”
– Jane Corn, eBay Top Reviewer
“A street
Review:
Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a fantastic book that I’m sure I’ll be referring back often. I read this book in one sitting as this was just such an easy and pleasurable read. The author didn’t try to talk you down at all or intimidate you with an i-know-everything attitude. The relationship of the author with the reader felt like a passionate teacher to his student and that is one worth noting. A lot of books out there try to overwhelm you too much with their i know better than you attitude and makes you feel less than you are and boy am I glad Steve Weber isn’t one of those.
I felt like the whole book was divided into two sections. The first was a fantastic read that’s all about getting started on selling on ebay. He gets into detail on nearly everything, from taking great pictures (he even gives tips on how to get the soft lighting effect) to giving out ideas on where to find merchandise to sell which I’m sure a lot of sellers are very reluctant to share. He doesn’t hesitate in sharing these wealth of information and actually seem more than happy to share with us. I mean, I never knew estate sales existed until he mentioned it in his book (great for beginners indeed).
I don’t know anything about selling on ebay but I do know the technical side of it. Like how to register and connect my paypal account and all those basic stuff. I was pleasantly surprised that Steve didn’t treat me like I didn’t know this stuff which some books fall prey upon. He assumed the reader already knows these basic stuff (which im sure more are) and gets right into it. And it might be a small thing but certainly something I appreciate.
It was a great first part book until I got to the myspace part and to make matters worst just right after it, the blogging section. When the author delved right into myspace and blogging, I felt like it was a completely different book. I felt that myspace, while for some might considered be indispensable, is just something that I’ll probably won’t have the time for considering I’ll only be doing this for casual or part time. I mean I wouldn’t mind since I do realize it is aimed for people who wants to take ebay as a full time job but Steve just gets into the tiny gritty details about myspace, even giving advice to always keep in touch with your top 8. Maybe its just a personal preference. After all, myspace for some reason just annoys me. But after the lengthy almost painful section about myspace, he goes on and on about blogging and treats it like its the best thing ever (and it probably is). But I’m here to read about selling on ebay not ways to go on blog tours.
Again, don’t get me wrong, Steve Weber’s book is an excellent resource for someone who is just starting out. It just can be filled with pretty irrelevant material to some readers like how to spot fake pottery or fake autographs or how to fill your profile section on myspace (i mean cmon really??). But this book is a hidden gem of a information. I love how the book is peppered with A LOT of helpful links and most of them I’m going to check out. The glossary, index section and the commonly abbreviated terms in ebay found in the back of the book are also very convenient (Thanks Steve for making my life easier).
All in all, the positives far outweigh the negatives in my opinion. Though I think that those are only personal gripes and are in no way the author’s fault. If you’re debating which book to get among the many books out there about selling in ebay, make no mistake and do yourself a favor by buying this one. I guarantee you this book will be a useful tool in starting out as an ebay seller or you get your money back guarantee in 30 days money no questions asked…
(lol pun intended)
