Ebay Puts on the Ritz with an Online Fashion Magazine

By Tom | Nov 4, 2009

You may not think of eBay when you think about Puttin on the Ritz but eBay is trying hard to change that with their new online magazine – The Inside Source .

The Inside Source is trying to change peoples perceptions of what eBay is.

Those high end customers may not be thinking “eBay” when they are looking to find those high end trendy items. Many people still think of eBay as an auction site selling garage sale items but much of what is on sale on eBay is now overstock and much of that is upscale.

EBay has been struggling these last couple of years with attracting customers. They are gambling that if they can change their image customers will come back and shop.

A change from fun, wacky and unique to low cost, high class and new. Do you think this will attract more customers? Is eBay headed down the right track or are they misguided?

Taco – Puttin’ on the Ritz (Original Uncensored Version)

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Your Wild and Wacky eBay Seller Status

By Tom | Nov 3, 2009

Uncategorized | Comment

Erik Andresen has come up with a terrific way for you to communicate your eBay status with your customers. Now no matter how “good” or “bad” you are you can sound good to your customers. It’s better for them to laugh than it is for them to cry. Give these a try. I’m willing to bet they will help your stars on eBay.

eBay Seller Status Logos : Top Seller : Above Standard Seller – Erik Andresen’s Internet Funnies

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Tyra Banks Show T- Shirts Selling on eBay

By Tom | Nov 3, 2009

Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Many people are falling in love with the Tyra Banks Show. eBay seller kevman31 has taken advantage of that fact and is selling a line of ” I love the Tyra Banks Show” t-shirts and sweatshirts.

Kevman31 knows the rules of the game. Take a chance, find a niche and you just may succeed. This is the entrepreneurial spirit at its best. The t-shirts are selling for $9.99 and the hooded sweatshirts for $24.99.

Some of the other t-shirts and sweatshirts they have for sale are “I Love Meryle Streep, I Love Bob Saget, I Love Benjamin, I Love Kim Possible.” With over 9000 auctions on eBay there is a t-shirt for who or whatever you love.

Maybe your love isn’t a Tyra Banks t-shirt but find a “love” of your own, take a chance and start selling.

Happy eBaying!

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DWI Motorized Recliner Auction Taken Down from eBay

By Tom | Nov 2, 2009

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That is correct. The famous so called La-Z-Boy motorized chair auction has been taken down from the eBay site.

You see it wasn’t as it seemed to be. It was not a La-Z-Boy! After getting bids of over $40,000 dollars the Proctor MN police department was contacted by the La-Z-Boy company and asked to stop using their name. They informed the police department of the trademark issue and asked them to stop.

Can anyone say key word spamming. Proctor MN Police you should be ashamed of yourself. Not only did you break trademark rules but you also committed a cardinal sin on eBay. (Sarcasm)

This super fast “Not a La-Z-Boy” chair has been removed and relisted as a generic recliner – Title: DWI Chair, Motorized Chair, Racing Chair (Can we all say “Chair” three times?) The eBay item number is 150385696050.

So put your legs up relax and take off on this beautiful one of a kind “generic” recliner.

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Spend forever with Marilyn Monroe on eBay

By Tom | Nov 2, 2009

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Fulfill your fantasy and spend forever with Marilyn Monroe is now being offered on eBay.

You may say but hey isn’t Marilyn Monroe dead. Yes indeed but you can still be on top!

Marilyn Monroe is in a crypt in the Westwood Village Memorial Park cemetery and the crypt above her is for sale. You will not only get to be on top but you will also be in good company. There is a party going on and it includes such names as Dean Martin, Rodney Dangerfield, Truman Capote, Natalie Wood, Carl Wilson and even Farah Fawcett.

Are you asking your self why the spot just above Marilyn Monroe is for sale? Well it is reported that Richard Poncher’s widow needs to sell his place (Maybe she is Jealous) in order to raise money to pay of her mortgage.

Other crypts near Monroe have sold for around $75,000 dollars. It will be interesting to see what this one will bring.

Bid now and bid often. This is your only chance to spend forever with Marilyn!

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Auction-Cause/MM.html

Added Note: Auction has ended without the reserve being met. Will Poncher list again?

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Ebay’s New Ad Campaign to Promote New Items.

By Tom | Nov 2, 2009

Uncategorized, eBay Auction News | 1 Comment

eBay just announced the release of their new advertising campaign. This campaign will concentrate on promoting or at least raising the awareness of new items on the site.

Gone are the days of eBay promoting the unique and the unusual. The things that makes them different from their competitors. Now we have an eBay that is trying very hard to promote themselves as the similar and the same. But hey maybe I’m wrong - Ebay may now be seen as the “cheaper” version of Amazon rather than the place to go for those unique, wacky and wonderful items that you cannot find anywhere else. I guess being known as the “cheaper” version of some other place is different.

Don’t just take my word for it. Take a look at the huge difference in eBay’s advertising campaigns. eBay is headed down another path. Are you on board or are you still following the old path?

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Police Sell a Drunk Driver’s Lazy Boy on eBay. Currently at $40,000

By Tom | Nov 1, 2009

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If this isn’t the craziest story. A man in Proctor Minnesota received a DUI for driving his motorized Lazy Boy Recliner. The Police confiscated the chair after the owner, Dennis Anderson, crashed into a car with it while he was intoxicated.

The eBay auction states that the Lazy Boy has a Briggs and Stratton engine, Electric Start and that the transmission is sloppy. It also has front lights , rear lights, a radio, cup holder and roll bars.

The police department has seen inquiries from all over the world. The bidding has reached over $40,000 dollars with over a day left on the auction.

This should be a fun one to watch. I wish I was the owner of the recliner!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/La-z-boy-DWI-Chair-Motorized-Chair-lazy-boy_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem23039d0147QQitemZ150384476487QQptZOtherQ5fVehiclesQ5fEverythingQ5fElse

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Vikings Brett Favre to sell Green Bay Packers stuff on eBay??

By Tom | Nov 1, 2009

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A Packers fan has shipped Vikings quarterback Brett Favre all his Favre Green Bay Packers collectibles and suggested that he sell them on eBay! The fan suggested that Favre must obviously need money very badly otherwise he wouldn’t be playing for the Vikings.

I am a Vikings fan and must say that I love Favre and as far as Packers fans getting upset because he is playing for the Vikings. Well don’t blame that on Favre. If the Green Bay Packers had a some common sense they would have kept him around a little bit longer.

All I can say is that if Favre does sell these Green Bay Packers Collectibles on eBay I will not be bidding.

GO VIKINGS!!

Reported by the StarTribune: http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/blogs/68275247.html

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Six Ways PowerSellers Optimize eBay Auction Titles and Get More Bids

By Tom | Jun 12, 2008

Uncategorized, eBay Auction Tips | 6 Comments

One of the most important things you can do to increase your sales on eBay is to optimize your eBay auction title. Have you every wondered why one seller on eBay will get 3 to 5 times more for the same item. Although there is other factors that can effect the final price the number one factor is the auction title. An effective auction title will increase the number of potential customers clicking into and seeing your auction. The more people who see your auction the more likely it will sell and the higher the final bid price will be. The trick is to optimize you title for the eBay search engine. Why do you want to optimize it for the eBay search engine? Because most people who shop on eBay do not browse they search using the little search box at the top of the eBay home page. The more likely your item will come up in this search the more likely it will sell and get bid up.

1. Use Words People Will Search For on eBay

Think about what words other will use when looking for your item on eBay. You may even want to ask a friend what words they would use to find your item on eBay.

2. Use All 55 Characters

eBay gives you 55 characters including spaces for your title. Make sure you use them all. The one thing that really bothers me is when one of my students list an item on eBay and only uses one or two words in the title. Talk about a wast of money and time.

3. Don’t Get Too Excited

Don’t use expressive language just use searchable keywords. How many times have you gotten up on Saturday morning and searched for L@@K, WOW or WHOOPY on eBay. If you wouldn’t search for the word no one else would either.

4. Check Your Spelling

Make sure you double check your spelling in your title. Not only does bad spelling make you look unprofessional but it also reduces the number of people who will find your eBay auction and the amount you will make. If you think it never happens look up “shrit” or “neckless” on eBay. At the time of this writing there are 72 shrits and 157 necklesses. Guess what, they have very few bids. If you need a good shrit or neckless now is the time to buy!

5. Don’t Mislead

Yes it is true you want keywords in the title but use keywords that are related to the items you have up for auction. If you are selling a Dockers shirt do not put Tommy Hilfiger in the title. Do you really think that someone who is looking for a Tommy Hilfiger shirt would by a Dockers shirt? You may get more views but you will not get more sales or higher bids. The only thing you will do is make bidders upset. The second reason you do not want to do this is because if reported eBay may remove your auction for keyword spamming . If they pull your auction all you have done is lost money through listing fees and lost time.

6. Use eBay Tools to Perfect Your Title

Once you have written down what you think would make a good title double check it with eBay’s new BayEstimator tool. This tool will tell you the exact words people search for when searching for your item on eBay. This tool will allow you to tweak and optimize your title to eBay search perfection. It is easier to show you how this works rather than tell you so I have made a short video to show you exactly how it works.

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6 Proven Steps to Get Wholesalers to Want to do Business with an eBay Seller – Wholesale Part 5

By Tom | Jun 8, 2008

eBay Product Sourcing, eBay Wholesale | Comment

If you sell on eBay you not only face the challenge of finding wholesale sources but also the challenge of getting them to want do business with an eBay seller. Before I talk to you about how and where to find wholesale sources lets discuss how to get them to want to business with you . These six tips will help you to be build trust and to develope a professional realationship with your wholesale supplier.

1. Get Legal

True wholesalers want to do business with true retailers. If you haven’t done this yet get going. You will need a sales tax number and or a business license. This is usually very inexpensive and in some cases free depending on the state you live in. It’s not that hard and will open up a whole new door for you on eBay. You will also want to decide whether you are going to be a corporation, sole proprietorship etc. I would suggest getting in touch with your states Small Business Development Center or SBDC. Many of their services are free and they will be able to help you get you business going in the right direction legally. http://www.sba.gov/localresources/index.html

2. Get a Special Business Name

If you don’t have a business name you will need one to contact wholesalers. Be careful when picking a business name because you do not want one that is too specific but you want it to be professional. If you were starting a brick and mortar store I would tell you just the opposite because you would want the name to say something about what you sold. With an eBay business you don’t want the name to say something about what you sell and the reason is simple. When selling on eBay you want to be able to sell what sells and sometimes what sells is not going to be within you particular niche. Here is an example: Let say your business name is “Pet Toys” and you find out that designer sunglasses are selling like hot cakes on eBay and you want to get into that market. You contact a wholesaler of designer sunglasses and want to start an account with them. Once they find out that your business name is “Pet Toys” what are the chances that they will take you seriously? Lets put it this way. It might be hard for “Pet Toys” to get an account with a wholesaler of designer sunglasses. Now lets say your company name is “XYZ Company” and you contact them. The sales rep for the wholesale company isn’t going to make any presumptions about your business because for all they know “XYZ Company” could be a large retailer and you are more likely to get an account with that wholesaler. (Tip: Do not use your own name as your business name.) Remember you can do business under as many names as you want. So in this example you would have your main business name be “XYZ Company” and could still be Doing Business As (DBA) “Pet Toys” but for contacting wholesalers you want your main business name to be generic. Having a generic business name will not only increase your chances of getting wholesale accounts but will also allow your business to be more flexible and flexibility on eBay is good. (note: I’m not talking about your eBay User Id. I’m talking about your “business name” they are two different topics.)

3. Get a New Business Card

Even if you already have a business card it may be a good idea to get a different one. You may be just starting your company or you may have had an eBay business for some time either way there is a good chance your the only employee in your company. If this is the case you wear many hats. You are the owner, manager, sales department, purchasing, marketing, accounting and anything else you can think of. You can have a business card for any or all of these but for contacting wholesalers you want to put on you purchasing hat. You want a business card that says you are a “purchasing agent” for your company. A purchasing agent buys the goods the company needs to resell to customers. Having a purchasing agent well makes gives your business the professional image it deserves and wholesalers will be more likely to do business with you. Your business card doesn’t have to be anything fancy but must look professional. I would suggest taking a look at VistaPrint for free to low cost business cards.

Purchasing Agent Business Card

I’ve arrange a deal with VistaPrint to get readers of this blog 80% off premium business cards and free return labels or 250 free basic business cards and free return labels - “Your Choice”. Limited time but you must click on the link provided above to get the deal.

4. Letterhead Stationary

This is a must when looking for a wholesaler. Many of them will ask you to fax them a copy of your business license or tax id and some will want it on your business stationary. If you have a picture or sketch of your company’s building put it on your stationary as well. Some wholesalers want a picture of your building or store so if it is already on the stationary it will save you some time. If you decide to get your business card through VistaPrint.com you can get matching stationary through them as well and I believe you can download a picture of your building to put on it.

5. Get a Company Website

When picking out your generic business name make sure the domain name for that name is available. You don’t want to get stuck with a business name and no website to go along with it. Having a website is very beneficial because it will give you the professional image you want for your business and the email to go along with it. Who would you take more seriously a company that has an email address like this xyzcompany@hotmail.com or a company that has an email address like JoeSmalts@xyzcompany.com.

Most website hosts give you lots of email addresses so you can have a different email address for each department. I would recommend DotEasy.com because you can get a basic site for FREE without any banners which comes with a website building tool so you don’t have to know any html and up to ten free email addresses. You will have to pay for your domain name but that is it. I have use them for years for this purpose and I am very happy with them.

6. Telephone Answering Service and Fax:

A telephone answering service will round everything out. If your doing business from home this is especially important. Now that you have a professional company image the last thing you want to do is blow it with a phone call. Imagine a wholesale representative calling and your son or daughter answers the phone and yells: “Mom / Dad some guy is on the phone for you!” and then sets the phone down so the representative can listen to the TV going in the back ground. All the work you have done to establish a professional company image has just gone up in smoke. This could have all been avoided if you had a good answering service. The best is a 1-800 answering service that maintains a professional image, gives you the option to answer the phone, for when everything is quiet, as well as the ability to send the calls to your voice mail. I have tried out some very inexpensive and free options but would not recommend them. Many of the free services announce that they are free when someone calls or gives the caller a short commercial before they send them to your voice mail. The really inexpensive ones sound like an answering machine which doesn’t give the professional image you want either. The best one I have found is GotVMail. GotVMail isn’t the least expensive but isn’t the most expensive either. I would suggest starting out with their basic plan and then working up if you need to. All their plans also come with a virtual fax which allows you to send and receive faxes. Their may be other services but this is the best one for the price that I have found.

Presenting your best image when contacting wholesalers is very important. The more professional and established your company is the more the wholesalers are going to want to do business with you. If you follow the steps I have outlined above your will no longer have to beg a wholesaler to give you an account. The wholesalers will “want” to give you an account. Be Legal, be real and be professional.

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