AUCTION CASH SECRETS

Shopping on ebay.

2006-06-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

Shopping on ebay is a great way for shoppers to get bargains and find "one-of-a-kind" gifts for family members and loved ones. Many types of items are sold on ebay: real estate, business inventories, fine art, antiques, automobiles, and household estates. Thus, interesting and unique merchandise is often available for purchase on ebay.

ebay has auctions which is an accelerated sales process by which items or lots are rapidly sold, usually to the highest bidder. Selling rates at certain types
of auctions on ebay exceed 100 lots per hour. Each lot's sale presents bidders with a small window of opportunity to make a purchasing decision. Bidding success at an auction on ebay requires knowledge of auction selling propositions and terminology.

For most people, auctions on ebay are ladened with cryptic terminology that has been in use for at least the last few centuries and perhaps even earlier. The earliest known auction was recorded in 480 BC by Herodotus, an ancient historian, who chronicled the marriage auction rituals of the early Babylonians. Furthermore, the term "auction" is derived from the ancient Greek root "auctio" which translates to "increase." The Roman Empire frequently sold booty from defeated enemies via the auction method "sub hasta" or "under the spear" on the battlefield after a military victory.

Savvy bidders know the difference between "reserve" and "absolute." misunderstanding those selling terms can result in the buyer paying an unintended price. A good auction dictionary will inform bidders about all auction selling propositions that may be encountered at a sale. By law, all auctions are with reserve, in which sellers can establish a minimum sales prices, whereas absolute auctions lots are sold absolute - without minimums - to the highest bidder.

Many people have not considered the value of using online
auction houses, such as eBay and Yahoo! Auctions, to
promote their own businesses. No matter your business,
with a little creativity, you can use this tool to market
yourself.

There are three important pieces to the ebay Marketing puzzle
when using auction websites: your user name, your profile,
and your products. When signing up, pick a user name that reflects your
business. Your business name is preferred, but anything
close (even your website name: yourbusiness.com) will do
well.

The next focus is the "profile" page, which you will set up
as a part of the signup process with these auction
websites. In this profile, you are able to talk about
yourself (read: "market yourself") and link to your
website. This is fairly straightforward. Make sure that
your links are correct and that you haven't made any
spelling or grammatical errors. Short and sweet works
best. The majority of those who do come to this page will
read your information. If you make it too long, though,
they might skip it. After all, most people who load these
profiles are looking for other auctions, not your life
story.

The final issue to deal with is your products. Even if you
sell services, you can use these auction sites like ebay.
If you are new to the auction site, read several other
auctions and go through the posting process (without
hitting the final "post" button) to see how the auctions
are structured. Once you have an idea of how you should go about posting your items and what kind of knowledge you'll need, start writing your product information. Do this by typing them into a text editor (Word, Notepad, etc.) and
running them through a spell checker. Then re-read them
once or twice to make sure you didn't miss anything or
fudge the description. Once you're ready, go back to the
auction site and post your ad. I'd suggest no more than
one or two to get started. Once you have a handle on
things (and have made a couple of sales), you'll be ready
to post more often.

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Online Marketing: Online Auctions Part-2.

2006-06-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

The next focus is the "profile" page, which you will set up
as a part of the signup process with these auction
websites. In this profile, you are able to talk about
yourself (read: "market yourself") and link to your
website. This is fairly straightforward. Make sure that
your links are correct and that you haven't made any
spelling or grammatical errors. Short and sweet works
best. The majority of those who do come to this page will
read your information. If you make it too long, though,
they might skip it. After all, most people who load these
profiles are looking for other auctions, not your life
story.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO!

Online Marketing: Online Auctions Part-1.

2006-06-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Many people have not considered the value of using online
auction houses, such as eBay and Yahoo! Auctions, to
promote their own businesses. No matter your business,
with a little creativity, you can use this tool to market
yourself.

There are three important pieces to the marketing puzzle
when using auction websites: your user name, your profile,
and your products.

When signing up, pick a user name that reflects your
business. Your business name is preferred, but anything
close (even your website name: yourbusiness.com) will do
well.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO!

Shopping at auctions Part-2.

2006-06-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

For most people, auctions are ladened with cryptic terminology that has been in use for at least the last few centuries and perhaps even earlier. The earliest known auction was recorded in 480 BC by Herodotus, an ancient historian, who chronicled the marriage auction rituals of the early Babylonians. Furthermore, the term "auction" is derived from the ancient Greek root "auctio" which translates to "increase." The Roman Empire frequently sold booty from defeated enemies via the auction method "sub hasta" or "under the spear" on the battlefield after a military victory.

Savvy bidders know the difference between "reserve" and "absolute." misunderstanding those selling terms can result in the buyer paying an unintended price. A good auction dictionary will inform bidders about all
auction selling propositions that may be encountered at a sale. By law, all auctions are with reserve, in which sellers can establish a minimum sales prices, whereas absolute auctions lots are sold absolute - without minimums - to the highest bidder.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO!

Shopping at auctions Part-1.

2006-06-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

Shopping at auctions is a great way for shoppers to get bargains and find "one-of-a-kind" gifts for family members and loved ones. Many types of items are sold at auction: real estate, business inventories, fine art, antiques, automobiles, and household estates. Thus, interesting and unique merchandise is often available for purchase at an auction.

An auction is an accelerated sales process by which items or lots are rapidly sold, usually to the highest bidder. Selling rates at certain types
of auctions exceed 100 lots per hour. Each lot's sale presents bidders with a small window of opportunity to make a purchasing decision. Bidding success at an auction requires knowledge of auction selling propositions and terminology.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO!

Starting an Online Auction Business Part-11

2006-06-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

* Contacting the buyer after they should have received your item to see if they are satisfied, and ask if they would like to be contacted when you list new items. Send out updates to all who agree when you do new listings.

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Starting an Online Auction Business Part-10

2006-06-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

* Including a card in your package with a link to your web site, your ebay user name, or other information about you to help them reach you later and to understand at a glance what types of items you sell

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Starting an Online Auction Business Part-9

2006-06-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

Set yourself up for repeat sales:

Ship promptly, and leave feedback for your buyer as soon as they pay you. Then, set yourself up for repeat business by:

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Starting an Online Auction Business Part-8

2006-05-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

List your item:

Develop an auction title with as much compelling information as possible, including a brand, size, color, and brief description. Write a description with a lot of detail, both to give potential buyers as much information as possible and to provide lots of keywords for searches. Include a good quality photograph of the item so prospective buyers know what they're getting.

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Starting an Online Auction Business Part-7

2006-05-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

* Locate wholesale sources; buy large lots and sell in small lots
* Start a consignment service, where you sell items for others for a fixed fee or percentage of the auction price

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Starting an Online Auction Business Part-6

2006-05-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

* Go to discount or dollar stores
* Watch your newspaper for inventory closeout sales

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Starting an Online Auction Business Part-5

2006-05-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Find your products:

There are many ways to locate products to sell.
Here's a list to give you some ideas:

* Visit garage sales and flea markets
* Peruse sale racks at local shops

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Starting an Online Auction Business Part-4

2006-05-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Select your venue:

Decide which online auction you will use to sell your items. Ebay (http://www.ebay.com) is the site with the most traffic, so it is an excellent choice, but Yahoo! Auctions (http://auctions.yahoo.com) and Amazon Auctions (http://auctions.amazon.com) both get significant traffic.

Also keep in mind that there may be specialty auction sites for your particular item with customers looking only for what you're selling.

Once you've selected your auction site, sign up for a seller's account.

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Starting an Online Auction Business Part-3

2006-05-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

* Handmade items, including quilts, soap, and dollhouse items
* Craft supplies

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Starting an Online Auction Business Part-2

2006-05-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

First, decide what you will sell.

You can sell most anything via an online auction, but here are a few items I've seen these do very well in this venue:

* Collectibles of any sort
* Children's items, especially clothing and toys

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Starting an Online Auction Business Part-1

2006-05-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Have you spent any time looking at online auctions? There are thousands of visitors to the big online auction sites every day, looking for something to purchase! This is an excellent place to find buyers of your products without having to do any significant marketing, and an inexpensive way to start making money without much upfront investment.

Here's how to get started:

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The basic fundamentals of a good auction Part-6

2006-05-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

Generally, these five simple fundamentals are the backbone of a great auction seller. I think any of the experts would agree that without these fundamentals, you'll never leave the bench! Good luck and happy listing!

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The basic fundamentals of a good auction Part-5

2006-05-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

E) Ship multiple auctions in the same package if the same buyer has won them all. Not only will this reduce shipping costs, but it will also make the buyer happier and is more convenient for him or her. This means higher feedback and repeat business.

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The basic fundamentals of a good auction Part-4

2006-05-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

D) Answer questions and leave feedback. I'm surprised, when I go to purchase an item, how many sellers never return my email queries. If I don't find out what I want to know about the item, I won't bid on it. Be prompt in your replies and answer all questions truthfully and professionally. It's also a good idea, if you can, to update the listing with new information if the query has shown something lacking in the listing. When the auction is over, leave feedback EVERY TIME. Buyers appreciate this and are more likely to leave feedback for you as well.

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The basic fundamentals of a good auction Part-3

2006-05-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

C) Contact the winning bidder immediately after the auction is over. If you are a Powerseller and list a LOT of items at once, this can be overwhelming. The use of software (such as MyAuctionManager) will greatly ease that burden. Include the auction's title and number in EVERY correspondence so that the winner knows exactly who you are and what you're talking about.

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The basic fundamentals of a good auction Part-2

2006-05-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

B) Include photos and descriptions that give all of the "vitals" of the auction. Don't be too wordy, but be sure to hit every important point about the item – good and bad. Try to avoid overuse of marketing hype and exclamation points. A savvy or experienced buyer will skip your listing outright while others will wonder if it's a scam. Don't hide your policies or use rhetoric, just list them plainly, simply and be specific.

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The basic fundamentals of a good auction Part-1

2006-05-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here are the basic fundamentals of a good auction – the kind of auction that denotes a successful and committed professional.

A) Be professional about your listings, policies, and manner. Treat people professionally, write your listings professionally, and have clearly outlined policies for shipping and returns.

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The fundamentals of any business Part-2

2006-05-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

Think of it this way: a basketball player will get nowhere without the fundamentals of the game. If the player can't dribble, shoot, run with, or pass the ball, that player will never get on the court professionally. The same holds true for any business, especially online auctions. If you don't adhere to the fundamentals, you'll get passed by and your sales will be nonexistent. You will have failed to get off the bench to play the game!

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The fundamentals of any business Part-1

2006-05-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

Even the professionals often overlook the fundamentals of any business, sport, or endeavor. I am not really an auction expert. I am a computer guy. During my time with The Online Auction Academy, however, I have learned a lot about the business of online auctions.

After all, I've been surrounded by experts, read their articles, listened to their classes, and am continually exposed to their knowledge. I have seen people succeed in the business of online auctions and I've seen people fail. Those who fail are those who did not learn from their mistakes and especially those who did not learn what they should know before they got into the business. I am regularly asked what I think it takes to get into Web Design, Web Mastering, or Web Development as a business. I say the same thing that the trainers here at The Online Auction Academy tell their students: "You have to learn to run a business. You have to want to succeed. Most of all, you have to learn about the business you're getting into."

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The formula for selling at online auctions is simple.

2006-05-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

At its most basic level, the formula for selling at online auctions is simple:

- Offer something buyers want, specifically. You must have a specific target and product in mind, that you know sells well.
- Categorize and list it effectively
- Make a compelling listing

The setup is easy, the costs are low and the formula is simple. The problem is that it is so simple that there are literally millions of sellers each trying to sell to their target buyers.

So you need every advantage you can get so you can:

- Offer products that consistently attract buyers.
- Make your auctions stand out from all the others.
- Effectively position and list your own products.
- Price items to sell well and profitably.
- Use multiple income streams and product lines to multiply your all of your sales and marketing efforts.
- Capitalize on the huge numbers of people who look at your listings and gain exposure for other products and income streams.

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