Entries from September 2007 ↓

[tag]Ron Paul[/tag] supporters helped their candidate stay at the top of the heap this week on eBay. Selling buttons, pins, bumper stickers, banners and anything else to support their man, Ron Paul items totalled $3,341 last week compared to the top Democrat Hillary Clinton's $2,252. Once again, the popular [tag]Hillary Clinton nutcracker[/tag] came in near the top of both Democrat and Republicans at $920.

Everything has it's price...

I have a few things with autographs that I hold as special keepsakes. My [tag]autographs [/tag]from Red Skelton, Rodney Dangerfield, and Henry Ford II all hold a special place to me. Those guys were important to me and took time to stop and pay attention to a teenage kid. I wouldn't sell those items. So why are so many people selling autographed [tag]Hillary Clinton[/tag] books? Is that a sign of support? I don't think so. It seems more a sign of jumping on the bandwagon and selling something while there are buyers. Wouldn't the book be worth more if she was the first woman president? Are people dumping the books because they feel she won't make it?

Ron Paul supporters once again are almost without exception selling items to further the "[tag]Ron Paul Revolution[/tag]." I must say, [tag]Fred Thompson[/tag] supporters are also using eBay as a way to spread their candidate's paraphernalia.

The Polls

With Ron Paul the usual exception, eBay items reflect the current average poll standings of candidates from both parties. I even saw one seller of old LPs breaking the eBay rules by inserting "Ron Paul" in his eBay listing titles just to get people's attention I suppose. Does Ron have anything to do with the musical "Hair?"

[tags]eBay, Presidential Race[/tags]

Popularity: 4% [?]

Since the [tag]NADA [/tag]show early this year, [tag]eBay Motors[/tag] has been rolling out their new product [tag]Local Markets[/tag]. This is in a basic sense, an eBay Store for [tag]car dealers[/tag]. There are some differences which I'll discuss, but in a nutshell there are a lot of similarities. Local Markets was released right around the time that eBay core decided to "rebalance" the marketplace with increased Store fees and an emphasis on traditional auction-style listings. Let's review the reasons why the rebalancing took place in the words of Bill Cobb.

Reasons for "rebalancing" the [tag]eBay [/tag]marketplace

In his announcement and at eBay Live! Bill Cobb gave these reasons for the adjustments:

• For buyers, core (traditional eBay.com) listings deliver the "signature eBay buying experience"
• For sellers, "they're the fastest way of selling on the internet"
• Auction-style listings are the "foundation of eBay" its "DNA" and made eBay what it is. Auction-style listings will always be "front and center" on eBay.com."
• Auction-style listings are responsible for 91% of the GMV (gross merchandise volume) on eBay.com

According to eBay, [tag]eBay Store[/tag] listings were intended to be a "way to display large amounts of inventory at a low price" and were meant to encourage an abundance of inventory on the site." However, he said it was "troubling" when they saw how Store listings had grown over traditional auction-style listings. At the time of the announcement, he said:

• 83% of all listings were Store listings
• Store inventory takes 14 times longer to sell - in some media categories it takes 40 times longer to sell an item
• Operations costs - the cost of hosting a Store listing - is 50% more than hosting a core listing

To counter this troubling situation and tip the sellers back toward traditional [tag]auction[/tag]-style listings, eBay adjusted (raised) the fees on eBay Store listings and has offered breaks to those listing auctions and fixed-priced listings. Some sellers felt betrayed since eBay has encouraged eBay Store development, and then all of a sudden changed their tune. Sellers who had built businesses largely based on their Store listings found their fees had risen to a level they were unable to meet.

eBay Motors Local Markets

With all that in mind, let's look at what eBay Motors is promoting. Until the Local Markets product came along, auto dealers (who list the most vehicles on eBay Motors) did not have the option of listing their vehicles as eBay Store items. Those dealers could have eBay Stores, but generally listed parts and accessories as Store listings. Vehicles were listed as auction-style listings, or fixed-price (Buy It Now) listings. The fee was (and is) $40 to list a vehicle, and if it sells there is a Successful Transaction fee of $50. These listings were visible to anyone who searched on eBay Motors regardless of location.

Local Markets listings are different. They are visible to eBayers within 100 miles of the [tag]dealership[/tag]'s physical location. Local Markets listings are also exclusively Best Offer listings. No set price, no reserve, no Buy It Now. The shopper makes an offer, and the dealer accepts or rejects it, or counters the offer. The hope is that people will more likely visit the dealership for a test drive and to kick the tires. Then they may consummate the deal on the spot, or go home and make a Best Offer through eBay Motors. The process is very much like a classified ad really. Find a car you like, make sure you like it, then haggle with the dealer. (As a side note: This is the only place you'll see eBay virtually encourage sellers to make a deal off eBay.)

Another feature of Local Markets is the dealer may list their entire inventory for one flat monthly price. For $1000 per month the dealer can list every car on the lot. Along with their subscription, they are given a Featured eBay Store. Auction-style listings still cost $40 each to list with a $50 Transaction Fee at the end of a successful sale.

Am I the only one that sees this?

So let's get this straight. In a nutshell, eBay steered the "core" away from large amounts of costly, slow-moving inventory to give both buyers and sellers a better experience. Auctions give the buyer the "signature eBay experience", and auctions are the "fastest way of selling on the internet" I think is how that went. Just for the record I totally believe that.

Why then is eBay Motors heading in the exact opposite direction? Local Markets is encouraging dealers to list vehicles that they would never have listed as an auction. All of their inventory doesn't belong on eBay Motors.

The cost

What about the cost to host these? Dealers turn their inventory approximately every 90 days. Once they sell a vehicle on the lot, or dispose of it through the brick and mortar auction house, they will have to remove it from eBay. In my experience with dealers, they are not the most vigilant when it comes to maintaining their online inventory. Through Local Markets, there will be lots of cars listed that are already gone, costing eBay. In fact, the listings are already becoming glutted with ho-hum [tag]Best Offer[/tag] cars. Costly, slow-moving inventory is what they are getting. The opposite of what they said they wanted to core sellers.

The experience

What about the user experience? Isn't that important? If eBay's "DNA" is auction-style listings, and eBay Motors is eBay's child - wouldn't they have some "matches" in that DNA? eBay should stick to what "made eBay what it is" and let [tag]AutoTrader.com[/tag] and [tag]Cars.com[/tag] have the classified space. When AutoTrader.com tried auctions it didn't work. eBay should learn from that.

Some will pat me on the head and say, "Well cars are different, people want a test drive since they're spending so much money." Yet, we don't see similar strategy being used when we look at diamond jewelry, fine art, and other items that sell for prices higher than the average eBay Motors sale. In the first six years of eBay Motors, two million vehicles were sold. Seems every time I sat on a plane next to someone, they told me they'd purchased their last vehicle on eBay Motors, or knew someone who had. With all the talk about the excitement of "Winning" with [tag]Windorphins[/tag], and "[tag]Shop Victoriously[/tag]" (and they DO show a car in at least one of those commercials) it seems a real contradiction to push a product that allows for none of that. Do you actually think a car dealer will let you test drive the car, then let you leave to go home and make a Best Offer? Why do people use the internet to buy cars in the first place?? It's because they absolutely hate the traditional process of buying a car through a dealer.

When I teach dealers to use eBay Motors, I will discuss the Local Markets product. My emphasis will still be on the national (and international) listings. One of the best reasons to use eBay Motors is because it give sellers a market reach no one can match. It creates excitement for the buyer. eBay Motors is offering "[tag]eBay Motors University[/tag]" again in many cities. Unfortunately, the emphasis is on Local Markets and is perceived by many dealers as a "pitch" from eBay. If you're a dealer considering Local Markets, search for a common vehicle on eBay Motors, within 100 miles, and if there are scads of Best Offer vehicles with nearly identical titles - you've found a Local Markets dealer. Call them up and ask them how it's going...

Visibility

One of the reasons eBay Store listings are slower sellers is because they have lower visibility on eBay when a user performs a search. Lower visibility equates to slower sales - that's not true with eBay Motors? C'mon. We're being told that limiting visibility to within 100 miles of your dealership will increase sales. What is not said though is that the potential customers within that radius are also seeing the print ads, TV ads, and hearing the radio ads for all of your current competition in your local market. The people down the street already feel they know what's available locally, they want to know what's available on the other side of the fence. They also have opinions and prejudices of your dealership that a person two states away doesn't have. Finally, if shoppers are interested in buying from a local dealer through eBay Motors, your current national listings already show up within 100 miles of your dealership, and around the world.

It's not you, it's me..."

Who has changed? The shopper or eBay? How can eBay say auction-style listings are the most cost-effective way to sell, and offer the best user experience overall - then encourage exactly the opposite with auto dealers? What happens down the road when there are far more mediocre Best Offer only vehicles, thoughtlessly listed? Will eBay rebalance the marketplace again? Haven't they learned? They should not push this product on dealers.

I personally really like car dealers. But some people may be of the opposite opinion feeling "since the dealers have done it to us for all these years, it's about time someone's doing it to them."

Popularity: 4% [?]

There was an [tag]eBay Town Hall[/tag] discussion today. [tag]Bill Cobb[/tag] started the meeting off by stating that he is just back from [tag]sabbatical[/tag]. Oh he also mentioned that he got a new boat this year. And that they named it after the kids, blah, blah, blah...

Ok, I think Bill is a nice guy. He's really a nice guy to work with. I worked (wayyyyy) under him at eBay. One thing I remember about him is that he talked to everyone, and he was funny. He also required everyone on his team to have at least a yellow feedback star (10+ Feedback) so they'd have at least a clue as to what it was like to use eBay.

I am no fan of the complaining, whining, griping sellers who see problems everywhere they look at [tag]eBay[/tag]. I think they should learn to be more positive and way less sarcastic. But today's Town Hall made me a little mad. We know the executives have good salaries, fine. But if Bill really knew who he was speaking to today, he would have left out the references to his sabbatical and related activities. When I think of the little old man on a fixed income paying his eBay seller fees on items that didn't sell, or a single mom who is selling her kid's old clothes so she can make a little extra to get by, I get a little ticked that Bill flippantly mentions his (comparably) luxurious summer.

Most of us don't get a "sabbatical" of four or five paid weeks off. Many of us cannot afford a boat, or the time to enjoy it. We're working hard. I know Bill works hard too. And good for him that he's paid handsomely I say. Just don't throw it out there like it's no big deal when you have a bunch of irritated, grouchy [tag]sellers [/tag]nickel and diming their way through the month. Come on eBay! Tune in to your [tag]community[/tag]. You're just asking for more of the same.

Popularity: 3% [?]

I'm listening to [tag]Bill Cobb[/tag], President of [tag]eBay[/tag] North America conduct a "[tag]Town Hall[/tag]" meeting with the eBay community. Bill is a nice person. He has a lot of experience in the corporate world. But he has one of the most annoying mannerisms when speaking in this forum.

When responding to nearly any question he begins his sentences with the word "[tag]So[/tag]". In fact, the word "So" is sprinkled throughout his speech so much it is a distraction. How do high-level executives get where they are even though they are not good [tag]presenter[/tag]s or [tag]public speaker[/tag]s. Because Bill does it, the lower-level execs are doing it too! Good grief! "So" should be used to connect one thought to the next logical point. These guys and gals have begun using it to fill empty space while they decide what to say. "So" is the new "uhh".

The other super-annoying habit Silicon Valley speakers have is up-talking. Making a statement which raises in pitch at the end of the sentence so it sounds like a question. It sounds ridiculous. Just repeat this paragraph (talking out loud) and pretend each sentence is a question. Grrrr it's so irritating? They need to break this habit? Stupid. Speak normally folks.

I will volunteer to teach these guys to break that habit. Please, eBay give me a call.

Get a piece of paper and pencil and mark down every time Bill says "So" - mark twice for every time he starts his reply with the word. Listen to the recorded Town Hall meeting.

[tags]uptalking, uptalkers, word whiskers, mannerisms, speaking skills[/tags]

Popularity: 4% [?]

How can I write a description for a boring item, or something I know very little about?

Finding the words to describe your [tag]eBay[/tag] item can be a challenge. You can write a good solid description simply by answering the following questions:

• What is it?
• How big is it?
• How old is it?
• What's it made of?
• How can it be used?

Hopefully you've searched Completed Items to get an idea of the information being provided by other sellers of similar items. You can also use search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, or even Wikipedia to get technical details, or other information on your item.

In your [tag]description[/tag], include other details such as [tag]payment methods[/tag] you'll accept, and [tag]shipping [/tag]options and charges.

Save it to your computer in a simple text editor (Notepad) so you can copy and paste it later into the Sell Your Item form. That way, if you lose your place for some reason, you'll have your work saved for later retrieval.

That's basically all you need to write your description. Keep it simple, and friendly. Happy selling!

[tags]PayPal, eBay selling, eBay education, Sell Your Item[/tags]

Popularity: 4% [?]

In the race for President of the United States, supporters come up with novel ideas to promote their candidate. Ten years ago, few people thought eBay could become a vehicle for getting the word out, but now it has become just that. If you ever wondered what to sell on eBay, CafePress, or any other online shopping spot, the next year will offer a built-in opportunity.

How can a seller find products to sell for their candidate? The election is but one trend on the horizon, there is also the end of the NASCAR season, the holiday selling season, Super Bowl XLII, and so on. It takes a little time, so now is the time to start. You can get in touch with the actual wholesalers and manufacturers by using the directory at Worldwide Brands. You'll find the products you want to sell, and people willing to do business with small sellers. Read their FREE article titled:
Understanding Consumer Buying Trends — Building Dynamic Product Lines

Ron Paul and Ru Paul

Where else could you see these two together? In an interesting social commentary, I found that people are more interested in Ru Paul than most of the people running for U.S. President this week. (If Ru Paul ran for president, which box do we check? Man, Woman, Other?) In any case, once again the results for most candidates is pretty dull.

Hillary, Barack, Ron, and Fred

In a nutshell (no pun intended):

• Ron Paul came in a solid first again this week. As usual his supporters spreading the word of their man using the World's Online Marketplace.
• Hillary Clinton made the Sunday talk show circuit today, so we'll see if it makes people run to their computers for Hillary items in next week's installment. By the way, the Hillary Nutcracker is still selling at a steady clip, as noted in the chart.
• Barack Obama is holding steady at third overall. I must say he is very consistent from week to week.
• Fred Thompson is the big mover this week. He has really jumped up in the results and holds a very solid second with Republicans. Barack Obama may lose his third place spot to Fred if he doesn't do something big in the next week.

[tags]Ron Paul, Ru Paul, RuPaul, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Fred Thompson, Hillary Nutcracker, Rudy Giuliani, eBay, Presidential Candidates, sales trends[/tags]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Product Sourcing [tag]Tips[/tag], eBiz Information and Expert [tag]Advice[/tag] from [tag]Worldwide Brands[/tag]!

Here's a bunch of free articles to help you with your online business, whether selling on eBay or your own website, the advice here will really work. Many address the most common question asked by new sellers: "What should I sell?"

I know Chris and Rob personally. I like them and trust them. I have used the OneSource product for the past couple years, and I have made great contacts with real wholesalers. The articles here cover everything from analyzing your website traffic to finding the right products to sell, their FREE Articles cover everything ecommerce. Just click the title of any article below to go to the Worldwidebrands site.

[rsslist:http://www.worldwidebrands.com/articles/rss.asp?affid=15782]

[tags]WorldwideBrands,Drop Shipping, OneSource, Product Sourcing, eBay, eCommerce, make money, Free, trends, importing, wholesale, products[/tags]

Popularity: 3% [?]

[tag]eBay [/tag]members on the [tag]Discussion Boards[/tag] continue to amaze me with their views of eBay, and indirectly, their view of themselves. The latest topic revolves around a promotional catalog sent through the mail to selected eBay members. In the catalog there is a URL that the recipient must type into their browser, and they can view merchandise eBay selected for them. Included in the URL is the member's user ID. If the member visits the site, they'll be greeted by a "personalized" page which contains their first name. OH MY GOSH! Can you believe this!?! Their first name is there for the world to see!

[tag]Nigerians[/tag], Romanians, and Malaysians are watching you...

Well, this is just great. Now all those phishers and scammers will find that link, type in your user ID and find my first name. You know they are just waiting to send me an email trying to get me (in poor English) to send them my eBay and [tag]PayPal[/tag] password. And of course I'll fall for it because I'm a complete moron and if someone uses my first name I'm going to trust them. I mean, gheez they have my first name.

This whole discussion is ridiculous - here's why. eBay has provided a link to [tag]My Messages[/tag] in every [tag]My eBay [/tag]page. Use it. Simple. If you do, you'll have no problem with the people who've just inherited billions and need you to hold onto it for them, or the people who want to send you payment along with shipping costs so you can forward it on to their "agent" while they are working overseas. If you receive an email that appears to be from eBay, it will appear in your My Messages inbox. The Nigerians, et al haven't figured out how to hack that yet. So use your My Messages box and stop being so paranoid.

eBay, the new Big Brother

Telling the regulars on eBay's boards about My Messages would likely illicit a snarky response and a gentle head shake.

I am sure there are loads of negative-talking "sellers" who think eBay was behind the Kennedy assassination, Watergate, and 9/11. (Those events generated a lot of income for eBay in the collectibles category. - they would say.) They feel Meg, Bill, and their minions all sit in a concrete reinforced room plotting their next move against the sellers, otherwise known as "the people who made eBay" in discussion board lingo. Here's a quote from one person insinuating there's "more to the story" re: the new Seller Performance Policy:

Wonder why this Seller Non Performance policy started at the end of the year at the time when most sales start to increase.
Some sellers lose while certain other sellers get increased sales.

The complainers have an incredibly adversarial relationship with eBay. They feel eBay owes them, which is absurd. These people have grown their sales, freely making adjustments as they see fit, to increase their business overall. But eBay is not allowed to do the same, when eBay makes changes it's because they are:

• stupid and don't understand sellers
• stupid and don't understand buyers
• greedy and uncaring
• trying to use mind-control to take over the world

How is it that eBay is so incompetent and yet so talented that they can plan all these conspiracies against sellers? It doesn't add up. eBay is trying to make money. They make money when sellers list and sell things to buyers. If sellers don't sell things, they'll quit trying and eBay loses. Simple.

Know when to quit

If though, eBay really is the big, bad monster the complainers say it is, then who is the real idiot? When I felt Bank of America was not treating me right, charging excessive fees and offering poor customer service, I went to another bank. If I stayed with them, knowing how they treated me, I would be the fool. Why is eBay so different? If they treat you poorly, charge too much, and you cannot sell anything because of their decisions, move along - maybe eBay is not for you. If you stay and take it, what does that say about you?

"I've talked enough about me, let's talk about what YOU think about me"

Most of the negative conversations are along the lines of "how this affects me." Notice how most sentences begin in this quote from one seller (there's no "I" in T-E-A-M folks):

I totally agree....Ebay just shot itself in the foot with this one.
I am so sick of being a seller here. it's just hurdle after hurdle with ebay. This basically puts each and every seller at the mercy of the buyer.
I can completely understand this policy ONLY as it relates to sellers who are ripping buyers off by not sending merchandise.
But this punishes EVERYONE who sells! we are LITERALLY at the whim of the buyer.

I really have to question the brains of the person(s) who came up with this absurd policy, and also those who agreed to let it pass into operation.
...are they TRYING to lose money? because a lot of good sellers are going to have to leave because of this. it's just become more work than it's worth.

I refuse to be bullied like this.
I bend over backwards to make my buyers happy and I am getting tired of being pushed around as if I am the one who needs to be "monitored" when the BUYERS are usually the ones who are doing something wrong (in my experience)
I have had more bad buyers this year than ever, and now they literally get to control my fate as a seller.
THANKS, EBAY!

I recently got my first neg as a seller because I wouldn't allow a buyer to return a designer blouse to me 2 months after she bought it, saying it "didn't fit"!
now stuff like this is going to be counted against me as a seller? no way, Ebay, you can get your fees from someone else. as soon as my website is up I am out of here. this is just the final straw for me.

As of this writing, you can see that the website must still be in progress...

Here's another, very constructive post. This one's discussing the new My eBay page design:

Can you say: "BLOATWARE"? Don't get carried away with needless features.

The eBay item number is CRITICAL in a single line item view for items sold for this seller.

Single line item views for each section are very important to me. For someone who has hundreds of items listed at any given time, wading through all that extra crap, er, ah, I mean features, will do nothing but waste my valuable time, slow me down, decrease productivity, and ultimately cost me, and eBay, money.

Thumbnail photos are totally useless in My eBay. What idiot can't simply look at a listing page from a text description if they are unsure of what the item is? They will only take up bandwidth and slow everything down. Once again, can you say "BLOATWARE"?

Keep it simple. Keep it clean, functional, and usable for high volume sellers. Who's financing your paycheck?

Have a great day,

J.B.

There is self-importance oozing from many of the complainers. It's just embarrassing to see how many sellers feel eBay actually watches and monitors them individually, and those that feel eBay doesn't pay enough individual attention to them.

As I've mentioned before regarding negative sellers, they often see a teeny tiny piece of the big picture when it comes to eBay. It's a lot like a mouse trying to describe the State of California based on what it's seen and heard living in your garage. There are a lot of things the mouse wouldn't understand for sure. But the main point is that almost no one knows the mouse exists, or really cares. If the mouse just lives it's life and doesn't cause problems, even you wouldn't care about it. But if it "violates" the rules somehow, it will be on your "radar" and you'll deal with it. Same with eBay, just stay off the radar, you're not really that important in the big picture.

All the changes on the site are met with grandiose comments about doom and gloom. Remember last time the My eBay page was redesigned? It was the same drama. Look what one seller wrote back then in 2004:

Dear E-bay,

Thank you for the three great years that I have be fortunate enough to be part of a wonderful community hosted by a great company. E-Bay was a god send when I was laid off from my job over three years ago. I have worked hard to build a good reputation and to become a [tag]Power Seller[/tag]. I am sorry to see this business relationship end and wish to express my regrets at this loss. The new My E-Bay 2.0 is unusable in its current form. The layout is substandard and badly conceived. The information that a seller must have easily available is hard to find and jumbled together with information that is no longer required or even useful. I find that the changes are a detrimental to business and will require more work and time than is profitable. I wish to thank you for over three great years and wish your company a return to the world of the sane.

Sincerely,
Oldwolf74

P.S. next time a Microsoft Program Designer shows up with a plan to improve your Website FEED HIM TO THE LIONS.

I can't believe eBay didn't scrap that 2.0 design when they read this. I mean, this seller probably brought in HUNDREDS of dollars.
As of today, Oldwolf74 has 274 listings on eBay. Guess that My eBay page wasn't unusable after all.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Ron Paul continues to lead this week in eBay items sold that bear his name in the title. He is so far ahead that it's almost humdrum. Hillary Clinton is second as she has been for some time. This week however, I have broken out the Hillary Nutcracker into it's own box, and that is the real news for this week.

Hillary Nutcracker nearly beats Obama

The Hillary nutcracker scored sales of $1411 last week with a great sell-through rate of 84%. That beats nearly every other candidate from either party. Poor Barack Obama was nearly beaten by a kitchen utensil. There is still a year left to come up with some other clever idea and jump on this bandwagon.

Fred Thompson makes a big jump

As expected, Fred Thompson made a big jump this week taking second place in the Republican chart. He's at nearly $1000 for the week and the items being sold are quite similar to the Ron Paul items that have been selling for months. Campaign buttons, bumper stickers, and signs for Fred Thompson are hot - as indicated by his above-average sell-through rate.

John McCain and Rudy Giuliani really slipped this week. I'm not sure what big event precipitated their fall, but Thompson and Paul mopped the floor with them.

As usual I thank Terapeak for their research tool. Try out Terapeak here.

[tags]Hillary Clinton,Barack Obama, Hillary Nutcracker,Ron Paul,Rudy Giuliani,John Mccain,eBay,Presidential Race,eBay Sales,Fred Thompson[/tags]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Here are the [tag]top ten eBay categories[/tag] ranked by sales for the past week. They are chosen based on a combination of Total Sales and Sell-Through rate. Look at the table below, and then I'll point out a couple of [tag]trends[/tag] to watch.

What does it mean for sellers?

A few things stand out for sellers. Notice several of the items are tools for the [tag]back to school[/tag] crowd. Calculators such as the [tag]TI-83 Plus[/tag] and [tag]TI-89[/tag] are hot examples.

Also, there is the regular (of late) [tag]diabetic test strips[/tag]. With the nation getting less healthy and older, [tag]diabetes[/tag] is a continuing problem. The supplies are expensive and people come to eBay for a deal. Simple. This is a trend that is worth getting in front of, since there is no solution in sight.

You will notice a spike in the [tag]NFL trading cards[/tag] as the [tag]football season[/tag] kicks off here in the U.S. Get out your collection and thin it out. Another seasonal trend is the need for inexpensive [tag]baby formula[/tag] in September. Do the math. There were some cold nights 9 months ago...

This research was put together using [tag]Terapeak[/tag]. Try it for yourself here.

Popularity: 3% [?]

In my advanced [tag]eBay class[/tag] recently several students asked, "When should I make my eBay listing Private?" In these listings the buyer's ID and bids remain anonymous to everyone except the seller when they view the listing. This includes [tag]Feedback[/tag] left for the item as well. The comment will be visible, but the item will be private.

There are a couple of reasons to do this:

1. High-priced or very rare items - You're listing an expensive or very rare item, such as a diamond studded dog collar autographed by Michael Vick, and your buyer may not want everyone to see that he or she purchased this item. Some people actually fear bad people will discover their whereabouts, assume they have the item in their house, and rob them. These people like [tag]private listings[/tag].
2. [tag]Pharmaceuticals[/tag] - Some buyers would rather not let the whole world know they need certain ointments or cures. So they would rather items in this area remain private.
3. [tag]Adult items[/tag] - [tag]eBay[/tag] does allow some pretty racy items in their Mature Audiences category. Also, you may be surprised to find that odd items such as [tag]used socks[/tag] sell quite well. Who is buying them? Maybe your neighbor, maybe your uncle, or maybe you. In any case, when items that may cause embarrassment are offered a Private Listing is appreciated by the buyer.

How do you make listings private?

When making your way through the [tag]Sell Your Item[/tag] form on eBay, you'll come to a section where you choose the format for your listing. You'll be able to choose [tag]Auction[/tag], [tag]Fixed-Price[/tag], or [tag]Store Inventory[/tag]. At the bottom of that section, you'll see a check-box that allows you to set the item as Private.

If you do not see the Private Listing check-box, you can go to the top of the Sell Your Item form and click Show/Hide Options > Format > "Display the following options: Private Listings". Make sure the box is selected and close the window.

Note: You will not be able to list items in the [tag]Mature Audiences[/tag] category in the Fixed Price format, nor will you be able to use PayPal to accept payment on these items. FYI

Popularity: 4% [?]

Well, it's that time of week again. I've researched [tag]eBay [/tag]for items related to the US [tag]Presidential candidates[/tag] for the week of August 29th through September 3. [tag]Ron Paul[/tag] is far and away the leader again this week. His supporters continue to use eBay to spread the "[tag]Ron Paul Revolution[/tag]".

Hillary Items Last Week

Wow. Hillary. Just doing some straight research puts [tag]Hillary Clinton[/tag] about $1000 behind in this weeks dollars spent on eBay. However, doing a little filtering for anti-Hillary items, takes her down to over $1200 less than Ron Paul. Let's look at a couple of these items.

First of all the [tag]nutcracker[/tag]s. Lots of nutcrackers are selling. In fact over $200 this week. But that wasn't the most interesting item. I think the 1991 Hillary Clinton [tag]Dominatrix[/tag] Standup Figure was the most interesting. The seller is clearly not a Hillary supporter, adding to the description that the standee is suitable for target practice but "has not been shot at yet." This item cost the new owner $20.50.

Fred Thompson makes it official

When [tag]Fred Thompson[/tag] made his bid for President official on the [tag]Jay Leno[/tag] show last week, I thought we'd see a little bump in his listings. We do see a lift from about 53 items to 65 this week. And the items for sale are closest in nature to Ron Paul's pure campaign items. We'll keep an eye on Fred. Oh and if anyone finds a standee of Fred Thomson in leather and holding a whip, drop me a line okay?

[tags]barack obama,john edwards,dennis kucinich,mike huckabee,jim gilmore,rudy giuliani,joe biden,sam brownback,john mccain,tommy thompson,christopher dodd,2008 election[/tags]

Popularity: 4% [?]

When discussing the age old question "what should I sell on [tag]eBay[/tag]?" I often refer to the "[tag]long tail[/tag]." Those products that make up the less exciting, lower volume, and higher profit margin end of the product spectrum. One example is flat screen televisions. Competition and demand has driven profit margins lower, while sales remain good on eBay. Many sellers ignore the more profitable "accessory" products such as wall mounts, and TV stands. Less glorious yes, and lower volume, but higher profits. Look in that long tail for niche markets.

The Dull Edge

Many blogs and articles out there are what I would call "cutting edge". Very up-to-date hip writers writing about the newest technology, or what has happened in the past five minutes in politics or business. Once you get on the front of that wave of info it's pretty fun and interesting. If you don't spend the day on the internet, it's pretty hard to stay there though. Most people aren't cutting edge, they fall somewhere behind and get a feeling of being left out of the party.

The questions my students ask have been asked for years, and answered by many smart people over and over. Those who ask the questions are just normal people, not cutting edge people. I refer to them (affectionately) as "dull edge" people. There are far more on the [tag]dull edge[/tag] than on the cutting edge. They ask questions that are old, and now considered ho-hum by the wii playing iphone [tag]Powerseller[/tag] crowd. Questions such as:

• When should I use a [tag]reserve price[/tag]?
• Should I tell people my reserve price?
• Can I have two eBay accounts?
• If I change my [tag]user ID[/tag] will my [tag]feedback[/tag] go with me?
• What is the best [tag]duration[/tag] for my auctions?
• What is the best time to list my item?

Ho-hum.

But people still want to know this stuff! It's not ho-hum to them.
I am a dull edge person. Dull edge people are welcome here. I have felt a little dumb giving eBay advice on topics that were covered long ago. But there is a large, quiet dull edge society out there still learning the basics. These are my people.

The dull edge is to [tag]eBayers[/tag], what the long tail is to [tag]eCommerce[/tag]. Consider the term "Dull Edge" coined.

Popularity: 4% [?]

I just got back from [tag]San Jose[/tag]. My mother-in-law had a heart attack so I've been occupied with that situation. While driving north on Highway 17 near [tag]eBay[/tag] headquarters, I saw on an overpass a big banner for the Ron Paul revolution. That's the same overpass where impromptu flags, and banners were placed right after 9/11. A [tag]patriotic[/tag] spot evidently.

The past two weeks results

I've missed the eBay tally for the past two weeks. So I'm going to catch up today. I was quite surprised by the spread which is actually increasing in favor of [tag]Ron Paul[/tag]. In fact, Ron Paul supporters are using eBay to an extent no one else has ever done to promote their candidate for [tag]President[/tag]. As I mentioned in earlier posts, Ron Paul supporters are moving large amounts of campaign materials through eBay at relatively low rates. This shows that they're not solely interested in making money, but they are really getting the word out via bumper stickers, flyers, and of course the Ron Paul car-top Sign.

I've only included the results for [tag]Hillary Rodham Clinton[/tag] and Ron Paul for these two weeks. The other candidates are still way back and I'll include them in next week's tally, boring results and all... But just look at the difference for these two weeks. And - the sell-through rate for Ron Paul remains incredibly high at nearly 80%. Comments are welcome. Thanks for your interest.

[tags]presidential election,2008,hillary,revolution[/tags]

Popularity: 3% [?]