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Can dropshipping work for your online auction efforts?
There is much discussion throughout usenet, chatrooms and forums
about drop shippers, and I have sat through many heated threads
about the subject. Many will tell you that drop shipping is a
scam, it don't work, you'll never make any money...But...
Domain Names Not Strong Auction Items
Selling a domain name at an online auction can be lucrative - but many sellers completely misjudge the market and truly live in Fantasy Land. For instance, take a look at this auction of 14 domain names (StemCellLines.net, StemCellLines.org,...
Grab More Time For Your eBay Auction
When selling on eBay, time is the one factor that is never on
your side. Obviously the longer your item can stop on eBay, the
higher visibility it receives & the more bids it is likely to
get.
eBay presently offers five different lengths of...
Real Estate Auctions: Avoid Online Scams
(Discover Hidden Gems by Avoiding Potential Pitfalls and Fraudulent Websites.)
Seized Property for 90% off Market Value?
Recent popularity
In the last year buying bank and government seized properties has become very popular. This is...
Yahoo Auctions is now Free!
Here is some great news if you are currently earning a living or making some extra cash through auctions or were considering it. Yahoo Auctions has announced that they will stop charging fees for US based auctions. This is designed for the consumer...
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Starting an Online Auction Business
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:
First, decide what you will sell.
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You can sell most anything via an online auction, but here are a few items I've seen do very well in this venue:
* Collectibles of any sort
* Children's items, especially clothing and toys
* Handmade items, including quilts, soap, and dollhouse items
* Craft supplies
Select your venue:
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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.
Find your products:
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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
* Go to discount or dollar stores
* Watch your newspaper for inventory closeout sales
* 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
List your item:
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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.
Set yourself up for repeat sales:
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Ship promptly, and leave feedback for your buyer as soon as they pay you. Then, set yourself up for repeat business by:
* 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
* 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.
Here's where to learn more:
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Make Your Net Auctions Sell! is an excellent guide to everything about online auction selling. You can read more about it by visiting their web site at http://mynas.sitesell.com/ibb.html
You can receive a free 5-day email course called Net Auctions Masters by sending a blank email to mailto:tnamsibb@sitesell.net
New to auctions? Visit ebay at http://www.ebay.com and see what we're talking about! Do a search on anything you can think of, you will be amazed!
(c) Carol Woods
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Woods is the editor of Work at Home Income, a weekly publication of Income Building Blocks. IBB offers free ideas, information and inspiration for moms who work at home - or want to! For lots of free ideas to help you find a work at home job or start a home based business, visit us at http://www.income-building-blocks.com and sign up for Work at Home Income!
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