The Vahoo Info Connector

I knew I’d found something special when a colleague who normally sells vintage postcards turned to listing corkscrews instead. She’s someone I check out often, use as a role model, she regularly achieves high prices for her postcards, I’ve learned a lot from her. But I stood to learn - and earn - a great deal more from this new-found interest of hers: vintage corkscrews.

The very first of her offerings, a corkscrew with handle shaped like a mermaid, made over £1,000. Others, also with novelty and ornate handles, have fetched double figures and, from my experience, they’re commonly found at offline auctions and flea markets where price tags of two or three pounds are common.

Marvel at these recent eBay finishing prices: a rare ‘flip out’ (misspelled, should have been flip out) made from brass and resembling a flick knife made £2,051.61; an Italian stirrup shaped corkscrew went for £2750.00; a ratchet corkscrew from 1869 fetched $1812.77, not one of which were well described or blatantly unusual.

Tips to Help You Buy and Sell Corkscrews for Profit

* Corkscrews have been around since the mid-1600s but it’s those from 1850 onwards that fetch the highest prices at auction. Before this, most household objects were made to be used, not looked at, so they were plain, functional, not ornate and grandiose such as some appearing in the late 1800s which now fetch fabulous prices on eBay. So, generally speaking, the more ornate and elaborate the corkscrew the higher its price is likely to be.

* That said, I’ve seen very plain corkscrews priced about £1 a time at flea market fetching a fiver or more on eBay so it’s worth buying anything that’s genuinely old and very cheap. ‘Dirty’ usually indicates old and because few plain corkscrews become auction best sellers you’ll rarely find them faked or made to look older than they really are. They’re always worth buying!

* The earliest designs comprised a steel spiral fixed to a wooden handle. Subsequently handles became precious works of art, made from silver or gold, encrusted with diamonds or inlaid with ivory or mother of pearl. In time the simple spiral was replaced by mechanical devices to make opening bottles easier still, some even had a small brush attached for cleaning dust from bottles removed after years of maturing in dusty cellars. More desirable and consequently more valuable are specimens with unusual attachments such as brush or bell cap (a metal piece to fit over the bottle neck), containing precious jewels or painstaking artwork.

* The Victorians’ love of all things new-fangled, somewhat risqué, and heavily ornate, spawned some of the most beautiful and highly prized items. They include a multitude of corkscrews just sold on eBay, with ‘Victorian’ in the title, that fetched forty to eighty pounds each, and all looking rather ordinary, with simple wooden handles and commonplace screw. Similar vintage items not labelled ‘Victorian’ reached lower prices. That word ‘Victorian’ could double your corkscrew’s value, as long as it’s true!

* My research revealed antique French creations fetching two to three times their corresponding English manufactures.

* Add something a little unusual or with separate use and corkscrew prices rise, such as a folding antique corkscrew that fetched £158.00, a French creation depicting a champagne bottle with pocket knife in the handle that made £159.99, and a UK corkscrew shaped like ladies’ legs that went for £185.00.

* The screw is sometimes called a ‘worm’ or ‘helix’ and was made from twisted wire or cast into shape. Because corkscrews were constantly used and in regular contact with water and alcohol, the worm on older corkscrews is frequently found broken, damaged or heavily rusted. Rust can be cleared or reduced with oil which also keeps moving parts in working order. Serious damage or sloppy repairs to screw or handle can render a common corkscrew almost worthless and will seriously reduce value of most highly prized specimens.

* The most collectible corkscrews are those with ornate handles, unusual mechanisms, popular maker’s name. Precious metals add significantly to resale value. Popular makers include Merritt, Gaskell and Chambers, Lund Lever, Samuel Pemberton.

* A past famous owner increases value significantly, and there are collectors specializing solely in items once owned by the likes of Al Capone and other gangsters alongside more respected citizens such as U.S. Presidents, well known entertainers, writers, and so on. Study the long list of corkscrews with past famous owners at the Virtual Corkscrew Museum: http://www.bullworks.net/virtual/signat.htm

* As for virtually any collectible, the addition of a popular theme or subject, for instance a dog or frog depiction, a sport or hobby, leads to multiple bidders from several eBay categories and can fetch unexpectedly high prices. By far the best corkscrew-related web site I studied values a corkscrew with rare Swedish penknife attached at £150 and another with a boy’s head made from a golf ball at £170. (http://www.corkscrewcentre.com - based in Brackley, Northants, UK).

USEFUL SITES

http://www.corkscrew.com
http://www.corkscrewcentre.com
http://www.bullworks.net/virtual/signat.htm (Virtual Corkscrew Museum)

When an eBay user gets registered he does so choosing the type of account he wants, that is, individual or business. However, this registration can be changed over a period of time if the user wishes to do so. The changing of account on eBay is very simple and involves a very few steps. For the two types of account inter changeability is possible in four steps each.

If you are an individual member and you want to make it as business account then first go to “My eBay” where you will find “My Account” link. Click on “My Account” and then click on the link stating “My Information”. In this you will find the personal information you had entered initially about yourself as an individual. When you have opened this link there you will see the “edit” link just besides the “Account Type”. Again, you will see a button - “Change to Business account”. Clicking on this link will change your individual account to Business account.

On the other hand, if you originally are holding the business account and you want to change it to individual type, the steps are exactly similar. Here, when you go to “My eBay” and click on “My account”, instead of “Personal Information” you will see the “Business Information” link. Opening this link will lead you to “edit” link near the “Account Type”. Clicking on “edit” will tell you to click on “Change to Individual Account”. Clicking on this link finishes your work and now you have become an individual member on eBay.

Donny Lowy runs http://www.closeoutexplosion.com an online wholesale and closeout business that supplies eBay sellers, retailers, and flea market vendors.

Writing up your auction listing is equally as important as taking your photo’s and pricing your auction. As I said previously, honesty is your best policy. If something has a small stain, list it in your auction listing. If there is minimal wash wear on your clothing items, then list it. Don’t try to fool your buyer, they have a “keener” eye than you might think. Consider this, they are purchasing something from someone that they cannot see, they cannot interact with, and they may not be able to return if they find that something is wrong with the item. In addition to this, they are paying for something before they have it, so they are placing a lot of “trust” in you the seller to give them the entire “scoop” on the item that you are selling.

Here is a list of items that should be included in your auction listing:

Name of item: be exact in your name and title. Give brand name and article name. Example: Gymboree Whale Watching Sailor Pants

Make of item: cotton, linen, silk, etc. be very specific, people have certain fabric and make preferences. Especially with children’s clothing.

Size: read the label, also if you are selling jeans or pants make sure to include your inseam, waist size, etc. If you are selling European sizes, please make sure to have a size chart with equivalent U.S sizes for those of us who don’t know the conversion of the sizes.

Condition of the item: make sure to include the following: wash wear, fading, pilling, stains, tearing, or pulling. I also add a rating system: fair, good, excellent, and like new. Keep in mind that what you may consider “like new” someone else may not, so try to remain objective in your listing.

Housing Conditions: where do you store your inventory? I always let people know that my items are in a “smoke free” and “pet free” home, and they are clean and washed prior to sending out.

Clear payment instructions: make sure you include clear and concise payment instructions. Don’t leave any room for misunderstanding. Be firm, but polite.

Clear shipping and return policies: again make sure that you include a clear and concise shipping and return policy. Also, be consistent in all of your listings.

Open yourself up to questions: Be personable and customer service oriented. I always let people know in all of my listings that they should feel free to email me if they have any further questions or concerns about the item.

Some great sites for listing information are:

1. Auction Insights

2. Here Comes The Stork

3. Auction Templates

4. Ebay’s own selling resources

Robyn Ann Johnson
http://www.themomscafe.net

Question: I think sellers should note the odor of the book when rating its condition. I’m referring to the smell of mold or mildew, cigarette smoke, and mothballs, etc. I’m not talking about just the normal smell of old paper. But there seems to be no official guidelines, what should be done?

Answer: No book condition-rating guidelines mention odor. I’ve bought books on eBay which have smelled horrible, yet the seller rated their condition “very good.” Now I always ask about odor before purchasing a used book.

Mold and mildew can really bother people. Even though I’ve never been diagnosed with allergies, one whiff of mold or mildew gives me a headache that can last three days!

Sellers are divided. Half think the odor has nothing to do with the condition rating; others not only consider it in the condition rating, but also mention it in their auction.

Sometimes people who live in damp areas such as New England are exposed to mildew odors so much, they don’t notice them anymore. Our noses get used to smells that we are exposed to, and they get desensitized to it. Perhaps the booksellers don’t even realize their books reek.

I try to avoid buying books with odors. Sometimes I’ll buy a book at a library sale and forget to check it. Rather than just toss it in the trash I try to fix it. I’ve been using Tidy Cat brand cat litter to rid books of odors, but it’s not foolproof. Sometimes a couple of months later, the mildew odor returns. Cigarette smoke and mothball odor also come out with Tidy Cat, and those don’t seem to return.

People have very different senses of smell. For example, I absolutely love the smell of mothballs, while most people detest it. I think I’m lucky here in Northern Virginia because the air gets extremely dry during the winter, which probably retards the growth of mold and odors. My used book stock turns over fairly rapidly too, which probably doesn’t hurt.

With a rare book, it might pay to invest some time in deodorizing the book. I’ve heard of lots of techniques for freshening up used books, including cat litter, cedar chips, and baking soda.

See a real-time list of the most highly sought after used and collectible books.

Read more free articles on selling used books profitably online: http://www.weberbooks.com/selling/selling.htm

Steve Weber is author of “The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books on Amazon, eBay or Your Own Web Site” (ISBN 0977240606). Got a question for Steve? Send to: steve_weber@yahoo.com

Remember when Otis Redding sang, “Sittin’ on the dock of the bay, wastin’ time…” For those of you too young to remember, suffice to say that it is a classic. It is a catchy tune that drones through your head all day long after you have heard it, and the whistling at the end is habit forming, too. So why would I infer that eBay has anything to do with “sittin’ and wastin’ time”?

If you don’t know what you are doing as you strive to become a seller on eBay, you could be wasting your time or fooling yourself into thinking that you have found a way to make a fortune. What is it you should know about eBay and the cost of doing business on eBay? This can best be summed up with two things - many kinds of eBay fees and PayPal fees. I bring this to your attention so that you go into an eBay relationship with your eyes wide open.

It would be like having a garage sale at your home and not factoring in the cost of placing an ad in the newspaper and paying your kids to watch and help sell the items. Sometimes you can go to all of the work of having a garage sale, and it can be a bust after you deduct the cost of having the sale. The same goes for auctioning items on eBay. After you pay the eBay fees, sometimes there isn’t much left. So you ask yourself as you look at the quarter, two dimes, and a nickel in the palm of your hand, “Was this really worth it?” Could be “yes”; could be “no.”

The old phrase, “…nickel and dime you to death,” comes to mind when I think about the eBay insertion fees, the eBay seller fees, and the PayPal (also owned by eBay) fees. One of the keys to being successful on eBay is to get the most from your listing and minimize the fees that you pay for listing your item. A person needs to do research to come up with a price that will allow for a reasonable profit after the “cost of doing business” is subtracted from the selling price. Taking an eBay class would help beginners with making the most out of their listings where the following costs are explained.

Insertion Fees - This is the price that you are charged for listing an item on eBay. When you list an item, the fee is automatically charged to your seller’s account. These fees are not refundable. The basic insertion fees follow a sliding scale. For example, if an item is listed for $1.00 to $9.99 the insertion fee is $0.35, and an item listed for $50.00 to $199.99 cost $2.40 in insertion fees. However, there are many other things that can be done to enhance a listing. They all have a cost factor. The first picture is free, but additional pictures are $0.15 each. To supersize a picture it would be $0.75. What if you want a border, subtitle, bold, gallery, 10 day auction, and gift services? Yes, you can do that, but each has a cost factor from $.0.50 to $3.00. It can certainly add up if you are not careful.

Buy It Now - This is the feature that a buyer clicks if he or she wants to buy an item immediately. They are prompted to use PayPal and to pay for the item. To protect the seller the item does remain available to other buyers until the payment is completed. A buyer who is the first to send the PayPal payment through gets the item. This feature can be used with any of the other selling formats. However, the “Buy It Now” disappears once a bid is placed (if it is an auction item). Of course, there is a cost for this feature which ranges from $0.05 to $0.25.

Reserve Fees - As a protection to the seller, a reserve price may be initiated so that you don’t sell the item below a certain price. A seller reserves the right not to sell below that designated price, and the seller uses this option to motivate buyers to bid. A potential buyer may be discouraged if the starting price is too high, but a low starting price could backfire if a reserve is not preset. There is a fee for this, of course. The good news is that the reserve fee is refunded if the item is successfully sold. The bad news is that the fee is not refunded if the item doesn’t sell. Kind of like a double whammy, in my opinion.

Final Value Fees - When your item is sold, eBay charges a Final Value Fee. Even if the sale is not completed the fee will be applied. However, you can request a full credit if the buyer did not buy the item or backs out of the deal. Depending on whether the sale was from a regular auction, a store inventory, or eBay motor vehicles the costs may vary on the final value fee .

Pay Pal Fees - Signing up for PayPal is quick and easy. It is a real advantage for sellers because you are able to receive payments very quickly. There is no monthly fees or set up fees. The other good news is that the transaction fees are less than most merchant fees for taking a credit card. The other positives are that there is fraud protection., and Paypal is all available in 38 countries.

As you can see there are many ways that eBay makes money from the fee structures in place, but they are in business to make money. One rationale that is touted as the party line in the eBay schools is that it would be much more to sell items if a person opened a store instead of using the Internet. We are reminded that there would be rent, utilities, and many other things a store owner would need. Their contention is that it has to be worth something.

Just think about how many times someone has complained about wanting to get rid of some items stored in the garage? And how many times has someone else said, “Why don’t you sell it on eBay?” It is such a widely known entity and has such a worldwide Internet presence that you just about have to do it. Knowing up front about the various fees and the best way to list your item could help you be successful. You need to plan carefully and work wisely so that you are not “sittin’ on the dock of eBay, wastin’ time.”

Copyright usage: No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links included. Comments or questions can be sent to Barb@sbmag.org

Barbara Snyder M.A. is a retired California Distinguished School Principal and Coordinator For Human Resources. She has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She holds elementary education, secondary, community college, and administrative credentials. She is currently the publisher of http://EducationResourcesNetwork.com, and Strictly Business Magazine, http://www.sbmag.org and Student Teacher Supervisor at Chapman University. Comments or questions can be sent to Barb@sbmag.org

So your buyer has paid on time, you’ve shipped them the item, and they’ve left you positive feedback. Everything is going great! You know that leaving your buyer some nice feedback will finish everything off, and make them glad they chose to buy from you.

When you see that little feedback box, though, you might find that you have no idea what to write to make your buyer happiest. Well, here’s a guide.

Don’t write “A++++++++”. Once upon a time, leaving grades on eBay buyers actually meant something. Now, though, writing an ‘A’ and filling the rest of the space with pluses seems to have become a common way of saying ‘good’. The meaning of the grades is gone entirely - no one ever leaves a B-, after all - so it’s a pretty useless thing to write. Try something more descriptive.

‘Prompt/fast/instant payment’. Did the buyer get on PayPal within hours or even minutes of winning the auction and pay you as quickly as they could? If they did, then your comment should include the words ‘prompt payment’. This is a big thing for buyers, as other sellers will really prefer to deal with someone they know will pay on time.

‘Great communication’. If you found the buyer was very responsive to all your emails, then point this out. It’s especially worth putting this if there was a problem that you had to overcome, and the buyer was co-operative and easy to work with.

‘A pleasure to deal with’. If this was one of those very easy transactions where nothing went wrong, then you should put that the buyer was a pleasure to deal with, or ‘the way ebay should be’, or just a ‘great ebayer’.

‘Great as always’. When it’s the second or third time that the buyer has bought from you, make sure to point it out. The fact that they go back to the same seller more than once and build up a relationship is a good thing for them to have on their record.

The Main Rule: Praise to the Skies.

Think of anything good you have to say and try to fit as much of it as you can in that limited space. Don’t worry too much about punctuation. Here’s a good example comment: “Instant payment, great communication - excellent buyer!”.

As a side effect, this then gives you the power to leave slightly negative feedback for some buyers without actually having to make it negative, like this: “Paid quite quickly, communication fine”. Making very short, to-the-point comments also reflects badly on the buyer: if you just write “OK”, it means “I really wanted to leave a neutral or a negative”. Don’t do this if that’s not the meaning you intend.

Don’t spend too much time agonising over what to write in your feedback comments, though - the chances are you’ll be leaving hundreds every week. You might find it worthwhile to come up with a few standard ones for different situations, and use eBay’s Selling Manager to leave feedback in bulk.

Of course, before you can leave your buyer any feedback, you need to make sure they’ve paid you. Luckily getting your buyer to pay is easy, as eBay handle most of it for you. In the next email, we’ll take a tour of eBay’s checkout.

Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

At times things can get a bit hectic while trying to run your eBay business. You have so many things to do like managing your lists, collecting payments and shipping your products out to customers. You need to develop a system that works so that you get the most production out of the time and money you have invested into your eBay business. This article will offer you some tips to keep in mind when trying to manage your eBay business and make things run smoothly.

Using Templates - Most professional eBay sellers use templates for all the auctions they post. By using a professional looking template you can increase your selling price and make buyers take you more seriously. If you’re not experienced enough with computer to create your own templates then you should consider paying someone to create a few for you. When you are using templates, not only do your auctions look more professional, but it saves you valuable time as well. You simply plug all the information for the specific item you are selling into your template and you’re ready to go. No longer do you have to worry about formatting and making it look nice because that’s already done for you.

Have a Listing Strategy - Most potential buyers will look at your other auctions as well. You want to make sure to list similar items at the same time. This way if they look at one of your items, but it’s not quite what they’re looking for, they may like another similar item that you posted better. This gives you more than one chance to get a purchase from that person. You can also post items that compliment each other and possibly get two sales from the same person. You can even offer a deal on shipping if the customer purchases both items.

Group Items Into The Same Listing - Maybe you have an item that you’re not sure will sell. You can try to group this item with a better item and list them together. You can throw the additional item in as a bonus. This can help push a buyer over the edge to bid and can even raise your potential sales price.

Sell By The Season - It’s important that you are selling items that are good for the season that you are selling in. You don’t want to be selling beach towels during Christmas or winter jackets during July. Keep in mind that you also don’t want to sell an item during the peak because then you have more competition, try to get your item up before the rush of the season hits.

Think About Potential Questions - You want to provide as much information in your description as possible. The more potential questions you can answer in your description, the better. This way you’ll spend less time replying to emails from potential customers. If a customer has a question, many times they will just move onto another auction and won’t even bother asking you. So you need to try to anticipate any potential questions and make sure they are answered clearly in your auction. Keep your terms and conditions very clear as well. These include: shipping rates and options, discounts, payment method and so forth.

Create A Mailing List - Set up a mailing list or newsletter that your buyers can sign up for. This way you can contact them whenever you have a new item listed. Remember that your customer list, is your most valuable asset. If they have already bought from you and you made sure they were satisfied, then you have a pretty good chance that they will buy from you again if you treat them right.

Smart Shipping - You can now purchase and print your USPS and UPS labels from home online. Just use your PayPal funds to pay for postage and drop the boxes off at the post office, or you can even schedule a pick up from your home. This saves you time because you don’t have to go wait in line at the post office, and we all know there is always a line! You can set it up so that your buyers are automatically given a tracking number as well.

Your Feedback Rating - Your feedback rating is the most important part of your eBay business that you need to maintain. The better your feedback rating, the more you can sell your items for. Protect your feedback rating, no matter what the cost. This is one of those things where the customer is always right. It’s your job to make your customers happy, so do whatever it takes.

By using the tips that I have given you in this article you have the potential to increase your profits on eBay. You will also give yourself extra time to do other things in your life. When running your eBay business, you want to always be looking for ways to streamline and automate your business, so keep your eyes open for those opportunities. The tips in this article should put you on the right track.

This article was written on behalf of eBayBusiness.net by Webmaster and Internet Marketing Specialist Jason Cooper. Visit http://www.ebaybusiness.net and download 3 Free eBay Business eBooks today! (c) 2006, eBayBusiness.net. This article may be reproduced in all venues so long as the content and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are set live.

Let’s take a look at the possibility of earning extra income with online auctions. You probably know someone who’s done this successfully. And, although it doesn’t generally have huge financial potential, it can be a good way to bring in extra cash for someone who’s retired or for a stay at home Mom.

An online auction business offers great flexibility. For example, during the day, you might take the children with you while you shop at yard sales and for other bargains. This could even be a fun learning experience for the kids. Then, after bedtime, you can input all of your auction items.

A good way to get started is by visiting www.ebay.com, www.yahoo.com and www.amazon.com. Once you’ve done some research and know your way around the sites, you’ll want to start scooping up bargains at garage and yard sales, flea markets, close outs, thrift shops, etc.

Look for new, used and handmade items that you can auction off for more than you pay for them. You’ll need to write a description, give an opening price and post a photo. Most sites charge a nominal listing fee of about 50 cents plus a small percentage of around 5% of your final selling price.

Checking out reference books like “Flea Market Trader” and “Garage Sale and Flea Market Annual” can help you to learn the current market value of things and to recognize “hot stuff” when you see it. The more experience you get and the more research you do on the collectibles market, the better your buying power and sales profits will become.

Katie Byrd will take you by the hand and teach you the skills she’s used to journey from a financially strapped, bad credit nightmare to debt free abundant living. To find out more visit: http://abundanceandwealth.bellaonline.com

Small businesses that complain that eBay is taking their business should jump on the eBay train before it leaves them behind. eBay is not only for baseball cards and antiques anymore. Many places have an online eBay Store to supplement their walk-ins during the slow times, and to sell off-season or obsolete inventory. Besides Christmas being a good time to sell just about anything, there are going to be seasonal slow times that will bring your sales to a crawl. Also, especially in any kind of electronics business, the products you are selling today will be very different from what you are going to be selling in six months.

So what do you do with the excess inventory? Sell it on eBay. Most people don’t mind not having the next big thing. As long as your thing meets their needs, they will be happy to buy it from you.

Next, you’re scared and don’t know how to sell on eBay. You don’t want to pay someone to do it for you, and your little brother’s friend is not the best instructor. Enter eBay’s education specialists. These are people who are trained and certified by eBay to teach you The Basics of eBay Selling, Advanced eBay Selling Techniques, and The Basics of Buying on eBay courses. These courses are professionally developed by eBay and the instructors have the latest data and material to help you learn how to sell on eBay.

You may have seen info-mercials, heard radio ads and tried to read eBay for Dummies, but you still aren’t getting it or trusting where you are getting the information from. The classes taught by eBay Education Specialists are not designed to make you an overnight millionaire, or get you involved in some scheme that makes them more money than you will. They are there because they love what they do and want to teach others how to do it right. It is a way of strengthening the entire eBay Community to do things right, to treat people right and to know what the right things are to do in order for everyone to succeed.

In closing, do not be scared of eBay but rather embrace it. Learn how to do it right from the right people and you will succeed.

Doug Luthringer is a certified eBay education specialist who has taught more than 150 students The Basics of eBay Selling course and The Advanced eBay Selling Techniques course. He has been selling on eBay for nearly six years and has completed over 1800 eBay transactions and has over 1150 unique positive comments with no negative feedback. Doug has also been invited to be a guest speaker to talk about how to sell on eBay and the use of Google AdWords to small and medium size business, as well as university students. You can get more information about Doug and his eBay selling book at http://www.Thefastmall.com

Of course, you can sell stuff on eBay. But that’s not the real question.

The real question is can you build a business selling products on eBay?

The answer to this question is also yes if:

You can find a decent market niche and if

You make your own products or if

You can find a company that will sell to you at a real wholesale price and if

You have space to warehouse the quantity of products you will need to buy to qualify for a wholesale price and if

You have the time and inclination to pack and ship all those products yourself.

Why do I say this? It’s because, in my experience, the alternatives just don’t work well.

Flea markets and garage sales

Some experts suggest that you work garage sales and flea markets to find items to sell. There are two problems with this. First, you have to know what specific items will sell for on eBay in order to know what to pay for them. This means you have to do a lot of research so when you see that nice, blue glass plate for $3.00, you know it will sell for at least $15 and not $3.50.

Second, if you depend on flea markets and garage sales for your auction items, you will never have a dependable supply of product. In other words, you might find a lot of good stuff one month and clear, say, $200. But the next month you just can’t find as many items and your profit drops to $50. This means you’ve averaged just $125 for the two months. And how much driving and walking around did you have to do to earn that $125?

Drop shipping

A second alternative is a strategy called drop shipping. The way this works is you create a relationship with a wholesaler, put its products on eBay, sell the products, and pay the wholesaler who then packs and ships the products for you.

Here’s the catch. Your profit is the difference between what you have to pay the wholesaler and what you can sell the products for on eBay. And there’s the problem. Since you know what you will have to pay for a product, say $25 for a nice lambs wool sweater, you have to either start the auction at around $25 to avoid losing money, or do a “buy it now” for maybe $40 to get a $15 profit.

Oh, wait a minute. You have to pay the drop shipper to pack and ship the product - say $5 — so your profit drops to $10. Plus, you check eBay and find that similar sweaters are selling for around $25. So, what are the chances you’ll be able to sell yours for $40 or even $30?

This leaves the two alternatives where I believe you can build a business on eBay, again assuming you find a good niche. The first is to make the products yourself. The second is to find a company that will sell to you at a true wholesale price … assuming you have the space and inclination to warehouse and ship everything yourself.

If so go for it. I wish you success.

Here’s an alternative that’s free and makes sense for just about everyone. It’s called HD radio, a new technology that enables AM and FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally, a tremendous technological leap from today’s familiar analog broadcasts. These digital broadcasts provide listeners with radically improved audio quality, more radio channels through multicasting, and new data services. To learn more about this amazing new technology, just go my Web site, http://www.hd-radio-home.com, to get all the buzz.

Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive and the author of numerous articles on HD radio, old time radio and family finances.