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"EBAY SELLING" EZINE

November 24, 2003

In this issue:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. Happy Thanksgiving!
2. Your 2nd Easiest Stream Of Income (After eBay)
3. Would You Believe ... $10,100 for a coat hanger???
Feature Article: Who Runs YOUR Auction Business?
NEWS FROM EBAY
1. eBay's New Subtitles
2. eBay's Feedback Abuse and Removal Policy
3. PayPal Buyer Protection
From Our Humor Department

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving if you live in the USA and happy Thanksgiving if you don't. We have so many blessings on this beautiful jewel of a planet and all we have to do is notice them. Our lives are enriched when we do. So, take a moment to appreciate all the good things in your life and I guarantee you will feel better.

Your 2nd Easiest Stream Of Income (After eBay)

As you all know, I believe in multiple streams of income. Ebay is definitely the easiest way that I know to make money on the net and one of my biggest sources of income. Up until now, I haven't recommended anything else except in a general way. But that has changed.

In the past three months I have been experimenting with Google AdWords and I have to tell you that I am terrifically excited about it.

Here is a perfect description of AdWords: it is “one of the most profound developments in the whole history of advertising. It allows us to spend 5 bucks and instantaneously have access to 100 million people and specifically razor sharp target just the people you want with just the message you want. It only targets them when they're looking for what you've got.”

Google gets 200 million searches per day, so its traffic is enormous. With AdWords, you can have an ad up and running in five minutes, with sales following soon behind.

Like everything else, though, it's never as easy as it appears on the surface. When AdWords first appeared, I saw the possibilities and immediately jumped right in. Several hundred dollars later I had almost nothing to show for my efforts, so I quit in disgust and ignored it for months.

Recently, though, I got wiser and have been studying it intensively. Spending only a small amount each day, and testing and tweaking, I tried again. Now older and wiser and I have been succeeding gloriously! You can see the results of my first “real” AdWords campaign here:

http://1st-online-classes.com/adwords/clickbank.shtml

(The buyers names were removed for privacy reasons).

My cost to AdWords for these results was $128.65.

AdWords offers many of the highly desirable features of eBay:

1. Large numbers of buyers
2. Targeted traffic
3. It is inexpensive – although not as cheap as eBay

But it has one great advantage that eBay does not: you can sell affiliate products directly! We know that eBay doesn't lend itself to directly selling affiliate products. The leading pay per click search engine, Overture, doesn't allow it either. With Overture, you must create your own page about an affiliate product – then you can send buyers to the site to buy. With AdWords you can send buyers directly and collect a commission for sales. This is way better than dropshipping!

One of my Genius course members has been learning Adwords along with me and here's what he did:

1. He used methods we discussed in class and found a very profitable line of nostalgic bottle openers that have been selling very well on eBay.

2. Next, he opened an eBay store selling just these openers.

3. Now he is using AdWords to drive sellers to his store.

So, here's the deal: I am teaching a "live" 2 hour class on Adwords. In fact, I'm going to teach two of them:

December 2 at 8 PM Eastern time
December 3 at 11 AM Eastern time

Not only am I going to cover all the basics of AdWords, but I am going to throw in something really great. At the moment, THE Google Adwords expert on the net is named Perry Marshall. He has done an approximately 2 hour seminar on AdWords, which includes an audio and written transcript and sells for $79. I've bought reprint rights for this and am including it with my class at no extra charge. You can see Perry's class here:

http://cyberwave.com/adwords.html

My class costs $49 and will never be this cheap again.

You can sign up HERE

This offer includes:

• Approximately four hours of class instruction from Perry and me
  
• Access to the transcript of Perry's class
  
• A password protected area that includes all the materials covered in our class
  
• A links and resources page
  
• A signup for a periodic newsletter when new AdWord developments occur – as we can be certain they will

Please note: there is only room for 20 people in each class, and there are only 6 spots left in the daytime class and 4 in the evening class. So, if you want to attend, sign up quickly.

Hope to see you there!

Would You Believe ... $10,100 for a coat hanger???

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2869761565

I just can't comment on this one! No words are adequate!

Feature Article: Who Runs YOUR Auction Business?

Take a look at this auction:

http://auctionknowhow.com/listing/bcase.shtml

The seller is offering a leather briefcase that was featured on the front page of eBay, meaning listing costs of $199.

This auction is an example of what I mean when I say that we can get a stream of income going and keep it going for a long, long time. The briefcase in the auction below is one that I sold 4-5 YEARS ago!

To me, it's "old hat", but there are tens of thousands of new bidders pouring into eBay every month, and to them this is exciting stuff. This seller is doing exactly what I did years ago. I could STILL be doing this, if I wanted to - and so can any of you. A Genius students reports on an item that he buys for 34 cents - and he's been getting $9-$10 for each one! I sold this knife years ago.

A student took issue with this briefcase auction because of the shipping charges of $15.50, which she said were excessive. According to her, this auction is a “semi-scam”. Others think that since the shipping charges were clearly posted on the listing, the buyers had no room for complaint.

The briefcase auction is quite unimportant, but it raises some really interesting questions. Shipping has been a hot topic on eBay from the very beginning, and obviously still is.

The economics are that the seller is charging $24 for his briefcase: $8.50 auction price, $15.50 for shipping and handling. With such a large number for sale, he knew in advance that the price wasn't going to go anywhere.

Let's look at his costs: the cost of the merchandise + shipping would be approximately $13. He would pay eBay about $3.50/case (since it was featured from the front page) and about another 50 cents in shipping charges from his supplier, bringing his costs to about $17, or a profit of $7/item.

Are his shipping costs extravagant? If a customer thinks they are out of line, why did he bid? Complaining after the fact seems pretty weak. Also, the argument that “I didn't really read your listing which is why I didn't know the shipping costs” seems inadequate, too. Where is the buyer's responsibility? The seller makes the offer: a bidder can take it or leave it.

The question from the customer perspective really should be: is this item worth $24 to me? If it is, then bid on it. If it isn't, don't bid.

The marketplace will “police” this kind of auction. If there is no demand, merchandise won't sell and eventually sellers will quit offering it. One of the strengths of eBay, from the perspective of the buyer, is the competition. This isn't a rare and unique item. There are briefcases everywhere, and if I object to the price I'm sure I can find one elsewhere.

Here are the comments of an outspoke Genius student, Paul Ellis, on this issue:

I am totally amazed by anyone who would entertain the idea of allowing a customer to dictate to them what their business policies are. If I say the shipping charges are $X.xx and the customer does not want to pay it, they can go somewhere else.

When is the last time any of us saw anything on a TV commercial that didn't have some shipping charge that is obviously higher than the actual cost? CD's normally cost $6.95 S&H on TV. Most everything else is at least $9.95... often more. That's shipping AND handling people! It's an accepted business practice. We all know it's more than the actual shipping cost alone and we accept it.

Have any of you ever ordered anything from a catalog, a TV commercial or an ad in a newspaper or magazine? If you do not pay the stated shipping charges, you don't get your order, simple as that. Try it... try sending Sears or Spiegel or any other mail order outfit whatever you THINK the shipping should be. I promise you'll just get your money back. At best, you'll get a phone call telling you there was a mistake with your payment and your order won't be shipped until they get their money.

Reading the "fine print" is also something that has come to be expected and accepted. We all KNOW to read the fine print for any tricky stuff, but if we don't and there IS tricky stuff in it, too bad for not reading it first. That saying didn't just get made up, y'know?

Like my mother used to tell me, "If you fall down and break your leg, don't come running to me!" I am sick and tired of all the blame passing and lack of personal responsibility. I am responsible for MYSELF and I expect others to be responsible for THEMSELVES... end of story!

As for making money off shipping and handling... it's self-defining. Shipping AND handling. Handling is the expense incurred in labor and materials to package and ship an item. It can also include clerical operations, warehousing and any of a number of other expenses involved in delivering the product.

You either charge shipping AND handling, or raise the retail price to cover it. We are NOT in charity mode here, people! One way or another, a profit MUST be made. Expenses MUST be met or we close up shop.

If a person is selling an item normally valued at $19.95 for $3 and the shipping is $12, it's still a deal, right? What's the problem?

I can write volumes on the topic of transferring blame and my personal opinions of lawyers, juries, the judiciary and the litigious nature our society has adopted. Let it suffice for me to say I have little or no use for most of them. I spent a long time, in another lifetime, immersed in all of it and I'm sick of them all.

I think the outcome would be better if civil litigants were given sticks and locked in a room to see who wins. Picture this: A woman with a burned lap vs. Ronald McDonald. I'd pay to see that!

The freakin' coffee cup ain't big enough to put all the warnings on it that stupid people would need. Not to mention the time the kid at the drive-up window would have to spend making absolutely certain the idiot understood why they should not place a paper cup full of hot liquid between their legs while trying to operate an automobile.

Sue me for downloading music? Give me a stick and put me in a room with a record company executive. I'd be home, listening to more music by noon! HAH! I'm a little over weight and I like fast food. I have never in my life entertained the thought of suing a restaurant because I ate too much of their greasy food.

Speaking of hitting people with sticks, I think it might be great sport and a good idea for a reality TV show to let people hit lawyers with sticks. I'd be the first contestant in line!

What do YOU think of this auction? And what do you think of Paul's idea about a new reality show? :-) All feedback welcomed.

News From eBay
eBay's New Subtitles

As you undoubtedly know if you have sold on eBay, there is a limit to the number of characters you can use in your very important title. Recently eBay has allowed the use of “subtitles”, giving buyers 45 more spaces at a cost of 50 cents. For more information go here:

http://pages.ebay.com/sell/subtitle/

Are sellers using this space wisely? Some are and some ... well, it's questionable. For example:

Title: $50 POLICE SWAT KNIFE- BLOWOUT-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subtitle: FREE SHIPING! GREAT GIFTS! SAVE $45.00

Apart from the spelling error above, the subtitle is more effective than the title. This part: “BLOWOUT-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” really is a waste of valuable space. The primary way that buyers find merchandise on eBay is with KEYWORDS. Absolutely no one will put either “blowout” or exclamation points in a keyword search.

This is an effective use of the subtitle, although the 95 pound loss seems absurd. The Atkins diet is quite popular now, and the subtitle will appeal to its followers, while the 3 free gifts will appeal to any buyer.

Title: PayPal & StormPay Cash for You
Subtitle: Get Started Now

This subtitle is a waste of 50 cents. Telling a buyer to get started now creates zero sense of urgency and adds no additional information about the product above.

Can the subtitle be valuable? Absolutely! But think it through before adding another 50 cents in overhead. One of the primary rules of business is: keep that overhead down!

eBay's Feedback Abuse and Removal Policy

It used to be that once feedback was left, it was there forever. Fortunately, this is no longer the case and feedback violating certain rules can now be removed. To see the updated police, go to:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-removal.html

PayPal Buyer Protection

Auction fraud is often in the news these days – and such stories don't help our sales!

In response, eBay and PayPal have launched a new PayPal Buyer Protection, to increase buyer confidence and help sales. I received an email which said, “With your outstanding reputation and feedback on eBay, you may be eligible to have PayPal Buyer Protection offered on your eBay listings. To see whether you're eligible, log in to your PayPal account and click the Seller Eligibility link from your Profile.”

When PayPal Buyer Protection is offered on your listings, your buyers' purchases are covered up to $500 by PayPal, with no additional costs.

If you're eligible, the PayPal Buyer Protection icon will automatically appear on your qualified listings. 98% of your feedback must be positive to be qualify. For more information go here:

http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_pbp-info-outside

Good for eBay and PayPal!

From Our Humor Department

Believe it or not, these are supposed to be TRUE stories! Amazing.

Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets.

"We don't have half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter.

"You don't?" I answered.

"We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply.

"So I can't order a half-dozen nuggets, but I can order six?"

"That's right."

So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets.

The paragraph above doesn't amaze me because of what had happened a couple of months ago. I was checking out at the local Foodland with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine.

I picked up one of those "dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the divider looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me "Do you know how much this is?" and I said to her "I've changed my mind; I don't think I'll buy that today." She said "OK" and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened.....

A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM "thingy".

I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. Do you need some help? I asked.

She replied, "I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door un-locker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?"

"Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm too?" I asked. "No, just this remote thingy," she answered, handing it and the car keys to me.

As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, "Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk.

Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, "I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?"

"Just use copier machine paper," the secretary told her.

With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five "blank" copies.

I was in a car dealership a while ago, when a large motor home was towed into the garage. The front of the vehicle was in dire need of repair and the whole thing generally looked like an extra in the movie “Twister."

I asked the manager what had happened. He told me that the driver had set the "cruise control" and then went in the back to make a sandwich.

Police in Radnor, Pennsylvania, interrogated a suspect by placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with wires to a photocopy machine. The message "He's lying" was placed in the copier, and police pressed the copy button each time they thought the suspect wasn't telling the truth. Believing the "lie detector" was working, the suspect confessed.

"Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid."

John Wayne