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June 27 , 2005

In this issue:
* So Much For A "Lazy" Summer
* REAL Competition for eBay???
* Perry Marshall & 1% Improvement
* Feature Article: Do Idiotic Questions (You've Already Answered) Drive You Crazy?
* The Sad Death Of Common Sense
* Recent Blog Entries

So Much For A "Lazy" Summer

Wow, it's been six weeks since the last issue of this ezine. I had no idea it had been so long until I started getting emails saying, "Where have you been? Are you still in the land of the living?"

Yes, still here - just taking our business in a whole new direction. We're adding online stores as fast as we can build them, and there's a lot of learning when you do something new. As we begin getting results from our new efforts, we'll be telling you about it.

So much for a "lazy" summer. We're working harder than ever. How about you?

REAL Competition for eBay???

Did you know that Yahoo auctions has now quit charging to sell on their site? That's right - no costs, not a single penny. As of June 6, there are no listing or closing fees! This is one time we can truly say, "Yahoo!"

http://auctions.yahoo.com

Also, gutsy Overstock is fighting a guerilla war with eBay and having some success, too. Their share of the online auction biz is really growing. In fact, they sent a car to eBay Live that was covered with overstock auction ads. Now that's chutzpah.

We can't really know how much affect this will have on the eBay market share, but as sellers, we can only cheer on more competition.

Perry Marshall & 1% Improvement

When asked his opinion of the greatest invention in the world, Albert Einstein replied, "Compound interest".

I was privileged to hear Perry Marshall, the AdSense expert, speak in person at a seminar given by Brad Fallon and Andy Jenkins, authors of Stomp The Search Engines.

http://stomper.auctionknowhow.com

I learned a lot from what Perry had to say, but one thing has really stayed with me. He said that if we improve just 1% every day, thanks to compound interest, at the end of a year we will have improved 3,000%.

Since I don't know how to figure compound interest, I'll take his word for the increase. But the power of this notion isn't really about percentages. It's that it makes dramatic improvement so easy, so do-able. After all, if you're asked to improve your performance just a measly one percent, that sounds easy enough. I can think of dozens of ways to improve my habits by such a tiny amount.

And one thing is for sure ... <anything> will be dramatically better long before we reach 3,000%.

Feature Article: Do Idiotic Questions (You've Already Answered) Drive You Crazy?

Do idiotic questions sometimes drive you to run screaming through the house? If so, here's a partial solution ...

On my auction listing for the book Chris Malta and I wrote together, Product Sourcing Scams Revealed, I wrote about a ridiculous directory that supposedly reveals deep-dark-secret sources for Sony products and other digital cameras for 80% off.

This absurd example goes like this ...

One of the cameras that can supposedly be bought for 80% off is a Sony Handycam. Going to the Sony site itself, we find the same camera displayed in the auction, the Sony DCR-HC40, selling for $599.99 retail.

At 80% off, we will pay $120 for this camera.

Checking recently completed auctions, we find these prices:

* SONY DCR-HC40 DIGITAL MINIDV CAMCORDER PRO KIT NEW: $629.99
* SONY DCR-HC40 DIGITAL CAMCORDER PRO KIT: $475.00
* SONY DIGITAL CAMCORDER DCR-HC40 PROFESSIONAL KIT NEW NR: $462.00
* FREE SHIPPING NEW Sony Handycam DCR HC40: $449.00
* Sony Handycam DCR HC40 (MiniDV Camcorder): $434.99

IF I could really buy this camera for $120, at the cheapest price above, my profits would range from $314.99 to $509.99.

If you could make profits like this, would you sell your source to strangers for one cent? I don't think so. In fact, the whole idea is so absurd it's not worth talking about, yet here is an email I received last week:

Will your ebook have the item Sony Handycam DCR-HC40? How much is it and would I have to buy in bulk or pay a membership fee?

Beyond belief, isn't it?

Here's one suggestion ... why not create an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)? You can link to it from every page of your auctions, whether or not you put information directly on the listing or not. In fact, if you put your FAQ's on your About Me page, you will increase traffic to that page - and it is a spot where you can advertise almost anything you wish. Like off-eBay goodies ...

Naturally, everybody won't read your comments, no matter what you do. Some ridiculous questions are unavoidable because most people just don't read carefully. But every question you don't answer is extra time you can spend on the two activities that make you money on eBay ... finding products and writing listings.

The Sad Death Of Common Sense

I received this in a recent email and I have no idea who wrote it, but it certainly resonates with me. What do you think?

"Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend by the name of Common Sense who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge). His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; however they could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Finally, Common sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still know him pass this on, if not join the majority and do nothing."

Recent Blog Entries

* eBay Sellers Speak Out At eBay Live
* Google Wallet Stirs Massive Speculation
* Stomp The Search Engines | Feed Stomper Apprentice Program
* Laptop Computer Auction Arguably Best Selling Item on eBay

http://auction-genius-course.com/blog