Auction Gold Ezine: Make Money With Online Auctions

August 22, 2003

In this issue:
* Announcements
1. New Auction Genius Course
2. An Ezine “Re-Do”
3. “New” AuctionKnowHow
* Feature Article: How To Develop And Sell Turnkey Websites On eBay
* Protecting Your PayPal Account
* News From eBay
1. Shipping Calculator!
2. Sell Your Services on eBay
3. eBay Merchandising Calendar
* WalMart Ought To Be Ashamed (Although They're Obviously Not)
* Are You Stressed?
* From The Humor Department

Announcements
1. New Autumn Auction Genius Course

We have a new Auction Genius Course© starting on September 6 at 10 AM Eastern time. In case you're not familiar with the classes, they're 16 hours of online instruction. For two hours each Saturday, you and I and a small group of other serious students will spend two hours learning the online auction business. You can ask questions, interact with other students and get whatever help you need. The class is 8 weeks long and the content is briefly reviewed here:

http://auction-genius-course.com

You can try it out for two weeks, and if you don't like it, you can get your money back. (But, we've never had a refund on this live course!)

We've added hours of bonus recorded classes on such subjects as:

* How to make your own eBay catalog (and WHY you should make one quickly)
* Approximately four hours about creating digital products to sell on eBay
* About shipping and handling
* How to create confidence in your buyer
* Do I have to pay taxes on my eBay business?

There are more bonus classes, with others being added this fall. For example, we are recording one next week on how to make your computer secure so that no one can sneak in a nasty virus, steal your passwords or get ahold of your account numbers.

In addition, there are over 50 downloads, ebooks and sources available to all students.

http://auction-genius-course.com

Hope to see you online two weeks from tomorrow! :-)

2. An Ezine “Re-Do”

Wow, the internet is tough these days! Perhaps you're aware of the nasty virus epidemic this week? The result is that lots of mail isn't getting through, so I've decided to make a couple of changes:

* Like other ezine publishers, I am going to send out my “regular” email like this one – then follow up a couple of days later with a reference to the online version.

* My ezines as usually sooooooooo long, so I am going to start sending shorter ezines but more often.

Actually, I've been pretty delinquent this summer, but fall is fast approaching and it's time to get back to work. The kids have been back in school for two weeks here in metro Atlanta. Many systems wait until Labor Day, but that's only two weeks away. Then, on to the biggest season of the year on eBay – you don't want to miss it!

3. “New” AuctionKnowHow

This site:

http://auctionknowhow.com

had gotten a much-needed update. I really like the “new” one. I feel like a proud parent!

Feature Article: How To Develop And Sell Turnkey Websites On eBay

I used to have a booming business selling websites on eBay! (I started it because I'm a frustrated graphic designer. If I were good enough, that's what I'd do for a living. Alas, I'm not.)

Anyway, I used to know that eBay category intimately. So it was with great interest that i read a new book “How To Develop And Sell Turnkey Websites On eBay” by Alexis Dawes and Joe Beaven.

I am quite pleased with the book. It's a treasure trove of resources, and if you have an interest, they will teach you ways to put together sites you can sell on eBay and elsewhere (yep, they give you lists of other places you can sell sites).

The greatest advantage of selling websites is that you can sometimes make hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars, with no dollar cost to you. (There is a time cost, for sure). There's no worry about not being able to get more merchandise, or whether the supplier will raise his prices, be late on shipping, and all the other headaches that accompany selling physical merchandise.

For example, take a look at this page:

http://w1.webinterlock.com/groundzero/wizard/wizardmain.cgi

You can see that once you have just ONE web template, you could alter it in infinite numbers of ways to create all kinds of different sites.

But, Do They Really Sell?

The truth is that most websites for sale on eBay either don't sell, or sell for very little. Still, there are sellers making large sums of money every month. Isn't that always the way it is? Most people just get by, and others make a killing. What do the successful ones know?

To answer that question, I did some eBay research.

- - -

The Most Popular Category: hands down, it's business services!

* Submit sites to search engines: $463, 49 bids
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547804135

* Domain registration: $405, 17
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547846978

* Supposed to be like PayPal: $501, 14
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548090781
(Can you imagine competing with PayPal? Ugh)

* Shopping cart:
$779, 1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3619961105

* Shopping malls:
$213.54, 17
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547632487
$142.50, 44
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548393092

* Start your own auction site:
$175, 31
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547020604
$132.59, 26
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547974290

* Search engine, $1050, 21
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548177112

* Sells business websites, $1750, 1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2546912850

* Popup Eraser, $255.01, 21
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548448668

* A designer will customize a website for the winner: $649
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548815292

* And look at the demand for PayPer Click search engines:
$1,075.00, 39 (already established site)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2546749416
$661.51, 14
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547241201
$255, 26
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547957649
$102.50, 24
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548645712
$242, 26
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548467554

Some of the sites illustrate the inexperience of buyers. Starting your own Pay Per Click search engine or your own auction site is like pushing a beach ball up a hill with your nose.

- - -

What kinds of businesses do buyers want? Well, all kinds, but some are more popular than others.

* An “investigative” site: $400, 11
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547716593

* Women's sites:
$177, 56 bids
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547669292
$151.99, 11 bids
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547670445
Parenting: $305, 22
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548415905
Wedding, 260.03, 17
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548236975
Teapots, $176, 51
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548457038

* Viagra (naturally)
$1500, 1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547738104

* This one appeals to the emotions by mentioning 9/11
NY Forever, $1000, 46
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547488825

*Cigarettes:
$205, 21 bids
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547685763
$325, 1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547567198
Smoke & wine, $315, 36
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547928914

* Dating
$103.52, 25
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2546910931
$600, 6
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2743764133

* Casino
$294, 17
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547717827

* Travel Agency
$207.53, 23
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2546405427
$285, 27
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547814480

* Motorcycles
$455, 22
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547917435
$161, 13
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548631558

* And the definite favorite: Gift baskets
$120, 10
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2546899296
$163.01, 15
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547378840
$150, 1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2546948889
$202, 33
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2548399439
$300
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2549118564
$182.50, 22
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547663722
$107.50, 15
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547992108

The authors of “How To Develop And Sell Turnkey Websites On eBay” have a clever suggestion that I would think would increase your profits on this type of site.

You probably won't be surprised to learn that some of the ... naughtier ... sites sell well. For example, here is one on lingerie (which is as far as I'm going with this category).

* $710, 13
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547722062

- - -

This was the most expensive site I found:

* $10,114.00, 18 bids
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2546516826

I also found some auctions that really make me wonder.

This auction is from July 27. Notice the amount of the bid, and the fact that there is only one bidder:
$1,099, 1 bid
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3619651270

This auction is from July 30, same seller – also one bid, and notice the price
$1099, 1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3620085512

Here is a third auction from this seller:
379, 1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3620398020

The website templates are the same for all three auctions. When checking the seller, “leader4”, we learn that he made <<$3,356>> in the last 30 days at eBay. Not bad.

And here are a couple of very poorly marketed sites:

1. This site, cereal.com, was offered for $575,000

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547037872

This is offering only the domain name – not even a website. No takers. (This might be a valuable name, but eBay probably isn't the best venue for this).

2. A starting price of $150,000. Again, no sale.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547208230

Some of these prices amaze me. This site claims to make $2,000/month, and 11 people bid the price up to $3,500:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2547990702

But there isn't a shred of proof that the seller is making this kind of money. I wouldn't do that, but ...

Is selling websites on eBay (and other such sites) for everyone? Absolutely not!

If opening your email in the morning is technologically challenging, then don't even think about this. But if you might enjoy this kind of niche, it can definitely be profitable. For example, here are some of the sellers of sites listed above:

“kimballo”: $3,239.98 (in the last 30 days)
“eabruzzese@cox.net”: $2048.71
“wcswebdesign”: $3505.41
“pulse2.0”: $2580 (with only 4 sites)
“robi1358”: $2542 (also, only 4 sites)
“n-b-e”: $4877.50

If you have more time than money, this might very well be the spot for you!

http://sites.auctionknowhow.com

NOTE: If you buy this book at the link above, send me an email and I will share three tidbits:

1. I still have the templates for the listings I used to sell my websites. I can share the visual templates and give you the codes if you want to use them for yourself. I TESTED them repeatedly and they were very effective. Naturally, they won't completely “fit” your websites and you will have to make changes. But it will be a starting point, (rather than staring at a blank screen! :-)

2. One small technique I used raised my sale prices noticeably. I will be glad to tell you what that is.

3. I know a listing technique that made a big difference, as well.

So, send a copy of your sales receipt to:

gold@auctionknowhow

and I'll email you the info.

Protecting Your PayPal Account

The email garbage about PayPal has reached disgusting heights. The slimeballs really crave your account information so they can rip you off. If you haven't seen this email from Paypal, take the time to glance over it. And, by the way, PayPal uses the word “spoof”. Personally think that's a pretty light hearted choice and isn't the word I would have chosen.

“Many users have recently reported receiving emails that appear to be from PayPal, eBay, or other popular websites that ask the user to enter their password or other private information either directly in the email or by clicking a link. These "spoof" emails are designed to capture private information from unsuspecting users, and are not sent by PayPal.

Stay safe; don't respond to emails asking for any of the following:

* Your password and email address combination
* Credit card numbers
* Bank account numbers
* Social security numbers
* First and Last Names

Other online safety tips:

ALWAYS LOG IN TO THE PAYPAL SITE
PayPal will only ask for information AFTER you have securely logged in.

KEEP YOUR PASSWORD SAFE
Use a unique password for your PayPal account, and don't use it on any other site or for any other service

READ YOUR EMAIL CAREFULLY
PayPal will always address you by your first and last name or business name when we send you an email

REPORT SUSPICIOUS EMAILS
Help us keep the community safe for everyone. If you receive a suspicious email, please report it to us at spoof@paypal.com.”

News From eBay
1. Shipping Calculator

eBay can calculate UPS and US Postal Service shipping rates for your buyers! Try the new "calculated shipping rates" option when you list your items.

See an example-->
http://click2.ebay.com/29088380.56491.0.21440

Learn more-->
http://click2.ebay.com/29088380.56491.0.21441

2. Sell Your Services on eBay

Sell your unique skills in Specialty Services - a new home page category. List custom crafts & clothing,
restoration, personalized items, repair, web design and more.

Specialty Services-->
http://click2.ebay.com/29088380.56491.0.21442

3. eBay Merchandising Calendar

This handy dandy little page lets us know what eBay is going to be promoting on their front page. According to their numbers, there are 79 million keyword searches per day on eBay – and almost all of them begin on the front page. So, if we want to sell merchandise they're featuring, it just might raise our sales percentages:

http://click2.ebay.com/29088380.56491.0.21469

WalMart Ought To Be Ashamed (Although They're Obviously Not)

I spend a lot of money at WalMart, but I'm going to cut back because I am so horrified at what they're starting to do. Read this and please pay attention:

http://auctionknowhow.com/articles/wmart.shtml

Are You Stressed?

Take this simple and quick self test:

http://webpages.charter.net/hkirtley/stress/

(Who me??? NO, I'm not stressed! I always sleep three hours a night and work 20 hours a day! Doesn't everybody?)

From Our Humor Department

This was sent to me by a lovely woman friend. This is definitely a Momma Bear!

In my next life, I want to be a bear...

If you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that, too.

If you're a bear, you birth your children while you're sleeping (who are the size of walnuts) and wake to partially grown, cute cuddly cubs. I could deal with that in a big way.

If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. I could deal with that.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Yup...gonna be a bear!

You Know You're Living in the Year 2003 when...

1. Your reason for not staying in touch with family is because they do not have e-mail.
2. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
3. Your grandmother asks you to send her a JPEG file of your newborn so she can create a screen saver.
4. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home.
5. Every commercial on television has a web site address at the bottom of the screen.
6. You buy a computer and 3 months later it's out of date and sells for half the price you paid.7. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go get it.
8. Using real money, instead of credit or debit, to make a purchase would be a hassle and take planning.
9. You just tried to enter your password on the microwave.
10. You consider second-day air delivery painfully slow.
11. Your dining room table is now your flat filing cabinet.
12. Your idea of being organized is multiple-colored Post-it notes.
13. You hear most of your jokes via e-mail instead of in person.
14. You get an extra phone line so you can get phone calls.
15. You disconnect from the Internet and get this awful feeling, as if you just pulled the plug on a loved one.
16. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.
17. You wake up at 2 AM to go to the bathroom and check your E-mail on your way back to bed.
18. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. ;-)
19. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
20. Even worse; you know exactly who you are going to forward this email to ....