Four Huge Mistakes Ebay Sellers Make (Even Some Moderately Successful Ones)

No matter how many times I see it happening, I'm
constantly amazed at the number of people who are
literally throwing money away by making incredibly
simple mistakes when they sell items in an online
auction.

Over the last seven years, I've been making a great
living buying and selling products on eBay and other
online auction sites, and I've perfected a technique
that pretty much guarantees anyone can start making a
profit right away. That technique starts with avoiding
mistakes like these -- mistakes I've seen people make
every day for those same seven years.

If you're doing any of these four things, you're
leaving money on the table with every single item you
sell.

* Listing an item at the wrong time. It's a proven fact
more buyers browse Internet auction sites on Sunday
evenings than any other time during the week. If your
auction is scheduled to end at any other time than
Sunday evenings (specifically between 9 p.m. and 11
p.m. Eastern time), you're not getting the maximum
exposure for your auction at a time when people are
most eager to buy.

* Not giving your photos the attention they deserve.
There are two common mistakes people make with the
photos they use to entice buyers on eBay. One is not
having enough pictures to accompany your item's
description. Over the years, I've learned pictures of
your item are one of the most important components of
your sales page. (There are many reasons for this, but
I don't have the space to go into much detail here.)
Multiple pictures from various angles will ALWAYS help
you get higher bids for your products. The second
mistake is not making sure the pictures are up and
running on whatever server you're using BEFORE you list
your item. How many times have you been browsing an
auction site and seen a blank box where a picture of
the item should have been? That's a seller who's losing
money because of a very simple, and very common,
oversight.

* Using "Las Vegas style" listings. I'm sure you know
what I'm talking about here. A Las Vegas listing is one
that uses all kinds of flashing animation, multicolored
text and other bells and whistles in an attempt to
entice bidders. In fact, it does just the opposite.
Listings like these are distracting, hard to read, and
will always discourage people from bidding, resulting
in a lower final sales price. The descriptions that you
give of your item on your sales page ARE NOT designed
to get a buyer's attention (you already have that if
they've clicked on your listing in the first place).
They should be designed to get someone to actually
place a bid.

* Using a reserve. Using a reserve to guarantee that
you'll get a minimum price for an item will absolutely
kill your auction. Trust me, I've seen it happen too
many times to not accept this as a given. In fact, I
often use other seller's auctions that have a reserve
as a way to pick up items at ridiculously low prices
that I can sell "the right way" for a huge profit a few
days later -- but that's a different article
altogether. For now, just realize that nothing scares
away potential bidders better than seeing the "Reserve
Not Yet Met" tag. If you're truly concerned about a
minimum price, simply set your starting price a little
higher.

John Reese has been actively involved with online
auctions and eBay since 1996. Mr. Reese has written
several articles on the subject and has recently
created the "Internet Auction Secrets" Video for
teaching others how to start, run, and manage a
successful online auction business from home.

His 2-Hour Step-By-Step Video comes with access to
a "Student's Only" web site where his students can
keep up with the latest tips, tricks, and techniques.
You can learn about how *you* can become one of his
students at: http://www.auctionsecrets.com

NOTE to Editors:  Feel free to join our affiliate program
and substitute your own affiliate link for our URL in bio box.
Go to http://www.auctionsecrets.com/affiliateprogram.html

NOTE2: You may run this article provided you run it with the bio
box intact. Please email a copy of your publication with article
in it to the author's publicist at ArticleDeptBill@rtir.com

Bloomberg

Vadim's Ferrari 250 GT Sells for $5. BusinessWeek Still, the Paris auctions saw few lots sell above valuations, suggesting that the market for more routine classics remains highly selective. Collectible cars often fetch higher prices through discreet transactions than at public auctions, dealers said. Vadim's Ferrari 250 GT Sells for $5.8 Million in Paris AuctionBloomberg all 4 news articles »

Ivory Coast's Cocoa Auctions Put Futures Market on Edge Wall Street Journal Last week, Ivory Coast, the source of more than one-third of the world's supply, launched a series of auctions to sell a portion of its 2012-13 crop, part of the eight-month-old government's plan to overhaul the industry and ensure a floor price for ... and more »

Treasury Auctions Set for This Week New York Times The Treasury's schedule of financing this week includes Monday's regular weekly auction of new three- and six-month bills and an auction of four-week bills on Tuesday. At the close of the New York cash market on Friday, the rate on the outstanding ...

Business Recorder

Scrutiny pays, but not always Hindustan Times Queues can be jumped, lotteries rigged and auction bids fixed. Without policing, none is inherently superior over the other two. To the extent that lotteries and early-bird schemes tend to create a black market, the original purpose of keeping prices ... Spectrum sale seen to swell coffersCalcutta Telegraph The court strikes backTimes of India Mobile spectrum auction: avoid the controversy, please!Business Recorder Business Standard -Hindu Business Line -Forbes India (blog) all 521 news articles »

CAPS auction brings record haul Salina.com By CHRIS HUNTER As the bids poured in from the crowd on a Bud Light speaker at the 23rd Annual Celebrity Benefit Auction for Child Advocacy & Parenting Services, Dr. Merle "Boo" Hodges was hoping to get a crack at the speaker if it stayed lower than ... and more »

New York Daily News

Tom Brady Game Jersey Sells for Thousands at Super Bowl Auction Patch.com The 2011 game jersey was purchased at The Super Bowl XLVI Live Auction in Indianapolis on Saturday, tripling the item's presale estimated value, Hunt Auctions reports. Brady wore the jersey during the Oct. 16 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Tom Brady Jersey Auctions For $46KWRTV Indianapolis Tom Brady Jersey Sells For $46K At Auction Before Super BowlHuffington Post Super Bowl 2012 Buzz:Indianapolis Star WLKY Louisville all 500 news articles »

Atlanta Shakespeare Company Auctions ROMEO & JULIET Table Broadway World ASC is holding an e-bay auction for a front-and-center table for two for their special Valentine's performance of Romeo and Juliet. The auction will be for the performance on Tuesday February 14, 2012. The winner of the auction will also receive two ... and more »

Hindustan Times

IPL auction: Jadeja takes the cake with a cherry on top Hindustan Times IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla (L) with owner of Mumbai Indians Nita Ambani and Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan at a press conference after auction of the players for IPL-5, in Bangalore. Like the past Indian Premier League auctions, ... 10 big facts about the IPL 5 auctionNDTV IPL 5 auction held; 800+ crore spent: Tournament from April 4isikkim Older players take a backseat at the 5th IPL auctionBusiness Today TruthDive -Times of India -Deepika all 385 news articles »

Hindustan Times

Sahara pullout dulls IPL auction proceedings Times of India BANGALORE: A series of phone calls, e-mail exchanges and personal interactions on the eve of the Indian Premier League (IPL) player auctions took a nasty turn at 2 am on Saturday morning. That was the moment Sahara Pune Warriors became convinced BCCI ... Double blow for BCCI: Sahara ends sponsorship, quits IPLBusiness Standard Franchises perturbed by Sahara pulloutESPNcricinfo.com Shock before IPL auctions, Sahara dumps Pune, Team IndiaHindustan Times TruthDive -Bangalore Mirror all 472 news articles »

Spectrum Dinosaurs at the FCC Wall Street Journal AT&T Randall Stephenson (left) and FCC's Julius Genachowski agree on need for broadband spectrum auctions—but not on much more. Mr. Stephenson added, "Growth cannot continue without more spectrum being cleared and brought to market. and more »