proebayer

Ebay is the world’s largest marketplace with hundreds of item of all sorts and varieties being sold each day. However, there are some items that are prohibited from selling on ebay.

Please note selling these prohibited items on ebay can lead to your ebay account being terminated. In the worst case, you may face criminal charges. So here are the 9 items :

1. No wildlife animals, pets are allowed to be sold on ebay. This is really due to animal conservation laws and offenders may face prosecution.

2. No fake or counterfeit currencies may be sold on ebay

3. Any kind of downloadable media. This usually refers to any video, software and any digital media items. There are exceptions in this case which is if you hold the copyright or the sole owner of the item. All others are in violation of the ebay vero program. Do note, you may be asked by ebay to verify your copyright ownership, trademark etc if you sell it on ebay

4. School Related Software. This means any school related software that is being sold at a reduced pricing to student and researchers.

5. This is similar to point 3 except it deals with copyright, trademark etc. Examples include brand names of popular consumer products. Beta software, CD, VCD and DVD material in which there is no proof of authenticity.

6. Prohibited Goods from other countries cannot be sold on ebay

7. Names, faces, signatures of people without their proper permission

8. Obviously, you can’t sell any kind of weapons or ammunition on ebay

9. You can’t sell any government documents or personal documents such as identification card, passport , car license etc.

By knowing the above 9 list of prohibited items on ebay, make sure you do not list any of these items for sale on ebay.

Posted by News Desk at 09:20 AM | Permalink

Koss DVD hauls in windfall in its first year
Before even graduating from ASU, Corey Kossack started an online business that raked in sales of half a million dollars last year.

Kossack, a computer information systems senior, started Koss DVD - which sells DVDs, video games and books on eBay - two years ago.

This year's sales will surpass the 2005 numbers, but he doesn't know by how much, Kossack said.

The business became more successful as he learned how to build a positive reputation and get good deals from suppliers, he added.

But getting suppliers to take him seriously was tough at first.

"I learned how to ask the right questions," Kossack said. "I had to prove myself."

Kossack also got help from his mother, Stephanie Kossack, who now helps him manage inventory and process orders.

He said he's now living comfortably while also investing profits back in the business.

Despite working 70 hours a week, Kossack said he hasn't had trouble juggling work, school and his social life.

"I have a lot of passion for what I do," he said. "If I felt burdened by all this, I don't think I would be able to handle it."

Even though he's very busy, Kossack is also willing to give fellow entrepreneurs a helping hand, said his friend Mark Schmitz.

Kossack, who is also president of Club Entrepreneur at ASU, quickly got Schmitz in touch with the right people to get funding for his hip-hop record label.

Based on his experience running a successful business, Kossack also recently self-published a book and developed software that could help others make it big on eBay.

"A lot of entrepreneurs have the potential inside them, but they don't know how to get to it," Kossack said.

The book, "eBay Millionaire or Bust," was just released while ProfitBuilder Software, which helps users calculate decision-making risks and maximize profit, will be released next week, he said.

"I would have loved to have this information up front," he added. "The learning curve is pretty steep."

Kossack's not a millionaire yet, but expects to be one someday, he said.

His willingness to help others could also benefit eBay's more than 200 million users, said Catherine England, an eBay spokeswoman.

"We encourage our members to become a resource for one another because there's a lot of insight to be had from people who
have been selling on the site for a long time," England said.

After Kossack graduates in December, he said he will keep building up his business and working on his dream of being an entrepreneur.

Kossack has the potential to become successful because he listens well and he's humble, said Peter Burns, Kossack's mentor and former entrepreneurship professor.

"Some young people take a little bit of your information and they dash off thinking you can do everything yourselves," Burns said. "Corey does take the time to question."

In business, Kossack is realistic because he has vision but also keeps his eye on the bottom line, said Danny Kessler, a friend and nondegree-seeking graduate student.

"A lot of entrepreneurs think big but they're not really good with details," Kessler said.

More personally, Kossack is a nice, trustworthy guy who likes hanging out and watching sports, he added.

Kossack said wherever his businesses take him, friends and family will remain his top priorities.

"You could be king of the world, but if you don't have people who love you and care about you, none
of that matters," Kossack said.

Posted by News Desk at 11:16 AM | Permalink

PART of Frankie Howerd's former garden could soon be sold off after an internet bidder made an offer for it on eBay.

A half-acre plot of land in the garden of Wavering Down House, Cross, was put on the auction website last week for £500,000 by Frankie's former nurse Chris Byrne, who lives in the legendary comic's former home.

Although the land did not go for £500,000 like Chris had hoped, a bidder did make a lower offer for it and Chris is now considering whether to sell it.

Chris, who lives in the luxury home with Frankie's former partner Denis Heymer, says he is selling the land to help fund a legal case over alleged slanderous comments he claims were made about him. Planning permission to build a house and garage has already been obtained for the land.

He also says the series of high-profile charity fund-raisers held in the grounds of the house will not end because of the sale.

Hundreds of Frankie fans from across the world flocked to the leafy corner of Somerset this year for the events and Chris has planned another 28 for next year, including a performance by The Wurzels in the gardens on June 17.

Chris said: "We decided we just don't need the land. It's going to be a very exclusive home when it's built.

"The money will be used to fund a very costly legal case I'm going to have to fight.

"Denis and I decided that if we have got assets then we may as well use them the best we can.

"We decided eBay would give us a better response because it would attract people from all over the world.

"The land is at the back of the garden and it doesn't stop me from having functions, we will still have another lot for next year.

"We hope we get someone we like, and maybe even someone who is a big fan of Frankie's work.

Source: The Weston Mercury

Posted by News desk at 10:57 AM | Permalink

eBay has made a French-language version of its Canadian website, adding a "Français" link at the top of every eBay.ca page. The French-language site will be immediately populated with all listings available to Canada and from eBay sites in the U.S, U.K., Australia, France, Belgium and English Canada.

Sellers on eBay.ca in French may list items in French, English, or bilingually, and may add a free subtitle in a second language of their choice. Buyers can search in English, French or both languages at once. eBay members may also begin receiving communications from eBay in French.

eBay Canada has more than 775,000 registered eBay users in Quebec, which has a francophone majority. See the wikipedia entry for "Bilingualism in Canada" for background http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilingualism_in_Canada.

Montreal's star goaltender Cristobal Huet posted a ceremonial first listing on the new French site on Tuesday. Up for auction is a "meet and greet" with the hockey star, including airfare and accommodation in Montreal, tickets for two to a Montreal vs. Toronto game, and signed memorabilia. eBay will match the final selling price of the auction, with all proceeds going to the Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal. The auction is available at www.ebay.ca/huet, and closes on November 2, 2006.

Posted by News Desk at 10:46 AM | Permalink

The crossover between heavy metal and cows has been surprisingly unexplored by academia, other than noting that it must be, ahem, fresian wearing those skintight lycra outfits. That joke works better if you say it, obviously.

Perhaps this eBay auction for one of Megadeth's cowhide guitars will change things. It was played on-stage by frontman Dave Mustaine, then signed by the rest of the band and put up on eBay before you could say 'They're not as good as Metallica though...'. It's a Jackson V guitar, and is going for $4,499.

Also today on Bayraider: a pair of windows used in the Amityville horror films (well, it is almost Halloween), and the raft used by the Green team in the recent US Survivor: Cook Islands reality show.

Source: Tech Digest

Posted by News desk at 03:53 PM | Permalink

On Monday 23 October, in a ground breaking deal, two of the biggest names on the web are coming together. Stelios’ innovative new brand, easyCruise and eBay announced that - in the first partnership of its kind in the world of cruising - the public will be able to book their easyCruise holiday on eBay.

The deal will see eBay users being able to buy cruises on both an ‘auction’ and ‘buy it now’ basis. The offer will be available to people all over the world via ‘local’ eBay sites based in the UK, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, India, USA and Australia.

easyCruise founder, Stelios Haji–Ioannou commented: “easyCruise is a pioneering brand which consistently fights against the norm in the cruise industry both in terms of our offering and our prices, so to be the first to offer this service on eBay is a natural continuation of the brand for us. Our primary business has always come via our internet site, www.easyCruise.com, so to link with the worlds online market place is obviously a perfect fit. The deal will offer consumers a completely new way to book their holidays, and we are very excited about the prospects this brings.”

The easyCruise offering on eBay will mean that you can now buy online a cruise to any of easyCruise’s destinations, which currently include the French & Italian Riviera and Holland & Belgium. A Caribbean itinerary will also be available within the next few weeks. While auction prices will start at just £1 in the UK, buy it now prices start from £30 per person, for a two night break and £39 per person for a three night break, based on two people sharing a standard cabin.

easyCruise is unique in the cruise market. It offers passengers the chance to see each destination by both day and night. Staying in port till the early hours, easyCruise allows you to explore the sights, shops and restaurants and then the bars and nightclubs after dark in some of World’s top resorts and cities.

Once back on board you can chill out on the sun decks, relax in one of the hot tubs, enjoy a cocktail in the bar or a meal in the restaurant then dance to the sounds of the resident dj or work off any indulgence in the gym.

Karim Lankarany, Senior Category Manager, Travel at eBay said: "The cruise offers by easyCruise will make an excellent addition to the growing range of travel products on eBay."

The exclusive deal has been facilitated by Cultuzz, the only global technology company able to launch content live on multiple eBay market places simultaneously. Michael Hughes, Global Director of Sales & Marketing commented: “This deal will see easyCruise available in local currencies and local languages simultaneously. It is a very exciting concept and gives consumers a completely new way to book their holiday.”

Visit ebay.co.uk - Tickets and Travel – Ferries & Cruises, or easyCruise.com for further information.

What do you think? Post your comment below.

Posted by News Desk at 12:04 PM | Permalink

Without doubt Queen are high up there of the most-wanted bands among collectors. Only the Stones and Beatles come close. Source: Tim Jones, Record Collector.

Some of the most avidly sought after Queen and Freddie Mercury memorabilia is officially up for auction on e-Bay over the next six weeks. Over 60 items, many of them unique, will be offered.

Endorsed by Queen and the Freddie Mercury Estate, all proceeds from the sale will go the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the charity set up in Freddie Mercury's name, fighting AIDS worldwide.

The sale is a continuance of the fundraising initiative which was set up around the recently held celebrations of Mercury's 60th birthday, which has to date already raised in excess of £150,000 for the MPT through a special performance of the band's We Will Rock You musical and through the specially created Sponsor A Star online campaign at www.loveroflifesingerofsongs.com

The sale comes as an unexpected bonus to the fundraising efforts. The celebration of what would have been Freddie's 60th birthday triggered a rush of donations of rare Freddie & Queen memorabilia, all given for auction to benefit the campaign. It has been specifically launched this week to coincide with National Giving Week, which is backed by numerous celebrities. See www.nationalgivingweek.org for more details.

Highly desirable items include a guitar from the 1992 Freddie Mercury tribute show signed by Roger Taylor and Brian May as well as numerous of the artists who took part including members of Def Leppard, Metallica, Extreme and Bob Geldof, rare special edition coloured vinyl singles, gold discs, along with promotional merchandise including T-shirts and in-store displays such as a promotional cube created by US Hollywood Records to mark Queen's 20th anniversary. Items come from the UK, US, Japan, Italy, France and Spain, most of which will not have appeared on Ebay before.

Posted by News desk at 09:45 AM | Permalink

An unsigned singer-songwriter has sold a lyric from one of his tracks for more than £11,000 on eBay in an internet first.

Jonathan Haselden was desperate to get his music noticed, so decided to try selling lines from his track Roller-Coaster on the internet auction site.

But when the 25-year-old posted the auction for the lyric: "And when you're lost, you'll always be found" for a starting price of 6p, it sparked a frenzied bidding war. The mystery buyer who paid £11,100 is believed to come from the United States.

Haselden, from Wimbledon, said: "I am over the moon. I never thought this was going to happen and this is just great. It gives me more chance of getting a record deal and puts me and my music out there."

He came up with the sponsorship idea after various attempts to get a music deals and trying to make money with a sales job.

He said: "The aim was to take a song that I have written and sell lines of lyrics to various well-known people and companies for a nominal fee to raise enough capital to promote me and my music."

"It came to me on the Tube. I was on the way back from another interview and I thought I had to do something to get my music out there and I needed to make some money." In return, his "customers" get one lyric and a percentage of future publishing royalties generated from the UK.

The idea had already taken off before the auction. Budweiser Budvar, TGI Fridays, research company Fresh-Minds and The Tussauds Group have each paid £1,000 for the privilege for a line. But Haselden is not the first to use the internet or a inventive ploy to create a buzz about his music.

Rock band the Arctic Monkeys and indie outfit Nizlopi used online campaigns to promote their unreleased tracks. Solo artist Sandi Thom also sealed a record deal after broadcasting her concerts from her basement flat to hundreds and thousands on the internet.

The final achievement for Haselden will be to win a record deal after toiling for years as an unsigned artist. He describes his music as "quite rock-based", although Roller-Coaster is a more mellow track. "I have a strong sound. But this particular sound is one I picked out which would appeal to a lot of people and radio stations would play it.

"I have been completely bowled over," he said. "It is nice to see all this interest and people rooting for me."

Source: This is London

Posted by News desk at 03:49 PM | Permalink

According to online reports, auction website eBay has imposed stricter new regulations on the sales of next generation console pre-orders, while removing existing listings for the PlayStation 3 until the new procedures are in place.

A user posting in the eBay Trust & Safety forum includes a statement from the company’s customer support department which indicates that: “Due to the high demand and limited supply of this item we are taking stronger measures to protect both buyers and sellers in the eBay community. Currently, eBay is not permitting ‘Pre-Sale’ of this item, and sellers who list it on eBay must have physical possession of the products at time of listing.”

In order for subsequent PlayStation 3 pre-order listings to be allowed, sellers will be required to fax eBay additional confirmation of their identity, including driver’s license or similar ID, credit card statements and a receipt for the console.

However, a search for PlayStation 3 pre-sales on eBay as of early Monday morning U.S. time shows around 10-15 PS3 pre-order auctions still going on, indicating that any eBay crackdown has not yet been entirely successful.

Following the start of pre-orders for the PlayStation 3 last week, which were quickly ended the same day as allocations were used up, listings immediately began to appear on eBay offering the console for anything up to $1,500 – with no more than a pre-order receipt as proof that the console would be supplied.

Posted by News Desk at 01:54 PM | Permalink

Think You've Found the Perfect Holiday gift on eBay? Better check twice! While many auctions take place without a hitch, most people have no idea how easy it is to get ripped off.

In a recent book, "Dawn of the eBay Deadbeats: True Tales of Treachery, Lies, and Fraud from the Dark Recesses of the World's Largest Online Auction Marketplace" authors Ed and Steve Klink reveal a dastardly cast of Scrooge- like characters who make eBay shopping a sorry experience.

Compiled from their eBay watchdog website, ebayersthatsuck.com, the book is packed with lurid stories of auction rip-offs: a woman whose wedding was tainted by moth-ridden tuxedoes, a collector duped out of a $16,000 vintage Spiderman comic, and the family-man trucker who lost a whopping $27,000 buying a rig that didn't exist. "It looks like the Grinch got a computer in his cave and is now selling on eBay," the authors say.

Steve Klink, a New Jersey police officer and his brother Ed, a New York City business writer, wrote Dawn of the eBay Deadbeats to tell the stories of these victims.

The Klink brothers offer these tips to help honest eBay users avoid getting ripped off:

* Be wary if the person requests only one form of payment

* Read carefully, some scams depend on a lengthy description that can be
deceptive.

* Never be put off for two weeks on a deal or you risk being unable to
stop the credit card transaction

* Don't use Western Union or MoneyGram when paying for auction purchases

* Ask yourself the following: Who is this person? Is there a sob story?
Does this money have to be sent immediately? Does this offer sound too
good to be true?

Dawn of the eBay Deadbeats ($12.95) is available on Amazon, eBay, through the authors' site, and in select bookstores.

Visit www.dawnoftheebaydeadbeats.com

What do you think? Post your comment below.

Posted by News Desk at 01:46 PM | Permalink

A Hampton woman made thousands of dollars by forging celebrity names on items she sold.

A Hampton woman faces 20 years in a federal prison after being convicted of selling fake celebrity memorabilia items on eBay.

Rachel Reyes, 45, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Norfolk to one count of wire fraud and agreed to pay more than $572,000 in restitution to the victims, according to federal prosecutors.

People from across the United States and in 33 countries were scammed out of thousands of dollars over a three-year period, they said. It was not disclosed how authorities learned of the fake merchandise,

Court records show that Reyes and two other people sold albums and photographs of celebrities with forged signatures using their own eBay accounts.

Reyes and her co-conspirators bought unsigned memorabilia from various locations in Virginia and forged celebrity signatures on them, federal prosecutors said. Reyes then posted the items for auction on eBay's Internet Web site, falsely describing the items as authentic and offering fake certificates of authenticity, court records show.

From July 5, 2002, through March 11, 2005, she personally completed 5,266 sales of fake memorabilia, scamming 3,360 victims out of nearly $315,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Reyes also helped the others involved in the scheme complete 3,057 more sales, stealing more than $257,000 from 2,337 people, prosecutors said.

The U.S. Secret Service investigated the fraud ring with help from eBay.

Reyes will be sentenced Jan. 22. She faces 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised probation upon her release.

What do you think? Post your comment below.

Posted by News Desk at 01:31 PM | Permalink

Internet auction giant eBay saw a 10% rise in its third-quarter profits, as its core auctions business picked up slightly.
The group posted a 31% rise in sales to $1.4bn (£748.9m) in the three months to end September, and net income came in at $281m.

The company's growth was helped by a strong performance at eBay's online payments unit, PayPal, which registered a 41% increase in sales to $350m.

But investors have expressed concern over growth at eBay's core auctions business, leading to the group losing about a third of its value this year.

The group changed its pricing system in August to encourage sellers to use auctions more often, which the company said had led to a pick-up in auctions listings in September.
But analysts said it was too early to say whether the change would have a long-lasting effect on the group's overall performance.

Skype, which eBay bought last year for $4.1bn, continued to perform well with a 20% increase in registered users to 136m.

EBay said it expected full year sales to be around $5.9bn, and 2007 revenue growth was expected to be in the range of 17% to 21% over 2006 sales - falling short of analyst estimates of a growth of 25%.

Posted by News Desk at 01:16 PM | Permalink

More than 210 million people worldwide are now registered users of the eBay auction site, the firm has revealed, trading items worth $12.6bn (£6.7bn).

The 26% growth in annual registered users helped the US firm record a 10% rise in quarterly profits to $281m.

The firm is bullish about the outlook for its core trading business, its online payment operation PayPal and its internet telecoms business Skype.

It is forecasting full-year sales of between $5.86bn and $5.92bn.

Delivering value

Sales grew 31% to $1.45bn in the three months to the end of September, the firm's third quarter, ahead of market expectations.

The firm's e-commerce websites, including Shopping.com, recorded a 22% rise in sales to $1.04bn.

Revenues at PayPal rose 41% to $350m while Skype, which eBay bought for $2.6bn last year, contributed $50m in sales.

This represented a 13% rise on the previous quarterly period.

"As our results demonstrate, we are executing on our strategy to grow our marketplaces, PayPal and Skype businesses individually and collectively to deliver greater value to our community of users and to our shareholders," said chief executive Meg Whitman.

The firm has raised its profit forecasts for the year as a whole, shrugging off concerns that a slowdown in the US economy may hit its results.

What do you think? Post your comments below.

Source: BBC News

Posted by News desk at 10:55 AM | Permalink

Online auctioneer eBay grew revenues by 31 per cent to $1.45bn in the third quarter ended 30 September 2006.

Net income for the three months was $281m. The site posted 584m new listings in the period, up 27 per cent on the same period last year. In total the successfully closed auctions raised $12.6bn in Gross Merchandise Volume for eBay users - up 17 per cent on $10.8bn raised in the third quarter of 2005.

Payment service PayPal brought in revenues of $350m, up 41 per cent on the third quarter of 2005. There are 123m PayPal accounts. Total Payment Volume using the service grew 37 per cent to $9.1bn.

Voice over Internet Protocol phone service Skype increased users by 20 per cent to 113m. Revenues were $50m, an increase of 13 per cent from the second quarter of 2006.

For the whole financial year eBay expects to bring in consolidated net revenues of between $5.87bn and $5.93bn. Earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $0.75 and $0.76.

What do you think? Post your comment below.

Source: The register

Posted by News desk at 10:53 AM | Permalink

Paula Abdul’s one experience with the auction Web site eBay turned out to be a bust. Fox TV executives were auctioning off a day with their popular “American Idol” judge, but sadly, the sale ended without anyone placing a bid.

Fox had set the opening price at $26,000, which apparently scared away interested parties.

"This sort of charity auction usually makes a mint. It's kind of sad that nobody wanted to bid on Paula," said an eBay spokesperson, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Hoping to raise money for multiple sclerosis charities, the proposed VIP package included two first-class tickets to Los Angeles, a $2,225 shopping spree, and a backstage meeting with the star.

After four days without a bid, the listing was removed.

Posted by News Desk at 10:40 AM | Permalink

E-commerce company, Bargain Finds One Bay, is in negotiations with eBay, for the possible sale of its domain name. Bargainfindsonebay.com has reported that it has increased revenue dramatically, as an Amazon Affiliate.

Claiming 10000 unique visitors a month researching digital cameras, Kyle Summers, Market ANAList of Denver opined, that the new face to Bargain Finds One Bay, would be ''Just what eBay needs to get out of the Red.''

Bargain Finds One Bay was started some many years ago, says Chris Dogwood of Clearwater, Kentucky, who plays most technical roles for the 1000 plus megasite organization. Bargain Finds One Bay is just starting to build momentum. The natural progression for eBay, would be the fresh new visitors, and the company reports that eBay hopes it goes well, if they do decide to purchase the domain.

According to the company, many good things have been said while negotiating a price for the domain name. Ryan Sharp, Owner of Bargain Finds One Bay added, ''I have alot of honour for the man that created eBay, its too bad he was French.''

Bargain Finds One Bay has the look and feel of eBay but yet adds its own sense of uniqueness to the web, specializing in Digital Cameras. Bargain Finds One Bay expects positive things and a slow movement forward, in the procession to aquire a new symbol on the TSX. Going public is the first step in Bargain Finds One bay's econsumer solutions, as it will allow the company to obtain the funding necessary to become a real player in the Online Marketplaces.

Founded in 1995, eBay created a platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world. Through an array of services, such as its payment solution provider PayPal, eBay is enabling global e-commerce for an ever-growing online community.

To learn more about Bargain Finds One Bay, please visit: www.bargainfindsonebay.com

Posted by News Desk at 10:21 AM | Permalink

It's the internet phenomenon that has helped transform attics full of clutter into ready cash.
But the eBay effect' is also proving a hit with Bradford's village sub-postmasters and mistresses.

The online trading company's popularity has increased the number of parcels and packages being processed at local branches across the district.

While some sub-post offices are struggling through the withdrawal of television licence payments and other services, the slack is being taken up by income from eBay traffic.

continued...
At Gomersal Post Office, sub-postmistress Gillian Wilkinson said the last 18 months had seen a noticeable upturn in the number of Ebay and internet-related parcels and packages.

"We have five or six regular customers and a couple who are doing it as a business. We process all sorts - CDs and DVDs of old classic television and radio shows, trainers and sports articles.

"Just on eBay stuff, I'd say we do 50 parcels or packets a day. It used to be that number per week. It's what we make our money on when it used to be pensions."

Alison Otulakowski, sub- post mistress at Denholme Post Office, said: "We get the odd person in who brings stuff for eBay and others who treat it more like a business. It is extra work, but the income is welcomed."

Barry Whittaker, Eastburn Post Office sub-postmaster, near Keighley, said since taking over the business seven years ago they had seen around a 90 per cent increase in the number of parcels and packages.

"I'd say we're doing more in half a day now than we did before in a week," he said.

"I'd put the number of parcels and packets at 30 some days and 70 on others. It can be absolutely anything - clothing, perfume, anything. I'd say that without that income a lot of post offices would be closing a whole lot quicker."

At Bankfoot Post Office on Manchester Road, Dayu Mistry said the last two years had seen a noticeable' increase in eBay and internet parcels.

And Gilstead Post Office's Andrew Hancock added: "In the last four years I would say we have been getting three times as many parcels. It's not a substantial amount of income, but it keeps business steady."

But there are fears the post offices' eBay bubble could burst following Royal Mail's launch of an online postage service last month.

The service lets customers buy postage online, without stamps and using a home printed stick-on barcode, denying post offices of revenue from selling postage over the counter.

A new report by Postcomm, the Post Office watchdog, warns that Britain's post offices are struggling to survive through lack of Government direction and support.

Looking at 14,000 post offices across the country, Post Offices at the Crossroads' found the network lost £111 million last year. That was despite a £150 million subsidy to rural offices, which will nevertheless be withdrawn in 2008.

The Government's Department for Work and Pensions and the DVLA were withdrawing services from all post offices.

The report found that the rural post office network was in particular financial trouble, with only 1,500 of the 8,000 rural offices making money.

Posted by News Desk at 02:29 PM | Permalink

A number of celebrities are doing there bit for the National Aids Trust and Charities Aid Foundation, read below to find out who is putting their possessions on ebay.

Celebrities including MADONNA and SIR MICK JAGGER are paving the way for Britain's National Giving Week by customising Doc Martens boots to be sold off on eBay. ALL SAINTS, OASIS and JANET JACKSON have also teamed up with organisers the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) to sign pairs of the shoes to raise cash for the National Aids Trust. CAF spokeswoman Sheila Hooper says, "If people raid their wardrobes, cupboards and attics to find items they no longer need but could sell on eBay for a favoured organisation, we can make a real difference.

What do you think? Post your comment below for this Proebayer article.

Source: Contact Music

Posted by News desk at 01:32 PM | Permalink

Check out what possessions Anastacia has put on ebay to raise awareness and money for Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

ANASTACIA is determined to do her bit after recovering from breast cancer in 2003, by auctioning off personal possessions to raise cash for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The pop star is selling 12 items per week on auction website eBay, and is urging fans to snap up some of her memorabilia for the good cause.
She writes on her website, "The auction I told you about for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is now live, and can be accessed on eBay.
"Twelve items each week - including my touring outfits, personal effects and awards show clothing - will be released. A great percentage from the sale of these items will go to the BCRF to help find a cure for Breast Cancer, so I can't thank you enough for your support."

What do you think? Post your comment for this proebayer article below.

Source: PR Inside

Posted by News desk at 01:23 PM | Permalink

Many people do make good money with their eBay businesses. You can be one of those people if you take the right steps at the beginning to set up your business. You should approach an eBay business like any other. Do the necessary research first. Don't rush into it with dreams of making a quick fortune.

Take your time and familiarize yourself with the eBay website. Take notes of the type of products you are thinking of selling - check out the competition, pricing and most of all take particular note of actual selling prices and whether the bidding was slow or fast and furious.

There are literally millions (somewhere in the region of 100 million) of eBay members, but this does not mean you are going to reach anywhere near that number. They won't even know you exist unless you prepare your strategy first.

You'll find that a large number of successful eBay sellers have started off as buyers. This is a good idea as you can get a feel for how the whole system works, plus you will know what buyers are looking for and what problems you are likely to encounter. Being a buyer will certainly help you become a proficient seller as you will understand the system from both sides of the fence.

A few things to take note of while you are learning from the buyer's point of view:

* the customer service you received

* the accuracy of the description of the selling item

* the ease and speed of finalizing the transaction

* whether communication was good or not

* was the sales page well set out

* were delivery costs fair and reasonable

If you approach an eBay business like any other online business you will have a much better chance of making a good income. The following points should give you an idea of what you should be thinking about.

1. Decide whether you will set up an eBay Store

Whilst checking out the eBay website, you would have noticed a number of sellers have their own eBay Store. The advantages of this are many and you would be wise to check out the details of setting up your own eBay Store. Information is readily available on the eBay site.

2. Setting up your own Website

For many reasons, it is advisable to have your own independent website. Look at it as your "Head Office" with your eBay store as a subsidiary. If at some time in the future you decide to discontinue your eBay store, you will still have your business website.

Another good reason for setting up a website is that it gives you the ability to diversify your business. This can mean the difference between success and failure. It will also give you the ability to build a subscriber list that will be beneficial for both your eBay business and your own website business.

3. What Products are in high demand?

Take particular note of products that sell well and what the competition is. Also check the availability of the products as well as the cost. Armed with this information you can determine whether or not a product is a viable proposition.

4. eBay Learning Center and University

Before you think of buying tutorials on eBay trading, check out the resources provided by eBay.

The Learning Center will provide you with tutorials and guides relative to the different areas of eBay. In addition, you will find many free resources on the internet in the form of reports, tutorials and e-books. So have a good look around before paying for this type of information. Of course if you do purchase training products they will more than likely be a taxable deduction.

The eBay University runs offline and online courses covering every aspect of an eBay business. This is where you can learn tried and true methods from the experts.

Running your own eBay business can be a rewarding experience. To ensure you succeed, research your market and your product before undertaking your first Auction.

Remember you will receive queries from prospective bidders, so you must be extremely knowledgeable about your product.

Posted by News Desk at 09:59 AM | Permalink

Ebay is the internet's largest marketplace, and it's an excellent place for buyers to find what they want at bargain prices, and for sellers to find buyers. If you haven't posted an auction on ebay before, It’s fairly simple to post your first auction on eBay. Just do the following five steps.

Step 1: Open an eBay seller’s account.

Obviously, this is the first thing you need to do . If you’ve bought things on eBay, then you already have an account – just log in with it and click ‘Sell’ in the toolbar at the top of the page, then click ‘Create a seller’s account’. If you’ve never used eBay before, then you’ll need to open an account first using the ‘register’ link underneath the toolbar, and then click ‘Sell’ and ‘Create a seller’s account’. The eBay site will then guide you through the process. For security, this may involve giving card details and bank information.

Step 2: Decide what to sell.

For your first little experiment with eBay, it doesn’t really matter what you sell. Take a look around the room you’re in – I’m sure there’s something in there that you’re not all that attached to and could put in the post. Small books and CDs are ideal first items. Once you get more used to how things work, try to indentify which market is right for you.

You need to consider two things in your market choice. The first is market size, which indicates how much demand exists for the products you're considering to sell. Second, your personal intterest in what you sell. You must balance between those two factors to be successful.

Another thing I noticed on Ebay is what I call the Uniqeness Factor. What I mean by that is how unique are your offerings. If people see a lot of people selling the same item. They will tend to buy the cheapest, and that starts price wars between sellers. A smart seller chooses a smaller, more profitable niche to conquer. When you differentiate your offerings your profits and chances of making a sale will be higher. That's why starting with your own things at home will be unique enough and wouldn't cost you much for your first auction.

Step 3: List your item on Ebay.

Click ‘Sell’, and you’re on your way to listing your item.

Before you go ahead and list your item, look at some other existing sellers and learn from them. Notice how they layout their auction page, what keywords they use. Also note their starting prices and determine some of the startegies they use to attract bidders.

Next, choose a category – it’s best to just type in what the item is and let eBay choose for you. Next, write a title and description. Include key words you think people will search for in the title box, and all the information you have about the item in the description box.

Make sure you build an attractive and inforamtive auction page. Use pictures and headlines to highlight the benefits of your product. Answer as much questions a buyer might have as you can. Clearly state your refund, shipping and payment policies and contact information.

Now set a starting price. $0.01 is the best starting price, as it draws people in to bid who otherwise wouldn’t, and items will almost never finish at such a low price. The next thing to set is the duration of the auction: 3, 5, 7 or 10 days. This is up to you: longer sales will usually get more bids, but will also seem to drag on forever. If you’ve taken a picture, add it now – items with pictures always sell for more. Finally, tick the payment methods you will accept (just PayPal is best for now), and where you will post to (limit yourself to your own country to begin with). Submit and you’re done!

Step 4: Wait for it to sell.

This is just a matter of sitting back and letting eBay do its thing – buyers will find your item and leave bids on it. Some bidders might email you with questions about the item, and you should do your best to answer these questions as quickly as you can.

Remember that if your item doesn’t sell then you can list it again for free.

Step 5: Collect payment and post it.

eBay will sent your buyer emails guiding them through the process of sending you payment for the item. Make sure you have the money before you send anything.

Once you’ve got the payment, all you need to do is pack the item for posting (make sure to use some bubble wrap), take the buyer’s address from the confirmation email eBay sent you, and write it on the parcel. Put some stamps on, post it, and you’re done!

I hope you will enjoy selling your first item on Ebay.

Posted by News Desk at 09:52 AM | Permalink

If you're already an avid eBay browser, why not turn buying power into selling success?

"More Canadian small business owners than ever are turning to the web as a cost-efficient way to expand their customer base. It's a very attractive online option - the costs of start-up are low, and returns can be very high," said Nancy Hughes Anthony, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Just ask Marilyn Bild, a Vancouver entrepreneur who hit it big selling Indian fabrics on eBay (user ID: totallytextiles) and was recently named 2006 eBay Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year.

Five years ago, Bild saw a television feature on Vancouver's thriving Indo-Canadian community and hit the pavement, browsing every store in the Punjabi market area around Main Street and 49th Avenue.

"The fabrics were so gorgeous, and fit the criteria that I wanted. And, at the time, there weren't that many people selling Indian fabrics and no one in North America selling on a large-scale basis," she said.

Now, not only does she work from home, she also works the hours she chooses and takes vacations without pangs of guilt or fits of work-related panic.

"You can devote as much time to it as you want - that's the beauty of eBay," she said.

Bild has also taken her eBay success story one step further, teaching other aspiring online sellers a crash course in The Basics of Selling on eBay at Langara College and Small Business B.C.

"It's a very straightforward process. I can teach someone all the basics in no more than three hours - you can learn the basics in the morning and be up and running by the afternoon," she said.

Check out http://bildauctiontraining.poweru.net for information on Bild's upcoming seminars.

What do you think? Post your comment below.

Posted by News Desk at 11:19 AM | Permalink

Online auction site a money-maker for university

What's a university to do with a used 1982 tanker fire truck that's not needed anymore?

The answer for Purdue University's materials management and distribution department may be a bit different than what it would have been 10 years ago.

"We sold it on eBay," said Ken Alling, Purdue fire chief. "The people over in materials told us we might be able to get more out of it on eBay, so I said, 'What the heck?' "

The truck sold for $12,000 to the small town of Butler, Ky., south of Cincinnati, and will help the volunteer fire department there put out fires in rural areas where hydrants aren't readily available as a water source.

The truck is just one of the items that Purdue has sold online since it began its eBay experiment in June. School officials say it's part of the changing times and helps bring in more money for the university.

Incoming items at Purdue's warehouse and surplus facility are evaluated and then either placed in its retail store or written up for an eBay auction, said Mike Wilkins, general manager of materials management and distribution.

"We have to keep a happy blend to satisfy the local customers that come in" to the surplus store at 3601 Sagamore Parkway North in Lafayette.

Purdue will sell items for its departments on eBay for the rest of a six-month trial period. At that point, they'll assess their success and determine whether to continue, but officials say business has been good so far. The University of Iowa and Michigan State University already have similar programs in place.

Mike Grenat, manager of Purdue Warehouse and Surplus, said certain items sell for more online than they would in the store, increasing the monetary return for departments.

Items which have done well on the online auction site include high quality small furniture pieces, newer model or well-equipped computer hard drives, boxes of plumbing equipment and even old research pieces, such as a tabletop cell production roller now up for bid.

"My office has kind of become eBay central," said Grenat. "We're still in learning mode. Some things go and some things don't."

Posted by News Desk at 02:26 PM | Permalink

Her bold auction of her pre-surgery bust hasnt yet snagged a buyer for her My Winged Victory sculpture on www.ebay.com.

Breast cancer survivor Molly MacDonald plans to continue the auction for the rest of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The auction was scheduled to end at 12:01 a.m. Thursday. As of 2 p.m., Wednesday, it still had only one bidder.

She hopes to get $5,000 for the bust for The Pink Fund, to provide small payments to breast cancer survivors with financial problems. Already, she says, the fund has attracted widespread interest in local and national groups she hopes will contribute to the fund. And weve certainly raised awareness of breast cancer, the most common tumor in American women, says MacDonald, of Beverly Hills. For details, visit www.thepinkfund.org.

Source: Freep

Posted by News desk at 10:43 AM | Permalink

eBay UK has confirmed that UAE auction portal www.ebay.ae is not a legitimate ‘eBay’ site. However the firm was today unwilling to say whether it is planning to take any action against this portal’s owners.

In a statement given to Windows Middle East earlier, and eBay spokesperson commented: “www.ebay.ae is indeed known to eBay, and is not a legitimate eBay portal. In terms of any repercussions, it is eBay's policy not to comment on action against third parties.”

When asked by Windows, the spokesperson added that eBay “currently has no plans” to launch in the Middle East region.

This means that Souq.com currently remains the UAE’s primary auction website.

Posted by News Desk at 02:56 PM | Permalink

Selling on ebay is basically the same as as other internet business. You still need to advertise your item.
In fact, it is considered as the lifeblood of almost all kinds of businesses. That's why sellers and entrepreneur wannabes on eBay understand the impact of an effective advertising technique on their items listing.

Basically, the sale of any item on eBay is dependent on eBay keyword program. This program asserts the fact that the probability of an item to be sold is based on the keyword used by the seller.

The eBay keyword program suggests that the maximum number of keywords to be used in an eBay ad is 100, the least is 50. This is because the essence of the description of the product or the ability of the ad to promote the item against a thousand similar items is lessened.

This does not necessarily mean that the sellers will also limit the amount of keywords that they will use. The eBay keyword program further suggests that the number of keywords should be congruent to the identity of the product. That is, it should be very specific even down to the last details of the product.

For example, one seller may make his or her descriptive title and ad using the word "DVD movie". Then, another seller posts the same item but used the words "sci-fi DVD movie". And lastly, another seller does the same but used the words "Starship Troopers DVD". Applying the keyword principle, the third seller will most likely gain more exposure than the other two, such that when a person search for starship troopers DVD, that person will most likely be lead to the third seller's listing.

Choosing the best category for the product is another effective advertising technique.

There are those online shoppers who search items on the category first. The reason behind this is that they don't have any specific product in mind. For example, a buyer may be looking for a DVD but doesn't know what are the DVD movies he/she wants. So, it's a must that the seller places his or her item in a category that is active or is frequented by most buyers.

So how do you know which categories are active? One easy way is to look at the number of listings in that category. Generally, anything less than 1000 means there are not many visitors to that category.

You can use attention grabbing power words such as STOP, WOW, YOU etc. Such power words have been used in the offline world for decades. Look around you, check out that ad on TV, on newspaper, on magazines. Learn and see what words grab your attention.

Posted by News Desk at 09:28 AM | Permalink

Once again eBay is selling an item you won’t see in your average retail store or car lot. Davis based Moller International Inc. has developed a flying car. The Moller M400X Skycar is up for sale on eBay with an opening bid of $1 million.

The Skycar takes off and lands vertically. Two engines keep the craft running. Engineers conducting tests on the Skycar use methanol fuel, but say the craft can also run on 87 grade gasoline.

Developer Paul Moller hopes by auctioning-off the M400X he'll raise capital for the company. The proceeds of the auction will go toward funding more tests on the prototype to take air/road travel to the next level.

Earlier this year Moller International began trading common stock on the NASD Bulletin Board in an effort to raise investor money for the flying car.

Source: News 10

Posted by News desk at 09:46 AM | Permalink

Auction website eBay has today launched the UK version of its new online shopping service, eBay Express. The site will sell both new and used goods at fixed prices.

All of the sellers on the site have been signed up to a professional code of conduct by eBay, to ensure that they all offer returns policies and guaranteed delivery dates.

The company hopes that the site will attract those shoppers who prefer a more more conventional e-commerce shopping experience.

The US version of the site launched earlier this year, and the British version, ebayexpress.co.uk, arrives just in time to catch the Christmas market.

It is the first new service eBay has launched in the UK since the main website, some seven years ago. Currently, eBay has more than 15m registered users in the UK.

As well as having items immediately available for purchase at a fixed price, the new service will allow customers to fill their ‘shopping carts’ with items from a variety of sellers before paying for them all in a single transaction.

Listings in eBay Express will also be displayed on the normal auction site, and buyers and sellers will still be able to leave feedback after transactions.

According to eBay UK small business director Aita Qadri, this new service will allow small and medium businesses to compete with bigger retailers: "A small player will be able to take on a large player and compete on an equal footing. A small retailer in Essex will be able to look like John Lewis online."

This new service may improve the buying experience by removing the things that are a pain to regular eBay users, such as being outbid at the last minute, having to check seller’s reputations, and looking out for outrageous postage charges.

By publishing only 'Buy it now' listings from sellers with 98% or more positive feedback, eBay Express is filtering out some of the less trustworthy traders, though customers are still more likely to bag a bargain at the main site.

We believe eBay has an increasingly large problem with regards to spam listings. More on that in due course...

Posted by News Desk at 09:44 AM | Permalink

More than 1.3 million people worldwide are earning their primary or secondary income on eBay, according to ACNielsen International Research.

"The biggest advantage is there's an incredibly low cost of entry, so you don't have to make an enormous cost of investment in business in order to get up and running," said Jim "Griff" Griffith, eBay's dean of education. "You can literally get up and running with one item."

It works for Richard Byron, 61, who owns Computer Reset in Dallas, which sells used computers.

About five years ago he decided to supplement his income by expanding his market to eBay, the online auctioneer.

"The primary local sales just wasn't doing it, so eBay, as a second source of income, has certainly helped out," said Byron, who has four employees. "I picked eBay because it would give us a worldwide market. There just wasn't enough economic reward just sticking to the Dallas market."

If the idea of making money in front of your PC from the comfort of your den appeals to you, prepare to embark on more than a hobby.

"You need to do a little bit of research beforehand," Griffith said. "You want to know the marketplace you're going to enter. You have to determine what it is you're going to sell and find out what the most successful sellers sell."

Consider your venture a business, not just a way to earn extra money.

"Whether you like it or not, if you're selling with some regularity, you are a business," Griffith said. "You have to admit to that and think, "I'm going to run this as a part-time business in a very low volume.' You'll be more effective in planning how you will grow your business, how much you will raise as a supplemental income."

Posted by News Desk at 11:10 AM | Permalink

Many eBay users are familiar with sellers who use a low-price/high-shipping strategy to manipulate eBay search results. But less well known is the technique of listing 1-cent eBooks with zero shipping charges. In fact, it would appear at first glance to be a money-losing strategy, since eBay charges a minimum 5-cent listing fee for Stores (and 20 cents for core listings). But sellers employing the strategy offer multiple quantities of the items in each listing.

While sellers legitimately sell digital content on eBay, many of the 1-cent eBook, no-shipping Store listings AuctionBytes examined looked suspect, including the possibility that sellers are in effect creating "feedback farms" - creating multiple User IDs that bid on these listings to quickly build up positive feedback ratings.

One such listing posted on September 20 netted the seller close to 1,000 feedback points in a 4-day period. The item for sale was a 1-cent/no shipping eBook that promised in the headline to make sellers $100/day by selling on eBay. By the evening of September 24, there were 9012 of these eBooks still available for sale through this one listing. (The listing contained photos of scantily clad women for no obvious reason.)

One UK website owner is apparently well aware of the penny eBook strategy and created a page to help users quickly overcome the restrictions eBay places on new accounts. "I know what it's like when you have just opened your ebay account and have restrictions in place such as not being able to list "buy it now" auctions. To help with this problem I put together this short helper page which will get you 10 positive feedbacks within 100 seconds" (http://www.tradedemon.net/10EbayFeedbacks.php). The page includes links to active penny listings on eBay with instructions to buy 10 1-penny eBooks and leave positive feedback for the seller. "By the time you finish all 10, your feedback should be on 10."

AuctionBytes contacted eBay about the 1-cent eBooks on September 25, giving an example of one such listing. eBay spokesperson Catherine England replied in an email on September 28, writing, "The policy team confirmed that this listing is considered to be a violation of our Feedback Manipulation policy. We encourage members to report any listing that may be suspicious to us via the "report this item link" located at the bottom of every listing." eBay suspended the seller of that particular listing, but appeared to leave most of the seller's trading partners' accounts untouched.

When we checked on October 1, we found more listings similar to the one England had said violated the Feedback Manipulation policy. Part of the descriptive text for one such live listing stated, "You wont regret getting this eBook, it will really show you how I make a ton of money on eBay without even trying! Interested? It only costs a cent ($0.01 cent) to find out what I am talking about. Go ahead, give it a shot. This eBook is absolutely the best kept secret in the eBay auction market!"

Ironically, the seller states, "Check our feedbacks!!!" to assure potential buyers it's safe to bid.

And in a ploy no doubt designed to give the listing more credibility, it contained a photo of the cover of a print book by ChannelAdvisor CEO Scot Wingo entitled "eBay Strategies," published by Prentice Hall with a list price of $19.99, despite the fact the listing headline advertised recipes ("POWERSELLER eBOOK $0.01 eBOOK 1 CENT RECIPES FREE S&H!!"). Sixty-one purchases had been made in the 3-and-a-half days since it had been listed, and 920 copies remained with 27 days left before the listing was set to expire.

One seller has advanced beyond selling individual eBooks, and listed his eBook business: "BUY MY EBAY BIZ!!!-Authentic Ebook Biz-Make 4K Month$," the listing read. However, he made 60 quantities of his business available.

The eBay user who brought the eBook listings to AuctionBytes' attention speculated on the purpose of the selling strategy. "Scammers may be building accounts with high feedback to appear more trustworthy. Or some may be building accounts to sell, and scammers would be interested in this too." She went on to write, "For buyers, considering the numerous types of fraud, it's like playing Russian Roulette."

The ease with which sellers may be able to gain large numbers of positive ratings in a short period was also of concern to her. "Use of this program lessens the value of feedback, to say the least. It makes feedback for hundreds, if not thousands of shady ebay sellers fraudulent and totally unreliable and throws a shadow on decent sellers." She also raised concern over the effect of penny listings on eBay metrics. "It manipulates some of ebay's numbers... registered members, active members, sell-thru stats, etc.," she wrote.

Even for penny listings that seemed as though they might be legitimate, many violated eBay's Digital Items policy (http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/selling-digital-items.html). For instance, one listing for the digital download of a recipe contained at least two violations: it was an auction format, not Buy It Now; and the seller was accepting cash payment (also a violation of eBay's Accepted Payments policy).

In a positive move, eBay announced on October 2 that it would ban private-feedback users from listing items for sale (http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y06/m10/i03/s01). While that is likely to hamper some fraudsters, it does not address the problem of the penny eBook feedback farms.

Posted by News Desk at 05:09 PM | Permalink

Ebay has made it more attractive for sellers to give a percentage of their profits to charity.

The auction site has cut the minimum fee for its Ebay for Charity programme which lets auction sellers donate between 10 – 100 per cent of the proceeds of a sale.

When the donation programme was first set up, sellers had to give £5 or 10 per cent of the item's final selling price, whichever was greater.

Changes have also been made to the way that MissionFish, the UK charity that partners Ebay on the programme, charges to collect and disburse donations. Initially the charity deducted either four per cent of the donation and any Gift Aid collected on the donation or £2, whichever was greater.

Although the initiative has proved popular, with more than 1,100 charities registering with the programme in less than a year according to MissionFish, some of the Ebay community felt the charges were too steep.

The fees deterred many people who were selling items at very low costs. They ended up out of pocket if the final selling price of their auction didn't meet the charges, in which cases they had to pay the difference.

Ebay stated on its website: "We have received strong feedback from the community that it would like to reduce the minimum donation from its level of £5 to allow more sellers to give to charity more frequently."

Now the minimum donation that Ebay allows has been reduced to £2. Missionfish will also reduce its charges and the minimum deduction will be reduced to 40p from a £2 minimum donation.

The charity will also no longer take deductions from the Gift Aid collected for charities.

There will continue to be no minimum donation or MissionFish deductions for charities selling items themselves. The new £2 minimum will continue to apply to each listing rather than each item.

Ebay has published a full list of revised charges that took effect on 28 September. Any existing Ebay for Charity listings that end on or after the morning of 28th September qualify for the new changes.

The changes mean more money goes to the charity of the seller's choice. For example if a seller donates £5, £5.66 will go to the benefiting charity (compared to £4.66 previously).

During October Ebay is running a challenge to see which charities benefit most from sellers' Ebay for Charity listings. Winning charities will receive awards and other prizes. Also keep an eye out for some great celebrity auctions.

Source: Computer Active

Posted by News desk at 02:41 PM | Permalink

People who find treasure may be breaking the law if they do not report it to the authorities, eBay and the British Museum are warning.
The museum has set up a specialist team - under its Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) - to make sure antiques are legally sold by eBay sellers.

Some traders in archaeological finds are unaware they may have to be declared under the Treasure Act.

Illegal listings will be reported to specialist Met Police detectives.

English, Welsh and Northern Irish archaeological finds which constitute "treasure" must be reported to the local coroner or the PAS under the Treasure Act.

Metallic objects made up of at least 10% gold or silver which are at least 300 years old are classed as treasure.

Some coins with lower amounts of gold or silver could also be classed as treasure.

Failure to report finds deemed to be treasure is a criminal offence under the act.

Items spotted by the PAS being sold on eBay illegally have included gold and silver Roman rings.

Staff from PAS - which is run by the British Museum on behalf of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) - will contact sellers to make sure they have reported items and are entitled to offer them for sale.

The British Museum's Roger Bland told BBC News: "There are definitely some people who know perfectly well what they're doing. They're selling finds on a regular basis all the time.

"But when we contact people who are selling objects we think should be reported as treasure there's quite a few more who I think genuinely do it out of ignorance because they don't know about the law."

'Valuable insights'

Chris Batt, chief executive of the MLA, said the partnership would mean illegal listings could be stopped and action taken.

"Doing so is vital because such activity is not only illegal but could also damage the archaeological record as, without effective reporting, valuable insights into our past could be lost forever," he said.

An eBay spokesman said educating its customers "on what to look out for when buying antiquities on eBay and informing sellers of their obligations is of paramount importance".

As part of the joint initiative, the site has created a guide to buying and selling antiquities which offers advice on reporting obligations.

Under the Treasure Act, metallic objects made up of at least 10% gold or silver which are at least 300 years old must be reported to the local coroner or the PAS.

Some coins with lower amounts of gold or silver could also be classed as treasure.

Items spotted by the PAS being sold on eBay illegally have included gold and silver Roman rings.

Posted by News Desk at 02:25 PM | Permalink

Imagine just two people in the whole wide world want something you are selling ….. just two people ….. now imagine more than two people, many more ….. imagine fierce fighting where you are the eventual winner.

When it comes to selling on eBay, if you can stimulate competition between two or more bidders you can see the value of the item you're selling multiply many times over.

When a bidding war erupts – where two or more people bid furiously against one another, each desperate to own a particular item – phenomenal results are possible.

It happened recently, when a postcard by artist A. R. Quinton, depicting a cliff view at Herne Bay, fetched £100 plus. By anyone’s standards, the card was worth about £3 for the view and maybe a few pounds more for the artist.

I checked and found that two serious bidders, one of Herne Bay topographical postcards, the other a Quinton enthusiast, had launched a bidding war that was eventually won by the Herne Bay collector, or was it the seller of this rather common-a-garden postcard?

Such events are not uncommon. My own best selling item this month, a pair of vintage cufflinks with ancient Greek Coins, for which I paid £3 at a flea market, went for £34, with the two final bidders being a collector of cufflinks and another of Greek coins. The Greek coin collector won.

You only need two bidders and it doesn’t matter if they’re interested in the same product or specific parts of your product or listing. The end result is always the same; more money for you.

You’re looking for just two people in the whole wide world, these tips will help you find them.

* List a minimum two items (or themes) in one lot. The trick is to make each item valuable in its own right and appealing to more than one person. The cufflinks and postcard are good examples. I’ve seen other wars raging over two completely unrelated postcards listed together; two books bearing no relation to one another; a pack of artist illustrated playing cards where one bidder wanted the cards and the other collected all things artist related.

* List in two eBay categories to achieve maximum market penetration. You can also list in two shop categories. For the Quinton/Herne Bay postcard I’d list under ‘Artist Drawn Postcards’ and ‘Topographical’.

* Research and use commonly used keywords for your product to attract the highest audience for your item. Go to eBay Pulse pages for common keywords or use software such as Adword Analyzer to study most commonly used key words and phrases for specific subjects. Although developed largely for search engine optimisation and Google advertising campaigns and similar, products like Adword Analyzer are equally suitable for all areas of the Internet, including eBay. Visit our site, http://www.publishingcircles.com/keywords.htmlfor more ideas on keyword research with tips from top eBayers and other Internet marketers.

* Offer free gifts and bonuses to attract interest from people selling similar items. For example, offer three cufflinks where most offer two (emphasise these things get damaged, lost, stolen); ship items postage free; add complementary items such as matching tie pin (free or otherwise) with cufflinks, free presentation boxes with every batch of wholesale necklaces, and so on.

* Offer a free gift that is valuable in its own right, worth more than the product listed, and not available from any other source. Remember to change the freebie regularly as frequent buyers will have it already. Study and comply with eBay rules regarding gifts, bonuses and discounts. The trick is to find people not necessarily wanting your listed product, but very keen on the freebie. Learn more at: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/listing-bonuses.html

When it comes to selling on eBay, if you can stimulate competition between two or more bidders you can see the value of the item you're selling multiply many times over.

When a bidding war erupts – where two or more people bid furiously against one another, each desperate to own a particular item – phenomenal results are possible.

It happened recently, when a postcard by artist A. R. Quinton, depicting a cliff view at Herne Bay, fetched £100 plus. By anyone’s standards, the card was worth about £3 for the view and maybe a few pounds more for the artist.

I checked and found that two serious bidders, one of Herne Bay topographical postcards, the other a Quinton enthusiast, had launched a bidding war that was eventually won by the Herne Bay collector, or was it the seller of this rather common-a-garden postcard?

Such events are not uncommon. My own best selling item this month, a pair of vintage cufflinks with ancient Greek Coins, for which I paid £3 at a flea market, went for £34, with the two final bidders being a collector of cufflinks and another of Greek coins. The Greek coin collector won.

You only need two bidders and it doesn’t matter if they’re interested in the same product or specific parts of your product or listing. The end result is always the same; more money for you.

You’re looking for just two people in the whole wide world, these tips will help you find them.

* List a minimum two items (or themes) in one lot. The trick is to make each item valuable in its own right and appealing to more than one person. The cufflinks and postcard are good examples. I’ve seen other wars raging over two completely unrelated postcards listed together; two books bearing no relation to one another; a pack of artist illustrated playing cards where one bidder wanted the cards and the other collected all things artist related.

* List in two eBay categories to achieve maximum market penetration. You can also list in two shop categories. For the Quinton/Herne Bay postcard I’d list under ‘Artist Drawn Postcards’ and ‘Topographical’.

* Research and use commonly used keywords for your product to attract the highest audience for your item. Go to eBay Pulse pages for common keywords or use software such as Adword Analyzer to study most commonly used key words and phrases for specific subjects. Although developed largely for search engine optimisation and Google advertising campaigns and similar, products like Adword Analyzer are equally suitable for all areas of the Internet, including eBay. Visit our site, http://www.publishingcircles.com/keywords.htmlfor more ideas on keyword research with tips from top eBayers and other Internet marketers.

* Offer free gifts and bonuses to attract interest from people selling similar items. For example, offer three cufflinks where most offer two (emphasise these things get damaged, lost, stolen); ship items postage free; add complementary items such as matching tie pin (free or otherwise) with cufflinks, free presentation boxes with every batch of wholesale necklaces, and so on.

* Offer a free gift that is valuable in its own right, worth more than the product listed, and not available from any other source. Remember to change the freebie regularly as frequent buyers will have it already. Study and comply with eBay rules regarding gifts, bonuses and discounts. The trick is to find people not necessarily wanting your listed product, but very keen on the freebie. Learn more at: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/listing-bonuses.html

When it comes to selling on eBay, if you can stimulate competition between two or more bidders you can see the value of the item you're selling multiply many times over.

When a bidding war erupts – where two or more people bid furiously against one another, each desperate to own a particular item – phenomenal results are possible.

It happened recently, when a postcard by artist A. R. Quinton, depicting a cliff view at Herne Bay, fetched £100 plus. By anyone’s standards, the card was worth about £3 for the view and maybe a few pounds more for the artist.

I checked and found that two serious bidders, one of Herne Bay topographical postcards, the other a Quinton enthusiast, had launched a bidding war that was eventually won by the Herne Bay collector, or was it the seller of this rather common-a-garden postcard?

Such events are not uncommon. My own best selling item this month, a pair of vintage cufflinks with ancient Greek Coins, for which I paid £3 at a flea market, went for £34, with the two final bidders being a collector of cufflinks and another of Greek coins. The Greek coin collector won.

You only need two bidders and it doesn’t matter if they’re interested in the same product or specific parts of your product or listing. The end result is always the same; more money for you.

You’re looking for just two people in the whole wide world, these tips will help you find them.

* List a minimum two items (or themes) in one lot. The trick is to make each item valuable in its own right and appealing to more than one person. The cufflinks and postcard are good examples. I’ve seen other wars raging over two completely unrelated postcards listed together; two books bearing no relation to one another; a pack of artist illustrated playing cards where one bidder wanted the cards and the other collected all things artist related.

* List in two eBay categories to achieve maximum market penetration. You can also list in two shop categories. For the Quinton/Herne Bay postcard I’d list under ‘Artist Drawn Postcards’ and ‘Topographical’.

* Research and use commonly used keywords for your product to attract the highest audience for your item. Go to eBay Pulse pages for common keywords or use software such as Adword Analyzer to study most commonly used key words and phrases for specific subjects. Although developed largely for search engine optimisation and Google advertising campaigns and similar, products like Adword Analyzer are equally suitable for all areas of the Internet, including eBay. Visit our site, http://www.publishingcircles.com/keywords.htmlfor more ideas on keyword research with tips from top eBayers and other Internet marketers.

* Offer free gifts and bonuses to attract interest from people selling similar items. For example, offer three cufflinks where most offer two (emphasise these things get damaged, lost, stolen); ship items postage free; add complementary items such as matching tie pin (free or otherwise) with cufflinks, free presentation boxes with every batch of wholesale necklaces, and so on.

* Offer a free gift that is valuable in its own right, worth more than the product listed, and not available from any other source. Remember to change the freebie regularly as frequent buyers will have it already. Study and comply with eBay rules regarding gifts, bonuses and discounts. The trick is to find people not necessarily wanting your listed product, but very keen on the freebie. Learn more at: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/listing-bonuses.html

Posted by News desk at 12:14 PM | Permalink

Following on from its successful launch in the US, eBay is to launch its eBay Express website in the UK. The company claims the site will offer small businesses a hassle-free and credible route to market.

eBayExpress will operate alongside eBay's existing auction site, the main difference being that all items offered for sale on eBayExpress are new and have a fixed price.

* Get it new: Shop our vast inventory of brand new, brand name, and hard-to-find products.
* Get it now: Everything on eBay Express is offered at a fixed price by top eBay sellers. Get what you want now — no bidding, no waiting.
* Fill your shopping cart: Buy from multiple eBay Express merchants. Pay for everything — including shipping—in a single, secure payment using PayPal or your credit card.
* Buy with confidence. Every transaction is safe, secure, and fully covered by free Buyer Protection. See conditions.
* We're here to help: On eBay Express, you're always just one click away from help — including live chat with an eBay Express customer service specialist.

Source: By Test Art

Posted by News desk at 11:36 AM | Permalink

Three of the most terrifying cars to ever cruise into theaters!

The Volo Auto Museum has up dug three of the most nightmarish cars to ever hit theaters.

All are for auction, including the most terrifying car of all time, the immortal Christine.

The museum risked life and lug nuts to unearth these terrors from the auto graveyard and list them on eBay from Oct. 1 to 10, 2006.

The Plymouth Fury from Christine, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Dodge van, and the Devil's Rejects' Cadillac Eldorado are for sale for the first time and ready to prowl the streets for their next victims.

The most famous Plymouth of all time is Christine, the 1958 Fury that starred in John Carpenter's 1983 movie adaptation of Stephen King's horror classic.

For the actual filming, Columbia Pictures invoiced 16 Plymouths.

Even though on film they rebuilt themselves, only three actually survived, including the one now being offered.

She's been smashed, crashed, and burned but keeps coming back.

Hell hath no fury like Christine. (eBay Item
No. 170033211331)

An idyllic summer afternoon drive in a Dodge van became a nightmare for five teenagers when they were exposed to a crazed family of killers in the 2003 version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

The movie is based on a series of gruesome real-life murders committed in the 1950s by Ed Gein of Plainfield, Wisconsin (only 193 miles from Volo).

A prequel to the Chainsaw Massacre is set to hit theaters October 6.

Although it may look like a beater, the van actually is a pristine 1970 Dodge A-100.

New Line Cinema painted it to look dirty and rusty.

A shattered rear window, bloodstains and slash marks remain as a reminder of the carnage unleashed by Leatherface. (eBay Item No. 170033214132)

Rob Zombie's 2005 sequel to House of 1000 Corpses, the Devil's Rejects is a gruesome grab-you-by-the-throat horror movie.

The murderous Rejects drove this 1975 Cadillac Eldorado convertible to their death in the movie's final scene. (eBay Item No. 170033221014)

The Volo Auto Museum, 27582 W. Volo Village Road, Volo, IL, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $8.95. Special rates are available for children, seniors, veterans and active military. Visit Volocars.com or call (815) 385-3644.

Source: Sootoday

Posted by News desk at 11:31 AM | Permalink