Can you earn a living on eBay?
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."