Out-of-work actor is auctioned for £1
This article really does show you that you can sell absolutely anything on ebay . . .
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March 30, 2007
Program shows residents how to buy or sell on eBay
This article outlines how ebay and the teaching of buying and selling online can have excellent effect in a small town.
Kerry man helps ensure eBay’s success in Ireland
Here is an informative story about the quick expansion of ebay on the emerald isle.
Entrepreneur's eBay Startup Guide Shows Business Owners How to Start and Grow a Business on eBay
Entrepreneur's eBay Startup Guide is now on newsstands to help small business owners tap into a network of 222 million registered eBay members worldwide. The fifth issue of the magazine marks eBay's still-burgeoning success and its virtually limitless business opportunities for entrepreneurs.
"Since we started publishing the eBay Startup Guide a few years ago, eBay has turned from a hot success to an absolutely massive trading platform," says Rieva Lesonsky, senior VP and editorial director of Entrepreneur magazine and Entrepreneur's eBay Startup Guide. "The opportunities still abound, but as more people get in, business owners need to actively seek out ways to differentiate their businesses and make the most memorable impressions with customers."
The eBay phenomenon is stronger than ever, and sellers who'll soar will do it by getting ahead of the competition, building customer loyalty and trust, and incorporating fresh ideas to drive sales. Entrepreneur's eBay Startup Guide will show them how with the latest tools, techniques and resources.
The guide also keeps business owners up to date with eBay's new services and offers tips on dealing with tax issues, strengthening repeat business and developing an effective e-commerce site. For those thinking of starting a business on eBay, Entrepreneur's eBay Startup Guide provides step-by-step instruction and plenty of inspiration to ensure a new business gains ground fast.
Entrepreneur's eBay Startup Guide will be distributed at eBay Live! in Boston from June 14 to 16, when eBay fever will top the charts as thousands of community members meet to share ideas and attend workshops, classes and more.
To learn how to strategically start, run and grow a business on eBay, pick up Entrepreneur's eBay Startup Guide on newsstands and visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebay.
About Entrepreneur Media Inc.
Entrepreneur Media Inc. is the premier content provider for and about entrepreneurs. Our products engage and inspire every day with the advice, solutions and resources that fuel the bold and independent way entrepreneurs think.
After 30 years, nobody reaches more growing businesses. As the original magazine for the small and midsize business community, Entrepreneur continues to be the definitive guide to all the diverse challenges of business ownership. Entrepreneur.com is the most widely used website by entrepreneurs and emerging businesses worldwide. Entrepreneur Press publishes the books that turn entrepreneurial skills into business success.
What's Hot on eBay Around the World
In this weeks article Data Bytes explores the international trends of buying and selling items on ebay around the world.
March 29, 2007
What Not to Buy on eBay
'What Not to buy on eBay' is an informative article about the reality of buying on eBay with some stark reminders of what you really shouldn't purchase over the internet.
EBay Pirate Gets 27 Months for Selling $700,000 in Counterfeit Software
Courtney Smith an Ebay pirate has been sentenced for the selling of counterfeit sotware and for his crimes he will be serving a 27 month jail sentence. This conviction comes off the back of eBay clamping down on internet fraud.
March 23, 2007
Sell your car on Ebay
Selling a second-hand car is easier than ever thanks to the auction website Ebay. We show you how to do it.
The key to selling something is to reach as many people as possible who might be interested in buying it.
If you’re selling an old car for a new one, then possibly the biggest collection of potential buyers is already out there on Ebay.
More than three million people visit Ebay Motors every month and, according to the company, a car is sold on the site every two minutes.
If you’re looking to offload your current vehicle or buy another car, the sheer number of visitors to Ebay makes it a great first stop. The cash you pay for a listing on the site will get you far more exposure than you can expect for the same kind of fee in a car trading magazine.
Research assistance
To put together a comprehensive listing for your car, you need to gather plenty of information. Basic make and model details are easy, but other information, such as the engine size, whether it has anti-lock brakes, airbags and other valuable extras may need more investigation. Make sure you have all the relevant information before you even think about putting a listing together. Anything you forget to include could result in a lower price.
From a legal point of view, you need two main things: the MOT certificate and the logbook, also known as the V5 document. If you’re selling a car that is less than three years old, there will be no MOT certificate, but for everyone else, having less than six months of MOT remaining will reduce the price. No logbook also means you won’t be able to sell the car for its true value.
The last piece of information you will want is a valuation, especially if you plan to set a reserve on the auction or a ‘Buy It Now’ price. Dozens of websites can give you this sort of information, but our favourite for newer models is What Car? at www.whatcar.com, which offers a free rough valuation and general information about models to help write a description.
Listing post
Once you’ve clicked on the ‘Sell Your Car’ button on the site, you need to decide between a regular Ebay auction and a fixed-price sale, before choosing the ‘Cars, Parts and Vehicles’ category.
It’s possible to place your car in more than one category, such as ‘Classic Cars’ as well as the regular ‘Cars’ section, but the listing fees will be doubled as a result. Listing by manufacturer will suffice for more run-of-the-mill machinery.
When listing the car, you can enter the registration number. The idea is that key information about the vehicle can be filled in automatically based on DVLA records. For older models, imported cars and specialist vehicles, including motor caravans, this isn’t very reliable, but for regular cars, it’s a good time-saver. Do check, however, that all the information is correct before submitting.
Say what you see
To make compiling your car listing easier, write the main car description in a Word document and carry out a spellcheck to minimise the chances of making a mistake.
You can copy and paste the words straight into the Ebay listing window later on.
The first thing to write is a strong line or two to start the listing off. Being positive without slipping into the slimy patois of the used car salesman is the key.
A good opening line might be “You are bidding on a very smart 2004 Kia Sorento XS diesel. This high-mileage example has a full service history, leather seats and is in excellent all-round condition”.
The main description should cover all the things a buyer needs to know. Split the description into logical sections, but keep things brief – between 150 and 200 words – to prevent buyer boredom. Make sure you mention the mileage and any desirable aspects that will make your car stand out.
It’s customary to be honest about any problems a car has, but many Ebayers dwell on the negative points of their car to an absurd extent. You have a legal obligation to be truthful, but if you overplay the bad points, it’ll simply put potential buyers off. For example, if the car has a dent, say the bodywork is excellent apart from a small dent. You are trying to sell the thing, after all.
Image is everything
The next task is the image section, where you get the chance to upload pictures. It’s important to put some thought into your images. Ebay says cars with six or more photos sell for an average of a fifth more than those with less pictures, but quality is key.
The main picture should allow viewers to see the front and one side of the car. Avoid taking the picture in bright sunshine if possible, and ensure it’s in focus and that the car fills the picture, rather than being in the middle of lots of scenery. With 12 small photos included in the listing price, there’s plenty of opportunity to show the main views, but avoid repeating photos or putting in pointless ones.
A dashboard image, including a close-up of the milometer reading, is a good idea, along with views of both sides and a shot of the rear. A good interior photo is worthwhile, as are close-ups of any faults mentioned.
There are various picture upgrade options to consider with the listing. The Supersize option is good for seeing larger versions of your pictures. This costs 60p per listing and will pay for itself in helping serious buyers make a bid. Paying the 15p requested for the Gallery picture is money well spent too.
This means a small picture of your car will appear in the search page list. The new Picture Show option, which puts your images in a slideshow along the bottom of the listing, is better suited to car accessories and isn’t really worthwhile for our purpose.
Remember to upload the best picture first as with any Ebay listing, as this is the one that will appear on the search result screen.
Scammers Try To Get You Coming, Going On eBay
If you ever buy or sell on eBay, beware of online rip-off artists trying to get you coming and going.
There are two popular schemes out there, and we'll show you how to protect your money.
Lou Fausak, an eBay expert, didn't fall for one fake check scam, but plenty of other sellers have.
The item Fausak was selling only cost $800, but a buyer sent him a check for $2,800.
The online crook said it was a simple mistake and asked for $2,000 back. The message told Fausak he was required to transfer the excess funds. If he had, he would have been out two grand.
"They're clever. They're sophisticated. And they're in places where the laws don't touch them," Fausak said.
Here's another trick you need to look out for: It involves "second chance" offers.
You think you're getting another shot at that item you wanted so badly, but it's really a crook trying to steal the amount you were willing to pay.
This time, a schemer hijacked the ad for a car Fausak was selling. He never even knew it, until a victim called to pick up the vehicle. Fausak had already sold it to a higher bidder.
"It's a hard thing to tell somebody that you didn't send me any money, you sent a bad guy some money," Fausak said.
An e-bay spokesperson told us the company "works directly with law enforcement whenever possible to bring the perpetrators of these scams to justice."
But in a new twist on an old lesson, Fausak said it's buyer -- and seller -- beware!
"If it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true. That's it," he said.
eBay Redesigns Header and Brings Back Pre-Orders to Half.com
eBay is rolling out a new header that displays on the top of eBay pages, and it announced it was bringing back the Pre-Orders feature to Half.com.
Changes to the eBay header, designed to make it easier to search for items and to navigate around the site, include links to other eBay sites such as eBay Motors and eBay Express; a new link to categories that displays the full list when users hover over it with their mouse; and a bigger search box in the middle of the header. The standard Buy, Sell, My eBay, Community, and Help links will be moved over to the upper right-hand corner. Similar to the categories link, when you hover over these links a short list of related links will be displayed.
eBay also announced it was bringing back the Pre-Orders feature to Half.com and adding functionality that will make it easier for buyers and sellers to manage Pre-Order activities. Pre-Orders give buyers the option to place an order using preset item and seller criteria (such as price, condition, and feedback ratings). eBay recently announced that qualified sellers could opt-in to have their Half.com listings appear on eBay Express.
eBay said these changes would roll out this week.
March 22, 2007
Directions for e-trader status
What taxes do e-traders pay?
Are you regarded as an e-trader (selling online) for tax purposes? It depends.
If you sell the odd, unwanted gift or some personal possessions, you might not qualify as a trader.
But if you buy items with the intention of selling them on as quickly and as profitably as you can, then you are a trader and likely to be self-employed.
You may have to pay Income Tax and National Insurance contributions and we will treat you as a self-employed person for that trade. If so, you need to fill in a self-employment form.
You may also need to register for VAT. Traders of second-hand goods only pay VAT on the margin they make: in other words, they are required to pay VAT on the difference between the price they bought the goods for and the price they sold them for.
But if you fail to register for VAT or keep records to show what you are buying and selling, you could be charged VAT on the full value of the goods you sell.
Are you making money from selling online?
Many people now sell goods online on sites like e-Bay.
If you are running a business online you will be regarded as self-employed for this trade and you must register with us and possibly complete a tax return.
You must register to let us know within three months of starting your business, or you could pay a penalty. If you only sell occasional items then contact HMRC for further advice.
Heard of affiliates?
Affiliates are the e-commerce version of the traditional agent/referral sales model. An e-commerce affiliate is a website that advertises products or services, but refers potential customers to an e-commerce site to purchase the product. For example, many affiliates refer customers to sites like Amazon.com. If the customer makes a purchase, the affiliate who referred them normally receives a small payment.
Affiliates may be liable to pay tax on the payments they receive for referrals. If you are uncertain of what your status is, contact HMRC for more guidance.
Find out now how to register as self-employed and read about the taxes e-traders are required to pay.
Do you qualify as self-employed?
If you can answer 'Yes' to all of the following questions, you are probably self-employed:
Can you hire someone to do the work for you? Do you pay their wages with your own money?
Do you risk your own money in the business?
Do you provide the main items of equipment you need to do your job? This doesn't include the tools that many employees provide for themselves.
Do you agree to do a job for a fixed price regardless of how long the job may take?
Can you decide what work to do, how and when to do the work and where to provide the services?
Do you regularly work for a number of different people?
Do you have to correct unsatisfactory work in your own time and at your own expense?
If you answered 'Yes' to these questions, find out here how to register as self-employed.
If you answered 'No' to most of these questions, then you are probably an employee. Check what this means in tax terms.
Are you working in more than one job?
Did you realise that you can be an employee and self-employed at the same time?
For instance, you can be employed working part-time as a mini-cab driver or in a shop, and at other times run your own business from home. Or, you could work full-time as an employee, and run your own business in the evenings or at weekends.
If you do work for yourself, whenever this is and whatever this is, you must register as self-employed.
Revenue bays for tax from eBay earnings
Buyers and sellers are not the only people surfing online auction sites: the taxman is watching who is making money this way.
Users of internet auction sites such as eBay are being targeted by HM Revenue & Customs in a crackdown on tax evasion.
Traders who are buying and selling goods online but are not declaring the income to the Revenue are being told to register their activities within three months of starting to trade, or face a £100 penalty and interest charges on unpaid tax.
The rules apply to all sole traders, whether they use the internet or not, but with the explosion in popularity of auction sites such as eBay, the Revenue is making a beeline for those trying to hide their trades in the ether.
Traders need to pay income tax, National Insurance and, depending on their earnings, VAT, and it is their responsibility to tell the Revenue.
The Revenue has produced an online guide for those who are not sure whether they should register to pay income tax and National Insurance.
Stuart Hartlib, the Revenue's director of risk and intelligence, says: "In the new guidance, there are examples to help you work out if you have to pay tax when you sell items online. You can also access information related to online trading about issues such as capital gains tax and VAT.
"This site is designed to make registering and paying tax easier, so you can work out whether you are self-employed and need to file a return."
Everyone has a personal allowance of £5,035 that they can earn this tax year before they start paying any income tax at all, but if you are already employed then you will probably have exceed that limit.
People making the odd trade online to get rid of unwanted Christmas presents or personal possessions are not considered traders, says Hartlib. But anyone who is specifically buying goods to sell for a profit online, making items to sell and make a profit, selling or buying goods on behalf of others for a commission, or providing a service and receiving payment in cash or in kind is trading.
It is down to the individual to make sure they are paying the right amount of tax, and the Revenue will expect anyone who is self-employed to fill in a self-assessment tax return each year. Even if you are employed elsewhere and make extra money using the internet, you would still have to declare this on a tax return, says the Revenue, and you would be penalised if you failed to do so.
For the period since January 31 - when you should have filed your tax return and paid any tax due for the 2005-06 tax year - you will be charged interest at 7.5 per cent in addition to receiving a £100 penalty for non-filing.
Says eBay, one of the world's biggest internet auction sites: "It is clearly stated in our user agreement that all eBay users, particularly those who are self-employed, are responsible for ensuring that they meet their legal tax requirements for any money made on the site."
The website adds: "Once users have registered with us as a business, then they are given advice on how to meet their tax obligations."
If you are trading through eBay, or in any other medium such as a market stall or car boot sale, you should declare your income, says Mike Warburton of accountants Grant Thornton. He adds: "There is nothing wrong with buying and selling, but if you are buying and selling and making a profit without declaring it, then the system is designed to catch you. Honest, hard-working taxpayers who pay all of their taxes would say that it is quite right."
The Revenue set up a Tax Evasion Hotline in October 2005, and since the end of September has already had around 100,000 referrals for those people who are not registered to pay tax and should be. It has resulted in an extra 8,000 self-employed registrations to date.
Says the Revenue: "We know that there are still some people who deliberately don't want to pay their taxes or claim more than they are entitled to. This is unfair to the majority of taxpayers who are compliant.
"We use a number of methods to find out about those that should be paying but do not. The Tax Evasion Hotline gives the general public the chance to tell us about people they suspect of cheating the system, and gives us information that we might not otherwise have got.
"The honest taxpayer has absolutely nothing to fear from the existence of the hotline. For anyone not complying, the best advice is to get up to date now and we will do everything we can to help to make the process as simple as possible."
And, reflecting the high-tech way more people are making money, the Revenue too is starting to use high-tech methods of catching online tax evaders, with software that will work through sites such as eBay to identify people who are making regular trades.
It then checks its records to determine whether the correct amount of tax has been paid - and contacts the individual if the answer is no. "The software identifies websites of interest to us and collects information from the internet to assist in our inquiries. It is much more efficient than trying to do the same thing manually as we have in the past," says the Revenue.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/03/19/cmebay19.xml
eBay Find of the Day: Bullrun Lamborghini Murcielago
If you've seen any of the Bullrun episodes that have aired on Spike TV (Tuesday nights at 10), or even the promotional ads, you might recognize today's eBay find.
Although the series has just gotten underway, we can already surmise that the Team #10 Lamborghini Murcielago piloted by owner Jeff Marshall and co-pilot John Eltringham survived relatively intact. And for the right bid, it could be yours.
There are still nice weeks worth of episodes left, so no hints about who walks away with the grand prize are revealed in the listing. We already know that the car had been exhibiting clutch problems in the first two segments, so it's nice to see that Jeff has replaced the $10,000 clutch already. The Murci has a fresh set of rubber too, but needs a couple of other fixes. With some noticeable nose damage that will most likely require a replacement, the team had the other Bullrunners sign the future wallhanging. A new windshield and some paint are also mentioned as things the buyer will need to have fixed.
The car itself is #15 of the batch of fifty 40th Anniversary Murcielagos made in 2003/4. Upgrades include an Al Burtoni exhaust, re-mapped computer, K&N airfilters, new plugs, and new front wheel nuts. The seller adds that others have confirmed this is one of the strongest Murcis around, but he won't be needing this Bull on his Washington ranch. His Cayenne Turbo S will work better in that environment and make it a little easier to settle arguments amongst his three children over who gets to ride along.
eBay capital of Britain
It may have just 48 addresses, but a quiet street in Norfolk was named the busiest place for eBay trading in the country yesterday.
Residents of Luscombe Way, in Rackheath, racked up 2,000 transactions in the past year.
Two-thirds of households on the road have signed up to the auction site, selling everything from Portakabins to restored classic cars. Resident HK Yeo said: 'I had no idea so many people on the street were using the site. I guess it means we have something in common.'
March 19, 2007
BEWARE - Urgent Warning to eBay Sellers about New Fraud
Scammers are stepping up their attacks in an extremely devious way.
The technique involves asking the seller a question about an "identical item" they saw listed on eBay, and includes a link to the supposed listing. Unwary sellers who go to view the item by clicking or pasting in the link are taken to a spoof site, where they are asked to sign in again (it is not unusual to have to log-in to eBay for different tasks). They then may unwittingly enter their eBay User name and password into the spoof site, which is designed to harvest the information for fraudulent activities such as account hijackings.
Not only is the seller vulnerable, but for auctions where Questions and Answers are displayed on the original auction description page, potential buyers may fall for the scam.
March 15, 2007
Free – Motors Listing Weekend
A brilliant way to reduce your cost of selling is to make good use of eBay promotions. You can list your vehicle for free on March 17th and 18th 2007 for free.
Not an opportunity to be missed…
So if your in the market for a jet ski and trailer or looking for a classic car, you will probably be spoilt for choice this weekend.
The normal insertion fee for vehicles is £8 each, however using the promotional offer will cost you £0. The eBay promotion includes the following categories:
Cars, Classic Cars, Motorcycles, Other Vehicles, Power Boats, Sailing Boats, Camper Vans/Motor Homes, Caravans, Agricultural Vehicles, Lorries/Trucks, Minibuses/Buses/Coaches, Taxis, Trailers, Transporters, Vans/Pickups, Other Commercial Vehicles.
Don’t worry if you have already scheduled your auction to start this weekend, you will still qualify for the promotion.
If you weren’t successful with an auction in the past, there is nothing stopping you from trying again under this promotion. If you are unsure on how to make this auction successful we recommend you spend a little time reading through our hints and tips such as 'How To Create The Perfect Item Description'
Ebay Marketplace Research - Overview
As we mentioned in our hints and tips section, researching the market place before you buy or sell can contribute to the success of your trading experience. Whether you are just de-cluttering your house or looking to start a business, knowing where products fit into the marketplace on eBay will give you the knowledge to achieve the best price or in fact achieve a successful auction.
If time is short, maybe you are putting together your business plan or you are checking out what you can get for your money. You may require highly accurate research, eBay offer the following tool:
eBay Marketplace Research
• View up to 90 days of eBay completed listings data.
• Analyse key metrics, such as the average sold prices and average start prices of items.
• Use charts to help you visualise buying and selling trends in the eBay marketplace.
• Explore the top keyword searches on eBay by category and by related keywords that you choose.
eBay Marketplace Research is available in three subscription options to help meet your specific needs.
Fastpass – subscription fee is £1.99 offering two day access and 10 research queries.
Basic – subscription fee is £5.99 offering one month access and 10 research queries.
Pro – subscription fee is £12.99 offering one month access and 100 research queries.
There are many more benefits to these subscriptions, the page to read more and sunscribe is easy to find, follow below steps:
1. Go to www.ebay.co.uk
2. Click on Buy at the top of the page.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, under the heading ‘Other Ways to Browse’, click on eBay Marketplace Research .
March 14, 2007
Powerseller - How to reduce your fees
Many powersellers ask the question ' Are my fees reduced because I am a powerseller?' Unfortunately many have tried but ebay sellers fees are not negotiable. However if you have over £1500 pounds going into your paypal account each month you can reduce your paypal fees.
It is a little hidden but a well worth search, here's how to find it.
1. Log into paypal,
2. Select the tab 'my account' and then select tab 'profile'
3. Right at the bottom of the page select fees
4. Click on the link in the table on the column receive funds/premier business acount.
Find the text 'How is Eligibility for Merchant Rates determined' and click on 'Merchant Rate Criteria' and at last you are there.
It takes a month for the paypal fee to kick in and only if your paypal income is high enough, definately worth a try.
join ebay today
Seller: Best end time for an ebay auction
We have put together some pointers on how to make the most of your auction end time. Take some time to consider the type of people your product will attract, for example you wouldn’t be very successful if you tried to sell a pair of furry winter boots during the summer, or school uniforms with an auction end time of 3 ‘o’ clock in the afternoon on a weekday.
To obtain the best results view what your competitors are selling what times of day their auctions end, what time of day achieves the highest price. It is not just times of day that should be monitored; times of the month are just as important. The majority of people are paid at the end/beginning of the month, so you may see a greater interest in your items at the beginning of the month. October to December is the most profitable due to the Christmas build up.
Most auctions tend to finish between 8pm - 10pm, excellent time if you are at work all day or have children to tend to until bedtime. Another good time to end your auction is 12-2 when most people have their lunch break and have spare time to surf the net and check out ebay.
If you want to attract a Worldwide market, trial and error as well as intensive research will pay dividends, just establishing all the time scales would take a while. So I will leave that for you to work out…
Powersellers - What are they and how to become one.
PowerSellers are eBay top sellers who sustain a consistent high volume of monthly sales and a high level of total Feedback --with 98% or better positive rating by other eBay users.
If you see the powerseller icon next to a member's user ID means that the seller meets the criteria for being a PowerSeller---consistent volume sales, 98% total positive Feedback or better, eBay marketplace policy compliance, and an account in good financial standing. With this mark, you can be confident that you are transacting with an experienced eBay seller who has proven that they’re committed to customer satisfaction.
PowerSeller membership is FREE to qualified sellers. eBay automatically invites qualified sellers via email.
Powerseller Tiers
There are 5 tiers of powerseller, becoming a powerseller is a postions of privelege which is just hard to earn as to keep. The tiers are as follows:
Bronze:
Gross Merchandise Volume- £750 and 100 items sold
Silver:
Gross Merchandise Volume- £1,500 and 300 items sold
Gold:
Gross Merchandise Volume-£6,000 and 1,000 sold items
Platinium:
Gross Merchandise Volume-£15,000 and 2,500 sold items
Titanium:
Gross Merchandise Volume £95,000 and 5,000 sold items
To qualify, members must:
Uphold the eBay community values, including honesty, timeliness and mutual respect
Sell on average a minimum of £750 or 100 items per month, for three consecutive months. In order to qualify you need to sell at least 4 items per month
Achieve an overall Feedback rating of 100, of which 98% or more is positive
Have been an active member for 90 days
Have an account in good financial standing
Not violate any severe policies in a 60-day period
PowerSeller programme eligibility is reviewed every month. To remain PowerSellers, members must:
Uphold eBay community values, including honesty, timeliness, and mutual respect
Maintain the minimum average monthly sales amount for your PowerSeller level
Maintain a 98% positive total feedback rating
Maintain an account in good financial standing
Comply with all eBay listing and marketplace policies, not violate any severe policies in a 60-day period and not violate three or more of any eBay policies in a 60-day period
How PowerSeller Feedback is calculated
The 98% or better positive Feedback rating for PowerSeller programme eligibility is calculated differently than the site Feedback rating visible on the Seller Information and Member Profile pages. The Feedback percentage seen on the rest of the site is calculated based on Feedback only from unique users.
The PowerSeller Feedback score is calculated based on total user Feedback to better reflect the fact that many PowerSellers have satisfied, repeat buyers. eBay calculates PowerSeller Feedback by taking the total number of positive Feedbacks and dividing them by the total number of Feedbacks (both positive and negative).
Benefits of Becoming a Powerseller
Dedicated PowerSeller newsletter
PowerSeller Discussion Board
Invitation to special eBay events
Be in the spotlight: Featured PowerSeller
Free business templates to help you update your stationery
Personal Account Management & Outreach Account Reviews to qualifying members
You will have access to the official ebay powerseller forum giving you plenty of advice and tips. The only problem is extracting all the knowledge you require.
Apart from this the best reward and benefit afterall is that you are a succesful ebayer. More than likely making a decent salary in the comfort of your own home, as well as being able to work around your daily commitments.
March 13, 2007
Out-of-this-world flat for sale
STAR TREK fan Tony Alleyne is crossing a final frontier by putting his unique home up for sale on internet auction site eBay.
The sci-fi enthusiast from Granville Gardens, Hinckley, boldly went where no one had gone before in his mission to transform his studio flat.
He spent more than £30,000 on turning the inside of the property into the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.
He later upgraded it to a replica of the Starship Voyager.
Now, the flat is on the market - for an out-of-this world £500,000.
Mr Alleyne, aged 54, is selling the flat after filing for bankruptcy at Coventry County Court last year.
He had amassed debts of £166,000 after investing £100,000 on his marketing firm, 24th Century Interior Designs, which offered space-age makeovers for other people's homes.
Now, the former club DJ hopes to get out of the red by selling his exclusive residence.
He said: "I did not set out with the intention of selling it.
"I set up a business, it did not work and I tried to finance it with credit cards, which was daft really."
Mr Alleyne is now advertising on eBay for a buyer for his flat.
The amazing flat has touch-panel blue lighting, moulded wall panels - and even a life-size transporter room.
What do you think? Post your comment below.
Dallas-based eBay Powerseller to Auction Her Forehead to Advertise During National Convention
Dallas eBay Powerseller, Stephanie Inge, is auctioning her forehead on eBay to the highest bidder to use as a human billboard for one week. Stephanie is trying to raise money to attend eBay's National Convention, eBay Live 2007 in Boston, Massachusetts. The high bidder will get to tatoo their company logo, company name or website across her forehead for 7 days in the form of a temporary tatoo.
Ms. Inge didn't think twice about launching the auction, even though her family and friends thinks she crazy and were totally against the whole idea. It will be very interesting to find out which company purchases the ad space, as eBay doesn't allow its' competitors to exhibit during their annual convention. This form of advertising has become extremely popular thanks to eBay and crazy auctions like this. Human billboards have become a very effective vehicle for branding products and company logos, as these auctions usually garner a lot of press coverage and wind up making the talk show circuit.
Stephanie says, "What better way to get your foot in the door, than right in the middle of my forehead." This unique marketing opportunity may be a great bargain, especially for those companies who can't get in the door of eBay Live 2007. eBay is still the major auction website and Meg Whitman plans to keep it that way as long as possible, in spite of the fact that Google is nipping at their heels.
It is refreshing to know that Guerilla Marketing is alive and well and up for auction on eBay! The auction is already attracting masses of interested advertisers and doesn't end until March 21st. This is one that we'll probably hear about on the radio and see on the morning talk shows, so stay tuned, or visit the auction yourself for details eBay Auction #110102227163
What do you think? Post your comment below.
The £5 eco designer bag that's going for £175 on eBay
Eco-friendly £5 shopping bags created by a top designer for an environmental campaign are being sold on eBay for up to £175.
The limited-edition canvas bag was designed by "Queen of Bagland" Anya Hindmarch to publicise excessive use of plastic carriers.
It does not officially go on sale until next week but already dozens of the much-coveted accessory, emblazoned with the motto "I'm not a plastic bag," have found their way on to the internet auction site.
The auctions have infuriated the campaign group behind the bags, We Are What We Do.
The non-profit making group has put a notice on eBay under the banner "Don't pay over the odds" to warn off potential buyers.
Nonetheless, many fans of Hindmarch are still bidding fiercely for the bags.
Kenn Jordan, a consultant to We Are What We Do, said: "We contacted some of the sellers by email saying: "Would you buy Comic Relief red noses, sell them and keep the profit?" We did manage to get a couple of people to remove listings but some said: "Well, we're just meeting demand."
"Our main objection is the people who claim on their listing that it has already sold out and that the only way you can get it is by paying over the odds. Their buyers are being ripped off.
"People who say it has already sold out are at best being misleading and at worst telling downright lies."
There are currently around 20 of the bags for sale on eBay, with most priced around £40 to £50. The highest price paid so far is £175.
One seller, who goes under the name 2005tanyaf, claims on her eBay page: "These bags have sold out everywhere and are really hard to get a hold of.
"It has been featured in lots of magazines (and) seems to be a celebrity craze as well."
However, only a few hundred are in circulation, mainly given out to journalists and celebrities who attended last month's Oscar night Vanity Fair party, where they were used as the goodie-bag.
The official launch date is Tuesday next week, when 10,000 go on sale at Hindmarch's three London shops, Dover Street market and Paris fashion store Colette.
They are expected to sell out within hours - possibly even minutes - of going on sale.
A second batch of 20,000 will be available at 201 as yet unidentified Sainsbury's stores around Britain on 25 April.
They will be sold on a first-comefirst- served basis and are expected to be snapped up quickly.
Hindmarch says she was persuaded to get involved in the project when We Are What We Do told her that the average Briton uses 167 plastic bags a year, a total of 10 million bags.
March 07, 2007
Your Stolen Items Could End Up On eBay
It's the most popular way to buy and sell items online, but eBay is also becoming a market for a new generation of crooks.
NBC 6's Willard Shepard talked to a South Florida resident who found his stolen items up for sale on the popular Web site.
Jim Reuth said his trailer, containing valuable collector train sets, was stolen from outside his photography business in Broward County. He said he found his items on eBay.
"They hopped up there for sale," Reuth said. "I was very surprised after I looked there and saw they were mine. I called my wife and said, 'Look what I found.'"
Police said your valuables could end up on eBay too.
"The ability to purchase and sell stolen items is present," said Sgt. Tom Palmer of Broward Sheriff's Office. "Unfortunately, it's difficult to track some items."
Without knowing it, you could be buying stolen goods. Palmer said he thinks it happens frequently.
"People have to be aware what they purchase from strangers they never even meet," Palmer said.
Determined to get his trains back, Reuth reached out to the man who was selling his items, Rob Theimer.
"I wanted to see if I could get it all back," Reuth said. "I wanted to see if he would sell them outside eBay."
He said he e-mailed Theimer and asked him to cancel the auction. But Theimer replied, "It would be easier if you placed bids."
Reuth started bidding -- $237 for his own train set and $122 for another. The total to win was $526.
After the e-mail communication, Reuth decided to meet Theimer at a McDonald's parking lot in north Broward County. Reuth called police and offered to go undercover.
"He pulled up next to me and opened his trunk to show me the trains," Reuth said.
Detectives watched and then swooped in. Theimer was caught red-handed.
"Turns out there was a second person involved and they had some other stolen stuff," Reuth said.
Detectives recovered three stolen motorcycles and parts that Theimer put up for sale on eBay.
Theimer pleaded no contest to the theft charges.
Officers said that eBay was very cooperative in the investigation.
eBay forbids listing stolen goods or those with altered serial numbers. For more on eBay's policy, visit http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/stolen.html.
EBay Listings Up 5.8% This Year
The number of items for sale on eBay has increased from a year ago, but more listings don't necessarily guarantee a big quarter for the online auctioneer.
Goldman Sachs said Tuesday that eBay (nasdaq: EBAY - news - people ) listings from Jan. 1 through March 4 were up 5.8% from the corresponding period last year. The company's shares rose 98 cents, or 3.2%, to close at $31.34 Tuesday.
Strong international growth compensated for a slight downturn in U.S. business. Quarter-to-date international listings were 238.0 million, up 13.2% over last year, while United States listings totaled 177.9 million, down 2.8%.
But Goldman Sachs analyst Anthony Noto said that listings growth isn't synonymous with revenue growth for eBay. Noto reiterated a "buy" rating on the stock but said eBay needs to continue its "pruning of lower-quality, lower value-add listings."
EBay has been focusing on trying to grow listings that end with successful auctions--of which eBay takes a bigger cut--than bulk postings of low-price items that often end with no takers. The strategy started to pay off in the fourth quarter, when eBay bested consensus estimates by 28 cents.
March 05, 2007
Selling stuff on eBay can test patience
It sounds like a great idea: Instead of selling your Leica camera or Limoges vase locally, put it on eBay. Then sit back as buyers from around the world engage in a frenzied bidding war, driving the price up into the stratosphere.
A few years ago it seemed everybody knew somebody who'd made a killing on eBay. In my family it was my grandmother, with an assist from my dad. Grandma owned an antique shop in western Kansas. She had nice things but not a lot of walk-in traffic.
Dad studied up on eBay and asked Grandma to pick something to list. She decided on two matching Minton vases. In the shop she had the vases priced at $250 for the set; they sold for $2,225.
That was eight years ago. Things have changed. Supply has increased to meet demand. There are more sellers, and buyers have gotten choosier. Everything - no matter how beautiful or rare - comes around again. Prices have stabilized and come down from the heady early days.
It's still possible to make money as a seller on eBay. I have, and today I'll share the tips I've learned over the years. But the most important thing to keep in mind is: It's a hassle. It's nothing like buying, where you just click to bid and, if you win, the object shows up at your door.
Selling involves technical hurdles related to creating the listing and uploading photographs. Listings cost money, whether or not your item sells; make sure you understand all the fees eBay and PayPal (eBay's online payment service) will charge if an item sells and if it doesn't. One listing is cheap; if you have many, the fees add up.
Selling also costs time. Prospective buyers often e-mail to ask questions. They may want more pictures, more measurements or special shipping arrangements.
If an item sells, you have to wait for payment to arrive, the check to clear the PayPal payment to process. Then you have to pack the item, address a box, take it to a post office, and maybe buy insurance.
Then you wait to hear whether the item arrives safely. Heaven help you if it breaks in transit or the buyer is dissatisfied and wants a refund. None of this happens at a garage sale.
But if you're game to take on the hassle and risk, here are the keys to getting the best price:
Research your item. Use "advanced search" and check "completed listings only" for items like yours to get a realistic idea of what you might get. Pay attention to how many items did not sell. If you don't think you can get $20 easily for something, put it in a garage sale.
Write a good listing. Your job is to create the impression you are trustworthy and have refined taste. Skip the hyperbole ("unbelievable bargain") and the exclamation points. Stick to manufacturer's name, pattern, age and other details collectors would value ("Franciscan old green mark").
Take great pictures. If you're clever with computers, build an external page and link it to the listing. That lets you have as many pictures as you want for the price of one.
Start the bidding low. The lower the bid, the cheaper the listing. Also 99-cent opening bids attract lots of bidders, spurring competition and driving up the price. If you fear an item might really sell for only 99 cents, it probably isn't a good candidate for selling on eBay.
Pick the best closing time. Standard eBay auctions close exactly seven days from the start time. Monday evening is a popular closing time; the theory is bidders will see the item all weekend and come back Monday for the close. I've found Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings are also good; you get spontaneous buyers who might not come back later.
Armed with these tips, you have a decent shot at selling certain things for a fair price. If it doesn't work, garage sale season is coming.
eBay UK Puts Restrictions On PS3 System Sales
eBay UK is starting to impose from pretty stiff restrictions on the sale of Sony PlayStation 3 consoles due to the extremely high demand of the system in the territory and the expected short supply.
Back when the PlayStation 3 launched in the US eBay put into motion similar restrictions to try and keep people from getting screwed out of money through fake auctions and such.
eBay cited many concerns over the sellers who might not be able to meet the pre-sale obligations which they promised by selling the system before launch day with a promised launch day shipment.
This similar occurrence took place when the Microsoft Xbox 360 launched.
eBay UK sellers looking to sell a PlayStation 3 must meet specific requirements during the pre-sale period until March 23rd. They must have PayPal as their only payment method, must be PayPal verified, and cannot use Buy It Now or 1-day listings.
This is very similar to the situation when the system launched in the US as eBay was requiring users to have a certain feedback rating as well as to show the receipt of the pre-sale to prove that they actually had the console pre-ordered and ready to ship out.
This is a smart move for eBay as it helps keep the number of fraudulent auctions to a minimum and saved hassle in the long run as consumers are far less likely to be screwed out of a system and some serious money this way as the demand and short supply is expected to skyrocket prices around and before launch day.
March 02, 2007
Ebay Looks To Social Nets For Growth: Report
With the majority of eBay users between the ages of 35-44, the online auctioneer hopes to attract younger demos though a partnership with teen-focused social nets like Bebo, the WSJ reports. Both companies are still working on the service, but the basic idea is for Bebo users to use the site to post lists of items they want to sell or buy on eBay. By clicking a listed item, Bebo users would be automatically sent to eBay
The move is eBay’s latest in a series of social networking pursuits. EBay has also been in discussions with MySpace about combined efforts on “peer commerce,” which would let the News Corp. social net’s users buy and sell items from each other using eBay’s online-commerce technology and PayPal. And in January, eBay made a deal with Facebook that lets the latter’s users search for used textbooks on a special eBay-sponsored “Student Superstore” page on Facebook.
While aligning itself with younger-skewing social nets could prove to be a helpful way to rejuvenate eBay’s slowing growth as it faces an incipient rivalry from Google, Patti Freeman Evans, an analyst at JupiterKagan’s JupiterResearch, notes that young people actually spend less money online than their older counterparts, as they have less disposable income.
Using eBay to Find Customers
Get your business out there--with a little help from eBay.
MarketplaceEven after spending time and money creating an e-commerce website, you will still have zero customers when you launch. Acquiring those customers can be a pricey undertaking: It will require additional outlays of cash for search engine optimization, newsletters, shopping engine feeds and online ad-vertising. Fortunately, when you sell on eBay and use the tools the company has created, you have plenty of marketing options to choose from.
By taking full advantage of eBay marketing, PowerSeller Alice Rudolph, 46, owner of Stitches, has seen her needle arts supply store become a fast-growing, successful business earning more than $100,000 a year. “Opening an eBay Store was the best marketing move I made in my business,” says Rudolph. Doing so allowed Rudolph to personalize her own Store space and create a unique shopping experience for her customers, and she is very pleased with the results. “My sales have increased by 600 percent [in nine months],” she says. Rudolph uses the advanced search engine optimization, shopping feeds and online promotional boxes that are included for free to sellers who set up an eBay Store.
E-commerce marketers will tell you that the number-one marketing tool you must have is a newsletter. This allows you to constantly stay in front of your customers with new information and products. eBay includes up to five e-mail lists and 5,000 monthly e-mails with your eBay Store. Rudolph sends out weekly niche newsletters, including one pertaining to finished quilts and artisans, and one for the cross-stitch and needlepoint crowd.
In addition to eBay Stores, eBay provides numerous other marketing tools, including:
eBay advertising: eBay spends billions of dollars each year driving traffic to the site through banner ads; pay-per-click ads; national print, TV and radio ads; and more. When you open your business on eBay, you gain immediate access to more than 215 million customers.
Technology: RSS feeds, search engine keywords, blogs, tags . . . eBay provides all this technology for free, so your business can be on the cutting edge of e-commerce. Rudolph uses blogs to help her gain outside traffic. “I’ve had great success with my blogs ranking high on Google,” she says. Also, as soon as you register on eBay, you receive a My World page, which is similar to a MySpace page. On it, you can promote your auction listings and eBay Store, as well as offer newsletter sign-ups and additional information about yourself and your business.
Reviews and Guides: These provide the opportunity to talk about your products and have been a surprisingly powerful marketing tool for Rudolph. Three of her guides are ranked on the first page of Google for those products. “Of course, there are always links to my Store from the guides,” she says, “so people can come and shop.”
Rudolph also recommends using print advertising--business cards, fliers (which you can print for free from your eBay Store) and especially magnets, which her customers tend to keep. “This makes it easy for them to come back and shop with me the next time.”
March 01, 2007
Making Mad Money on eBay
One day in the early 1990's Diana Duyser of Hollywood, Fla. made herself a grilled- cheese sandwich. Then she gazed down at the brown skillet marks on the bread: "I saw a face looking up at me; it was the Virgin Mary staring back. I was in total shock," she later told reporters. Diana held on to the sandwich for 10 years — then sold it on eBay for $28,000.
The most frequent way eBay makes the news is from such reports of goofy or bizarre items that sell on the site, often at prices that astound. Their numbers are legion, with some items becoming legendary to the point of entering folk culture. Though it is a subjective issue, by some estimates the blue-ribbon winners in this category were the breast implants of a former stripper, a certain Ms. Tawny Peaks.
Previously, Peaks made news in 1998 when accused of assaulting a gentleman by hitting him with her breasts. The victim claimed whiplash because her implants "were like cement blocks." This 'trial' took place on TV in The Peoples Court, the presiding 'judge' Ed Koch, former mayor of New York, rejected the suit, ruling the assets soft, therefore non lethal.
In 1999, Peaks got married and had the implants removed. After six years of languishing on a shelf, Tawny had an idea: she decided to autograph her implants and auction them off on eBay. On Feb. 25, 2005, The Golden Palace, an Internet casino, bought them for $16,777. Previously, the Golden Palace had purchased on eBay the notorious Virgin Mary cheese sandwich, a haunted walking stick ($65, 000,) and the "mystery envelope?" ($7,600.) More recently the company bought a Britney Spears half-eaten egg salad sandwich and a William Shatner kidney stone.
At first glance it might seem that the folks at Golden Palace have more money than sense — a lot more money. But do they really? The publicity garnered from purchasing these ridiculous items is much better than simply spending money on traditional advertising. Nor did Peaks' implants reach $16, 777 with just a single bid; clearly, separating the lunatic-fringe bidders, there were other entrepreneurs who had the same idea. In short, there is a market for the strange, weird, bizarre, ridiculous and unimaginable on eBay.
EBay's home for the absurd is the "Weird Stuff" category that breaks down into three sub-categories: "Slightly Unusual," "Really Weird," "Totally Bizarre." A recent check showed about 12,000 auctions in the three sub-categories. Regardless of where they're placed, the sales vary widely in weirdness, from redundant ads for "miracle diet pills" to " Secret Information From Outer Space." The "Buy It Now" sales outnumber auctions as they allow sellers with redundant copies of popular items to re-list quickly.
Catering to eBay's absurd auction buyers, while perhaps lacking in dignity, can be profitable. However, competition is fierce: on a recent check of the 12,000 sales in the 'Weird' categories, less than 10 percent had garnered bids. Given that nowadays most eBay buyers are savvy enough to bid at the last minute, the seller still needs a "hook" to succeed with the absurd. That generally translates into crossover appeal. Here we will attempt by example to offer some ideas of what works and what doesn't for eBay sellers who are, depending on your viewpoint, shameless, courageous or creative enough to try it.
Don't Mention Money
EBay has no problem with crass auctions, as long as they stay within company rules and federal laws. Sellers cannot conduct raffles, lotteries or games of chance and the mention of cash is forbidden (although a box full of "dead presidents" of different denominations passes muster somehow.) In one interesting case, however, the "cash" rule does not apply. At 14,000 to the dollar, Iraqi dinars are basically worthless currency, not traded on the world market. Nevertheless, one Power Seller offers large sums of it in multiple sales, all drawing bids, all containing pages of argument on how someday things will settle down in Iraq, the oil will flow, the currency will be revalued, etc., making the buyer rich. It's a sort of "the South will rise again" argument on an international scale, with successful results, at least for the moment.
Mystery Auctions
Mystery auctions are perhaps the most popular theme among eBay's "Weird" categories. EBay "one-cent wonder" sellers, for instance, have found new life through this avenue. Buyers had been shying away from sellers who offer items at pennies and make their profit by slamming the buyer with excessive shipping fees. But buyers do not seem to be able to resist bidding on the unknown, especially if it's labeled a "gift." In order to convert profits into serious money however, sellers often combine the allure of "mystery" with the crossover appeal of "gifts," love, sex, greed, the fascination with the grotesque and absurd, and an interesting story, plausible or otherwise. In a recent instance over the holiday season a seller offered in Dutch auction, a "mystery holiday gift," nicely gift wrapped at the more than moderate price of 6 cents. Shipping, however, came in at $8.50. Doing the math, a seller could buy any sort of trinket at closeout or 99-cent store, buy boxes and wrapping in quantity, and turn a profit of $4 or $5 with each sale.
The Love Connection
Love in all its permutations is frequently offered on eBay, sometimes with mixed results. In February an auction was posted with an image of a provocatively dress woman offering to be somebody's "Personal MySpace Girlfriend." The description stated: "I will add to your profile and send you messages. Also, I will answer all your emails and send you profiles for all your friends to see." The love in this case was conditional — "up to two weeks," and the auction was taken down by eBay.
On the other hand, the offer of "unconditional love" for a perfect romantic Valentine's Day in New York City, complete with a Godinger Shannon crystal coach and several mystery gifts, sold for $263.
Love lost can also pay dividends, particularly when combined with mystery or heartbreak. "My ex-wife cheated on me and now it's time for payback," touted the header on another recent eBay auction. The sale was accompanied by a photo of the ex in lingerie. "I'm not auctioning her, the photo is just to arouse curiosity," we were advised, then told it was a mystery auction of something his former wife loved, with hints accompanying each $100 in bids. The mystery item, apparently a designer garment, sold for $405.
Another ad had the header: "He Left Us For My Best Friend," and was accompanied by the photo of the cad holding an infant. The seller tells us she was seduced and abandoned and was now selling off the dad's belongings in a "mystery auction" format. The seller had more than 100 feedbacks, all previous sales being mystery auctions, with mediocre positive feedback. This did not prevent 40 bids and a selling price of $250.
Love-loss prevention also does well on the site as male chastity belts are hot sellers in the $250 to $500 range, and for the lovelorn, inflatable female blow up dolls never fail to draw bids.
The Whimsical, Creative and Odd
Sometimes, it's worth just listing something to see if it will work, because you just never know what will happen, and if there's low over-head, why not try? One seller attracted 33 bids for a pack of cigarettes he was currently smoking, until eBay pulled the sale with 15 hours left.
In another off-beat auction, a pair of brothers who are musicians offer to write an original song, on any topic and deliver it by e-mail or snail mail. The listing is accompanied by a photo of two handsome young men. Judging by the number of feedbacks, this gambit works.
One enterprising vendor auctioned off a piece of toast supposedly bearing the image of Britney Spears' bald head. Granted, it sold for just $1, but considering the initial investment, that's not a bad return.
In another case, given the unusually mild, snow-free early winter in the Northeast, Mary Walker of Loveland, Co. thought it would be fun to auction off three snowballs made from the 4 feet of snow dumped on the Colorado Front Range in early January. Three days and 100 bids later, the snowballs sold for $200 to Chris Hansen, a Connecticut firefighter, who bought them for his three teenage daughters. Walker posted the auction as a joke, and at first refused to accept Hansen's money, but the firefighter insisted and Walker was stuck trying to figure out how to get the snowballs to Connecticut intact.
In other instances, just going for the grotesque or "freak of nature" works. For example, in this category, there are two-headed stuffed chickens, currently garnering $550 with eight bids, but two heads is not always better than one. Imitation shrunken heads made of goat hair and skin seem to be popular too as these listings are also drawing bids.
Biblical Proportions
A "Jesus" search among the Weird categories nets an appalling assortment. Apparently inspired by the success of the Virgin Mary cheese sandwich, sellers are offering images of Jesus on rocks, frying pans, photos of cloud formations and just about anything else you can imagine, because, oddly enough, people bid on them. In one of the few intentionally humorous sales found, a header read "Grilled Cheese Sandwich Looks Nothing At All Like Jesus." The description noted, "Looks remarkably like a grilled cheese sandwich." But then, even at 99 cents and free shipping it attracted no bidders.
One recent religious relic, a priest's last-right's kit, however, sold for $36.99, showing there's always a market for the unusual, especially when it is the real thing.
Celebrities
It goes without saying that any item even claimed to have been touched by a celebrity can bring in the bucks, though some types of items sell better than others. The catch is getting your hands on, say, the hand-written letter from Anna Nicole Smith that just sold for $488. Usually, the celeb items fall into the more obscure arena, as is the case with a fork claimed to have been used by the former rapper Vanilla Ice that's still languishing with one bid of 99 cents.
But there's an easier way to cash in on the tabloid tsunami of celeb news that doesn't involve serendipitous timing or dumpster diving. You can buy creative domain names on the cheap and sell them before the news goes stale. For instance, after Spears shaved her head and the New York Daily News and New York Post blared headlines of "Britney Shears," one star-savvy capitalist began auctioning the "britneyshears.net" domain name, currently at $26 with 17 bids.
Going Once, Going Twice, Gone
Ebay's success has often been credited to its entertainment value. For those not faint of heart and who possess a sense of humor, the "Weird" categories rank high in entertainment value. For sellers who wish to cash in on the ridiculous, bear in mind, good news travels fast. The days of the $28,000 cheese sandwiches and $65,000 haunted walking sticks are probably over. Having something unique, applying creativity and hard work seem to be the winning recipes for success in the world of eBay weirdness.