Over the past 2 weeks, I’ve manually (and individually) updated all 470 pages on my site. I ran into a lot of unexpected problems & I had to fix issues that I’ve been delaying/unaware of since February 2008.  That’s when my web host stopped supporting Frontpage & I needed to convert to Dreamweaver wayyyyy faster than I was comfortable with.  TurtleKiss.com isn’t perfect, but considering it’s functional and built on a foundation of questionable online tutorials, it’s decent. I’m thankful I was able to take the time to make the design more consistent and professional in appearance.  Can’t wait to see how long it takes for the code to become a mess again.

I plan to transfer & organize all of the photos from my old computers (five hard drives!!!!) to one external drive.  I’ve set up my 4-computer network and reconfigured my firewall & router to play nice with the new computer.  I’ve got all computers sharing files with each other, as well as the with the printer, Xbox360 and the PS3.  Even the Nintendo DS is picking up the Wi-Fi signal again.  I had forgotten how nice it is when things run smoothly (it’s been a while.)  I’m not a fan of Vista, but I’ll be upgrading to Windows 7 as soon as Dell decides to send to me.  I had the same exact situation with Windows Millenium before XP was released.

My break from eBay was fantastic – I did NOT miss the tedium of listing auctions!  However, I have many (30+) full-sized paintings to list before the Christmas shopping frenzy begins.

Just a reminder: My breast art will be featured in the December 2009 issue of MAXIM magazine, available November 17.  Please don’t hesitate to reserve your session for a commissioned “New Hope” breast painting.  These are great personalized gifts for investors, collectors of original art, creative individuals, and the person who has everything.  Requests will be scheduled on a first-come, first served basis.

The “UGH” section starts here.

You will no longer be seeing “similar items” from other sellers in any of my listings.  These “similar items” too often lead directly to the auctions of scumbag parasites. I am DONE helping plagiarists market their unoriginal, copycat GARBAGE.  I was recently told I “might enjoy” a gilded breast painting from another seller today!  Are people seriously incapable of thinking for themselves? I haven’t even listed a single piece from my “Gilded Hope” series yet ( or “Gilded Insomnia,” “Gilded Entropy,” & their respective ACEO crossover equivalents.)  Stealing ideas from an honest person must be a “unique” and “unorthodox” feeling.

I was not surprised by this revelation:

The last bit of this post’s title refers to that “artist” who’s been profiting off my ideas in a seemingly symbiotic, amicable, & harmless manner for quite some time.  I’ll save the screen captures, fun webcrawler tags, and details for another entry, but if you can figure out who I’m referring to (it’s not too hard)…view her feedback & see if you can spot a very suspicious ending price (on a painting that’s gone unsold since February.)  The painting in question allegedly sold for about 60 times the seller’s average selling price.  Yes, sixty.  That exact same painting (identical photo/title) is currently listed as “unsold” on a 3rd-party gallery site linked directly from another of the seller’s sites.  The Buy-it-Now price there is about 1/10th of the fake final “sale price” on eBay.

Did I mention that this painting more than DOUBLED in SIZE since it was originally listed on eBay and the other site?  That would certainly account for the increase in price – I wish I knew where to get these magical expanding canvases – even the depth increases!  Note to seller – you forgot to change the size in eBay’s Item Specifics from “medium” to “large.”  Also, it’s painfully obvious (visually) that this painting was done in the smaller (pre-magic spell) dimensions.  Keep that day job.

For those of you who haven’t seen this a million times like I have: This is called shill bidding.  The seller is trying to artificially increase the perceived value of her worthless junk by having a friend bid an unrealistic amount on it. She can then just give the painting away as a gift or something.  She and the “winning bidder” both pretend it was an in-person cash transaction, they leave each other positive feedback, and hope no one like me notices how damn shady the whole situation is.  In return, the seller gets undeserved Powerseller status, discounts for being a fraudulent “Top Seller” and an ego trip associated with deception of unsuspecting buyers who believe her lies.  Can you tell I’m a little miffed?  I worked my way up from the bottom, and it took a long time because I didn’t take dishonest shortcuts.  Shill bidding is unethical to honest sellers, it’s against eBay’s Terms of Service, it’s illegal in some places, and it’s just plain greedy to think anyone would pay that much for a painting by someone who charges for COAs and only profits from the loosely modified ideas of other artists and outright theft of Trademarked logos and images. I’ve already filed a report, but I also plan on following through with eBay Powerseller support because I’ve got way more time-stamped/dated evidence than their little form allows.  This could not be more obvious, clear-cut shill bidding, and I will make sure eBay gets all of the pertinent info.

I gave her the benefit of the doubt & I’ve been letting her subtle rip-off  ”pity art” slide for a long time.  That’s coming to an abrupt end, and I’m fully prepared to support my statements with facts.  I’m used to being a victim…and unfortunately I’ve gotten good at handling it in ways that are both professional and fair.  People like this don’t go away, they don’t get punished, and they never stop coming out of the woodwork.  Why do you think I’ve got 5 hard drives worth of screen captures and documentation of my ORIGINAL ideas?  Yes – partially due to insanity, but there’s a little common sense & self-protection thrown in.  I’m also dealing with a ridiculous amount of non-paying bidders lately.  I think that someone is trying to make me look suspicious by having random people open eBay accounts, bid on ONE of my pieces and nothing else, then win the auction and NOT PAY.  I report all NPB’s to eBay and now need to actively cancel bids from ZERO feedback bidders who don’t contact me prior to bidding. Legitimate bidders – thank you for your support & understanding.  I’m prepared to defend myself & confront anyone who thinks they can manufacture success out of thin air and lies.  I have no cushy job to fall back on – I’ve been a full-time Internet-based artist since 2003 and making ends meet has been ROUGH enough without these pesky little wannabes mirroring every little move I make.   Will someone please tell me what I did to deserve this?  Is there a sign on my back that says “Steal My Ideas & Betray Me While Discrediting Yourself in the Process?”  I’m annoyed, not flattered.

On a brighter note:

My husband and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary earlier this week.  I’m so fortunate to have snagged myself such an honest and hardworking studmuffin!

I love you NES – my density! <3

I donated 3 paintings to some great fundraisers this month:

Medicalodges Bike Show – breast cancer awareness (Eudora, Kansas)
CT Children’s Medical Center Storybook Gala (Hartford, CT)
HRC Annual Dinner, Gala & Silent Auction (San Antonio, TX)

So, that’s what I’ve been up to – sorry it hasn’t been too exciting.  My next post will have photos!  This was just meant to be a quick recap.  Here’s my currently available artwork:

Sorry, no magical expanding canvases here.

]]> http://eventhorizon1984.wordpress.com/?p=3189 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:50:58 +0000 eventhorizon1984 http://eventhorizon1984.wordpress.com/?p=3189 http://garciaferrol.wordpress.com/2009/08/15/make-money-on-ebay-video-tutorials/ Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:18:22 +0000 garciaferrol http://garciaferrol.wordpress.com/2009/08/15/make-money-on-ebay-video-tutorials/

Everyone has talked about how to sell things on eBay and even the possibilities of getting rich from the sales returned. Many are cynical of becoming successful through eBay, but since more and more claims are cropping up of success stories, you eventually desire a piece of the pie. Still, you know utterly nothing about how the website in reality functions. Numerous people can not even think about selling something on the Internet and having somebody you never met pay you for it. How does it all work?

When first learning how to make money on ebay, you need to register. Once you buy or trade something, you become verified and can receive feedback from other sellers and buyers regarding their satisfaction with your transaction. Another reason this is great, is because you can read through any member’s feedback or even view their percentage of satisfied customers before you engage in doing business with them. To learn more through video tutorials click here

Ebay Sellers: read the following article at www.auctionbytes.com to see the new changes for sellers. Additionally a Townhall meeting on July 29th, 2009 at 3:30 PST is scheduled to make these announcements at ebay.

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y209/m07/abu0243/s02

You need to read it to believe it. What eBay is doing to their faithful longtime powersellers to chase them out once and for all…

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y209/m07/abu0243/s02

Everyone has talked about how to trade things on eBay and even the possibilities of getting rich from the sales generated. Numerous are skeptical of getting successful through eBay, but since more and more claims are popping up of success stories, you finally desire a part of the pie. Still, you know absolutely zero about how the site actually functions. Many people can’t even imagine selling something on the Internet and having somebody you never met pay you for it. How does it all work?

When first learning how to make money on ebay, you need to register. Once you buy or sell something, you become verified and can receive feedback from other sellers and buyers regarding their satisfaction with your transaction. Another reason this is great, is because you can read through any member’s feedback or even view their percentage of satisfied customers before you engage in doing business with them. To learn more through video tutorials click here

Everyone has talked about how to trade things on eBay and even the possibilities of becoming rich from the sales generated. Many are suspicious of getting successful through eBay, but since more and more claims are cropping up of success stories, you ultimately want a part of the pie. Still, you know utterly zero about how the web site actually functions. Many people can’t even imagine selling something on the Internet and having someone you never met pay you for it. How does it all work?

When first learning how to make money on ebay, you need to register. Once you buy or trade something, you become verified and can receive feedback from other sellers and buyers regarding their satisfaction with your transaction. Another reason this is great, is because you can read through any member’s feedback or even view their percentage of satisfied customers before you engage in doing business with them. To learn more through video tutorials click here

I was excited to hear from the publisher that my book on powerselling on Ebay should be released soon. It was a very interesting process to create this 300+ page book.

The underlying message throughout the book is that it is difficult to reach the powerseller status, but it is even more difficult to maintain it. If a Ebay store is to survive they need to look beyond selling garage sale items and act like a real small business. This is what truly separates the average ebay seller from the Powerseller.

There were a number of experts and powersellers that contributed to this book, and without them, it would not be the power tool that it has become.

If you have any questions about powerselling on Ebay, do not hesitate to ask. If I do not have the answer, I will ask one of the experts!

John Peragine

saya ingin berkongsi maklumat tentang satu lagi resource yang bagus untuk dibuat rujukan berkenaan eBay. its really good, but dalam bahasa english la….lagi 2 hari nak launch. sila ke link dibawah.

http://www.theebaycode.com

p/s: ada 2 video percuma yg boleh di layan secara online. it sound good because ada beberapa tips rahsia yg terbongkar secara tak sedar daripada kedua2 video tersebut. find them out! –>  http://www.theebaycode.com

Welcome to the www.NegMeg.com NEG Meg The Series episode archive.

“a monkey could drive this train”

Margaret “Meg” Whitman comment on eBay,
while she was eBay CEO and President.

Margaret Cushing “Meg” Whitman
Born August 4 1956

• “President and Chief Executive Officer of eBay from March 1998 to March 2008.”

Is eBay for everyone? An assessment of consumer demographics
SAM Advanced Management Journal, January 01 2005

• “During 2003 alone, approximately 40 million households in the U.S. made at least one purchase from the Internet, up from only six million in 1994″
• “CEO of eBay, Margaret C. Whitman, described eBay as a “dynamic self-regulating economy,”"

Motley Fool Profiles: EBay CEO Meg Whitman
February 4 2005

• “shares have lost one-third of their value in the last month. David talks all things eBay with CEO Meg Whitman”

Ebay sees e-commerce potential in China
Martyn Williams, February 11 2005

• “”We are doubling down in China because the potential for Internet commerce in that country is simply extraordinary,” Meg Whitman”
• “”Behind that growth will be 170 million middle-class households by 2010,” Whitman said. “In short, five to 10 years from now, (a company’s) share of e-commerce in China is likely to be the defining measure of business success on the Net.”"
• “EBay entered China in 2002 when it bought one third of EachNet.com Corp. for $30 million. It acquired the remaining two thirds a year later for an additional $150 million.”
• “”What we are focused on there is not only our leadership position in the marketplace business, but securing the leadership position in e-commerce overall in China,” Whitman said”
• [Meg Whitman] “”We are on a tear to be the undisputed winner in China and the additional $100 million investment we announced last month should be a sign of an unmistakable commitment and an unstoppable determination to win that market.”"
• “Whitman dismissed eBay’s rivals in China as “a bunch of small competitors … nipping at our heels,”"
• “eBay reported good business at its South Korean unit, Internet Auction Co. Ltd., of which it owns 99.7 percent.”
• “”Internet Auction achieved $1 billion in gross merchandise volume faster than any Korean retailer has ever done,” Whitman said at the analyst conference this week. “One out of every two Koreans between the ages of 20 and 40 are registered Internet Auction company users.”"
• “EBay’s excursions in Asia haven’t all gone well, however. Its Japanese service was launched in early 2000 and then closed in March 2002″

Aust eBay users demand faster fraud responses
Angus Kidman, February 17 2005

• Comments

EBay’s Joy Ride: Going Once …
Gary Rivlin, March 6 2005

• “The thing to know about the eBay community,” she said, “is that it’s been vocal from Day 1.” Ms. Whitman allowed that the dissatisfied had lately “perhaps been a tad more vocal than in the past.”
• “William C. Cobb, who oversees the company’s North American operations, called the “constant drone” of complaints on the company’s message boards”

In eBay’s Success May Lie Hints of Trouble Ahead
Knowledge@Wharton, March 09 2005

• “eBay may not have the pricing power it thought it had. A recent price increase in fees for posting photos and other advanced features wasn’t handled well, and some customers revolted. Following complaints, eBay issued an open letter to customers and announced it reduced listing fees on items below 99 cents to 25 cents from 30 cents. eBay raises fees annually.”  ”Chaudhuri acknowledges that eBay could have handled its price increases better. “eBay wasn’t savvy about it. At other companies like Procter & Gamble there’s a more formal process and a scientific way to evaluate the impact of price increases. eBay has been so successful that it didn’t expect any pushback.”"  ”That kind of flub shows just one of the challenges eBay faces.”

10 years ago, eBay changed the world
Kevin Maney, March 21 2005

• “CEO Meg Whitman — considered the most powerful woman in business; recently courted by Walt Disney to be its next CEO — says she agreed in 1997 to interview for eBay’s top job … why? “In order not to make the headhunter mad,” she says.”
• [Meg Whitman] “”This is a completely new business, so there’s only so much analysis you can do,” she says. “It’s better to put something out there and see the reaction and fix it on the fly. You could spend six months getting it perfect in the lab or six days in the lab, and we’re better off spending six days, putting it out there, getting feedback and then evolving it.”
• “EBay recently raised listing prices and faced an outcry from sellers. Its first-quarter profit fell short of Wall Street’s expectations”
• “All have different needs, but Whitman says she’s resisted making a quilt of rules. ”We could end up with a Web site so complicated, a mortal can’t understand it,” she says.

Tentative Settlement Reached in eBay Stock ‘Spinning’ Lawsuit
Ina Steiner, April 29 2005

• “”spinning,” the now-banned practice by which investment banking firms would dole out to favorite clients the lucrative opportunity to purchase shares in initial public offerings they were underwriting. The complaint alleges that Goldman allotted such opportunities to senior eBay executives in order to secure their position as eBay’s investment banker, and that these executives should have offered that opportunity to eBay itself. ”
• “Delaware Chancellor Chandler issued an opinion denying defendants’ motion to dismiss the action, holding that the receipt of IPO allocations, under these circumstances, could be a breach of fiduciary duty, and that the directors of eBay were too beholden to the defendants”
• “settlement payment of $3,395,000 represents almost all the profits the individual defendants have actually realized”
• “eBay Chairman Pierre Omidyar, eBay CEO Meg Whitman, former eBay vice president Jeff Skoll, and Goldman Sachs”
• “Marsha Collier, a successful eBay PowerSeller, is Entrepreneur.com’s “eBay” columnist as well as the author of the bestselling eBay references, eBay for Dummies, 4th Edition and Starting an eBay Business for Dummies.”

What to Expect at eBay Live!
Marsha Collier, June 20 2005

• “I asked readers to write to me and let me know how they were dealing with the eBay fee increase that took effect earlier this year.”
• “my combined eBay and PayPal fees now hover at around 9 percent of my total sales. Not bad!”

EBay losing allure to some entrepreneurs
Rachel Konrad, June 27 2005

• “some say eBay’s blockbluster growth has engendered arrogance”
• “Entrepreneurs grumble that executives pander to big-ticket electronics vendors and industrial manufacturers”
• “complain about shoddy customer service, including site crashes”
• “”I hope eBay gets the message: People have choices, and if we’re not happy we’ll look elsewhere,”"
• “”EBay’s taking a hands-off approach to fraud that makes some users uncomfortable”"
• “EBay has also gained a reputation as unresponsive to complaints, a company that acts like an unregulated monopoly”
• “”Sometimes it’s a little bit like being a politician,” Whitman said. “We have work to do in understanding our users’ sentiments.”"

EBay Sellers Fell Into Careers That Fill Their Lives
Leslie Walker, June 30 2005

• “eBay reports more than 100,000 merchants belong to its multi-tiered “power-seller” group, which requires sales of at least $1,000 a month and carries various perks. The color-coded levels of the sales club start at bronze and progress to titanium, which requires monthly sales of $150,000. That sounds like a lot, but remember, actual profits are a fraction of sales.”
• “eBay millionaires likely represent a tiny fraction of the 430,000 people earning income selling on the site”
• “In 2003, the most recent year eBay conducted a major survey of its users, the company estimated there were nearly 4 million sellers on eBay in the United States. Nearly 120,000 were using the site as their primary or only source of income; another 310,000 used it as a secondary sales channel”

EBay developing new search, fraud protection services
Juan Carlos Perez, July 21 2005

• “new product search system, called Magellan, is being tested now and is the company’s “next generation search capability,” Whitman said”
• “”Finding is incredibly important on eBay. The more effective we can make finding, the higher the [sales] conversion rates and the more robust the marketplace is for buyers and sellers,” she said”

Margaret (Meg) Whitman, The Most Powerful Women
Elizabeth MacDonald and Chana R. Schoenberger, July 28 2005

• “As ruler of the world’s biggest online auction site, Whitman, 49, has successfully beaten back stiff competition from Amazon.com and Yahoo!.”

Let the Customers Run the Company
Jack Otter, August 1 2005

• “Wall Street has punished eBay this year, sending its shares down 37 percent, to a recent $37″
• “We think of our customers as people, not wallets. And that has implications for how we run the company. We partner with our customers and let them take the company where they think it’s best utilized.”
• “with its coffers bulging with $1.2 billion of cash, will it pay dividends or buy back its shares to bolster its stock price? “We are not averse to returning excess cash to shareholders,” says CEO Meg Whitman, “and at some point we will almost certainly do that. The question is, when do we have strategic reserves that are enough, and when do we run out of good uses for that cash? And what we’ve said so far is, we don’t feel like we’ve reached that point.”"

Asian Brand Drama: Who Needs Desperate Housewives?
August 28 2005

• “CEO Meg Whitman told analysts that China was a “must win” and “likely to be the defining measure of business success.” It has promised to spend $100 million this year in China”
• “eBay is a classic customer-economy brand, having grown with minimal advertising and lots of word of mouth from passionate advocates. It has also attracted a lot of negative press by raising fees, placing the burden of fraud detection on its buyers and sellers, and abysmal customer support that amounted to little more than automated emails.”
• “Internationally, eBay failed so miserably in Japan it was forced to exit the market in 2002.”

SkypeBay done for $4.1 Billion
Om Malik, September 11 2005

• “It is a tactical admission that the fraud on eBay is so huge, that the company had to spend considerable amount of dollars to do something about it.”
• “down 1.81 percent to $37.93″
• Comments

Meg Whitman’s $2.6bn spam goof?
Andrew Orlowski, September 13 2005

• “eBay hopes to monitize the user based by selling their account details to junk callers, at $2 to $12 per lead. Whether Skype users even get the chance to opt-out from this new form of “voice spam” remains to be seen, but eBay’s Whitman could have chosed a better example of ’synergy’.

Why Did eBay Bid on Skype?
Jyoti Thottam, September 14 2005

• “Why is eBay spending $2.6 billion to buy a $60 million Internet phone company called Skype that has yet to turn a profit? During a presentation to investors this week, eBay CEO Meg Whitman used 75 PowerPoint slides to justify her intense, and expensive, interest in Skype, but analysts are skeptical.”
• “Rajiv Dutta, eBay’s chief financial officer, did not exactly clarify matters by posing the rhetorical question, “How do we make 1+1 equal to greater than 2?”"
• “suggests that the deal is a desperate attempt by eBay to find new subscribers and to stem fraud”

Meg Whitman
October 9 2005

Voice phone calls to be free within years: eBay CEO
October 21 2005

• “Seeking to justify eBay’s US$4 billion purchase last week of web-based communications phenomenon Skype Technologies, Meg Whitman countered criticism by a financial analyst during the company’s quarterly conference call”
• “”In the end, the price that anyone can provide for voice transmission on the ‘Net will trend toward zero,” eBay’s top executive said.”
• “Whitman said Skype’s explosive success, would — over the next several years — drive the cost of phone calls to nothing.”

:::

Got links?

We’re not finished. We want links. Post a comment with links.

In einem Forum habe ich heute gelesen, dass es zum Sport wird, die Powerbieter von Swoopo als Powerseller bei eBay zu enttarnen.

Das habe ich natürlich auch gleich ausprobiert und musste feststellen, dass sich der ein oder andere Powerbieter/Powerseller keine Arbeit macht und neben den Produkttexten sogar die Bilder von Swoopo mit übernimmt. Bieter werden also mit neckischen roten Bannern über den Bildern verwöhnt, auf denen zu lesen ist: “Festpreisauktion” oder ähnliche Sachen.

Weiterhin bieten viele Powerbieter ihre bei Swoopo ersteigerten Artikel unter gleichen oder ähnlichen Namen an. *kopfschüttel*

The ultimate one-page guide to eBay Power Seller: all of the “need to know” information on how to become a power seller, save your eBay fees, boost your sales, make money 24×7 and save time.

see my first squidoo lens –

http://www.squidoo.com/ebaysellingtips4u

Eines der beliebtesten Gerüchte um Swoopo sind mitbietende Mitarbeiter. Ich stelle mir den Job ziemlich toll vor: Unbegrenzte Bids, ich krieg Geld fürs Zocken und kann mich diebisch freuen, wenn ein “echter” User mit mehreren hundert Euro Miese aufgibt.

Hmm, ist da was dran?

Ich glaube nicht, dass Swoopo solch eine Geschäftspraktik nötig hat. In den letzten Monaten ist Swoopo, nicht zuletzt durch verstärkte Werbung besonders im TV, sehr ins Rampenlicht gekommen und wirklich viele User werden sich aufgrund dieser Werbung angemeldet und den ein oder anderen Euro verzockt haben.

Aber warum gewinnen dann immer dieselben Leute?

Gute Frage. Ganz ehrlich, es gibt Namen, die bei mir alle Finger blockieren, so dass es mir nicht mehr möglich ist, weiterzubieten. Das sind Namen, von denen ich ganz genau weiß, dass sie mit Swoopo mehrere tausend Euro im Monat Umsatz machen (Behauptung ist beweisbar) und denen es nicht weh tut, mal hundert Euro mehr in Bids zu investieren. Warum sollte ich mich mit so einem Anlegen? Das haben Anfang Dezember genügend blauäugige Neukunden gemacht, die ihr Weihnachtsgeld bei Swoopo verzockt haben. Wow, da war richtig bös was los und die Preise und Gebote stiegen ins Exorbitante. Auch einige der “Großen” bei Swoopo, nennen wir sie doch einfach mal “Powerseller”, obwohl es ja eigentlich “Powerbuyer” sind, haben mächtig draufzahlen dürfen, da ihre Namen den “Neuen” unbekannt waren.

Ich denke also: Bei Swoopo bieten keine Mitarbeiter auf die Produkte. Ich kann leider nicht beurteilen, wie das früher war, denn ich bin erst seit einem guten halben Jahr dabei.

Introducing you to one of the hottest investment opportunities in Australia…

Operational Status: Ready to launch August 09 

A ground floor investment opportunity is now available to prospective investors into a company that has developed a highly innovative Multi Vendor eCommerce “Buy Now” Platform (Online Shopping Mall) with advanced Automation Systems that addresses the fundamental issues with buying and selling online.  

Specifically developed for high volume Online Merchants, Wholesalers and Manufacturers worldwide. Combining best practices, innovative solutions and leading ecommerce technology to help Online Sellers reach their full potential and provide Buyers with a safer and more appealing online shopping experience.  

Key Benefits and Features:

(Sellers)

- Unique Commercial Offering

- No Gateway/Merchant Fees

- No Product Listing Fees
- Free Online Store 

- Free Membership
- Transaction Management Service
- Advanced Automation Systems 

(Buyers)

- Professional Merchants

- Superior Buyer Protection

- Faster and Cheaper Shipping

- 100% Money Back Guarantee
- All Merchants are 100 Point ID Verified

Investment Profile Highlights:

- Experienced Management Team 
- Extensive Technology and Advanced Platform
- Established Online Brand and International Trademarks 
- Sophisticated Marketing Strategies and Position

- Comprehensive Intellectual Property Portfolio
- Unique Competitive Advantage and Market Positioning
- Attractive Investor Exit Strategies
 

Australian website officially launching at the Online Retailer Exhibition & Conference, 18 - 19 August 2009 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. 

For further information, please register at:

www.capitalised.com/bulletinboard/

(Investment Profile # 176) or Call (07) 3040 1754 

(Subject to the ASIC Class Order 02-273)

CAPITALISED.COM 

eBay has opened up a new venue for small businesses across the world to expand their sales, markets and exposure. Depending on ones prior experiences the tasks needed to expand successfully into this venue are either seen as dauntingly complex or misleadingly simple.

I recently purchased a rather expensive book that was marketed as exposing PowerSeller secrets, unfortunately I did not discover any new information from this source so I have decided to share my apparently uncommon knowledge with cyberspace.

In truth, PowerSellers jealously guard their secrets in hopes of keeping competition out.

My eBay businesses are focused on passions of mine and involve high ticket items as a result I am less worried about loss of volume that the competition may create.

For this first installment I will share links to many seller resources that I have found helpful in my sales, research and consultations. Once this series is completely composed and organized I will be moving it to a members area of my website.

www.sunforged.com

Links you will find useful in your growth:

1. Never sell an item without knowing its approximate worth

Terapeak Price Report

2. Know your target market, close your items when your customers are shopping.

3. Use research tools to take advantage of sellers who fail to follow appropriate scheduling and BIN pricing and use eBay as a sourcing tool for inventory.

4. In order to accept payments you must have a Payment Processing Service, ie Paypal. As of October 20, 2008 eBay will no longer allow checks or money orders as payment options, Fortunately, they will not enforce this rule until January 2009. Other payment solution companys are expected to be named in the next few months. As of this time the only other solution is ProPay

5. If your monthly sales are good and consistent you will save money in listing fees by opening an eBay Store.

6. Or you may want to weave your eBay inventory with an e-commerce solution that integrates your pre-existing merchant account with Paypal and has a recognizable interface

7. Your success continues to grow? You may want to consider purchasing your own domain and cross marketing your online presence.

GoDaddy is the service for web hosting and domain registration, all of their interfaces are easy to understand, There FAQ sections are thorough and customer service is easily accessed, easily understood and quick to answer.

Customer Service was able to easily walk me through a domain transfer and setting up the free hosting account that comes with all domains. This is the number one most important aspect in selecting a host when you are not an experienced guru yourself, you will have lots of questions, GoDaddy actually answers them !

8. You will become uncomfortable with the fact that PayPal is constantly connected to your accounts, and has the power to hold, take and refund payments if you lose any bidder arbitration.

Be sure to have a seperate seller and buyer account, use a prepaid debit card as your funding source, paypal will never be able to seize or hold assets against your will, that simply do not exist.

Keep your connected seller account starved of funds and only connect a pre-paid debit to your buyers account.

Keep in mind that I suggest only the most honest and professional conduct as a seller on eBay, but I do not trust Paypal and eBays arbitration system to make any decisions for me regarding returns, refunds and problem buyers. So a back up plan is proper.

9. Try to personalize yourself to the buyers, print up thank you cards or coupons to include with every shipment, promote your brand and encourage repeat customers.

It is also about time to have a presentable business card to present possible suppliers, customers and to prove legitimacy to those who think “Oh, he sells stuff on ebay, “

What makes Vistaprint stand out is their Free business card offer, they of course sneak in a handling fee, but for about 8 dollars you can get your first set of business cards.

These business cards are watermarked with a small vistaprints logo on the back.

As your business grows, you can continue to use the free business card offer to print your thank you cards and coupons.

Take advantage of seasonal deals like free shipping to continue to purchase your business cards, if your not constantly reordering them, you are doing something wrong. Spread your cards around at every opportunity.

10. Continue to search for sourcing. Many eBay sellers buy larger lots here and then resell on ebay.

This is the first rough blog of PowerSeller Secrets and Tips.