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February 28, 2006
What To Sell On eBay: Burberry Fashions
In our constant quest for great products to sell on eBay, I've recently come across Burberry. Designer clothing challenged as I am, I didn't even know it existed until recently, but this well known clothing line is a big, big deal on eBay.
The most expensive items I've found are Burberry Jackets
They make them for women, children and men, for all kinds of seasons, which means they are popular year round, although probably less so in the summer months.
But there's much more.
The Burberry cashmere scarf is most certainly a seasonable item ...
... but the Burberry purses most definitely are not. The range of styles is large, ranging from a tiny mini that would hold a lipstick and car key, to a full fledged, and stylist, diaper bag. Considering the disaster that claimed my diaper bags, I can't imagine buying a designer one, but clearly I am not “with it” so I don't count.
Sales are strong and steady for this line and buyers are willing to pay the price. Definitely recommended!
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:15 PM | TrackBack
February 25, 2006
Sydney Johnston :: Alias "Yoder"
Do I, Sydney Johnston, the Auction Queen, really, really look like this?
According to my student, Mark McClean, I do.
Chuckle ...
Mark has written a wonderful blog about his experiences as an Auction Genius Course member and I treasure what he says.
- - -
Many know her as The Auction Queen. I fondly think of her in my own mind as "Yoder"
And when "Yoder" speaks I listen. Yoder has spoken clearly from yonder mountain top concerning a subject near and dear to my heart, money. Yoder's words are wise and timely. With hands clasp tight in front of chest and head bowed I yield to the words of "Yoder".
All hail Yoder, queen of the force and really terrific quilt maker.
I will not think, I will do... my "Yoder". More to follow, stay tuned for details.
- - -
Don't miss the rare treat of Mark's blog, My eBay Adventure
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:43 PM | TrackBack
February 23, 2006
Pampered Chef? Not This Un-Pampered Chef!
To me the whole notion of the pampered chef is an oxymoron. As one who has spentless countless hours in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, there isn't anything glamorous or 'pampering' about the whole notion. Still, I've gotta admire the marketing behind the very clever name.
But this is to me TOO MUCH:
The last thing I want to be reminded of is cooking duty and wearing this on a charm bracelet is ... is ... well, let's just say that I won't do it.
Yep, it's a charm. My personal charm, though, is that I don't have to take care of anyone's meals any more! I don't have to cook and I don't. Yee-ha!
And before you write me an indignant email about how wonderful cooking is, let me be clear that this is just my personal way of being and isn't meant to be taken seriously by anyone. The funniest part is my son who said, "All those years you used to make me come to dinner and I didn't want to. Now I do and you don't cook!" Too late, Kiddo. Mom's escaped the kitchen and she ain't goin' back!
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 7:34 PM | TrackBack
February 21, 2006
Selling Digital Products on eBay
Selling digital products on eBay just got a lot easier!
Digital goodies have been considered almost disrespectable on eBay, which is certainly out of touch with the times. But eBay has recently revised its rules and made it easier to sell electronic goodies.
New and positive changes:
* Now it's easy to add a download page.
Obviously, one of the best parts of selling electronic books is that there is no shipping involved. The ultimate is to have the seller download their purchase. It used to be tougher, although certainly not impossible because I've done it for years. Now it's so easy almost anyone can do it. Simply create your page and then click on a button and eBay will send purchasers there.
* Digital products used to be limited to "information" categories but now ebay is suggesting that it might be OK to list digital items in other categories
* Recently information products couldn't be listed on the Home Page Featured area, but now they can be
All positive changes. Kudos to eBay.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 7:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 19, 2006
Heavy Sony Online Auction Listings
Sony products are astonishingly popular online auction listings. From voice recorders to home entertainment systems, sellers pump out listings and buyers flock to them.
Sony digital cameras lead the pack, with two as particular favorites: the
Sony Cybershot DSCF828 digital camera and the Sony Cybershot DSCV3 digital camera.
The Sony plasma television sells well, surprisingly because it's such an expensive item. The most popular TV of the giant company seems to be the Sony KDLV40XBR1.
Of course, the most expensive item would have to be Sony home theater systems.
Still, even the relatively modest Sony voice recorder is a possibility, although there are mixed reviews on the quality of this item. Poor reviews hurt sales – if the buyer takes the time to do his homework, and many don't.
If you find a source for Sony products, clearly they are worth considering.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 3:26 PM | TrackBack
February 18, 2006
Questionable MREs Selling On eBay
The US military produces food packages called MREs, for "Meals, Ready to Eat." These are selling on eBay and are being investigated by Department of Defense Inspector General.
While there aren't any laws that specifically prohibit anyone from reselling the goods, according to government regulations, they can be sold only to "a limited number of organizations, including, among others, U.S. military organizations and federally funded activities."
"Military MREs are procured by government entities using taxpayer dollars, and are intended to be consumed by individuals from authorized organizations and activities," the letter said. "Consequently, if military MREs are sold to the general public on eBay, then they are clearly not reaching their intended recipients and represent a waste of taxpayer dollars and possible criminal activity."
Some of the sellers on eBay were victims of Hurricane Katrina.
This morning I conducted a keyword search on eBay and found “393 items found for MRE”.
The auction from the picture above was offering:
“The basic menus 1-12 Beefsteak + mushrooms, Boneless pork chop, Beef ravioli, Country captain chicken, Grilled chicken, Thai chicken, Chicken with salsa, Beef Patty, Beef Stew, Chili + macaroni, Pasta with veg, Bean + rice burrito. 13-24 Cheese tortellini, Pasta with alfredo sauce, Beef enchiladas, Chicken with noodles, Beef Teriyaki, Turkey breast with gravy and potatoes, Beef with mushrooms, Spaghetti with meat sauce, Chicken tetrazzini, Jambalaya, Chicken with cavatelli, Meatloaf with gravy.”
According to an eBay spokesman, "... until a law is passed saying you can't sell these things, we're not going to stop them from being sold on the site."
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 2:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 16, 2006
eBay Store Changes Help Sellers
Last year, eBay added 'important improvements' for their eBay store owners, such as
* Best Offer feature
* Better shipping integration with U.S. Postal Service and UPS
* Cross-promotion opportunities
And eBay has added a "Shop eBay Stores" feature. Whenever a searcher types in keywords on eBay, they are of course taken to the appropriate page. To the left of the listings, buyers are given the opportunity to find stores that feature the items listed:
eBay has promised to expand this exposure and store owners can and should celebrate.
http://pages.ebay.com/sell/announcement/overview/inventory.html
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:32 PM | TrackBack
February 15, 2006
Vitamix Blenders Healthy eBay Sellers
There is a 'natural health' mania sweeping this world and I am delighted! It's about time. By natural health I mean that folks are becoming aware of the limitations of drugs and surgery and are focused more on prevention than after-the-fact-cure.
One of the favorite tools of those of us interested in this subject is the Vitamix machine. It's a sort of super-blender and can grind up almost anything.
Those of us who are crazed about it use it to make all kinds of healthy drinks, smoothies, sauces, soups and even healthy ice cream and pudding. The Vitamix ad says, “Vita Mix prepares whole foods 34 ways for maximum nutrition without attachments every day!”
The problem is that it's quite expensive. The Vitamix Super ranges in price from $399 to $419 on the Vitamix site. Yet the average selling price on eBay is $318.98. It's a good deal for buyers and a fine market for sellers.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 2:05 PM | TrackBack
February 14, 2006
eBay Express Will Explode eBay Sales
In the spring of this year, eBay has scheduled eBay Express to make its very welcome appearance. Buyers will be able to buy multiple items all at once, and pay for them through a regular shopping cart.
Let's assume that someone wants to buy a new outfit for a special occasion ... Rather than searching through the 'dresses" on eBay, then the "shoes", then the "evening bags", etc., they will be able to buy everything in one spot. In other words, eBay will become more like a traditional online store.
Here are the requirements to participate:
1) A feedback score of 100 or more (98% positive).
2) PayPal Premier or Business account
3) PayPal account will ship to unconfirmed addresses
4) Be a US registered seller
5) List in fixed price format or Stores Inventory form
6) Fill in the item condition field in Item Specifics
7) Include shipping costs in your listing
8) Provide a picture or gallery photo in your listing
Best of all, it won't cost an extra cent (for now) to be listed in eBay Express.
If you live in another country, take heart. I'm sure eBay is experimenting in the US and if it is the success they expect, they will expand it to other countries.
This will be an exciting experiment. Stay tuned for more: same bat time, same bat channel.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:33 PM | TrackBack
February 12, 2006
Pink Toaster? PINK TOASTER?
I've been an eBay seller for 10 years and I probably shouldn't be surprised at anything selling on eBay, but I admit to being shocked to see a pink toaster. Not just one pink toaster, mind you, but mutliples of them. I didn't even know that a pink toaster existed!
Clearly, this is a niche item and the buyer has to have the perfect kitchen for it. For instance, my kitchen has wood floors and a gray, black and white color scheme. The rich reds look great in the room, but baby-girl-pink ... I don't think so. Still I like pink and I can truly appreciate these toasters. Don't know if any guys do, though. ;-)
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:21 PM | TrackBack
February 11, 2006
eBay Selling Strategies Review
Anita Van Wyk, a lovely lady from Australia, has put together an auction book titled eBay Selling Strategies. She interviewed 19 experienced eBay sellers, including yours truly and
* Barbara Ling
* Jim Cockrum
* Marjory Howes (a former student)
* Mike Enos
* Skip McGrath
* Terry Gibbs
* Tim Knox
* Donna Boyle & Kim Vaugh, the Auction Mommies
We were asked a series of questions (grouped by topic):
* What should I sell?
* How do I determine my niche?
* What should I avoid?
* What are Powersellers selling?
* Where do I get products to sell?
* Should I create my own products?
* How do I write a perfect description?
* What is the best time to end an auction?
* How do I create my eBay store?
* What should I include on my About Me page?
* How do I deal with competitors?
* What are some free or low-cost resources for auctions?
* What forms of payment should I accept?
* Do you have any tips for shipping and packaging?
* How can I automate my business and product delivery?
* How do I encourage positive feedback?
* How can I get a lot of feedback in a hurry?
* How do I deal with negative feedback?
* Do I have to charge sales tax?
* Do I have to pay tax on my eBay profits?
* What are some common newbie mistakes?
* Can you suggest any strategies for increasing my profits?
One of the strengths of this two-volume set of ebooks is the different approaches and ways of responding to the same questions. One question = 19 different answers and points of view. So who is "right"? That's the beauty of it - nobody is right or wrong. Whatever works for you is what's right. You can't help but get all kinds of viewpoints from this collection and that's always valuable.
Check out eBay Selling Strategies. At only $27.95, it's an awesome bargain. Anita has become one of my auction students and I've advised her to raise the price! :-)
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:05 PM | TrackBack
February 8, 2006
Sell Things On eBay With Mark's Blog
If you're missing Mark McClean's blog, you're losing out. Mark is a student in my Auction Genius Course who is blogging his way through. And it's a chronicle not to be missed. For instance, here is a happy Mark covered with product information:
Mark is smart, insightful and hilarious! Read now.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:28 PM | TrackBack
February 7, 2006
Competition & Marketing Wars: What To Do About Them
Today I received a written proposal for a joint venture. Nothing new about that. But the product was two books on how to sell pixels and make your own million dollar pixel page.
This caused me to think about competition and marketing wars. A phenomenon comes along ... a million dollar pixel page, John Reese selling a million dollars in 18 hours, a cheese sandwich of the Virgin Mary. Lots of folks see these great results and immediately rush in to copy. They seem to think that if they do the same thing, they will get the same results.
They won't.
They're doing the wrong thing ...
Instead of focusing on what others do, they (I) need to be coming up with their own creative ways of doing things. Instead of being an Also-Ran, become an Original.
And as luck would have it, Stephen Pierce had the same idea in a recent blog entry:
- - -
Here are 7 questions to ask yourself.
1. Who are you going to serve?
2. How are you going to serve them?
3. How are they currently being served?
4. How many different ways can you capture profits?
5. How will you be allowed to make a profit serving them?
6. How will you do it differently than everyone else?
7. How will you protect your business model?
Answering the above 7 questions is an important start in understanding how to capture and protect your profits.
If you are in a market right now that is profitless (for you) then you have to make a decision. You can do one of two things.
A. You can walk away from it.
B. You can look to invent a new way to serve the market and capture profits.
In summary, competition is not going away, it will increase. Duplication of business models will continue to drive profits down in many areas.
So, don't bank on things getting better, bank on YOU getting better.
- - -
Exactly, Stephen, exactly. Bank on YOU getting better!
http://www.stephenlive.com/blog
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:36 AM | TrackBack
February 6, 2006
Promotional Advertising Specialty
Bill Cobb, the president of eBay North America emailed eBay users about eBay's most ambitious marketing campaign, known simply as "It".
"It" was promoted via television, print ads, internet marketing, catalogs, onsite merchandising, publicity and more. eBay sellers can only applaud this attempt to attract ever-more buyers to the famed auction site.
You can see the "It" video here: http://click3.ebay.com/29088380.61560.0.83177
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 3:03 PM | TrackBack
February 4, 2006
New eBay Fee Adjustments for 2006
Who: eBay
What: fee "adjustments" for 2006
When: February 22, 2006
Whenever eBay makes fee "adjustments" - meaning some prices rise while other fall - eBay sellers become irate and indignantly announce they are taking their business elsewhere. There is no reason to suppose this time will be any different.
1) First the sort-of-good news: insertion fees (the amount you pay for listing merchandise) will drop, although it is a very insignificant drop:
2) However, before you cheer, Final Value Fees on items over $25 will rise:
3) There are no changes for eBay stores
4) Picture Show and Sales Reports Plus will be free for everyone
5) They're reducing the fees for the second and third tiers of Picture
Manager and increasing the storage you get at these higher levels
6) For the first time eBay is offering two new Feature Packs of
optional listing features
Don't go berserk. It isn't that bad.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 2:42 PM | TrackBack
February 2, 2006
Is It Too Late To Start Selling on eBay
"Is it too late to start selling on eBay?" I hear this question often and my answer is always the same ...
NONSENSE!
eBay has recently released its fourth quarter of 2005 report and its revenues were $1.329 billion which is an amazing 42% increase over the year before!
And there's more:
* 546.4 million listings
--> increase of 35%
* There were $12.0 billion worth of auction sales
--> increase of 22%
* 180.6 million eBay members as at 31 December, 2005
--> increase of 33%
* $8.1 billion PayPal payments
--> increase of 45%
* 96.2 million PayPal accounts
--> increase of 51%
* 135,800 new members/day
Is there room for you? Or are you shut out because it's too late? Nonsense!
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 2:13 PM | TrackBack
February 1, 2006
Want To Learn Internet Branding? Ask Painless Parker
If you want to learn about Internet branding - and you ought to if you want to profit from the Net - one of the best persons to study is a flamboyant and wildly successful dentist who died in 1952.
Edgar R.R. "Painless" Parker was a dentist who wore a top hat and a tooth necklace. He was a P. T. Barnum-like promoter whose gimmicks included pulling 357 teeth in one day, which he strung as a necklace. Below is a very unusual wooden pail filled with teeth pulled by this remarkable showman:
Just like the showmen who traveled early America in wagons, rolling from town to town with their shows, Parker would arrive in town in a horse-drawn wagon proclaiming that he practiced "painless" dentistry. He would give his patients whiskey and who knows what else, while a hired band loudly played popular music of the day. Apparently, the purpose of the music was to drown out the moans of pain while attracting large crowds of sufferers who might decide to go ahead and get that pesky tooth pulled.
You won't be surprised to learn that the dentists of the day were outraged at his antics. The American Dental Association labeled him as "a menace to the dignity of the profession" and swore they were going to put him out of business. Naturally, this just boosted his fame and attention from the media.
To run him out of the dental business, they accused him of fraud because no dentistry could truly be painless and took legal action to force him to drop his claims. This is where most people would give up - but not Parker. Instead, he had his name legally changed to "Painless". thus foiling his fellow dentists.
The Internet encyclopedia has this to say about him:
"Edgar R.R. "Painless" Parker (1871-1951) was a flamboyant dentist and huckster"
I looked up the definition of huckster and found this:
1. One who sells wares or provisions in the street; a peddler or hawker.
2. One who uses aggressive, showy, and sometimes devious methods to promote or sell a product.
3. Informal. One who writes advertising copy, especially for radio or television
Obviously, #3 isn't appropriate for this clever man, but the first two definitely fit. The result of his marketing skill was a chain of 30 offices and 70 dentists working for him.
So is Painless Parker an admirable character? Maybe or maybe not. But there is no doubt that he was a brilliant marketer and was able to take any situation and turn it to his advantage. I definitely admire his cleverness and creative mind. If I wanted a teacher for Internet branding, I could never do better than him. And neither could you.
And an amusing PS: the bucket of teeth (picture above) is found at the Temple University dental museum. The establishment dentists hated Parker - but the museum was forced to acknowledge him because he graduated from the Philadelphia Dental College, which became Temple's School of Dentistry.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:37 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
