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December 17, 2007
eBay Selling: Gift Cards
eBay selling of gift cards can be a lucrative income stream on eBay. But according to Jennifer Pate, an economics professor at Loyola Marymount University, all gift cards are not equally valued by eBay buyers. According to Pate, the top 10 most valued cards are:
1) Home Depot
2) Lowe's
3) Office Max
4) Circuit City
5) Starbucks
6) Old Navy
7) Wal-Mart
8) Target
9) Staples
10) Best Buy
She claims the least popular are:
1) Tiffany & Co
2) Victoria's Secret
3) Abercrombie & Fitch
4) American Eagle
5) Express
Her criteria for 'best' and 'worst' are based on the discount rate of the coupons. The average discount is 15% but the better cards are a maximum of 14%, while gift certificates for Express, for instance, are a heftier 26%.
Pate further claims that eBay buyers value cards based primarily on two factors:
* The number of stores: obviously, the greater the number of stores, the easier it is to spend the gift cards
* A wide variety of merchandise
Clearly, there are some strong lessons here for those who are interested in selling gift cards on eBay.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:16 AM | TrackBack
December 14, 2007
PC Security Software on eBay
It's certainly not news that computer software to combat email spam, spyware, computer viruses, and the like are absolute requirements for anyone who spends any serious time online. And today, who doesn't?
eBay, fortunately, is a goldmine for finding deals deals on programs to protect your computer investment. On the one hand, computers are so relatively inexpensive today that even if it were destoyed, it can be replaced for several hundred dollars. Not cheap, but many can afford it.
However what cannot be readily replaced are precious, unbacked up files that include personal documents, one-of-a-kind family pictures, and programs for which you have no CD. Even if you do have CDs, consider the hassle of not only reinstalling potentially all of your programs, but also then remembering how you had each configured to meet your needs. It might take a full couple of days to complete the work! All because of malicious software that has attacked an unprotected PC.
If your PC is not protected, check out the myriad software opportunities in eBay and minimize your risks.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 10:56 AM | TrackBack
December 11, 2007
Dog Necessities on eBay
People have an unbelievable love affair with their pets. This may be no more evident than in the seemingly endless selections of dog necessities items for sale in eBay. A quick search there shows almost 43,000 choices ranging from apparel to beds to strollers and many more (about three dozen categories).
Our culture is just plain crazy about dogs. The purchasing possibilities are all over the Internet and include products like discount pet medications, an electronic pet door, and even pet travel insurance! Where does it end?
If you need something for your dog - and I mean just about anything - a quick eBay search will likely surface at least a few samples of the sought-after item for your beloved pet.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:03 PM | TrackBack
December 9, 2007
Home Improvement Needs On eBay
The do-it-yourself market has given rise to large home repair giants such as Home Depot, Lowes, and others to create a home improvement needs industry within the general housing industry.
Sunroom windows are huge, as is Wilsonart laminate flooring, and even residential metal roofing. Who would have thought that with such general affluence in the US, people would want to do this kind of work themselves?
Yet that's the case. And the opportunities in eBay to buy and sell these types of items seem plentiful. There are, for example, thousands of flooring options. You can find windows as well, but need to limit your search to the "home & garden" category lest your search results display thousands of unrelated auctions for operating systems!
For someone with storage room or a cost-effective ability to dropship, this territory seems prime for the start of an eBay business.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:49 AM | TrackBack
December 7, 2007
Slow Sales On eBay? Part 3
If you're concerned about slow sales on eBay, improving up your listing is almost always a sure-fire way to boost those sagging sales.
Unlike the totally free methods we discussed in Part 1 & Part 2, this method isn't totally free but is definitely worth the money - and that is to include a picture appear next to your listing title.
This gallery picture cost $.35 cents and is worth the extra expense because:
1. Most sellers DO include a picture and yours will stand out if it does NOT have one
2. Buyers like to quickly identify merchandise they're interested in and having to click to each listing to see what's for sale will create hostility
3. Buyers have the option of structuring their searches by pictures, rather than text. If a potential buyer searches this way, (s)he won't see what you're selling.
It goes without saying that your picture should be clear and appealing. This doesn't mean that you need to hire a professional - only that the lighting should be good and the surroundings cheerful, clean and pleasant.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:14 PM | TrackBack
December 5, 2007
Slow Sales On eBay? Part 2
To perk up your slow sales on eBay, it's important to understand that most eBay buyers are casual, unlike most eBay sellers who are often quite intense. Most use the eBay search engine to find what they're seeking which means you have exactly 55 characters to convince them to click on your listing. Unless you're willing to pay an extra $.50 to have a subtitle, that is.
So make certain that you use those 55 characters wisely. Here are some genuine no'no's:
* l@@k
* Hot
* Cool
* Any other annoying words
Unless these kinds of silly adjectives are in your title (such as a book or movie), forget 'em. They just waste your precious characters.
What are some good uses? It depends on what you're selling. You definitely want to be specific. Here are some possibilities:
* Make
* Model
* Year
* Manufacturer
* Color
* Style
Common eBay acronyms such as NWT (new with tags) NIB (new in box) are also highly desirable because they save space yet convey important information.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:37 PM | TrackBack
December 3, 2007
Slow Sales On eBay? Part 1
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If you are distressed by slow sales on eBay, improving your listing just might turn those slow eBay sales into speedier ones.
The key to stronger sales is knowing how to attract buyers to your merchandise. Assuming that ... |
1) You've done your market research and are certain there is strong demand
2) Your price is right
... improving your listing is where to put your attention. If you want your treasures seen by the greatest number of people and not buried at the bottom of the search results, you can spend piles of money on eBay features like
* Extra pictures
* Highlights
* Borders
* Bold
* Etc., etc., ad nauseum
Or, you bolster your listings to drive traffic for FREE! And we all know that free can be really, really good.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:38 AM | TrackBack
December 1, 2007
Debt Consolidation on eBay? Really?
If you have become overwhelmed with debt, don't despair. Help is available for you, and its much easier to put into action than you may think. eBay has several debt consolidation eBooks to assist you to put your finances back on the right track.
It will be easy for you to get the process started that will bring you peace of mind about your debt dilemma. eBay makes using debt consolidation information easy. You simply bid on the E-book that interests you and a link to download the e-book will be sent you your e-mail address usually instantly. Your debt will be paid off much sooner than you could have ever imagined, and you will be so glad that you took steps to improve your financial record.
Guest Author: Vivian Villalba
