eBay 101: Selling on eBay For Part-time or Full-time Income, Beginner to PowerSeller in 90 Days

16 Comments

1. Ulani says:

   July 22, 2009 at 12:03 am

   I read this book from cover to cover, amazed (and wishing I’d had this one with me when I STARTED on Ebay). What author Steve Weber has done with this book is to gather the information that can take sellers years to learn and created a virtual seller’s encyclopedia of tips for selling successfully on Ebay.

   What this means to you – the potential seller on Ebay – is the chance to hit the ground running, avoid embarrassing blunders and come across as a professional seller, minimizing fumbles and keeping your customers happy and your profit margin…extremely profitable.

   For the relatively modest price of this book, you’ll get the expertise of an Ebay seller who has racked up $1.4 million dollars in sales to 130,000 customers. I”m surprised by how much he was willing to disclose, the kind of secrets many sellers hold near and dear.

   Not only that but Weber had the wisdom to let other top sellers and users weigh in. They have written specific articles on such important areas as taking great photos, writing top descriptions, 10 major auction mistakes and how to milk market niches for maximum profits (rare fishing lures, vintage clothing or old video games are some examples.

   Before you create your first listing, Weber suggests you do some research that I’d call “due diligence” or “taking a trial run to get a feel for Ebay.” How do you do this? By being a buyer and actually bidding on items or using the Buy it Now feature to purchase 10 items. I think this is brilliant strategy, allowing potential sellers to get a feel for the buyer’s end of things. You’ll get a feel for dealing with someone you’ve probably never met face to face and the sense of novelty that comes from using an online auction site. Once you’ve been in a buyer’s shoes, you have instant knowledge that should make you a better seller.

   I wish I had the space to describe all the sections and related material in this book. From registering as a user to timing your auction, expanding your business and finding inventory, Weber explains every aspect of the Ebay selling process.

   Consider this: he started out with $80, bought four bags of items and doubled his investment after selling only half of those items! From there he went on to sell enough to move from a tiny one-bedroom apartment to a nice house, all by himself. He makes a convincing case for the fact that if he can do it, so can you. I’m convinced, especially since I’ve used similar techniques and I know they work – and work well.

   PLEASE NOTE: I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing another of Mr. Weber’s books, Plug Your Book. I’m including that information here for full disclosure but I have not ever been paid for any reviews of these books and my opinion is expressly my own. Both books are wonderful. If you are a writer, bookseller or interested in exploring ways to market yourself, books or sell on Ebay, Mr. Weber’s books are “must reads”. eBay 101: Selling on eBay For Part-time or Full-time Income, Beginner to PowerSeller in 90 Days
2. Rafiq says:

   July 22, 2009 at 1:08 am

   4.0 out of 5 stars
   good information on Ebay
   I have been buying and selling on Ebay since 1998. Even with hundreds of transactions, it can be difficult to keep up with all the chances Ebay is making to its system.
3. Anonymous says:

   July 22, 2009 at 1:50 am

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   ebay 101
   This book gives a lot of insight to things I had never even given thought to. If you are thinking about selling on ebay, this is the book to start with!
4. Timur says:

   July 22, 2009 at 2:45 am

   
   This is a really good book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. And I think anyone who is interested in online retailing would do themselves a favor to get a copy and read it cover to cover. The author is an online retailer. And he has written four books over the past couple of years. So he’s an author, too. All four books have covered aspects of his online used book business he started not too long ago. For some reason he becomes expert at doing things and then he writes books on what he has discovered works in business. This book is no exception.

   There are 15 chapters in this book:

   1. Introduction
   2. Ready, set, sell!
   3. Profit with a niche
   4. Get more great inventory
   5. Expand your business
   6. Prevent problem customers
   7. Avoid scams and fraud
   8. Pack it up, move it out
   9. Squeeze more profits
   10. Stay on eBay’s good side
   11. Stay on Uncle Sam’s good side
   12. Make friends, sell more
   13. Get your own place
   14. Get more free advertising
   15. Pay for advertising

   I’ve skimmed a number of books on eBay retailing over the past couple of years. Unfortunately I haven’t read too many I liked. Most of them seem to be hyping eBay as some great place to make a fortune. The instant book being reviewed is different. The author tells us early on that $40,000 a year on your own is a reasonable figure to expect selling on eBay.

   Although I’m not a big fan of online retailing, I think many people can benefit from getting involved with it. EBay makes it easy for someone not self-employed to dabble in retail sales while holding down a full time job. And if that person finds a niche that can be made profitable, then that person very well may become self-employed at some point in the future and quit their day job.

   Ebay also is a wonderful tool for existing bricks and mortar retail shops to use when slow moving inventory needs to be moved quickly or fazed out. And then eBay can also be used to support a service business known in some circles as an eBay Trading Assistant Shop where products are sold on consignment.

   This book is not just about eBay retailing. It is also about self-promotion and promoting one’s business and products online. And chapters 12, 14 and 15 regarding online marketing and how to do it to help your eBay sales is probably what makes this book especially unique as far as eBay books go. The other two books about eBay that I have reviewed on Amazon are 1000 Best eBay Powerseller Secrets (ISBN: 1402208057), and The eBay Entrepreneur (ISBN: 141958328X). Each book covers the topic a little differently and comes from a different perspective. If you are seriously interested in becoming an eBay retailer, then I HIGHLY recommend you get copies of all three books and devour them. 5 stars!
5. Walda says:

   July 22, 2009 at 2:46 am

   My husband and I have purchased and sold on ebay a few times but never realized until reading Mr.Weber’s book eBay 101, how little we actually knew about the process of buying and selling on ebay. None of the chat rooms designed for this very thing have provided half of Mr. Weber’s Knowledge and suggestions. We now realize our past mistakes and are very anxious to put into motion our newly gained knowledge. This book will definitely help us earn more money by selling on ebay without being so confused!

   Sincerely,

   Mrs. Anne Schmidt
6. Itotia says:

   July 22, 2009 at 4:19 am

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   Everything you wanted to know about ebay but didn’t know who to ask…
   This is THE primer for ebay selling. It’s thorough, simple to understand, and confidence-building.
7. Cagney says:

   July 22, 2009 at 5:59 am

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   Ebay works!
   This book has a lot of useful information. Very informative. Just what I needed to help me learn all about ebay!
8. Chita says:

   July 22, 2009 at 8:28 am

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   helpful to me
   I have been selling things here and there on Ebay for the last 10 years. Thought I knew most everything about it. This book showed me I had a lot to learn!
9. Ulla says:

   July 22, 2009 at 10:58 am

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   Fabulous Guide to eBay
   If you are new to eBay or even not so new, this is a great read that is packed with information that can help you get your business started.
10. Gamaliel says:

    July 22, 2009 at 11:14 am

    2.0 out of 5 stars
    eBay 101: Selling on eBay
    Book is long and not as easy to understand as help info on online eBay.
    Good reference to keep on book shelf.
11. Zulema says:

    July 22, 2009 at 12:05 pm

    4.0 out of 5 stars
    A tad bit disappointed
    Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a fantastic book that I’m sure I’ll be referring back often. I read this book in one sitting as this was just such an easy and pleasurable…
12. Iphigenie says:

    July 22, 2009 at 12:43 pm

    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Selling on eBay
    Really well written and easy to understand. Makes you think a lot about the details if you are ever going to make any money selling on eBay. Buy it or lose!
13. Fidelio says:

    July 22, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    5.0 out of 5 stars
    It’s what I was looking for
    I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in getting involved with Ebay. It takes you step by step through the process and gives lots of good advice.