MarketeerMum.com A Mum’s experience of working from home using the Internet

Selling things on Ebay is one of the easy ways to make money if you know how. Most people make money on Ebay by selling their old items or things around the house they don’t need anymore. Others go to live auctions or garage sales every weekend hoping to find hidden treasure that will fetch a nice price online. Of course the professional sellers have a store or some source where they buy things for wholesale prices and hope to sell them for retail prices on Ebay. These professional sellers have turned Ebay into their own stay at home jobs.

Some of us have another source for our Ebay items. That source is Ebay itself! For years I have checked certain items daily in hopes of finding something listed for too low a price or for “lots” of items that when sold individually will sell for more than as a group. Don’t be mistaken, this is hard work and needs perseverance. Not hard work like digging a ditch, but hard in its own way. Lets examine these two ways of turning a profit.

The first is finding items that have a too low “Buy It Now” price. If you are successful in beating others to purchase it then you will be able to turn around and sell it for what it is correctly worth. This takes a lot of knowledge because you have to get a good feel for what certain items are worth. People who are professional auctioneers or are in the antique business might be very good at this.

You can also find items that are misspelled and thus will go for too low an amount since very few people saw the auction. I have had my handful of items over the years that I know inside and out and have been able to successfully buy and sell for sometimes a very nice profit. I would look search for these items on a daily basis hoping to find something misspelled that few others would see.

The second way of making money is to search for groups or “lots” as they are called. In this scenario you may be able to find someone selling a “lot” of one thing that you can break up and sell individually for more. I have, on numerous occasions found someone selling a large lot of CD’s or DVD’s that are all the same. For example, rather than spend the time to sell their brand new Toby Keith CD of which they have 50 copies in 50 different time consuming auctions, someone may choose to get rid of all 50 at once for a decent price. I, on the other hand, am willing take the time to list them individually and might be able to make a couple of dollars on each one for an overall profit of $100.00.

If you know a niche or item really well on Ebay you may also be able to find something hidden or overlooked in a group of items. In a similar scenario to the last one, someone might have a collection of DVD’s that they no longer need. They might put them up as a group not realizing that one or two of them are collector’s items and worth a lot more than the others. An observant potential buyer may recognize this and be able to make a tidy profit on the deal. This has happened to me as well as I once bought a group of DVD’s in amongst which were 5 DVD’s that were out of print and I resold for over $50.00 each! Ebay can be a good work at home job but you will have to work hard at it.

Buying and then selling things in this fashion is something anybody can do. It is one of the great ways for teens to make money right from their room!

Posted under Auctions

If you’re looking for the fastest, easiest and most accessible route to purchasing stuff, it’s hard to beat the benefits of online auctions. For those who are always on the go, buying products from online auctions provides them with the most convenient means of shopping for a huge variety of items.

A great number of people today find that buying products online is an ideal way to go shopping, for a variety of reasons. People everywhere can now have access to merchandise that would normally be very difficult to purchase in their immediate areas. Nowadays, the popularity of online auctions means that most people have given them a try.

How to Start Selling

Using an online auction to sell merchandise is really quite simple. You just have to find a site that interests you and create an account. Although most of these sites are free, you’ll find that some of them charge a fee. Be aware, however, that those sites which charge a fee often have advantages that justify the cost.

Deciding which items to sell is the next step. For example, start with items you have around the house which you no longer need or want. Once you have some experience, you might want to start shopping at garage sales, discount stores and factory outlets for merchandise that you can re-sell and make a profit from your online auction.

Before putting any items up for sale, be sure to read over the terms and conditions of the online auction site and make note of your responsibilities and possible liabilities. To steer clear of any problems with a customer, establish a policy of straightforward and honest transactions.

Buying Basics

It’s much easier to buy something from an online auction than it is to be a seller. Similar to selling, you have to register at whichever site interests you; once you have an account you can start bidding on items of interest. Before you make a bid, remember to check the credibility and the reviews of the seller. This will help you decide if the item is likely to be as described and if you will actually receive it.

After you are comfortable with the seller’s reputation, you can go ahead and put in a bid. To avoid overspending, set a maximum bid; this way your purchase won’t be overpriced in terms of your time, effort and cash.

When you’re looking for a certain item, it’s hard to beat online auctions for selection. Suddenly, shopping is more convenient and less expensive; just remember to shop wisely.

Posted under Auctions

Today it is hard to imagine anything that is not sold at auction.  A personal property auctioneer helps people dispose of items that can be picked up and moved, like antiques and collectibles. 

If you have not tested the waters and attended an auction, let me ask you, Why Not?  Auctions are fun and are currently a popular way to sell goods and make some great buys.  Here are some tips to make your day at the auction a good experience.

If the name of the estate being auctioned is advertised, the auction is probably a bonafide estate sale offering interesting items coming to the marketplace for the first time.  But, sometimes the auctioneer can be asked not to advertise the estate name.  If the words “with additions” are found in the ad, this would indicate that other consignment items have been added to the estate sale items.  The auction house may post pictures of auction items on their website.  In fact, on-line Internet auctions can be combined very successfully with the live auction.  If you have any questions about the set up of the auction, call the auction house for further information.   

Is the auction advertised as an absolute auction or an auction with no minimums and no reserves?  That means that if the auctioneer takes a bid he must continue auctioning the item finalizing the sale at the highest level he can attain.  On the other hand, a reserve auction indicates that there is a minimum bid that the seller will accept.  Is a buyer’s premium advertised?  If so, there will be a percentage added to your bill when you check out.  The typical buyer’s premium is 10%.   Note what forms of payment are accepted and understand that state sales tax will be added to your bill unless you have a current dealer’s resale certificate to present. 

Go to the auction preview to examine the condition of auction items.  The auctioneer may point out the condition of an item but it is the bidder’s responsibility to take advantage of the preview.  Register early to be ready to hear the auctioneer’s comments before the sale begins on how the auction is to be handled.  See if there is a list of the items to be auctioned.  Make notes on the list, marking items that you may wish to bid on. 

The auctioneer will be on the “block”, meaning he is in front of and higher than the crowd.  The clerk works with the auctioneer recording all bids.  If the live auction is combined with an Internet auction, there will also be an Internet administrator.  There are usually spotters that help the auctioneer see everyone that wishes to bid.  A director works with the ground crew and determines the order that items are brought up for sale.  In the Internet/live auction pictures of items up for bid may be projected on a screen for the audience to see.

A good auctioneer wants you to understand what he is saying.   The auctioneer’s chatter is only a series of filler words that join the bid that he has on an item with the bid he is looking for on that same item.  Position yourself so that the auctioneer can easily see you and don’t be tentative about bidding.  Help the auctioneer know when you are bidding.  He is not going to hold you responsible for a bid if you scratch your head.  If a bid is made inadvertently, speak up immediately saying that you were not bidding.  The auction firm may issue you a bid paddle instead of a bid card.  The paddle is usually larger and can help avoid any confusion about bidding. 

It’s a good idea to bring a folding chair in case seating is limited and boxes and packing can help you protect any small treasures on which you might be the successful bidder.  Food might not be available so bringing water and a power bar will keep you going if you find you simply cannot leave the auction until a certain item is offered or you wish to stay to the very end.   Items for auction can be brought up in listed order or randomly brought up.  If items are being brought up randomly, you may be able to request that an item be brought up for auction.

Who knows, you might enjoy the auction experience enough to become a regular!

Logan and Richard Adams are the owners of The Specialists of the South in Panama City, FL.  Richard is an Auctioneer.  They hold auctions in Panama City regularly and also hold Online Auctions.

Posted under Auctions