![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Net Auctions and Auction Information |
|
![]() |
eBay Consignments: The Giant Opportunity Hiding on eBay (Part I)
More and more, people are becoming aware that they have potential cash sitting in their closets, attics, and basements. But not everyone has the time or the know-how to tap into it, so these items remain where they are or are given away. Or worse, they're tossed out with the trash. eBay is about to change that. eBay Consignments are a Growing Opportunity for experienced eBay sellers and a boon to consumers who want to unload their "stuff" Heres a common scenario: Renee has a basement full of record albums from the 1940's that she inherited from her Uncle's estate. She has no interest in them, and would love to see what she could get for them on eBay. The trouble is, Renee is not only unfamiliar with how eBay works, but she's also a "technophobe". She breaks out in a rash every time she sees a computer or a digital camera. But Renee has heard something about eBay consignments. So, Renee asks her neighbor Anne, the eBay whiz, to help her out. Anne does a quick check of recently closed eBay auctions to see what similar items have been selling for. She adjusts Renee's expectations with this information, and the next day Renee drops off her cartons full of records. Ann takes a couple of digital photos, writes a general description for the lot, and launches the eBay auction. She invites prospective bidders to email her with any questions. Things go smoothly, and a week later the lot is sold. Renee is pleased with her earnings and extremely grateful to Anne. She asks Anne what she owes her for her hard work. Anne, good neighbor that she is, only accepts enough to cover her eBay expenses and tells Renee she can take her out to lunch some time. An Opportunity Seized This kind of informal arrangement has been going on between members and nonmembers of the eBay community for several years. Many auctions will state that "I'm selling this item for a friend", or "a woman in my neighborhood found these in her attic and asked me to sell them on eBay". eBay, who has a knack for keeping an ear to the ground and spotting to trends, saw a golden opportunity in this kind of arrangement. In 2002, they launched the "eBay Trading Assistant" program. The program is run on the same basic principal as eBay consignments, only more formalized. Sellers can now advertise themselves as Trading Assistants on eBay, and people with items to sell can use eBay's Directory of Trading Assistants to find someone in their area. Because of eBay's minimum requirements for becoming a "TA", only those sellers with experience and a good reputation (or high positive feedback ratings, in "ebay language") have the privilege of selling items for others. Benefits for Everyone The system benefits the Trading Assistant by expanding their reach far beyond the next door neighbor. When a seller joins the Trading Assistants Directory, he or she is telling the world that they are willing to sell for others. For those seeking out eBay consignments as a means to cash in their "stuff", the system offers an "official" source of experienced eBay sellers and information about how things work. And of course all of this brings more business to eBay. As always, eBay is simply the portal for consignment selling, not an employer of the Trading Assistant. So each individual "TA" makes their own rules about how they wish to structure their eBay consignments business. How it Works Trading Assistants are experienced eBay sellers who have indicated their willingness to sell items for others for a fee. People who want to hire a Trading Assistant can search the Trading Assistant Directory to find someone to sell for them. All the terms of how the services will work are negotiated between Trading Assistants and their clients. You can become a Trading Assistant if you meet some basic requirements (1 past sale in the last 30 days and a feedback rating of at least 50 with fewer than 2% negative feedback points). Cost and Requirements Currently, it costs nothing to become a Trading Assistant and be listed in the eBay consignments Trading Assistant Directory. eBay has not expressed any intentions of charging for it, but they do reserve the right to change their policies. To become a Trading Assistant, you need to meet the following requirements: -You've sold at least 4 items in the last 30 days. -You have a feedback score of 50 or higher. -97% or more of your feedback is positive. -Your eBay account is in good standing. Note: The ability to join the directory is a privilege, not a right, and eBay can remove the ability of a TA to post to the directory if they receive complaints and/or find evidence of unprofessional behavior. Interestng Facts According to Walt Duflock, eBay's director of the trading assistant program, consignment selling has really taken off since the program's inception: -The TA Program began in February 2002 -There are more than 50,000 registered trading assistants worldwide as of August 2004 -"Collectibles" is a very active category for TAs and TA clients How to Find or Become a Trading Assistant To find a "TA" At eBay, you'll be asked to enter your ZIP code code to find a Trading Assistant near you who can handle your ebay consignments. To find someone who specializes in particular items or services, you may select an item category or use their "Advanced Search" link. Provided you meet the requirements listed above, you can fill out eBay's online application to become a TA and start your own eBay consignments business right away. Although you can run your business however you choose, and you're not employed by eBay, they do provide some assistance: eBay provides extensive resources for the trading assistant program, among them Trading Assistant Worshops such as the recent one entitled, "Getting the Most Out of the New Trading Assistant Directory". The "Trading Assistant Toolkit" is an extensive directory of tools and education to help Trading Assistants market their services better and find more clients. eBay also offers an Advertising Reimbursement program, which helps PowerSellers market their products and services offline by subsidizing a percentage of their advertising efforts. And eBay has produced at least two training manuals outlining Best Practices for marketing, selling, fincance, efficiency, and working with clients. With all of these resources at hand, anyone interested in eBay consignments, whether to tap into "the money in the attic" or to further their eBay auction success, is not likely to be disappointed. Be sure to look for Part II, in which eBay takes the program to the next level with the Trading Post. © Copyright 2004 Carolyn Schweitzer DDS. Dr. Schweitzer was a family dentist for 20 years and is now owner and editor of several websites. You can learn more about where to find specific links to the Trading Assistant and Trading Post programs by visiting her website at http://www.netbrainer.com/site/500041/page/449460.
MORE RESOURCES: US is auctioning a seized $325M Russian yacht with 8 state rooms, a helipad, a gym and a spa AP News $325 million Russian superyacht in San Diego up for auction fox5sandiego.com Fairly Resilient Despite Bumpy Auction Mortgage News Daily Vineyard Road Auctions Finger Lakes Times Thousands of Cars Will Be Auctioned Off During Monterey Car Week. These 16 Are the Coolest Road & Track Sawdust Festival to host auction to support artists benevolence fund Los Angeles Times We Tried To Guess How Much These Crazy Supercars Would Auction For, Then One Of Us Bought One The Autopian Rare baseball cards and gold bar up for grabs at state fair auction The State Journal-Register Heritage Auctions welcomes new director in Beverly Hills Beverly Press & Park Labrea News Mastropietro Winery Is Being Offered at Auction Business Journal Daily Germany receives no bids in zero-subsidy offshore wind auction Offshore Magazine Treasury market poised to trade on economic outlook after absorbing this week's auctions: BMO MarketWatch Ten-acre Aspen equestrian estate to sell at auction AspenTimes.com Fuell assets go to auction, disappointing crowdfund backers Bicycle Retailer & Industry News Analysis: Why Germany’s offshore wind auction failed Wind Power Monthly MDCE's New AI Technology Targets Both Medical Diagnostics and Sports Memorabilia Authentication Markets Stock Titan Auction result of Treasury Bonds - RIKB 38 0215 GlobeNewswire Simón BolÃvar's Long-Lost Firearm Surfaces for Auction as Venezuela Captures Global Headlines PR Newswire Cox Automotive Signs Intent to Acquire Bel Air and Tallahassee Auto Auctions from BSC America Cox Automotive Inc. Deal Dispatch: Performance Food Group And Claire's Lead A Week Of Big Auctions, Retail Woes Benzinga Governor’s Blue Ribbon Auction rewards Wisconsin fair exhibitors Brownfield Ag News GAA Classic Cars Recaps July Greensboro, NC Auction duPont REGISTRY News Romanian bourse BRM joins power auctions within European Single Intraday Coupling Balkan Green Energy News The government is making an unprecedented move to fund itself — and it’s raising some eyebrows MarketWatch Fancy a Ferrari 250 GTO in White? You're In Luck — The Only One Is Heading to Auction Road & Track [VIDEO] 2025 Corvette ZR1 Sells for $391K at Manheim Dealer Auction - Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle CorvetteBlogger Family of Packers safety Tom Brown puts Super Bowl, NFL Championship rings up for auction Green Bay Press-Gazette PLCB accepting sealed bids for auction of expired restaurant licenses, including in Bucks bucksindependence.com US auctions off $325M seized Russian superyacht – including helipad, gym and spa - The Independent Super Saturday: Super Auction returns this weekend Citizen Tribune Yacht Amadea Auction Set for September Megayacht News Japan Designates New Sites Offshore Hokkaido for Wind Auctions OffshoreWIND.biz Wellsburg school off the auction block for now heraldstaronline.com Was It Rob Liefeld Trying To Sell His Deadpool Cover For $7.5 Million? Bleeding Cool News State Fair Livestock Auction Raises Over $380K to Support Wisconsin Youth in Agriculture Racine County Eye Best of Panama auction sees world-record price Global Coffee Report Bill Gates business card up for auction, with significant date from Microsoft’s early days GeekWire Milwaukee's abandoned boat 'Deep Thought' sells for just $2.5K, leaving county to foot rest of the bill Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Whitney Houston's legacy celebrated in upcoming auction of rare items FOX 11 Los Angeles Every car has a story: Here's how people lose vehicles at Crow Tow auctions The Des Moines Register Treasury Yields Extend Rise After Lackluster 10-Year Note Auction The Wall Street Journal MDCE Powers Up with Patent-Pending AI Tech, Auction Expansion & Share Restructure Plan ACCESS Newswire WindEurope urges Germany to drop negative bidding in wind auctions, switch to CfDs Balkan Green Energy News |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
eBay: Dont Believe All the Hype Three billion dollars (that's billion with a "B") in revenues, 135 million users, millionaires all over the place at eBay! Yeah, eBaby!!!, to steal a line form another great author. (See "EBay: No Way?Yes Way (Ten Seller Themes) by Barbara Snyder M. What Ebay Can Teach Us About Success I flew back to New York from Atlanta a few weeks ago and picked up 'Business 2.0' magazine for the flight. Are You an Ebay Shopper? As I write this article, I am keeping an eye on an item on eBay. Do I have to keep an eye on it? No. The Top Ten Tips For Auction Success! If you were to look through eBay, or any other online auction site for that matter, you would find that many people make some very basic mistakes. And, they repeat these mistakes over and over again. How to Market with Niche Auction Sites Online auctions are big business. But they can be big headaches. What to Sell on eBay - 7 REAL Tips for Finding Successful Products This question has become one for the ages. There are many answers to it, few of which will actually help you. Is Selling On eBay Just A Hobby Or A Real Business? Q: I made extra money selling things on eBay last year. These were items I picked up at yardsales mostly. Start Selling On eBay - Getting Started On The Right Foot You've started your own eBay business and, even though it's part time right now, you know it's going to become a huge success. You are able to see the day when you can set your own hours, set your own dress code and call your own shots. Boosting Your EBay Auction Profits: Just Add Audio According to a recent report, adding audio to your eBay auctions could increase bids by as much as 22% over auctions without audio.A recent trend showing up on a lot of websites is the addition of an audio clip. 5 Ways to Drive Traffic Away from Your EBay Auction eBay is a one-stop solution to any one who wants to make money online. Whether you just selling a few unwanted items from around your house or your want to develop a work from home business, eBay removes many of the obstacles for you. Rent A Coder & Other Service Auctions You may be in the market for a new website. Perhaps you may be looking for a new logo or a database constructed for yourself or a small business. Professional eBay Auctions Reap the Profits for Sellers eBay offer an unbelievable amount of traffic for ANYONE wanting to sell on their auction site, so much so that millions of items are listed on it everyday. So with all this competition how do you make sure that your listing doesn't get lost amongst the rest and that customers keep coming back to you. The Secret To Real eBay Success Q. I hear so much about people who started selling on eBay and eventually turned it into their full time business. Ebay And Dropshipping, A Marriage Made In Heaven? eBay is the 'BEST' opportunity you can use right now to make money online in the dropshipping business from the comfort of your own home.Thousands of people just like you use eBay auctions on a daily basis to sell and buy products on the Internet; now it's your time to START your own dropshipping home-based business and succeed in the eBay auctions 'game'!There are no special skills required for this dropshipping business, all you need is a computer, Internet access and some basic computer / Internet knowledge. Effective Auction Listings - How To Create Them Once you've created the best possible title for your item, you will move on to writing your auction description. Here, you have more space to give a detailed description of the item you are selling in the body of your auction. An Emerging Market in eBay Consignments: The eBay Trading Post (Part II In A Series) In 2002, the eBay consignments business was born, referred to by eBay as the Trading Assistant Program.It's possible that eBay didn't foresee just how much they would benefit form their eBay consignments program. USP on eBay If you have dabbled at all in the world of Internet marketing, you may have heard the term "unique selling proposition" or USP. USP is a technique that Internet marketers use to set themselves apart from the competition. eBay - Tapping Into The Japanese Collector Market If you owned a skateboard shop in your local mall would you put a big sign in the window saying "No Baggy Pants Allowed"? Of course not. If you did you would be eliminating 50% or more of your most avid potential customers. Increase your eBay Profits the Easy Way Sometimes the simplest things can boost the number of visitors and bids to your auction listings and increase your eBay profits.Robert G. How to Locate Drop Shippers for Your Success Like the human heart, drop shippers can keep the blood pumping in an internet business. Often, they can be the key to success for online retail businesses who do not wish to stock actual inventory. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |