Book Review: The eBay Survival Guide by Michael Banks
Published October 09, 2005
Relisting an item gives you an opportunity to fine-tune the title, ad-copy and offering price. Banks gives some solid advice on making these choices to increase excitement, attention and the likelihood of a sale. Furthermore, he informs us, you can revise your listing in mid-auction if you're not getting much response. So that's my next step.
Even when you have an item that won't sell, Banks has a great suggestion: use it to sweeten the pot for another sale. Just because it hasn't sold, doesn't mean it is unwanted. That broken pocket watch might not be worth $9 on its own, but offered as a BONUS item with a $400 antique pocket-watch stand, it might tip the balance to buy for some bidder.
Meanwhile, if you have a yen for some tchotchkes or objets d'art, or you have a gewgaw or gimcrack to sell, there's a road-map to success on eBay waiting for you in The eBay Survival Guide.
DrPat is the blog signature used by an old coot who hoards books, dances Argentine Tango, cooks a mean venison chili, and is happy to be along for the sag while my spouse does a marathon bicycle ride. All that is in my spare time — and my work life is classified...
- Book Review: The eBay Survival Guide by Michael Banks
- Published: October 09, 2005
- Type: Review
- Section: Sci/Tech
- Filed Under: Books: Business, Books: Computers and Internet, Sci/Tech: Internet, Review
- Writer: DrPat
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- DrPat's personal site
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No, but I used this initial adventure as a way to explore the book as much as to sell my spouse's artworks.
Until two days ago, no one had looked at it, so interest is building - slightly.
The auction isn't finished yet, either. And I will probably relist...
I think that your experience was instructive. I personally failed to even MAKE A PURCHASE on eBay after lots of trying. Once I even paid the "Buy It Now" price but the system wouldn't process my payment, then I was dunned by the seller.
I found eBay very daunting the first dozen times I went to the site. That's why I was so pleased at the guidance this book offered.
I acquired three books about eBay at the same time, so I'll be taking a look at the other two as we go along here. This one was definitely the friendliest in layout and tone, so I started with it.
I decided that it should not be that much trouble to spend money and I've stopped trying to buy things on eBay. I would guess the the vast majority of the sellers don't make money. It smells like some kind of scam to me. At the very least, a lot of people's time is being wasted. They need to be more upfront with sellers about their chances; give them statistics. It normally isn't that much trouble to spend money in America. I do fine at the mall.
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Did you make any money so far?