Money-Maker #1:
“The Collectibles, Antiques and Memorabilia Super-Strategy For Selling on eBay”
STRATEGY: Selling collectibles, antiques and memorabilia in specific categories on eBay for the highest market prices
TIMING: This strategy is best used when the percentage of successful closings or closing ratio (CR) in the category you specialize in reaches 70% or better.
This is the most obvious way, and the most often employed way, of making money on eBay by individuals.
As I started on eBay by selling used books. I had been a collector for over 20 years and a dealer for 15 years. I
specialized in selling just collectible books: first editions, special bindings and
ephemera.
I have since added a few other areas to my eBay selling, but never seem to make as much money as I do selling books. My guess is it’s because of my experience in this area.
The same should be true for you. What background do you have? Do you have a hobby or special interest or are you a collector?
That’s where you should start and that’s where you will make the most money using this strategy. Add depth to your knowledge by reading in your field and get as many good reference books and price guides as you can.
So you have an area you have some experience in. What do you do to
maximize your income selling antiques, collectibles or memorabilia on eBay?
- BE SUPER-ORGANIZED! -
TIP: If you list items for sale using eBay’s provided selling form you’re
loosing money! Get eBay listing software and save each listing you make .
That way, when you’re ready to sell the same item or similar item again all you have to do is press a couple of keys to list . Time is money! The real estate
salesman’s adage, “The more you list, the more you sell” is definitely true and
applicable here.
I use ShootingStar software now to list auctions and track post -auction
management available at http://www.foodogsoftware.com/ . BTW, that’s not an affiliate link. I don’t make a cent promoting it. I just think it’s the best available
for the price.
I like ShootingStar because it allows me to save every listing on my hard drive and it includes free auction counters. You use the software (which
includes free updates) to make unlimited listings on eBay, Amazon’s zShops and Amazon Auctions.
Another service that just started at the time of this writing is eBay’s (in
conjunction with Blackthorn Software) Auction Seller’s Assistant. I tried it for 30 days free and found it’s very nice to work with. But, it’s a little pricey - $15.99 a month. It does all the same stuff ShootingStar does and a little more. Ebay
gives you a trial period to try it out.
But there is a lot of good software out there today because auction
selling has become so popular. Most companies will allow you to use their
software for 30 days before buying or registering. Some programs are free. Try them all out and see which one works best for you.
Here’s a brief list of some other eBay listing software that you should look at before making a final decision:
http://www.andale.com/corp/index.html
Rather than listing software, this company allows you to list on eBay
using templates directly off their site. It was free for quite awhile, now there is a small fee for each listing. Their service includes some neat auction tracking,accounting and follow-up systems. My opinion is that they charge too much for the service. You’re already paying eBay to list your item and, if it sells a
‘success’ fee- why add to your overhead? But they do have some neat features, I just wish they would find another revenue model.