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26 Replies Last post: Dec 4, 2008 10:18 AM by HireMe

Mar 12, 2009 11:19 AM

SBOCTeam 328 posts since
Jul 27, 2007

Want to get your products in front of 84 million potential online customers? Learn how with eBay, the world's largest online emarketplace! Take your hobby or existing business to the next level by learning the best techniques of how to sell and market your products on eBay. Join us for this special event with eBay's Jim Griffith, aka "Griff" the Dean of eBay Education!

About eBay:
eBay was born over Labor Day weekend in 1995, when Pierre Omidyar, a computer programmer, wrote the code for an auction website that he ran from his home computer. With a presence in 39 markets, including the U.S., and approximately 84 million active users worldwide, eBay has changed the face of Internet commerce!

About Jim:
Jim Griffith, has been an enthusiastic eBay buyer and selling since Monday, May 20th, 1996, at 10:18 am PST when he bid on his first eBay item, a PS/2 memory chip for his old IBM computer.

Currently serving as Dean of eBay Education, roving ambassador, eBay spokesperson, the host of eBay Radio and as the author of The Official eBay Bible, Griff spends nearly all his waking hours teaching others how to use eBay effectively, safely and profitably; leading classes at eBay University in order to help new eBay users learn the nuances of the site and its history; responding to customer e-mail; managing and hosting the popular weekly "eBay Radio" and "Ask Griff" radio shows, and spreading the word about eBay across print, radio and TV.

The SBOC Team is pooling questions in advance for Griff. Join us from 1-2:30PM EST for Griff's response. You may also ask Griff a question at any time during the event, just remember, you MUST be a member to participate. If you haven't joined yet, it's easy and free, just follow this link - http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com/create-account.jspa

Tags: ebay, jim_griffith, griff, online_emarketplace, emarketplace, marketing, online_auction, auction, sell, selling, internet_commerce, ecommerce, best_technique, worldwide, global, hobby, trading_platform, trading, barter, online_payment, paypal, skype Report as inappropriate

bpbp51 2 posts since
Jul 29, 2008

1. Re: Event August 14: How to sell your products on eBay Jul 29, 2008 5:32 PM

Dear Friend, I am interested in selling products on Ebay but I find the Ebay seller fees very expensive. What is the best way to keep the ebay seller costs down so that you do not lose your shirt selling products? Thanks, BestProductsBestPrices

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firefamily5 1 posts since
Aug 2, 2008

2. Re: Event August 14: How to sell your products on eBay Aug 2, 2008 7:40 PM

in response to: bpbp51

Hi,
I am taking a online ebay course right now that has really helped me.
I don't have your answers yet but you might check into it.
www.learntobuyandsell.com
Good luck,
Dan

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caymans 1 posts since
Aug 8, 2008

3. Re: Event August 14: How to sell your products on eBay Aug 8, 2008 6:45 AM

Who can really do business on eBay? Every day I receive emails inviting to participate on eBay, offering thousands in profits! But those are scams, I believe. Please, let me know how I can start.

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bpbp51 2 posts since
Jul 29, 2008

4. Re: Event August 14: How to sell your products on eBay Aug 8, 2008 11:34 PM

in response to: firefamily5

Hi There and thanks for replying. How much does the online Ebay course cost and do you need to buy a book? How many times a week or a month does the online classes meet?

Pete

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simon07 38 posts since
Nov 28, 2007

5. Re: Event August 14: How to sell your products on eBay Aug 13, 2008 1:04 PM

My wife wants is always shopping on eBay, but now wants to start selling her handmade jewelry on eBay. How do you recommend she get started? How does she get an "eBay store?" Any tips for new comers?

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caffeinated 176 posts since
Apr 29, 2008

6. Re: Event August 14: How to sell your products on eBay Aug 13, 2008 1:48 PM

Hi Griff,

Thanks for taking the time to speak to the community. I always hear about dropshipment. What is it exactly and how does it play into the selling process?

Thanks for listening

-caffeinated

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SBOCTeam 328 posts since
Jul 27, 2007

7. Re: Live Event at 1:00 PM ET - How to successfully sell on eBay Aug 14, 2008 1:02 PM

Community, please join me in welcoming Jim Griffith, aka "Griff," the Dean of eBay Education.

He'll be delivering topics and tips on how to successfully sell on eBay. We're trying something new today. Griff will be presenting in an online seminar format - users are encouraged to submit questions into the queue throughout that time as well as after the seminar. Just note that questions will be answered in which they were received, but he may not get to all of them.

Griff will be posting as user Jim_Griffith

Take it away Griff!

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Jim_Griffith 25 posts since
Aug 13, 2008

8. Re: Live Event at 1:00 PM ET - How to successfully sell on eBay Aug 14, 2008 1:06 PM

in response to: SBOCTeam

Hi SBOCT Team and participants,

Thanks for having me! I will try to answer as many questions as possible and also provide some tips for selling. Please bear with me as it can take some time composing responses.

regards,

Griff

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Jim_Griffith 25 posts since
Aug 13, 2008

9. Re: Event August 14: How to sell your products on eBay Aug 14, 2008 1:13 PM

in response to: bpbp51

I will start by answering some questions and providing some basic tips in between. Here's our first question:

"...Dear Friend, I am interested in selling products on Ebay but I find the Ebay seller fees very expensive. What is the best way to keep the ebay seller costs down so that you do not lose your shirt selling products? Thanks, BestProductsBestPrices..."

Alas, the days of selling for free online are long over (weren't they great?) Still, when considering the best possible options for providing the most exposure for your merchandise, eBay is a great value proposition (here I go, giving an eBay commercial right off the bat!) However, if an eBay seller isn't careful, they can quickly start to rack up fees unnecessarily (these would be fees or costs that do not help generate sales and income).

First tip: Make sure you are using the right format for your listing. There are two main formats: Auction and Fixed Price. All too often I see sellers using the wrong format and this can result in unnecessary costs. Here's a good rule of thumb. Rare or high demand items are usually best in an auction format. Items that are readily available in other markets (like commodity items: consumer electronics, clothing, home an garden, etc) are usually best listed in a Fixed Price format.

More to come...

Griff

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Jim_Griffith 25 posts since
Aug 13, 2008

10. Re: Live Event at 1:00 PM ET - How to successfully sell on eBay Aug 14, 2008 1:17 PM

in response to: Jim_Griffith

Official Griff Tip #1

Find something to sell (duh!) The best candidate for your first eBay listing is something from your own personal possessions. Choose something small, easy-to-pack-and-ship, of some value, in good shape (new is best but used can work) and most importantly, something in which you have absolutely no emotional or financial investment (like an unwanted gift).

Even if you already have inventory on hand that you will be selling on eBay, if this is your first listing, go the "personal possession" route. Here's why: If your first listing is one that is something you don't really want or need, you will concentrate on the actual logistics of listing instead of worrying "Oh dear... how do I price this? What if I loose money? I really don't want to sell this?" etc,

More to come...

Griff

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Jim_Griffith 25 posts since
Aug 13, 2008

11. Re: Event August 14: How to sell your products on eBay Aug 14, 2008 1:21 PM

in response to: firefamily5

"...Hi,
I am taking a online ebay course right now that has really helped me. I don't have your answers yet but you might check into it.www.learntobuyandsell.com
Good luck,
Dan ..."

Hi Dan,

Glad that Kara and Shirely's course is proving to be a benefit for you. There are so many knowledgeable eBay sellers out there who provide excellent training courses and seminars. I encourage anyone who is interested in looking for local eBay instructors in their area to visit the eBay Education Specialist page: http://www.ebay.com/esp

regards,

Griff

stay tuned.. I am typing away...

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Jim_Griffith 25 posts since
Aug 13, 2008

12. Re: Live Event at 1:00 PM ET - How to successfully sell on eBay Aug 14, 2008 1:30 PM

in response to: SBOCTeam

Official Griff Tip #1

Research: One of the biggest mistakes both new and experienced sellers make is not researching the marketplace to determine the demand and value of the item(s) they wish to list and sell on eBay. No one should ever assume the value of what it is they want to sell. Sellers need to know exactly what their item might bring on eBay so they can price their item for success (no one wants to go through the entire listing process, wait for 3, 5, 7 or 10 days only to discover that their item has not takers because they were asking too much!)

In the pre-Internet days, marketplace research was extremely difficult but today, it's only a few clicks away. Go to the top of any eBay page and click Advanced Search. Enter keywords that best describe your item and check the box for Completed Listings Only. Then click the "Search" button. This will filter the results to only those matching items that have closed on eBay in the last two weeks. You can then scroll through the results lists. Listings with prices in red indicate items that either received no bids or, items where the bidding did not meet the reserve price. http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/reserve.html

Prices in green indicate an item that has sold. Check examples of both so you can learn not only how to price the item appropriately (determine a good starting price or Fixed Price) but you will also pick up great tips from experienced sellers on how to best describe the item. In addition, you can learn what types of photos work best, and pick up valuable information on how to best formulate a customer-focused Terms of Service (your payment, shipping and return policies.)

Beyond Completed Listings Only (which is free), there are many third party services that provide more in-depth marketplace research. Most have free 30-day trial periods. One of my favorites is Terapeak (http://www.terapeak.com )

More to come...

Griff

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Jim_Griffith 25 posts since
Aug 13, 2008

13. Re: Event August 14: How to sell your products on eBay Aug 14, 2008 1:38 PM

in response to: caymans

"...Who can really do business on eBay? Every day I receive emails inviting to participate on eBay, offering thousands in profits! But those are scams, I believe. Please, let me know how I can start. ..."

Anyone can start a business on eBay (or just sell a few items). That's the beauty of the Internet (and specifically, eBay). In my years working with the eBay Community (I have been active since May of 1996), I have met thousands of people who got their start on eBay and who now run successful businesses.

The best way to start today is to have been smart enough to attend this forum (blush!) but there are other ways. If you are the type who learns quickest in a physical classroom or seminar type environment, then the aforementioned eBay Education Specialist program is a great way to start:

http://www.ebay.com/esp

If you learn quickest from a book, I might suggest my book, The Official eBay Bible (available at fine bookstores everywhere) but there are countless great publications out there including my good friend Marsha Collier's eBay For Dummies series.

Finally, one of the best ways to learn is free! Just visit the eBay Answer Center and ask the community experts who hang out there for assistance:

http://pages.ebay.com/community/answercenter/index.html

And of course, my email is griff@ebay.com and I am always willing and happy to assist anyone with their eBay efforts.

regards,

Griff

More tips coming!...

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Jim_Griffith 25 posts since
Aug 13, 2008

14. Re: Live Event at 1:00 PM ET - How to successfully sell on eBay Aug 14, 2008 1:44 PM

in response to: Jim_Griffith

Official Griff Tip #3

(that last one should have read "Tip #2, sorry!)

Preparation! Most new sellers rush off to the Sell Your Item form at this point but that is a mistake! You want to prepare everything beforehand. Here is the checklist:

1. Write a description (you can type it into Word or a text editor like Windows Notepad)
2. Take at least one digital photo (If the item has more than one side, take a photo of each side. We'll talk photo tips in the next tip)
3. Create your Terms of Service
4. Choose a format and appropriate price
5. Pack the item http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com/images/emoticons/alert.gif" alt="

" />
6. Weigh and measure the box

Now you are ready to list.

Don't leave yet! There is more to come...

Griff

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