Auction eZine - Issue 7

________________________________________________     

AuctionInsights Newsletter
________________________________________________
Feb 3, 2005 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hi,

Doug Feiring here from AuctionInsights

eBay Consignments are a Growing Opportunity for
experienced eBay sellers and a boon to consumers
who want to unload their "stuff"  This issue we
present the first of two articles getting started as an
eBay Trading Assistant.  

Sincerely,
Doug

http://www.auctioninsights.info
http://AuctionLink.to

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-




-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

o FEATURED ARTICLE...

eBay Consignments: The Giant Opportunity Hiding
on eBay (Part I)

By Carolyn Schweitzer

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"

Here's 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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-




-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Comments

RSS feed for comments on this post. | TrackBack URI

Leave a Reply