Starting an eBay Business for Dummies, Second Edition [Paperback]

Marsha Collier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 2004 | Series: For Dummies (Computers)

Want to pick up extra cash? Explore opening an eBay store? Unload your dusty disco albums or the collection of antlers in the basement? Hey, those poor, dead deer could lead to a rich, lively career. Whether you want to build an eBay business from scratch or just want to make sure you’re up on eBay’s policy changes and taking advantage of new automation tools, this guide will have you selling successfully on eBay faster than you can say, “going…going…”Starting an eBay Business For Dummies 2^nd Edition gets you organized and in virtual business fast with step-by-step guidance on:

• Setting up basic auctions
• Pricing items or setting minimums strategically
• Using the About Me page to begin creating a professional identity
• Finding sources of merchandise (once you exhaust your basement, attic, and relatives)
• Managing your business with online auction management services and software, including a list of 16 popular sites with their prices
• Writing tempting descriptions and taking good photographs of merchandise
• Selecting payment systems (and why shipping C.O.D. is a no-no)
• Handling inventory and keeping records

Written by Marsha Collier, author of eBay For Dummies and eBay Bargain Shopping For Dummies, an eBay PowerSeller, columnist, and teacher at eBay University, this book is packed with time-saving, money-saving tips plus secret eBay hints to help you compete with the pros from the get go. It gives you inside information on:

• eBay motors, real estate, and other unusual areas
• Dutch auctions, reserve price auctions, and private auctions
• Using an eBay fee calculator to check your final value fees
• Shipping and insuring merchandise efficiently and economically
• Printing shipping labels and postage

Complete with a glossary and index, Starting an eBay Business For Dummies 2^nd Edition is just what you need to get started selling on eBay, to graduate from occasional seller to PowerSeller, or to become a genuine eBay entrepreneur like the ten whose success stories are featured in this book!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"They started with collectibles from their closets and then realized they could make a living." (Reader's Digest, November 2002) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Build your own successful eBay business

Discover how to get started, sell with the best, and run a smooth operation!

If the lure of picking up extra cash – or becoming your own boss and eliminating your commute – is tempting you, give in and buy this book! Marsha Collier has done it all. She’s helped hundreds of thousands of readers set up auctions, market their stuff, plan eBay stores, ship economically, and keep their customers happy. She will help you as well.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Discover how to:

• Choose profitable items to sell
• Price your merchandise to move
• Create descriptions and photos that lure buyers
• Be customer friendly
• Select a payment system
• Keep the necessary records

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (September 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764569244
• ISBN-13: 978-0764569241
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #747,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In 1998 Marsha created the first edition of eBay For Dummies, then, followed up the success of the first book with a second book targeting individuals interested in making e-commerce their full time profession, Starting an eBay Business For Dummies. That book became an instant nationwide hit, making several notable Best Seller lists. Since then, Marsha has updated each of her books and published many more.

On a lighter note, for buyers who want to get a good deal online, Marsha penned a fun book, Santa Shops on eBay. Marsha's books have sold over 1,000,000 copies. (Not including the special editions in foreign countries; two in Australia, two in Canada and two in the United Kingdom - as well as translations in Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese and German).

Along with her writing, Marsha is also an experienced e-commerce educator. She was the lead instructor for eBay University (teaching at seminars all over the United States), as well as a regular presenter at the eBay Live national convention since its inception. Marsha also hosted "Make Your Fortune Online," a PBS special on online business that premiered in 2005. The show was the basis for her PBS premium five DVD set, "Your Online Business Plan." In 2006, she was invited to address the Innovations Conference in Singapore to present the ideas of e-commerce to a new market. In 2008, she was dubbed one of twenty influential iCitizens in Kelly Mooney's The Open Brand: When Push Comes to Pull in a Web Made World.

During the holiday season, she also does several national satellite media tours to explain the safety of shopping online. She hosts Computer & Technology Radio on KTRB 860 AM in San Francisco - as well as on the web at www.computerandtechnologyradio.com. She also makes regular appearances on television, radio, and in print to discuss customer needs and online commerce.

Marsha currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. She can be reached via her Web site, www.marshacollier.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

264 of 279 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars In the immortal words of Dave Thomas -- Where's the Beef?!, March 2, 2002

By 

Ryhms "ryhms" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starting an eBay Business for Dummies (Paperback)

Trying to be positive, the best thing about this book is the exposure to some useful areas of concern and companies that I didn't know existed to serve eBay sellers (such as auction management sites and software, as well as the names of several payment service vendors). That, and the occasional nugget of useful information.
When I bought this book, I thought that Marsha Collier was going to reveal some powerful secrets behind eBay business success. Instead what I found was a high level overview of the various aspects of starting a business and of the eBay site. Even though she states upfront that the book is for people who already are familiar with eBay, at least 50% of the book details eBay services and options -- nothing that you can't easily discover from eBay online help for free. Why didn't she just recommend her other book, "eBay for Dummies" for that stuff! Also, several of the "Tips" that she gave online were pretty much common sense. Coming from a marketing background, I had hoped that she would apply some serious marketing strategies to selling online and share useful marketing statistics. I guess that was asking too much from a book geared for "dummies." Even worse, I felt that Marsha was often trying to sell her secrets and promote her own website rather than really help readers. An example is the "Ebay Sellers Lighting Kit" which Marsha will be happy to sell you (don't waste your money -- build it yourself)! This reader definitely got tired of the self-promotion and commercial feel of the book.

137 of 143 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book pays for itself by increasing your eBay profits, November 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Starting an eBay Business for Dummies (Paperback)

Don't even consider starting an eBay business without reading this book. It will pay for itself in no time by helping you avoid many of the pitfalls of new sellers. You will learn how to build more attractive auctions, write interesting and informative copy, take better photos, market your auctions well and provide top-notch customer service, all of which should increase your profits.

Perhaps what makes Collier's book more valuable than that other eBay "Bible" is that Collier's wasn't employed by eBay, so she could be frank about things she liked and didn't like about the auction management tools provided by eBay, and she could recommend sites not affiliated with eBay.

The chapter on auction management software seemed to be lacking. Numerous auction management programs are available, but some of the better ones were not mentioned, such as Inkfrog and Sparedollar. Collier does cover several of the larger auction management software providers, but after reading about several of them, it becomes difficult to differentiate between them. A side-by-side comparison chart summarizing the features would have been helpful. At first glace, all the programs seem the same. After looking into it, they can vary greatly not only in features but in price.

Keep in mind that this book focuses on eBay, only. When you need basic business legal or tax info, don't rely on this book, because Collier doesn't cover it in depth. There are plenty of other resources for that information.

Additionally, this book covers the basics of running a business on eBay, but there is more to learn regarding selling in SPECIFIC categories. One great resource is the eBay discussion board. There is a board for most of the eBay categories, and so much can be learned here. I sell clothing, and the eBay Clothing & Accessories Sellers discussion board is the portal where clothing sellers get together and help each other. Not a day goes by when I don't learn how to better my business from this group.

81 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Do not start an ebay business unless you read this first!!!!, October 9, 2002

By 

ml (The Grand Strand,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starting an eBay Business for Dummies (Paperback)

As a novice ebay buyer,the "selling" bug bit me. It takes some of us longer then others,haha I knew I would need more info besides the tutorials supplied on ebay. So I did my research and bought this book and ebay for dummies before I started selling to get the full picture. Thank goodness! This book in particular is LOADED with great time and cost saving tips for a start up business. Her writing style and humor is very comforting along the ebay learning curve. ebay is an overwhelming but vastly entertaining animal. She has done her homework, is brutally honest and frankly, gives you the "real deal". Hats off to Marsha!!Great job to a savvy business lady!