Customer Reviews

eBay 101: Selling on eBay For Part-time or Full-time Income

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read this book from cover to cover, amazed (and wishing I'd had this one with me when I STARTED on Ebay). What author Steve Weber has done with this book is to gather the information that can take sellers years to learn and created a virtual seller's encyclopedia of tips for selling successfully on Ebay.


What this means to you - the potential seller on Ebay - is the chance to hit the ground running, avoid embarrassing blunders and come across as a professional seller, minimizing fumbles and keeping your customers happy and your profit margin...extremely profitable.

For the relatively modest price of this book, you'll get the expertise of an Ebay seller who has racked up $1.4 million dollars in sales to 130,000 customers. I"m surprised by how much he was willing to disclose, the kind of secrets many sellers hold near and dear.

Not only that but Weber had the wisdom to let other top sellers and users weigh in. They have written specific articles on such important areas as taking great photos, writing top descriptions, 10 major auction mistakes and how to milk market niches for maximum profits (rare fishing lures, vintage clothing or old video games are some examples.

Before you create your first listing, Weber suggests you do some research that I'd call "due diligence" or "taking a trial run to get a feel for Ebay." How do you do this? By being a buyer and actually bidding on items or using the Buy it Now feature to purchase 10 items. I think this is brilliant strategy, allowing potential sellers to get a feel for the buyer's end of things. You'll get a feel for dealing with someone you've probably never met face to face and the sense of novelty that comes from using an online auction site. Once you've been in a buyer's shoes, you have instant knowledge that should make you a better seller.

I wish I had the space to describe all the sections and related material in this book. From registering as a user to timing your auction, expanding your business and finding inventory, Weber explains every aspect of the Ebay selling process.

Consider this: he started out with $80, bought four bags of items and doubled his investment after selling only half of those items! From there he went on to sell enough to move from a tiny one-bedroom apartment to a nice house, all by himself. He makes a convincing case for the fact that if he can do it, so can you. I'm convinced, especially since I've used similar techniques and I know they work - and work well.

PLEASE NOTE: I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing another of Mr. Weber's books, Plug Your Book. I'm including that information here for full disclosure but I have not ever been paid for any reviews of these books and my opinion is expressly my own. Both books are wonderful. If you are a writer, bookseller or interested in exploring ways to market yourself, books or sell on Ebay, Mr. Weber's books are "must reads". eBay 101: Selling on eBay For Part-time or Full-time Income, Beginner to PowerSeller in 90 Days

This is a really good book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. And I think anyone who is interested in online retailing would do themselves a favor to get a copy and read it cover to cover. The author is an online retailer. And he has written four books over the past couple of years. So he's an author, too. All four books have covered aspects of his online used book business he started not too long ago. For some reason he becomes expert at doing things and then he writes books on what he has discovered works in business. This book is no exception.

There are 15 chapters in this book:

1. Introduction
2. Ready, set, sell!
3. Profit with a niche
4. Get more great inventory
5. Expand your business
6. Prevent problem customers
7. Avoid scams and fraud
8. Pack it up, move it out
9. Squeeze more profits
10. Stay on eBay's good side
11. Stay on Uncle Sam's good side
12. Make friends, sell more
13. Get your own place
14. Get more free advertising
15. Pay for advertising

I've skimmed a number of books on eBay retailing over the past couple of years. Unfortunately I haven't read too many I liked. Most of them seem to be hyping eBay as some great place to make a fortune. The instant book being reviewed is different. The author tells us early on that $40,000 a year on your own is a reasonable figure to expect selling on eBay.

Although I'm not a big fan of online retailing, I think many people can benefit from getting involved with it. EBay makes it easy for someone not self-employed to dabble in retail sales while holding down a full time job. And if that person finds a niche that can be made profitable, then that person very well may become self-employed at some point in the future and quit their day job.

Ebay also is a wonderful tool for existing bricks and mortar retail shops to use when slow moving inventory needs to be moved quickly or fazed out. And then eBay can also be used to support a service business known in some circles as an eBay Trading Assistant Shop where products are sold on consignment.

This book is not just about eBay retailing. It is also about self-promotion and promoting one's business and products online. And chapters 12, 14 and 15 regarding online marketing and how to do it to help your eBay sales is probably what makes this book especially unique as far as eBay books go. The other two books about eBay that I have reviewed on Amazon are 1000 Best eBay Powerseller Secrets (ISBN: 1402208057), and The eBay Entrepreneur (ISBN: 141958328X). Each book covers the topic a little differently and comes from a different perspective. If you are seriously interested in becoming an eBay retailer, then I HIGHLY recommend you get copies of all three books and devour them. 5 stars!

My husband and I have purchased and sold on ebay a few times but never realized until reading Mr.Weber's book eBay 101, how little we actually knew about the process of buying and selling on ebay. None of the chat rooms designed for this very thing have provided half of Mr. Weber's Knowledge and suggestions. We now realize our past mistakes and are very anxious to put into motion our newly gained knowledge. This book will definitely help us earn more money by selling on ebay without being so confused!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Anne Schmidt

This book is the third Steve Weber book I have read, the first two being "The Home-Based Bookstore" and "Plug Your Book." I was quite enthusiastic about both of Steve's earlier efforts because they were extremely helpful and Steve wrote both well. Those comments apply to this book also.

The marvelous thing about this book is that it starts with the basics and works up to advanced techniques and clever strategies. When I say basics, I mean the kind of information that someone new to eBay would find helpful. What do certain words mean? How do I, and fill in the blank. Steve covers everything you can think of as a newcomer to eBay. Yet, Steve moves quickly and someone going from occasional seller to wondering about setting up a business can move past the basics easily.

What more is there to learn? Steve provides great advice on where to find more stuff for your eBay business. He also provides guidance for evaluating quality and describing your merchandise. All this advice keeps in mind the need to satisfy customers so that they will give you positive feedback and keep coming back.

Just like those popular television commercials, this is the point where I say, but wait, there is more! Steve discusses how to track stock and where it is located. He reviews several software options to handle an expanding enterprise. Included in his advice are options for the most cost effective method of shipping. Steve then provides a lot of detail on how you can expand your customer base through various techniques for advertising your business. I think there are at least half a dozen techniques for getting your business exposed on the internet, including how to fare well with Google searches.

I am touching on just a few of the numerous topics in the fifteen chapters in this book. There are at least 140 sub-headings in this book covering more topics than I had considered when thinking about selling on eBay. With all this powerful information, Steve did something more amazing; he included input from others. [...]

As with any purchase you make, what you want to know is whether this book is worth buying. If you fancy yourself expanding into eBay as a business, or expanding a current eBay business, or you just want to know how eBay works, then this book is worth far more than its price.

One thing I always notice about self-published books is how well they are written. I was unable to find a single grammar error in this book. Therefore, not only is this book full of valuable information, but that information is nicely organized and reading about that information is a pleasure.

Self-help books often seem like they need help themselves. I have read many self-help books by people claiming to be experts in their particular field of endeavor. When you read these books, you quickly realize that the book babbles on about trivialities or the organization is poor. Worse, some of these books have errors that even a novice recognizes. To find a well-written self-help book by an author who has successfully used the techniques in that book is always a wonder. "eBay 101" is such a book.

Enjoy!

Note: The author provided me with a review copy of this book.

If selling on eBay is like walking in the dark for you, Steve Weber's new book "eBay 101" is like having a flashlight; you won't run into any walls or have any surprises. I have never bought or sold anything on eBay. I've always been apprehensive about it, which is why I usually stick to buying and selling on Amazon.

"eBay 101" starts out by explaining how eBay works, how to set up an account with eBay and PayPal, and where to get help on eBay. I liked the chapter that explained where to find great merchandise. I never would've thought of any of these, e.g. estate sales, library sales, bankruptcy sales, etc. There are many more places to look.

My favorite part of the book is that it was written by somebody who has actually done everything in it. And other eBay sellers have written little mini-sections in his book. So many how-to books are written by someone who has little experience. Weber has nearly a decade of experience. Steve Weber explains how he started his business with only $80. After four years, he had earned $1.4 million.

Weber also explains the importance of social networking sites like MySpace. Many assume that MySpace only appeals to children and teens. In fact, one of my college professors believed that MySpace was mainly for high school students and that FaceBbok was more appropriate for college students. I couldn't disagree more. Several adults use MySpace. In fact, I am convinced that the only reason I have sold any of the books I have written is because of MySpace. So there's no reason why one couldn't use MySpace to promote their merchandise on eBay.

Right after the publication of "eBay 101," eBay announced that sellers could no longer leave buyers negative feedback, which enraged several eBay sellers. So some of the information in the book is just slightly outdated. But writing a book about an Internet company like eBay or Amazon is a little risky because Internet companies can change their policies with no forewarning.

I'm definitely going to read the book again. And again. And again until I think I am ready to start selling. And considering how long the book is, a retail price like $18.95 is more than reasonable. I'm sure that anyone would pay much more for it.

Brandon Simpson

I choose this book over similar titles because of its 2011 publication date on the most recent edition. Although there is good basic information much of the book seems very outdated, particularly the references to My Space as the largest social networking site and the primary place that Ebay sellers should look to for expanding business opportunities. Facebook and LinkedIn are mentioned as niche markets. Better information is available for free from Ebay's website.

Great book! Very insightful and readable. I've been selling on Ebay for 6 years and found this book to be both helpful for the beginner and the "Seasoned" Pro. All the Tools you'll need you be successful selling online.

Don't get me wrong, I think this is a fantastic book that I'm sure I'll be referring back often. I read this book in one sitting as this was just such an easy and pleasurable read. The author didn't try to talk you down at all or intimidate you with an i-know-everything attitude. The relationship of the author with the reader felt like a passionate teacher to his student and that is one worth noting. A lot of books out there try to overwhelm you too much with their i know better than you attitude and makes you feel less than you are and boy am I glad Steve Weber isn't one of those.

I felt like the whole book was divided into two sections. The first was a fantastic read that's all about getting started on selling on ebay. He gets into detail on nearly everything, from taking great pictures (he even gives tips on how to get the soft lighting effect) to giving out ideas on where to find merchandise to sell which I'm sure a lot of sellers are very reluctant to share. He doesn't hesitate in sharing these wealth of information and actually seem more than happy to share with us. I mean, I never knew estate sales existed until he mentioned it in his book (great for beginners indeed).

I don't know anything about selling on ebay but I do know the technical side of it. Like how to register and connect my paypal account and all those basic stuff. I was pleasantly surprised that Steve didn't treat me like I didn't know this stuff which some books fall prey upon. He assumed the reader already knows these basic stuff (which im sure more are) and gets right into it. And it might be a small thing but certainly something I appreciate.

It was a great first part book until I got to the myspace part and to make matters worst just right after it, the blogging section. When the author delved right into myspace and blogging, I felt like it was a completely different book. I felt that myspace, while for some might considered be indispensable, is just something that I'll probably won't have the time for considering I'll only be doing this for casual or part time. I mean I wouldn't mind since I do realize it is aimed for people who wants to take ebay as a full time job but Steve just gets into the tiny gritty details about myspace, even giving advice to always keep in touch with your top 8. Maybe its just a personal preference. After all, myspace for some reason just annoys me. But after the lengthy almost painful section about myspace, he goes on and on about blogging and treats it like its the best thing ever (and it probably is). But I'm here to read about selling on ebay not ways to go on blog tours.

Again, don't get me wrong, Steve Weber's book is an excellent resource for someone who is just starting out. It just can be filled with pretty irrelevant material to some readers like how to spot fake pottery or fake autographs or how to fill your profile section on myspace (i mean cmon really??). But this book is a hidden gem of a information. I love how the book is peppered with A LOT of helpful links and most of them I'm going to check out. The glossary, index section and the commonly abbreviated terms in ebay found in the back of the book are also very convenient (Thanks Steve for making my life easier).

All in all, the positives far outweigh the negatives in my opinion. Though I think that those are only personal gripes and are in no way the author's fault. If you're debating which book to get among the many books out there about selling in ebay, make no mistake and do yourself a favor by buying this one. I guarantee you this book will be a useful tool in starting out as an ebay seller or you get your money back guarantee in 30 days money no questions asked...

(lol pun intended)

This is one of the first books out with the newer format on ebay. Easy reading, easy to understand. I recomend it.

Fully two thirds of the book are devoted to things like Facebook and having a Web site, but the author doesn't tie it back to your ebay biz. Having said that, the first 60 pages are excellent for the newb.

One other sore point, he lists plants, weeds, and seeds as forbidden. I checked, you can sell all the seeds you want and there are loads of plants offered. So my question is: What else did he get wrong?

Two concerns = -2 stars, net rating 3.