eBay Business All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) [Paperback]

Marsha Collier (Author)

Book Description

Series: For Dummies (Computers) | Publication Date: May 6, 2006

Bestselling author Marsha Collier presents readers with an all-new guide that goes beyond all previous eBay business books, offering one-stop guidance on eBay techniques as well as entrepreneurial fundamentals. She provides in-depth coverage on the most critical eBay topics, including merchandise sourcing, marketing, advertising, and customer service.
The minibooks that make up the guide cover eBay registration, navigation, and buying; getting ready to sell; digital photography and scanning for sales pages; eBay selling and marketing; getting legal and licensed; using auction management software; setting up an office (PCs, Internet, networking, and shipping); and PayPal.
* Marsha Collier's eBay books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies and her Starting an eBay Business For Dummies is currently the bestselling eBay reference on the market
* This one-stop reference examines not only eBay techniques and issues, but also the basic business strategies that people need to run any successful venture

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

9 books in 1— your key to a successful eBay business!

Your one-stop guide to using eBay tools, managing inventory, and selling like a pro

Why are some eBay businesses booming while others bomb? Marsha Collier knows the answers, and she's packaged them neatly in these self-contained minibooks that cover every facet of running a successful eBay business. Your business will blossom with her expert advice on choosing the right things to sell, presenting and promoting your items, shipshape shipping, and even handling the legal stuff.

Discover how to

• Find deals on essential computer equipment
• Communicate with buyers effectively
• Locate the best merchandise to sell
• Take great auction photos
• Open an eBay store
• Make shipping profitable

About the Author

Marsha Collier spends most of her time on something related to eBay. She’s a charter-member eBay PowerSeller as well as one of the original instructors for eBay University. As a columnist, an author of four best-selling books on eBay, a television and radio expert, and a lecturer, she shares her knowledge of eBay with millions of online shoppers. Thousands of eBay fans also visit her Web site, www.coolebaytools.com, to get Marsha’s latest insights on e-commerce.

Product Details

• Paperback: 864 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (May 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764584383
• ISBN-13: 978-0764584381
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #754,913 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

135 of 138 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good General Introduction, June 5, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: eBay Business All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

There are now something like a half million people making a living from selling things using eBay. In this one book Ms. Collier attemts to tell everything there is about settin yourself up in such a business. It's about as complete a book on the subject that could be written.

My first advice is: "Before you sell, go buy some things." She talks about finding things to buy using eBay's various search tools. She also gives out some of the little secrets such as searching on mispellings. For instance searching for "motherboard" right now finds 5328 entries. Leaving out the "a" and searching for "motherbord" finds five entries that aren't getting much action. One "motherbord" has two bids, one penny and six pennies.

After that you're ready to sell things. This book is mostly on selling thing (check your spelling). And every aspect from signing up as a seller to getting payment (Paypal and other), to setting up your own store is included.

The section on getting products to sell is as good as you could expect in a general book, but you're going to have to work this out yourself as you will need to specialize in something. What that specialty is doesn't much matter, but you've got to find some little niche of your own. That's got to include what will sell and where to get more at a good price. Don't get me wrong, her comments aren't incorrect, just generalized.

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars eBay Business All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies, February 1, 2006

By 

Janey "n6neb" (Willows, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: eBay Business All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

This is a very comprehensive book. Much of the information you will already know if you have bought on eBay. Although it is a large volume, it will answer all your questions and give pieces of information you would not have thought of or give multiple choices to chose from. I think it is a great book and find doing all the reading well worth finding those "gems" of information that can make a difference in working on eBay. The more time put into the checking (whether a buyer, seller, looking for an item, etc.) the more successful an eBay business will be. A successful business is never done overnight and the author obviously didn't become successful without having done her homework and expended the effort to make it work.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Resource, February 13, 2007

By 

Spunkychk "Book Freak" (Mel Beach, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: eBay Business All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

If you're on a tight budget, much of what she tells you is actually explained on eBay in the "Site Map", but you can't spend ALL your time online! For example: I wanted to have my own domain outside eBay. Marsha provided a springboard saving me hours of research time. I ended up with one of her suggestions. That tip alone has saved me beaucoup $$. Ideal for beginning to intermediate sellers.

CON: this deals only with eBay. I find selling on Amazon often to be the better choice. Also no mention of Overstock nor Yahoo.