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How to Start and Run an eBay Consignment Business (Paperback)

~ Skip McGrath (Author) "When I told my friends I was going to write this book, everyone said, "Why would someone pay you to sell their goods on eBay,..." (more)
Key Phrases: consignment seller, auction management systems, consignment business, Trading Assistants, New York, Giving Works (more...)
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Product Description

Make big profits on eBay with no upfront investment!

Make thousands of dollars per week--with little or no financial risk--selling other people’s stuff on eBay. How to Start and Run an eBay Consignment Business explains how to locate and work with consignors and successfully deal in the goods they want to sell, including collectibles, retail store closeouts, estate items, corporate merchandise, and much more.

Find out how to get started selling on consignment, decide what kinds of items will be the most profitable, and set up your business. You’ll get sample contracts, forms, and flyers, as well as tips on creating a web site, marketing your business, and automating day-to-day tasks. Whether you want to supplement your income or become a registered eBay Trading Assistant, you’ll find everything you need in this helpful, step-by-step guide.

From the Back Cover

Make big profits on eBay with no upfront investment!

Make thousands of dollars per week--with little or no financial risk--selling other people’s stuff on eBay. How to Start and Run an eBay Consignment Business explains how to locate and work with consignors and successfully deal in the goods they want to sell, including collectibles, retail store closeouts, estate items, corporate merchandise, and much more.

Find out how to get started selling on consignment, decide what kinds of items will be the most profitable, and set up your business. You’ll get sample contracts, forms, and flyers, as well as tips on creating a web site, marketing your business, and automating day-to-day tasks. Whether you want to supplement your income or become a registered eBay Trading Assistant, you’ll find everything you need in this helpful, step-by-step guide.

  • Determine what will sell well on eBay
  • Find the best consignment customers
  • Decide how much to charge for your services
  • Create compelling listings
  • Run successful auctions
  • Set up an eBay store for fixed-price selling
  • Open your own consignment storefront or a franchise
  • Reduce your eBay fees
  • Build your credibility and offer superior customer service
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 27, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 007226277X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0072262773
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #446,368 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Skip McGrath
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
When I told my friends I was going to write this book, everyone said, "Why would someone pay you to sell their goods on eBay, if they could do it themselves?" Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
consignment seller, auction management systems, consignment business, auction management service, auction templates, auction description, gross merchandise sales, auction title, auction photos, trading assistant, consignment selling, reserve price auction, feature fees, sales tax number, local auctioneer, power seller, consignment sales, feedback rating, more auctions, shipping policy, listing fees, existing liens, commission schedule
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Trading Assistants, New York, Giving Works, Home Page Featured, Seal Member, Featured Plus, Los Angeles, United States, Microsoft Word, Time Listed, Snappy Auction Photos
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62 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best and only guide you'll need for starting an online consignment business, February 19, 2006
This is a great idea for a book, and I was glad to see it was written by a longtime, successful Powerseller with experience running his own eBay consignment business. This is a how-to book from a real entrepreneur, who is giving some real-world advice. He tells you exactly what works, what doesn't work, and why.

It's clear that eBay has some momentum with its "Trading Assistant" program. Since its launch last year, 80,000 sellers have signed up, and eBay drop-off sites are popping up everywhere. People with stuff to sell are becoming aware that this is a real alternative to yard sales and newspaper classifieds. Once you sign up with eBay to become a Trading Assistant, you're listed in their Web site directory, where potential customers can find you by Zip Code.

How big is the opportunity? The author estimates that just one company, AuctionDrop, is closing about $50,000 worth of auctions a week on eBay. With a commision rate of 40 percent, that comes to a gross margin of $20,000 a week. Ramping up to a scale this big would certainly require some employees, rent payments, and advertising. But once you've proven your business at a smaller scale, you can expand at your own pace. Any one-person eBayer relatively skilled at selling could generate $1,000 to $5,000 in weekly profits, the author says. That sounds pretty darned good.

So this book solves the main problem for someone starting a new online business -- finding enough merchandise to sell at prices low enough to bring a profit. With the consignment model, people bring the merchandise to you, and after you sell it, you pocket a commission less your expenses. If it doesn't sell, you return the item to its owner.

Of course this book will have limited appeal to casual hobby sellers who aren't interested in devoting much time to selling. Only those ambitious enough to try -- and disciplined enough to follow the advice in this book -- will be able to carry it off. But by the same token, there are real opportunities here for people willing to do the work. Think of the millions of people interested in getting cash for their old possessions, but aren't interested in learning how to sell to sell on eBay themselves. Many of these folks probably realize they could get a much higher price for their items by letting someone else sell it for them online, where a worldwide pool of buyers can bid up the price.

But there are pitfalls to a consignment business. To do it right, you need to set up a real bookkeeping system for consignments. You'll need good insurance coverage if you store merchandise that belongs to someone else, in the event of fire, flood, or some other disaster. There's also the problem of managing the expectations of the folks you're accepting merchandise from. Popular shows such as "Antiques Roadshow" have convinced too many people that treasures are lurking in their attic or basement. Lots of the stuff isn't valuable, it's just old.

Fortunately the author provides sound advice on this and many more issues that the average seller probably hasn't thought through yet. For example, how can you represent yourself as a bonded auctioneer? How do you protect yourself from illegal activity such as stolen goods? The author provides bulletproof answers to these issues, so the peace of mind you'll have from reading this book will be worth its cover price many, many times over.

Lots more ideas you've probably never thought of are here in this book. For example, an online consignment business could target the lucrative business of estate sales. Online sellers could probably do a better job of selling more of the items, and at higher prices. And they could do this at a lower commission rate than traditional estate-sale operators, who conduct weekend-long walk-in sales require staffing and expensive newspaper advertisements.

There are lots more topics covered in this book, too numerous to mention them all here. In addition to the helpful tutorials on eBay selling skills, I thought the most essential sections included:
How Much Should I Charge?
Find Consignment Customers
Sell Retail Store Closeouts
Raise Money for Nonprofit Organiations
Conducting Estate Auctions
Conducting Bankruptcy and Repossession Sales
Corporate Consignment Sales
Set Up a Consignment Storefront
Organization and Record Keeping
Write Your Business Plan

The book also includes sample agreements, forms and letters and provides access to a Web site with these types of materials.

I think anyone contemplating an online consignment business -- or looking for ways to expand their current online business -- should pick up a copy of this book and read it cover to cover. It's a thoroughly researched book with up-to-date advice and resources that can be tremendously helpful to anyone selling merchandise online.
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25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars If You've Ever Wanted To Start Your Own eBay Consignment Business -- This Is How You Do It..., March 1, 2006
In his 304 page Consignment start up manual Skip McGrath has given you a virtual business-in-a-box that rivals what you would get from a $20,000 franchise.

What impresses me most about Skip is that he isn't just another writer who researches a topic and then pretends to be an expert. Skip actually writes from experience! He's a seasoned eBay Consignment seller and eBay Power Seller. He sells thousands of dollars worth of product on eBay every single month.

In "How to Start and Run an eBay Consignment Business" Skip starts with the basics and shows you how to set up your business. Topics covered include How To Structure Your Business, Business Licenses, Record Keeping, Insurance, and other mundane but necessary tasks.

In Chapter 3 Skip hits the ground running and gets into the nitty gritty details of exactly what you need to do to get your eBay Consignment Business rolling. You'll learn:

How Much To Charge
How To Find Consignment Customers
What Items Sell Well on eBay
How To Market Your Business
Selling Retail Store Closeouts
Selling Estate Auction Merchandise
Bankruptcy and Repossession Sales
Corporate Consignment
Automating Your Business
Auction Photography
Should You Set Up a Consignment Storefront?
How To Become an Auction Master
How To Perform Research
How To Create Killer Auction Listings
How To Write Winning Auction Descriptions
Sample Agreements, Forms, and Letters
And More, Including a Consignment Startup Checklist and an Online list of all the resources and links mentioned in the manual.

If you're still looking to start your own home based business eBay Consignment may just be the perfect business for you. "How to Start and Run an eBay Consignment Business" is a great place to get the full low down.

If you're already considering eBay Consignment as a business stop reading and get this book now!

And if you already have an eBay Consignment business, get this book and learn how to expand your business and run it more efficiently.










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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars If you have Titanium Ebay from the same author, this book is just a cut and paste work with an extended chapter on consignment, October 6, 2007
About 85% of the book is in Titanium Ebay, and in the exact same words. Its just cut and paste. If this is your first Skip McGraph book, this is excellent way to start.

I love McGraph style, and incisive info on the Ebay business. He tells you insider secrets of PowerSellers, and their tactics. But the best are the cases he makes, examples of what to buy, how to sell it and profit. He opens up your mind that almost everything sells.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars A poorly disguised attempt to influence the amenable mind using status and product placement.
While this book does contain sound advice and guidance, it is somewhat dated and reads like an advertisement. Read more
Published 5 months ago by moc.nozama

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
Book exactly as described. Received quickly. Very satisfied. Perfect transaction. Thank you.
Published 12 months ago by Terri Leamy

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Trading Assistant - eBay Book
This is a fantastic book! It is a very truthful and open approach to this business. Definitely something to take a look at considering all of us could use some extra income in... Read more
Published 17 months ago by H. Hartley

3.0 out of 5 stars Good shape
It shipped quickly and was in good shape. I bought this from an outside vendor. Started reading it. Very clear good information in it.
Published 21 months ago by Kim Manuel

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Trading Assistant Book on the Market
Skips book How to Start and Run an eBay Consignment Business is the best resource for zeroing in on becoming a successful Trading Assistant. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Joann M. Mckenzie

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!!!
Short and sweet, this book gives you all the essentials of starting your own eBay consignment business. Read more
Published on February 13, 2008 by Kyle Carlson

5.0 out of 5 stars eBay Consignment guide
Very good guide on what "to do" and "not to do" in starting the eBay consignment business. The author speaks from his own experience which I have found is the best way to learn... Read more
Published on June 13, 2007 by Jimmy Stewart

5.0 out of 5 stars Consignment and eBay can work together
A good overview on a patient use of eBay. This works well establishing long-term relationships with regular customers. Read more
Published on May 28, 2007 by Bindair Donndat

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely helpful!
This book gives you all that you really need to know about running an ebay business including pitfalls and things to be aware of that you normally would have to learn the hard... Read more
Published on March 20, 2007 by Laurie Hower

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have resource for this business.
Like many or most who have read this book, I was going through the investigative process of either starting or investing in an eBay consignment business. Read more
Published on December 5, 2006 by Big Daddy

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