eBay For Dummies, 8th Edition

eBay For Dummies, 8th Edition

by Marsha Collier
Released January 2014
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781118748862

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Book description

The leading guide for eBay buyers and sellers, updated to give you all the essentials for buying and selling on eBay

More than 112 million people regularly use eBay. To find the best deals and make the best profits, you need the guidance in this book from eBay expert Marsha Collier! With more than half a million copies sold in previous editions, it's packed with solid advice to help you get started, navigate the site, make winning bids, and learn to list and sell your own items successfully.

This edition explores eBay in the context of sites like Amazon, Facebook, and Pinterest and adds in-depth information on managing multiple auctions, creating a store, knowing the market, marketing your sales, and more.

  • Written by eBay expert Marsha Collier, a highly sought-after speaker and trainer on eBay and social media business topics

  • eBay remains among the leading e-commerce sites with more than 112 million users

  • This is the top-selling eBay reference and the perfect guide for beginners, covering everything you need to know to register, navigate the site, find bargains, make winning bids, and list and sell items

  • Includes important tips about shooting and posting photos, communicating with bidders, shipping items, collecting payment, listing multiple items, knowing your market, and maintaining your privacy

  • Also offers advice on troubleshooting, reporting abuses, joining the eBay community, and services that improve the eBay experience

    • eBay For Dummies, 8th Edition is the latest and greatest go-to guide for anyone interested in finding bargains and making money on eBay.

    Table of contents

      1. Introduction
        1. About This Book
        2. Foolish Assumptions
        3. Icons Used in This Book
        4. Beyond the Book
        5. Where to Go from Here
      2. Part I: Getting a Feel for eBay
        1. Chapter 1: Why Being on eBay Is So Much Fun
          1. What Is eBay, and How Does It Work?
          2. All About Auctions
            1. eBay auctions
            2. Reserve-price auctions
            3. Restricted-access auctions
            4. Private (shhh-it's-a-secret) listings
          3. “Buy It Now” on eBay
            1. eBay Stores
            2. Buy It Now and fixed-price sales
          4. Want to Make Some Cash?
          5. Get a Deal and Get It Fast!
          6. Research for Fun and Profit
          7. eBay's Role in the Action
          8. Features and Fun Stuff
          9. Extra Apps You're Gonna Want
        2. Chapter 2: Ready, Set, Go! Signing Up on eBay
          1. Registering on eBay
          2. Registering Is Free
            1. Like, what's your sign? Filling in required information
            2. Do you solemnly swear to . . . ?
            3. It must be true if you have it in writing
          3. A Quick Word about Passwords
          4. A Not-So-Quick Word about Choosing a User ID
          5. Your License to Deal (Almost)
        3. Chapter 3: Finding Your Way Around eBay
          1. What Is the Home Page?
          2. Sign In, Please
          3. Follow the Links
          4. Exploring Your Home Page Search Options
            1. Seeking items through the search box
            2. Going where the Advanced Search box takes you
          5. Home Links, the Next Generation
          6. Maneuvering through Categories
          7. Bottoming Out
        4. Chapter 4: Your Very Own, Private eBay
          1. Getting to Your My eBay Page
          2. Keeping Track of Your Personal Business
            1. Checking your account information
            2. Choosing your communication preferences
            3. Your Feedback link
            4. Account links
          3. Understanding Your Seller Dashboard
          4. Using the Resolution Center
          5. Organizing in the Lists Section
            1. Searches you follow
            2. Sellers you follow
            3. Keeping your follows on the “down low”
            4. Sleuthing with your Watch list
          6. Following the Action on Your Buying
            1. Seeing the items you’re buying
            2. Keeping track of your purchased items
          7. Surveying Your Sales on Your My eBay Sell Page
            1. Your Active Selling page
            2. Your Sold page
            3. eBay's Selling Manager/Selling Manager Pro
          8. Keeping Track of Your Transactions
          9. Getting and Giving Feedback
            1. How to get positive feedback
            2. How to get negative feedback
            3. The Feedback page
            4. Reading your feedback
            5. You have the last word — responding to feedback
            6. Leaving feedback with finesse
      3. Part II: Buying Like an Expert
        1. Chapter 5: Deal or No Deal? Buying Advice and Searching Tips
          1. Online Tips for Collectors
            1. The experts speak out
            2. Following an expert on the hunt
            3. Making the grade
          2. Finding More Research Information
            1. Searching sites online
            2. Finding other sources of information
          3. Looking to Find an Item? Start Your eBay Search Engine
            1. Using the Advanced Search page
            2. Finding Sold Items
            3. An international search
            4. Finding a specific seller
            5. A Bidder search
            6. Shortcuts for a quick eBay search
          4. Finding eBay Members: The Gang's All Here
        2. Chapter 6: Get the Deal: Shopping eBay
          1. The Item Listing Page
          2. Beating the Devil in the Details
            1. Read the item description carefully
            2. Get the scoop on the seller
          3. Factoring in the Extras
            1. Payment methods
            2. Using an escrow service
            3. Shipping costs
          4. Placing Your Bid on an Auction
          5. Bidding to the Max: Automatic Bidding
          6. Specialized Categories
            1. eBay Motors
            2. eBay Stores
          7. The Agony (?) of Buyer's Remorse
            1. Retracting your bid
            2. Avoiding deadbeat (unpaid item) status
        3. Chapter 7: Winning eBay Strategies
          1. Make an Offer!
          2. Find Out an Item's Bidding History
          3. Get to Know the Other Bidders
          4. Strategies to Help You Outsmart the Competition
          5. Time Is Money: Auction Strategy by the Clock
            1. Using a laid-back strategy
            2. Using the beat-the-clock strategy
        4. Chapter 8: Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner?
          1. eBay Calling: You're a Winner
          2. Getting Your Paperwork Together
          3. Getting in Contact
          4. Sending the Payment Promptly and Securely
          5. So, What's Your Number?
          6. Checking Out
          7. Communicating with the Seller
          8. Keeping in Touch: Dealing with an AWOL Seller
          9. You Get the Item . . . Uh-Oh What's This?
          10. Filing to Get a Refund
          11. Don't Forget to Leave Feedback
          12. Properly Giving the Seller's Detailed Star Rating (DSRs)
      4. Part III: Making Money the eBay Way
        1. Chapter 9: Selling in Your Bunny Slippers for Fun and Profit
          1. Why Should You Sell Stuff on eBay?
          2. Finding Stuff to Sell
          3. Know When to Sell
          4. Know Thy Stuff
            1. Getting the goods on your goods
            2. Spy versus spy: Comparison selling
          5. Know What You Can (and Can't) Sell
            1. Prohibited items
            2. Infringing items
            3. Restricted items: Know the laws
            4. Forbidden items
          6. Reporting a Problem Listing
          7. Intellectual Property Violations
          8. eBay Fees? What eBay Fees? Oops . . .
            1. Insertion Fees are negligible
            2. Final Value Fees
            3. Optional fees
            4. Keep current on your profits
          9. Uncle Sam Wants You — to Pay Your Taxes
            1. Two wild rumors about federal taxes
            2. State sales tax
            3. State income taxes
        2. Chapter 10: Make It Sell: Completing the Cyber Paperwork
          1. Getting Ready to List Your Item
          2. Examining the Sell Your Item Page
          3. Filling In the Required Blanks
            1. Selecting a category
            2. Creating the perfect item title
            3. Writing your description
            4. Listing the number of items for sale
            5. Setting a starting price — how low can you go?
            6. Buy It Now for auctions
            7. Setting your auction time
            8. Your secret safety net — reserve price
            9. I want to be alone: The private auction
            10. Put me in the Gallery
            11. Filling out the item location
            12. Listing Designer
            13. Listing the payment methods you'll accept
            14. Setting shipping terms
          4. Checking Your Work and Starting the Listing
          5. Midcourse Corrections: Fixing Current Listings
            1. Making changes before bidding begins
            2. Making changes after bidding begins
        3. Chapter 11: Shopping or Selling with an eBay Store
          1. Selling from Your Own Virtual Storefront
            1. Paying the landlord
            2. Running an auction is easy too
            3. Opening your eBay Store
        4. Chapter 12: Closing the Deal and Shipping It Out
          1. Bookkeeping and Staying Organized
          2. Talking to Buyers: The ABCs of Good Communication
            1. Thank you — I mean it
            2. Let's keep e-mailing
          3. Shipping without Going Postal
            1. Shopping for a shipper
            2. Getting the right (packing) stuff
          4. Buying Postage Online
            1. Preparing Postage with Endicia
            2. Shipping directly from eBay
        5. Chapter 13: Troubleshooting Transactions
          1. Dealing with a Buyer Who Doesn't Respond
            1. Requesting immediate payment
            2. Setting buyer requirements
            3. Going into nudge mode
            4. Do a little sleuthing
            5. Blocking a customer
            6. Stepping things up a notch
          2. Other Possible Auction Problems
            1. Buyer back out? Try Second Chance offer
            2. The item you send is busted — and so are you
            3. You have regrets — seller's remorse
          3. Going Badly? Cut Your Losses
            1. Making changes or canceling bids
            2. Blocking bidders
            3. Ending your listing early
            4. Filing an Unpaid Item case
            5. Déjà vu — relisting your item
        6. Chapter 14: Increase Your Profits with Pictures and Other Strategies
          1. Using Images in Your Listings
            1. Choosing a digital camera
            2. Choosing a scanner
          2. Making Your Picture a Thing of Beauty
            1. Get it on camera
            2. Yes, I scan
            3. Software that adds the artist's touch
          3. Making Your Images Web-Friendly
          4. The Image Is Perfect — Now What?
            1. Using your website to store your images
            2. Using image-hosting websites to store images
            3. Using eBay's photo uploader
          5. Putting On the Hits
          6. Tell Your Story on Your About Me Page
          7. Tell the World on Your Profile Page
      5. Part IV: Even More of eBay's Special Features
        1. Chapter 15: Privacy: Protecting Yourself Online
          1. What eBay Knows about You
            1. What you tell eBay
            2. What cookies gather
            3. Your eBay sign-in cookie
            4. Web beacons
            5. What web servers collect
            6. Cookie-removal-ware
            7. eBay's Privacy Policy
          2. What Does eBay Do with Information about Me, Anyway?
          3. What Do Other eBay Members Know about Me?
          4. Spam — Not Just a Hawaiian Delicacy
            1. Sending spam versus eating it
            2. Trashing your junk mail
            3. E-mail spoofing
          5. I Vant to Be Alone — and Vat You Can Do to Stay That Vay
        2. Chapter 16: Staying Safe and Getting Help
          1. Keeping eBay Safe with eBay Security
          2. Buyers Are Safe When Shopping on eBay
          3. Abuses You Should Report
            1. Selling abuses
            2. Bidding abuses
            3. Feedback abuses
            4. Identity abuses
            5. Operational abuses
            6. Miscellaneous abuses
          4. Reporting Abuses to eBay Security
          5. Stuff eBay Won't Do Anything About
          6. Knowing the Deeds That Can Get You Suspended
            1. eBay Motors Vehicle Protection Program
            2. PayPal Purchase Protection
          7. Launching a Report
          8. Getting the Real Deal? Authentication and Appraising
          9. If It's Clearly Fraud
        3. Chapter 17: Social Media and the eBay Community
          1. Joining eBay's Community
            1. News and chat, this and that
            2. Filling in your eBay Profile and creating Collections
            3. Hear ye, hear ye! eBay's Announcements Board
            4. Help! I need somebody
            5. User-to-user discussion boards
            6. eBay groups
          2. Learning and Selling through Social Media
            1. Finding friends and customers on Facebook
            2. Connecting in 140 characters on Twitter
        4. Chapter 18: Mobile eBay Apps and Fun Features
          1. The Loyalty Program for Shoppers: eBay Bucks
          2. The Perfect Gift? An eBay Gift Certificate
          3. Go Mobile — for Buying and Selling
          4. Selling and Buying: Helping Nonprofits
            1. eBay Giving Works
            2. Creative charity auctions
      6. Part V: The Part of Tens
        1. Chapter 19: Ten (or So) Golden Rules for eBay Buyers and Sellers
          1. Buyer: Investigate Your Treasure Before You Buy
          2. Buyer: Check the Seller's Feedback
          3. Buyer: Check the Price Tag and Bid Wisely
          4. Buyer: Leave Positive Feedback for a Good Seller
          5. Buyer: Cover Your Assets
          6. Seller: Really Know Your Stuff
          7. Seller: Polish and Shine
          8. Seller: Picture-Perfect Facts
          9. Seller: Communication Is Key
          10. Seller: Be a Buyer's Dream
          11. Seller: Listen to the Music
          12. Buyers and Sellers: Keep Current, Keep Cool
        2. Chapter 20: Ten (or So) Services to Ease Your Way
          1. Third-Party Management Services
            1. Auctiva
            2. inkFrog
            3. Vendio and Vendio stores
            4. Auction Wizard 2000 on your desktop
          2. Important Tools for Buyers and Sellers
            1. Sniping with BidRobot
            2. eBay fee calculators
            3. Kabbage: Working capital
          3. eBay's Software and Services
            1. eBay's free Turbo Lister
            2. Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro
            3. eBay PowerSellers
            4. Top Rated Sellers
      7. Appendix: Finding Stuff to Sell
        1. Knowing the Market
        2. Do You Have Talent, Provide a Service?
        3. Catching Trends in the Media
          1. On the web
          2. On television
          3. Catch up with youth culture . . .
          4. Check out eBay
          5. Check out magazines
        4. The Hunt for eBay Inventory
          1. The goods are out there
          2. Tips for the modest investor
      8. About the Author
      9. Cheat Sheet
      10. More Dummies Products

    Product information

    • Title: eBay For Dummies, 8th Edition
    • Author(s): Marsha Collier
    • Release date: January 2014
    • Publisher(s): For Dummies
    • ISBN: 9781118748862