Hi,

Just a few weeks to go now for the Big Day and if you're not already getting rich on eBay from the seasonal big spend you'd better get started right away.   That's because you only have a few weeks left to make money before people start to get worried about postal deadlines and potential late delivery of items intended as Christmas gifts.

But wait, all is not lost, if you really don't fancy rushing to make money before Christmas, why not spend the next few weeks planning big profit campaigns for next Christmas? 

Let me tell you how I do it...

Even if I'm too busy to list products for Christmas on eBay I always make time for one important task, namely checking products other people are selling successfully in the run up to Christmas.  The reason I do this is to keep you informed about innovative product sourcing and selling ideas that will almost certainly grow your profits for future Christmasses. 

But my research is general, focusing on gifts, for example, and decorations and seasonal novelties, I just don't have time to study niche markets in the run up to Christmas.  So while I do all the general stuff, it's time for you to begin studying other people selling items you also sell or which you plan to sell sometime soon. 

Go click on the main eBay category for your chosen product, 'Toys', for example, or 'Home & Garden', 'Healthy & Beauty', then move through sub-categories within the main selling category.  We're looking for niche markets with little competition and buyers with deep pockets!

We're also looking for listings attracting multiple bidders and high prices. 

You must be sure those multiple bids are coming from three or more bidders rather than reflecting two people fighting for the same product.  That's because we're looking for listings with numerous potential Second Chance Offers meaning several products can be sold from one basic listing. 

Work your way through all the categories and sub-categories that interest you  and start a 'swipe file' to store your own notes and screenshots of listings you wish to refer to later. 

But wait, don't be hasty, don't plan next year's stock buying expedition right now.  Just because products are selling in huge quantities today, doesn't mean those items will sell at all next week, let alone next year. 

Now all you do is study eBay in the run up to next Christmas, around late October, when you should begin analysing sales patterns for products in your swipe file.  If any of those products get off to a good early selling start, add them to your product sourcing list, but buy just one item from a supplier who always has multiple products in stock.  Now test sell your solitary item, see how much profit it makes, see how many Second Chance Offers ensue, then buy extra stock to cover past sales and to cover orders for at least the next two to three weeks. Try not to spend more than you've actually made  from eBay sales or you could end up in the red if a hot product suddenly turns cold.

Reinvesting profits this way reminds me of a wonderful formula I once read from an American market trader who claims his million dollar fortune came from one small product investment, from which the entire proceeds were reinvested in more stock over several months, during which time our seller moved from running one market stall in one small town to selling from stalls in hundreds of towns across his home state. 

I don't remember the precise details but I do recall a chart he gave which showed how quickly a massive fortune can grow if each product sold at just twice its wholesale price.  Let's see how that works if, for example, I invest £1,000 in stock, which fetches £2,000 on eBay, and I spend that £2,000 on stock that fetches £4,000 .... this is how the money builds up (rounded at £64,000):

£1,000 ...  £2,000  ...  £4,000  ...  £8,000  ...  £16,000  ...  £32,000   ...  £64,000  ...  £125,000  ...  £250,000  ...  £500,000  ...  £1,000,000!

There you have it, get it right and you could be a millionaire in eleven easy steps!

Yes, I know, there are hurdles to cross, problems to bypass, and you'll need to spend at least some of that lovely dosh on warehousing, someone to help run your burgeoning business, staff to help pack and deliver products, and much more besides. 

But you do see the potential don't you?  And if you do you're probably dying to become a millionaire in eleven easy steps.  So you might be pleased to know 'The Eleven Steps eBay Millionaire' is the title of a product I might write very soon, but only if you can help me decide between that title and others I currently have planned. 

I really need you to help me decide what subjects you want me to research for you, and the best way to do that is toclick on this link and vote for your favourite subjects.

Happy eBaying!

Avril

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Selling Coupons in Your eBay Store

by Vickie Sayce

(Avril: Although this article mentions $$s, the same principles apply in the UK and other non-US locations).

Coupons are something that many stay at home parents are familiar with; they help us save money, stretch our budget further, and help us afford the things we otherwise wouldn't be able to buy. But coupons can also be a money-making product. Many people are on the look out for a good deal, a discount, or a coupon that isn't readily available to them in their area. And since you might have a few coupons you personally have no use for, why not turn your unused coupons into a home business on eBay?

The reason coupons are so popular on eBay is because it doesn't cost the seller anything to find them, and they can be listed very inexpensively at auction. Buyers love coupons because even if they pay for them, they're still saving money on buying those items full price. Some of the most popular coupons are high-percentage discount coupons to popular children's stores or department stores, and coupons that offer a dollar amount off. Many stores offer discounts of $5, $10, even $25 off in the newspaper, or as a thank you for shopping with them. If you have no use for these coupons, you can sell them at half their cover price on eBay and make a killing.

To get started selling coupons on eBay, round up the weekend newspaper as your first source.

(Avril: In the UK look in Sunday supplements and glossy magazines - try getting them free at your local doctor's or dentist's surgery). Go through the mailers that are usually in the middle of the paper. You should find grocery store coupons, department store coupons, electronics store coupons and toy store coupons. Carefully cut out the coupons that you aren't saving for your own personal use, and keep them in piles based on their appropriate stores.

Another source for coupons is the promotional fliers that you receive in the mail. Stores like Macy's, Kohl's, and Boscov's often send promotional fliers to customers who sign up for their mailing list, or those who have a credit card with their store.  These coupons are usually worth more than the ones that you find in your newspaper. These, too, can be listed on eBay for a profit. 

(Avril: Shame about Woollies, they offered many fabulous discounts, better look now at Tesco, Adsa and other high street supermarkets)

Free formula (baby milk food) coupons are also a big hit. If your child is past the formula stage, you can still request free formula coupons by visiting the formula manufacturer's website. These coupons are usually for steep discounts of $5 to $25 per coupon, and the coupons are usually received in batches of three, five, or ten at a time. These are a huge hit on eBay, because formula gets expensive, and fast.

When you list your coupons, make sure that you specify the expiration date, and any terms and conditions that apply to the coupon. Take care not to list a coupon that may expire by the time it reaches your buyers. Utilize the fastest shipping method available that isn't too expensive to make sure the coupons arrive quickly. A coupon that is received after its expiration date is not going to make your customers very happy.

Since coupons are constantly being offered to us from every store we visit, this can be a great way to start a lucrative home eBay business without spending a lot of money. Give it a try - you've got nothing to lose, except a few old coupons you weren't planning on using, anyway!

If you want to make money on eBay while still raising the kids, visit: http://auctionpaydaykidsplay.com  to find out how.


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eBay - Still a Great Opportunity For Information Products

by Ray Johnson

eBay for a long time was king of the eBook business.  Thousands of sellers sold eBooks everyday.  At one time, an average of 12,000 eBooks were sold each week on eBay.  Then, eBay changed the rules.

The eBook world went into shock!  Everyone predicted the end of eBooks on eBay.

Then a funny thing happened.  The next day the sun still rose in the sky.  The day began like any other.  Then people began to realise, not only was the eBook business not dead on eBay, but if it was done right, it could produce more profits than before.

What was dead on eBay were the hundreds of sellers that were selling hundreds of eBooks at literally no cost.  Gone were the sellers who were selling ten eBooks for a penny.

What this did was to create an environment where serious eBook sellers could make more profits than ever before.  No longer would you need to compete with sellers giving their books away.  You could price your eBooks at a reasonable price that would allow you to make a profit.

What a great concept!  Selling eBooks on eBay to make a profit!  In addition to being able to sell at a higher price, there were fewer sellers which meant fewer competitors to worry about.  Fewer competitors meant more sales. More sales means more profit!

As a seller all you had to do was adapt a little bit.  Instead of delivering your product electronically, you just had to create a system that could provide physical shipments to your customers.

There are a number of ways you can accomplish this task.  One way is to create CDs or DVDs of your electronic product and ship them to your customer like you would any other physical product you sold on eBay.

Another alternative is to use a fulfilment source such as Kunaki that will burn, package and deliver any CD of DVD made to order.  All you need do is set up a master CD or DVD one time and they do the rest.  It is inexpensive and a very efficient and easy way to get your electronic product delivered in a physical format.

Delivering your product in a physical format also creates the opportunity to deliver more promotional materials to your customer.  You can add sales flyers and sales letters with special offers to your physical product before you ship.

If you are using a service like Kunaki you can create sales offers on the CD or DVD and have links back to your payment page or links back to your sales page.  One click on the link from the CD and customers are at your website ready to read your sales letter and buy.

The moral of the story is, if one door closes, another one opens somewhere.  In this case, more than one door opened.  There are many ways to make a lot of money selling information products on eBay.  You just need to learn the right way to do it.

Ray Johnson, the Google ranked number one eBook seller can help you with your product creation task. You can utilize his mega Resale Rights product "Build Your EBay Empire Resell Rights Edition" to use as your own quality product. Get it at: http://www.ezsellebooks.com