eBay - Useful, Fun, and Safe

eBay [1] is the online auction juggernaut where you can buy and sell practically anything. When I talk with someone who hasn't tried eBay, I commonly hear that the person is scared of getting 'taken'. With some background information and a little common sense, you can enjoy eBay like more than 95 million people currently do.

Last year (2003), eBay reported net revenue of over $2 billion dollars. The service carried 971 million auction listings last year that generated $24 billion dollars in sales to the auction holders.

The best way to get acquainted with eBay is to visit their web site and use their search engine to search for something you may be thinking of buying or selling. You will get immediate results of the items currently for bid. To bid on an item, you must sign up as an eBay member. This is a free service and is the only way you can bid on an auction. The process is painless and secure. Once you sign up, you can start bidding on items or selling your own.

The typical eBay auction lasts seven days. Most of an auctions activity occurs on the final day of an auction. When shopping with eBay, make sure you utilize the information found in eBay's feedback system. This system provides an avenue for bidders and sellers to share a brief description of their dealings with each other. This helps you determine whether or not you feel comfortable entering a transaction with them and it works quite well.

When selling an item on eBay, I like to use the eBay Advanced Search to search for completed auctions matching the item I want to sell. Doing so allows me to determine approximately how much I can expect to get from selling my item. This information gives you a better shot and picking your starting bid and thus a sale.

The most common way to pay and receive payment for auction items is PayPal [2]. PayPal (now part of eBay) allows buyers and sellers to use their credit card VERY securely to make transactions without the other party ever seeing the number. It has turned out to be an extremely smooth and safe way of doing business online.

To learn more about eBay buying and selling, visit their web site and browse their auctions and read the "Getting Started [3]" section. I also periodically feature eBay as a topic at our local computer users group. Click here to read those notes [4]and obtain my free 9 page handout on "Buying and Selling with eBay".

On this week's show we interviewed Jim "Griff" Griffith, one of the world's leading experts on everything eBay. He has even written a book, The Official eBay Bible [5], designed to help people find their way around the world of eBay. It is well worth the read whether you are just starting out or have been involved with eBay for years and just want to learn more.

If you just want to learn more about how eBay got started and where it is heading, checkout The Perfect Store [6], another great book all about eBay's progress from a one man operation into the micro-economy it is today.

Good luck and happy eBaying!

If this helped, consider buying me a beer or an Americano! [7]