Auction Marketing

An insider's hilarious, whirlwind account of his years spent globe-trotting in search of the holy grail of handbags: the Birkin

For more than twenty years, the Hermès Birkin bag has been the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth. Though the bag is often seen dangling from the arms of celebrities, there is a fabled waiting list of more than two years to buy one from Hermès, and the average fashionista has a better chance of climbing Mount Everest in Prada pumps than of possessing one of these coveted carryalls. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael Tonello . . .

Michael's newfound career started with an impulsive move to Barcelona, a vanished job assignment, no work visa, and an Hermès scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting Hermès to part with one of these precious bags. Millions of dollars worth of Birkins later, Michael had become one of eBay's most successful entrepreneurs—and a Robin Hood to thousands of desperate rich women.

With down-to-earth wit, Michael chronicles the unusual ventures that took him to nearly every continent, from eBay to Paris auction house and into the lives of celebrities and poseurs. Flirting with danger, Michael recounts the heady rush of hand delivering his first big score to famed songwriter Carole Bayer Sager in Paris; how he had to hire thugs to rescue a bag that one of his "shoppers" held for ransom; and the story of the Oscar-worthy performances that allowed him to snag "reserved" bags from other, less dogged Birkin seekers.

Whether he's relating his wining and dining, buying and selling, dodging and weaving, laughing and crying, or schmoozing and stammering, Michael is a master raconteur who weaves together tales of hunting Birkins in the world's most posh locales, memories of meals that would make any gastronome salivate, anecdotes of obsessed collectors with insatiable desires, and sweetly intimate stories about his family, friends, and finding true love. The result is a memoir that is distinctive, fun, page-turning, and as addictive as its namesake.

More than a million people are earning regular income on eBay. Those who are earning the most know how to set up a business, find and manage inventory, use auction management software to best advantage, get freebies on shipping, and run their businesses professionally.  Marsha Collier was one of the first, and she shares all the secrets she’s learned. In this fun and easy guide to getting your online business off and running, you’ll discover how to:

• Attract more bidders to your auctions
• Set up a professional business
• Find out what sells and what doesn’t
• Increase bidder confidence with strong listings
• Price your items to sell
• Reduce your costs by shipping more efficiently
• Work with a PayPal account and collect your money
• Understand legal issues such as taxes and licenses
• Keep appropriate records
• Improve your image with outstanding customer service

Marsha Collier has been so successful with her home-based business that she educated her daughter on the profits and today is one of the stars of the eBay community. Along with plenty of solid information and time-and-money-saving tips, she’ll give you the confidence you need to become an eBay entrepreneur.

• Search for items to buy and list items to sell on eBay
• Place a bid—and determine how much you should spend
• Use pictures and basic HTML to make your eBay listings more appealing
• Communicate well and close deals without a problem
• Identify auction terms (reserve price, starting bid, Buy It Now, etc.)
• Organize your transactions and interactions using the My eBay page
• Resolve buying and selling issues with eBay’s Trust & Safety program
• And much more!

Registering at eBay makes you part of a really unique community of people who like to collect, buy, and sell items of just about every kind! So if you’re ready to join the millions of people who use their home computers to make great deals, buy cool stuff, and turn a profit, eBay for Dummies does all the legwork so you can sit back and let the bidding begin!

Titanium eBay: A Tactical Guide to Becoming a Millionaire PowerSeller is for everyone who aspires to reach the highest level of success within eBay, whether they’ve been selling through eBay for years at the Platinum level and want to learn how to grow their business, or they’re just starting out with ambitious plans. With over 60 chapters, coverage includes:
• Organization
• Product selection and pricing
• Advanced listing and selling strategies
• Auction management
• Brand building

A lively insider's guide to starting a successful small business selling items old and new on eBay, written with personal anecdotes, well–kept secrets, and insider tips by Adam Ginsberg, eBay's most successful private salesperson.

This is the insider's guide to making money on eBay. Adam Ginsberg is the most successful seller on eBay, moving around a million dollars' worth of merchandise every month. Not only will he impart his personal secrets on how to sell on eBay –learned through years of experience – and his tips on expanding your small business using eBay as a global market, but he'll also give fun side–notes and anecdotes, keeping the book lively and making it a fun and interesting read.

This book will be a must–have for all current and aspiring eBay sellers, all small–business owners, and anyone who wants to learn how to start a million–dollar company.

Dennis Prince teams up with antique and collectible expert Lynn Dralle to provide all the information necessary to reap the huge benefits of selling antiques and collectibles on eBay. Written by an eBay Power Seller whose earnings topped $20,000 a month, this book helps you:

• Research types--and eras--of antiques and collectibles
• Find the best merchandise
• Use language that gets buyers to pay the most for the seller's items
• Price strategically. . . and much more!