To eBay or NOT to eBay

FACT: eBay's Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS) 2003 - GMS, the total value of items sold, was a record $24 billion, representing a 60% year-over-year increase from the $15 billion reported in the full year 2002

FACT: Over 79 million times a day, eBay users find products and brands of their choice.

FACT: In the final quarter of 2003, reported and increase of 41.2 million active users, up 3.8 million from the previous quarter.

(Exerts from January 21, 2004 - eBay? Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2003 Financial Results.)

When I read the 2003 Financial Results, the first thing I thought of is 'what a lot of traffic'.

Think about it 79 million times a day people are looking at the eBay site for products or services.

And if you think anything like me ? the next thought would be, 'can I drive some of that traffic to my site'

The answer is YES!

This scenario is the 'norm" in an auction.

  • Seller lists item
  • people visit auction
  • some make bids
  • highest bidder wins (one winner)
  • product sold and delivered

Question: What happens to all the people who visited the auction and didn't bid or bid and didn't win?

Answer:Lost Revenue, Lost Opportunity

It doesn't matter what kind of service or product you are selling or decide to sell.There are TECHNIQUES that can help you DEVELOP constant flow of traffic, SALES and GENERATE LEADS.

If you use eBay solely as an auction site, then you will make a few dollars, a couple of thousand if you are bulk selling.

Power eBay Sellers know that they real money comes when you drive people from your auction sale to where ever else you need to send them.This of course should firstly be to your own website, but you can send them to affiliate sites just as easy.

eBay is more that a giant flea market, you see, eBay auctions attract millions of TARGETED customers.You don't have to go in search of subscribers ? they will come to you.

About the Author

Gillian Tarawhiti, is Founder and CEO of Community Training Centre, an Internet Marketing firm providing Online Training and Support to the new and not so new netpreneurs. Gillian is also the author of eBay Billion Dollar Goldmine and the creator of the Multiple Ripple Effect System © 2004.

Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site so long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided to

In The News:


Minneapolis Star Tribune

President Ronald Reagan's blood for sale on auction site
Washington Post
An online auction site is hoping to find out by selling a vial that it claims was used to draw President Ronald Reagan's blood as he recovered from the gunshot wound that nearly killed him in 1981. To top it off, the auction site says, “dried blood ...
Auction claims it's selling vial with Reagan's bloodMinneapolis Star Tribune
Reagan's son says auction of vial purportedly containing late president's ...Fox News
The Proposed Auction of Ronald Reagan's Blood Isn't SurprisingThe Atlantic
CBS News
all 761 news articles »

CBS News

Disputed dinosaur fossil auctioned for $1M in NYC
BusinessWeek
By JENNIFER PELTZ A dinosaur dispute is brewing between the Mongolian government and an American auction house, which sold a fossil of a fearsome T. Rex relative despite a court order not to. The 8-foot-tall, 24-foot-long skeleton of a Tyannosaurus ...
Dinosaur Auction: Tyrannosaur Skeleton Fetches $1 Million Despite ObjectionsHuffington Post
Dino fossil sold in controversial auctionWTAM.com
Dinosaur Dustup: Auctioneer, Mongolia Battle Over $1M BonesABC News

all 303 news articles »

Hamden police auction rids department of old items while adding to town's ...
New Haven Register
By Ann DeMatteo, Register Staff HAMDEN — Some chairs and desks, three coat racks, six doors, three telephones, a chalk board and an electric pencil sharpener are no longer town property as a result of an auction held at the old detective bureau ...
NHR: Old Hamden PD Stuff to be Auctioned TuesdayPatch.com

all 3 news articles »

Bloomberg

Treasurys fall as stocks gain; auction on tap
MarketWatch
Last month's auction came at a yield of 0.27%. Yields on shorter-dated securities haven't fallen as much as longer-dated ones in recent weeks because they are more closely connected to interest-rate expectations — and the Federal Reserve has given no ...
Treasuries Fall Third Day Before European Summit, Note AuctionsSan Francisco Chronicle
Treasury Auctions Set for This WeekNew York Times
TREASURIES-Prices fall on profit-taking in new debt salesReuters
Bloomberg -BusinessWeek -Investor's Business Daily
all 92 news articles »

Spanish, Dutch Funding Costs Move Opposite At Auctions
Wall Street Journal
By Emese Bartha Spain's borrowing costs rose further at Tuesday's Treasury bill auction, underlying the market's unease with the country's funding sustainability as bank recapitalization needs, frail finances in some of its regions and an upwardly ...

and more »

New York Daily News

Babe Ruth jersey fetches a 'Ruthian' $4.4 million at auction
Chicago Sun-Times
By MIKE FITZPATRICK AP Sports Writer May 21, 2012 9:58AM This undated photo provided by SCP Auctions shows a circa 1920 New York Yankees baseball jersey worn by Babe Ruth that sold for more than $4.4 million at auction, Sunday, May 20, 2012.
Babe Ruth's jersey sold at auction: Piece of Yankees' history has mighty price tagnewjerseynewsroom.com
Babe Ruth's Yankees jersey sells for record-setting $4.4M at auction; Lawrence ...New York Daily News
Babe Ruth jersey sells for a record $4.4 million at auctionFox News
USA TODAY (blog)
all 424 news articles »

African Markets - Factors to watch on May 23
Reuters
EVENTS: KENYA - 5-year treasury bond auction worth 3 billion shillings, 182-day T-bill auction UGANDA - Auctions of 2-year, 5-year bonds worth 100 billion shillings SOUTH AFRICA - April CPI data MOZAMBIQUE - C.bank on growth/inflation outlook GLOBAL ...

and more »

Pocklington to auction off Edmonton Oilers' Stanley Cup rings
Edmonton Journal
EDMONTON — Peter Pocklington, former owner of the Edmonton Oilers, is once again putting his Stanley Cup rings up for online auction, meaning some deep-pocketed fans get another shot at buying the last remnants of the Oilers' glory days.

and more »

Brazil Central Bank Calls Foreign Exchange Swap Auction
Wall Street Journal
SAO PAULO (Dow Jones)--The Central Bank of Brazil on Tuesday called a foreign exchange swap auction, offering contracts valued at the equivalent of $2.47 billion. The auction offers investors the opportunity to exchange paper linked to interest rates ...
Brazil Rate Futures Yields Rise on Stimulus; Real Extends DropBloomberg

all 9 news articles »

Music Center sells time with Gehry and Domingo in online auction
Los Angeles Times
Its first-ever online auction is going on right now, with 36 items up for bid. They range from what you might expect — living it up at the Los Angeles Opera's opening night gala on Sept. 15, then capping the evening by getting to hobnob briefly with ...

Google News

5 Sure-Fire Ways to Make More Money on EBay

Have you ever dealt with a salesperson or a waiter... Read More

Snipe Your Way to Auction Success

Bidding for a bargain is all part of the exciting... Read More

Dont Be A Victim Of Online Auction Fraud

The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) reported that last year... Read More

EBay Feedback, 5 Key Things All EBayers Should Know

eBay's user feedback system is one of the site's most... Read More

Taking Paypal on eBay

Accepting Paypal as a payment method might increase your selling... Read More

Drop Shipping Is Your Perfect Home Based Business Solution

Drop Shipping Is Your Perfect Home Based Business SolutionDrop shipping... Read More

How To Make Money Online : Sell On eBay

Selling on eBay can be very profitable, and is a... Read More

eBay Motors : Buy or Sell a Car on eBay

Are you having trouble finding a great deal on a... Read More

A New Definition of Buyer Beware

"Who's Suzie?"My wife Katrina had been acting strangely ever since... Read More

What Ebay Can Teach Us About Success

I flew back to New York from Atlanta a few... Read More

eBay is the Greatest Opportunity YOU Have to Create a Career Online

eBay's being spoken about everywhere these days. At work, school,... Read More

Smart Ways Your Business Can Benefit From Online Auctions

It seems as if everyone is talking about online auctions.... Read More

How Do You Find A Reliable Dropshipping Source?

A Dropshipper is someone who will anonymously send the goods... Read More

eBay Bargain Hunting - Spell Your Way To Success!

Have you ever wondered how identical items can fetch such... Read More

eBay - The Basics

I began selling on eBay in 1999 and have found... Read More

eBay: What Should I Sell?

There is an art to picking profitable products. It's not... Read More

Five Tested Ways To Find The Perfect Drop Shipper

You've heard about it many times in recent months. Being... Read More

Where To Find Items To Sell On eBay

One question that always seems to pop up is, "Where... Read More

How To Write a Traffic Pulling eBay Auction Title

Selling an item on eBay should be simple but it... Read More

How to Sell Your Crafts on eBay

Artists, craftspeople and photographers are successfully selling their wares everyday... Read More

Garage Sales, Flea Markets, and Special Events... Oh My!

The activity chart is an ingenious way to find, in... Read More

Your Junk is Another Persons Gold

Saving money can be quite hard to do if you... Read More

eBay The Mega Marketplace For Everyone

eBay is one of the world's largest market places with... Read More

Effective Auction Listings - How To Create Them

Once you've created the best possible title for your item,... Read More

The Benefits of Buying and Selling Locally

Shop at a flea market in Oaxaca, Mexico. Trade with... Read More