Toy Trends for 2009 – A Must For New and Used Toy Sellers

Looking at trends in the toy industry can be valuable for an eBay seller… it helps to know what kind of inventory to keep an eye out for – and you can bet that the most popular toys this year will likely follow these trends. This is true for new and used toys.

Following are some trends that outline what buyers are paying attention to this year and are useful to keep in mind when shopping for inventory.

1. Eco-Friendly Toys

“Green” is IN… it is everywhere and toys are no exception! Toys that are environmentally friendly are expected to be very popular this year.

2. Budget Friendly

The economy is all the talk – but that doesn’t mean parents aren’t going to be buying toys for their kids this Christmas. Retailers are already gearing up to offer some great prices on their toys this year.

3. Realistic Toys

I think it started with Baby Alive years ago… but it has become a huge trend these past few years and looks like it will continue. These are toys that respond to touch and interact with the child somehow.

4. Classic toys

Many parents are turning to toys that they had when they were young.

5. Movies

There are always a few movies that are released during the year that have a very timely DVD release right before the holidays. Look at what movies did well this year – and keep an eye on the merchandise available for that movie… usually they do well on eBay.

KNOW which toys are selling this holiday – the biggest selling season of the year – with the Holiday Toy Guide.

http://cli.gs/a6GXn8

Regards,

Robbin

PS. Get your hands on 3 free reports helping you make the most of the holiday selling season this year… only available at: http://cli.gs/a6GXn8

How are your eBay auctions going?

Here's a little something from my friend Jenni....

How are your eBay auctions going?

I've been hearing that some sellers are really struggling... I hope that isn't you! But, if it is (and even if your auctions are doing well in this lovely economy)... I have a gift for you.

Every week I poke around on eBay and look for used toys that are selling well on eBay... Combining this research with my experience at garage sales, I put together a weekly list for MyToyGuide subscribers.

This list has at least 25 used toy items that are currently selling on eBay... PLUS, I include a tip for how much I would pay for the item if I were to find it at a thrift shop or garage sale. I am always amazed at the huge profit margin I see with used toys on eBay... seriously - you can buy a toy for $5 and turn it around for well over 100% profit (I'm talking AFTER eBay and paypal fees!)

Here are a couple of things I found that are in the most recent MyToyGuide list...

USED piece of dollhouse furniture for $36! You can find this for less than $5 at garage sales or thrift shops if you know to look for them!... consider that profit margin. If you paid $10 to list and cover your inventory and fees - your profit is an easy $16 just for this one little toy.

How about these...
Did you know that the Toy Story DVD's for Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2 - USED - recently sold for over $55? You could pick these up at a garage sale for $15-20 for the set -- if you knew to look for them.

The MyToyGuide weekly list provides this information to you on a weekly basis... with actual auctions that are current as proof for what is selling!

Check it out for yourself... you can get the most recent weekly MyToyGuide list HERE:

http://mytoyguide.com/feblist.html
(And be sure to share the list with your eBay friends!)

Print it out... and use it as a reference for shopping for used toy inventory.... a gift - just because :-) Well, actually, I know times are tough right now... and many sellers don't realize how well they can do with used toys on eBay. In fact, I think used toys are better to sell than new toys -the profit margin is much larger... with limited risk because used toys are so cheap!

Take a look for yourself... there is no sign up - just the most recent MyToyGuide list:

http://mytoyguide.com/feblist.html

Enjoy!
Jenni

PS. We've been providing a weekly list for 5 years next month... If you are interested in getting a list like this every month, join in on the celebration and save $10 a month!

In honor of our 5 year anniversary, I'm dropping the price from $15/month to 5 bucks a month!

This offer is not going to be available for long...
Learn more here: http://www.MyToyGuide.com

Don’t Let These 5 Killers Ruin Your Business

I just read this article and it really hit home with me so wanted to share it with you. Hopefully you'll get something out of it as well. It was written by Douglas Goodey, an 80-year-old who went from $4.5 million in debt to worth over $20 million, and I think that it’s well worth reading… and taking notes.

Here it is:

Mistake No. 1:
=============

Trying to do everything yourself.

We as human beings are limited by a number of things.

Two Hands, One Brain and 24 hours in a day are just some of them.

Learn to leverage the brainpower, manpower, and time of others, and you will find that you can get more done and achieved in your lifetime than you ever imagined.

http://tinyurl.com/20millionman


Mistake No. 2:
==============

Procrastination (putting things off).

In life I met many people that didn’t want to do certain tasks till the next day, or the next week, which if only they had done… would have resulted in far more business for them.

Instead, they wanted to concentrate on going for a drink with their friends or watching their favorite soap on the TV.

There’s nothing wrong with that, except, quite often the things they left undone, needed their urgent attention.

They were things that could have helped them be more prepared at the meeting they had scheduled, or it could even have been some action that might have stopped debt collectors calling at their door to take away their furniture if only they’d acted sooner.

These are harsh realities of life and things that have a way of making sure that life remains a struggle, if you put things off.

Don’t. Do what you need to get done, whether it applies to your business or your personal life, in the priority and timing it deserves.

This single action will put you way ahead of the crowd.

http://tinyurl.com/20millionman


Mistake No. 3
=============

Looking For An Easy Fix/Route.

We as people are becoming lazier. We want an easy fix for everything in this age of instant everything.

And if we can find an easy fix or route to something then that is fine.

However when it comes to success, there is NO easy fix, no matter what people tell you.

There is no easy way to become a millionaire.

It takes work, it takes effort and it takes patience.

However most people are convinced that there is some magic formula that will take them there overnight.

There isn’t.

On the internet there are people trying to sell you easy fixes to riches.

There aren’t any.

What there ARE are proven strategies and principles of success that anyone who knows them can apply and can ENSURE their way to the top.

These proven principles have worked for anyone who has put them into practice in the past (including me) and turned them into multi-millionaires, they are
working for those who are currently putting them into practice, and they will work for anyone who puts them into practice in the future.

After all which would YOU pick? Easy fixes or proven strategies?

Now you might say “proven strategies”, but their is usually some work or effort involved with them.

That’s why DESPITE KNOWING that proven strategies are what people need, the very same people will pay for and go after trying to find easy fixes again and again without paying to learn what are proven strategies.

Proven strategies come at the cost of experience.

They come at the cost of other people’s work, so people won’t offer them to you readily.

Easy fixes on the other hand you will find in abundance, because there is no experience behind many of them.

There is only a quick buck to be made by the person peddling the easy fix.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about an easy fix in terms of software or a solution to a particular problem.

Those are great.

I’m talking about people looking for and people selling an easy fix to success.

Don’t look for people selling easy fixes. Find people offering you proven strategies that are time-tested and that have taken years of trial and error to get right.

Strategies that work for me, and will work for you when you apply them.

http://tinyurl.com/20millionman


Mistake No. 4:
==============

Having No Strategy.

What is your strategy in life? Do you have one?

If you have an online business what is your strategy for your online business? Do you have one?

Think about this? Why do banks ask people to complete business plans with everything meticulously detailed?

From the marketing plan, through to the budgeting, through to the cashflow and profit and loss forecasts?

Just to make life more difficult?

No, because they know that with a strategy or plan in place there is far more chance of achieving your objectives.

Most people particularly people looking to create an online income have no strategy whatsoever.

They go day to day, looking for the next best thing to promise them instant online success, or the next hot thing to come out to try and promote.

There is of course nothing wrong with wanting to promote the next hot thing that comes out, but is that part of your strategy?

And what else does your strategy for online success include?

Do you have a branding strategy in place?

How you are going to brand yourself or your product?

Do you have a traffic strategy in place? How you are going to get and keep a constant flow of traffic coming to your website?

Do you have a budget in place so that you are not living month to month, but are able to plan ahead to meet the costs of your business?

Do you have a vision of where you want to take your business in 12 months, and can you see the clear route of how you are going to get there?

That’s why I say proven strategies that are time-tested is what you should be seeking in everything you do instead of easy fixes as outlined in mistake no 3.

Any task, or venture you undertake, if you want to complete it successfully, take however long it takes, a day, a week or even a month to put all the strategies in place and to define them as meticulously as you can, so that you have a better chance of achieving that success.

http://tinyurl.com/20millionman


Mistake No. 5:
=============

Thinking You Know It All.

No one has exclusivity on knowledge. Pride is and has always been man’s biggest downfall.

Nations have overtaken prouder nations in history, where one nation thought they had everything and didn’t need to learn anything new from anyone else.
Realise that you don’t know certain things.

Then learn them from those that do.

If you are not good with talking with people in a social gathering, and you want to be… find out the strategies of how to develop that skill from someone who is proficient at it.

If you want to learn to drive… you’d go to a driving instructor right?

And you pay happily for those driving lessons.

Why then when it comes to learning strategies that will transform our lives are we so against investing in our most valuable asset? Ourselves?

Simply, because quite often, we think we know it all.

Successful people recognise the importance of learning from others.

Professional singers hire and pay professional singing coaches.

Why? They’re already stars and can sing right?

Professional football clubs hire and pay coaches to train the players.

Why? The players already know the game so why do they need a coach?

Gymnasts, tennis players, people in business and multi-millionaires all GET it! They know that despite how much they know, someone who can always teach them or help them to know things they don’t know or help them to improve and successfully implement the things they DO know.

World Champion boxers… have trainers don’t they?

Why? They’re already knocking the lights out of people in the ring, what can old frail men teach them about fighting?

They KNOW that no matter what they do know there is always room for learning strategies or implementing strategies or even perfecting strategies that they an learn from somoene else.

That’s what makes winners. They aren’t afraid of investing in the proven strategies of others to improve their own.

So there is a key difference in attitude and thinking between the successful and the none successful.

One value proven strategies, even when they are at the top of their game and pay those with experience to learn them.

And those that remain mediocre think… “Yeah? What can he teach me?”.


Article By Douglas Goodey - The 20 Million Dollar Man
http://tinyurl.com/20millionman

7 Ways To Get Subscribers On eBay

1. Include a signature file on every email you send to buyers explaining your newsletter. If you offer a free report mention it's benefits. If you send invoices through eBay use the notes to buyer section.

2. Insert a note into every package you ship explaining your newsletter.

3. Use your eBay me page. I offer a free report on my me page and then promote my newsletter in the free report.

a. Me page explains basic value of free report then links to outside page with additional report benefits and opt in form or download link.

b. EBay rules say you cannot use sales language or link to a page with items for sale on your me page.

c. Test asking for sign up before giving away report. I give my reports away first because I'm only interested in readers who value my information.


4. Divert auction viewers to your me page. Two ways to do this:

a. Put a mention of the free report in your auction listing with a link to your me page. No sales language - "a free gift just for looking at my auction." This works best at the top of your auction.

b. Add your current listings to your me page and then put a link in your auctions saying "see my other auctions to save on shipping." There is a command you can use when building your me page that will automatically insert your current auctions. The free report ALWAYS goes at the top of the page, the listings go below.

5. Create products to sell on eBay attractive to your prospects.

a. We used to use ebooks and PDF transcripts, but eBay no longer allows the sale of these items. Now we use small printed booklets and CDs. Price these items so you brake even or make a small profit. Videos will also work, but are more expensive so start with a booklet or audio interview.

b. Make sure these auctions also include the diversion tactics and your me page is set up so you get opt ins from people who don't buy.

c. Mention your newsletter within the product and include a separate sheet of colored paper with the benefits of subscribing on it. Keep mentions within audio and video products evergreen.

6. Use eBay classified ads. For $9.97 a month you can run classified ads in the everything else category on eBay. Your ad can have a link to a webpage.

a. These don't work well, but they are cheap so they are worth testing. If you're selling dog training information, they surely won't work. If you're in a biz opp type niche, they might work.

b. Your classified ad has a compelling title, and then lists the major benefits of your newsletter. Then there is a link to your sign up page where you list the major benefits again along with minor benefits and privacy/unsubscribe policies.

c. You can also use classified ads to promote ebooks. In this case you sell the ebook in the ad, then link to a simple payment page. (Directly to paypal?)

d. If you're using somewhat desirable keywords in your title, the Home Page Featured option ($179.95) will get you a good ranking on Google for the phrase. It's only temporary though. Don't test this option until you know your classified ad is working without it.

e. Something to test - put a newsletter article on eBay as a classified ad. At the top and bottom of the article explain it's a sample of your weekly newsletter and provide a link to your opt in page.


7. If you have an affiliate program, provide your affiliates with items they can use to promote you in the course of their eBay sales. They get commissions, you get new readers and sales.

a. Signature files - Many of my affiliates use the quiz teaser. (See below.)

b. Package inserts.

c. Brandable reports for me page - I have a me page generator on my site that allows affiliates to easily give away my eBay Buyers guide. The guides have affiliate links within them, and are hosted on my site. No Web skills are needed.

Summary Here: Combine the above tactics. These are in the order of productivity and ease of set up so you can just work down the list. As you get farther down the list, you'll get more and more subscribers every week.


Terry Gibbs
Private eBay Forum
http://www.IWantCollectibles.com

Try Terry's FREE eBay Watcher Widget

Free Quiz Will Test Your eBay Knowledge
http://www.auctionriches.com/go/revolution

BRAND NEW audio - 10 Ways eBay STILL works

I received quite a few responses on my last email about eBay Live 08. A few posted their comments here on the blog and many others sent me their thoughts in email.

To be honest, those who are unhappy with eBay were the most vocal. I would have loved to see more public comments on the blog from those of you who still believe eBay is an excellent opportunity.

I received this email from Jim Cockrum shortly after I sent out my last email and I asked him if it would be okay for me to share it with you. I have the highest respect for Jim, his ebooks and his membership site. He not only overdelivers, but he's a Christian man with integrity...which goes a long way in my book.

Below is the email he sent to his list...

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BRAND NEW audio - 10 Ways eBay STILL works

Even though eBay Live 2008 was a bit boring...

The fact is that many people I know and met at eBay Live 2008 (just last weekend) continue to do very well on eBay and I wanted to share some specifics with you about EXACTLY what they are doing to consistently do $5, $10 or even $20,000 every month on eBay.

Even though eBay has made some major changes lately there is actually some good news for us
as online entrepreneurs.

I have no loyalty to eBay, but the fact is now is not the time to walk away. If you are willing to listen to some very creative ideas that simply WORK then I have a treat for you...

I've just finished a recording I want you to hear that is all about:

• Success with digital products on eBay. Now it's better than ever and I'll tell you why
• Insane results with public domain products on eBay
• Some specific products ANYONE can find locally to sell at huge markups
• How to find tons of experts to interview and turn the recordings into in demand info-products ON AUTOPILOT
• The best approach to finding wholesale deals
• Some common traps that don't work but many people think they do still
  

...and more stuff you'll love.

It's a jam packed 30 minutes!

I plan to sell this recording on CD, but for now it's posted for you as a permanent addition to the RESOURCE PAGE of SilentSalesMachine.com. Buy the book and you get access to ALL the resources there (it's one of the first links in the book on the first page).

To be clear...

I'm GIVING IT AWAY to all new and past customers.

This new recording will fill you in on several ideas that work NOW on eBay.

To get the recording you need to either purchase my book sold only at:

--> http://www.silentsalesmachine.com
(the new version is now going out with each order)

...or log into your My Silent Team account at:
--> http://www.mysilentteam.com

... because I've posted it there as well.

Don't forget that we are updating the sales page very soon and when we do the price will go up. Use the OLD sales page NOW and get the NEW book at the OLD SALES PAGE price.

Talk to you soon-
Jim Cockrum

P.S. When I start selling this product I'm going to title it "10 strategies to pull $5, $10 or $20,000 monthly off eBay"...but I want to give it to you today as a thank you for your loyalty.

---

About the Author: Jim Cockrum has inspired tens of thousands of people with his creative yet down to earth style. He's sold millions of dollars of products and services online and has helped others start successful eBay and online businesses since 2000. He earns his living from the Internet and he works full-time educating others how to run successful Internet and eBay businesses.

He has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, eBay radio, Online Marketing Monthly magazine and countless other publications.

Jim's top sites include:
MySilentTeam.com - Membership site
SilentSalesMachine.com - Best selling book

---

eBay LIVE 08 .... or was it eBay DEAD?

eBay LIVE 08?

or ... eBay Coma ... eBay Dead ... eBay Wake...?

(...these are all terms I've read from people who attended)

First off, let me start by saying that I have only been to one eBay Live and that was in Orlando in 2003. I remember it was crazy crowded, standing room only at many of the classes, lots of exhibitors, sellers, buyers and eBay employees. It was exciting, entertaining, informative, educational, exhausting and fun.

I've tried to find statistics for each year, but I've been able to come up with solid numbers to share with you. There were 10,000 people there in 2003. From what I understand, each year those numbers have declined. However, from what I can tell from all accounts of this years eBay Live as well as previous years, the numbers were considerably lower. I've read the number of vendors was about half and the number of attendees was at least down about 25-30% (maybe more).

Although I didn't attend the conference, I have been reading all the blog entries, watching the videos, reading the tweets and news articles from everyone from eBay employees, pro-eBayers as well as those who are terribly upset with eBay.... trying to get a feel of what it was like this year.

The truth is, pretty much everything I read has expressed some disappointment in eBay Live 08. Some of what I have read was nothing but negative. Photos and videos showed nearly empty classes, few people on the exhibition floor, reported no lines for registration, etc. When I went in '03, as I said, it was crazy crowded and there were long lines for everything. The vendor floor was always busy and it was hard to get to most of the popular counters. This apparently was not the case this year.

Next years eBay Live 09 was already canceled and it makes me wonder if eBay Live 10 will happen or not.

To be fair, I have included several links below if you care to read or watch some of what is out there about eBay Live 08, so if you didn't go, you can form your own opinion.

• First, you can watch eBay Live 08 videos on YouTube. This includes some negative footage from angry sellers during sessions as well as some positive footage:
  http://youtube.com/results?search_query=ebay+live+08
  

• Want to read what eBay has blogged and see videos from them visit eBay Chatter at:
  http://www.ebaychatter.com/the_chatter/ebay_live_2008/index.html
  

• If you'd like to watch a video of the Keynote presentation at eBay Live 08 or listen to the audio, visit:
  http://www.mapdigital.com/eBayLive!_keynote_june_2008/ondemand.html
  

I would love to hear from any of you who went to eBay Live 08 (or previous years) who would like to express your opinions.... positive or negative.

• Do you think eBay is on the decline and will some day lose it's status as the #1 online auction site because of all the changes they keep implementing?
• Do you feel eBay is unfair and catering to certain sellers and businesses?
• Do you feel no matter what, eBay is still a viable place to make good money online?

Leave your comments below.

Thanks,

Robbin

Where Do I Find Products to Sell? 4 Ways to Locate REAL Wholesale Suppliers

Finding genuine, factory-authorized wholesale suppliers is an absolute must for anyone selling physical products on the Internet. Your e-business will never become truly profitable, if you're sourcing your products from middlemen or fake wholesale sites. But tracking down legitimate wholesale sources will take some legwork on your part.

Talk to the Source
So how do you find suppliers who are the real deal, and avoid worthless posers? You go all the way to the top - of the supply chain that is. One of the most reliable ways to locate factory-authorized wholesalers is to talk to the manufacturer. You can usually find the manufacturer located on the product's serial sticker or in the warranty papers or owner's manual.

Once you find them, just call them up and ask for their sales division. Tell their sales rep that you're a retailer interested in carrying their products, and ask for a list of their authorized wholesale suppliers. The manufacturer knows who their authorized wholesalers are, and they shouldn't have any problem sharing that information with you. When you begin calling the suppliers on that list, you'll have complete confidence that you're talking to real wholesalers.

There's More than One Way...
Of course, there are more streamlined methods for tracking down real wholesale product sources. (Big sigh of relief.)

Wholesale trade shows bring thousands of wholesalers, within a single industry, together under one roof. The larger, more reputable shows vet the suppliers they allow to exhibit, which means you'll only be talking to real wholesalers and manufacturers. Wholesalers also advertise in industry trade publications; you can often find valuable contact info and website addresses intended for retail use only there. Another option is to visit a permanent wholesale mart - these are basically long-standing trade shows; you can find them in most mid-sized to large cities.

A Word of Caution
When you're dealing with trade shows, you need to make sure that they are, in fact, wholesale trade shows. In other words, you want to attend a business to business event, open only to industry insiders. The suppliers you'll find at a public trade expo, such as a car or boat show, are often retailers themselves and are not offering wholesale pricing on their products.

The same holds true for any permanent gift mart or trade mart that admits the general public. Wholesale marts are only open to legal retail businesses, and will require proof before allowing you to register. If you can gain entrance without providing your sales tax ID and legal business name (at a bare minimum), you're not in a wholesale merchandise mart, which means you're not getting wholesale prices.

Legitimate Product Sources
Authentic wholesale suppliers won't come knocking down your door - finding them takes a real, concerted effort. It's not always the most exciting job, but the results are easily worth the work you'll put in. Sourcing your products at true wholesale prices will enable you to effectively compete in the Internet marketplace and make the highest possible profits on every transaction. And isn't that the point of selling online?

BIOGRAPHY: Product Sourcing Radio is Created and Hosted by Chris Malta and Robin Cowie of WorldwideBrands.com, Home of The Internet's Largest Source of Genuine, Factory-Direct Wholesalers for online sellers. Click Here for more FREE E-Biz & Product Sourcing info!

Ebay Declares War On Internet Marketers - How You Can Profit From This Move

Ebay shocked the internet marketing world when it recently announced that it will no longer allow the sale of digital download products. This move effectively shuts down an income stream for many sellers of eBooks, software, and digital video that relied on the instant download support provided by Ebay.

Many sellers of information products see this as a blessing in disguise as they turn to companies like ClickBank which can also provide a huge stream of cash-in-hand buyers along with the ability to provide instant downloads to their customers.

Sellers on ClickBank have known for years that their products on ClickBank sell for more, and their customers are more loyal than Ebay customers. This is because customers from Ebay are bargain shoppers and like to buy for pennies on the dollar and will rarely pay fair market value, especially for information products.

By using ClickBank's massive base of built in affiliates, the top sellers on ClickBank make over a million dollars per year just in ClickBank sales. This far exceeds what anyone on Ebay was earning from their digital download auctions.

However, ClickBank does not give us easy access to its 100,000 active affiliates. But there are some quick and easy ways to tap into this sales army with the system used in Scott Stamper�s ClickBank Stampede.

ClickBank Stampede reveals back doors and loopholes used by top ClickBank sellers. It�s the fastest, easiest and most efficient method of making money with ClickBank.

To learn more visit ClickBank Stampede at:
http://tinyurl.com/4mahdu

So if you were a former information product seller on Ebay, don't agonize. Instead use it as motivation to change your business plan to make even higher profits.

Spencer Johnson sums it up best in his best selling book "Who Moved My Cheese?" - "That's life! Life moves on. And so should we�"

Tips for a Profitable Christmas Rush on Ebay

Tips for a Profitable Christmas Rush on Ebay

Christmas on Ebay is prime selling time. Shoppers have been wounded in the battle of Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year (the day after Thanksgiving) and are ready for peace and quiet. Ebay has cranked up their TV advertising campaign to offer gift givers an alternative away from the busy crowds. Customers can shop online without all the fuss. Many people don't want to deal with any more packed parking lots, cranky salespeople, or rude shoppers at the malls or superstores.

Are you ready for this holiday shopping blitz?

Take stock of your inventory. Don't be tempted to list an item for sale that you don't have. Drop shipping is a convenience and a good way to test products, but during the Christmas rush you don't want to have to rely on a drop shipper for an item and end up leaving your customer waiting for a late delivery, or even worse, have to tell your bidder you can't get the item afterall.

Is your pricing competitive? Look at the prices other Ebay sellers are charging for like products. Are your prices in line with what's selling? Make sure you don't overprice or underprice your items.

Key words in your title and description can unlock sales. If customers can't find your products they can't buy them. Make sure your titles have the main keywords your customers will be looking for.

Consider using a buy it now price. As the 25th of December approaches shoppers get a little antsy and many would prefer to have a confirmed purchase right now than have to wait for an auction to end.

Answer customer questions as soon as possible. If you wait 24 hours – which isn't unreasonable any other time of year – you might lose the sale.

Find the shipping rates, times, and methods for the different carriers so you'll know how much time to allow for shipping items. For example: Books can go media rate with the United States Postal Service, which is fairly inexpensive, but that package can take up to two weeks to arrive.

Do you have your packing materials ready? If you have odd sized, fragile, or heavy items, make sure you have the materials necessary for packing now. Don't waste time trying to find materials in a rush.

If you have a Paypal account and you believe that there will be a significant increase in activity due to selling items on Ebay, tell Paypal ahead of time. A substantial sales increase can cause Paypal to temporarily lock the account to prevent withdrawals while they investigate. You can still receive funds and make refunds but you can't withdraw or transfer funds.

The holidays are a wonderful time with family and friends, but be careful to keep a healthy balance between the two. Don't neglect your family and friends while devoting all of your time to your business. But also remember that if you want to be successful during the Christmas shopping season, you will sometimes have to make a few sacrifices of your time in order to take care of business.

By planning ahead and being prepared, you can have a fabulous and profitable holiday rush with Ebay.

Here is the 2007 Holiday Hot List - a list of the Top 25 Hottest eBay Sellers this Christmas.

1 iPhone
2 Webkinz / Lil'Kinz
3 Transformers
4 Collectible Barbie
5 Dooney & Bourke Zebra Tote
6 Nintendo Wii
7 T.M.X. Friends - Ernie & Cookie Monster
8 BCBG Dress
9 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
10 Rock Band Video Game
11 iPod nano 8GB (Black)
12 The Simpsons
13 PlayStation 3
14 I'm Not A Plastic Bag
15 Motorola RAZR2
16 Designer Fragrances
17 Citizen Eco-Drive Watch
18 Nike Air Max 360 II
19 Abercrombie & Fitch Hoodie Jacket
20 Dept. 56 Snow Villages
21 Nike SasQuatch Sumo2
22 Gibson Electric Guitar
23 Craftsman Hand Tool Set
24 Burton Snowboard
25 Vtech Gadget

Even if you can't get your hands on any of these items, there are MILLIONS of shoppers scouring eBay for all kinds of gifts for the holidays.

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Copyright 2007, Robbin K. Tungett, http://www.AuctionRiches.com
You have permission to reprint this article in its entirety, on your
website or in your newsletter, in print provided this courtesy notice
and the author name and URL remain intact.
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The Top 5 Critical Mistakes People Make When Buying Bulk Products to Resell!

All too often people want to buy pallets of merchandise so they can resell for profit. That's great, there's nothing wrong with that but the problem is, without knowing what they're doing, many people will rush out to an auction, find a dealer or even go on eBay to buy a pallet of several pallets of merchandise. The problem is they have no clue what they're doing and end up losing money because they've made at least one of these 5 most common mistakes that will cost you money if you make them!

1. Not understanding who you're dealing with.

With the internet today, it is very easy to register a domain name, put up a website give yourself a company name and set up shop. Unfortunately there is a lot of this that goes on in the surplus and liquidation world.

There are too many stories of people handing over their hard earned money to "companies" who were supposed to deliver the goods just to wake up one morning and the "company" or "dealer" no longer exists... and neither does your money!

You're left with nothing and the con-artist sets up another "office" and does it all again.

There is horror story after horror story of these situations. I've heard to especially beware of companies on the east coast. There are legitimate ones, but make sure you know who you're dealing with.

At least call them and talk to them. How long have they been buying bulk? How long have they been in business? What kind of vibes do you get when you're talking to them?

Ask questions.

2. Not understanding what you're buying.

I can't tell you how many times people have ask me something to this effect...

Hey Chad there's a guy selling a pallet of stuff do you think I should buy it?

Huh?...

To start with, if that's all the information you give me about buying a "pallet of stuff" and ask me if you should buy it, well let me ask you this... Would you buy a car without starting it? Would you buy a part for your PC without having a clue what it was? Would you give your hard earned money over to someone for no reason and not get anything for it?

You would at least research enough to find out what it was you were purchasing or know why you were giving money!

I don't understand why it is that just because there's a bulk pallet of "stuff" (i.e.- most of the time junk) that makes a candidate for a good purchase.

Second of all, I don't mean to be harsh, if that's the only common sense you have about buying products, then this is my answer... NO - NO - NO - in fact you may want to find another business because if you don't and this is your search criteria, you're going to get burned! AND BAD!

What are you going to do when all of that "pallet of stuff" is sitting in your garage that you just found out is broken, defective and nobody wants. You paid $500 for junk sitting in your garage just to take up space! I guess it's OK if you don't mind losing $500 but I do!

When I ask the follow up questions, usually the answer I get back is "well it's a pallet of blue widgets at $500".

And I'm going AND...

But that is all the information I'm given!

I'm not going to tell someone what to do but if that's all the information you know about what you're buying, then let me put it this way, if it's all I knew about it, then

---> NO! I DON'T BUY IT!!!!!

Be wise and know the key questions to ask. It takes more than just knowing what's on the pallet and how much the pallet is, though it's a start, that's just the beginning. There are key elements that you MUST learn to help you make a calculated decision on whether or not if you should buy that pallet or load of pallets.

3. Not understanding your costs associated with the product.

This is more than just knowing how much the pallet is selling for. Does the product involve putting your time in it? Are you going to have to make costly repairs or spend time taking the product somewhere for the repair? Is it going to take a long time to package and ship? Are you going to have to invest in expensive packaging materials to ship it? This all eats into your costs.

4. Not knowing the market value of the product.

All to often, people want to sell the "hot items" especially on eBay. Or they want to sell the items that are "their" favorite things but yet nobody else wants to buy it.

In other words, there's no market for it. So what if you're still into Cabbage Patch Kids. It doesn't matter if you've got an entire warehouse full of them if noone wants to buy them! Why invest money in trying to get them if nobody wants them.

You must know the market value of your product. Is it going to be profitable for you to even sell it?

5. Not having a plan to move your products after you have purchased them.

The usual train of thought is this. I'll find a pallet of stuff and start off selling it on eBay. Then as I grow, I'll get more and keep selling.

OK, fine, sounds good right? What do you do if your eBay account gets suspended? What do you do if eBay crashes? Make sure you use alternative outlets of sale with your products.

Develop relationships with people, develop a web store, whatever you can do to develop a customer base of people who buy from you on a repetitive basis is the key.

Final Thoughts
Don't get sucked up in the hype of instant riches by buying a pallet and reselling. Don't let some overnight "slickster" tell you their products are the only way to make money!

Yes, you can make money if you do it right. But often, with many types of products, the cost of the pallet is more than it's worth so you won't even make your money back. Of course, it will look like the wholesale value of the product is $3,000.00 for the pallet, and your paying say $500 so you think you're going to quadruple your money, but do your homework and understand exactly what it is you're buying before you buy!

Is there a manifest so you can see what's on the pallet? Do all the pieces work? If it's clothing, do you know that on the top of the gaylord you could have name brand clothing and you think you're getting a killer deal but once you get it you find foreign knock offs on the bottom that are soiled, stained and ripped! You wouldn't even wear them!

It happens more than you would imagine. Be careful of who you're dealing with, know the types of products you're getting, know your costs, the market value of the products and have a plan.

This is a good place to begin to help protect you and to help you profit.

I've compiled my experience, resources and expertise and written an ebook that will teach you in detail what you NEED to know...

PLUS, I let the cat out of the bag about where the major reclamation centers most of the major department stores such as Kohls, K-Mart, Sears, Wal-Mart, JCPennys, Macy's, Bloomingdales and several other stores and major manufacturers liquidate their surplus merchandise through for pennies on the dollar. Yes, this is real name brand stuff that you can purchase to resell!

Find out more at:

--> http://auctionriches.com/go/surplus

Plus it's essential that you understand if you're going to be buying pallets or loads of bulk pallet merchandise, there are different product categories. I'll teach you how to grow your business from understanding different product categories.

Here's to your success!

Chad Maslak
Author: "THE "ULTIMATE" INSIDERS SURPLUS, LIQUIDATION
& WHOLESALE BUYING TO RESELL FOR MEGA PROFITS GUIDE"
http://auctionriches.com/go/surplus

New eBay Member Site Launches today!

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The site launches to the public today at 11 a.m. and he's offering a discount right now for the first few days of launch only. Make sure you check it out now, even if you're not sure you'd be interested.

http://www.auction-guru.com

Sign up today and you'll also get access to Auction Riches Member's area as well! Just let me know when you sign up.

Want to Know What's HOT on eBay?

By Robbin K. Tungett

Often being successful at selling on eBay is having the products on hand to sell at the time when the demand for them is highest.

There are many ways to try to gauge what's "hot" on eBay, the newest of which is "eBay Pop". eBay Pop captures information on the movers and shakers and other things happening at eBay.
==> http://www.ebay.com/ebaypop

Another way to be at the right place at the right time is to check out "eBay's Merchandising Calendar". There you can find out ahead of time what eBay will be promoting and when. This way you can get ready ahead of time by purchasing items to feature during eBay's special advertising events.
==> http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/calendar.html

You can also check eBay's "Hot Category Report". Each month they publish a document that shows which categories and products sold at a higher demand than usual, deeming them "very hot", "super hot", and "hot". This is updated at the end of every month and you can find it at:
==> http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/hotitems.pdf

Check out the "eBay Pulse" when you want to track trends, find out what's being searched for the most, which items are most watched, who owns the largest eBay stores, and other cool stuff. eBay Pulse gives you a snapshot of what's happening daily rather than monthly.
==> http://pulse.ebay.com

If you really prefer to see more information, analyze data, and don't mind paying a fee. Check out "eBay Marketplace Research". This gives you 60-90 days of historical information. Find out average start prices, sold prices, top keyword searches, and view graphs showing buying and selling trends. There are three options available: Fast Pass, Basic & Pro. Learn more at:
==> http://pages.ebay.com/marketplace_research/index.html

Lastly, another choice is to do your research the easy way. This might be a better route for you if you want great results with little work. "Hot Item Finder" is an excellent piece of software that will do all the work for you!

* Find the hottest items on eBay
* Generate hit count reports
* Generate top popular searches
* Generate most watched reports
* ..and more!

Learn more about this software at:
==> http://auctionriches.com/hotitems

I hope you'll find something in this article that will help you in your endeavor to find what products are "hot" on eBay and which direction to go to discover what products you might want to sell in order to maximize your sales and profits.

About the author:
Robbin K. Tungett is an eBay expert and online marketer since 1997. She has been helping buyers and sellers on eBay since 1999 with her popular site, http://www.AuctionRiches.com. Check out her Blog at http://www.auctionherald.com.