eBay Books - Page 12

How to Sell Music, Collectibles, and Instruments on eBay... And Make a Fortune

Dennis Prince, William M. Meyer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Basics on Collecting Music items with eBay 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

How to Sell Music, Collectibles and Instruments on eBay
and Make a Fortune
A book review by Frank Dobrowolski
May 12, 2005

by Dennis L. Prince and William M. Meyer
Published by McGraw-Hill/Osborne
ISBN 0-07-144570-6 2005 268 pages
List price: $14.95 On Amazon: $10.17 +S/H

This book is a quick, short introduction to using eBay for buying and selling music and related collectibles and instruments, [one of the "How to Sell ..... and Make a Fortune" series]. It appears to be aimed at those who would rather learn by doing and need only a brief tutorial on the process. This objective is met quite admirably. Those who find they desire more detailed discussions or want information on the ancillary sectors of eBay can find other books that meet these needs.

As to the "Make a Fortune" part of the title, the recommendation essentially is the familiar mantra of retail operations - Buy low, Sell High, Generate High Sales Volumes, Know the Product and Understand the Customer. The difference here is that eBay is the base of operations rather than a store and operating on eBay opens the operation to a potential audience of million. While few make a fortune in retail at this level, the book does offer much information and lists a wealth of reference sources.

The potential market is very large. According to this book 54% of U.S. households have at least one musical instrument player. And, retail music is a stable product category with staying power and sales potential.
* Over 745 million audio CDs were sold in 2003 for $11 billion
* Over 35 million concert tickets were sold in 2002 grossing $2.2 billion
* Music products [instruments, performance gear, etc.] sales in 2002 exceeded $6.9 billion
* Vintage music products and memorabilia generates tens of billions of dollars every year

Those selling in this field can be either: experts in a narrow, low volume market with high profit margins; or broadly interested in a wide, high volume market with low profit margins. Whichever part of this field one chooses to follow there are many sources of information provided in this book.

Memorabilia refers to items like t-shirts, ticket stubs, programs, etc. Once these items were considered to be disposable. However, their presence on eBay has created an expanded, eager collector base. So more items are being valued and the values are increasing.

According to this book there usually are over 650,000 music-related items listed in eBay's categories and over 500 sub-categories for Music, Musical instruments [grossing $500 million a year] and Music Memorabilia [ with 75,000 Rock-n-Roll listings every day] categories. This book claims to be the only one focused on these three areas. Some data the book presents on eBay's sales in the music categories:

* Music - 500 categories
* 700,000 listings each day
* 150,000 records listed
* Musical instruments - $500 million/ year
o 50,000 guitars listed - $1.1 B in 2002
* Musical Products - $350 million/year
* Rock-n-roll memorabilia - 70,000 listings

Chapter 2 is entitled "The History of Selling Music". This information helps one start to develop a background in the field to better understand the items being sold and to prepare for updates and changes. The chapter points to two areas of concern: Fraud and Competition.

The book states that fraud and misrepresentation are widespread, especially with Memorabilia. It is estimated that 99% of the Beatles signature items and 75% of Rock-n-Roll autographs are fake. The book recommends that such items have rock-solid appraisals from recognized specialist appraisers and a written, lifetime guarantee of authenticity.

Competition relates to the various levels of marketing, particularly of musical instruments and related equipment, The mass marketers [Wal-Mart] lower prices and make business difficult for music stores. The Internet also competes with the music stores. Fraud is rife and prices are lowered mercilessly [in the eyes of store-based merchants] In fact some instrument manufacturers forbid the sale of their instruments on the Internet and impose pricing protection for the stores.

The book discusses each sector in the music categories, addressing source information, market, current pricing and the more popular items. Pages 45 to 63 lists many information sources, sub-dvided as by instrument or type of memorabilia.
Chapter 5 discusses the necessary Business Plan focusing on marketing and sales strategies and on the financial aspects.
Chapter 6 covers building and maintaining an inventory. Chapter 7 discusses acquiring and holding on to customers and keeping them happy to generate return business. The book addresses the tasks to use eBay for selling - Listing, Payment, Shipping, etc. Chapters 10 to 12 cover the elements of becoming a music specialist in one of the categories and sub-categories. It outlines the knowledge needed and the means to keep the customers happy, and advised of one's available inventory.

The book is well-written, easy to read and has enough illustrations to convey the needed message. I would recommend this book for beginners or novices in using eBay for buying and selling music-related items on eBay.

Editorial Review:

Music is a huge category on eBay It includes selling not only records and CDs but also collectibles, instruments, equipment, tickets, and technology.

Dennis Prince teams up with William Meyer, an expert at selling music items on eBay, to give information specific to the music market, including determining the condition and authenticity of items; understanding what can legally be sold, including copyrighted material and tickets; the use of an instrument (for beginners, marching bands, professionals, or collectors); and more.

eBay Business at Your Fingertips

Kevin W. Boyd

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Editorial Review:

Quick reference for the eBay® entrepreneur!

With eBay® Business at Your Fingertips, readers can find the exact information they need on any eBay® business topic, without wasting time on unrelated material. Divided into concise, complete, easy-to-find and -understand bites, it covers everything related to running a successful eBay® business.

Includes:

•Coverage of all the auction management tools
•Conducting eBay® marketplace research
•Complete coverage of PayPal®, domestic shipping, photos, My eBay®, and the eBay® community
•Thumb tabs and other navigational aids for finding information fast

eBay Business the Smart Way: Maximize Your Profits on the Web's #1 Auction Site (Ebay Business the Smart Way)

Joseph T. Sinclair

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Only for full-time eBay sellers 3 out of 5 stars.
10 of 12 people found this review helpful.

A good book to read if you are going to run a full-time eBay business. It does not help much for the average seller or buyer. A lot of white space greatly expands the size of this book.

After reading the top eBay books, below are my recommendations:
---Beginner with eBay and computers---
1. The Official eBay Bible

---eBay Seller---
1. Sell it on eBay
2. eBay Hacks

---Full-Time eBay Business (not for the casual seller)---
1. eBay Strategies
2. eBay Business the Smart Way

Editorial Review:

Now in a fully revised third edition, the completely unauthorized guide to doing business on eBay is back, and none too soon for new and veteran sellers, who have to contend with an increasingly crowded marketplace, as well as online theft and fraud on the increase, as well as continuously changing tax legislation and updates to the site. "eBay Business the Smart Way" gives readers the guidance they need on how to market one's products and business, hire employees (or get help without hiring employees), build credibility, create a storefront website, and much more.

Everyday eBay: Culture, Collecting, And Desire

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

On any given day, more than two million items are listed for sale on eBay, from everyday objects to kitsch and collectibles to the truly bizarre. Since its debut ten years ago, eBay has quickly become a central destination for millions of web browsers. According to eBay itself, up to 165,000 Americans now make their living by selling through the website, and other business analysts project that hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide now make their living through eBay.
Everyday eBay is the first scholarly analysis of the internet marketplace that has become a global social, cultural and economic phenomenon. The nineteen new and classic essays gathered here examine eBay from a wide variety of perspectives as a bellwether of taste and material culture; as a rich site of cultural, racial, and sexual discourse and practice; as an emergent media form; and as a facilitator of global consumerism. From old toys steeped in nostalgia to "rare" limited edition shoes, the contributors demonstrate that value on eBay is never simply about "price."

Don't Get Burned on EBay: How to Avoid Scams and Escape Bad Deals

Shauna Wright

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Lots of books tell you how to buy and sell on eBay. But what if something goes horribly awry? Do you have to chalk it up to a "lesson learned," lick your wounds and move on? Not a chance. Don't Get Burned on eBay offers relevant lessons based on real-life stories posted on eBay's Answer Center. With sharp, witty rhetoric, veteran eBay user Shauna Wright (co-founder of the popular web site WhoWouldBuyThat.com), shows eBay veterans and newcomers alike how to avoid those nasty scenarios, and how to pull themselves out of the muck if they've already fallen in.

Six entertaining (and hair-raising) chapters cover real problems that people have encountered with bidding, payment, shipping, packaging, dealing with other eBayers, and coping with the eBay system. This book is for anyone who's ever used eBay, because even veteran buyers and sellers often don't know the intricacies of eBay's and PayPal's rules. Don't Get Burned on eBay will leave you well-informed and better protected from potential pitfalls. The book's extensive glossary and numerous in-depth sidebars also make the book useful to people who haven't yet taken the plunge into eBay.

How eBay Really Works

Brad Schepp, Debra Schepp

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Helpful, and Easy to Read and Use Guide. 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the few eBay books I've read that really gives the whole picture about eBay--not just relentless cheerleading about how much of a sure thing it is. Half of the book is for new buyers; the other is for new sellers. So there's a lot here for new eBay users no matter what they're interesetd in. I like that the authors use a lot of stories from real sellers and buyers to make their points and keep this fun to browse through and read.

Editorial Review:

eBay is a billion-dollar phenomenon. For the millions who want to jump on the bandwagon, here’s the straight scoop on how to get started making the most out of the Web’s greatest marketplace. Based on interviews with successful eBay buyers and sellers, this insider’s guide reveals what everybody wants to know, including: how to avoid rip-offs, find great stuff, bid and set a price, and run auctions. It tackles tough questions that eBay hopes users will forget, such as: Is it safe to buy big-ticket items, and Are listing enhancements really worth it? Quick-Start Guides give ready-to-go newbies a jump-start, and there are informative screenshots, tips on PowerBuying and Selling, and hints on making eBay a full-time job.

Start Your Own Business On eBay (Start Your Own Ebay Business)

Entrepreneur Press, Jacquelyn Lynn

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Sold! … To the Highest Bidder

eBay has changed the way the world shops. Here's your chance to get in on this retail phenomenon-it's simple and inexpensive to get started.

All you need is a computer and a product (or service) people want, and you're well on your way to reaching eBay's hundreds of millions of customers. You can sell almost anything on eBay, from the familiar to the exotic. And you can do it any time of the day or night, making this a great business to start part time.

Newly revised and updated with the latest eBay tools and features, this book puts you on the fast track to your own eBay business. You'll learn:

• Hot tips for attracting interested customers and high bids
• The latest online marketing strategies
• The most profitable items to sell online
• How to spot trends and discover the next hot items
• Insider secrets from successful eBay entrepreneurs
• The vital keys to eBay success
• How to use eBay's ProStores, Trading Assistants, Trading Posts and more to put you a step ahead of your competition

More than 750,000 people make a living on eBay. Use this step-by-step guide, and you could become the next eBay PowerSeller!

The Pocket Idiot's Guide to eBay Motors (Pocket Idiot's Guides)

Lissa McGrath

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Editorial Review:

The essential book to read before bidding, buying, or selling.

Buying or selling a vehicle on an eBay® auction can be complicated. The buyer must know what to look for and what to watch out for. The seller must know about providing accurate descriptions and photos, shipping the car, and many overlooked details. Both buyer and seller can bid and sell with confidence after pocketing this book.

• More than 70 percent of all vehicles sold on eBay Motors are interstate— and, therefore, complicated—transactions
• Essential reading for anyone buying or selling a vehicle on eBay

Decorating on eBay : Fast & Stylish on a Budget

Barbara Guggenheim

Amazon Price: $21.24 List Price: $27.95 Usually ships in 2 to 3 weeks By: Collins Design Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $0.28

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Acclaimed art consultant and style writer Barbara Guggenheim shows how she decorated a home using eBay, and provides all the information you need to create your own unique home.

When art consultant Barbara Guggenheim took on the project of decorating a sample house for KB Home, a premier builder of home development, she wondered how she (or anyone else) could juggle the project with her full–time job and other daily duties. EBay offered the perfect solution–all–hours convenience and an easy and affordable tool for finding just the right thing–and some unexpected things, as well! The result was a fantastic four–bedroom home, completely decorated on a budget using eBay.

This book follows Barbara on her personal journey, from looking for inspiration, to planning a concept for each room–from the Tiki Loft to the Adirondack–style guest room. It also shows how she navigated the pitfalls of eBay and learned to maximize its advantages, from search and bidding tips to transforming imperfect items. Filled with creative and practical ideas, Decorating on eBay is certain to appeal to the wide audience of young people on a budget–many of whom are already familiar with eBay. This lush four–color book will come alive through the glorious photographs of Jim McHugh of Architectural Digest, and through Barbara's warm, accessible, pithy tone, which will encourage readers everywhere that they, too, can achieve their dream home without the outrageous price tag.