Attention Seattle Area eBay/Amazon Sellers
Amazon.com is interested in what you have to say

If you are close enough to Amazon Corporate in Seattle Washington to get there in person and want to share your opionions this might be for you.
Amazon is looking for sellers for a focus group. They're paying participants with a $100.00 Amazon Gift Card.
The interviews will take place between April 8-10, 2008, and will be approximately 90 minutes long. You must be over 18 and willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

If you are interested fill out a brief questionaire here:
http://www.amazonsellercommunity.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=151537

eBay's New Digital Delivery Policy

On March 24th Brian Burke of eBay announced it's new policy about eBooks. As of March 31st all digital delivery items, including eBooks must be sold via the Classified Ad Format on eBay. That includes eBooks, templates, desk top wall paper and recipes.
My head is spinning from the number of changes on eBay. They have been coming so quickly! It's hard to comprehend everything. So, this new policy heaped more confusion onto my almost full eBay brain cells. I've been thinking about it and listing to the gurus and experts argue about the new policy. And am finally ready to throw my thoughts into the mix.
The new policy will slow down the buying and selling of feedback - a very good thing! No more one cent wall paper purchases to build a high feedback rating. And, it's going to stop one of the most annoying (to me) practices of selling 'coupons' that are simply affiliate links. Which I have to tell you, makes me very happy!
So, while the changes seem to be happening way too quickly for me, after a little thought - I'm behind this change as well. Good for eBay and it's efforts to clean up the dark side of the site and make it a safer place to trade. We've been saying something needs to be done to make the buyers keep coming in.
As for those of us who sell digital delivery items - eBooks or auction templates - it's time to turn them into CD's. Of course you can turn them into real paper books as well. Buyers perceive something physical as more valuable, and everyone loves to get mail. So, it's a win/win for buyer and seller to publish eBooks in a more traditional format like CD or book on paper.
I've been selling my book: Easy Auction Photography as a CD eBook for over a year with great success. It's less expensive than the paper version, but has every color photo that's in the original printed version. Plus as a bonus I was able to include some video demos of software to edit eBay photos. Which adds value to the eBook. I had some concern when we started that it was more expensive than a digital download. My fears have been unfounded. While some buyers still prefer a paperbook, those buyers savvy enough to see that what I'm offering is a bargain have purchased.

If you are interest in getting those digital books into a publishable format there are a couple of resources I can recommend.
1) Elegant eBooks by Dany Byrne
or if you don't have time to do it yourself
2) GhostLeg Productions

Dany has been the editor on all my book projects and I can't say enough good things about her work. Dany will have your book ready to send off to LuLu in no time at a great price.

Google Announces Shopping Cart Feature For Google Checkout

Google has added Shopping Cart functionality to its Google Checkout online payment service. The Shopping Cart feature provides sellers with a quick and easy way to offer basic shopping cart functionality on their sites.
A demo is available at http://checkout.google.com/seller/gsc/beta/demo/index.html

I took a quick look at the shopping cart demo and it looks pretty simple to implement. I'll take a closer look, especially the fees and ease of use and report back.

FAQs are available at http://groups.google.com/group/google-checkout-developers-forum/web/google-checkout-shopping-cart---frequently-asked-questions.

Please, let me know what you know about the new shopping cart feature by leaving a comment below.

A Very Cool Video (Free) Widget ~ You Can Add To Your Listings!

I just got off the phone/internet demo on the hottest new widget for eBay Sellers!

Now you can have video in your auction listings and the only thing you do is cut and paste.

This is a very fun and interactive tool for you and your buyers. Please take a look at this action to see what I'm talking about.

check out this listing with the new video widget


More about the company deat4it

An eBay Announcement That Makes Me Happy!

We all make mistakes. Me too.
I've had an item pulled by eBay a time or two for accidental mis-wording or one of those unknown VeRO violation that eBay keeps shrouded in mystery.
I have to laugh (now it's funny, some time after the fact) - one time my listing was 'disappeared' because I used the phrase "Would you trade liver disease for nice looking nails?" Well, what I thought was a brilliant sales pitch turned out to be a violation. Yep, you guessed it - you are not allowed to trade on eBay. My client was dismayed that he had to completely re-create the listing from scratch over my silly mis-wording.
The latest announcement from eBay headquarters I'm giving eBay a big thumbs up!
Now, if a seller accidentally violates one the many listing policies and the item is pulled it will be found in the 'unsold items' area. That way you can fix the mistake and quickly relist it.

To read the announcement from eBay Click Here

THANK YOU ~ THANK YOU ~ THANK YOU!!!!

eBay Boot Camp

At eBay Live! in Boston I had the pleasure to have lunch with Skip McGrath and Lynn Dralle. This was a lunch to exchange ideas, plans and techniques for teaching others how to be successful on eBay.

During that meeting Skip invited me to join him in teaching a North West style Boot Camp to eBay sellers. I immediately said: YES! Wow, what an honor to teach alongside Skip, Lynn and Jen Cano.

Skip McGrath and I live about 50 miles from each other so it was a natural fit. I've always loved Anacortes Washington with its ferries to the San Juan Islands, whales and beautiful views of the Puget Sound.

Lynn Dralle is also from the Northwest. She now resides in Southern California but she got her start in selling collectibles and antiques in her grandmother’s shop in Bellingham Washington. That's about 25 miles from Anacortes. Maybe there's something in the water here in Washington? We have so many amazing eBay sellers and teachers here.

Skip hosted the weekend 'boot camp' last fall. This was an exclusive event with room for only a small number of people. But, Skip brought in a videographer to record the event so anyone who wanted to take their business up a level could befit from the training.

I have to tell you the weekend was pretty intense – even though I was a teacher, I was amazed at all the new information I came home with. There was so much packed into those two days that it required five DVD’s to record it all.

With the new eBay fee and feedback changes it's more important than ever to run your business profitably. Keeping your competitive edge is going to take more focus than ever. Learning how research, how and where to buy merchandise to profit from, and how to take the photo that sells your product will keep you in business.

Skip will launch the Boot Camp DVD’s soon. But I wanted to give you a special opportunity to pre-order them. If you are interested I’m including several pre-launch bonuses. When we get through the pre and first launch period the price is going way up and the bonuses will go away.

Yeah, I know you get email sales letters by the dozens these days. And this might just seem like another one to you. I just want to tell you how proud I am of this DVD series and would really appreciate it if you took a look at what I’m offering.

For more information, please go to: http://www.clovercitysells.com/internetsellerspackage.htm

Warmly,
Cindy Shebley
eBay Certified Business Consultant
& Education Specialist

Don't Forget To Sign Up For PayPal Expanded Protection

If you are an eBay PowerSeller in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, and France you must enroll in the program to receive your benefits.

You can do so at this link: https://www.paypal.com/expandedsellerprotection

Make sure you read the FAQ's for details.

Keyword Tools

Optimizing your title to capture the most potential buyers is so important. If a buyer types what they are looking for and your item doesn't come up in the search they'll never know you had the item for sale.

There are a couple of free tools that can help you create great titles.

One is the eBay Research Lab 'BayEstimate' tool - try it here:

http://labs.ebay.com/raghavgupta/demoto/to



the other is Terapeak.com

while Terapeak has a pay service, they offer a lot of keyword information for free.

try Terapeak here.

eBay Affiliate Program Change

eBay just announced that they will be taking their affiate program in house. If you have eBay affiliate links set-up you have until May 1st to change them.

The new in house program starts April 1st and we will have a grace period of one month to still use the Commission Junction or ValueClick links.

FROM THE EBAY ANNOUNCEMENT:

"All the great tools and benefits of working with the eBay program will remain the same – access to the Editor Kit and affiliate API, the flexible destination tool, the great payout structure. In addition, the eBay partner network will provide several new features:

• Easy global registration to multiple countries simultaneously
• New, targeted banners and rich media creatives
• New landing page optimization and geo-targeting capabilities
• More detailed reporting capabilities for eBay’s programs

You can receive an additional 5% bonus for all traffic tracked through eBay Partner Network in April 2008

The sooner you migrate, the more you’ll earn!
Just:
• Register with eBay Partner Network on April 1, 2008
• Confirm your registration, and obtain your new identifiers
• Update your links with your new identifiers.
• Reminder: Please plan to complete migration by May 1, 2008.

You will receive more information and step by step directions for the transition on April 1st. A special help desk to answer your questions about migration will also be available starting April 1st. You can find more details, including a list of programs that will be affected, at affliates.ebay.com."

eBay Safe Payment Requirements Go Into Effect Tomorrow

Just a quick note that the new 'safe payment requirements' for PayPal payments start March 17th.

Here's the official eBay announcement with all the details:

"Hi everyone, I'm John McDonald with the US Trust and Safety team. As Jim Ambach, VP of Seller Experience, outlined in his announcement in January, we're making some changes that are intended to make the buying experience on eBay better and safer. As part of this initiative, expanded safer payment requirements are scheduled to go into effect on March 17.

Since January 2007, all new sellers have been required to offer PayPal or a merchant credit card as a payment option to their buyers. On March 17, this policy will be expanded to sellers or items when they meet one or more of the following conditions:

• the seller has higher than 5% buyer dissatisfaction rates
• the seller has less than 100 feedback
• the items are listed in categories with higher rates of buyer complaints, including: Gift Certificates, Video Games, Cell Phones, Computers and Consumer Electronics.

In addition, for a small number of transactions that have a higher risk of buyer dissatisfaction, we may delay the release of funds paid through PayPal. This hold will be placed on only a small percentage of transactions for up to 21 days. Then the funds will be released if there is no dispute. The funds may be released earlier if the buyer leaves positive feedback, or if PayPal can confirm delivery of the item.

Sellers enrolled in the PayPal Money Market Fund will earn interest on any pending funds in their PayPal accounts.

Your payments will not be held if you meet the following requirements:

• You have been an eBay member for 6 months or more, and
• Your total Feedback score is 100 or greater, and
• Your buyer dissatisfaction percentage is less than 5%.
  Or
• Your average DSR is 4.5 or greater and
• Your have received 20 or more DSRs in the last 12 months.

I know that there have been questions among our Community about payment holds. Monroe Labouisse, my colleague at PayPal, explains holds in further detail on his post to the PayPal blog – I definitely encourage you to read it.
For more information about safer payment requirements in general, see the safer payments section of our FAQ."
Sincerely,
John McDonaldeBay Trust & Safety

Looking For A Kitchenware Wholesale Source?

I'd check out the Harold Import Company

They carry:
Porcelain Bakeware, Dinnerware and TablewareTea and CoffeeGadgets, Tools, Utensils and CutleryBooks, BBQ, Roasting, Thermometers and TimersBaking Tools, Bakeware and CanningEntertaining, Licensed Products and GiftsHousewares, Cleaning and Textiles

Great Auction To Attend for Product Sourcing!

If you live in the North West this auction holds lots of promise!
I've attended auctions that had pallets or bulk lots of inventory and came away with amazing deals.
Be sure to do your research on the value of items by eBay completed item research or by using a service like Terapeak


This one is in Portland Oregon.

Online Global Direct
Tuesday - Thursday,
April 8-10, 9am each day
Preview 10-4, Monday, April
76700 NE 59th Pl, Portland, OR


Photos and more information at James G Murphy

Maybe I'll see you there?

Remember: Benefits Over Features!

Wisdom learned at the eBay Boot Camp.

A good auction description should provide your readers with the answer to the question: "Whats in it for me"

Benefits are what na item does for you and the results you will acheive if you use it.

Here are some examples:

• It saves you time/money


• It makes you money


• It makes your life easier/better


• It makes you feel or look good


• It adds value/quality


• It adds beauty or makes you feel beautiful


• It is fun/enjoyable


• It tastes/smells/feels good


• It’s convenient


• It gives you control


• It evokes a positive emotion
  

This list was created by Skip McGrath during the Boot Camp series taught last fall. For more information about the eBay Book Camp visit my website.

Win A FREE Copy of Bling! It

Spring is in the air and to celebrate Bling! It declared March 2008 to be COMPETITION TIME!
Yep! - Throughout March 2008 they will be giving away copies of Bling! It

To win a copy all you have to do is download the FREE trial version and create the best Bling!ed product shots.

Send in a before and after shot along with a few words on how Bling!

It improves your eCommerce product shots. Its as easy as!..
Full competition details are available here:http://www.blingit.us/blog/win-copies-of-bling-it
Good luck!

Remeber, grab your Free trial version here

Replacements.com as a reference source

If you come across used or collectible flatware and need more information about the pattern or manufacture check www.replacements.com

From Their Website:
Founded by Bob Page in 1981, Replacements, Ltd. (located in Greensboro, NC) has the world's largest selection of old & new dinnerware, including china, stoneware, crystal, glassware, silver, stainless, and collectibles. Our 415,000 square foot facilities (the size of seven football fields!) house an incredible inventory of 12 million pieces in more than 275,000 patterns, some over 100 years old! We add items to our site each day, so click on the categories above that match your interest, and spend some time with us online!

Why use them as a resource?

• Most items have photos of the patterns if you're not sure what you have
• You can check out most popular patterns so you know what to look when buying
• Get ideas about how to describe the items

We learned this and more from Lynn Dralle during our Boot Camp last fall. We'll have the whole series available soon.

Are Your Ready For Halloween?

Here's a trade show that will have your store filled with all hallow's night cheer this fall!

TransWorld's 24th International Halloween, Costume & Party ShowDate: March 16-19, 2008Location: Las Vegas, NVVenue: The Sands Expo & Convention CenterContact: TransWorldTel: (800) 323-5462Website: www.hcpshow.com


24th International Halloween Costume & Party Show and 13th National Haunt & Attractions
Abound with Exciting Product Introductions and Special Incentives
(Northfield, IL) – In anticipation of the largest tradeshows for the Halloween, party and haunt industries, exhibitors are preparing their product launches and special incentives for TransWorld Exhibits’ 24th International
Halloween, Costume & Party Show (HCPShow) and 13th National Haunt & Attractions Show scheduled March 16-19, 2008, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Gore Galore, based in Cynthiana, Ind., is supplying complimentary ear plugs for any purchase of its Scream
Cube – the first battery-operated, portable, super loud, multi track MP3-based, actor-worn sound system. The
company’s second new product introduction is for the “Weapons of Mass Destruction,” which is a unique line of hand-held actor bone weapons made of latex and foam that are available in various designs. More information is available on www.gore-galore.com.
Piñatas have been around for hundreds of years, and Invehntology, Inc. located in Lompoc, Calif., is ensuring the popular game stays top of mind with its portable, durable and decorative “DaLe! DaLe! Piñata Game Kit.” The kit includes everything you need -- a tripod that erects to 12’ high and retracts to 5½’, leg extensions, one rope, one pulley and handle, concrete pads and carrying case all weighing under 55 lbs. In 90 seconds, set up is complete and partygoers are ready to play. Find out more by visiting www.whosdale.com.
What is a modern day haunt without a corpse costume? SpookywoodsFX, based in High Point, S.C., is introducing Full Body Corpse Costumes – Film Quality Costumes for Today’s Modern Haunts. Produced with top quality materials with the highest detail in craftsmanship, various themes are available to fit any haunt. Visit www.spookywoodsFX.com for more information.
The show-stopping attractions continue as SkullTroniX, based in Rancho Cordova, Calif., unveils its new animatronic human skeleton. The SkeleTron is the companion body to the company’s award-winning SkullTroniX Animatronic “Talking” Skull that features realistic motions, professional voice tracks, dynamic colorchanging eyes, exterior scenic lights and a choice of animation routines. More information may be found on www.skulltronix.com.
All new for 2008, HauntedProps.com, located in Deer Park, NY, is announcing a complete line of horror electric props and animatronic props. Designs include bloody gore static props and zombies that range from slaughtered pigs to severed heads. Also new this year are their sensors with a timer that plugs into any outlet for additional animatronics, light and fog. Visit www.hauntedprops.com for more details.
GlowMan Costumes, located in San Antonio, Texas, expects to change the landscape of Halloween with its revolutionary, chemiluminescent costumes. Five fun and original designs include the GlowMan, GlowGirl, Glowbot, GlowPrincess and GloWitch. All costumes are available in a variety of colors and adult and children’s sizes. More information is available at www.glowmancostumes.com.
- more -
TransWorld’s Exhibitor Update/Add One
With 17 new products in queue for introduction in 2008, Oak Patch Gifts, located in Eugene, OR, is more ready than ever to make a difference at the next party with its expanded Laid Back product line. The new party accoutrements include the “Mood Swingers Wine Glass,” “Hot & Flashy Stemware,” “Bachelorette Tiara,” “Tickled Birthday Wine Glass,” and “Tickled Birthday Party Beads.” More information on these special occasion novelty items can be found on www.oakpatchgifts.com.
Perfect Pumpkin, Inc., based in Floyds Knobs, Ind., is announcing its new “original” patented Pumpkin Surface Carver Kit. This is only pumpkin-carving system that helps the carved pumpkin last for months. Check out www.pumpkininsurfacecarver.com for more information.
Special incentives from magazines will also be available throughout the shows. “Party & Paper Retailer” and “Fantasy Costume & Apparel Retailer” are offering free subscriptions to their magazines, along with a chance to win a $500 gift card to the world’s premier jewelers, Tiffany & Co.
“With the continued popularity of the Halloween season, the emergence of the adult market, as well as the latest advances in haunt technologies, the HCPShow and Haunt & Attractions Show is the gateway to the greatest variety of licensed products, new product launches, and creative ideas,” said Joe Thaler, chief executive officer and chairman of TransWorld Exhibits, Inc.
The 24th International Halloween Costume & Party Show and the 13th National Haunt & Attractions Show are the shows where buyers come to see the latest in giftware, seasonal items, Halloween merchandise, licensed products, animatronics, lighting, sound, and special effects. More than 700 exhibitors will showcase what’s new among 10,000 visitors from 47 countries.
To attend or exhibit at either the 24th International Halloween Costume & Party Show or the 13th Annual
Haunt & Attractions Show and for complete details on seminars, celebrity appearances, and special event programming, visit www.hcpshow.com and www.hauntshow.com or call 800-323-5462 or 847-446-8434 for international calls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just announced - Success With Cindy
Additional Revenue Products for ESP's
Pre-release CD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm proud to announce a very special class Janelle Elms & I have put together.
A few weeks ago we did a call for eBay Education Specialists. We asked three participants to join us for live coaching on how to move their business to the next level. One of the main topics included additional revenue products to create or sell at the "back of the room" while teaching.
The class was amazing!

Janelle is one of the most motivational teachers I've ever come across. Her energy, combined with years of speaking experience lifted this class to a very special level.

Our three volunteers stepped up to the plate and asked questions we've all wondered about at one time or another. Each guest is at a different point in her ESP adventure. Janelle & I helped answer questions like:

Why ESP's should have revenue products
What 'back of the room' sales are
The 3 types of revenue products
The #1 one marketing opportunity you have as an ESP
How to get your foot into colleges
What to do if you don't want to create your own products
The best answers to the 'always asked' student questions
Dealing with retention rates
What rate to charge your students
The loophole listing that ALL esp's should have

Here's what Janelle said about the class:

"Recently Cindy and I did a class together for eBay Education Specialists where we did Live coaching about their businesses and helped create additional revenue products (back of the room sales) for them. The call was intense, it was thrilling, it was very powerful, and the information was inspiring - and all that was from the participants. Afterward, Cindy and I called each other and didn't know what to say - it had been that incredible. All I remember was saying, 'wow'...and then I think Cindy said it back to me. So, with the permission of the people we interviewed, Cindy and I wanted to put this incredible content onto a CD for others to have access to. We knew that anyone who was thinking of creating products for their business would want access to this information."
Janelle Elms
http://osirockstars.com

For more information:

www.SuccessWithCindy.com