Tiger Todd's Online Auction & Marketing Blog

ETC eBay Tips

As you prepare to start selling on eBay, one of the things that you are going to want to explore is how you are going to ship the products that you sell.  Exponent Trading Company (ETC) has given us the capability, through the software we will use, to ship with your choice or either UPS or the US Postal Service.  There are four things we'll discuss:  packaging, packing materials, tape, and a scale.

The great thing about being able to use UPS or USPS is that both offer free shipping boxes to their customers.  I've had limited experience with UPS, so I'm going to focus on USPS.  If you ship your items by Priority Mail, you can get free envelopes and boxes from the Postal Service.  You can pick these up at your local post office or you can order them online at http://www.usps.com.  When you go to the website, on the left side of the page you'll see a column titled "Shipping Tools".  The last link in that column is "Supplies" - click on the arrow.  On the next page, in the first column on the left, third down you'll see "Priority Mail".  Click on that to see the Priority Mail supplies available to you for free.  Oh, did I mention that these items are free?

So, whatever you are more comfortable with, going to your local PO for just the items you need, or ordering all of the supplies you could possibly want online, either way, the shipping materials are there for you.  If you require different size packaging than what's available from USPS or UPS, then there are plenty of packing materials suppliers available to you either locally or online.  I personally prefer buying my materials on eBay.  :-)
You can check out my personal favorite at http://stores.ebay.com/BrassPack-Packing-Supply

Packing materials are what you use to insulate the item you are shipping to protect it from damage.  The type of item you ship will dictate the packing materials that you will need to use.  You can buy, if needed, items like packing peanuts or bubble wrap or padded envelopes but most of the time yesterday's newspaper will be sufficient.

One thing that is a must have is packing tape.  This can be picked up at just about any store like a Wal Mart or KMart, but even a lot of supermarkets carry it.
Making sure your box is securely sealed for shipment is important!  While you are at Wal Mart you can pick up a digital scale for $15-20, or, once more like me you can buy one off of eBay http://stores.ebay.com/digitalsnail.  A digital scale is important so you can charge the correct amount of postage to your eBay customer. 

When you are selling an item on eBay, you'll package it, I wouldn't completely seal it at this point, and then you weigh the package.  You'll enter that weight into the auction software we'll be using with ETC and your customer will automatically get the correct postage for their location when they view your auction on eBay.  That takes a lot of the hassle out of the whole selling process for you.  The walls of my office have weights and rates charts taped to them so I can keep up with current shipping rates.  You won't have to do that - you'll just need to be able to get an accurate weight and the software takes care of the rest!

Check back next week for more of Todd's eBay Tips!

Is it possible to sell $200 a month on eBay and make thousands each month?

Hi Friends,

Did you realize that there is a new company about to launch that combines the power of eBay and Craigslist with the exponential power of many people working for you?  Well, they are about to launch soon and "they" are a company called Exponent Trading Company.

A revolution is about to happen for those who are savvy enough to take hold of an opportunity when it presents itself and run with it.  Dan Kennedy, the famous direct marketer, wrote a book.  Well, he has writtern quite a few books, actually, but he wrote a book called "The Ultimate Success Secret".  This book is about a quarter of an inch thick and is pink.  It's full of allegorical tales and some of Dan's self-grandeur.  But on the last page you get the message.  As Dan points out in the book several times you would never pay $10 for a sheet of paper.  That's all you really need to know but who would buy it?  Well, what's on that last page? 

The sales copy from a Nike commercial:  "Just Do It".

So, back to the original story:  a new revolution in online business is launching soon.  If you're interested you can check it out here:  http://www.CityOfSuccess.com/cashflow

Leave me a comment if you want more info.

Thanks,

Todd

Very Important: Your Business and Another's Life

Hi,

I have a friend who has a potentially fatal problem with his brain.  He has to have a surgery that costs $200,000.  Unfortunately, his insurance will only cover 30% of the cost.  As a result, his neighbor, who is a good friend of mine, has made one incredible offer to those who are willing to help.  My friend is someone you should want to help you.  He makes an incredible amount of money each month with Adsense (High five figures) and is willing to help you if you are willing to help his friend.  You can find out all of the details here:  http://www.aneurysmguide.com/contentfeeder.html

and

http://www.aneurysmguide.com/auctiongenius.html

If you have any questions whatsoever please feel free to contact me.

Thanks,

Todd

http://www.tigertodd.com

Beware Of eBay Advice From "Auction Gurus"

Hi Gang,

I recently was reading an article about supply and demand on eBay.  Please take a minute and read the article here.

Towards the end of the article, the author asserts that "If you are the cause of too much supply, you can drive prices down all by yourself, lowering yours, and everyone else's margins in the process."

Let's be honest here:  the author didn't even take the time to research his article.  He wrote completely on the assumption that there were 300 Tommy Hilfiger polo shirts are being sold on eBay.  The truth is that of this moment, there are over 1,000 auctions for this particular item.  The point here is this:  if you are going to make these type of assertions at least back them up with some proof.

The author of this article is definitely from the "lack" school of thinking.  This school teaches that economically, there are limited resources, and you better figure out how you are going to get your "piece of the pie".  But reality teaches a completely different lesson.

Does anyone remember in the late 70's when these same lack oriented economists predicted that we were about to run out of oil?  We were no longer going to be driving cars by 1985 because of a lack of petroleum resources?  Well as you can surmise they were dead wrong.  And so is the author of this article.

Do you really think it is coincidence that across the street from most Burger King's there is a McDonalds?

Competition IS NOT your enemy.  Competition is a good thing.  It means that you are selling a hot commodity.  And this means that you can dominate on eBay for many reasons but I'll comment on two of them:  1.  Most of the people selling on eBay (I'm guessing 98% or more) are NOT marketing savvy.  They have no clue how to market their product efficiently.  2.  All you have to do to dominate your category is TO BE marketing savvy.

Brush up your skills on writing effective ad copy.  Learn marketing techniques that are going to give you an advantage.  Do this and you can win so easy!

And while you're at it, straighten out those attitudes and beliefs, because (hint, hint) this is where you are really going to make a difference.  Start reading good books (like the ones in the right column).  Be a student of effective marketing.  And watch those profits rise and rise - despite the competition.

I sell in an area on eBay with the second most trafficked category:  apparel.  And guess what?  I dominate.  And guess what else?  My competitors can't figure out why.  But it is really simple:  I do it better than the other guy!

Don't fall prey to the negative thinking that is prevalent in most advice that you receive concerning your business.  Take a chance and believe that you are better.  And watch those eBay auction profits grow!

Talk to you again soon,

Tiger Todd

How's Your Mental Wealth?

I just came across this quote today and it is dead on target.

"If you fix in your mind the idea that your earning ability is limited, then indeed it is. You will never earn more than that self-set limit. The subconscious will create and maintain the limits you set."

Thomas D. Willhite from The Book of Wealth

You can get a daily subscription to quotes such as this one from a couple of great sources:

1. The Thought For The Day
2. Bob Proctor's Insight Of The Day

Does eBay Break Own Rules?

Hi Gang,

Sorry about the long silence between posts.  I've been out of town part of the time at a very amazing marketing conference that I'll tell you more about in a future post to the blog.

Today's topic is one that is quite the problem for our old friend eBay.  It seems they have been in a new class action suit filed in California that claims eBay is shill bidding.  For those of you not familiar with shill bidding it is when someone (i.e. you, a friend, family member, etc.) bids up an auction to inflate earnings.  According to the lawsuit, "the Internet auction company is illegally using "shill" bidding against its own customers to force up prices, and thus increase its fees and finance service charges, a consumer suit charges."

Hmmm.  I guess raising our fees in the name of "the seller's best interest" isn't enough.  Generally I'm all for corporations and big business.  But eBay just doesn't seem to get it.  They are continually doing things like this that either drive sellers away or cause lawsuits.  I realize that there was no roadmap for the company to follow - they are pioneers and they do what they do very well.  But if they really want to increase profits, they should quit trying to do it through schemes and bad practices.  They should increase their profits the same way I have to do it:  by giving more value to the people who pay them money.

If I expect to make more money based on the same value the only variable that I can improve on is to improve the quality of my service to my customers.  If eBay wants to earn more money they should do the same and improve the value of their services to their customers - namely the sellers.

If you would like to read more about this case please read the archive at Ina Steiner's Auction Bytes website.  And if you aren't a subscriber to her newsletter, you should be.  If you would like to read the actual legal complaint you can get the .pdf file here:  http://www.lerachlaw.com/cases/ebay/complaint.pdf

Talk to you again soon ( I promise!),

Tiger Todd

Saving Money On PayPal Fees

Hi Gang!

Is it really possible to save money on your PayPal fees?  Of course.  But not many people know about it because PayPal keeps this information hidden.  Unlike some companies who reward you automatically for your achievements, PayPal would rather keep you guessing.

If you log into your PayPal account, at the very bottom of the page you will see a bunch of links to things like "mobile", "mass pay", and "money market".  You will also see a link for "fees".  The default discount rate that you pay for a transaction through PayPal is 2.9% + $.30 US Dollars.  However, if you are doing any volume at all using PayPal, you can slice those fees by as much as 1%.  This can add up to being a nice savings to you and your eBay business.

If your PayPal transactions total between $3,001.01 - $10,000.00 US, then your rate could be reduced to 2.5%.  If your PayPal transactions total between $10,000.01-$100,000.00 US, then your rate could be reduced to 2.2%.  If your PayPal transactions are over $100,000 each month then your rate could be reduced to 1.9%.  I keep using the phrase "could be reduced" because PayPal isn't going to do it for you automatically.  You have to follow the link in the fee structure page and apply for those lower rates.

Your overall savings probably won't add up to a whole lot unless you are moving quite a bit of merchandise each month, but why give away money that you don't have to give away?  If you are determined to let profits leak from your coffers, please contact me immediately.  I'll set you up on recurring billing so you can leak that money to me.  I'll even send you an email once or twice a month telling you thanks!  That's more than you'll ever get from PayPal, that's for sure.

Tiger Todd

Is PayPal Worth The Trouble?

Hi Gang,

The question has been raging for years and I guess it's time for me to add my two cents about PayPal:  are they vital to running an auction business?

My answer:  probably 95% or more of all of my payments come in through PayPal.  I would be absolutely NUTS not to use PayPal.  It has become THE standard for eBay payments.  However, there are a couple of things about PayPal that you need to know to protect yourself and your online auction business.

First of all, I do a lot of shipping overseas.  If you are going to take payments via PayPal from international customers you need to be sure you cover yourself with the way you ship your package.  What I'm getting at is have some way to prove that your package was delivered.  Unfortunately USPS only offers one service that is effective (in my mind anyway) and that is Global Express Mail.  This service is useful because it provides full online tracking capabilities.  And it costs a heckuva lot less than using UPS for international sales.  At the moment I'm looking into using FedEx and other services but I'm not at the point where I can give an opinion at this time.

My main problem with shipping overseas is with packages that go to France.  For some reason I have had a bunch of packages lately that are not being delivered by the French postal system.  And what is happening is that my customers are petioning PayPal for a refund and I have no recourse.  PayPal stands completely behind the buyer and gives no recourse to the seller.  You have to prove your package was delivered and if you can't, or can't provide tracking then basically you get stuck with a refund like it or not.  Lately I've had packages returned, the USPS charges me for the postage again, and I'm out double shipping costs and the refund that PayPal gives the customer.  When it costs $25 to ship overseas and you have to eat that cost twice it can get expensive.

If you read my earlier post about eBay fees you will understand why I'm not happy about this.  Who is paying PayPal?  It's not the buyers - they pay nothing.  It's the sellers who support PayPal financially and it's the sellers who get the least amount of protection in a transaction. 

So I guess the real moral to this whole diatribe is that you need to protect yourself when you ship your packages.  If you ship in the US, use delivery confirmation.  If you ship internationally you need some type of tracking.  Otherwise it's just your word against the customer and the customer wins every single time

I'll be back with more on PayPal and their fee structure shortly!

Thanks,

Tiger Todd

Make Money Shipping Your eBay Auctions!

Hi Gang!

Today I want to share with you how to make money (or at least break even) on your eBay auction shipping costs.  This is really very simple!

The first thing you need to know is what your maximum cost per shipment is.  For most of my products I use the USPS Priority Mail service.  The added bonus for using Priority Mail is that you get all of your shipping boxes for free.  Another added benefit is that you can ship your auction product and create the USPS Priority Mail label directly from PayPal or from USPS Click N Ship.  What I do is figure out the highest possible weight for a product.  For instance, if I'm shipping several models of the same item I figure out which package weighs the most.  Then I go to the USPS Rates & Fees Simplified page and click on "priority mail". 

When you click on this link you will see the highest possible price for shipping by weight for Priority Mail.  I always choose the highest rate, and add my insertion and final value fees to the total cost , and come up with my shipping rate.  Let's look at an example:  I'm shipping a package that weighs 4 pounds and 3 ounces.  I go to the rate page and find out what the most possible shipping charge for this weight class is.  In this example it is $10.35.  Then I look at my insertion fee and my PayPal fee and my most likely final value fee to find out the total cost.

If a product is most likely to end at $100 and I can start the price at a penny, then I know that my insertion fee is 30 cents, my PayPal fee will be $3.20 and my final value fee will be $3.37.  All totaled together my eBay fees equal $6.87.  If I add the $6.87 to my most expensive shipping cost of $10.35 I come up with $17.22 which I would then round up to a $17.95 total shipping fee for that product.

Following this model I can effectively eliminate all charges that I would incur in running my auctions.  And most of the time, the fees are actually less than the estimated cost so I end up making money!  Let's hear it for more profits!

That's all for today.  Log in again later . . . same Bat Channel . . . for more ways to increase your online eBay profits!

Tiger Todd

eBay, Marketing, Affiliate Programs & More . . .

Hello,

I guess when I started this whole blogging thing I should have laid out some type of mission statement or declaration of purpose as to what this blog is all about.

I am going to give you the benefit of my experience in selling on eBay and selling online away from eBay.  I am not going to just hawk products and services - I will only recommend what I know to be a good resource.  If it offends someone that my affiliate link is in the recommendation to a resource, then you should probably read someone else's blog.  I don't work for free and neither should you.

There was a post a day or two ago from a fellow (which is now deleted) who accused me of just pushing products that I've never used.  He said that since the links to the products were affiliate links I couldn't be sincere.  He doubted that I ever actually bought and used any of these products or services.  And he's saying all of this to me, a person he has never met and knows nothing about whatsover, on my blog!  My friend Dale Calvert has a saying that I really enjoy.  Dale says that forming an opinion on something you know nothing about is the height of ignorance.  Well said, Dale.

Several other people have posted wondering why I don't list my eBay seller ID's.  Well, the reason is very simple - I don't want you ripping off my ideas.  You should learn how to do this business honestly the same way I had to learn.  And just copying someone else is laziness.  Now don't get me wrong - I want to be as lazy or lazier than the next person, but in a productive way.  If that doesn't make a bit of sense to you then you really need to click on the link at the right and read Robert Kiyosaki's book, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad".  Then you'll get it!

So if your purpose of responding to something I've written is solely to whine and gripe about whatever it is you whine and gripe about then don't bother.  I don't like that type of negativity in my life and I'll delete the post.  If you don't put a valid email address in your comment, then guess what?  That's right - deleted.  Don't like the rules?  Go start your own eBay blog.

Phew.  I'm through now.

Tiger Todd