I don’t know how many books there are by now that propose to tell you how to succeed on eBay, how to make lots of money on eBay, or how to become a millionaire through eBay. Here are a few of my tips on how not to make money with an eBay auction:

1. Use irrelevant titles. I have actually seen eBay auctions with titles such as “This is nice”. I am sure that many people are going to look for such a title! It is inconceivable that something like “Vintage garden sundial, copper, 1930s” might lead more potential buyers to your auction.

2. Use ALL CAPS, ALL THE TIME. Everyone likes the equivalent of being shouted at, and long texts in ALL CAPS are so easy to read, aren’t they?

3. Show your educashion. Nothing attracts buyers like spelling errors and grammatical goofs. If you really want to impress customers, misspell the name of the item (”Dell latpop for sale”).

4. Skimp on descriptions. Why should you tell the buyer the size, age or condition of the item? All those details would just confuse people…

5. Forget Feedback. I am certain that eBay buyers will just flock to your auction for a $3,000 diamond ring, even though you have zero feedback. Some people may slowly build up their feedback by buying and selling before offering expensive items, but who can be bothered?

6. Harsh words sell. Of course every buyer loves terms of sale that contain such phrases as “Absolutely no returns” or “Don’t bother me with complaints”!

7. Oh, say can you see? Naturally, people love out-of-focus pictures of your items, particularly when photographed against the background of a dark shag carpet. Who cares about the details of that diamond ring - they are going to trust you, arent’t they?

Pamela Bruce lives in Austin, TX. She is the owner of Love Beads Unlimited and sells the bead jewelry she creates at http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com

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In this article I will provide steps on how you should go about implementing this plan. This plan is not for everyone but if you enjoy shopping and flipping products you will have fun and make some money. Start off buying low cost items to test the water. After you feel comfortable go for the more expensive items, this is where you will make the most profits.

Getting Started:

Search for and then sign-up on several on-line action sites.

Scan items of interest and do some research on what items are selling. It is very important that you research the products to ensure that you are getting a fair deal. And watch out for over inflated shipping cost. Many times shipping cost can be negotiable.

Only bid on an item that is to expire in 10 minutes or less, also bid on items that have not received any bids and are due to expire. And only if those items meet the criteria mentioned before.

Place your bid and in most cases you will win the auction.

Purchasing:
After purchasing the item tell the seller that you need to wait 7-10 days before you receive the item. Most of the times you will not need to give an excuse why but if you do tell them it’s a gift and you do not want the recipient to see it. After you have resold the item send the original seller your buyer’s address for shipping. If you are not comfortable with this approach, go ahead and have the item sent to you first. This will indeed cause more work on your part.

Re-selling (Flipping):
Using the same information in the seller’s ad, repost the item back on the auction site. By now the item has received a few interested buyers from the prior sellers marketing and you may get the person you out bid to place a higher bid right from the start. Be sure to price the item at the price you paid for it.

In Conclusion:
Now there are some risks in doing this. You have not seen the item and this could cause you to reimburse the buyer if the item is in bad shape. Also, you risk over paying for an item causing you to take a loss. Also, the seller may not want to wait in sending the item to you, which will cause a little more work for you. The good side to that is you will be able to inspect the item before shipping it to the next buyer.
I usually bid on hard to find dishware or specialty items like, The Pampered Chef, Candle-lite, and Stampin’ Up!, the options are endless. Give it a try, start off slow and buy low cost items at first. Good luck!

Dennis Watson has been helping others promote their products or services for years through his Free Classifieds website http://www.zeoh.com/

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Due in part to the popularity of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s home auction program, more potential homebuyers than ever are buying homes at auction. Homes for auction aren’t limited to just HUD, however. Many government entities auction homes for payment of back taxes, and some homeowners even auction their homes on eBay.com!

Homebuyers considering buying a home at auction should take some steps in advance to help them with their bid price, and even whether to bid at all on a specific home. There will always be a degree of risk when buying a home this way, but with a little diligence, potential homebuyers could save a lot of money buying in this manner.

Before the auction, you should have your financing arranged, and have enough cash on hand or in your bank account to cover a deposit on your purchase. You need to check the features, location, condition, and ownership history first. Afterwards, be sure to learn what the property is worth by looking at sales of comparable properties in the same area. Compare homes with the same number of rooms is possible, but be sure to allow for price differences due to pools, decks, carpeting, window treatments, etc.

At the auction itself, resist the temptation to get into a personal bidding war, just “to beat out the other guy”. Have a set price limit and stick to it. Other houses will come along, and you don’t have to win the first auction that comes your way.

You should know that the price of a home at auction is typically the loan balance (if foreclosed), plus any back taxes owed, plus legal fees and other expenses in foreclosing the property. This will typically be the opening bid amount, and the price will go up from there. Even so, it’s possible to get a great deal in an auctioned house, with a little research and planning first.

Also, know that you probably won’t be able to get an inspection, and are buying the home “as is”. If you can’t do any needed repair work yourself, or can’t hire it done within your budget, you may not end up getting such a bargain in the end.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate.

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