Adam Ginsberg - How to Buy, Sell, and Profit on eBay: Kick-Start Your Home-Based Business in Just Thirty Days

How to
Buy, Sell
& Profit
on eBay

Kick-Start Your Home-Based
Business in Just Thirty Days

ADAM GINSBERG

To my mom, who for most of my life was my support system and best friend. It was her passion and unconditional belief in me, that motivated me to get involved in this business. She was there, every step of the way, through the good and the bad times to provide guidance and inspiration.

Recently she passed away unexpectedly. Fortunately she had a chance to review the manuscript and give me one last stamp of approval. She was so excited about this book and about life in general. She loved eBay and she loved her family.

Mom, you have left this place at such an untimely moment and I miss you more than words can express. This book is for you and your spirit will continue to live through each page. I will continue to share your eBayand lifepassions with everyone I come in contact with.

I love you, I miss you, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Part One: Introduction:
Live the Dream

This book is designed to provide readers with a general overview of online auctions and the process of selling merchandise through eBay and other auction sites. Given the vagaries of the market, there is always some risk involved, and there is no guarantee that the methods suggested in this book will be profitable. Thus, neither the publisher nor the author assume liability of any kind for any losses that may be sustained as a result of applying the methods suggested in this book, and any such liability is hereby expressly disclaimed. In addition, the author recommends that the reader consult with a financial specialist before adopting any of the specific financial advice contained herein.

Tuesday, October 23, 2001
1:30 a.m.

Eleven minutes and thirty-six seconds to go, and Im about to part with a brand-new, eight-foot, hand-carved, solid-mahogany pool table for $165. The item retails for $1,950 at my store in Culver City. This is going to be a total loss.

Thank God.

Its worth at least the difference to shut my mother up once and for all about this eBay hokey-pokey nonsense. She thinks that just because shes buying and selling Beanie Babies on eBay all day she knows whats best for my business. Well, in exactly eleven minutes, Im going to show her who, in fact, knows whats best for my business. And it aint Sheila Ginsberg.

Oh, look, theres another bid. Its up to a whopping $170. Im in business.

Yeah, right. The calls started about a month ago. My mother phoned and said she had a great idea for me that might help me out. You should start selling your pool tables on eBay. Youve seen a pool table, yes? They weigh a thousand pounds. Every part comes separatelypockets, felt, all of itand it all needs to be set up wherever its going to stay. She was out of her mind.

OK, Mom. Ill look into it.

I very quickly dismissed the conversation and, as any devoted son would do, I ignored her.

Hold on for a moment, let me refresh the screen just forholy cow! The high bid just shot up to $400 in two minutes.

Well, maybe Ill get to cover my shipping costs. Come to think of it, I dont even know how much it costs to ship a pool table. I dont even know how to ship a pool table.

Regardless, I moved on with my life, and then, a few days later, Mom called back. So Adam, tell me about the listing of the pool table on eBay, hows it going?

I told her I had no idea what she was talking about.

You know, the pool table you told me youd list.

Did I say that? I didnt say that.

This conversation went on for weeks andI dont believe it! Its up to $1,050! This is absolutely insane! Ive got to lay off this F5 key Every time I press it, the screen refreshes and tells me if new bids have been madeand I cant stop myself from checking!

So, my mother, shed call me again and again and completely ignore everything I had said the last time. How much did it sell for? How did you ship it? She was absolutely relentless.

Exactly three days ago, last Saturday the twentieth, I woke up at one in the morning and I couldnt go back to sleep. My mothers voice kept echoing in my head, eBay this thing, eBay that thing, eBay the other thing. I sat up and went straight for the computer. I had to get her off mythis cant be right. There is no way that someone just bid $1,200 for my pool table. Suddenly four minutes left seems like an eternity.

Let me finish my story although, I have to tell you, its starting to get hard to concentrate on anything else right now but this pool table listing on my laptop screen. Let me just hit F5 one more time$1,400. Twenty seconds and $200! No more F5. Let this go, Adam.

As I was saying, I had moved three thousand miles to get away from home and now I cant get her out of my head. I sat down in front of the computer at my desk and I said, I gotta do this. I gotta get her off my back. I had never used eBay before, but I typed in the eBay URL, registered an account, and Call the cops! This has got to be illegal! Two minutes left and some guy named bodyshop44 just put an $1,800 bid on my pool table! Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen. Just one more refresh Doh! brucelightning just outbid bodyshop44, and its up to $1,825. Come on, bodyshop44, this baby is yours! You need my pool table!

My goodness, Ive got to calm down or Ill wake my fiance up. My storys almost done here. I created my account, and even though Id never used eBay before, I scanned in some stock photos I had from the store and I listed this pool table on eBay. And then I prayed for the last three days that no one would buy it.

OK, I cant take it anymore. Ive got to refresh again. F5. F5! Theres one minute to go and, wait, who is this? spicyinmiami thinks she can prance right in and outbid brucelightning. And what about bodyshop44?? This pool table is his! But not if youre gonna give me $2,000 for it! Goodbye bodyshop44, hello spicyinmiami.

F5. Ah, brucelightning is back with a vengeance. $2,025 strong. Not so spicy in Miami anymore, is it?

F5. What? Who are you? Youre going to bid how much? Youre my new best friend, burleetrucker!

F5. Fifteen seconds. spicyinmiami just ran my trucker friend off the road. $2,100.

F5. $2,125, and its brucelightning in the lead with twelve seconds to go.

F5. $2,175. Im feeling queasy. Honey, youve got to see this!

F5. $2,225. Four seconds left, and my new best friend the trucker is on the road again! Looks like this babys all yours!

F5. Auction ended. $2,250. Winning bidderI dont believe it, its bodyshop44! I knew it was yours all along, buddy! I swear I never doubted you once.

Oh my God. I think I just sold a pool table on eBay.

True story.

There are a million reasons to start selling on eBay. Perhaps your aunt gave you a plastic lawn gnome for Christmas and its the ugliest thing youve ever seen, but you notice that someones selling one just like it on eBay and you figure why not sell yours, too. Maybe you collect Pan Am Airlines memorabilia and you know it would be the perfect place to sell your extra pair of Pan Am inflight booties and perhaps find that Gone, But Not Forgotten license plate frame you saw on I-95 last week. You might be looking for a way to make a few extra bucks on the side to pay for your newly upgraded Premium Cable TV status, because your wife has been depressed ever since she missed the entire season of Ralphie on