Online Auctions - Purchasing Auction Inventory Part 2

Make Money With eBay Guide

Free eBay Business Kit >> Learn to Sell on eBay

This article is intended to teach about purchasing inventory for your online auctions. This page is page 2 of 2. Please leave us comments, questions, or success stories so that we can improve this guide.

Joining iAuctionWizard will give you the best access to the greatest number of products available. It's free to start and, you have immediate access to 3200 discounted items. You list the items you think will sell, when the auction closes and your item sells you give the name and address of your customer, they ship the item directly to your customer.  It is a good idea to have your starting price right at your cost. Anything above that, you keep as profit! This method of selling items you do not even have is referred to as drop shipping. Click here to look at IAuctionWizard.

Researching Shipping and Handling
Finally, there are instructions on shipping and handling. These include:

• The fee for shipping by regular carrier by ground or USPS
• The fee for shipping overnight or two day
• The fee for insurance if the buyer selects that and it is appropriate for the item

These are self-explanatory as you will see. You do want to note the language that is used in describing these methods as you may want to use those words or similar wording. Shipping costs should be a fair representation of what you will pay to ship the item. Before writing your copy, weigh the item to be sold and find out what the shipping options are and approximately what they cost. This can often be done online at the USPS or UPS web sites, or most local post offices or UPS stores will have in store resources. You may not charge exactly the amount that you are quoted, but it will give you a range that you can use in your auction. Note that auctions offering low or free shipping often sell at a higher rate. You may decide that the shipping cost can be figured into your base costs in exchange for a higher final sale rate.

Research Sheet for Items to be Auctioned on eBay
Now that you have a good background on how to do your research on eBay for your start up items, here is an additional tool you can use to assist you in this research. It is the Research Sheet for Items to be Auctioned on eBay.

It is simple to use and it will help you keep track of the auctions and items you research. Use a new sheet for each auction you review.

Instructions for Research Sheet for Items to be Auctioned on eBay

1. Write in the name of the item you will be auctioning.
2. Write in the keyword phrase you are using to research this or similar items on eBay.
3. Write in the item number of the auction you are researching/reviewing.
4. Write in the eBay members ID.
5. Write in the item's headline.
6. Rate the item's head line Good, Fair or Poor.
7. Write in any comments you have on the headline.
8. Rate the picture(s) Good, Fair or Poor.
9. Write in any comments you have on the picture(s).
10. Rate the item’s sales copy.
11. Write in any comments you have on the sales copy.
12. Rate the fonts usage Good, Fair or Poor.
13. Write in any comments you have on the fonts usage.
14. Rate the overall presentation.
15. Write in any comments you have on the overall presentation.

Continue to Getting your item ready for auction