AuctionBytes-Update Number 22 - September 24, 2000 - ISSN 1528-6703

AuctionBytes-Update is a free newsletter for online auction buyers and sellers. Read reviews of online-auction products and services, tips on being more efficient, and the latest on antiques and collectibles. AuctionBytes-Update is published by email twice a month. (Print it out for easier reading.)

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IN THIS ISSUE:
1) From the Editor
2) Online Auction Site ePier.com
3) THE TECH FILE: Pix Nixed? What to Do When Your Image Server Goes Down
4) U.S. Priority Mail Postage May Increase by 15% in January
5) eBay's "Mister Lister" Auction Management Software
6) PriceRadar's Found in the Attic: G'day mate! Olympic Pins
7) COLLECTOR'S CORNER: The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Stock Certificates, Comic Book Resources, Ask the Expert
8) This & That
9) Ask Bill the Postman
10) Newsflash
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1) FROM THE EDITOR

Halloween is around the corner. I saw a reminder somewhere to start shopping for Halloween costumes on auction sites NOW. Great idea! In fact, you can take it one step further, as RubyLane.com reminds us. Take some of the stress out of the upcoming holiday season and start looking around now for Christmas presents. RubyLane.com is an online mall of over 500 shops from all over the world, with 1.9 million items in 2,000 categories. Items include antiques, collectibles and fine art.

Remember to keep the person you are shopping for in mind - some people appreciate antiques and collectibles, and some on your shopping list may only appreciate "brand new" stuff. (They don't know what they're missing.)

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I did some digging into eBay's financial reports and discovered that major holidays and weather affect online auctions, and eBay does best in the first quarter! "Our results of operations historically have been somewhat seasonal in nature because many of our users reduce their activities on our website during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and with the onset of good weather. We have historically experienced our strongest quarter of online growth in Q1."

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We announced an "Ask the Expert" feature in the last issue, and it has proven to be very popular. So popular, in fact, that we are opening up the feature to SEVERAL experts in order to handle the diversity of the requests. We may not be able to answer everyone's question right away, but we will try! So, if you have an item you'd like to learn more about, Ask the Expert! Send an email to AsktheExpert@AuctionBytes.com. Include a photo to help our Experts identify your item more accurately.

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Every night I'm on the prowl for auction news to include in the next day's Newsflash section of the Web site (http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.ht ml ).

Newsflash is a great way to get your daily fix of auction news - spread the word. If you like this newsletter and the AuctionBytes.com Web site, please let your friends know. And feel free to mention us in the forums - thanks to those who have already.

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Today's question: "Which company reported that it had uncovered an Indonesian ring of thieves using stolen credit cards on online auctions?" (Hint: you would know if you read Newsflash on the Web site!)

Look for the answer somewhere in today's issue.

Ina Steiner, Editor
email: ina@auctionbytes.com

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HELP US GROW!

If you enjoy reading AuctionBytes-Update, please tell your friends! Just hit the "forward" button on your email program, and let them see for themselves.

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2) Online Auction Site ePier.com
by Edith Reynolds

In an earlier issue of AuctionBytes-Update, David Steiner voiced his despair over eBay's refusal list a set of lawn jarts, a move that prompted him to seek out an alternative venue for the product. He found one in Yahoo Auctions. Another auction site to consider is ePier.com, a site that incorporates the familiar appearance of eBay with the fiscal benefits of Yahoo.

Two-year-old ePier.com seems vastly underrated and unknown considering the benefits it provides avid online auction sellers, namely-- NO listing fees, NO end of auction percentages, and FREE image-storing. Even if you can't live without eBay, you can't overlook a site like this. Items may be listed with eBay as a first stop, later listing unsold items with ePier until the right buyer comes along. EPier essentially becomes a permanent catalog/auction site for your merchandise with a minimum of effort. James Kim, 30, of Spokane, Washington, is ePier CEO. He explains that ePier was conceived with the intention of "bringing the market a lower cost forum for people to buy and sell in an alternative venue."

But how does Kim and his six cohorts make money? With no ads thus far and sellers not pitching in to pay the costs, you might wonder how long this site can stick around. According to Kim, "We're currently not making any income, but in the future, I foresee 4 or 5 major avenues for generating revenue." The four he currently cites are:
1) Future advertising revenue;
2) Value-Added Gold Memberships for sellers that would target ambitious sellers, giving them access to services such as live professional assessments in exchange for a voluntary fee;
3) A PayPal type of payment system that ePier will own;
4) A link exchange for businesses that offers Web pages and performance-based software.

Kim pledges that the private information he receives from users will not be shared with outside sources. "Selling names to mailing lists is not a part of our plan."

Does ePier sound too good to be true? A bit, but Kim and his staff have hung in for two years, drawing upon a $250,000 family-financed fund to keep the site going. He hopes that, in time, $2 million worth of venture capital will come through to finance the constant upgrades the site requires and to allow them to market more aggressively.

Kim isn't discouraged, since his site is slowly but steadily growing. According to the stats printed on the home page, the number of registered users has gone up, and the gap between ePier and the "800 lb. gorilla" eBay has narrowed, drawing registrants from cities like Las Vegas, Houston, and Spokane and mega-states New York, Texas, Florida and California.

So far Kim's current marketing strategy targets online auction users directly through email. More working capital may bring a more sophisticated form of advertising. Other plans include a business rating system that differs from eBay's "open comments" feedback forum. Kim believes a more professional rating is essential, one that ranks sellers in a more quantifiable way: speed of delivery, how well items were packaged, communication, and friendliness.

How restrictive is ePier? According to their guidelines, the only items you can't sell through this site are the illegal kind. That lets out drugs, body parts, human beings, and the like. As for Jarts? Your best bet is to contact ePier to find out about any items you think may be questionable. They're quick to respond and friendly, too.

So, if you're curious about eBay's competition or have a mountain of things that need to find a long-term home, look up ePier.com to see if that's the right place for you. Just remember to do your part and advertise yourself. Any ad you construct, whether it's for eBay, Amazon, Gold's, or Yahoo, can contain a link to your listings. Feel free to tout it as your "catalog"; it's doubtful that Kim will mind.

Edith Reynolds is a former newspaper and magazine writer. She and her husband Dan own an antiquarian bookstore, The John Bale Book Company in Waterbury, CT. For the past nine years, they have specialized in early Americana and rare bindings. They are members of the ABAA - Antiquarian Booksellers of America Association, ILAB - International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, IOBA - International Online Booksellers Association, and OAUA - Online Auction Users Association. Edith manages online sales. In addition to their bookstore, they sell on eBay and at book fairs. Visit Edith's Web sites, www.taxter.com and www.usiana.com. eBay IDs: TAXTER , TAXTER2 , TAXTER3 , USIANA , BALEBOOKS

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3) THE TECH FILE:
Pix Nixed? What to Do When Your Image Server Goes Down
By David Steiner

You're in the middle of a 7-day auction on eBay when your image-hosting service (or the server on which your auction images reside) goes down. How does this affect your auctions? Well, unless you're auctioning off little boxes with red X's in them, it affects them a great deal! Any potential buyer who looks at your auction is not going to be able to view your image, and more than likely, will not bid on it.

Disaster!

Especially, since your auction already has several bids on it (you can't edit your auction once there are bids), there is no reserve price, and the current high bid is a fraction of what you expected to get for it.

You could end your auction prematurely and risk angering the people who have already placed bids.

You could also call your ISP customer support and try to explain to them that your livelihood depends on your server running and plead with them to get their server back up ASAP. Unfortunately, you're not likely to get much sympathy from this person, especially when they've just taken 5 calls in the last half-hour from people complaining about the same issue.

Nope, this is one of those auction dilemmas that require fast action and a dry martini. Actually, it only calls for fast action, but you can still hang onto that martini. It might help you get through the technical part of this article.

Here are two methods to salvage an auction when your image host goes down. Both methods have some limitations, both require some tedious computer work, and they both require that you use multiple image hosting services or have space on two or more servers.

Fix #1: This is a fix that you have to prepare for in advance. It's also a fix that is only good if you have one auction running. Conceivably, it could be used for multiple auctions, but the pre-production involved makes it prohibitive for more than one auction.

When I list auctions, I embed the image HTML in the auction description. That means that I put my <img src="image"> tag in the description box on eBay. To me, it makes for a nice pleasing layout to my auction. If you use this technique, it leaves the option of using the "Picture URL" feature for something else. I use the "Picture URL" box to tag my auctions with an image that says, "Satisfaction Guaranteed." I host this on a DIFFERENT server from my auction image, and use a different name for each image. That way, if the server with my auction image goes down, I can upload the image to the server with my Satisfaction Guaranteed tag, rename it to the same name as my auction tag, and PRESTO! My image is back up in the place where my "Satisfaction Guaranteed" image had been.

Confused yet?

Okay. Let's say I name my Tag "satisfaction1.jpg". My auction image is named "Pic1.jpg".
Pic1.jpg is not showing up in my auction description. I upload a copy of the Pic1.jpg to a separate server, the one where satisfaction1.jpg resides. I rename Pic1.jpg to satisfaction1.jpg, and my auction image will show up in place of my "Satisfaction Guaranteed" tag.

For that reason, this fix isn't a great solution for a seller who has many auctions running at once. You'd need a separate tag for each auction that you post (satisfaction1.jpg, satisfaction2.jpg, etc.). You'd be renaming files all night. However, it is a quick way to get your images back up on one auction.

(I'll bet that martini's looking good right about now.)

Fix #2: The other option is to "add" to your eBay auction. This can be done even if there are bids on your item. You'll still need 2 servers or image hosting services, and you'll have to upload all your auction images to your second, backup server. Then go to http://cgi5.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?AddToItemDescription, enter your username, password and your auction number. You'll get a text box where you can add HTML to your auction. Assuming you've already uploaded your images to your second server, you type in something like: <img src="http://www.backupserver.com/pic1.jpg"> and then click "review".

If it looks good, then click on "Add to Your Description." You image will be attached to your auction, a few lines below your description. Your auction, while not looking its very best, will be back in business.

No argument, these are time-consuming fixes, but maintaining your auctions is part of the deal. If it were easy, EVERYONE would be doing eBay full time.

Oh, and one more thing. Murphy's Law applies directly to fixing your auction images. Five minutes after completing the arduous task of fixing them, your original server is sure to go back up!

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4) U.S. Priority Mail Postage May Increase by 15% in January
by Ina Steiner

U.S. domestic postage is going up in January 2001. Word on the street is that new rates will go into effect on January 7, 2001. The Postal Rate Commission must first approve the proposed rate increases. (Hikes in international rates are also coming.)

The USPS recommended a rate increase of an average 15% for priority mail service, along with the creation of a special 1-pound rate for priority mail. Highlights of current and proposed rates are outlined below.

U.S. Domestic Postage: CURRENT Rates to PROPOSED Rates

First Class Mail: 33c to 34c
Each additional ounce: 22c to 23c
Postcards: 20c to 21c

Priority Mail: $3.20 to $3.85
Priority Mail with delivery confirmation: $3.55 to $4.25
1-Pound Priority Mail (NEW): $3.45
NOTE: Mail in PM flat-rate envelope would continue to be charged the 2-pound
rate even if the actual weight is 1 pound or less!

Express Mail: $11.75 to $12.30
Domestic Money order: 80c to 90c
Post office box rates are also increasing.

For more information, visit http://www.usps.com. Click on Info, Scroll down to Rates, Proposed Rates Case Information, Proposed Postage Rates & Fees. You can print out this chart containing the proposed rates next to current rates for comparison.

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Recommend AuctionBytes-Update to a friend! Forward this complete issue to them, or go to http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/Recommend/recommend .html
and fill out the short form. A sample issue will automatically be sent to your friend with a note from us (and you can add a note too).
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5) eBay's "Mister Lister" Auction Management Software
By Michele Alice

I must admit to a certain inertial resistance to installing new software programs (they are not always worth the effort), but as an eBayer, I am always looking for faster and easier ways to sell my items. So, at the urging of my brother, I decided to give Mister Lister a try. Mister Lister is eBay's bulk upload service, a program that allows you to upload all your auctions at once.

One of the deciding factors in trying it out was that the program was easy to get, simple to install, and best of all...it was free! All I had to do was go to http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/walk-through-download.html, follow the simple instructions for downloading and installing the program, and-Voila! I was ready to "list dozens of items all at once"! (Believe me, if I could do it, so can you.)

After several months of creating and uploading auctions manually, I noticed the savings in time and effort immediately. Mister Lister helps to avoid several repetitive steps when listing items. For example, it's not necessary to enter your Item Location in each auction. Fill in the Settings with your location, and the program will enter it automatically in all your future auctions. Mister Lister also has a "Sticky Behavior" setting that allows other pertinent information, such as payment method and shipping options, to be carried over from auction to auction. The "Sticky Behavior" setting is also useful if you are listing many objects that fall into the same category.

Saving time was not the only factor involved in using the program: I can enter HTML into the description box and use my own template designs. And, more importantly, I can now create my auction descriptions anytime, and then launch them all at once at a time of my own choosing. In fact, Mister Lister is designed to save each collection for a period of up to two weeks-ample time to edit, vacation, get over the flu...whatever. However, I think it would be even BETTER if you could set the time you want your auctions to launch and let Mister Lister do it automatically. But allowing you to set your auction end times independently of the start time seems to be a feature that eBay is averse to, so I wouldn't hold my breath on this one.

Uploading my auctions was a breeze. Once you have finished entering all of your auction information, you simply click "Send this Collection" and your auctions are sent to eBay to await your final approval. You then log onto eBay at http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/mr.html, enter your Username and password, and commit your auctions. You also have the option of reviewing your items one last time before posting them.

Of course, every silver lining has its cloud, and I came across one when I auctioned eight J.R.R Tolkien calendars recently. Up until then, I had been listing collections of dissimilar items. It wasn't until the Tolkien auctions were almost completed that I realized that a number of bidders were interested in more than one calendar and, since the auctions would ALL END AT THE SAME TIME, it would be difficult for a bidder to give more than one item his or her full attention. In other words, I wondered if I had inadvertently put a damper on last minute bidding, and though I was ultimately pleased with the results of the auctions, I decided to investigate this potential problem more thoroughly.

Accordingly, I contacted all the people eBay had listed as bidders and asked whether they would have preferred staggered auctions. Not surprisingly, most of the responses were in the affirmative. Raoul V. pointed out that "for people interested in all 8 calendars" they'd have had "a better chance to get them all and save shipping." Stacy U. responded that she usually bids "up to the last second, and if I do not have time to try and win all, sometimes I just skip them altogether." Gary K. would have preferred them staggered, and not "just a few minutes either."

On the other hand, Scott H., who had placed proxy bids on several of the calendars, said it didn't matter to him because "in that specific case, I was determined to win them." And eBayer daan Strebe, responding in a similar vein, stated, "I don't snipe auctions. I bid what I'm willing to pay and leave the proxy bidding to do its work."

The upshot of all this is that I've decided to compromise: I'll use Mister Lister for everything except similar items ALL of the time, and I won't use Mister Lister for similar items.

Editor's Note: Another limitation of Mister Lister is that it may only be used for posting auctions on eBay. Win Bent has written reviews of other auction-management software in past issues, and look for an upcoming review of Invenna's Auction Amigo software.

Michele Alice is AuctionBytes-Update Contributing Editor. Michele is a freelance writer in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts. She collects books, science fiction memorabilia and more!
Email her at makalice@adelphia.net eBay ID: Malice9

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6) PriceRadar's Found in the Attic: G'day mate! Olympic Pins
by David Steiner

Throw a shrimp on the barby, it's time for the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics! Although the time difference may be playing havoc with U.S. television coverage, there's still been plenty of drama. There is only one burning question left unanswered: How do the 2000 Games stack up to previous Olympics in the Collectibles Event? We searched to see how Olympic Pins from the previous six Summer Games have fared at online auctions.

All searches were done with PriceRadar's Price Guide Tool.
Go to http://www.priceradar.com/default.asp?refID=101 and try your own searches!

2000 Sydney Olympics
Number of Items Sold: 8
Number of Items Unsold: 9
Sellthrough Rate: 47.06%
Highest Priced Item: $29.80
Lowest Priced Item: $2
Average Price: $12.61

1996 Atlanta Olympics
Number of Items Sold: 16
Number of Items Unsold: 10
Sellthrough Rate: 61.54%
Highest Priced Item: $37
Lowest Priced Item: $1
Average Price: $6.03

1992 Barcelona Olympics
Number of Items Sold: 6
Number of Items Unsold: 8
Sellthrough Rate: 42.86%
Highest Priced Item: $6
Lowest Priced Item: $1
Average Price: $2.67

1988 Calgary Olympics
Number of Items Sold: 18
Number of Items Unsold: 11
Sellthrough Rate: 62.07%
Highest Priced Item: $12
Lowest Priced Item: $3
Average Price: $6.43

1984 Los Angeles Olympics
Number of Items Sold: 46
Number of Items Unsold: 11
Sellthrough Rate: 80.7%
Highest Priced Item: $32.50
Lowest Priced Item: $1
Average Price: $9.15

1980 Moscow Olympics
Number of Items Sold: 2
Number of Items Unsold: 4
Sellthrough Rate: 33.33%
Highest Priced Item: $12
Lowest Priced Item: $8.10
Average Price: $10.05

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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
AUCTION FORECAST:

David's auction forecast calls for a mixed day for Sunday, September 24, 2000:
5-day auction: Fair
7-day auction: Good
10-day auction: Bad

Click here for an extended auction forecast:
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/calendar/calendar.html

Brought to you by AuctionBytes.com.
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7) COLLECTOR'S CORNER:
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Stock Certificates, Comic Book Resources, Ask the Expert

Collector's Corner: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
By Michele Alice

When my sister Kim suggested I write a piece about The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (MFU) for Collector's Corner, I remembered that I still had the "Music from the Man from U.N.C.L.E." LP that I had received on my birthday. (No, I'm not telling you which one.) Curious as to its value, I went to completed auctions on eBay (09.21.00) where, to my surprise, I found over 600 MFU items, like the 1966 MFU Thrush Ray Gun Affair Game (with two pieces missing) that went for $72! And the three MFU puzzles that sold for $80.98!! And the Corgi diecast MFU car (MIB) that found a buyer for $510!!!

Of course, there were many less expensive MFU collectibles, like Viewmaster reels, paperback books, and several copies of my record, one of which sold for $12.95 (Darn! I thought I was rich!), but the action of MFU items in the collectibles market made me realize that spies don't die. They don't fade away, either. They just live forever on the Web.

It's hard to believe that a series that is not being shown regularly on any nationwide network could continue to generate devotion in fans old and new, but a search of the Internet revealed a number of sites dedicated to Napoleon Solo, Illya Kuryakin, and the United Network for Law and Enforcement. (I admit that I, too, was once a diehard fan and that I still think of them fondly.) The series is something of a worldwide phenomenon, as there are fan pages in Dutch, French, Spanish, and even Japanese!

TNT holds the broadcast rights to the series, and though they use it primarily as filler, they do have a Web page devoted to the show. The site http://www.tnt.turner.com/action/uncle provides a concise history of the series (did you know that Ian Fleming was an early collaborator and contributed several ideas, including Napoleon Solo's name?), a multimedia archive, and a fan chat room.

Though TNT is the "official" site, two others offer much more extensive and interesting fare. The first, The Fans from U.N.C.L.E. at http://www.manfromuncle.org, offers a much more detailed history of the series, an episode guide, fan articles, a section called Buying and Collecting U.N.C.L.E. and lots more.

The second, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Episode Guide (http://members.aol.com/Wmkoenig/unclepg.htm) is an award-winning (Lycos and Britannica.com) site with synopses, reviews, interviews, and a really great, up-to-date index of related sites. It is terrific.

To read more about the show, you might want to consult the following:
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Book: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of a Television Classic, by Jon Heitland (Introduction by Robert Vaughn). Paperback, 1987. Available from Amazon.com ( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312000529/auctionbytesco m) for $12.55 (plus shipping), this is considered the series "bible". You can view a sample chapter at Jon Heitland's Web site, http://members.aol.com/heitlandjo/UNCLEbook.html where you can also order the book, which the author will autograph for free.

Live long and prosper!

Michele Alice is AuctionBytes-Update Contributing Editor. Michele is a freelance writer in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts. She collects books, science fiction memorabilia and more!
Email her at makalice@adelphia.net eBay ID: Malice9

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Collector's Corner: Old Stock Certificates
By Ina Steiner

"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS SCRIPOPHILY? http://www.scripophily.com"

This headline caught my eye in the Antiques & Collecting Newsletter (published by http://collectingchannel.com), because I had just sent off the paperwork to get my shares of AirTouch Communications switched to shares of Vodafone. I discovered that scripophily is the hobby of collecting old cancelled stock and bond certificates.

I had decided in preparing my Vodafone paperwork that I would keep the AirTouch Communications stock certificate, even though this would result in a fee (please don't tell the stock-certificate police). Perhaps some day I would frame the certificate and hang it in my office, and maybe it would be worth something someday. It appears my instincts may have been correct.

Stock certificates are pretty, in a monetary kind of way. They feature artwork such as scantily-clad Greek men with laurel wreaths on their heads (The Gillette Company) or famous people like Alexander Graham Bell (AT&T Corp.). The stock certificate paper is thick and connotes a feeling of value.

Many of the phone company "Baby Bells" have changed names as a result of mergers and acquisitions. I wish I had thought to keep all the certificates I had owned and traded in. It's thanks to my Mom that I own the stocks (thanks, Mom), and she's the one who encouraged me to get paper certificates instead of letting the company keep track of my stocks electronically.

Here's a link to a picture of my Air Touch stock certificate http://www.auctionbytes.com/images/airtouch.JPG

I learned that the value of old stock certificates is higher if the certificate was issued to someone noteworthy. And, like any other collectible, age, condition and scarcity will also increase its worth.

You can go to http://www.scripophily.com and http://www.numistoria.com and see some stock certificates for yourself. Or ask your parents, grandparents, or Old Aunt Florence if they have any - it's fun to handle the real thing.

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Collector's Corner: Comic Book Resources

The eBay Comic Book Forum is a great place to hang out with some very nice people. Lance Shoeman created a guide to collecting comics with input from many of the comic forum members:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Zone/1213/comicboardfaq.html

For example, here's information on packaging and shipping comics, created by our own Comics Editor, Win Bent, Jr.:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Zone/1213/shipping.html

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Collector's Corner: Ask the Expert
Today's Expert: Ray Tipton

Dear Ask the Expert,
My question is about Pokémon: I was wondering if you know anything about it. Well, I am sure you have at least heard about the cards from Wizards Of The Coast. Well, I need some information about how much I should sell my two cards for on an online auction. I am talking price. If you don't know, do you know any Web sites that might be able to help me? THANKS!
Unsigned

Dear Unsigned,
Probably the best place to look for the value of your Pokemon cards would be at the Web site http://www.pojo.com. Their Pokemon section has an in-depth price guide of all of the Pokemon cards (including Japanese). They publish a monthly Pokemon magazine and are the #1 Pokemon Web site on the Internet with over 150,000 hits per day.

I would have to know what cards you are trying to sell to be more specific than that. Please note that many Pokemon cards sell from about 20% to 50% less on eBay than what the price guides indicate. You should browse though eBay for similar cards to see what the current auction price is.

Comic Ray, The Expert

Ray Tipton (ComicRay) is AuctionBytes.com Toy Editor. He has written extensively about toys, most recently as editor for a major Web site, and previously owned his own shop. A long-time collector of toys and comics with a special interest in Pokemon and action figures, Ray can be reached at comicray@web-access.net . eBay ID: ComicRay

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Due to the popularity of the Ask the Expert column and volume of mail received, we may not be able to answer everyone's question, but we will try! If you have an item you'd like to learn more about, Ask the Expert!

This is not an appraisal service. Our Experts will identify your object and give you background information about it. Your question and the expert's answer will appear in future issues of AuctionBytes-Update.

To ask the expert, send an email to AskTheExpert@AuctionBytes.com. Send a photo to help the Experts identify your item more accurately.

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Answer to today's question: BidPay
Newsflash headline: "September 22, 2000 - BidPay.com Reports Auction-Fraud Ring"
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.htm l

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Advertise in AuctionBytes-Update newsletter! For ad rates, visit http://www.auctionbytes.com/Advertising/advertising.html
or email david@auctionbytes.com
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8) This & That
By Ina Steiner

Stake Your Claim!
Even if you aren't ready to build your own Web site, you may want to stake your claim. Check out this About.com article about registering your own domain name.
http://webdesign.about.com/library/weekly/aa082800a.htm?PM=n100913g

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Happenings
Put down your mouse and take a jaunt to an antiques store, auction, collectibles show - there's plenty to choose from. You can find a schedule in antiques newspapers. I checked my copy of New England Antiques Journals, and here's a sampling. You can go to http://www.antiquesjournal.com and click on Calendar of Shows and Auctions for a complete list by state.

Atlanta, Georgia, 9/29 - 10/1: The 53rd Annual D.S. Clarke Atlanta Antiques Show and Sale, Galleria Convention Center, email budmaron@earthlink.net

Round Top, Texas, 10/6 - 10/8: Emma Lee Turney's 33rd Oktoberfest Round Top Antiques Fair, www.roundtopantiquesfair.com

Miami Beach, Florida, 10/20 - 10/22: The Miami Beach Antique Jewelry and Watch Show, Miami Beach Convention Center, www.Baron-Shows.com

Greenwich, Connecticut, 10/6 - 10/7: The Grennwich Anequarian Book Fair, The Greenwich Civic Center, www.blaize.com

Dedham, Massachusetts, 10/15: Northeast Toy Soldier Society's 24th Toy Soldier Show, Holiday Inn Dedham, email apett92117@aol.com

Ventura, California, 9/24 and 11/5: Ventura Flea Market, County Fairgrounds, www.rgcshows.com

And if you are in the Boston area, please note that Sharon Boccelli & Company Auctioneers are holding an auction today (9/24/00) at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Route 16 in Watertown at 12 noon (preview is 10 - 12), and on October 15th. Owner Sharon Boccelli was interviewed by AuctionBytes.com in the May 7th issue (http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/10/11/12/13/13.html#boc elli ).

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9) Ask Bill The Postman

Dear Bill The Postman,
What's your opinion of the best way to ship large items? I have a kitchen cabinet, some windows, and an unwieldy motorcycle exhaust system I want to put up for auction, but I'm not sure how to work the shipping. Thanks.
Dan

Dear Dan,
The USPS will only ship items weighing under 70 lbs, so your best bet may be to ship UPS or some other service. Greyhound will also ship large packages. Stores like Mail Boxes Etc. will also handle large items for you.

If you'd like an EASY way to ship large packages, go to the AuctionBytes.com home page and click on the banner at the top of the page. Craters & Freighters is a company that will come to your home, package your item and ship it. You can use their price quote calculator and include the price of shipping in your auction description. You never have to lift a finger.

Hope that helps,
Bill the Postman

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10) Newsflash

"Newsflash" is a feature on the AuctionBytes.com Web site that brings you daily online auction news. Go to http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.htm l for the latest online auction news and announcements. Here are the last week's headlines:

September 23, 2000
UPS Rolls Out Package-Returns Service for Internet Sites

September 22, 2000
BidPay.com Reports Auction-Fraud Ring
eBay Listings on Other Sites?

September 21, 2000
eBay Reports Its Financial Goals, Announces Program for Third-Party Developers
Topps Announces Financial Results - 76% Growth for Q2
Bid4Assets.com to Auction Home-Equity Loans

September 20, 2000
AutoTrader.com to Become Auto Classifieds Provider on NBCi's Consumer Portal
WSJ Article on Credit Card Fraud

September 19, 2000
Gavelnet.net Acquisition Called Off by Tangible Asset Galleries
Dispute Arises over Antique Newspaper Sold at Christies
Call eBay Sellers Before Bidding?
Spam Masquerades as Sirloin

September 18, 2000
eBay Pulls Auctions of Autopsy Photos

BE SURE AND VISIT THE WEB SITE FOR THE STORIES BEHIND THE HEADLINES!
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.htm l

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AuctionBytes-Update ISSN 1528-6703
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