34

AB-Update

AB-NewsFlash

Email:

How did you hear of us?

Home
Current Auction News
Archives
Discussion Forums
Yellow Pages
Our Writers
Write For Us
Press
Advertising
About Us
Link To Us
Recommend Us! Live Chat

AuctionBytes-Update Number 34 - March 18, 2001 - 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 information about antiques and collectibles. AuctionBytes-Update is published by email twice a month. (Print it out for easier reading.)

***************************************
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) From the Editor
2) A Tradition of Good Customer Service
3) Saving Money: Tips for Managing Your Auction Images
4) How To Buy Wholesale for Your Auction Business
5) Taxes Part Two - How Do I Report My Auction Earnings?
6) COLLECTOR'S CORNER
7) This & That
8) Newsflash
***************************************

1) FROM THE EDITOR

What are the keys to successful online auctions? Edith Reynolds writes about a merchant that gives good customer service online and offline, and finds that good communications is critical to success.

We all want to save money, and David tells us how auction sellers can save money by hosting images themselves.

Where's a seller to get inventory? Skip McCarthy has some ideas in his article on how to buy wholesale for your auction business.

And don't forget, April 15th is looming. Mike Batsimm gives us tips on reporting auction earnings to the IRS. (For everyone who's already filed their taxes, and especially to those who have already deposited refund checks in their bank accounts, we procrastinators say phooey!!)
---------
As many of you know, the daily Newflash feature on our Web site is now an email newsletter. We deliver auction and collectibles news to your inbox every day. If you've been meaning to sign up, do it now. Send a blank email to: <auctionflash-subscribe@topica.com>.

David's auction calendar is one of the most popular pages on our site. Bookmark the page and refer to it often:
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/calendar/calendar.html
---------
I'd like to thank everyone who writes for AuctionBytes-Update. You can read more about our talented, hard-working writers at http://www.auctionbytes.com/Write_For_Us/WriterBios/writerbios.html

If you are interested in contributing, you can learn more here: http://www.auctionbytes.com/Write_For_Us/write_for_us.html or just send me an email.

Ina Steiner, Editor
email: ina@auctionbytes.com

=======================================
CRATERS & FREIGHTERS HELPS YOU SELL THOSE LARGE AUCTION ITEMS

Many online auction sellers (and buyers) will tell you that the BIG PROFIT is in the BIG ITEMS.
They know the solution that makes it SIMPLE...CRATERS & FREIGHTERS.

We're your one-stop source for any shipping needs. Anything. Going anywhere. Anytime. We're a full service company offering expert crating and packing.
We ship nationwide. Worldwide. And we pick-up. With full insurance coverage.

Shipping is our business. Get a FREE e-Quote today:
www.cratersandfreighters.com/cgi-bin/gocf.cgi?ref=4MGSJ
Call toll-free: 1-800-736-3335
================================Advertisement=======

***************************************
***************************************
2) A Tradition of Good Customer Service
By Edith Reynolds

What do you do when you want to make customer service the cornerstone of your Internet-based business? Let your voice show your smile when you answer the telephone. Or in this case, answer an email.

Hank Paine strives to let that happen when customers contact him through Theconnecticutstore.com <http://www.theconnecticutstore.com >. A good will toward others was instilled into this merchant from day one when he was born into a family that owned and operated "Waterbury's Friendly Department Store," a place where people handed over their money to a staff that smiled back.

Now that the customer is often nothing more than the name at the end of an email or check, Paine's dedication to customer service hasn't diminished. "The customer is trusting you with their credit card number and their purchase, and you better earn it or deserve it," he advises.

He eschews the newly launched available services that are dedicated to assuaging customer concerns. Paine opts, instead, for the old-fashioned approach of quick, reliable service. "A customer in a store can see you and judge whether to trust you or not. You can't do that on the Internet." So his approach is to communicate completely and fast. And that means answering questions as well taking orders. And the service is the same whether you're ordering directly from the Web site or if you win a bid on eBay.

Having a brick and mortar enterprise as well as a successful Web site, Paine learned how to bridge the gaps. "When a customer walks in, they can walk out with a product. An Internet customer has to wait, and so we have to be as quick as possible." That means a plan for quick shipment that Paine constantly struggles to beat.

His record stands at 8 minutes and 35 seconds from the moment the order was taken to when it was handed across the post office counter.

One of the products he's continually shipping from Theconnecticutstore.com is an all time American favorite--Wiffle Ball.

The importance of customer service is always being reiterated to Paine. He recounts one story he heard from a Minnesota man who contacted Paine after a painfully slow shipment from another Internet source for the toy. "It took months for the order to arrive, and by then, some of the people he was going to give the bats and balls to had moved," Paine tells. Now the gentleman is getting married and wants to provide a bat and ball for each guest plus a few extras to be on hand for a mid-reception game. It was Paine's reputation for quick reliable service that earned him the contact.

Swift service isn't always easy, especially with something like Wiffle Balls, whose bats make it a feat of engineering to package well. "These are things that don't cost a lot to begin with, so we have to be cost-effective with shipping but we also need to be quick.

"And the way I see it, if you can get the product to the customer in three days, it's a whole lot better than a week and a half."

So what kind of problems arise in an Internet business when your primary focus is aimed at good service? Paine says it's mostly receiving incomplete addresses and lost shipments once they leave his hands. His preferred method for sending out merchandise is Priority Mail from USPS and UPS. "And we do a lot of follow up response as a result to make sure everything is okay," he explains.

Sometimes that's not easy but becomes a juggling act amid the daily routine of running a shop and restaurant and taking part in the community development projects to improve the quality of city life. "Still, we tend to the order desk from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week online."

Paine doesn't seem to get discouraged, even by the questions that aren't related to sales. "We had one family call us who wanted to know about a Waterbury manufactured button that was found on Grandma's charm bracelet after she died. What was it?"

Paine got on the phone to the manufacturer (yes, Waterbury Button is still operating and has been since the War of 1812). He learned the button was a Navy issue and this led to the discovery that Grandma had a secret beau. The family's on a hunt to find out who he was and what happened between the two.

It's stories like this that keep Paine going, and the Internet simply broadened the scope of where the stories come from. It's this attitude of genuinely liking people that translates to the Internet.

But even this process can have its drawbacks. One must be diligent in monitoring the email servers and have backup plans if they fail. And you must sometimes rely on others to keep that smiling service going. Though Paine is the initial contact via email, telephone calls are answered by one of five employees. Merchants employing Paine's practical approach must be certain that the employees are all on board with the company's goals, no matter how badly their day is progressing.

Still, it's a method that works for Theconnecticutstore.com, and though you won't see the company hitting the news because of monumental corporate gains, they'll continue to offer a steady flow of items that were Made in Connecticut to anyone who wants them. And that translates to a steady parade of pewter, jewelry, candles, enamelware and toys making their way from Paine's shop to the post office door. And who knows, one of these orders might just break Paine's 8 1/2 minute record!

---
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, http://www.taxter.com and http://www.usiana.com. eBay IDs: TAXTER , TAXTER2 , TAXTER3 , USIANA , BALEBOOKS.

***************************************
***************************************
3) Saving Money: Tips for Managing Your Auction Images
By David Steiner

Brace yourself for more fee increases.

AuctionWatch has begun to charge for their auction management service and image hosting, eBay has restructured their image hosting fees and auction sellers are feeling a dozen hands sliding in their pockets, picking away at their profit margins. The more you learn to handle in-house, the less reliant you'll be on third-party services. For instance, you can include multiple pictures in your auctions without paying any extra fees to image-hosting and auction sites.

There are three things that you can do to keep a little extra cash on your side of the ledger:

1) Use the server space that your ISP provides with your internet service
2) Learn basic HTML and embed your images into your auction descriptions
3) Learn to composite your images into one, easily viewable file

Most Internet Service Providers - including AOL - give you server space with your Internet account. You can upload your picture files to this space and become your own image hosting service.

To transfer your files to your server space, you'll need an FTP program. I recommend a program that's been around a long time and is still one of the best: WsFTP. You can download the Pro or Limited Edition versions for evaluation at http://www.ftpplanet.com/download.htm. Its a simple program to use and comes with a great tutorial page that explains the basics of file transferring at http://www.ftpplanet.com/ftpresources/basics.htm. If you are subscribed to AOL, check out http://twaze.com/aolpix/aolintro.html for a nice explanation on how to upload your files.

Once you begin transferring images to your server, you'll want to be able to display those images in your auction. Become very familiar with one line of HTML: <IMG SRC=http://www.YOURPIC.com> Replace the URL with the appropriate one that hosts your picture.

Type this link into your auction description using HTML, then cut and paste the entire description into the appropriate field of the auction site (or into your auction management software program). Here's an entire template that I created and used for several years. It's simple, but gets the job done. Simply replace the information in Caps.

<table align="center" cellpadding="8" width="93%" border="7" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="cyan">
<tr>
<td valign="top" align="left" bgcolor="#000080">REPLACE WITH YOUR TITLE
<img src=" REPLACE WITH YOUR PICTURE LINK">
 
 
<big><big>REPLACE WITH YOUR ITEM DESCRIPTION</big></big>
<big><big><a href="REPLACE WITH THE LINK TO YOUR AUCTIONS ">Click Here</a>
 to See ALL the Auctions I have running!</big></big>
<big><big><big>GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY BIDDING!</big></big></big>
 
 
</tr>
</table>

The "img src" should be the URL where your auction picture is located. The link to your auctions should be the URL of the page that lists all of the auctions you have currently running. To find this URL on eBay, for example, simply do a seller search of your own user name. Cut and paste the resulting URL into the appropriate line in the template above.

Once you've filled out all of the information in the template, copy and paste all of the text into the description box on eBay's "Sell Your Item" page, and you're in business. (If you are using PC-based auction management software, paste the text into the description box.)

What if you want to show several images of your item? Make the following changes to your template:

<table align="center" cellpadding="8" width="93%" border="7" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="cyan">
<tr>
<td valign="top" align="left" bgcolor="#000080">REPLACE WITH YOUR TITLE
<img src="REPLACE WITH YOUR 1st PICTURE LINK">
 
 
<img src="REPLACE WITH YOUR 2nd PICTURE LINK">
 
 
<big><big>REPLACE WITH YOUR ITEM DESCRIPTION</big></big>
<big><big><a href="REPLACE WITH THE LINK TO YOUR AUCTIONS">Click Here</a>
 to See ALL the Auctions I have running!</big></big>
<big><big><big>GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY BIDDING!</big></big></big>
 
 
</tr>
</table>

Notice that all I've done is added two (break) tags and copied and pasted my <img src=> tag. Of course, the URLs for each image should reflect the locations of each picture.

One thing you should be aware of: If you embed your image into the HTML that you are entering into the eBay description box, the camera icon will not show up next to your auction. The camera icon indicates that there is a picture of the item, and people are much more likely to click on an auction if they think there is an image. To get the icon to display, I create a small "Satisfaction Guaranteed" image that I manually enter into the "Picture URL" on eBay's "Sell Your Item" page.

To get the icon to display, you may want to create a small "Satisfaction Guaranteed" image that you upload to your server and link to in the "Picture URL" on eBay's "Sell Your Item" page. I'll show you how to make such an image in the next part of this article.

For those of you who have a good understanding of HTML, this may seem pretty basic, but for users who have no prior experience, this is a simple template that can serve you well. No, it's not going to list your auctions automatically, but it will allow you to access your own privately hosted images and use them in your auctions.

Next time: Managing the size of your image files and creating composite images.

***************************************
***************************************
4) How To Buy Wholesale for Your Auction Business
By Skip McGrath, editor of The Auction Power Newsletter

The most frequently asked question I hear is, "Where can I find all the hot-selling products at wholesale to sell on eBay?"

There are thousands of wholesalers on the Web and thousands more available off-line who will work with eBay and Web site sellers, flea market dealers and small retailers. These companies are set up to deal in small quantity orders and with small buyers.

The large wholesalers receive thousand of inquiries from people wishing to purchase their products who are not "real" businesses. These requests are routinely discarded.

What does it take to be treated as a real business? First of all, it takes a sales tax number (or businesses license if you reside in a non-sales tax state). These are issued by the various states. In most states the cost is less than $50 and you can apply on-line. Go to < http://www.ny.gov> or < http://www.state.ny.us> for New York State. (Put the two-letter abbreviation of your state in the URL instead of "NY.")

At the state's home page, look for links to the taxing authority or to "business license." Several states have links called "Setting Up A New Business" that will give all the information you need to get started. You will also need letterhead, business cards, a checking account in the name of your business, and blank purchase orders (available at your local office supply store).

After contacting the wholesale companies, many of them will ask you to fax a catalog/price list request on your letterhead with your sales-tax number before taking your request seriously.

Some of the best wholesale sources are still off-line. Wholesale distributing on the Web is far behind the e-commerce curve. Although there are hundreds of "wholesale-only" Web sites, this is still a tiny fraction of the industry. One useful Web site is <http://www.buylink.com>.

New buyers usually have to prepay for shipment. Most established wholesalers and distributors will advance credit to buyers after they have placed and paid for three or four orders. There are some wholesalers out there who might not be reliable. Much like any other business, they do come and go. For this reason, I seldom recommend or feature a company unless it has been in business at least a couple of years.

There are hundreds of wholesale industry trade shows in the U.S. every year. Wholesale-only design & furniture centers, gift marts, merchandise marts and jewelry centers are located in every major city. This is where you find and buy the latest, hottest products.

Gaining entry to trade shows and wholesale marts can be difficult. They will usually ask for several items of identification to prove you are "in the trade." The first time you visit, take business cards, letterhead, a copy of your sales tax or business license, blank purchase orders and your business checkbook. You may have to show all of these items to gain entry.

Is it worth all this trouble to attend a trade show? Yes. Dealers offer special trade-show pricing, and you have the opportunity to make new contacts and negotiate special pricing and terms face-to-face. Trade shows are also where you can find the products no one else is selling online.

Instead of trying to find a source for the hot products everyone else is selling on eBay, this is an opportunity to find the next hot product before everyone else does.

Skip McGrath publishes the Wholesale Buying System and a free newsletter for Web site and online auction sellers at <http://www.auction-sellers-resource.com>.

***************************************
***************************************
5) Taxes Part Two - How Do I Report My Auction Earnings?
By Mike Batsimm

NOTE: The first part of this series, "Do I Have to Report My Auction Earnings?" can be found at < http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/33/33.html#taxes>.

Last time, we discussed why all earnings must be reported and how to avoid being audited by Internal Revenue Service. This article discusses how to report earnings.

> I sold my old collection of vinyl albums this year. How do I report it?

This is where the TYPE of transaction comes in to play. As I mentioned before, there are many types of people selling products in auctions. There are people who are simply selling extra stuff that's lying around in the attic or basement. It's sort of an online yard sale. Presumably, this is not a regular activity for the seller. This would be considered to be a capital sale that you report on Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses. You will need to know the sales date and price, the purchase date and price (if it's been in your attic for 25 years and it was a present in the first place, use an approximate date and a purchase price of zero). You also get to deduct expenses of the sale, such as any auction site fees or commissions. Note that IRS only cares about your purchase price, not how much it was worth. So if you bought a painting for $5 at a yard sale that upon closer inspection turned out to be a Renoir and sold it online for $5 million, you have a $5 million capital gain!

There are all kinds of exceptions for inherited or gifted items, items exchanged in tax-free swaps, etc., and calculating basis can get tricky, so again, you may want to consult a tax preparer for that.

> Well, actually, I kind of had lots of auctions running all through the year...

Once the auction activity becomes more regular, especially if you are buying and reselling items, you have a business that you will need to report on Schedule C. The truth is, even a few sales like this should be reported. This is because you will be able to deduct any related expenses, including what you paid for the product you're selling. This is when you need some way to keep track of the money flowing in and out, whether it's a shoebox full of receipts, or personal finance software like Quicken or Money, or you give it all to your tax preparer. Keep receipts of all purchases made - not only is it required for substantiation should you get audited, it's a good way to not forget about these deductions. [Note - if the business is getting really large and making a lot of money, you might also want to consider incorporating it as a way to save self-employment tax and limit liability. That is an entirely new and enormous topic - consult a tax preparer or accountant.]

> If you are adding online sales to an already existing retailing business, should you combine them on the Schedule C?

The answer is - it's up to you, more or less. If the product is similar, then it's purely personal preference. If they're different, you should probably use separate forms. There are no tax implications to this decision - all Schedules C for each individual taxpayer are combined for tax and self-employment tax purposes.

> But how do I do the form? More to the point, what can I deduct?

Now, let's consider what goes on the form. This is a huge topic, and so as not to lose the three or four of you who haven't already moved on to the next article, I will summarize the most important categories. Your best bet for a complete list is to get a copy of Schedule C and review the list of expenses. (The IRS Web site at <http://www.irs.gov> is a good place to get info and download forms.) If you use Quicken or Money, consider tailoring your income and expense accounts to fit the Schedule C lines you use in your business. That way, when you are ready to do taxes, you can just print a list of the business expenses and get a big head start on your return.

1. Sales. OK, this should be fairly obvious. One note - if you charge an amount for shipping (i.e., $19.95 plus $3.50 shipping and handling), you should report income of $23.45 and then report as a shipping expense whatever your actual costs are.

2. Cost of goods sold. This includes the purchase price of the item you are reselling, any freight paid, and any labor paid to rework or repackage the item. The item to watch out for here is inventory. If you generally keep a quantity of whatever product you are selling or manufacturing on hand, you need to value your inventory as of the end of each year. The easiest way to value inventory is at cost (i.e. I have 2000 beanie babies on hand, and I paid $5 for each of them, so my inventory is valued at $10,000). Then the amount that inventory increased or decreased during the year will reduce or increase your cost of goods sold. In effect, the amount that is on hand is treated as an asset rather than an expense, until it is sold. There are other considerations to inventory, such as whether the inventory has suffered a loss in market value, whether the inventory is manufactured goods in different stages of completion, whether the inventory was purchased at different tim!
es!
and prices, etc.

3. Direct selling expenses. This includes any advertising, auction site charges, shipping to customers (including the supplies and the postage), or any other supplies that were directly involved in the sale of the product. If most or all of your computer use is business related, you can deduct the cost of the computer, ISP charges, and cable modems (if the business use is not exclusive, you can still take a percentage of those costs). This is probably a good time to talk about documentation. Save those receipts! If IRS audits you, they will disallow any expense you can't document. If you buy something at a yard sale to re-sell, and they don't have receipts, write up something on a piece of paper and have them sign it. Or if you do a lot of this sort of thing, bring a pad of receipts yourself. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it does have to be something.

4. Vehicle expenses. If you use your car in the course of business (not including commuting between work and home), you may be able to deduct some of your auto expenses. The simplest method is the mileage rate, which allows you to deduct 32 1/2 cents per business mile in 2000. Now, you are required to keep documentation on your business use. The easiest way is to keep a log in the car, and whenever you go anywhere business related, note where you went, the date, and beginning and ending odometer readings. This is where people get into trouble - unless you have a separate business car, you never use a car 95% or 100% for business. So keep a log, and use the miles you get. Again, there are other ways to deduct auto expense, and all kinds of other considerations crop up. See a tax preparer or follow your tax software carefully through this section.

5. Indirect expenses and home office. This opens up an incredibly complicated and restrictive part of the tax code, but in general, if you maintain an office in your home or apartment that is exclusively used for the business, and if that office is where the bulk of the business is transacted, you may be able to deduct a percentage of the interest and taxes (or rent) and utilities, and you may be able to take a depreciation deduction on the house if you own it. Keep in mind though, that depreciating the house in effect converts a piece of your primary residence into a business asset, which has far less preferable tax treatment when it comes time to sell it. Consult a preparer before going too nuts in this section, as there has been a ton of litigation, with mixed results

> Wow, you talk a lot. How long do I have to keep all this paper you're making me get?

You need to keep records at least as long as the applicable statute of limitations. Under normal circumstances, the statute of limitations is three years after the return is filed. So on April 15, 2001, the statute will run on 1997 returns. However, if IRS is alleging fraud, the statute goes to seven years. Since you don't know it until they come knocking, it's best to keep your records the seven years at least. The good thing is that if you have to buy a file cabinet to keep all the returns in, it should be deductible.
Gee, thanks for coming. Any other incredibly informative tidbits you want to bore me with?

I guess the bottom line is that selling on-line is just like selling off-line, tax-wise. There is no difference in the tax treatment. The other point is that the tax code is incredibly complicated, and, as you can see, full of exceptions to every rule. If you want to try to do your taxes yourself, I highly recommend investing the roughly $25 it costs to get a tax package, like TurboTax or TaxCut. The packages walk you through line by line, ask questions to try to lead you in the right direction, and have fairly comprehensive help screens, and also tax planning tips for next year. They also allow you to file electronically to get your refund quicker. This will allow you to spend more time focusing on unloading that shipment of Beanie babies.

---
Mike Batsimm has wasted the last fifteen years of his life involved in tax preparation, research, and planning, including ten years in public accounting firms. He now prepares tax returns as a side job. Mike is a Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and has a Masters degree in Taxation from Bentley College.

***************************************
***************************************

=======================================
Foo Dog Software

No monthly fees! Quick and easy Auction Management software.
Shooting Star is an intelligent way to manage your auction
transactions. It uses a workflow system to efficiently move your
auctions from start to finish.

"I can't tell you how much time I have saved." - J.Fry

Download it now! http://FooDogSoftware.com/ab2.htm

================================Advertisement=======

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

David's auction forecast calls for a mixed day for Sunday, March 18, 2001:
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 >
Bookmark it!

Brought to you by AuctionBytes Yellow Pages at
<http://www.online-auction-directory.com>
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@
Recommend AuctionBytes-Update to a friend! Forward this complete issue to
them, or go to
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/Recommend/recommen d.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).
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@

***************************************
***************************************
6) COLLECTOR'S CORNER: Lego Building Blocks

Collector's Corner: Lego Building Blocks - There's Gold In Them Thar Bricks!
By Susan Crites

In the mid-1960's, Lego Building Blocks were introduced to "Baby Boomers" in the United States. The inter-locking bricks soon became one of the most popular toys in America. Forty years later, Lego remains a bestseller to children and adults alike. Every day on eBay, more than 5,000 Lego items are available to an enthusiastic crowd of buyers. Unlike many categories of auction items, almost every Lego item is sold every day! To reap Lego profits, here are a few tips.

You can find Lego in most stores that carry toys. Mint-In-Box (MIB) or brand new Lego sells for $0.10 or more per piece. Stores like K-Mart or Zainy-Brainy often drastically reduce retail prices.

Finding Lego at half price is not unusual. Yard sales, moving sales and auctions are a treasure house for Lego hunters. Often, you can find pounds of Lego for pennies per pound! Among the most exciting and profitable auctions on eBay and Yahoo are the Lego pound auctions! Lego buyers are savvy and competitive! They know the value of Lego sets old and new. Many are willing to pay whatever it takes to get a set or pieces of sets that fill out their collections. They scoff at Sellers who over-price items by setting an opening or reserve price at a higher-than-retail amount. Bidding can be fierce and prices can skyrocket in the last minutes of a Lego auction.

The best rule-of-thumb to use in making profits selling Lego is to never pay more than 50% of retail, and always buy by the pound when you can. New or used, in small amounts or large, Lego is a very profitable auction item that everyone can find and anyone can sell!

Susan Crites (auction ID wvhistory@aol.com) has been collecting Lego sets since 1964. She has hundreds of thousands of pieces in her collection, ranging from very early pieces that read "Patent Pending" to the newest Lego sets. Susan has built a significant number of Lego sets.

***************************************
***************************************
7) This & That: Boston Radio Show on Collectibles

"Calling All Collectors - The Gary Sohmers Radio Show" will air on Boston radio beginning Monday, March 19, 2001. The show consists of one hour of expert information with opinions of value and celebrity and collector interviews. Gary will answer questions from callers who hope they have a treasure or asking for qualified advice. The program will feature a variety of guests including experts, auctioneers, appraisers, collectors, authors and celebrities that collect to make it always fun and educational.

Gary Sohmers operates Wex Rex Collectibles and the Wex Rex Auction Gallery located on Route 9 in Framingham, Massachusetts. Gary appears as an appraiser in the area of collectibles, toys and memorabilia on the WGBH PBS-TV program "The Antiques Roadshow," airing Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. on WGBH Channel 2 in Boston and on over 750 stations across the U.S.

"Calling All Collectors - The Gary Sohmers Radio Show"
Monday Through Friday, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM Eastern Time
WBNW 1120 AM (Boston)
WPLM 1390 AM (Plymouth & Cape Cod)

*******

Property Bureau, a company founded and managed by former police officers, launched its online police auction site, PropertyRoom.com. PropertyRoom.com offers a single location for local law enforcement agencies to sell seized, recovered or unclaimed property. The site features a wide selection of quality new and used merchandise ranging from jewelry, stereos, electronic equipment and television sets, to computers, collectibles and cameras.

Property Bureau examines, inspects and refurbishes items before placing them on PropertyRoom.com for auction, to assure consumers that they are bidding on high quality merchandise.

A unique feature of the site is the StealItBack section. In this section, visitors to the site can register goods that have been stolen from them. Once registered, if these items are received by Property Bureau, they will be returned to their owner free of charge. <http://www.propertyroom.com>

*******
Auction Sellers Offer Free Shipping
A group of auction sellers have banded together to create Free Shipping Auctions (FSA). These auction sellers have decided to offer their customers the ease and savings of FREE SHIPPING on purchases within the United States.

Criteria for being a member is simple - you must offer free shipping on your auctions within the U.S. Members may download the FSA logo to include in their auction descriptions, on AboutMe auction pages, personal Web pages and on online stores.

The FSA site at http://www.womensday.com/fsa.html lists member information. Email petals@petalsoflife.com for more information.

=======================================
TIAS.com

You can have "fixed price" sales and upload to eBay
directly from your very own online shop. We've built
over 800 Web sites for online merchants Stop by
today and give it try at: http://www.makeashop.com
It's easy to use, has great features and will help you
get your merchandise sold.

http://www.makeashop.com
================================Advertisement=======

***************************************
***************************************
8) Newsflash Highlights
See Web Site for Full Details and Continuous Coverage
Go to <http://www.auctionbytes.com> and click on Newsflash.

March 16, 2001
eBay Says Deadline to Decentralize Tech Infostructure Is May.
More Category Changes on the Way at eBay.
eBay #12 in Media Metrix Top 50 Web Site List.
eBay Makes Changes to "End Auction Early" Feature.

March 15, 2001
eWanted.com Service to Be Available to Yahoo Auction Users.
The Trials of a Comic Book Hero.
eBay CEO Optimistic about Future of Internet.
mybiz Offers Better Usability.

March 14, 2001
Amazon zShops Listings Disappear from Search Results.
eBay Changes Policy to Increase Member Privacy.
eBay Offers Banner Ads to Sellers.
Universal (Auction) Health Insurance.

March 13, 2001
PayPal to Return Unclaimed Funds to Senders after 30 Days.
HP Introduces Flatbed Printer/Scanner/Copier for $299.
eBay and Microsoft Rub Noses.
PayPal Launches Directory of Member Sites.
eBay Celebrates Listing Milestone with Contest.
eBay Changes Price Structure of Its Picture Service.

March 12, 2001
Andale and Honesty Sites Experience Brief Outage Friday.
Your Reputation is Everything (Even on the Wireless Web).
Latin American Auction Sites Unfazed by eBay's Market Entry.
Hammer Falls on eBay's Stock Price.
Oscar Frowns on eBay Auction.
U.S. Universal Mail Service is at Risk; USPS Faces $3 Billion Loss.

March 9, 2001
Seller Threatens to Sue Microsoft after It Pulls His Auction from eBay.
Diebenkorn Painting Followup: Three Charged with Shill Bidding on eBay.

March 8, 2001
Beware Male Individuals from California, Florida and New York!
eBay Announces Impending Feedback Changes.
Yahoo's Koogle Will Hand Over CEO Role; Yahoo Adjusts Revenue Figures & Buys Back Stock.
InsureDeal Escrow Service Offers Free Wire Transfers to Participating Sellers.
eBay Gives Away $10,000 to Promote Use of Its Online Payment System.

March 7, 2001
Bibliofind Bookseller Gets Hacked.
PayPal Rounds Up $90 Million in Financing.
Amazon Increases Listing Limit to Its Subscription Service.
Rewards.com on the Auction Block.

March 6, 2001
eBay Announces Changes to "Buy It Now" Feature.
Topps Delays Introduction of Web Trading Cards.
Barrett-Jackson Wins Award for Best Site in "Collectible Cars" Category.

March 5, 2001
The Industry Standard Ponders State of the Auction Industry.
Art Restoration Company Helps Earthquake Victims Salvage Treasures.

BE SURE AND VISIT OUR WEB SITE FOR COMPLETE DAILY AUCTION NEWS!
AND NOW YOU CAN SIGN UP TO RECEIVE NEWSFLASH VIA EMAIL!
The "Newsflash" column brings you DAILY online auction news. Go to
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.ht ml for the latest online auction news and announcements.
Or subscribe by sending a blank email to: auctionflash-subscribe@topica.com

********************************************************* *********************
Please use the AuctionBytes Yellow Pages when you are shopping for supplies and services for online auctions and collectibles!
<http://www.online-auction-directory.com>
********************************************************* *********************

AuctionBytes-Update ISSN 1528-6703
AUCTIONBYTES.COM CONTACT INFORMATION
Editorial: ina@auctionbytes.com
Advertising: advert@auctionbytes.com or 508-655-5697
Letters, Comments, Suggestions: feedback@auctionbytes.com
Want to Write for AuctionBytes-Update? Go to http://www.auctionbytes.com and click on "write for us" to view author guidelines. If you are interested, send email to ina@auctionbytes.com.

Ina Steiner, Editor, Publisher and Co-founder: ina@auctionbytes.com
David Steiner, Webmaster, Technical Editor, President and Co-founder:
dsteiner@auctionbytes.com
Michele Alice, Contributing Editor
AuctionBytes.com
c/o Steiner Associates
PO Box 668
Natick, MA 01760
508-655-5697
-----------------
Thank you for subscribing to AuctionBytes-Update. AuctionBytes-Update email newsletter may be freely distributed in its entirety, so please pass it on. (Individual sections MAY NOT be copied and/or distributed without written permission of the publisher.)

The Fine Print:
No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Steiner Associates makes diligent efforts to obtain accurate and timely information. However, Steiner Associates disclaims any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in AuctionBytes-Update, whether or not such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause. Scratch scratch.