AuctionBytes-Update Number 44 - August 19, 2001 - ISSN 1528-6703

Tell a friend about AuctionBytes-Update, a free newsletter for online auction buyers and sellers. Forward this newsletter or go to: http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/Recommend/recommend.ht ml

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IN THIS ISSUE:
1) From the Editor
2) How To Make Money Selling Books Online, Part V
3) Auction Submit Free Auction Management Software
4) For Sale: Pawnshop Goods
5) AuctionBytes Web Site - Useful Tools
6) This & That
7) COLLECTOR'S CORNER: "Dating" Your Yard Sale Finds
8) Newsflash
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1) FROM THE EDITOR

Computer viruses have been running rampant lately. Many of our users have been struck by viruses, and my own anti-virus software has been catching the ugly critters left and right. Make sure you update your anti-virus software AT LEAST once a week. If you don't have anti-virus software, get some! Two of the big anti-virus software providers are McAfee <http://www.mcafee.com> and Norton <http://www.norton.com>. Don't assume that if a friend sends you a file that it is safe to open - they may have the virus and not know it.

To complicate matters, InfoWorld reports that PDF files, long considered safe by Internet Explorer (and by most people), may now carry a virus. You should back up your important files frequently. The more you rely on computers for your livelihood, the more care you should take in protecting your important information.

This is a great issue this week, including the next installment of Craig Stark's "How to Sell Books Online" series, and David's review of a FREE auction management software tool. I review some of the useful tools and resources on the AuctionBytes Web site. Next issue, I'll be checking out uBid. This is an interesting auction site, and it's worth taking a closer look at it.

Beth Kagel is moderating a new forum about vintage cameras. Beth is an experienced photographer who loves to work with vintage cameras to create fine art. She collects all types of vintage cameras. She encourages both amateur and professional photographers to broaden their creative horizons by experimenting with 19th and 21st century technology. Check out Beth's new forum and ask a question at < http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/index.php>.

Thanks to everyone who visited the newly improved forums on the AuctionBytes Web site. There are some interesting discussions going on.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Ina Steiner, Editor
email: ina@auctionbytes.com

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2) How To Make Money Selling Books Online, Part V
by Craig Stark

Last week, I reviewed three of the six principles of presenting your books for auction: developing a good auction title, taking pictures, and including publication data. This week, I will cover the remaining three principles: text description, describing the condition of the book, and terms of sale.

4. TEXTUAL DESCRIPTION
Ordinarily I don't go into much detail here, especially if I've included informative pictures, but sometimes you can close a deal with a good sales pitch. Basically the approach I use is to include here what I would have put in the auction title if I'd had more room. If I'm stuck, I ask myself, "Why did I pull this book off the shelf in the first place?" Whatever you do, remember that time is precious, and this is one of the least productive places to invest it-and often, sadly, where many sellers waste it anyway.

5. CONDITION
Condition takes on more importance for collectible books than content-value books, but either way, it's an important means of building trust in your buyer. It's fine to sing a book's praises if it's truly a plum, but it's important to disclose every significant flaw. Bookselling terms such as AB Bookman's are acceptable but not necessary. Plain English works great because you're selling primarily to buyers who speak it. If you do use more technical terms, know them cold and provide a link in the listing to a site that explains them in gory detail.

6. TERMS
Keep it short and simple here. Don't spend an ounce of energy telling your buyers what terrible fate will befall them if they don't do what you want them to do, when you want them to do it. Rather, emphasize what you will do for them. Positive, not negative, sells. If things go amiss later, then deal with problems as they come up, individually, and remember that most buyers actually want what they've bid on and are more than willing to pay for it.

Finally, there's one more piece of advice I'd like to offer that supersedes everything else I've said so far about presentation. If you want to learn how to become the best seller you can be, BECOME A BUYER. Yes, buy things online. Observe which auctions you bid on and which you don't for identical items-and why. I guarantee you'll experience the online equivalent of a morning sunrise. The darkness will lift, and you'll magically see what attracts you and what repels you, what works and what doesn't. You'll then be able to apply it to your own auctions-and in a few years we'll both be enjoying early retirement!

I've deliberately left what I think is the most important article in this series for last: HOW TO PRICE BOOKS FOR AUCTION. Much of what I'll say will probably fly in the face of everything you've ever heard or read about selling books on eBay, but I only ask that you to hear me out. It could dramatically affect your bottom line.
---
Craig Stark is a full-time online bookseller working at home, and currently makes in excess of $1,000 weekly selling exclusively on eBay. He lists anything that will realize a worthwhile profit, including both antiquarian and contemporary titles. In several months he will launch a Web site at <http://www.braintreebooks.com> and offer a large selection of hard-to-find, quality books. At that time he will begin listing some of his auctions using the ID braintreebooks. Email Craig at braintreebooks@yahoo.com. Craig also hosts the Book Forum on the AuctionBytes Website. If you have questions or comments, go to http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/index.php

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3) Auction Submit Free Auction Management Software
by David Steiner

Since the beginning of this year, trying to find a free service in the online auction world is a lot like looking for a parking space at Home Depot on the weekend. There just ain't many around. That's why it's nice to run across an auction management program that's not only free, but also has some very useful features. Auction Submit, developed in 1999 by EZ Times Software, is just that - useful, free, and includes features that are usually found only in commercial packages. It's also getting a respectable amount of use. An August 13th search of eBay showed over 70,000 auctions that had been loaded to the Site using Auction Submit.

Auction Submit contains most of the important features found in pay-for-play auction management packages:

- The software is compatible with eBay, Amazon and Yahoo! Auctions.

- You can create and save your auctions ahead of time, using one of the included templates.

- You can modify the font and background colors in the templates, or if you're feeling creative, you can make your own template and import it into the software.

- Auction Submit handily keeps track of your current auctions as well as sold and unsold items.

- Auction Submit handles many of eBay's special features, such as Gallery and Feature Listings, Buy It Now, and Second Category Listings.

- You can keep track of your shop listings if you have a storefront on Shoporium.com (another EZ Time Site). < http://www.shoporium.com>

The Auction Submit interface is fairly intuitive and easy to navigate, and if you do have a problem, you can take advantage of the comprehensive help pages and user manual on the Auction Submit site. Pretty nifty, especially considering the price.

There are limitations to AuctionSubmit. It does not submit auctions to eBay Motors or adult eBay categories. There is no FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program bundled with the package, so you have to get used to typing in your image files manually. You can edit the General Default Preferences and type in the URL and subfolder where your images are located to save time, but it's still not as slick as having an on-board FTP program. You also have to manually add HTML to descriptions if you want to change font size or add returns. The Preview feature can also be a bit quirky. Instead of updating one browser window when you want to see what your auction looks like, Auction Submit opens a new window each time you hit the Preview button, leaving your desktop covered with browser windows and using up resources on your computer.

Overall, I was impressed with many of the features, as well as how up-to-date the software was with eBay's category changes. (eBay's constant changes to their categories have helped put more than one good auction management company out of business.) Auction Submit was exceptionally fast when submitting auctions to eBay and also updated current auctions very quickly. You can easily relist unsold items or multiple items by hitting the "Duplicate" button, which copies the auction and moves it into queue in the "New Listings" category. The Duplicate feature is also handy when you only have minor changes to make in your auctions. Another handy feature is the ability to attach free counters from Shoporium when you upload an auction.

According to Jon Goldstein, Managing Partner of EZ Time Software LLC, Auction Submit will continue to be free and will be supported for the foreseeable future. The company is currently working on a new pay version of Auction Submit, targeted for Beta testing in the Fall, which will offer more advanced features than the free version. The new version will also be accessible to Mac users.

Auction Submit is a 4.21 megabyte download that can be found at <http://www.auctionsubmit.com>. Considering the cost, there's really not much to lose. For those users shopping around for an auction management software package, AuctionSubmit is certainly worth a look.

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4) For Sale: Pawnshop Goods
by Ina Steiner

It seems everything in the "real world" eventually makes its appearance in Cyberspace. So too with pawnshops. You can find a wide range of items for sale at SuperPawn's Web site <http://www.cyberpawn.com>. Gold, diamonds, watches, fine jewelry, cameras, electronics, tools, sporting goods and collectibles are some of the goods available at prices below retail.

SuperPawn started as a family business in 1875. It is now "a corporate enterprise with over 30 stores with more than 300 employees in Las Vegas, NV, Reno, NV, Renton, WA, and Phoenix, AZ," according to the Web site.

What is a "pawnshop"? If you need cash in a hurry, you can bring an item to a pawnshop and use it as collateral to get a loan. If you default on the loan, the pawnshop then sells your item to get back their money. Pawnshops are regulated by state laws.

Despite the stereotypical view of pawnshops, they avoid accepting merchandise that they believe might be stolen, since they lose out if law enforcement officials seize the goods.

I spoke to Diane McKinney, Director of Communications at SuperPawn. "Today's Pawnshop is a place where diverse consumers - from college students to young families - come to procure quick, easy loans that are usually far too small to come from banks. Our loans are always made on collateral - usually jewelry or electronics - although we will loan on anything that has a resell value."

Diane said that the rate of default is low, but when it does happen, they will resell the merchandise in their stores or at auction. "To ensure that we are offering the consumer a quality product, we test all merchandise to make sure it is in good condition before we loan on it - and again before we sell it." She said that SuperPawn stores offer a full merchandise guarantee.

Some pawnshops are targeting "yuppies," according to this article from the February 2, 2001 edition of the Puget Sound Business Journal < http://seattle.bcentral.com/seattle/stories/2001/02/05/smallb1.html>. An interesting tip offered in another article is to keep the serial numbers of your property, or mark it in some way with an identifier, such as a driver's license or Social Security number. In the unlikely event that your item shows up in a pawnshop, law enforcement officials may be able to recover it <http://www.texnews.com/news/pawnshopcop082696.html>.

The biggest drawback to purchasing on SuperPawn's Web site is the dearth of pictures and detailed descriptions. There is an "ask a question" button, however.

It may be worthwhile finding pawnshops near you. You never know...you might just find a new source of inventory.

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5) AuctionBytes Web Site - Useful Tools
by Ina Steiner

Here's a review of some useful tools on the AuctionBytes Web site.

SEARCH: Every page has a green navigation menu on the left column - at the bottom, there is a search box. Simply enter a term in the white box and hit return (or click on the word "Search"). For advanced search features, click on "Archives" in the green navigation bar.

BROWSE BACK ISSUES: Click on "Archives" in the green navigation bar, or go directly to:
<http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/email_newsletter.html>
You can click on a year and then an issue. (The first issue was published on November 6, 1999.)

USE "FIND" TO SEARCH NEWSFLASH: If you do a normal Search and it brings you to the Newsflash page, it won't take you right to the place where the word appears. You can do a search by holding the Control button and hitting the "F" key (F is for Find). This will bring up a box; enter your search term, and it will bring you to every place where that word appears.

FORUMS: Click on "Discussion Forums" or go to <http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/index.php>. This is a great place to ask questions and get ideas for buying and selling on online auction sites.
Note: The sizzling Forum of the Week goes to the Book forum where Craig is moderating a terrific dialog among lots of readers on what sells, how to get rid of must in books, where to find books, and much more!

YELLOW PAGES: Leave a review for an auction site; shop for shipping supplies; find an escrow service,... The Yellow pages is a resource for YOU! < http://www.auctionbytes.com/bin/bizdirectory/biz-dir-index.pl>

SPECIAL REPORTS: Go to the home page <http://www.auctionbytes.com> and you will find a menu of tools and special reports on the right-hand side. Reports include: AUCTION CALENDAR, PAYMENT SERVICES, STOREFRONTS CHART, SHIPPING CHART, ASK BILL THE POSTMAN, LIGHTING TIPS.

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6) THIS & THAT

AuctionHelper Launches Calendar-Based Listing Tool
As reported in NewsFlash on the 14th, AuctionHelper recently launched its listing tool, the only calendar-based listing tool for online auctions. "A seller could literally launch one million items within thirty seconds (assuming they were all typed into inventory) and span them anytime over the next six to twelve months using our calendar-based listing tool," said Brandon Marz, Vice President of Business Development at AuctionHelper. "We are a full service auction management company and we have unique tools such as AuctionLynxx and FrontRunner that will help sellers to better promote their items and receive more page views and more bids on their items." A review of AuctionLynxx can be found at <http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/41/41.html#auctionhelper>

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Zoovy says their program can import files to make it easy for people switching from another program or service. You can import product descriptions and photos for each product in your store and auctions using Zoovy's data migration tool. Zoovy can import products from Andale, Auction Works, and ManageAuctions.com. It can also take specially formatted, comma-separated files created in programs like Excel. And auctions posted on eBay can be imported as products within 30 days of the listing. This procedure is available to any user on the Zoovy system, including trial accounts. <http://www.zoovy.com>

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eBay has a page containing new categories: < http://pages.ebay.com/catindex/newcats.html>. After the "New Categories" section, you can find an index to theme pages. These pages are helpful to people interested in one particular area, especially those new to eBay. For example, there is a SciFi page <http://pages.ebay.com/scifiorama> with useful links.

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eBay Seller David Espino has started an online "petition" requesting that eBay create a Sellers Panel. The petition states in part, "Such panel should be no smaller than 5,000 members and should be polled via e-mail or private website prior to proposed policy changes which might affect sellers." <http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ebayabc/petition.html>

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Unravel the Gavel is an antiques newspaper from New Hampshire; try this URL for interesting events happening in New England.
http://www.thegavel.net/Events.html

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

David's auction forecast calls for a mixed day for Sunday, August 19, 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!
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

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7) COLLECTOR'S CORNER: "Dating" Your Yard Sale Finds
by Michele Alice

There, on a table at a neighborhood yard sale, you see an Acme Widget in its original box. You pick it up. On the box is the company address: Acme Widgets, Chicago 5, Illinois. How old is it?

Well, if you happened to know that the Zip Code was not introduced until July 1, 1963 (though not mandatory for bulk mailers until 1967), you would be able to tell from the postal area code (the number 5) that your new widget was over thirty years old. You can read all about it at the official USPS Web site, < http://www.usps.gov/history/his1.htm#contents>.

Later, at an estate sale, you find several porcelain knickknacks variously marked "Made in Occupied Japan," "Made in Nippon," "Japan," and "Made in Japan." How old are they?

If you had previously perused Kovels' New Dictionary of Marks < http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0517559145/auctionbytescom> , you would know that anything exported from Japan during the post-World War II Allied occupation (1945 to 1952) bore the "Made in Occupied Japan" mark.

And if you had visited AntiquesResources.com <http://www.antiqueresources.com/articles/countrydating.html>, you would have learned, among other things, that the McKinley Tariff Act of 1891 required that all imports be marked with the name of the country of origin, that the Act was revised in 1914 to require that "Made in..." be added. You would also have learned that Japan marked their wares "Made in Nippon" until 1921 when the law was changed again to require that names be in English. AntiqueResources.com has the best explanation of marks that I have found anywhere.

And how about patent dates? They're great for pinpointing the earliest date an item could have been produced. Found on everything from tools to jewelry, they identify the year the object was first protected. For lists of patent numbers and dates of issue, try the following sites:

The Official US Patent Office Web Site
< http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/issuyear.htm>

Biddington's
<http://www.biddingtons.com/content/patentchart.html>

Auntie Q's Antiques
<~ http://www.teleport.com/~auntyq/uspats.html>
(Auntie Q has also posted a list of British patent dates at <~http://www.teleport.com/~auntyq/britpats.html>

Age is just one variable in determining the desirability of an item. But knowing the age is definitely helpful when you're considering purchasing an item to sell at auction.
***
Michele Alice is AuctionBytes-Update Contributing Editor and 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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8) NEWSFLASH HIGHLIGHTS

August 17, 2001
Jet Breaks Price Barrier on eBay at $4.9 Million
Infopia Adds Automated Payment Processing to Management Software Product
AppraisalDay.com Will Sell on eBay Premier
World-Renowned Chef Auctions Services for Charity
Jimi Hendrix Childhood Home on the Block

August 16, 2001
eBay to Use FAST Technology to Speed Its Search Capability
eBay Will Promote Stores, Extends Free Offer
Half.com Opens Text Book Section
Charity Auction: Meet Jack in the Box Spokesperson
uBid Auction Site to Run Ads on National Television

August 15, 2001
eBay Implements New Bid Retraction Rules
"Je Regret": eBay Cuts iBazar Jobs
AOL Time Warner Agrees to Market eBay in Magazines, on TV and Online
Mitsubishi Electric Automation Offers Surplus Inventory on eBay
Trivia for Computer Nerds and Internet Historians

August 14, 2001
AT&T Worldnet Service Down in Florida Since 8/8/01
AuctionHelper Launches Calendar-Based Listing Tool
eValueville.com Chooses FairMarket to Help Sell on eBay
BidBay to Launch New Services by End of Week
eBay Will Continue to Keep Auction Search Separate from Store Search
eBay Bans Slot Machines
America Online Partners with New Line Cinema for "Rush Hour 2" Auction
Online Auction Live Chat: Tonight at 9 EST

August 13, 2001
eBay to Take on Amazon
Amazon Fights Back: 30% Off on Books over $20
eBay Workshop: Starting an eBay Business
Infopia Enters Distribution Deal with Smart Online
"Antiques Roadshow" Uncovered Some Treasures This Weekend in New Orleans
Truck from Summer Movie Offered on BidBay
Disturbing Auctions
Tiger Woods Sportcards for Auction on eBay
Story about eBay University

AUGUST 10, 2001
BidBay Will Fight eBay Lawsuit
eBay Will Credit Some Fees for Picture Services Glitch
Ich Bin Ein eBayer

AUGUST 9, 2001
Yahoo Looks to Online Auctions for Profits
Bizfinity Introduces New Product Line-Up for Small/Medium Businesses
DoveBid Acquires TradeOut
First-Time eBayer Walks away with Shoeless Joe Jackson Baseball Bat

AUGUST 8, 2001
eBay to Allow Sellers to Sell to Under Bidder with Its New "Personal Offer" Feature
eBay Offers Online Seminar on Buying & Selling Using Its Storefronts
eBay Announces Changes to Affiliate Program
More on eBay Acquisition of HomesDirect.com

AUGUST 7, 2001
eBay Buys Real Estate Site
Dot-Com Memorabilia - Is It Worth Collecting?
Selby Shaver Game Board Collection to Be Auctioned Sunday

AUGUST 6, 2001
Unfounded Rumors Affect eBay Stock Price
BidBay Search Announced
ePier Payment System Coming Soon
Mariah Carey Drops Her Drawers on Charity

< http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.html >

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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>
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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
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Scratch scratch.