AuctionBytes-Update Number 58 - December 9, 2001 - ISSN 1528-6703

Please recommend this newsletter: <http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/Recommend/recommend.html >

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IN THIS ISSUE:
1) AuctionHelper Helps Auction Sellers
2) Make Your Customers Feel Smart
3) This & That
4) Collector's Corner: Star Trek Live Auction, Kodak Girls
5) TIMEblaster The Visual Way to Search eBay!
6) AUCTIONBYTES FEATURES
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FROM THE EDITOR
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Our mission has always been to help people save time and money in their quest to sell online. Part of the way we do that is to tell you about new products and services. In this issue, I review TIMEblaster, a tool introduced in June for collectors to search eBay more efficiently. I also write about some of the features that AuctionHelper has created to help sellers market their eBay auctions.

There are many tools for auction buyers and sellers, and I'll continue to review more of them in future issues.

I want to thank you for recommending AuctionBytes to your friends and family. There are many ways to get the word out about this newsletter:

- Fill out the recommend form on our site (see the top of this newsletter)

- Forward a complete issue (this way people can read a copy and sign up for themselves if they like it)

- Mention AuctionBytes as a "favorite link" on your "About Me" page on eBay and on your Web site

- Include a link to AuctionBytes.com in the signature line of your outgoing email

Thanks to everyone who has already taken these steps to get the word out - we are growing every day. Next week, we'll continue Craig Stark and Izzy Goodman's articles about selling books on eBay and careful use of credit cards, respectively.

I'd like to know if there is interest in doing a story about affiliate and referral programs available to auction users. Please let me know if you would like us to list some of these programs, and let me know what you think of any ones you have experience using. Any thoughts? Post a message in the forum at: < http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=141&forum= 3&0>

Ina Steiner, Editor
Email: ina@auctionbytes.com

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1) AuctionHelper Helps Auction Sellers
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I received a letter from a reader at the end of November that piqued my curiosity:

"Can you tell me how the NFL uses scrolling pictures in their auctions?
[http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewListedIte ms&userid=nfl-auctions] Their auctions look incredible and I would love to be able to promote my auctions in a similar fashion. Any and all help is much appreciated. Mike"

Although it is no longer visible, the feature that Mike was talking about is called PictureLynxx from AuctionHelper. The NFL (National Football League) is beta-testing the tool for AuctionHelper, and it is not yet available to the general public. PictureLynxx is designed to keep bidders interested in your auctions by finding all of the images from your currently running auctions, and converting them to "clickable" thumbnails that roll across the bottom of your listing.

AuctionHelper has developed another interesting tool to generate revenue for sellers by helping them cross-promoteauctions. AuctionLynxx, which we reviewed in July, inserts a window in your auction listing containing a scrollable list of all your current auctions. Each item has a category that appears on the left side of the window. When clicking on that category, the right side dynamically generates all the auctions you have running in that respective category. Auctions are updated in AuctionLynxx immediately; on eBay, it can take up to 24 hours for items to find their way into eBay's search function.

You can check out AuctionLynxx for yourself. Go to eBay and do a seller search for NFL-Auctions and click on an auction item and you'll see AuctionLynxx in action. It allows you to post ALL your eBay auctions, in categories, so potential bidders can see everything that you have to offer. According to AH, customers receive an average 32% click-through rate with AuctionLynxx. Note that AuctionLynxx uses Macromedia Flash.

Front Runner is another tool from AuctionHelper. Front Runner allows you to get eBay auction item numbers before you actually post your items on eBay! This is a great feature if you want to advertise eBay auctions of large items in your local newspaper. Simply send the newspaper your camera-ready copy with the auction numbers a week in advance, and your ad will run at the same time your auctions are running.

In short, AuctionHelper's tools are designed to achieve multiple sales from prospective customers and help you effectively market your auctions.

AuctionHelper itself is a robust web-based auction-management software that allows users to schedule and list items, re-list unsold items, manage inventory, email and invoice winners and keep track of sales data.

I tried out the AuctionHelper listing tool myself, and found it to be a very powerful, feature-packed program. Having the listing tool fit on one screen was very convenient, and being able to choose my auction start times from a calendar was a nice touch. The inventory system stores all item descriptions, so if you frequently sell the same product, it's easy to launch new auctions. The Launch Pad is a calendar-based system that allows you to launch identical items at customized intervals.

Of the two auctions that I listed last week using AuctionHelper, only one went off as scheduled. Apparently, eBay made recent changes to its system, causing glitches in the way that AuctionHelper interfaces with eBay. (AH has a warning about the problem on the top of every page of its site.) Technical Support at AuctionHelper was very responsive and assured me that once they have eBay's API tool - expected in a few weeks - things will run more smoothly.

Many vendors have told us that eBay's constant Site changes cause vendors to scramble to keep up. In fact, eBay's recent release of its Checkout feature caused massive headaches - even for vendors who have purchased eBay's API.

When items do not launch as scheduled, AuctionHelper has the following policy: "Although we achieve 99% accuracy on listings, items are sometimes delayed or do not make it to eBay as scheduled. If your item is not listed we will continue to post it to eBay for 90 minutes after the time you set. If your item is not listed within 90 minutes, it will be re-scheduled for the same time on the next day."

This is standard operating procedure, and you can manually override this if you want to change the new launch time.

The only complaint I have in using AH is the lack of instructions. I had trouble figuring out how to do things like modifying an item. On the other hand, usability is one of the best things about this tool - AH has shortcuts and pulldown boxes to make things go very quickly when you are listing items.

As for the lack of documentation, Brandon Marz, the CEO of AuctionHelper, said they have been developing a sophisticated and comprehensive help tool that will sit inside of each page throughout the Web site. "The instructions will be going live very soon and we anticipate receiving certification from the eBay API by no later than the beginning of the year," Brandon told me. "Fortunately, once users do figure out how to use our site, they are selling in record-numbers. November was our best month ever and this first week of December looks like we're off to another record-breaking month."

It's evident that AuctionHelper understands the selling process and their emphasis on marketing will be very attractive to sellers who are frustrated with the limitations eBay imposes on its sellers. Once eBay's API is implemented, this is a service to consider.

AH charges 1.5% of Gross Merchandise Sales, with a minimum fee of 15 cents and a maximum fee of 70 cents per transaction. There is a minimum fee of $10/month. Fees are listed here: < http://www.auctionhelper.com/ahfees.html>

AuctionLynxx is currently free for auctions listed using AuctionHelper. (AH is developing a stand-alone Web site for users that do not wish to use the AH listing tool but want to use AuctionLynxx, at which time there will be a fee.)

You can download a free 30-day trial of AuctionHelper at <http://www.auctionhelper.com>. Let us know what you think of it in our forums at <http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?forum=7&100>

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2) Make Your Customers Feel Smart
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by Jim Crawford

Last week, my wife was packing for a business trip to Dallas and was wondering what the weather there was like. I said, "I can find out." I fired up my computer and got the extended forecast. While I was at it I checked to see if her hotel offered hair dryers, made her a map from the airport to her hotel and even found a list of nearby restaurants.

"Wow," she lovingly praised me, "you're smart."

I'm not that smart, I simply know where to look. (It made me feel good just the same.)

For most of us who make our living online, using our computers to find things out is second nature. Many of our customers, however, may not be as computer savvy. There are over 300 million people in the United States alone. Although many now have computers, it has never occurred to some of them that buying antiques and collectibles online is the smart thing to do.

It's up to you to show them that it is, and that you are the answer to their buying needs.

When potential customers visit your Web site or auction, make them realize they are in the right place, and they are smart for discovering you. You've only got a few seconds to grab their attention and make them take notice. If you don't, they'll just keep searching.

Now, what's the best way to make your potential customers feel smart for buying from you? Demonstrate your expertise in your product knowledge and customer service with a quality offer. Provide them with everything they need to make an informed decision:

- Quality pictures
- Competitive prices
- Accurate descriptions (with no misspellings)
- Complete contact information and shipping policies
- A variety of payment options
- Satisfied customer testimonials
- Money back guarantee

Simply let your visitor know when they feel the urge to go shopping for antiques and collectibles, turning on their computers is a viable and reliable solution. Most importantly, they should come to your Web site or auction for the best deal. Sell not only your products, but yourself as well. Let your customer confidently experience that good "after purchase feeling." It's the smart thing to do.
---Jim Crawford is an Internet Marketing Consultant and a stay-at-home father. He likes to think of himself as a "creative resource." Jim spends a considerable amount of time reading publications and researching Web sites in both the collecting and marketing industries, and enjoys networking with leaders in both. His Web site, The Collector's Marketing Resource Center, provides information about Web site design and marketing for the highly competitive antiques and collecting industry. Stop in for a free consultation <http://www.CrawfordDirect.com>. If you have a question about marketing your Web site, email him at jim@crawforddirect.com

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3) THIS & THAT
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New Packing & Shipping Forum
We've started a new forum on the topic of Packing & Shipping:
<http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?forum=13&0>
Post questions & advice here! Vendors who offer those services are welcome to participate.

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Zoovy Adds Auction Templates
Zoovy has added auction templates to its arsenal of e-commerce tools. Auction templates allow non-technical eBay sellers to create impressive auction listings. Designs range from traditional and contemporary styles to holiday themes. They can use between one and three images, in a variety of layouts. Zoovy is a storefront creation and management tool for selling online.
<http://www.zoovy.com>

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Auctionweiser.com Offers Bpath Services
Auctionweiser.com, a provider of real-time auction and shopping services on the Web, has partnered with Bpath to offer members Internet business services and utilities in order to optimize their presence on the Internet. Auctionweiser.com members will now be able to use specially customized Bpath services and utilities to build their own online store or Web site, professionally submit their site to all the major search engines and directories, track how many visitors frequent their sites, and to enable SSL security for all or part of their site.
<http://www.auctionweiser.com>

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Amazon Says Harry Potter Is Number One for 2001
Amazon released a list of its most popular items for the year. The Harry Potter phenomenon continued in 2001 as the young wizard once again captured Amazon's Number One bestseller spot (see list below).

J.K. Rowling's popular series claims four of the top 25 spots on the list, including Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) at No. 11; last year's No. 1 bestselling book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4), at No. 9; and the not-yet-published Harry Potter 5 in the No. 22 spot on the bestseller list based solely on pre-orders.

Amazon 2001 Number One List by Category:

Book: The Harry Potter Schoolbooks: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, J.K. Rowling

CD: O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack

DVD: Star Wars: Episode I, the Phantom Menace

Video: Living Yoga: A.M./P.M. Yoga for Beginners Set

Click here to go to a list of Hot Books (copy and paste in the ENTIRE URL - in two parts if you have to):
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=auctionbytescom&path=subs t/lists/best/amazon-bestsellers.html>

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Japanese Doll Licca-Chan Gets Pregnant
Licca-Chan, who is celebrating her 35th anniversary next year, is pregnant! The makers of the doll have created a pregnant model. Owners may request a baby doll and a key to "deflate Licca-chan's belly to pre-pregnancy proportions." The Crown Princess of Japan recently gave birth to a baby girl, which may have prompted the toy maker to introduce the new model.
<http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/06/japan.pregnant.doll/inde x.html>

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4) Collector's Corner
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Star Trek "Live" Online Auction This Week, Includes the "Lost Set"
On Wednesday, December 12, 2001, Profiles in History will auction over 300 original one-of-a-kind items from the personal collections of the cast and crew of the legendary television series Star Trek.

Costumes, sketches, scripts, props, personal letters, private memos, insider gifts and more from the collections of the show's original directors, producers, actors and writers all being offered.

The auction will feature The Walter Matthew Jefferies Collection, an astonishing array of original Star Trek set and prop concept design sketches from this unsurpassed Art Director -- and his entire set of 79 shooting scripts -- each with original notes, doodles and ideas scribbled in the margins. Walter ("Matt") Jefferies is donating 100% of all his proceeds to the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

The most coveted item in this collection is "the lost set" -- a 1/4 inch scale model of the entire Star Trek stage (stored for over thirty years and recently unearthed) made by Matt during the first year of Star Trek to help directors plan their camera moves and direction.

Other Auction highlights include:
-- Star Trek prop designer Wah Chang's tricorders and phasers.
-- An original illuminated screen-used scale model of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
-- Original screen-used model of the Tholian ship from the episode "The Tholian Web".
-- Captain Kirk's and Mr. Spock's original beds from the Enterprise officer's quarters.
-- Captain Kirk's original duty uniform tunic.

The live auction event will take place at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, beginning at 2pm PST on December 12, 2001. View the auction catalog and leave absentee bids on < http://www.ebayliveauctions.com> and <http://www.icollector.com>.

All Internet bidders must register at <http://www.ebayliveauctions.com> by 5pm on December 11. Profiles in History is located at 345 N. Maple Drive, Suite 202, Beverly Hills, California, 90210.

To purchase a full color catalog for $30, call Profiles in History at (310) 859-7701 or 1-800-942-8856.
<http://www.profilesinhistory.com>

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Cool Collection: Kodak Girls!
by Ina Steiner

In the late 1800's, George Eastman introduced a camera that was much simpler than its predecessors and began to market it to women. (We've come a long way, baby!)

Martha Cooper has put together a wonderful site, with images from her own collection, dealing with women in photography through the 19th and early 20th centuries. Martha is a professional photographer who began her career when her father, who owned a camera store, gave her a Baby Brownie when she was in nursery school. She collects ephemera, toys, figurines, and of course, photos, -- all featuring women and photography.

She explains on her site that vintage photos of women with cameras are rare, coveted by collectors, and usually priced well beyond her budget. Over the years, she has managed to find only a few affordable ones.

"These include pictures of both professional and amateur photographers and also women and children who were obviously just posing with a camera as a prop. Please get in touch if you know where I can find more."

Her site is dedicated to the "unrecognized and anonymous women photographers worldwide, past, present and future. We thank them for recording and thereby preserving images of ordinary people and their everyday lives over the past 150 years. Their pictures will be treasured by generations to come. Keep on clicking!"

< http://www.kodakgirl.com>

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5) TIMEblaster - The Visual Way to Search eBay!
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by Ina Steiner

Imagine if the eBay items that interest you were regularly delivered to your hard drive in a color catalog. Sound interesting? That's what TIMEblaster promises to do.

TIMEblaster is a paid software program that allows you to set up and store eBay searches on your computer. You can then view the resulting items in "photo albums." The premise of the program is that you can evaluate a group of pictures much more quickly than you can a list of words.

Steve Taylor, an avid stamp collector, invented TIMEblaster to help him wade through auctions on eBay more quickly "get to the good stuff." Steve has a background in search and retrieval, and has a deep understanding of the auction-site search process. TB allows you to do more sophisticated searches than eBay's own search engine and stores an unlimited number of searches. (eBay's "Favorite Searches" feature allows you to set up a maximum of 15 searches.) You can schedule the program to update the searches at any desired frequency and any time of day or night.

You can use TB to "merge" search results. This feature merges the results of multiple searches, thereby eliminating duplicate items and combining the results into a single Photo Album. The Merge feature is useful for searches that are difficult to specify in a single search, and for searches that are identical except for eBay category. Here are some more useful features:

"BUY IT NOW" SEARCHING
In a hurry to buy something on eBay? The "Buy It Now" (BIN) feature allows auction sellers to name a price at which they would be willing to sell their item to any buyer who meets the specified price. For shoppers who are in a hurry and want to ensure that they get the item quickly, they can bid the Buy It Now price and end the auction.

TIMEblaster allows you to limit search results to BIN items, while eBay does not. eBay's new BIN option makes it more important for collectors to find new auction listings quickly, since a competitor may end an auction before you even know about it. The TB 'search-BIN' feature is also handy when holiday shopping, when it is important to get items that can be delivered quickly.

SEARCH BY SELLER ID
You can create unlimited "seller" photo albums to track your favorite sellers' items (or to track your competitors' auctions). eBay also allows you to set up "Favorite Sellers" on your "My eBay" page (under "Favorites"), but imposes a 15 seller limit on the number of favorite sellers you can store.

EMAIL TO A FRIEND
The "e-Mail Photo Album to a Friend" option appears as a button on the first page of any photo album containing at least 4 items. It sends up to 8 items to the email address you specify - the recipient can view the album without having TB installed on their computer. TB limits the number of items emailed to 8 because the file can become quite large, and according to TIMEblaster, many ISPs block emails with large attachments.

For that friend or co-worker who rolls his eyes everytime you mention eBay, you can create an album containing fishing poles, CDs or whatever it is he is into, and email it to him so he can see that what eBay has to offer. And of course, you can use the feature to email an album to your spouse as a subtle hint for a holiday gift!

REFERRAL PROGRAM
The email to a friend feature ties into the TIMEblaster referral program. If your friend clicks through to TIMEblaster from the album you have sent them and orders a copy of the program, TB applies $4 to your account. See the FAQs for details: < http://www.timeblaster.com/affiliate_faq.shtml>

SUMMARY
I found the TB search tool very powerful. You can use the "Test Now" button to quickly test search strategies (you can also use the button to bypass having to download images when you are in a hurry). TIMEblaster uses eBay's API development tools.

TB has a free guide to searching on their site - if you spend a lot of time searching auction sites I recommend you invest the time in reading this guide. You can learn ways to find tune your searches and weed out items that are of no interest to you.

An "email alert" program such as AuctionGator would be a useful complement to the TB program. If your TB search results come up with 3 items that you are interested in bidding on, you can use AuctionGator to notify you 2 hours before the auction end times so you don't forget. AuctionGator is a free service available at < http://www.auctiongator.com>.

TIMBblaster continues to make improvements to the product, and I expect they will continue to add innovative features.

The best way to know if this program will be useful to you is to download it and try it out. TIMEblaster costs $41.95 annually, and there is a free 30-day trial available on the site. <http://www.timeblaster.com>.

Let us know what you think of this program. Give us your opinion in our discussion forums at <http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?forum=7&100 >

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6) Letter to the Editor
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...
[Craig Stark's] contention that getting great books in Used Bookstores for resale because of the fact that online dealers have the advantage of having their market being "the Earth" is totally ABSURD.

Does he think that brick and mortar bookstores don't own computers, and don't use the SAME online venues that online auction booksellers use to sell their books IN ADDITION TO their brick and mortars?

This is the case now with the VAST MAJORITY of brick and mortar bookstores of any size whatsoever, as they have found it necessary to do so in order to compete, and their pricing and other research is also done online, which gives them a DOUBLE advantage- they have the experience advantage over the majority of strictly-online booksellers, and use the same online tools.
...
- An ex-used bookstore owner

-----
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: This reader is referring to a recent article by Craig Stark, who writes frequently for AuctionBytes about selling books online. You can view past articles in the archives on the site. I forwarded this letter to Craig, whose reply follows. I think we should always test our sales & marketing strategies - think of it as market research. It's the only way to know what works for you. - I.S.

Hi Ina.
Thanks for forwarding this letter. I'm not sure this reader has voiced a difference of opinion so much as he's misread my article, which makes his very point: "many of them also sell online themselves, usually congregating on non-auction venues such as Amazon Marketplace, ABE, Bibliofind and the like." Later in the article I explain how non-auction venues differ--importantly--from eBay.

It's true that some of these dealers also list books on eBay, but eBay, as you and many of your readers well know, is a time-hog. It eats up our lives by the bucketful. I've talked to many, many book dealers about this very topic, and most of them simply don't have the time or the patience to do auction presentations. Or, if they do list, their presentations are often less than complete and fall far short of the approach that I'll present in Part III of this series.

Another thought: your reader states that these dealers do "their pricing and other research" online. Of course they do, but this misses another point I make in the article: "books do not have a fixed value, a price that is somehow intrinsic to the thing itself no matter where it travels." Research is a good and necessary thing but only in offering a starting point.

I purchase books frequently from online dealers and resell them for significant profits on eBay. If I simply assumed that their price was THE price, the magic axis that the world turns on, I'd never buy anything. Once all three parts to this article are published, I think it will be much clearer why presentation is the great secret of success on eBay.

A final thought: booksellers get new inventory in all the time, and can't possibly be experts in all things, nor can they take the time to carefully research all things.

Also, there are some dealers who consciously under price things to keep them moving off the shelves and, like any other walk of life, a few incompetents. All of these factors translate into opportunities for us.

Please feel free to publish my reply. I have no discomfort at all with this type of controversy because I live by the advice I offerand succeed with it.
Craig

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7) AUCTIONBYTES FEATURES
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GET DAILY NEWS: Read news about the online auction and collectibles world. Send a blank email to: auctionflash-subscribe@topica.com

SHOP FOR AUCTION-RELATED PRODUCTS: Go to the AuctionBytes Yellow Pages where you can find supplies for collectors, auction-management software and more.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cgi-bin/bizdirectory/biz-dir-index.pl

POST A QUESTION: The AuctionBytes Discussion Forums are a great place to post a question and learn about selling online.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/index.php

READ BACK ISSUES: Read 2 years of AuctionBytes newsletters!
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/email_newsletter.html

CHECK THE AUCTION FORECAST: Dave's Interactive Auction Calendar forecasts whether it's a good day to start your online auction.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/calendar/calendar.html

Go to http://www.auctionbytes.com and find links to these features and more (look for links in the left-hand column).

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TIAS
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AuctionBytes-Update ISSN 1528-6703
Ina Steiner, Editor, Publisher, Founder: ina@auctionbytes.com
David Steiner, President, 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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