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1) FROM THE EDITOR
David and I have found our weekends filling up since we
started publishing AuctionBytes.com. In addition to our Saturday yard sale/estate sale adventures, we've been attending stamp shows, antique shows and sports collectibles shows. It has opened our eyes to a
whole new world. I'm amazed at the depth of knowledge the dealers and attendees have at these shows. And the willingness with which they share information.
At a recent Sunday afternoon outing to an
antiques show in Needham, Massachusetts, I met Charles Wibel, antiques dealer and publisher of New Hampshire Antiques Monthly (NHAM) newspaper. He brought an interesting fact to my attention - the state of
New Hampshire is considering requiring that anyone who sells antiques on online auction sites and lives in New Hampshire be required to become a licensed auctioneer. (In his editorial in the November issue
of NHAM, Mr. Wibel states that eBay's representative estimated there are 100,000 members from New Hampshire.)
As auction sites grow more popular and as e-commerce takes hold, governments (here and abroad)
will surely attempt to regulate, tax and somehow grab a piece of the pie. It will be interesting to watch as politicians attempt to control what many of them don't even understand. Another reason for us all
to participate in the political process.
At the Needham Antiques show, I met some other very interesting people and learned about a unique Russian bottle in the shape of a bear that I inherited from my
aunt. If you can spare some time on the weekends, you should try attending some shows, even if they are outside your particular area of interest. You just might find a new interest as well as meeting some
knowledgeable and very nice people!
Thank you for subscribing to AuctionBytes-Update. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and happy auctioning!
-Ina Steiner, Editor
ina@auctionbytes.com
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2) FOUND IN THE ATTIC
Well, it's the Holiday Season, and AuctionBytes-Update thought you might like to know how much your
"vintage" holiday accoutrements were selling for. You still have time to decide whether you want to decorate with them or put them up for auction!
Holiday Items that Might be Treasures (results from eBay search conducted on 11/18/99)
Dept. 56 Heritage Village
# Found: 206
Highest Price: $122.50
Lowest Price: $3.99
Average Price: $21.40
Sell-Through Rate: 82%
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Electric Fireplace
# Found: 17
Highest Price: $152.50
Lowest Price: $18.50
Average Price: $66.67
Sell-Through Rate: 94%
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Christmas Tree Skirt
# Found: 136
Highest Price: $81.00
Lowest Price: $1.00
Average Price: $21.69
Sell-Through Rate: 64%
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German Christmas Ornament
# Found: 302
Highest Price: $341
Lowest Price: $2
Average Price: $14.05
Sell-Through Rate: 65%
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Star Trek Dr. McCoy Ornament
# Found: 13
Highest Price: $21.15
Lowest Price: $ 8.50
Average Price: $ 13.45
Sell-Through Rate: 85%
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3) AUCTIONBYTES.COM NEWS
We are continually working on the Web site. If you know of
any links we should add to the resource page, email adverts@auctionbytes.com.
On November 17, 1999, we added a voting feature to the front page. The AuctionBytes.com Question of the Week is:
WHAT IS THE BEST DAY OF THE WEEK TO END AN AUCTION?
You can vote by going to our Web site
- it's right on the home page. Each week we'll offer a new question to vote on, and we'll share the results of the vote on the home page and in the next issue of AuctionBytes-Update.
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NM Express is a monthly subscription newsletter for McCoy Pottery collectors. Visit
http://members.aol.com/nmxpress for subscription information.
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4) ARTICLE: iShip.com
iShip.com offers a service for auctioners to let potential bidders know the shipping charge they can expect to pay on a given item. Here's how it works: go to http://www.iship.com and click on "Find out
More" under "Online Auctions."
It will lead you through the steps of entering the item information: weight, dimensions, zip code, names of carriers you are willing to use, etc. Once you
have entered all your information, iShip brings you to the form that potential buyers will see.
The html code is given to you so you can cut and paste it into your item description on the auction site.
The buyer clicks on the link from your description and is taken to iShip where they can enter their zip code and find out how much the shipping will cost them for your item!
ANALYSIS: If you need to
determine the pricing anyway so that you can tell the buyer how much shipping will cost, then it might be worth it going through the process. But if you only offer one method of shipment, you probably know
the rates, and doing the iShip process adds more time to the process of posting an auction item. None of us need that!
On the other hand, if you ship out identical items, you could use the same html code
- just cut and paste into your descriptions.
If you use this service from iShip, remember to check the prices on your iShip chart before quoting shipping rates to buyers!
CAVEAT: We haven't used this
service in any of our auctions yet. We'll be sure to try it and let you know if there are any problems! And note that Stamps.com is purchasing iShip.com. We don't know how that might affect the online
auction service offered by iShip.com.
EXAMPLE: HTML CODE FOR SENDING 30 COPIES OF AUCTIONBYTES.COM NEWSLETTERS FROM OUR LOCAL POST OFFICE.
<a
href="http://iship.com/Sellit/buyer.asp?pid=e72e96aa9da911d3b4060090272390bc">Click here to use iShip.com to view your shipping charges.</a>
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5) QUESTION OF THE DAY
"What is your number one Web resource related to online auctions, and how do you use it?"
Email feedback@auctionbytes.com with your answers.
Last Issue's Question of the Day:
Do you have tips on getting free shipping supplies like bubble wrap?
Our Readers Wrote:
"One of the best
places to check for bubble wrap is Auto parts stores and Body shops. Believe it or not, they receive auto parts wrapped in bubble wrap and most of those businesses throw the wrapping away. Those stores also
receive packing popcorn that they toss away also."
"Check dumpsters located behind retail stores."
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Order AuctionBytes.com print newsletter at a special introductory price of $24.99, normally $29.99. Special price is good for a limited time! Please order now. Visit
http://www.auctionbytes.com/order.htm. Print out the order form and send it to us along with payment. Thank you.
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FEEDBACK: What topics would YOU like to see covered? What questions do you have about online auctions, small-business issues, collectibles, etc.? Write to feedback@auctionbytes.com
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6) EVENTS: Northeast Collectibles Extravaganza
The 13th Annual Northeast Extravaganza is going on this weekend in the Boston area.
Join thousands of collectors on November 20-21, 1999, at Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington, Mass. Exit 39 off Rte. 93, Free parking. Show hours are Saturday 10am - 5pm and Sunday 10 am - 4. Admission is $8.
Come and meet Ina and David Steiner, the team behind AuctionBytes.com! We'll be exhibiting and giving away free sample issues of the newsletter. Oh, and the cast of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory" will be there too. (OUR autographs are FREE - with a subscription to the newsletter.)
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Editorial:
