AuctionBytes-Update Number 1 - November 6, 1999
ABOUT AUCTIONBYTES-UPDATE
AuctionBytes-Update is a free newsletter for online auction
buyers and sellers. AuctionBytes-Update will show you how to make money and is useful to anyone who uses online auctions -- business people, collectors and hobbyists. AuctionBytes-Update is published by
email twice a month.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1) LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
2) FOUND IN THE ATTIC
3) AUCTIONBYTES.COM NEWS:
-AUCTIONBYTES.COM PREVIEW ISSUE AVAILABLE;
-AUCTIONBYTES.COM DUTCH AUCTION ON EBAY
4) ASK BILL THE POSTMAN
5) "WHERE CAN I GET: BUBBLE-WRAP"
6) FEATURE ARTICLE: POKEMAN MADNESS!
7) QUESTION OF THE DAY
8) FUTURE EDITORIAL TOPICS
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1) FROM THE EDITOR
Hi, and welcome to the first issue of AuctionBytes-Update!
My husband David "discovered" online auctions earlier this year. (A newbie to those
of you who have been doing online auctions for years!) He tried to sell a piece of his professional video equipment with little success until he used an online auction site. After selling the equipment for a
good price very quickly, we've been hooked on online auctions ever since.
In August, we decided to publish a newsletter for people who do online auctions, whether as a hobby or as a business. We
talked to people who had been using online auctions for a long time, and they were excited to hear about a resource guide that could help them become more efficient. Saving time sounded like a good idea to
people whose lives were consumed with putting up auctions!
The Preview Issue of AuctionBytes.com is done and is on our Web site! The Web site is fairly presentable (it will never be a static site - we
plan on updating it continuously). And this, the first issue of AuctionByte-Update, is in your hands! We are pretty wired about the response we've been getting from all our hard work. But we couldn't have
done it without our contributors - our undying gratitude goes to: Win Bent, Michele Alice, Chiquita Prestwood, Ray Tipton (see his article in this issue), Jym Braun, Marlene Earle and of course Bill the
Postman. And thanks also to the top-sellers who gave up precious time to be interviewed for the article on top-sellers success stories, appearing in the print Preview issue.
We are still in the
developmental stages of our newsletter and Web site. A heavy duty marketing campaign starts soon. But the best form of marketing is word of mouth - tell your friends if you like what you see! Feel free to
distribute this email newsletter. The Preview issue may also be printed out and copied to share with friends and colleagues.
Thanks for being one of the first to discover AuctionBytes.com and
AuctionBytes-Update. And happy auctioning!
-Ina Steiner, Editor
ina@auctionbytes.com
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2) FOUND IN THE ATTIC
AuctionBytes-Update thought it might be interesting to see
how popular some common items were, and how much they were selling for. We searched 5 different items on eBay on 11/3/99, came up with the highest price that item fetched, the lowest price, and the median
price. We also determined the sell-through rate of these items. So dig around in your attic or cellar and see if you've got any!
Common Items that Might be Treasures
(results from eBay search conducted on 11/3/99)
Frisbie Pie Plate
# Found: 22
Highest Price: $203.50
Lowest Price: $26.00
Average Price: $57.72
Sell-Through Rate: 77%
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Mouth Harp
# Found: 9
Highest Price: $29.00
Lowest Price: $4.99
Average Price: $13.71
Sell-Through Rate: 78%
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Lava Lamp
# Found: 248
Highest Price: $156.01
Lowest Price: $2.00
Average Price: $41.55
Sell-Through Rate: 81%
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Wonder Bra
# Found: 6
Highest Price: $15.51
Lowest Price: $7.95
Average Price: $10.48
Sell-Through Rate: 66%
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Wooden Bongos
# Found: 17
Highest Price: $39.50
Lowest Price: $10.50
Average Price: $23.05
Sell-Through Rate: 100%
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3) AUCTIONBYTES.COM NEWS
NEWSFLASH: FREE SAMPLE ISSUE NOW AVAILABLE:
Go to http://www.auctionbytes.com
view a FREE copy of AuctionBytes.com, the paid subscription monthly print newsletter. Please feel free to print it out and share it with family, friends and colleagues.
NEWSFLASH: AUCTIONBYTES.COM
AUCTIONS OFF AUCTIONBYTES.COM SUBSCRIPTIONS
- DUTCH AUCTION STARTS ON 11/11/99 ON EBAY!!
AuctionBytes.com is auctioning off subscriptions in a 10-day Dutch auction on eBay (http://www.ebay.com), an Internet auction site. Ten high bidders
will receive a one-year subscription to the new AuctionBytes.com print newsletter.
The Dutch auction will start on November 11, 1999, and will end on November 21, 1999. Bidding starts at $9.99.
Normally, a one-year subscription costs $29.99, and a special introductory price of $24.99 is in effect until March
1, 2000.
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4) ASK BILL THE POSTMAN
Bill the Postman answers your shipping questions every month in the AuctionBytes.com print newsletter. Here's some tips from Bill the Postman for AuctionBytes-Update readers.
QUESTION: How
come they won't let me ship my comics Book Rate at location A, but they do at location B?
Answer: Comic books cannot go book rate. Comics, magazines and newspapers are not considered books. All
locations should have the same rules. Book rate is a complicated issue, for instance, certain sound recordings, play scripts and manuscripts may also be shipped book rate. I recommend getting a copy of the
regulations for sending book rate from your local Post Office to determine what can and can't be shipped book rate.
QUESTION: Can you get Delivery Confirmation on a Book Rate package under 1 lb.?
Answer: Yes, you can. Books are treated per pound. Any books weighing 5 oz. or more automatically go to the 1 lb. rate. If you send a book less than 5 oz., you are charged the lower First Class rate, but
it still goes Book Rate. (i.e., if it is a 5 oz. or 6 oz. book sent Book Rate, you are charged the 1 lb. rate of $1.13. If it weighs 4 oz., you are charged 99 cents, but it still goes Book Rate.)
Do you have a question for Bill the Postman? Email billthepostman@auctionbytes.com.
For more of Bill the Postman's Q&As, see our FAQs at http://www.auctionbytes.com/faqs.htm
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5) "WHERE CAN I GET: BUBBLE-WRAP"
We all need it and can't seem to get enough of it. We knock up our friends and family, convinced they're holding back on us. The
question that's on every online auction seller's mind is, Where can I get Bubble Wrap??? (And I don't want to spend a fortune, either!)
AuctionBytes.com takes a look at this burning question in the
free preview issue available on our Web site ( http://www.auctionbytes.com). We scoured catalogs, thinking that catalogs selling to corporations were bound to have bubble wrap cheaper than Staples. We were wrong! Of the catalogs we
reviewed, Staples came out on top.
The Staples catalog (call 800-333-3330) advertised a 12-inch by 175-foot roll of bubble wrap with 3/16-inch bubbles for $17.95 (not including shipping and handling).
For the full comparison, check out the story in the preview issue.
Note: Each month, AuctionBytes.com (the print newsletter) will take a look at cheap and free sources of shipping supplies. Be sure
and subscribe so you won't miss out! AuctionBytes.com promises to save you money.
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6) FEATURE ARTICLE: POKEMAN MADNESS!
If you have been watching the news lately, you have probably heard of the Pokemon craze.
What started out as a simple video game now has a hit cartoon series on the WB Network, tons of toys from Hasbro, and most of all, the collectible card game from Wizards of the Coast (recently bought by
Hasbro).
The Pokemon madness has also hit the online auction industry in a big way. You can find the toys and collectible card game merchandise all over the place, if you can afford it. When you type
in the name Pokeon on eBay search, you get almost 30,000 hits of related auctions. The Pokemon toys sell reasonably well, but the card game is on fire in the online auctions.
TOYS
Hasbro's line of
toys consists of PVC figures based on the Pokemon characters. They are sold in Pokemon Battle Figure sets, Poke Ball Blaster sets, and the newest are the Pokemon Trainer Sets. They also make a line of plush
and bean bag toys based on Pokemon characters. Although there are many toys sold through online auctions, only a few Pokemon toys sell over retail price. The Kukuna/Beedrill Pokemon Battle Figure set, which
retired earlier in the year, and the Charizard and Jugglypuff bean bag toys, which are limited to one per assortment, sell significantly over retail price. There are many more Pokemon toys online, but most
sell for retail or at bargain prices.
CARDS
The big story about Pokemon is the collectible card game that Wizards of the Coast produces. The first set of cards was released after Thanksgiving,
November 1998, with a retail price of $2.95 per booster pack and $106.20 per booster box. There have been two expansion sets released this year. One is called Pokemon Jungle and the other is Pokemon Fossil.
Each set has a limited 1st edition that is produced in very small quantities and a regular unlimited edition that is mass-produced.
A booster box of 1st edition boosters can run anywhere from $1,200
to $1,700 through an online auction, while Jungle and Fossil 1st edition boosters sell at around $300 per box. Single cards are on fire as well. One of the most sought after cards is a 1st edition Charizard
foil, which auctions off well at around $200.
RESOURCES
If you are still not sure what I am even talking about, there are many resources that can help you learn what Pokemon is all about. Beckett
Publications publishes "The Unofficial Guide to Pokemon" that has articles about new products related to Pokemon and a limited price guide. "Inquest Gamer," published by Wizard
Entertainment, is a great gaming magazine with in-depth looks at all of the Pokemon cards and a very thorough price guide. "Scrye" is the longest running collectible card game magazine around with
detailed looks at the cards and a very good price guide. You can also learn how to play the game and learn more about it from Wizards of the Coast Web site at www.wizards.com.
With all of the hype and activity related to Pokemon products, it can be easy
to get "ripped off." Remember, before you buy through an online auction, be as informed as possible.
Ray Tipton is COLCOR (Toys, Dolls, Games) Editor for AuctionBytes.com newsletter. He is a
long time collector of toys and comics. He recently sold his comic book shop to start The Collection Addiction Network (http://www.collectionaddiction.com). Email Ray at comicray@collectionaddiction.com.
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7) QUESTION OF THE DAY
Do you have tips on getting free shipping supplies like bubble wrap? Email feedback@auctionbytes.com with your suggestions.
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ADVERTISEMENT
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.html. Print out the order form and send it to us along with payment. Thank you.
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8) FUTURE EDITORIAL TOPICS FOR AUCTIONBYTES.COM (PRINT NEWSLETTER):
- Digital camera review (for putting pictures up on online auctions)
- Online auction software review (software that help people list and automate their auctions)
- Comparison of the fees and charges on various online auction sites
- More tips on packaging, mailing and supplies
- Much much more!
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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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 or AuctionBytes.com? Go to
http://www.auctionbytes.com and click on "write for us." If you are still
interested, send email to ina@bibliodata.com.
Ina Steiner, Editor, Publisher and Co-founder: ina@auctionbytes.com
David Steiner, Webmaster, Technical Editor, President and Co-founder:
dsteiner@auctionbytes.com
AuctionBytes
c/o Steiner Associates
PO Box 668
Natick, MA 01760
508-655-5697
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