I'm delighted to welcome Nancy L. Hix as a writer. Nancy is well known in the auction industry for her writing (including several books about online auctions) and her involvement in the community. Online storefronts were on my mind when Nancy volunteered to write for us, and in this issue she kicks off with a multi-part article on eBay Stores. There are many ways to sell online - auction sites, antiques malls, independent Web sites, and storefronts, and in future issues we'll be writing about these services for sellers.
If you've always wanted to ask a Powerseller questions about how they sell on eBay, here's your chance. Send an email to nick@auctionbytes.com and we'll forward it on to our expert Powerseller, Nick Sevino. In today's Ask Nick column, Nick talks about call tags used for customer returns.
AuctionBytes Contributing Editor Michele Alice writes about collectible movie posters in today's Collector's Corner column. (Michele is an avid collector and has been writing for AuctionBytes since the very first issue!) We also have two articles related to the holidays: a book review of "eBay Bargain Shopping for Dummies," and a guide to charitable giving online.
Shopping on auction sites is quite different from going to the local mall. Sniping is a big part of auction bidding, and in last week's Newsflash newsletter, I wrote about a survey eBay recently conducted on sniping and what it might mean for the future of sniping http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y03/m11/i13/s01.
Some things don't change, and eBay tinkering with features is one. eBay recently changed the Pay Now Checkout process, creating minor havoc just as the holiday shopping season is in swing http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y03/m11/i14/s00. Bottom line: sellers, make sure you are sending items to a confirmed address!
I'm always impressed with the intelligence of our readers, many of whom are small-business people who sell online. They are out in the trenches and see the immediate impact of any new policies, features or services (both from the buyer and seller viewpoint). One of my favorite parts of this newsletter is the Letters from Readers section at the end. Thanks to readers for taking the time to write.
Bookologist.com Editor Edith Reynolds announced the grand opening of The John Bale Book Company in their new location in Waterbury, Connecticut, on December 6. All are invited to stop in and join the celebrations. I'll be there myself to congratulate Edith and her husband Dan. (Weather permitting, of course, it's getting to be winter here in the Northeast!)
If you are travelling a great distance, you might call first to make sure the party is on. Ede will have more details, including directions to the shop, in this week's Bookologist newsletter http://www.bookologist.com.
I hope to see you there! Thanks for reading,
About the author:
Ina Steiner is Editor of AuctionBytes.com and author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). She has a background in marketing and research in the high-tech and publishing fields. If you have story ideas, comments or questions, send them to ina@auctionbytes.com.
