BMX bikes

Selling used goods on eBay can generate quite a profit if you know what to sell. There are a wide range of items that sell like hotcakes and some that don’t. As a seller on eBay, you can either put your items for sale by way of auction, or you can simply set a price on the item. Either way, the profits are huge if you’re selling the right items. Here’s a guide on what items you can consider buying or selling on eBay.

Electronics:

Huge demand: Electronics items, like mobile phones, PDAs, and mp3 players, are small, easy to manage, and are in high demand. Because technology is constantly improving, and there is always production, there is a huge demand for those sought-after gadgets. People who have a craving for owning these items are willing to pay a hefty price for them.

High resale value: These items have a high resale value as compared to other small items. If you are able to purchase them cheap, you are sure to make huge profits on eBay.

Advantage over wholesalers: Another interesting feature to note is that wholesalers do not flood this market as they do with other items. Companies have to pay for the people they employ, overhead costs, among other expenditures so as to sell these items. Buying them and then simply selling them online is a sure way of making a profit.

Safety test: When purchasing used electrical goods, make sure that the item has undergone an electrical safety test. The results of this should be recorded into a PAT (portable appliance test) log book, and a PAT sticker should be attached to the item.

Video games:

Disclaimer policy: If you are interested in selling video games, make sure to offer a no-quibble return policy. Because you are selling older games and testing them can be quite a tiresome task, it is recommended that you list them as “untested.” You should also offer a money-back policy if the game is defective. However, keep in mind that, if you make such an offer, it only creates a doubt in the buyers’ minds that the product might be faulty.

Purchase a disc repair machine: When purchasing a game that is on a CD, be sure to check for scratches. If there are too many scratches, check the CDs. Investing in a disc repair machine is a good idea as it will remove all the superficial scratches as well as the deep scratches. However, if it is on a cartridge and there is some damage, do mention it.

Media:

Selling media, such as books, software, DVDs, and CDs, among others, on eBay can be a tricky business. You should keep in mind the following:

Never Sell Media That You Have Burned Or Copied Yourself: Selling media that you have created yourself, whether it is copied from the Internet or off the airwaves, cannot be sold on this site. In fact, such an activity is illegal and can get you banned from eBay. eBay will first suspend you and later ask questions. Even if the media is yours, you will not be allowed to sell it on eBay.

Specify Media Compatibility: It is important that you mention the compatibility of a particular form of media that you are selling. For instance, if it is a book, specify its language and print size; if it is a CD, mention whether it is factory made from master or burned; if it is a DVD, specify the place from where you purchased it and its standard (VCD, DVD, SVCD, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, among others); if it is a vinyl record, mention its size and rotation speed; and if it is a magnetic tape or disk, specify if it is VHS, cassette, microcassette, or diskette.

Antiques And Vintage Items:

Selling used antiques and vintage items is another way of making an income on eBay. There are a number of advantages selling such items.

Interest Of Buyers: Buyers are aware that they can purchase new goods on certain websites. However, what they are especially looking for is unusual, antique, and rare items.

Rarity: Vintage or antiques are those items that are scarcely supplied as compared to other used items. So, those who have an interest for collecting antiques are sure to visit your shop.

Best Price: If something is not easily available, then you can very well demand a good price for it, sometimes even an amount that is out of proportion to its true, basic value. This can bring in huge profits for you.

Easy To Source: There are huge amounts of junk items that are in the world, and some of it can still be sold. If you live in the same town or city, it is easy to source these items.

Affordability Of Stock: If you go to purchase junk from those who want to clear their attics, garages, or basements, they are willing to sell it for a song. So, if you have a place to store it, you can get it dirt cheap.

Selling For A Third Party: If there are certain antiques that you yourself don’t want to purchase but can sell on the owner’s behalf, you are sure to get your cut, without having to stock the item.

Take Photos: It is a good idea to take quality photographs of your antique items. If you are a third-party seller, you can take pictures of those items, post advertisements of them on eBay, and take a commission for selling the item.

Profitability: Buyers who are interested in antiques and vintage items are willing to pay a huge amount. So, there are high chances of you making a profit from selling such items.

Low Turnover: Selling new items, like electronic products and apparel, is a high turnover business, which is dependent on the fluctuation in market prices as well as changing fashions. Antiques and vintage items do not depend on these factors. They can remain listed until they are bought.

Sporting Goods:

Selling used sporting goods is also a sure way of bringing in income. If you want to get rid of your old sports equipment, putting it up for auction on eBay is a good idea. There are loads of sporting goods that are sold on this site and for a good price. Some of the goods that go for sale are:

Baseball Equipment: Bats, gloves, jerseys, hitting machines, hats, batting helmets, and baseballs, among others are always in demand. Not just that, training aids, like speed sensors, batting cages, videos, and books, are also sold.

Basketball Equipment: Those who are interested in basketball search for the perfect basketball system to perfect their game. From various systems like in-ground pole, portable, and wall-mount, to different styles of basketballs, footwear, jerseys, and arm warmers, among other items are always in demand and can be sold on eBay.

Camping Gear: If you are planning a camping trip with your family or friends and don’t want to spend too much on purchasing new camping gear, you can choose eBay to get the best deals. Used camping stoves, backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, first aid, and water filtration kits are sold on this site.

Cycles:Cycles of all types can be sold on eBay, from mountain bikes, comfort bikes, kid bikes, and road racing bikes to BMX bikes, low-rider bikes, and vintage bikes, among others.

Fitness Equipment: From free-weight equipment, like barbells and dumbbells to manual and electric treadmills to trampolines and exercise bikes, all can be sold for a good price on eBay.

Golf Equipment: Buyers are usually searching for individual golf clubs or sets of 12, besides drivers, fairways woods, and clubs for left-handed players.

Other Sports Equipment:There are always buyers of sports equipment searching for the best deals online. From football, soccer, tennis, bowling, and fishing goods to racquetball, skateboarding, surfing, and hockey, among other popular sporting goods, you can sell these for a huge profit.

When selling sporting goods online, you need to ensure that you use the correct term to describe what you are selling. The terms that you should use are:

New In Box (NIB): Items that are in their original packaging from the time they have been purchased and have not been opened or used fall under this listing.

New With Tags (NWT) or New Without Tags (NWOT) or Never Been Worn (NBW): As the name describes, equipment and accessories that have never been worn or washed can come under NBW; those that still have the retail tags fall under NWT; and those that have the tags removed but have never been worn can be listed under NWOT. Those items that come under these listings should have no flaws.

Gently Used (GU): Those items that appear new and have no flaws in spite of having been washed, worn, or used fall under this listing.

Excellent: Those items that have been used but have no signs of flaws can be placed under this listing.

Very Good: The items that have been used, are faded in moderation, yet have no visible flaws can be considered as items in very good condition.

Good: Items that have previously been worn, are significantly faded, and have minor visible flaws are considered to be in good condition.

Fair: Products that have been previously worn, have significant flaws, and are faded considerably are considered to be in fair condition.

Poor: Items that are not in a condition to be worn or used with severe flaws, but may have certain desirable elements, can fall under this category.

Note that stains, spots, tears, holes, problems with buttons, zips, and snaps, and fabric irregularities are considered as flaws.

Hobby items:

Selling items of your hobby is another way of making an income online. Equipment for hobbies like gardening and fishing can be sold for a good price on eBay. There are a few things that you need to keep in mind when selling a hobby item online:

Know Your Hobby: When you’re selling an item, you should ensure that you know everything about the hobby. This will help you to generate sales as you will be able to convince fellow enthusiasts to purchase your product.

Name The Hobby: With every opportunity you get, make sure that you name the hobby, whether it is in one-off listing titles, your member ID, or your eBay store name. This is essential for buyers when searching as well as for purposes of remembering your item.

Give Details: Hobbyists are experts in their areas of interest. So, you need to ensure that you give detailed descriptions of the items that you are selling. Information, like the make, features, model, and condition details, are important for an enthusiast of that particular hobby. What’s more, if anyone famous endorses the product that you are selling, it would be an added advantage to mention it.

Take Photos: Taking photographs of the actual item from different angles is important as buyers want to know what they are purchasing. Hobbyists especially are looking for items of quality. If your picture depicts this, you are sure to make the sale.

Make It Your Business: If you can consistently supply quality used items of your hobby on eBay, you are sure to gain a market. Buyers will not search elsewhere for the items. So, in time, you will create a strong customer base.

Update “About Me” And eBay Blogs: If you are eager to make selling your hobby items your business, it is recommended that you constantly update the “About me” page as well as eBay blogs. This will slowly build a customer’s trust in you. Buyers will be happy to have gained a supplier who shares the same interests.

Include Marketing Value-Adds: Getting free equipment related to your hobby is something hobbyists look forward to. This is also a way to create your customer base.

Apparel:

Clothing is one of the most-sold items on eBay. When selling your used clothing, you need to keep in mind the following:

Give Proper Descriptions: When it comes to clothing, ensure to mention the size, fabric, and brand, among other details. You need to be honest about the condition of the apparel that you are selling, so as to make sure that the customer you are selling to is not disappointed.

Pack Properly: Shipping of clothes is important. If you use a loosely-sealed, paper envelope for packaging, the item is sure to get damaged in transit. Sealing the item properly ensures that there is no contamination by the shipping environment.

Furniture:

Huge Shipping Costs: Selling used furniture is fine, but you need to keep in mind that furniture is big, and so the shipping costs will be greater. Remember, the bigger the furniture, the more the cost of shipping, and in turn, there are less chances of the furniture being sold. So, if the furniture is too large, it is better not to choose eBay as a place for selling it.

Give Details: One of the marketing techniques you can employ is giving details about:

Workmanship: Describe the materials that are used to make it. For instance, is it made of solid oak, teakwood, glass, stainless steel, iron, polyvinyl, or marble?

Size: Mentioning the height, width, and depth is important as the buyer would like to know if the piece of furniture he or she is about to purchase will fit in his or her accommodation.

Modification or flaws: It is always better to mention if you have made any modifications or if there are any flaws. This will ensure that you do not have an angry buyer.

Get Experts To Pack For Shipment: Owing to the size of the item, it is recommended that you hire help for shipment. Let the professionals take care of packaging the item as this will guarantee that the furniture is intact and there are no damages.

Vehicles:

Selling your vehicle on eBay can be easy if you employ marketing strategies, like giving detailed descriptions, and taking photographs of the vehicle from both inside and outside. However, there are certain other issues that you should consider.

Take Care Of Any Legal Loose Ends: If you are selling your motor vehicle, you need to make sure that you have a copy of the title and that it is free from all kinds of legal entanglements. If the vehicle you are selling is of an old model, ensure that it is in running condition and the registration and any other applicable fees and taxes are paid for in your state. This assures the buyers that the vehicle is in good operating condition.

Have A Sales Receipt Ready: Before selling online, it is recommended that you ask your local motor vehicles division for the basic requirements that allow you to sell your vehicle. You need to ask for necessary documentation, one copy which will be given to the buyer and the other which you will keep.

Contact And Test-Drive Information: Unlike other products sold on eBay, a vehicle needs to be test-driven. A buyer will surely not purchase a vehicle without physically inspecting it. So, be sure to mention the address at which the vehicle is stationed for inspection.

Shipping Complications: When purchasing a vehicle, the buyer has the option of either “pick up,” “drive away,” or have the seller ship it. You need to specifically mention what shipping options you are offering.

By: Jane M Dawson

Arcade websites are among the most visited sites online today. People of all walks of life love to play games. A website could be very lucrative if done properly. Here’s how to build your own arcade website.

Instructions

1.) You will want to do is decide what type of games you want to include on your arcade website. Weather you will want to add music, videos or other things.

2.) After you decided what to include on your arcade website. Its time to check out an arcade script for your site. There’s a lot of arcade script online you can choose from. Choose a script that suits your needs.

3.) After choosing a good script you will need a website hosting and a domain name for your website. There are many companies online just do a Google search. One I would suggest would be Hostgator.

4.) After buying your Domain name and Hosting. Its time to upload your website script in your web host. A lot of the companies that sell arcade scripts will also install the script for you for an additional fee.

5.) Fill your site with content about arcade gaming. This should pertain directly to arcade gaming, such as reviews of new arcade cabinets, a history of the arcade industry and lists of great arcade titles.

6.) Now you should have a running gaming website.

Tips & Warnings:

Consider placing advertisements like Google ads on your site to drive in revenue. Who knows, in time you may generate enough cash to pay for the site each month.

Backup any data on your server after setting up your gaming website.

By: Lei Masiglat

Scott Tilton, the CEO of Loop’d Network is very much into action sports. And he has found a way to combine social media with sponsorships within the action sports world.? Its a pretty interesting model, the best way of monetizing social networking sites I’ve ever heard of.? He gets ECPM’s in the multiple $$ ranges, compared to the miserable ECPM’s of other social networking sites.? Loop’d Network get users of the site to compete to become sponsored by brands.? Its a great offer for the brands since they get some of the very best candidates available.? (note that Loop’d Network is completely different to Loopt, the iphone gps application)

Since he’s taken the venture funding route, Scott asked me to mention that Loop’d is currently profitable but are looking to grow the company even more quickly and is looking for investors.

And if you’re looking for ideas for monetizing social networking type traffic, Scott’s interview is a good one to check out for a fresh approach.

Adrian:? We’re here with Scott Tilton, CEO of the Loop’d Network. Scott, thanks for joining us.Can you tell us a little bit about who you are and where you’ve come from?

Scott: I was born and raised in New York. I am a former competitive action sport athlete. At the age of six, I started racing BMX bicycles. When I was 10, I transitioned into motocross, which I did for about ten years.?

I got my Masters Degree in Internet Business Systems and had one job out of school. It was pretty miserable, so I tried to find opportunities to work in the action sports space and combine it with the Internet. Nothing really popped out at the time, so I founded a company called SponsorHouse.

In 2003 I moved to San Diego, in a motor home, with SponsorHouse and my business partner.? We didn’t know anyone when we showed up, so we started pushing to grow the company. That year we won a business plan competition, which led to our first angel-round funding.?

SponsorHouse was around for about five years and was the prequel to Loop’d Network. We essentially used the same technology, the same investors, the same team, and rebranded under the Loop’d Network to expand the business model.

Loop’d Network is an online action sports network where athletes and enthusiasts can register for a profile, interact with others, and attempt to get sponsored from about 400 brands who are on the network. We charge advertising and e-commerce fees to sports equipment companies and mainstream advertisers who are focused on reaching our demographic of primarily young males, mostly in the 12 to 24 year-old age bracket, which is the sweet spot for action sports.?

Adrian:? Why change the name to Loop’d?

Scott:? When we first started as SponsorHouse, we were a sponsorship service. Over the years, we found that we were starting to lose some opportunities to work with some key brands and athletes.

Oakley is an example of a company that was hesitant to work with us as SponsorHouse. We had a great relationship with them and knew we were going to work together at some point. It was understood that while we were SponsorHouse, they didn’t want to put the message out that they were sponsoring athletes. As soon as we launched Loop’d, we did a one-year deal with them, and we launched the Oakley Rider Search program. They actually renewed the deal after that first year. It was implied sponsorship, but the word “sponsorship” never showed up anywhere.?

When it comes to sports marketing, brands are very specific and particular about how they get involved with things. On the action sports front, it’s a little bit trickier because you’re taking a risk. If the athlete turns out to be a punk or is a bad image for the company, it taints things for the company and the brand. It’s the same way with sponsorship; companies just keep a really tight wrap on who they will associate their brand with in order to protect the identity of the company.

Adrian:? Outside of the sponsorship side, what do users actually do with Loop’d??

Scott:? Our members can register on the site, receive a profile and have access to different features such as sponsorship, photos and video applications. We have 400 brands on the network, and we immerse those brands into the experience. With sports, brands are just part of the lifestyle. People in action sports really identify themselves based on the brands: the clothes they wear and the equipment they use, so they don’t view them as advertisers but as active participants in the sport.?

The members on the site are looking for sponsors. They’re uploading massive amounts of content, mixing it up, mashing it up and redistributing it to other social networking profiles.? They’re getting deals on products and entering contests from the brands to try and get sponsored and win products and incentives. Then they’re using it as a more traditional social network to connect and interact with other members who are into similar sports.

We have a lot of hopefuls on the network who are trying to figure out how to promote themselves, how to get a foot in the door with the different companies for sponsorship and using it as a self-promotion tool to break into the action sports scene.

Adrian:? Is that a model that could then be replicated across other verticals where you have a community of people that want to move up, such as actors, writers or people like that?

Scott:? Absolutely. We’ve chosen to focus on sports because it’s really what we know and have been most passionate about. We have been approached by a number of people about everything from music to horseracing, rodeo and actors. The biggest categories that come to us on a regular basis and ask if they can use it are musicians, bands, and gamers.??

Adrian:? Did you originate your concept or did it come from somewhere else?

Scott:? We were definitely pioneers with the sponsorship model. Prior to SponsorHouse, there really was no solution for up-and-coming and amateur athletes to get sponsored. Back in 1999- 2000,? the traditional process was an amateur athlete would write a resume, post his competition results, and throw some photos into an envelope. If he was lucky enough, he would put a video in there for sponsor reps or team managers to look at. And he would mail them to a company.?

Some of the more popular companies like Oakley and Quiksilver would get tens of thousands of applications for sponsorship, and most of them would never get looked at because no one was designated to sift through all this information nor did they have the time to do it.?

When we launched SponsorHouse, it was a community site with profiles where team managers could specify the criteria of what types of athletes they’re looking for. For example, “I’m looking for a 14-year old motocross racer from New York.” If you fit that criteria, then you could contact that company.

It’s a way for them to streamline the whole application process. We were the pioneer in developing that type of concept that really brought the world of sponsorship to a much larger audience of athletes from all over the country at multiple levels beyond just professional.

Adrian:? Does a company typically say, “We need to find a 14-year-old guy in New York City” and then your system finds a 14-year-old skateboarder in New York City?

Scott:? Correct. It works one of two ways. They can create a sponsorship listing that would enable people to contact them or they could do a search to pull all the people that fit their criteria.? They can browse profiles, look at photos and videos, see how many friends they have, what people are saying about them, and what kind of ratings they have. They can get a better gauge of who they’re looking at and what type of person they are based on who they’re friends with. At the end of the day, it’s essentially marrying the effects of social networking with a commercialised process like sponsorship.

Adrian:? How does the social networking fit into this then???

Scott:? In addition to trying to get sponsored, the members of the site are also out aggregating networks of friends and fans. For them, the more people they have in their network, the more valuable they are to a sponsor. That way when a brand sponsors a particular member, they now get visibility to all of their friends. It’s a very creative grassroots marketing program where the athletes’ online identity is sometimes as valuable, if not more, than their offline identity.

Adrian:?? If someone signs up, how are they promoting? What types of different tools do you let your guys use?

Scott:? During the signup process, you have an option to import your address book and see who’s already on the network. You can invite people that are off the network. You can also do the traditional invite-a-friend.?

Where we get more viral is on the sharing and inviting. Let’s say I’m a member with 500 friends in the network and 500 people I can communicate with off the network. I can post an update to my profile that says how I placed at a specific event. When I send the update, it will immediately notify all of my friends on the network as well as send an e-mail to all the people off the network. Then they have a link to visit my profile to see the update. They’re basically promoting themselves, which is helping to pull more people back into the network.

We also have a partnership with a company called MixerCast. Their technology is a mash-up type tool where the user can pull in Flickr photos, YouTube videos, UGC content, and music. Then you can create a mash-up, which is just mashing all this stuff together or essentially a timeline video editor.?

For us, the application was perfect because now we offer a solution for a 14-year-old skateboarder to upload all his content of him doing tricks, put it together through the timeline editor, add music to it, and post it to his Loop’d profile. Then he can also share it and post it to his MySpace profile, his Facebook profile, or his Bebo. Anyone that wants to interact with that particular video or create their own has to come back to our network.

Overall, we don’t invest in marketing. We do some PR with our partners, but we don’t invest much in paid search at all. We don’t buy traffic or do print or event marketing. For the most part, everything is organic and word-of-mouth, and we get anywhere from 1,000 users and up a day to register.

Adrian:? Why don’t you do something like Ning and be the network for connecting brands to communities?

Scott:? Our network does have elements of Ning. For example, if you go to monsterarmy.com, it is the grassroots athlete online community on the Loop’d Network for the energy drink Monster Energy. We went to them two years ago to present the opportunity to build a branded community around the Monster Energy brand and position it as a grassroots community for athletes to connect with the brand. That community works almost identical to Ning where we offer a set of tools to brands to be able to build communities on our network.

Adrian:? Why don’t you take that to support any potential vertical and allow all brands to come in?

Scott:? We’ve considered it. From a resource perspective, we’re privately and angel-funded so we’ve been focused on making sure we went to action sports as a vertical first. We have actually been approached by several people. We’re now actually pursuing licensing opportunities to have different business teams that are interested in pursuing other verticals, and we’ll do more of a joint-venture/licensing arrangement with those types of companies.

Adrian:? Let’s say you have 500 friends, and Monster Energy is sponsoring you. How is that sponsorship done so it’s not turning off those friends?

Scott:? Immediately upon entering into an agreement with a company, such as Monster Energy, the logo shows on their profile. Monster now has visibility and real estate on their profile as a sponsor.

It’s then tied to everything the member does, so there’s always an insignia that specifies who the brands are that are sponsoring them. Immediately the member can also share with the rest of his friends and networks that he has just been sponsored by Monster. Also every member has an activity feed, and they can see what is happening with the rest of their friends on the network. That sponsorship will show on their activity feed for everyone else in the network to see.

Adrian:? How much does a typical sponsorship agreement go for?

Scott:? It really depends on who you are. Typically, the levels start from discounts off retail pricing on the equipment that you need, which ultimately saves a lot of money. That’s where most of the amateur athletes fall. Once you start getting into the very talented, up-and-coming amateur athletes who are on the verge of turning pro, they start getting free products. Then once you turn pro, a lot of those athletes are on straight pay. It’s not a rich man’s sport. Whether it’s surfing, motocross or skateboarding, as a pro you can start out making anywhere from $10,000 up to $10 million depending on who you are.??

Adrian:? Is the $10 million deal done through your site or do they do that directly???

Scott:? They do those deals directly. The pro athletes who have agents and managers use our network strictly as a way to build fan bases and to promote their sponsors. They’re not doing deals on our network. We never wanted to be in the middle of the sponsorship deal or in competition with the agents or the managers of these professional athletes. We’re just the network where people can connect with each other.

Adrian:? Given that you’ve got a monetisation model here, how well is it working???

Scott:? We’ve actually monetised extremely well. Our site is free for members now. For a brand to get onto our network and be able to interact with our members, they have to buy a profile, buy a community, buy display advertising, or set up a store front or do e-commerce where we get an affiliate fee.?

The profile is very similar to a MySpace or a Facebook profile except brands can use our sponsorships services, interact with members and have visibility to a very targeted demographic.??

The community is like a sponsored group, such as the Monster Army concept I mentioned. When you buy a community, you have a whole set of tools to take over the look and feel of our pages and add different modules whether it be a contest, a poll, featured members or featured athletes.???

Then we have a traditional display advertising model, which has been our least area of focus. The brands also have the ability to link up with their own stores or create their own storefront on our network, and they can sell products with deals to our members.

Adrian:? You actually have a couple of business models all rolled into one. Can you tell me page impressions??

Scott:? We view about 12 million to 15 million pages a month and we have 400,000 members right now, most of which are active. In terms of revenue per page, we’re in the $20-plus CPM range for revenue per page which is unheard of when other social networks are in the pennies.?

Adrian:? The nuances may be different as well because in other areas like in Facebook, advertisers can be often viewed as unwanted intruders whereas in your area, everybody wants the sponsors.

Scott:? Correct. We’ve layered the brands into the experience where they’re not positioned as advertisers. They’re positioned as other participants on the network. We have a brand engagement metric where 85 percent of our 400,000 members have engaged with brands on our network. When they have sent sponsorship applications, they’ve entered a contest, and they’ve become a friend of that brand, they interact with them and have a relationship with that brand so the brand can now talk to them on a regular basis.?

By: Adrian Bye