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I agree with another reviewer who states no secrets revealed, only for inspiration. One annoying point about book is the writer, who says she used to sell on ebay, but as the book is in interview format, and judging by her newbie questions, and lack of techological knowledge, she didnt sell too much.
I picked this book out of a stack of "how to get RICHRICHRICH on eBay." titles -- you know, the usual dreck -- because I thought it might be amusing to read over lunch.Well, imagine my surprise. And (to address another) anyone who expects one book to hand them a turnkey road to wealth really needs to look into buying a franchise or some other Real World turnkey system to understand how much such a thing would cost.It's not for the raw beginner, really, or for someone who just wants to put up a handful of items to clear the attic. There are plenty of editing niggles scattered throughout that might require you to reread a sentence. selling on eBay.And Joyner's understanding of the subject does show through. (If it ever comes out in paperback, I could change my mind). She digs & pokes & comes up with scads of nuggets of very useful information & advice for anyone who's serious about eBay selling, online auctions in general, & for that matter online selling overall.I cannot agree with some other Amazon reviews. Eighteen in-depth interviews with some of the all-time bigest eBay sellers (circa 2004, anyway), conducted in a professional manner, by an author who actually knows something about. But, if you're serious about starting (or expanding) your eBay presence, I'd have to put this on the Top Ten of titles I'd recommend.It's not perfect.
For instance, nobody in their right mind is going to freely give away the contact information for a reliable drop-shipper. To do so would simply mean giving up market share to a horde of beginners who'd cut into the business & likely muck up the perceived reliability of that niche. And I found at least two bits of advice that might get a newbie in trouble: Joyner suggests putting outside links into listings (last I noted, this was firmly discouraged by eBay) & putting keywords into your titles of similar brand names to draw in buyers (again, discouraged not only by eBay, but I think ICANN gets cranky about this practice on your own websites).Finally, while it's a GREAT one-time read, I'm not certain that you'll need to go through it more than once or twice, so unless you plan to resell it or otherwise pass it along, the $22.95 retail might be too steep for practicality. If you're expecting $23 worth of advice, you'll probably be disappointed.But if you tread carefully, the good advice to be had far outweighs the bumps.
This is a concisely written book of case studies of bigtime sellers on ebay and how they do it.Any secrets you can steal. Instead it is a compilation of stories of and interviews with the people who have started successful and profitable, they say, businesses on the auction site. Not really, but lots of insight into how others did it. This is not a how-to-sell step-by-step manual of the basics of selling on ebay. It includes nice boxes of helpful pointers on most every page.I found this book entertaining and helpful.Am a now rich because I read it. No, but maybe someday.
For example, one of the "Titanium Talk" segments recounts how a rogue buyer tried to bring down a seller's business. It doesn't mean you are actually getting the benefit of "secrets." If thousands or even millions of copies are printed, how "secret" is the information.The book is a collection of 18 profiles of Titanium Power Sellers. Lots of books that aim to be informative or instructional are going to have "secrets" in the title. You need to have your act together.
They are trying to sell books. Readers should apply critical thinking to book titles and contents. The book ends with 50 Strategies that distill the widsom found in the text. There are no stories about people who started by picking up bargains at garage sales. The profiles are followed by Q and A "Titanium Talk." There are "power pointers" scattered through the text.
The book delivers an essential message: You have to be a savvy business person. It is a realistic look at what it takes to make a good living on eBay.If, like me, you are a person who has never been in business, if you have no idea what you might sell, and you have no product sources, what chance do you really think you have. This is how a publisher entices consumers. All of the PowerSellers profiled were already established in the business world before getting involved with eBay. Power Pointers emphasize key concepts, such as "Before setting your starting bids, consult eBay's listing fees.
Sometimes you can save a significant amount by starting an auction for just a penny less."The book is packed with useful information. They have MBAs and other impressive credentials. This book will give you a lot to consider.
I read this book and hoped to find several new ideas but I was very disappointed. I could not find a lot of new information in the book. Certainly the price tag is too high too.
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