Online auction selling can be fun and profitable. But the real excitement and thrill occurs at the onsite, or at offline auctions. There is nothing that compares with the sights, sounds, and actions of an auctioneer, bidders, and visible merchandise.

Would it surprise you to learn that many highly successful and profitable ebay sellers actually purchase their merchandise and goods at on-site or offline auctions? Well it's true.

Following these simple offline or on-site auction tips, you too could join the ranks of highly successful bank account busting ebay auction sellers.

1. Make sure that you always get to on-site auctions on time so that you have a chance to check out what is to be sold... and decide what you are going to bid on. While looking over the goods that are to be sold, take note of others looking over the goods that you want because they will be the ones that will be bidding against you.

2. Make every effort to introduce yourself to the auctioneer, and tell him what you are interested in. Many times he may state what he thinks it will go for, or the restricted price that the owner may have reserved for it. Some auctioneers like to start their own bids. They make you think they have a bid for a certain amount, when they really do not have a thing.

The first bid is the auctioneer's own. When this is obvious, he can be stopped by no one bidding at all. There are some auctioneers like this... who always grab a truck load of goods they bought themselves. An auctioneer may also be stopped by bidding just a quarter over his starting bid. If no one else bids against you, you will get the goods for the starting bid of a quarter... unless only dollar bids are accepted.

Many times an auctioneer will quickly change his tactics when he sees the crowd is on to him. He will simply add another item, and ask for a buck over the last bid. If no one bids, he will throw both items on a pile to be sold later. Surprisingly, that whole pile may go for less than the last bid asked, and you can grab a bunch of valuable goods for your ebay online auction... if you are the bidder.

3. While you should be comfortable at an on-site auction, you should not place yourself in an obvious position where you can be easily seen. Bid cautiously, raising your hand to your chest, extending one or more fingers according to your bid, or raise your card if you have the numbered system. To bid half, raise your hand with the palm down. Never raise your arm full length and wave because you will certainly be outbidden. If you are not certain your bid has been accepted, point one finger at yourself so the auctioneer sees you, and he will nod yes or no.

4. When the numbering system is used at an auction, you must register, and keep your card in view of the auctioneer. Be sure to hand in, or destroy the card when leaving because thieves may pick it up to use it to charge merchandise to you. The card may also be used at another sale to avoid paying for goods... until the auctioneer or clerk realizes there are two of the same numbers.

Use the back of your card to keep a tally of the prices and purchases as you buy. Where cards are not used, keep a book because many dishonest clerks rake money off the top by overcharging, and adding items you did not buy.

5. Talk to the auctioneer, but do not annoy the customers with senseless talk. A friendly auctioneer can be worth a pot of gold. Help the auctioneer along by starting bids on slow objects you do not intend to buy... but have a starting and stopping place so you do not get stuck with them.

6. Beware of bystanders who purposely engage you in conversation all the time, bidding behind your back on goods they know you want. Look out for the person who thinks you know all the good items, watches you closely, and bids just over you... because they think whatever you bid, it's really worth more. Get rid of them by bidding the items much over their worth, quit suddenly, and let them make the final bid. If they bite, they will be stuck with it.

There are those that will bid any price until they get what they want... whether it's worth it or not. These people get stuck most of the time, but they do get what they want. When there are several of this type present... you may as well go home, for all you will get is the junk.

Last, but not least. Mistakes can easily be made at auctions. If you have concerns about the amount you are expected to pay... you need to go over the items one by one with the clerk to make the corrections. It pays to be careful.

Follow these simple tips, and you should always end up with plenty of goods at below bargain prices that you can resell on ebay for a small fortune.

Labels: ebay auction strategies, offline auctions

Product sourcing is one of the most important topics for eBay entrepreneurs, along with customer service. The basic idea, of course is to buy low, sell high. Most people start on eBay by selling whatever they have in their attic or basement. This is a great way to begin, because they will get used to selling on eBay and they will become familiarizes them with the shipping and customer service.

After a while though, they've sold off everything they have in the attic, and need to find more items to sell. So they begin going to every garage sale and flea market they can to find more products to sell. They quickly find that they are spending a lot of time (and money) doing this and begin looking at new ways to find new items to sell. This means finding products from wholesale suppliers.

One of the most common mistakes people make is to go to a search engine and search for wholesale suppliers online. Unfortunately, search engines are NOT a good way to find legitimate wholesaler suppliers. Real wholesalers will most likely not be going to be found via a search engine. What they will find is that 99% of the time the if you found a wholesaler supplier though a search engine, it will be a scam artist.

They set themselves up with a real wholesale supplier and then promote themselves as a supplier. They raise the prices of the goods and simply pass on any orders they get to the real wholesaler. The prices are so high that is will be impossible to make any money with them. Some, if not most, will charge a monthly fee to use their service and they will tell you that you do not need a reseller's license to set up an account with them.

A real wholesaler will require that you provide proof that you are a legitimate business. This generally includes a business license and a sales tax permit. The actual name of the needed documents vary by state. These documents are absolutely vital in order to deal with real wholesalers. Don't let this detail scare you! These are really not that hard to get and unless you incorporate, will not require a lawyer. These can be obtained at your county courthouse and they will guide you in any other documents you need.

To summarize, a real wholesaler will:

1. Not be found on the internet with a search engine.
2. Require some form of proof that you are a real business.
3. Will not charge a set-up fee or a monthly access fee.

If you find a wholesaler that does not fit these criteria, then you may have found a scam artist posing as a wholesaler.

Labels: ebay auction strategies, ebay selling, product sourcing, wholesale dropshipping