Chapter 30. Making a Living from eBay

I N T HIS C HAPTER

Becoming an eBay PowerSeller
Turning Your Online Auctions into a Real Business
Maintaining Your Sales Inventory
Automating Your Auction Activities
Tracking Revenues and Costs
Promoting Your Online Auctions

Chances are you're just starting out on your online auction adventureslearning how to buy and sell and take advantage of everything eBay has to offer. As you gain more experience, however, you may decide that you're pretty good at the whole thing, and start to wonder what it might take to ramp up your eBay activities. You might even dream about one day making your living from selling goods online.

For tens of thousands of eBay users, making a living from online auctions isn't a dreamit's reality. It's definitely possible to sell enough items to generate a livable income from eBay auctions. It takes a lot of hard work and it's as complex as running any other business; but it can be done.

Let me tell you how.

Becoming an eBay PowerSeller

One of the steps to running your own eBay businessalthough not a requirement, by any meansis to become an eBay PowerSeller. eBay's 100,000-plus PowerSellers generate enough business to warrant special attention from eBay, in the form of dedicated customer support, premier tools, and the occasional special offer. Plus they get to display that cool PowerSeller logo in all their auction listings.

To become a PowerSeller, you must meet the following qualifications:

Maintain a consistently high level of eBay sales (see Table 30.1)
Maintain a minimum of four average monthly total item listings for three straight months
Have been an active eBay seller for at least 90 days
Achieve and maintain a minimum feedback rating of 100, 98% positive
Deliver post-auction messages to successful bidders within three business days of each auction close
Be an eBay member in good standing and uphold eBay's "community values"including honesty, timeliness, and mutual respect

Table 30.1. PowerSeller Requirements, by Level

Level	Requirement (average monthly sales)
Bronze	$1,000
Silver	$3,000
Gold	$10,000
Platinum	$25,000
Titanium	$150,000

The most important point is the first, because it's the most quantifiable. There are five levels in the PowerSeller program; qualification for each level is based on average gross monthly sales, calculated over the past three months of selling activity. Table 30.1 shows the qualifying requirements for each level.

That's right, there are some eBay sellers who average $150,000 or more a month. That's almost two million dollars a year in revenues from eBay auctionsno slight accomplishment!

Membership in eBay's PowerSellers program is free. However, you can't apply; PowerSeller status is by invitation only. Each month eBay sends out invitations to sellers who meet the PowerSeller criteria. You become a member by (1) meeting the criteria; (2) receiving an invitation; and (3) responding positively to the invitation .

Want to learn more? Then go to the main PowerSeller's page (pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/welcome.html) and read up!

Note

To keep your PowerSeller status, you have to maintain the base sales rate. If your sales drop below these levels, eBay will give you 30 days to bring your account back into compliance; if you don't, your membership in the program will be revoked . (You're free to requalify at a later date, however.)