Reported in The Enquirer on July 17th BOONEVILLE, KY.

An eastern Kentucky woman hopes to fetch at least $750,000 for a
Revolutionary War map and a few strands of hair that she says
belonged to George Washington.

Christa Allen from Kentucky needs some money right away as her
son has been in the hospital recently, and she doesn't have
medical insurance.

So she decided to put the hair and map on eBay.

Maybe you haven't got the odd strand of Washington's hair kicking
around, but you have probably considered selling that redundant
exercise bike or coronation mug.

This is the way so many people start selling on eBay, casually
selling an item or two freshly dragged from the loft. A goodly
percentage then go on and get the eBay selling bug. Just check
out the success stories on Freeauctionscripts.com for
confirmation.

But beware! There is a world of difference between selling spare
items from the attic and buying and selling profitably as a
business.

For a start it is essential to consider eBay listing fees, eBay
final value fees, PayPal transaction fees, cost of goods,
shipping expenses, refund expenses (damaged/missing shipments),
office expenses and packaging.

The advice from seasoned eBay merchants is well worth examination
if you are considering trading seriously.

Here are the top tips from a variety of eBay Powersellers.

1. Seek advice and learn as much as you can before you
start. Use the eBay Store Sellers Board - a lively forum
where you can pick up tips and ask questions.

2. Find a niche. Sell what you like and can get your hands
on. Keep in mind shipping and the supplies to ship those
items.

3. Keep yourself organized either on paper, online, or with
a spreadsheet.

4. When volume picks up, find ways to decrease your workload
and streamline your business. How about a USPS pickup
instead of a trip to the post office each time?

5. Recognize when you need a solution. As number of products
increase you will need management tools such as
Turbolister or SpareDollar.

6. Make research a part of your daily routine. It's
important to know what changes have been made, get tips
on how to improve your business , and know when there are
problems.

7. Adapt to change. It's a constant fact that things change.
Those that can adapt to changes will survive.

With the right preparation you can certainly enjoy a profitable
and convenient way of life.

As Judith Isaacson of Goldman Jewelry eBay Store concludes in her
success story on Freeauctionscripts.com:

"So here I am in Israel, promoting and selling jewelry that is in
New York, to customers around the world, without leaving the
house. The process of building and handling the internet
extension of our family business, and combining family, home and
business brings me full circle. My cup runneth over."

Keith Watson has been developing websites and advising about
marketing and sales on the Internet since 1992. For further
support if you are looking to seriously trade on eBay go to
http://auctions.go-cbmall.com