Guide To Rare And Old Book Values

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How to write an eBay auction title.

Create an effective auction title - This is pretty important. The eBay auction title is your first contact with the buyer. Your auction title will appear in a list of up to 49 other auction titles, so make sure yours stands out as professional. eBay allows 45 characters in the auction title including spaces. You'll soon discover that this is not near enough. Choose your title words wisely. You want to place as much descriptive information in that title to attract as many potential buyers as possible. Don't waste any of those scarce 45 characters on punctuation, exclamation points or the words "Look", "Nice" or "No reserve" or any non-alphabet characters. If at all possible try not to leave any unused space. Dedicate every character of the title allocation to words that accurately describe your item and are likely to be searched for by potential buyers. And make sure there are no spelling mistakes. We've seen plenty of title spelling errors over the years. Spelling mistakes will make you look amateurish. Remember, "professional".

Auction titles for books - For fiction, we recommend that you include the title, at least the author's last name, the edition if it is a first edition, if it has a dust jacket that should be noted, and the date if it is older. Here's an example. 

"Tarzan of the Apes Burroughs 1st DJ 1914"

The entry "1st" is commonly used on eBay to indicate a first edition. The letters "DJ" are commonly used to indicate that the book has a dust jacket.

If the book is signed we would list the same book as follows:

"Tarzan of the Apes Burroughs 1st DJ Signed"

The date in this case is much less important than the other information provided.

For a newer copy, we would list it this way:

"Tarzan of the Apes Edgar Rice Burroughs DJ"

Since it's not a first edition, and it's not old, we've placed priority on including the author's full name.

For most older, collectible non-fiction, the auction title depends on a few things. Is the author famous and recognizable? Is the title of the book popular? For obscure authors, it is important to convey the subject of the book in the auction title and not necessarily the author. It may be advisable to leave the author's name out altogether if more important subject information can be listed instead.  For the book "The United States Navy" by Reynolds and published by Colliers in 1918, a book filled with black and white photos of early US battleships we might use the following 

"The United States Navy - Battleship Book WWI 1918"

Notice that we left out the author's name. Very few people know who Reynolds was and it is more important to convey to buyers that this is a book from 1918 about battleships.

Let's consider another case where the book title and author are popular and important. Alfred Thayer Mahan's book "The Influence of Seapower on History, 1660-1783" was groundbreaking and is familiar to all serious students of naval history. In this case it is important to include the full title of this important book and also Mahan's name.

"The Influence of Seapower on History Mahan"

If there were more room in the title field, we would have probably listed the date or the edition. The most important elements in this case however, are the title and the author.

Bold titles and featured auctions - We have NEVER used these eBay options. We believe that they are prohibitively expensive and unnecessary. Bold titles cost S1.00 and featured auctions cost $19.95 per auction listing.

Next: How to write an auction listing

Introduction
Where to buy books to sell on eBay
Planning your auction
How to write an auction title
How to write an auction listing
Auction item photographs
How to maximize your selling price
After the auction
What if the buyer doesn't pay
Maximize Profits - Keep your costs to a minimum
What not to do - a summary
Top Ten Seller Tips
Register on eBay
Buying on eBay - buying tips

Ebay Business the Smart Way: Maximize Your Profits on the Web's #1 Auction Site by Joseph T. Sinclair

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The Official eBay Bible by Jim Griffith, Jim Griff Griffith

America's official eBay Ambassador shares his humor, know-how, and matchless eBay expertise in this authoritative guide geared to both the beginning bidder and seller, as well as the professional entrepreneur.

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o Tips and shortcuts for even the most technologically challenged
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For first-time users or online pros, The Official eBay Bible teaches people how to swap and shop with the best of them.

Starting an eBay Business for Dummies by Marsha Collier

Starting An eBay Business For Dummies is the book eBay entrepreneurs have been dying to have -- all the tips and tricks of turning eBay trading into a full-time job are here.

This book covers the essentials an eBay user or budding entrepreneur needs to start a money-making venture by trading on eBay. Discover the essentials not only for maximizing your profits on eBay, but also how to run a smart business. This guide explains the enhanced features of eBay including their new Gallery feature designed to help business pull in customers by displaying their goods in individual online boutiques.

Sell it on eBay: TechTV's Guide to Creating Successful eBay Auctions by Jim Heid, Toby Malina

Got goods to sell? Then get this guide! Chances are, if something exists (and maybe even if it doesn't), it's been sold on eBay! But making sure that your items not just sell, but sell quickly, at your desired price, and without any snafus in shipping or payment takes some doing in the world's largest bazaar. To ensure that kind of eBay success, you need this no-nonsense guide. In these pages, eBay aficionados Jim Heid and Toby Malina have teamed with the folks at TechTV to create the first and last word on selling at eBay. Through easily digestible text and a visually approachable design that shows you how to take flattering photos of your merchandise and design beautiful pages, this handy guide hones in on precisely what you need to know to sell or even start your own business on eBay. Filled with need-to-know information about everything from payment methods to shipping considerations and establishing starting bid prices, this is where you'll want to go before you go online!

The Official Ebay Guide to Buying, Selling and Collecting Just About Anything by Laura Fisher Kaiser, et al

HAPPY HUNTING™ ON eBay-  Aunt Fannie's cameo pin collection...the cartoon-character lunch boxes you had in third grade...that cast-iron doorstop you bought for $2 but is really worth $200....Whether you're a busy buyer, an avid seller, or just a fun-loving browser, you'll find countless collectibles like these on eBay, the world's largest person-to-person online trading community.
Now -- in this official primer from the popular Internet site that has revolutionized the collecting world -- the experts at eBay unlock the secrets of successful online buying and selling, for everyone from the enthusiastic beginner to the seasoned pro. Featuring an introduction by Pierre Omidyar, eBay's founder and chairman, and packed with tips and stories from "eBaysians" all over the country, The Official eBay™ Guide is the only authorized book that shows you how to * BUY SMART -- unraveling the mystery of value, bidding to win, and learning how to spot the really good stuff* BE A SAVVY SELLER -- from writing the perfect item listing to collecting payments from your happy customers* LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS -- top eBaysians, Ambassadors, Power Sellers, and eBay employees lend advice and share secrets for success* FIND THE GREAT STUFF -- how to work garage sales, flea markets, tag sales, estate sales, and even the other kind of auction. Packed with invaluable resources, information, and practical tips, The Official eBay™ Guide also features entertaining stories about the millions of people who make up the eBay community. It's your must-have companion for mastering the art of buying and selling an astounding range of collectibles and items, from the practical to the whimsical.

How To Sell On eBay: An Instructional Guide by Annette Graf

Did you ever want to sell on eBay but didn't know how to get started? Are you a seller but would like to learn how to become more successful. How To Sell On eBay is written in an easy to follow format from a top seller on eBay. eBay is the first and most successful online auction that allows you to buy and sell over the Internet. Depending on how knowledgeable you are about computers, the Internet, and getting started, this book will assist with the basics of buying and selling on eBay, as well as what sells and what doesn't. Perhaps, you don't have anything to sell right now, but having heard so much about eBay your are curious and feel in the future, it might be something to check into. If it's the extra cash you are after, or the lure of seeing how much an item will sell for, then eBay is the right place to do this. So come along on this adventure and check out our step-by-step instruction book about eBay!

Selling Used Books Online: The Complete Guide to Bookselling at Amazon's Marketplace and Other Online Sites by Stephen Windwalker

Selling Old Books the New Dot Com Way: Your Guide to Starting and Running an Internet Bookselling Business by Suzanne F. Pitner