Statement of Purpose
Is it possible for a person to earn a profit through online selling? More specifically, is it possible for any person in the country to buy something on eBay and make more money on the same item by re-selling it on eBay? One must be wondering how it is possible for a person to be able to make more money selling the same item on eBay unless it is a scam.
This web essay will show how re-selling in the virtual world (eBay) will maximize a potential profit more so than re-selling in the physical world-----without a single scam involved. This essay will also demonstrate the importance of buying in the physical world as well as the virtual world.
Ebay History
Pierre Omidyar founded the company in 1995 when it was known AuctionWeb. This online auction concept was apart of a larger web site he personally created for information on the ebola virus. What started out as a minor project blew up into a worldwide phenomenon---and it all started with a broken laser pointer. It was the very first item Omidyar sold as apart of his project which in his disbelief, fetched $14.83. Omidyar e-mailed the winner to be sure he realized that the laser pointer was broken and not new. The winning bidder told Omidyar that he was a collector of broken laser pointers.
Knowing he was onto something big, Omidyar threw his focus on building AuctionWeb, which he soon renamed as Ebay, short for Echo Bay which was the name of his consulting firm. Ebay soon expanded internally with a business team, as well as externally through more buyers and sellers. This eventually led up to the company's 1998 debut on the stock market. (http://ebay.about.com/od/ebaylifestyle/a/el_history.htm)
Currently, eBay is one of the most recognized online marketplaces. It started as an experiment and became a way for people to sell nearly anything to anyone in the world all virtually. Ebay has evolved into a concept that breaks barriers so to speak by using the internet to connect groups of people based on his/her wants and needs. (http://news.ebay.com/about.cfm)
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Survey Thing
On a daily basis the media I use includes:
Computer
T.V.
Radio
Ipod
Magazines
Cell Phone
Video Games
This is certainly different than when I was five because my media was primarily T.V. cartoons and coloring books. When I was 10 my media usage was T.V. video games, and kiddy magazines. At 15 it was everything at 10 plus the
computer as well as an interest in music.
I would say I spend a total of 2 hours in intervals on the computer throughout a day. T.V. would be slightly less than that and is mostly done at night. Radio would be probably 20 minutes tops (unless I have my iPod) or however long I drive for. My iPod I would say an hour to an hour and a half because I use it in the car as well as at the gym. My cell phone I would say it varies on the day but it could be between 10 and 35 minutes. I really don't use my cell phone the way most women do. Finally, magazines would be again maybe 10 to 20 minutes depending on how new it is, the free time I have, and what puzzles are in it.
-Doing math or calculation homework I would probably have some music playing in the background. It used to be the radio, but would probably now be
music on Youtube.
-For reading assignments I would either have a very faint sound from the radio on or at times nothing at all.
-For writing a paper I would be on the computer with music on from either my playlist or Youtube and periodically surf the web for headlines during breaks in my work.
-Studying for an exam I either would be in my room much like a reading assignment or in the family room with a movie on.
-For driving I will either listen to the radio and sing or listen to my iPod and you guessed it, sing. It's like pick your poison when I'm in the car.
-Eating a meal I have to be doing something else whether it be on the computer checking headlines or going through the paper and circulars.
-Eat with my family we usually have the T.V. on, but with my friends its usually out with the music or multiple T.V.'s on.
-Household Chores like cooking breakfast I would have the T.V. on, but cleaning my car (A long time ago) it would be the radio being on.
-For my free time I like to work out at my gym and I'll have my iPod with me; watch ESPN highlights on T.V. at night, and check headlines and eBay auctions on the computer.
Computer
T.V.
Radio
Ipod
Magazines
Cell Phone
Video Games
This is certainly different than when I was five because my media was primarily T.V. cartoons and coloring books. When I was 10 my media usage was T.V. video games, and kiddy magazines. At 15 it was everything at 10 plus the
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I would say I spend a total of 2 hours in intervals on the computer throughout a day. T.V. would be slightly less than that and is mostly done at night. Radio would be probably 20 minutes tops (unless I have my iPod) or however long I drive for. My iPod I would say an hour to an hour and a half because I use it in the car as well as at the gym. My cell phone I would say it varies on the day but it could be between 10 and 35 minutes. I really don't use my cell phone the way most women do. Finally, magazines would be again maybe 10 to 20 minutes depending on how new it is, the free time I have, and what puzzles are in it.
-Doing math or calculation homework I would probably have some music playing in the background. It used to be the radio, but would probably now be
music on Youtube.
-For reading assignments I would either have a very faint sound from the radio on or at times nothing at all.
-For writing a paper I would be on the computer with music on from either my playlist or Youtube and periodically surf the web for headlines during breaks in my work.
-Studying for an exam I either would be in my room much like a reading assignment or in the family room with a movie on.
-For driving I will either listen to the radio and sing or listen to my iPod and you guessed it, sing. It's like pick your poison when I'm in the car.
-Eating a meal I have to be doing something else whether it be on the computer checking headlines or going through the paper and circulars.
-Eat with my family we usually have the T.V. on, but with my friends its usually out with the music or multiple T.V.'s on.
-Household Chores like cooking breakfast I would have the T.V. on, but cleaning my car (A long time ago) it would be the radio being on.
-For my free time I like to work out at my gym and I'll have my iPod with me; watch ESPN highlights on T.V. at night, and check headlines and eBay auctions on the computer.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Blog 10
I've got some pretty good ideas and sources for the web essay. Unfortunately we didn't get the walkthrough in class on front page so hopefully next class we will get that. I plan to get most of the writing out of the way before throwing my focus on the setup. I also came up with the idea to use personal auctions that I have won and sold from and dissect them pointing out why I chose each one and the stratagies behind each one for getting the best price possible.
Reflections on Copyright
I thought the Disney video on YouTube was cute. It was jab towards Disney using their own words against while citing each movie as a source. I think it was a controversial move but yet a clever statement. If I created a successful idea, I certainly wouldn't want anyone deliberately earning money on it, especially if it was directly on my authentic works. On the other side of the coin, I think all new ideas and concepts evolved from an established idea and it takes one established idea to sprout new ones. So in some ways copyright restricts possible new ideas that could spawn creativity.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Blog 9
Last class I talked about the structure of my web essay and the different avenues that I will take to get there. I plan on getting a lot of the writing in these next few weeks and will incorporate my wikipedia post as well. In terms of research, I will certainly research things for example as specific methods of selling on eBay that are shown to work better than others (ie starting an auction out with a low bidding price and a high shipping price vs. an auction with a low bidding price and a low shipping price).
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Blog 8
My Wikipedia user name is Ricky620 (No particular reason for the 620, just seemed like a number that flowed). I first made my Wikipedia entry on the last day of class before Spring break.
It was as follows:
Tips for Selling
Selling on eBay can be tricky for first-timers and those who use the site infrequently, but following the tips mentioned below through authors and first-hand sellers could help maximize a potential profit.
-Before anything else, always remember to be honest and forthright. Be sure to accomodate potential buyers' questions. Little things such as these will build a favorable reputation within the community.
- Research what the product sells for on eBay ∙ Understand competition helps drive prices down. See how many eBayers sell your product and find out the average price. Then decide if the estimated average price is worth the time and fees to put into posting a listing.
- Make you description stand out to include all the details ∙ Describe the product as completely as possible while using abbreviations as well as the full word it represents. Include as much detail in the title as possible to get eBayers to notice the listing. The more detail there is, the more the potential search views there can be. ∙ Include any imperfections with the product, a shipping cost or calculator, and as many pictures needed to get all the details in. These factors will not only improve the potential search views and watchers for the item, but help the chances of receiving a positive feedback for the transaction.
-Time the duration of the auction ∙ To get many potential bids on an auction, timing is vital. The most popular day to end an auction is Sunday, followed by Saturday then Friday. ∙ 7 day auctions suit best for many products, especially those that are not sold as much on eBay because it can generate more watchers and views from different time zones. ∙ Try to end the auction around 10 p.m. Eastern time. This way it won’t be too late for watchers in the Eastern time zone to bid, and watchers in the Mountain and Pacific time zones will have plenty of time to bid since it would be early evening.
The link to this is
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=EBay&diff=prev&oldid=197776291
Unfortunately, approximately one minute and sixteen seconds later, it was removed under the good faith edits (Meaning I meant well but went against what wikipedia stands for). I was thinking of ways to repost this in a different fashion, but was told that this information was primarily like a guide of sorts and wouldn't be useful for the site's purposes. The eBay page was also guarded like a hawk so I was lucky to even change the page for even a minute.
Wikipedia is interesting because to me it is like a digital grapevine. Some things may be stretched a bit with many users trying to make their mark on something, but just about everything has some sort of truth to it.
It was as follows:
Tips for Selling
Selling on eBay can be tricky for first-timers and those who use the site infrequently, but following the tips mentioned below through authors and first-hand sellers could help maximize a potential profit.
-Before anything else, always remember to be honest and forthright. Be sure to accomodate potential buyers' questions. Little things such as these will build a favorable reputation within the community.
- Research what the product sells for on eBay ∙ Understand competition helps drive prices down. See how many eBayers sell your product and find out the average price. Then decide if the estimated average price is worth the time and fees to put into posting a listing.
- Make you description stand out to include all the details ∙ Describe the product as completely as possible while using abbreviations as well as the full word it represents. Include as much detail in the title as possible to get eBayers to notice the listing. The more detail there is, the more the potential search views there can be. ∙ Include any imperfections with the product, a shipping cost or calculator, and as many pictures needed to get all the details in. These factors will not only improve the potential search views and watchers for the item, but help the chances of receiving a positive feedback for the transaction.
-Time the duration of the auction ∙ To get many potential bids on an auction, timing is vital. The most popular day to end an auction is Sunday, followed by Saturday then Friday. ∙ 7 day auctions suit best for many products, especially those that are not sold as much on eBay because it can generate more watchers and views from different time zones. ∙ Try to end the auction around 10 p.m. Eastern time. This way it won’t be too late for watchers in the Eastern time zone to bid, and watchers in the Mountain and Pacific time zones will have plenty of time to bid since it would be early evening.
The link to this is
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=EBay&diff=prev&oldid=197776291
Unfortunately, approximately one minute and sixteen seconds later, it was removed under the good faith edits (Meaning I meant well but went against what wikipedia stands for). I was thinking of ways to repost this in a different fashion, but was told that this information was primarily like a guide of sorts and wouldn't be useful for the site's purposes. The eBay page was also guarded like a hawk so I was lucky to even change the page for even a minute.
Wikipedia is interesting because to me it is like a digital grapevine. Some things may be stretched a bit with many users trying to make their mark on something, but just about everything has some sort of truth to it.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Blog 7 (I think this is suppose to be it)
eBay entry article for Wikipedia?
Tips for Selling
Selling on eBay can be tricky for first-timers and those who use the site infrequently, but following the tips mentioned below could help maximize a potential profit.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/twi3/chapter/ch06.html
-Before anything else, always remember to be honest and forthright. Be sure to accomodate potential buyers' questions. Little things such as these will build a favorable reputation within the community.
http://reviews.ebay.com/Margin-Killers-The-Frustration-of-Ebay_W0QQugidZ10000000000020559
- Research what the product sells for on eBay
∙ Understand competition helps drive prices down. See how many eBayers sell your product and find out the average price. Then decide if the estimated average price is worth the time and fees to put into posting a listing.
http://reviews.ebay.com/Writing-the-Perfect-Description-for-Your-eBay-Listing_W0QQugidZ10000000000087204
- Make you description stand out to include all the details
∙ Describe the product as completely as possible while using abbreviations as well as the full word it represents. Include as much detail in the title as possible to get eBayers to notice the listing. The more detail there is, the more the potential search views there can be.
∙ Include any imperfections with the product, a shipping cost or calculator, and as many pictures needed to get all the details in. These factors will not only improve the potential search views and watchers for the item, but help the chances of receiving a positive feedback for the transaction.
http://reviews.ebay.com/When-to-list-your-auctions-TIMING-can-be-everything_W0QQugidZ10000000001313931
-Time the duration of the auction
∙ To really get bidding wars on an auction, timing is vital. The most popular day to end an auction is Sunday, followed by Saturday then Friday.
∙ 7 day auctions suit best for many products, especially those that are not sold as much on eBay because it can generate more watchers and views from different time zones.
∙ Try to end the auction around 10 p.m. Eastern time. This way it won’t be too late for watchers in the Eastern time zone to bid, and watchers in the Mountain and Pacific time zones will have plenty of time to bid since it would be early evening.
Tips for Selling
Selling on eBay can be tricky for first-timers and those who use the site infrequently, but following the tips mentioned below could help maximize a potential profit.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/twi3/chapter/ch06.html
-Before anything else, always remember to be honest and forthright. Be sure to accomodate potential buyers' questions. Little things such as these will build a favorable reputation within the community.
http://reviews.ebay.com/Margin-Killers-The-Frustration-of-Ebay_W0QQugidZ10000000000020559
- Research what the product sells for on eBay
∙ Understand competition helps drive prices down. See how many eBayers sell your product and find out the average price. Then decide if the estimated average price is worth the time and fees to put into posting a listing.
http://reviews.ebay.com/Writing-the-Perfect-Description-for-Your-eBay-Listing_W0QQugidZ10000000000087204
- Make you description stand out to include all the details
∙ Describe the product as completely as possible while using abbreviations as well as the full word it represents. Include as much detail in the title as possible to get eBayers to notice the listing. The more detail there is, the more the potential search views there can be.
∙ Include any imperfections with the product, a shipping cost or calculator, and as many pictures needed to get all the details in. These factors will not only improve the potential search views and watchers for the item, but help the chances of receiving a positive feedback for the transaction.
http://reviews.ebay.com/When-to-list-your-auctions-TIMING-can-be-everything_W0QQugidZ10000000001313931
-Time the duration of the auction
∙ To really get bidding wars on an auction, timing is vital. The most popular day to end an auction is Sunday, followed by Saturday then Friday.
∙ 7 day auctions suit best for many products, especially those that are not sold as much on eBay because it can generate more watchers and views from different time zones.
∙ Try to end the auction around 10 p.m. Eastern time. This way it won’t be too late for watchers in the Eastern time zone to bid, and watchers in the Mountain and Pacific time zones will have plenty of time to bid since it would be early evening.
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