Kovels' Bid, Buy, and Sell Online : Basic Auction Information and Tricks of the Trade

by KOVEL, RALPHKOVEL, TERRY

• ISBN13: 9780609807576
• ISBN10: 0609807579
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2001-02-01
• Publisher: Random House Reference

Summary

Become an expert in Bidding, buying, and selling online with the ultimate guide to Internet collecting. From the basic information you need to sell your items in an online auction to making online buys at great prices, experts Ralph and Terry Kovel are right on top of the hottest trends. Kovels' Bid, Buy, and Sell Onlineoffers all the expertise you need for buying or selling anything in this worldwide virtual bazaar. This guide covers it all! * How to register on a variety of online sites * How to search for what you want * How to write an ad to attract the most attention * How to use photographs * How to avoid fakes and forgeries * And much more . . . Complete with a chart comparing the fees, rules, and practices of the three major auction sites, as well as diaries of both a buyer and a seller, the book also provides the Kovels' list of sites (constantly updated at www.kovels.com) to guide you through the fast-growing auction opportunities on the Web.

Author Biography

RALPH and TERRY KOVEL have authored more than eighty books and currently write a nationally syndicated newspaper column, a monthly column in <i>House Beautiful</i>, a subscription-only newsletter, and a monthly column in <i>Forbes</i> magazine. Starting in 2001 they will appear on their own weekly television show on HGTV (Home & Garden Television), titled Flea Market Finds with the Kovels.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	9	(2)
Introduction	11	(2)
PART ONE: Guide for Computer Neophytes	13	(8)
Screens & Pages	15	(1)
Buttons & Underlined Words on Your Internet Browser	15	(1)
What's at the Top of the Screen?	16	(1)
Where Am I?	17	(1)
Internet Browser Terms	17	(4)
PART TWO: Buying on the Internet	21	(44)
Let's Tour an Internet Auction Site	24	(1)
Getting to an Internet Auction	24	(4)
Registration to Buy or Sell	28	(3)
Eyes in the Back of Your Head	31	(1)
Searching an Online Auction for the Thing You Want to Buy	32	(3)
Search Results	35	(1)
Is It What You Want to Buy?	36	(2)
Photographs	38	(1)
How Will You Pay?	38	(1)
Checking ``Comments'' (Feedback)	38	(1)
Automatic Bidding	39	(1)
Reserve Prices	40	(2)
Bidding Strategies	42	(1)
Auction Extension	43	(1)
You Are the Successful Bidder	44	(1)
Payment Methods	45	(2)
Escrow Services	47	(1)
More on Returns	48	(2)
Risks	50	(1)
Filing a Claim for a Broken Item	51	(1)
Fraud	52	(3)
Buyers Beware!	55	(3)
Cyber-Shills	58	(1)
A Few More Words of Warning	59	(1)
A Buyer's Diary	60	(5)
PART THREE: Selling on the Internet	65	(46)
Who Sells on the Internet?	67	(1)
Preparing to Sell Online	67	(1)
Choosing an Auction Site	68	(1)
How to List Your Item at Auction	68	(9)
Bad Description vs. Good Description	77	(2)
Minimum Bids	79	(1)
Reserve Prices	79	(1)
How to Include a Photograph with Your Listing	80	(1)
Selling on a Large Auction Web Site Like eBay or Amazon	81	(4)
Auction Fees	85	(3)
What to Do After the Sale	88	(1)
What Not to Do If You're Selling Online	89	(3)
Feedback	92	(1)
What to Sell	93	(2)
Fraud Problems for Sellers	95	(3)
Tax Consequences	98	(2)
A Seller's Diary	100	(11)
PART FOUR: Online Hotline	111	(10)
Online Record Breakers	113	(2)
One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure	115	(1)
Online Auction Tales	115	(3)
Online Auction Sample Prices	118	(3)
Comparison of Three Auction Sites	121	(6)
Glossary	127	(4)
Kovels' List of Helpful Web Sites for Collectors	131	(8)
Notes	139	(1)
Index	140