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The Science of eBay

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the on-the-auction-block dept.

PreacherTom writes "Professors of marketing, economics, management, and psychology have published dozens of papers to try to explain how and why eBay users buy and sell online. At the same time, there is no shortage of people offering helpful hints online. Kerry Miller takes a novel approach, offering 10 tips to maximize your profit that are based on a summary of these scientific analyses, rather than just 'educated' guessing."

3 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Re:My own tips from almost 4 years ago by boingo82 · · Score: 0, Troll
    I disagree completely on the lots. I just plain don't bid on things unless they're in a lot. Not worth my time and money to find 10 separate auctions and try to win them all and then have to dick around with the shipping arrangements. eBay is only cost-effective when you're buying in quantity. Likewise as a seller, once you factor in the listing fee, photo fee, bolding fee, BIN fee, overall fee scale, etc etc you can easily save $20 by putting like items together. Let alone the time involved in listing separate auctions and dealing with the multiple buyers.

    FWIW, I never once got an email from someone who wanted to break up the lot. Not once.

    I am not saying to make stupid lots, putting a bunch of unrelated crap together, but when you have like items that will be desired by the same buyer, combine them! Take great photos of individual items, describe everything in detail, and your "lot" auctions will be very successful. The reason so many "lot" auctions fail is that the seller just throws a pile of stuff on their floor and photographs it. You can't even tell what you're buying.

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    As a republican I feel it my responsibity to manufacture criminals. People need punished!
  2. Please put on your RDFEG for testing purposes. by ScentCone · · Score: 0, Troll

    your needs are simple and you're going to make more money than you know what to do with either way, the person who delights in research is going to be content with a university position.

    I'm sorry, but you seem to have used the phrases "university position" and "more money than you know what to do with" in the same sentence. We are forced to view your comment through special Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field Effect Glasses to check for credibility. These glasses will be available at Mac stores soon, packaged as the new iSmackMyHeadInDisbelief.

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    Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
  3. Re:THE TIPS - ad free by twistedcubic · · Score: 0, Troll

    Contrary to popular belief, nobody really cares about their "karma" on slashdot, except for maybe the 13 year olds. It is kinda dumb, you know.