How to sell an empty pack of cigarettes
 Sep 8th, 2002
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Sell anything and make money
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Ocassional Non payers and false bidding .
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Yes
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  jonwhite
About me:
Wow, it's been a while since I was last on Ciao, 2002 was the last time in fact, and it's now early ...
Member since:06.09.2000
Reviews:344
Members who trust:211
Review rated by 110 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
This review received a counterstatement by a party concerned
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From ‘Rags to Riches’ or to be more precise, ‘From Fags to riches” could you sell an EMPTY Cigarette Pack on Ebay? Well that is precisely what I am now doing. Want to know more? Read on. Ebay has been written about many times on Ciao, in magazines, newspapers and just about every other media outlet. At a loss one day for something to do I decided it was time for me to take a look at the world’s number one online auction site – see what all the hype was about.
After browsing the site for several hours, searching for things that I had an interest in, I stumbled upon several auctions selling magic tricks. Now this immediately grabbed my attention. Magic, conjuring, prestidigitation – call it what you will – has been a hobby of mine since I was 9 years old. Over the years I have invented and made many tricks and props. Not being one to miss an opportunity, and as I am always looking for something to make money, I decided that I would sign
up with Ebay and ‘give it a go’
Signing up as Magic-by-mail I started to list magic tricks that I began making. The cost of making these items was a few cents each but I soon discovered that they were selling for several dollars each. I soon became hooked and I soon started to make quite a hansom profit. Now the phrase I used at the beginning ‘From Fags to Riches’ is a reference to my best selling item, an EMPTY cigarette box. Buyers are paying up to $15.00 for this particular trick. Of course you will have worked out that there is something quite different about this packet that is carefully reconstructed by me, but sadly I cannot tell you the secret, that would be against the magician’s code. Needless to say empty cigarette packs are making me money, along with several other items.
So, now on to Ebay itself. To the novice it can be quite daunting at first, but the site is full of excellent and informative help pages to guide you through. Learning the intricacies of Ebay is soon mastered. Whether you are a buyer or a seller the site is easy to navigate and search, with everything neatly categorized, although it is not unusual to find items in the wrong place.
To many it may be a strange concept parting with money to a stranger before receiving your goods, but out of the many trades I have had, so far everything I have bought has arrived. That is not always the case with items I have sold, only two have gone missing in the mail – I replaced these quickly – I have though had several people bid on items and then not pay. Fortunately Ebay provides for this eventuality and you are able to have some of your costs refunded. What I have noticed though is that those who have failed to pay have always been new Ebay members and I am also aware of unscrupulous practices whereby a rival seller will place bids on an item using a false identity. When this has happened to me the members concerned have been found to not actually exist. Their bids have been placed high to deter others from bidding and thus effectively preventing my items from selling, allowing their own items to get the real bids. This is a practice to be aware of and one that is difficult to identify the culprit. However, once a bidder is discovered not to be genuine, you can block them from further auctions.
Feedback is another feature that many people sadly ignore, but which is important to buyer and seller alike, as it shows others your credibility as a trader at auction. Feedback comments are grouped into three categories, PRAISE, NEGATIVE and NEUTRAL. These speak for themselves, but once a comment has been left it cannot be retracted. New users are often eager to leave their first negative comment. The only one I have received was as a result of an item going missing in the mail. Unfortunately the buyer did not contact me and just left a negative comment. When I contacted him, he said he had no other way of contacting me, that of course was not true as contact details are included in a user’s profile and also in e-mails sent to a winning bidder. Don’t let negative comments worry you though, you can respond to all comments left for you, and if necessary justify or defend yourself. Now, some advice on selling. Firstly, know your product, research it if necessary. Know its value and describe it accurately. Include a picture of what you are selling if possible; items that have an accompanying picture are more likely to sell than those that don’t. I recently bough a Magic book for $5.00 including shipping – a bargain as the book is not only in mint condition but a rare first edition from 1946 which had a limited print of only 5000. Value, upwards of $250 – A rare find from a seller who didn’t know what he had.
Know what you want to get for your item and start the bidding at a reasonable level. Remember people like to get a bargain. You’ll be surprised at how high an item’s price can go. Time your auctions so that they close at a time when your target audience is most likely to be on-line. Many people leave bidding to the last minute, looking for a bargain. Auctions closing between 6pm and 11pm tend to do best.
Spread your items. If you have multiple items to sell singly, list one each day so that they don’t all close on the same date. Another sellers tip for multiple items is this. If an item has had several bids and has reached a good price, re-list it. Chances are someone who has been outbid will start bidding on the newly listed item, that way you sell more. It certainly works for me. Know your mailing costs and make sure you clearly state your terms and conditions in your auctions. Handling cost may also be added; I normally add my seller’s fees to this as do many Ebayers. Keep these costs reasonable. A 7-day auction with a gallery picture and BUY it Now costs 60 cents if listed in one category.
Keep track of your auctions, and always contact your winners promptly. Be prepared to resolve any dispute quickly and fairly. Protect yourself by accepting payments through Billpoint or Paypal. Many people earn an entire living on Ebay, I have not yet reached that stage, but with $200 + per week in sales – most of which is profit – I’m doing pretty well.
Ebay ! has to be the most profitable way to earn money from the internet. ©2002 Jonwhite
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22.07.2008 15:36
I am constantly astonished by what I sell on Ebay...Caroline xx
08.07.2007 11:52
Very good review!
30.08.2006 20:42
great review :) EXCELLENT