How To Make Your Fortune as a Modern Day Wheeler-Dealer
In the old days a wheeler-dealer had a reputation as being a shrewd
person who knew how to circumvent difficulties in order to achieve a
certain result. Typically the wheeler-dealer had knowledge or knowhow
that others didn't possess and they used this knowledge as
leverage in order to realize a profit.
Wheeler-dealers of the past were often considered to be
unscrupulous con men. But, that is an unfair assessment to the true
wheeler-dealer of today who helps to facilitate win/win situations and
creates profits where none existed before.
Take the case of a friend of mine...
Last month she facilitated 1349 such "deals" which generated an
average profit of $65.98 each. In return for her knowledge and
know-how she took 40% of the profits and gave her partners 60%.
This 60% represented a return for the partners that they would not
have been able to achieve themselves so they were happy to allow
my friend to keep 40% of the profits.
If you run the numbers you will see that my friend grossed just a bit
over $89,000.00 in one month. She took $35,602.80 as her 40%
cut. That represents a typical month for her eBay Auction Consignment business which can become your business as well with the help of job search sites.
What exactly is an eBay Auction Consignment business?
An eBay Auction Consignment is a process where one person - a
consignee - agrees to sell items for another person - a consignor --
on the eBay auction site.
The two people enter into a written agreement whereby the
consignee will sell the consignor's items for a certain fee or
percentage of the final sale price.
The consignee is responsible for...
• Writing a detailed description of the items.
• Photographing the items.
• Listing the items on eBay.
• Handling questions from bidders.
• Collecting payment from the buyer.
• Packing and shipping the item.
• Customer service.
• Paying the consignor.
Why an eBay Auction Consignment business is the perfect
work from home venture.
Many people have heard of eBay but they are unsure how to go
about listing their items. To the inexperienced potential eBay seller
the process can seem very intimidating and complicated. Many
people who could benefit the most by listing their items on eBay -
such as Pawn Shop Brokers, Specialty Store Owners, Artisans,
Crafters, Antique Shop Owners - may have thought about using eBay
as a selling tool but gave up the idea because they didn't have the
time or knowledge to figure it all out.
That is where you come in. By starting an eBay Auction
Consignment Business you can help these retail and specialty store
owners move their unwanted or overstocked items and make an
extraordinary income for yourself.
Here are a few of the many advantages that an eBay Auction
Consignment Business offers you...
• Allows you to start your business immediately without investing
money in expensive inventory.
• Has low start up costs -- generally all that is needed is a
computer, internet connection and a few basic office supplies.
• Requires no employees.
• Can be operated on a part-time basis.
• Has low on going (variable) expenses.
• Enables you to work with a variety of different retailers so you
always have new and exciting items to sell.
• Has very high income potential -- profits of $20,000 or more
per month are not unusual.
To start an eBay Auction Consignment Business you will need the
following:
Knowledge of the eBay Auction process. If you are not already
familiar with selling on eBay I suggest you go through eBay's Free
Training Course and begin selling unwanted items you have around
your house. This will allow you to develop your selling skills and
develop your feedback rating.
When you are ready to begin selling for others you should put
together a Presentation Package consisting of the following:
• A description of your Consignment Services
• A List of Benefits to the Consignor
• A print out of several successful sample auctions
• A print out of your feedback rating
• List of your fees
• Consignment Contract
Take your Presentation Package to local businesses: Pawn Shops,
Artisans, Antique Dealers, etc. Tell them you can generate extra
cash for them by selling their excess and slow selling inventory on
eBay.
Schedule an appointment to meet with them to go over their excess
inventory and discuss a plan for converting it into cash.
Make sure you take possession of the items that you
will be selling. You do not want to get into a situation
where you find out after you have sold the item that the
consignor has already sold it. You will also want to
have the item on hand in case a potential bidder asks a
question about it.
Setting Your Fee
There are about as many different fee schedules for consignment
selling as there are consignment sellers.
You can find out what the going rates are in your area by visiting
eBay's Trading Assistant Directory. There you can look up Trading
Assistants (consignment sellers) in your area and view their fee
schedules and policies.
However, to keep things simple I suggest the following fee schedule:
• Flat 40% commission on the final selling price of the item.
• You pay all Listing and Final Value Fees.
• Start each listing at $1.00.
• Charge exact shipping plus $2.00 per item for handling.
(shipping and handling is not commissionable)
• Only accept items that will sell for or can be grouped into lots
that will sell for at least $50.00.
This is the fee schedule that my friend uses to net over $25,000 a
month from her eBay Auction Consignment business. It will save
you a lot of headaches and makes it simple both for you and the
retailer. It also leaves you free to negotiate a reduced fee for more
valuable items if the retailer is hesitant.