| EBay has moved offline. Several companies, like | | | | you can avoid growing pains." |
| Snappy Auctions and I Sold It On EBay, offer sellers | | | | Â- Be careful what you accept. Don't waste |
| franchises for brick-and-mortar eBay stores. These | | | | your time with items that won't be worth the |
| drop-off spots take customer items, evaluate, | | | | research and energy you'll invest in them. Patrons |
| photograph, and list them online, collect the | | | | sometimes bring in boxes of junk, or items with very |
| payments, and ship the items to their buyers. In | | | | little value. Be realistic with your clients, and counsel |
| other words, they do all the work - for a percentage | | | | them what will and won't bring in money. That way |
| of the selling price, of course. | | | | they know what to expect, and they aren't |
| Beginner Strategies | | | | disappointed by their final prices. |
| If you've contemplated jumping on the bandwagon | | | | Â- Charge a reasonable amount for your |
| and opening a physical drop-off location, fellow | | | | services. Keep yourself in line with what others are |
| store-owner and eBay University instructor, | | | | charging, rather than trying to undercut everyone in |
| Christopher Spencer has some advice for you: | | | | order to compete. Instead, add value to your |
| Â- Location is key. Get a good broker to help | | | | services by focusing on areas at which you excel. If |
| you identify convenient retail sites. It's important to | | | | you have a staff member who specializes in a certain |
| be in a high traffic area, such as a strip mall or a | | | | area, encourage your customers to bring in items in |
| facility near good anchor stores, anyplace frequented | | | | that field because you'll be able to get them the |
| by upscale individuals. To get high-quality merchandise, | | | | maximum prices on eBay. |
| you need a higher level of clientele. | | | | Â- Concentrate on customer service. Exceed |
| Â- Take store layout into account. As your | | | | your customers' expectations. Says Spencer, "Building |
| business develops, you'll need exponentially more | | | | a reputation and getting good clients is a matter of |
| storage space. Advises Spenser, "Consider whether a | | | | word of mouth and referrals, and that's something |
| building will fit your needs for future expansion, so | | | | people build over time. |