eBay In A Nutshell.......... eBay is a way to get started in Internet selling and BEFORE you make the plunge to start selling via your own website. I have operated a web hosting company since 1999 and hosted thousands of websites in this time and many do not last more than two years. It is not so easy selling via your own website, if you first have not developed a client base, which you can easily and quickly do via eBay. eBay offers many ways to find niche markets and top selling items. As eBay offers a feedback rating system, you can see what someone sells, who they sold it to and for how much. Now I ask, where else where you would be able to find this sort of information out about your competitors? Anyone can sell on eBay; the best idea is to set-up your ID first and make a few purchases before you start selling. This way you learn from a buyer's perspective. NEVER purchase and then change your mind as this is a HUGE no-no on ebay as you will be reported as a none-paying-buyer. Your ID reflects you or your online business so think carefully about it. Mine is ideas-woman; imagine if it was debbie-does-dallas - what message am I sending to my potential buyers with an ID like that? When you have tested out your market selling a few items, you can move to an eBay store. Fees start at $15.95 USD per month and your items for sale are listed until sold. Without a store, you can only list each item for a maximum of ten days and so more work is involved in relisting. eBay ranks sellers and you may qualify to become a Powerseller [via invitation only] because of your sales and positive feedback score. Average sales volume for each PowerSeller tier: Tier Bronze Silver Gold Platinum Titanium Sales [USD] $1,000 $3,000 $10,000 $25,000 $150,000 or Items Sold 100 300 1,000 2,500 15,000 Read more about becoming a Powerseller here: http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/powerseller/benefits.html eBay is a place to make money and it is important to remember that you have to spend money to make money and so fees payable to eBay are to be expected. Here is a list of the top eBay sellers: http://www.nortica.com/UserArea/Default.asp since June 2003. Just like the typical running costs of a conventional retail store, you will have costs to run your eBay auctions and store. The next step to selling on eBay when it is more than a hobby, is to develop your brand. With your own branding, you create your own unique and memorable identity on eBay that will not be confused with any other seller. You create buyer trust as your store/auctions looks more professional. It sets you apart from your competitors.