Back To School Time For eBay Sellers

Last week was a busy one for eBay sellers trying to keep up with yet another round of changes on the site.

This is the 'Back to School' season and eBay Sellers have several opportunities to attend trainings that will help them understand the latest changes and learn how to incorporate them successfully into their business.

If you missed the round of webinars eBay presented last week, don't despair. There are other options for you!

#1 -The RocketPlace Conference which will be held in Las Vegas from Sept 10-12, 2008. RocketPlace is a conference for eBay sellers at all levels which is focused on helping them, whether eBay is a new, old, small or major channel for their sales.

Some of the featured speakers include Marcia Collier - author of eBay for Dummies, Todd Lutwak - Senior Director of Seller Development at eBay and Jay Berkowitz of Ten Golden Rules.

For additional information on the schedule, speakers, events and registration go to RocketPlace.

#2 - The YABIE JUBILEE will be held Oct 3 & 4, 2008 in Hays, Kansas. The YABIE JUBILEE is for eBay sellers and buyers. A number of workshops are offered on topics such as 'Marketing on eBay,' 'Creating a Brand with eBay Stores,' 'TurboLister,' 'Giving Works' and more.

Both eBay and PayPal staff including Jason Minor (PayPal) and Jim (Griff) Griffith (eBay) will also be presenting workshops and representatives from the USPS and the Small Business Development Center will be offering trainings.

For additional information on the YABIE JUBILEE go to YABIE.

#3 - If you're not able to attend either of the conferences, all is not lost!

You can contact an Education Specialist Trained by eBay in your local area. Education Specialists offer a variety of private and group trainings and classes such as 'The Basics of Selling on eBay,' 'Beyond the Basics,', 'eBay Stores,' and 'Giving Works.' Use the Education Specialist directory to find one near you!

Top 5 Items for Back to School

Having spent the last couple of weeks surrounded by frenzied parents in 'Back To School' mode, I learned first-hand what's in demand.

Here are the Top 5 results from my unofficial survey:

1. Lunch Boxes - Hello Kitty is definitely popular with the young ladies who lunch set!

2. Rolling Backpacks - according to 'parents who know' these are best for giving backs a break.

3. Notebook - Binder combo - gives you the best of both worlds!

4. Word Lock Combination Lock - uses 4 or 5 letters as a password (instead of numbers) for those who are number-challenged!

5. Leapfrog Pentop Computer - cool little tool that scans what kids write on paper and helps them with math, spelling and more!

What's popular for 'Back To School' in your house?

Purveyor of All Things Creative

Today, in our 'Tips from the Top' podcast series, we take a look into the world of successful eBay/eCommerce entrepreneurs with Charlene Anderson, Purveyor of All Things Creative.

Charlene is a weaver, knitter, spinner and jewelry maker with a beautiful eBay store called Purveyor of All Things Creative where she sells jewelry and bead making tools. Charlene has created one of a kind artwork that's been featured in major textile, jewelry and bead magazines and exhibited in shows and galleries across the US.

In this interview Charlene tells us how she got started on eBay (selling videos), what auction tools she uses and offers useful tips on how to choose products to sell (consumable items), how to save time and money when shipping and why her revenues are 6% higher this June than last.

While the current Olympics are taking place in Beijing, Charlene has an interesting eBay related story about her trip to the Sydney Olympics in 2000!

Listen here!

Curious About Auction Watchers

My eBay auction for the Shelley China Coffee Pot with the floral pattern ends tonight.

The pattern name remains a mystery but over 25% of the people who have looked at the auction are currently watching it. So far, that's 23 watchers.

This made me curious about 'watchers' in general.
*What is the maximum number of watchers you've ever had for an item?
*How many watch only to see what your item sells for before they list theirs?
*What percentage of watchers actually come back to bid?

Stephanie Inge - Texas State of Mind

Today, in our 'Tips from the Top' podcast series, we take a look into the world of successful eBay/eCommerce entrepreneurs with the amazing Stephanie Inge - professional eBay Instructor, Education Specialist Trained by eBay, eBay Trading Assistant, Business Consultant and Founder of the largest and most active eBay Sellers Group - eBaybes & eMales.

Stephanie has been featured in numerous publications, including The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, The eBay Success Chronicles, Entrepreneur Magazine's "How To Sell Clothing, Shoes and Accessories on eBay," and eBay PowerSeller Million Dollar Ideas. She has also been featured on CBS 11 News and NBC 5 News.

In this podcast, Stephanie talks about how she got started with eBay and suggests 3 tools that will help make your auctions stand out.

Listen Here!