So does this mean the end of the good times for eBay sellers? It does if you are someone who just wants to put any old rubbish up on eBay and hope to make a quick buck. When eBay was first launched 14 years ago it was like amateur night, everyone was feeling their way and learning as they went along. Fourteen years later most of the lessons have been learnt and if you want to succeed on eBay you have to offer quality and value in a professional manner.

If you are prepared to do this then there is an opportunity for anyone to build a business using eBay as a launch pad. But as you build your business you need to be prepared to diversify. Relying on eBay as your sole outlet in the future could be a mistake.

Another eBay old wives tale was that if you sold on Bay you did not need a web site. That may have been true in the past but today no serious seller would consider having their own web site. Using your About Me page and flyers with the items you send out you can build up visitors to your site. You can then turn those visitors into customers without the need to pay any further eBay fees.

Why make life difficult for yourself? Don’t try and sell anything, sell the things people want. Sell them in a professional manner and operate your whole selling business in the same manner. Sure you might ell the odd refrigerator to an Eskimo but I bet you could sell them a lot more fur coats.

By Dave Bromley

Dave Bromley has been a registered member of eBay since 1999 and has written

both on and off line on subjects related to online auctions. You can read his blog at "http://www.ukonlineauctionnews.com"