One more way to increase traffic to your blog!

A new traffic exchange site is forming and looking for people to take part. Its still in the testing stages right now so they are offering 25 credits for signing up and 30 for each person you refer.

All you need to do is follow the link below, create an account and read up on the details that will come by e-mail.




Technorati Tags: Marketing, Internet, Traffic, Links, Blogs, Blogging

New link exchange at Everything Below Retail

Everything Below Retail is now offering a link exchange. For more information, head on over to the EBR site and check it out!

Read the full story!

Technorati Tags: Knives, Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Outdoors, Gear, Stories, Marketing, Internet, Traffic, Links

New outdoor equipment and activity blog at Everything Below Retail!

Come on over and check out our new blog at Everything Below Retail. We have started this blog to help keep this, our eBay blog, and the retail store separate. We want to continue to use this area for marketing, tips and tricks, and a place for visitors to promote their auctions.

Over at the retail blog site we have information on outdoor sports, hunting, fishing and camping gear, Department of wildlife rules, and visitors stories. Come on over and join in on the fun!

Visit our outdoor activities pages!

Technorati Tags: Knives, Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Outdoors, Gear, Stories

Getting more traffic to your blog - The basics

Check out this great post on building blog traffic from BlogHerald .

It pretty basic stuff but every tip is a great suggestion and easily over looked even by the old timers.

eBay and Web site resources at Everything Below Retail

We have started building a resource page over at Everything Below Retail.

We have free ebooks, help guides for auctions and self help for outdoor sports. We will be adding more items as we find them or as people ask for them.

Drop us a note if you have any requests or good links that we should add.

Have a great week!

Technorati Tags: eBay, Auctions, Counters, Web, Stats, Design

Add counters to your about me, blog or any web page you want!

With Andale counters, you have the ability to put good looking counters on just about any web page that you want. Follow the link below for more information.

Andale Web Counters

Technorati Tags: eBay, Auctions, Counters, Web, Stats, Design

Visit our outdoor forums at Everything Below Retail!

Hi again,

Sorry that I haven't added much relating to eBay in the last few weeks but I have been VERY busy with the new site. www.everythingbelowretail.com I have made some changes to the catalog and check out process so be sure to let me know if you have any problems with any of the pages. I have also added a new forums section and I hope that you will all check it out. Have a great week and I'll see you in the forums!

EBR Forums

Technorati Tags: Knives, Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Sale

20% off all items at Everything Below Retail!

We are pleased to announce our combination Labor day / Grand Opening sale this weekend at

Everything Below Retail!

The sale will begin Friday Sep. 2 and last until Monday the 5th at midnight. Check out our selection before the weekend, set up an account, and put your items in the shopping cart because supplies are limited on some items.

All of the prices that you see at the start of the sale will be the reduced price so no need to worry about discounts being added or on-line coupons to be used.

Come one, Come all!!

Technorati Tags: Knives, Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Sale

Free eBooks from Everything Below Retail!

Hi again! We are pleased to announce that Everything Below Retail is offering free eBooks on the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and more....

Links to the eBooks can be found on our resources page.

Let us know what you think of the new site and if there is anything you are looking for. We will be adding a forums section soon so all of our readers and customers can chat about anything and everything under the sun!

We hope you'll join us!

Technorati Tags: eBook, War, History, Books

New targeted link exchange to help build traffic.

I have been trying to find ways to help build traffic to my web site and have found this new link exchange program that looks promising. They are very new and have only a few links but I have a feeling that this will change soon.
This is not a link farm like most of the scams that you see in your e-mail but a managed link exchange that is looking for relevant links for your site. Its also free so what would it hurt to give it a try?

They say that this will not hurt your search engine rankings like some link farms that are out there, so I figured I'd give it a shot!

Check it out!

Also, stop by my new store and tell me what you think.

Shop Everything Below Retail

Let me know how many of you try the link exchange at www.logon.info

Technorati Tags: eBay, Auctions, Drop Ship, Marketing, Internet, Traffic, Links

Everything Below Retail Is Now Open!!

Today is the day!

Announcing the grand opening of

Everything Below Retail!

We are proud to announce that after weeks of work putting our site together, our store is finally open!

We would like to thank the customers that we have had through eBay for making this possible.

We would love for all of our readers to visit our store, look around, and send us your thoughts about our new store.

Feel free to offer any suggestions you have as far as product or design is concerned. Also, please let us know of any bugs that you might run in to. We hope that you enjoy our site and we would love to hear from you.

Technorati Tags: eBay, Auctions, Drop Ship, Marketing

Everything Below Retail Web Store Grand Opening!

Hi everybody!

Sorry for not posting for awhile but I have been busy working on opening our web storefront. We will be opening in a couple of days and will offer much of the same items from our eBay store along with knves, hunting and fishing items, police equipment, camping gear, movies and much, much, more.

Come check us out!

Everything Below Retail!

Technorati Tags: eBay, Auctions, Drop Ship, Marketing

***eBay Store Sellers: Get 50% Off Featured Stores in September***

August 02, 2005 02:49PM PST/PT

All current Featured Store Sellers and Basic Store subscribers who upgrade to a Featured Store by August 31, 2005 will be eligible to receive 50% off their subscription fee for the entire month of September! You will see your subscription discount on your invoice by October 15, 2005, depending on your billing cycle. Store sellers who upgrade during the month of September will receive the 50% discount for the remaining days in the month.

To learn more, visit www.ebay.com/storefronts/upgradefeatured.html

Have a Blog? Not Getting much traffic?

I use Blogging for a couple of reasons, first, I have a blog called Adjusting to life after serving in Iraq to get a few things off of my chest and try to help fellow soldiers adjust to life back in the states. Second, I use Blogging to offer tips for using eBay and in turn that helps to promote my business. It can be hard to get your Blog listed in search engines until after you have been around for awhile. I have had friends ask how I get so much traffic after only being in operation for about 2 months. I send them straight to:

It really does work and all you have to do is take a little time and look at Blogs from other people. They have a lottery, contests, and many other ways to drive traffic to your Blog. You can also add and RSS feeds that you might offer so people that are interested can subscribe right there on the spot. Check it out!

Here is a good post about eBay's background

Check out this post on eBay, mystery auctions, and the future of eBay.

Click here to read

I hope you are all enjoying the summer and are making it through the traditionally lean eBay times. Have no fear as the Christmas shopping season will soon be here ;-)

Send me links to your auctions so we can all see what you have to offer. Please include a photo if you can and don't forget the FULL link. Happy eBaying!

Technorati Tags: eBay, Auctions

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Resources to help build your business.

Here are just a few of the services that I use to improve my business. Try them out and let me know how they work out for you.












Technorati Tags: eBay, Auctions, Drop Ship, Marketing

Product Source - I've made a lot of money by using this dropship service.

• A2ZCDS.com Drop Ship Program Review
  With the increasing popularity of online auction sites like eBay, it"s possible for anyone with a computer and something to offer to make serious money selling to a worldwide audience.
  
  A2ZCDS.com offers auctioneers high-quality CD programs to sell
  and profit from -- without ever having to actually handle the merchandise!
  
  Average drop shippers make a profit of 95% - 114% on products that cost them at least 50% less than retail value, with no overhead costs. Set your own sale prices -- you control how much money you make!
  
  It appears as if A2ZCDS has a global market penetration strategy in mind, which is why they provide their products to their drop shippers for so cheap. While I hope their market penetration strategy works out for A2ZCDS, it is definitely good news to their drop shippers such as me that"s for sure!
  
  You pay nothing until you make a sale, never wasting money on products you don"t sell. Best of all, every purchase you make is 100% tax-deductible as a business expense!
  
  A2ZCDS.com handles everything, so you don"t ever have to process a single shipment. They stock inventory, purchase shipping supplies, print mailing labels, and send the orders. They even do customer service! All you have to do is let them know where to ship to.
  
  All it takes to see profits is a few simple steps:
• Use one of over 30 free professional-quality auction templates to give your listings their own unique look.

• Grab the item descriptions from the A2ZCDS Drop Ship Members Area written by professional copyrighters.

• List your items on eBay, Yahoo! Auctions, Amazon Auctions and other major auction sites (They even provide you with a detailed list of over 20+ niche auction sites that are perfect for their products).

• Collect payment for your winning auctions and forward your orders to A2ZCDS for processing whenever you wish and they take care of the rest!

With shipping to over 190 countries and an ever-expanding inventory of products to suit every interest, you have a limitless global audience!

Plus, there are hundreds of free resources including banner ads, pop-up windows, pre-written reviews, and other marketing tools available to promote your auctions to the four corners of the earth.

A2ZCDS.com has a flawless sales record in terms of on-time shipping and product quality, so there"s never any need to worry about your auction reputation. As an added precaution, they offer dispute resolution services through SquareTrade to ensure your protection.

There is also volume discounting available only to drop shippers for even more savings. My daughter"s school sold educational CDs at their annual fundraiser and they were a huge hit; they could also be used at charity events, tag sales, and flea markets.

To qualify as a drop shipper, all you need is a PayPal or merchant account, an active eBay membership with a feedback rating of at least 100, and a basic understanding of the auction process. I have heard that they are willing to work with "newbies" to online auctions as well through their exclusive eBay training program that they have developed.

In order to avoid competition among drop shippers there only 50 positions available; I was lucky to get a spot.

Click here to apply today to the exclusive
A2ZCDS Drop Ship Program before it"s too late!

Technorati Tags: eBay, Auctions

***Online Workshops For the Week of July 25th***

July 22, 2005 01:41PM PST/PTWe would like to invite you to attend the following workshops this week:

Open Source & the eBay Community Codebase

This workshop will be held on Monday, July 25th, from 14:00 PDT to 15:00 PDT. The eBay Community Codebase provides developers who are interested in creating open source software applications that use eBay or PayPal Web Services a place to share development resources. This includes a shared code repository with version controls, project mailing lists and shared documents and files. We encourage developers and anyone interested in knowing more about open source to attend this workshop, where Adam Trachtenberg, our Manager of Platform Evangelism, will answer questions about open source and eBay, and how developers can get involved in open source projects with the eBay Community Codebase.

How to Save Time and Money While Maximizing Your Exposure

This workshop will be held on Tuesday, July 26th, from 15:00 PDT to 16:00 PDT. At eBay Live! 2005, Auctiva, an eBay Certified Solution Provider, launched the latest release of their web-based selling solution. Join us as Kevin Kinell, VP of Engineering at Auctiva, discusses their free new tools that can help you list more efficiently, save money and draw more views to your online auctions. He’ll also provide tips that can help your listings be more successful.
Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board:

Click on Community at the top of almost any eBay page
Click on "Discussion Boards" in the "Connect" Section
Click on "Workshops" underneath the category-specific boards on the right-hand side of the page

This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.
To view archived workshops or to learn more about future workshop events, please check our Workshop Calendar.

Want timely reminders about workshops? Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. Each notification will include the time and date, a brief description of the event, and a link to the discussion thread where the actual workshop will be held.

To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

eBay Announcement - ***Updated: Reminder To Join Us for the eBay Products and Features Town Hall on July 28th***

July 21, 2005 04:09PM PST/PT

Lynn Reedy

Hi, I'm Lynn Reedy, Chief Technology Officer for the eBay Marketplace, and I'd like to remind you to mark your calendars for the next Community Town Hall on Thursday, July 28th. This month's event will be about eBay's innovative products and features, some of which are Want It Now, Turbo Lister, and My eBay. Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, has invited Judy Kirkpatrick, our Vice President of Global Product Management, and me to be there so we can hear what's on your mind and to answer your questions about the various features and products around eBay.

Want to know more about how our products and features get created? Have thoughts on how we can make improvements or new product ideas? Starting today, you can submit your questions, and Bill, Judy, and I will do our best to answer them during the Town Hall. Please visit www.ebay.com/townhall for more information.

See you next week!
Sincerely,
Lynn ReedySr. VP and Chief Technology Officer, Marketplace Product and Technology

eBay announces enhacements to the "Send Invoice Process" and "Payment Status Page"

July 21, 2005 09:41AM PST/PT
In the next week we will make a few enhancements to the Send Invoice process, as well as to the Payment Status page within checkout.

Send Invoice Process

To give sellers an easy way to adjust the total amount of an invoice (if needed), we are adding a new “seller discounts or charges” field. Any amount entered in this field by the seller will be displayed to buyers on the Review Your Purchase page during checkout, along with the updated total.

You will also be able to preview how your invoice looks before you send it.

Payment Status Page

A print-friendly version of both the buyer and seller versions of the Payment Status page during checkout will soon be available.

Lord of the Rings Strider's Sword

Here I go again, showing off one of my items.....I'd love to help promote some of yours as well but nobody has sent me any. Until you do you will just have to look at mine. ;-)

Lord of the Rings Strider's Sword

[Auctions] [eBay Store] [Feedback] [Me Page] [E-Mail ]

Lord of the Rings Strider's Ranger Sword w/Plaque LOTR Retail Price: $348.00 With over 100 million copies sold in over 40 languages, millions have grown up with "The Lord of the Rings," the classic epic tale considered by millions to be the greatest fantasy-adventure story ever told. J.R.R. Tolkien’s phenomenal epic trilogy chronicles the struggle between good and evil for possession of a magical ring. The book trilogy, named the most popular book of the 20th Century, is the motion picture event of the 21st Century. "The Lord of the Rings" is presented in a trilogy of feature films from New Line Cinema, beginning with the blockbuster "The Fellowship of the Ring," and continuing with the 2nd film, "The Two Towers," to be released December 2002. A work of sheer invention on a staggering scale, "The Lord of the Rings" takes us back to "Middle-Earth," an era that predates written history, where humans share the world with immortal elves, powerful wizards, and industrious dwarves. Strider™ (also known as Aragorn™) is the son of Arathorn, and heir to the Kingdom of Gondor. His ancestor, Isildur, was the legendary King, who cut the Ring of Power from the hand of Sauron with his sword Narsil (UC1267, also available). Strider has served as a Ranger and joins the Fellowship to destroy the Ring that threatens his countrymen. UC1299 STRIDER’S RANGER SWORD iIncludes a parchment certificate of authenticity and a wood display plaque. OVERALL LENGTH: 47-1/4" BLADE LENGTH: 36" BLADE THICKNESS: 1/4" BLADE MATERIAL: Tempered, 420 J2 stainless steel, false-edged. HANDLE MATERIAL: Solid metal crossguard and pommel, antique metal finish, genuine leatherwrapped grips, rat-tail tang construction. PLAQUE: 10-5/8" x 13-1/4" x 3/4" wood, silkscreened with the heraldic insignia of the Kingdom of Gondor, hardware, instructions included. PACKAGING: Two-piece polyfoam mold, full-color sleeve, heavy cardboard remailer box. Terms: Seller has the right to end this auction at any time due to the limited quantities available. Shipping: Please see the square trade information area at the bottom of this page for full shipping and payment details. Thank you for looking & happy bidding! [Auctions] [eBay Store] [Feedback] [Me Page] [E-Mail ]

Technorati Tags : LOTR, Strider, Sword, eBay, Auctions

Add links to your auctions to promote your other items.

One of the great things about eBay is that you can use the low cost advertising to spread the word about your mailing list, off-line store, blog or what ever else you want to promote. You need to be careful and follow the guidelines set by eBay or you could get banned if you aren't careful. Each of your auctions should link to your "About Me" page where you describe yourself and your business. You can also offer a mailing list on this page, link to your company web site or provide many other types of info.

Don't forget to collect the e-mails of all of your buyers so that you can send out flyers on your items but always remember to remind them that they have made a purchase from you in the past and give them the option of requesting to be dropped from your list. Always be polite and remember to remove anyone that doesn't want to be a part of your mailings so you don't end up on the spammers list.

Don't forget to include links to your other pages on eBay. You should always include the following links in EVERY auction:

• My Feedback
• About Me
• My Listings
• My eBay Store
• Add Me to your Favorites List

You can also add gallery displays to show off your other items like this:

Click Thumbnail to See that Auction

How you choose to do it is up to you (and eBay) but the important thing to remember is to do it.

See you next time!

/*
$Id: index.php,v 1.1 2003/06/11 17:37:59 hpdl Exp $

osCommerce, Open Source E-Commerce Solutions
http://www.oscommerce.com

Copyright (c) 2003 osCommerce

Released under the GNU General Public License
*/

require('includes/application_top.php');

// the following cPath references come from application_top.php
$category_depth = 'top';
if (isset($cPath) && tep_not_null($cPath)) {
$categories_products_query = tep_db_query("select count(*) as total from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " where categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "'");
$cateqories_products = tep_db_fetch_array($categories_products_query);
if ($cateqories_products['total'] > 0) {
$category_depth = 'products'; // display products
} else {
$category_parent_query = tep_db_query("select count(*) as total from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " where parent_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "'");
$category_parent = tep_db_fetch_array($category_parent_query);
if ($category_parent['total'] > 0) {
$category_depth = 'nested'; // navigate through the categories
} else {
$category_depth = 'products'; // category has no products, but display the 'no products' message
}
}
}

require(DIR_WS_LANGUAGES . $language . '/' . FILENAME_DEFAULT);
?>

>

if ($category_depth == 'nested') {
$category_query = tep_db_query("select cd.categories_name, c.categories_image from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "' and cd.categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "' and cd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "'");
$category = tep_db_fetch_array($category_query);
?>

} elseif ($category_depth == 'products' || isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'])) {
// create column list
$define_list = array('PRODUCT_LIST_MODEL' => PRODUCT_LIST_MODEL,
'PRODUCT_LIST_NAME' => PRODUCT_LIST_NAME,
'PRODUCT_LIST_MANUFACTURER' => PRODUCT_LIST_MANUFACTURER,
'PRODUCT_LIST_PRICE' => PRODUCT_LIST_PRICE,
'PRODUCT_LIST_QUANTITY' => PRODUCT_LIST_QUANTITY,
'PRODUCT_LIST_WEIGHT' => PRODUCT_LIST_WEIGHT,
'PRODUCT_LIST_IMAGE' => PRODUCT_LIST_IMAGE,
'PRODUCT_LIST_BUY_NOW' => PRODUCT_LIST_BUY_NOW);

asort($define_list);

$column_list = array();
reset($define_list);
while (list($key, $value) = each($define_list)) {
if ($value > 0) $column_list[] = $key;
}

$select_column_list = '';

for ($i=0, $n=sizeof($column_list); $i<$n; $i++) {
switch ($column_list[$i]) {
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_MODEL':
$select_column_list .= 'p.products_model, ';
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_NAME':
$select_column_list .= 'pd.products_name, ';
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_MANUFACTURER':
$select_column_list .= 'm.manufacturers_name, ';
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_QUANTITY':
$select_column_list .= 'p.products_quantity, ';
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_IMAGE':
$select_column_list .= 'p.products_image, ';
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_WEIGHT':
$select_column_list .= 'p.products_weight, ';
break;
}
}

// show the products of a specified manufacturer
if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'])) {
if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['filter_id']) && tep_not_null($HTTP_GET_VARS['filter_id'])) {
// We are asked to show only a specific category
$listing_sql = "select " . $select_column_list . " p.products_id, p.manufacturers_id, p.products_price, p.products_tax_class_id, IF(s.status, s.specials_new_products_price, NULL) as specials_new_products_price, IF(s.status, s.specials_new_products_price, p.products_price) as final_price from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd, " . TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . " m, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c left join " . TABLE_SPECIALS . " s on p.products_id = s.products_id where p.products_status = '1' and p.manufacturers_id = m.manufacturers_id and m.manufacturers_id = '" . (int)$HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'] . "' and p.products_id = p2c.products_id and pd.products_id = p2c.products_id and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "' and p2c.categories_id = '" . (int)$HTTP_GET_VARS['filter_id'] . "'";
} else {
// We show them all
$listing_sql = "select " . $select_column_list . " p.products_id, p.manufacturers_id, p.products_price, p.products_tax_class_id, IF(s.status, s.specials_new_products_price, NULL) as specials_new_products_price, IF(s.status, s.specials_new_products_price, p.products_price) as final_price from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd, " . TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . " m left join " . TABLE_SPECIALS . " s on p.products_id = s.products_id where p.products_status = '1' and pd.products_id = p.products_id and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "' and p.manufacturers_id = m.manufacturers_id and m.manufacturers_id = '" . (int)$HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'] . "'";
}
} else {
// show the products in a given categorie
if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['filter_id']) && tep_not_null($HTTP_GET_VARS['filter_id'])) {
// We are asked to show only specific catgeory
$listing_sql = "select " . $select_column_list . " p.products_id, p.manufacturers_id, p.products_price, p.products_tax_class_id, IF(s.status, s.specials_new_products_price, NULL) as specials_new_products_price, IF(s.status, s.specials_new_products_price, p.products_price) as final_price from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd, " . TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . " m, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c left join " . TABLE_SPECIALS . " s on p.products_id = s.products_id where p.products_status = '1' and p.manufacturers_id = m.manufacturers_id and m.manufacturers_id = '" . (int)$HTTP_GET_VARS['filter_id'] . "' and p.products_id = p2c.products_id and pd.products_id = p2c.products_id and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "' and p2c.categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "'";
} else {
// We show them all
$listing_sql = "select " . $select_column_list . " p.products_id, p.manufacturers_id, p.products_price, p.products_tax_class_id, IF(s.status, s.specials_new_products_price, NULL) as specials_new_products_price, IF(s.status, s.specials_new_products_price, p.products_price) as final_price from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p left join " . TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . " m on p.manufacturers_id = m.manufacturers_id, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c left join " . TABLE_SPECIALS . " s on p.products_id = s.products_id where p.products_status = '1' and p.products_id = p2c.products_id and pd.products_id = p2c.products_id and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "' and p2c.categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "'";
}
}

if ( (!isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['sort'])) || (!ereg('[1-8][ad]', $HTTP_GET_VARS['sort'])) || (substr($HTTP_GET_VARS['sort'], 0, 1) > sizeof($column_list)) ) {
for ($i=0, $n=sizeof($column_list); $i<$n; $i++) {
if ($column_list[$i] == 'PRODUCT_LIST_NAME') {
$HTTP_GET_VARS['sort'] = $i+1 . 'a';
$listing_sql .= " order by pd.products_name";
break;
}
}
} else {
$sort_col = substr($HTTP_GET_VARS['sort'], 0 , 1);
$sort_order = substr($HTTP_GET_VARS['sort'], 1);
$listing_sql .= ' order by ';
switch ($column_list[$sort_col-1]) {
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_MODEL':
$listing_sql .= "p.products_model " . ($sort_order == 'd' ? 'desc' : '') . ", pd.products_name";
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_NAME':
$listing_sql .= "pd.products_name " . ($sort_order == 'd' ? 'desc' : '');
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_MANUFACTURER':
$listing_sql .= "m.manufacturers_name " . ($sort_order == 'd' ? 'desc' : '') . ", pd.products_name";
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_QUANTITY':
$listing_sql .= "p.products_quantity " . ($sort_order == 'd' ? 'desc' : '') . ", pd.products_name";
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_IMAGE':
$listing_sql .= "pd.products_name";
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_WEIGHT':
$listing_sql .= "p.products_weight " . ($sort_order == 'd' ? 'desc' : '') . ", pd.products_name";
break;
case 'PRODUCT_LIST_PRICE':
$listing_sql .= "final_price " . ($sort_order == 'd' ? 'desc' : '') . ", pd.products_name";
break;
}
}
?>

} else { // default page
?>

}
?>

if (isset($cPath) && strpos('_', $cPath)) { // check to see if there are deeper categories within the current category $category_links = array_reverse($cPath_array); for($i=0, $n=sizeof($category_links); $i<$n; $i++) { $categories_query = tep_db_query("select count(*) as total from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.parent_id = '" . (int)$category_links[$i] . "' and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "'"); $categories = tep_db_fetch_array($categories_query); if ($categories['total'] < 1) { // do nothing, go through the loop } else { $categories_query = tep_db_query("select c.categories_id, cd.categories_name, c.categories_image, c.parent_id from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.parent_id = '" . (int)$category_links[$i] . "' and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "' order by sort_order, cd.categories_name"); break; // we've found the deepest category the customer is in } } } else { $categories_query = tep_db_query("select c.categories_id, cd.categories_name, c.categories_image, c.parent_id from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.parent_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "' and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "' order by sort_order, cd.categories_name"); } $number_of_categories = tep_db_num_rows($categories_query); $rows = 0; while ($categories = tep_db_fetch_array($categories_query)) { $rows++; $cPath_new = tep_get_path($categories['categories_id']); $width = (int)(100 / MAX_DISPLAY_CATEGORIES_PER_ROW) . '%'; echo ' ' . "\n"; if ((($rows / MAX_DISPLAY_CATEGORIES_PER_ROW) == floor($rows / MAX_DISPLAY_CATEGORIES_PER_ROW)) && ($rows != $number_of_categories)) { echo ' ' . "\n"; echo ' ' . "\n"; } } // needed for the new products module shown below $new_products_category_id = $current_category_id; ?> ' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $categories['categories_image'], $categories['categories_name'], SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_WIDTH, SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_HEIGHT) . ' ' . $categories['categories_name'] . '

// optional Product List Filter if (PRODUCT_LIST_FILTER > 0) { if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'])) { $filterlist_sql = "select distinct c.categories_id as id, cd.categories_name as name from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where p.products_status = '1' and p.products_id = p2c.products_id and p2c.categories_id = c.categories_id and p2c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "' and p.manufacturers_id = '" . (int)$HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'] . "' order by cd.categories_name"; } else { $filterlist_sql= "select distinct m.manufacturers_id as id, m.manufacturers_name as name from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c, " . TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . " m where p.products_status = '1' and p.manufacturers_id = m.manufacturers_id and p.products_id = p2c.products_id and p2c.categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "' order by m.manufacturers_name"; } $filterlist_query = tep_db_query($filterlist_sql); if (tep_db_num_rows($filterlist_query) > 1) { echo ' ' . "\n"; } } // Get the right image for the top-right $image = DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'table_background_list.gif'; if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'])) { $image = tep_db_query("select manufacturers_image from " . TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . " where manufacturers_id = '" . (int)$HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'] . "'"); $image = tep_db_fetch_array($image); $image = $image['manufacturers_image']; } elseif ($current_category_id) { $image = tep_db_query("select categories_image from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " where categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "'"); $image = tep_db_fetch_array($image); $image = $image['categories_image']; } ?> ' . tep_draw_form('filter', FILENAME_DEFAULT, 'get') . TEXT_SHOW . ' '; if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'])) { echo tep_draw_hidden_field('manufacturers_id', $HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id']); $options = array(array('id' => '', 'text' => TEXT_ALL_CATEGORIES)); } else { echo tep_draw_hidden_field('cPath', $cPath); $options = array(array('id' => '', 'text' => TEXT_ALL_MANUFACTURERS)); } echo tep_draw_hidden_field('sort', $HTTP_GET_VARS['sort']); while ($filterlist = tep_db_fetch_array($filterlist_query)) { $options[] = array('id' => $filterlist['id'], 'text' => $filterlist['name']); } echo tep_draw_pull_down_menu('filter_id', $options, (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['filter_id']) ? $HTTP_GET_VARS['filter_id'] : ''), 'onchange="this.form.submit()"'); echo '

include(DIR_WS_MODULES . FILENAME_UPCOMING_PRODUCTS); ?>

eBay Radio Live on Tuesdays

I don't know how many of you are aware that eBay has an internet radio program that broadcasts live on Tuesdays and also has archives of its previous shows. The show is hosted by Griff, an instructor at eBay University, and has some really wonderful tips on using eBay for both sellers as well as buyers. They also have a resource page to help find product to sell, auction management software, plus much, much more.

Check out eBay radio today!


World Wide Brands is a sponsor of eBay radio.

Using Terapeak for market research.

One of the key points to selling anything, anywhere, is market research. For eBay based research I recommend Terapeak. This service provides you with a wealth of information by looking up the current listings as well as historical price data based on the key words that you input. Try out one of the free features of this service by searching fo items on eBay with the search box at the top of this web page. Here are a couple of .PDF files that talk more about this service.

Getting started with Terapeak

Using Terapeak to find hot products

Terapeak Information Page

Good luck with your research and have a great 4th of July weekend.

Does anybody use Sellers Voice on their eBay auctions?

I have been wondering about Sellers Voice. I haven't really seen it in action but I am very interested in using it in my auctions. Any input that you might have on how it works would be great. See I'm still learning too. ;-)

New resource links

While I haven't started posting them yet, I have compiled a list of both free and pay for service resource links. I plan to add these to the right navagation bar until I come up with a better idea. Please let me know what you are interested in so I can have only the most useful links posted at any one time. Thanks and I hope to hear from you all soon!

Lord of the Rings Collector Sting Sword

Hi again,

I just wanted to share this listing with you, its a collectors edition sword from the movie "Lord of the Rings". This sword is a numbered, limited edition collectors item. Click the link below to check it out for yourself!

LOTR Sting Sword!

I still haven't received and listings from you guys. I can't help you promote your items without your help. Send me those comments with a link to your item and lets all make some money with eBay!

Promote your favorite eBay stores here!!

I was looking at some stores on eBay today and this one caught my eye.
http://stores.ebay.com/PassAlong-Digital-Music-Downloads

I am mentioning this store only because it is what eBay sellers should try to copy. It catches the eye, isn't a copy of all the other stores that you see on eBay. If you have a store you'd like to promote or one you want to suggest, feel free to post it here...just make sure that it is an eBay store.

Top 5 tips for selling on eBay

1) Research

This is the most important step in listing something for sale. If you list items that are being over sold your chance of making a sale your self is limited. Also, knowing the fair on-line price for an item is important to keep from over or under pricing an item.

2) Information.

Give as much information as you can for your items. Make it easy to read but also informative.

3) Include a Photograph.

Since your bidders can't see your item in person, pictures are the only way for them to get a feel for the quality and condition of your product. The more pictures you include, the better.

4) Follow Through.

Send the buyer an invoice for their item. Most people will only contact you for a total after they have waited for you to act first. This slow the process and could cost you repeat business.

5) Offer Good Customer Service.

Good customer service is the only way to not only bring back past customers, it is required for new ones as well. If you don't provide a good service to your customer, you'll receive a poor feedback rating and who wants to buy from a seller with neg. feedback? Not me!

I'm including some links to a couple of eBay resources, I plan on building both a free resource as well as a pay to use resource area soon so keep checking back. Until next time, have fun and be safe!

PowerSellers toolkit

Prospecting on eBay

eBay Live! A chance to meet and learn from top eBay sellers and developers!

Hi again!

I just wanted to let you all know about eBay live. This is a chance for eBay members to get together and talk about what is happening with eBay and learn how to improve both their own eBay sales model and learn about new and exciting features the eBay will offer. Some of the things that will take place are classes on different ways to become more successful selling on eBay, a speach by Meg Whitman the eBay CEO, eBay campus tour, and some 10th anniversary surprises. If you are in the San Jose, California area on June 23-25th, you should drop by and check it out. I wish I could go to meet other sellers and learn more tricks of the trade but there is just no way for me to get away this year. Let me know how it was and what you learned! To register for eBay live, click the following link to their information page. (Link)

Tips to get started selling on eBay Part 3

Hi again,

In this edition I'd like to talk a little bit about optional promotion items. In the last edition I touched on listing fees and a couple of listing options that I suggest for all items. Now I want to get in to some of the higher priced options that you might want to consider for higher dollar items or if you are a little more advanced and want to try a "Dutch" style auction. I will cover "Dutch" auctions in a later edition as I don't suggest them for beginners, nor will eBay allow a beginner to use this type of auction.

Optional fees are not for the beginner who is just experimenting. But after you
begin to feel at home with the auctions, experiment with the higher-priced
choices and see what happens...

1) Home Page Featured

Featured auctions aren't for the faint of heart. On eBay, it costs $99.95 to feature one item and $199.95 for dutch auctions. While it does increase the likelihood that your
item will sell, I don't suggest these options for beginners. If your items are featured, you are guaranteed to be in the featured section which can be accessed from the front page of the big sites. Overall, featured items have a much higher sale percentage than those that aren't. Your listing will be briefly featured on the home page of eBay where thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of potential customers, may see your items. eBay says you will most likely be on the front page but nothing is guaranteed.

2) Featured Plus!

On eBay, it costs $19.95 to appear in your category's Featured Item section
and in bidder's search results. Plus, your item may be selected for display in
another area -- your category index page Featured Items section.
If a customer types in the exact words that you have used in your listing, they will find your item. However, if the words aren't exact, it won't be featured.

3) Gallery Featured

This type of listing costs $19.95 on eBay. You need a picture in a JPEG (.jpg file) format to use the Gallery (140 x 140 pixels in size).

4) Boldface Title

A boldface title costs $1 on eBay and obviously it can bring more attention to your item.

5) Highlight Your Title

For $5, eBay will put a highlighted strip through your item listing.
Makes it a little easier to pick out from the other listings.

6) Hot, Hotter, Hottest!

This is a very valuable designation that cannot be bought. If your item receives 30 bids, it is placed in the hot category, and is placed at the very top of your category. This is what we all strive for in an item.

Well, thats all I have time for tonight. In the next few days I will post more tips and tricks for new sellers so please check back often. Don't forget to send me some comments to let me know what you want to learn more about. See you next time!

Tips to get started selling on eBay. Part 2

Hello again,

Welcome back! I hope that you found some of the info and links in part 1 interesting. Now we are going to talk about selecting the type of listing and some basic design ideas. If you only have single items to sell and are sourcing your items from home or local markets, I suggest you use either the "fixed price" format or the "auction" format as you really don't need to set up a store just yet. Stores are great because of the reduced listing prices and longer duration of the listing but they don't show up on the regular searches unless there are something like 10 or less auctions for that item. Auction and fixed price listing are almost exactly the same except in an auction, people place bids while fixed price lets people buy now without waiting for the auction to end. Auctions can have a "buy it now" option added but it will cost extra money so a lot of people don't like using that feature. eBay offers many listing upgrades that can help promote and sell your item but most just add fees to your listing cost and should be used sparingly. I suggest two options for EVERY listing and they are, pictures and gallery. Having a picture to show your item atracts attention and displaying it with the gallery option puts it on the search page so people get an idea of what your item is before they click on your listing. This attracts buyers that are interested in your item and not "window shoppers" that click just to see what the item is. I suggest that you review the fee list (link) before you decide what options to add to your listing so you know before hand how much these additional items cost. I suggest that you run your listing for 7 days to give more people a chance to view the listing even though you will find that most "hits" will come in the last couple of days of your listing. This happens because most people sort their search results by "items ending first" or "ending today" but it is always a good idea to have your listing out there for as long as possible.

Now we will touch on the design of your listing. I will save the fancy HTML and advanced listing ideas for a future edition. The two most important parts to each listing are :

1. The title
2. The description

The title is where you will not only capture the attention of the buyer so they click on your listing, it is also the one part of the listing the people search most. When people search for an item, eBay's search engine scans the headline only unless people click the option to search both title and description. I have found through tracking software I use that 90% or more of all the hits I get came from a title only search. Are you beginning to see how important it is yet? You only get a limited amount of space so fill it with keywords that people might type in to the search box and avoid the attempt to be cute by putting in funny symbols. Here are a few examples of what not to do.... "Great stuff!!!" "L@@K!!" or "Check this out!" Try to keep as many words related to the item as you can, like... "Pearl Harbor DVD Ben Affleck new in box" This title will be displayed with a search on any of the words in the listing. You can find some popular search terms at Auction Keywords. (link) In the description portion of the listing you will not only give details of the item and its condition, you should also use this area to try and "sell" your item. "Selling" your item is done by trying to convince the buyer that your item is something that the can't live without and that you are the only buyer that they should buy from. This is done by giving examples of how and when the item should be used, the improvement that it might have made in your life, the attractiveness of your home with this item in it..... The list goes on and on. The most important part of this process is to always show an interest in each and every item you are selling and make it sound interesting to your shoppers. I will give more examples in a future marketing edition that I am working on.

Well, its about time to close for now, I wanted to add a couple of links to give you some ideas on HTML programming for the details portion of your listing. These should help you understand the basics of page design and the language that powers it. You don't need anything fancy to sell on eBay but every little trick helps. Try some of these and let me know how they work for you.

1. One Hour HTML
2. OneTemplate
3. eBAy Search Profits!

This last link is for watching auctions, looking for good keywords to put in your title, and much more. This is a good tool to see what is hot at the moment and find out prices for the items you want to list.

eBay Auction Watcher!

I hope this helps get you started on the path to selling on eBay. Check back often because we post new info all of the time. Please leave comments to let us know if this is to basic or if we need to give more details, also, please feel free to ask any questions that you might have about the topics that we have covered or about any other topics you may have. Hope to hear from you soon and have a great day!

I want people's opinion on the San Francisco 49's

Hi again, while I wouldn't normally mention things like Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, or "The runaway bride" Jennifer Wilbanks on this page, I do want to know how people feel about the San Francisco 49's video. I am really starting to feel that people take themselves, and life, too seriously. I think people are too quick to get upset about many of the things that we see on T.V. or hear on the radio these days and its getting harder and harder to try and get a date, make a joke, or even use everyday phrases without making somebody mad at you. I know that I'm not out to hurt people's feelings when I talk and I get along with almost everybody unless they act like jerks to me or my family. I am sure that I have said things that people don't like but I feel that if you don't like what you hear, don't listen. I haven't seen all of the video yet but I think it was made with the idea that it would both inform and entertain its viewers. I doubt he was trying to be mean to any group of people and that he was just trying to take his examples of situations to the extreme to be light hearted about this subject and to drive the point home. I really am interested in what you think about this subject and political correctness in general.

Lets start with a few tips to get started selling on eBay. Part 1

The main focus of this project of mine is to point people in the right direction when it comes to selling on eBay.

This includes:

1. Setting up your listings
2. Marketing
3. Keywords
4. Finding Products
5. Customer Relation

And many more important topics!

Lets start with the most important step, opening an account with eBay. Sounds like a good place to me and is one of the only steps that I will talk about that is REQUIRED no matter what you think about the information you find here.

The next thing you will need to do is learn how the eBay process works. I suggest that you start by making a purchase or two before you try to sell your goodies. This will take you through the entire process of searching for what you want, bidding or using the buy it now options, payment options and dealing with the seller via e-mail. You will see from the buyer's point of view the problems that might come up as well as the good things about the eBay experience but always remember IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS!!!! I can't stress this enough! eBay is a great place to find modestly priced items but it is also a good place to get scammed.

I am including a link to a resource that I used when getting set up on eBay when I first started selling a couple of years ago. The information included in this ebook was very helpful in not only selling on eBay but also improved my sales on Amazon. If I had not spent last year in Iraq, I am almost 100% sure that my on-line sales would have out paced my normal income. Well, enough of that, make sure to check out Silent Sales Machine and see if any of these ideas are helpful to you.

Next, I would suggest that when it becomes time to sell for yourself the first time you start with something small that you have around the house. Look for an item that you like and is still in good shape but that you might be thinking about giving to a donation center. Look the item over to get an idea of its condition (ie. like new, scratched, dented, etc.) and then do a search for that item on eBay. This will give you an idea of how many other people are selling that item and what the current going price is for something in the same condition as yours.

Here comes the hard part......RESEARCH!!!

This is where you wade through the active listing for items that match what you are selling. You need to make note of a few things to make sure that you are listing your auction correctly.

1. Is the listing pleasing to the eye? (Do you like looking at the auction)
2. How is the text of the listing written? (Does it explain the condition of the item)
3. Does the listing make the item sound useful or attractive?
4. What category is it listed in?
5. Does it have bids?

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER copy somebody else's auction or take their pictures! This is a bad practice to get in to and can get you banned from eBay. After you have figured out where you are going to place your item and how you want to write the text of your listing, it is time to take a few pictures. Photos of your item are a must if you are serious about selling. They are the only way for a buyer to have any idea of what they are paying for. I suggest that you place your item on a plain background so it really sticks out and make sure it is centered in the frame so the buyer doesn't miss a thing. You can include one photo of your item for free but it doesn't hurt to add photos if your item has damage or any special marks hat might be of interest to a potential bidder. Unless you have a 3rd party picture hosting service, you will be charged for additional photos but they can be worth it.

Now comes the good stuff.....How to accept money from the buyer. Some people only accept PayPal, some only want to deal with bank checks, money orders, or their own merchant account. I suggest that you accept them all! Most eBay shoppers like to use a secure payment option that allows them to pay instantly with the belief that you will ship faster. The most popular service is PayPal and I STRONGLY suggest that you sign up for this service if you wish to sell on eBay or in any other on-line format. The main thing to remember is NEVER limit the options a buyer has to pay for your products.

I think that will do it for the first edition of this subject. I will post more on this subject over the next few days and I hope that you will feel free to send me some comments on the information that I am providing to you through these postings. I don't claim to be an expert, I am just trying to provide some helpful hints and any and all feedback is welcomed. For more information on tips to save money on your listing fees and getting every bid that you can on your items check out The Auction Revolution eBay System. The information in this book is aimed and both new and experienced sellers and will help you increase your profits and reduce the number of common mistakes most people make with on-line auctions.

Happy eBaying!

Visit my eBay Store: Everything Below Retail



A sample of my current inventory

Electronics

Documentory Items

Clothing

Home Decor

Classic Films

Outdoor Items

Toys & Hobbies

Military Related Videos

Statues & Collectables

New Auction Items For Sale!

We have some new auction items that we'd like to share with you, to ease the updating of this section, I have included a link to a feed or our items.

Hope you like these selections from Everything Below Retail and we hope to see you at the store!

If you have any items for sale, please feel free to include them in the comments section of this topic. They will be displayed as long as the above auctions are running.

Tell me what your heart desires

Hello again,

I'd like to know what kind of tips you wish to hear about the most....Are you looking for sources of items to sell, marketing tips, listing advice, or are you a buyer that wants to avoid being scammed? This Blog is for you and I want to tailor it to the needs of the many and not just what I want to offer.

I want to do this for two reasons:

1) It will make this OUR Blog and not MINE

2) It will challenge me to learn more about the areas I am week in.

Feel free to leave comments in any area related to on-line selling as I am experienced with not only eBay but Amazon and my own web site sales. Get back to me and stay tuned for more updates.

Welcome to Everything Below Retail

Hello everybody! I want to welcome you to this blog and tell you a few things about its purpose. This blog is mainly for giving tips and tricks to help sellers improve there eBAy buisness. Feel free to advertise your listings (with the exception of adult items), promote any ebooks you might be offering, or just chat and/or ask questions of other users. We hope that you will find this useful and that we all can have a good time together. Happy eBaying!