Scoobidous Again!

This is an information post further to yesterday’s blog about the proliferation of Google searches for Scoobidous that we are receiving on our main web site.

We don’t actually sell Scoobidous from our website – there are just a couple of references which are attracting all the Google traffic and it will be a week or two before we can delete these.

So in the meantime, for anyone visiting our main site and being disappointed not to find what they were looking for, here is a link to a site that deals only with Scoobidous.

We hope you find what you are looking for there.

Scoubidous - Search eBay UK Auction Instead!

Just recently, almost 20% of the Google searches to our main website have been for Scoubidous! Well anyway, that’s one spelling.

We’ve also had searches for Scoobys with beads, Scoobies information, London shops selling Scoubidous, how to make Skoobies, where to find Scooby doo, Scoobidos cord, Scoubies string, Scoubidoos strands, Skoobydoos rainbow colours and Scooby doos for children.

However it's spelt, these things seem to be in tremendous demand and appear to be the latest craze in children's activities and toys.

Here’s what it says on the official web site – “Scoubidou comes in strands in a variety of rainbow colours. Let your imagination run free and make all sorts of things with these Scoubidou strands. Friendship bracelets, keyrings etc. Instructions are included, but more detailed instructions on how to make items are in the Scoubidou Fun Time Book, (Age 6+).”

Scoubidou also comes in glitter colours, glow colours and pearl colours and they’re not suitable for children under 3 because of the risk of swallowing small parts.

So for anyone looking for basic Scoubidou information, the manufacturer is Lotrec BV, Veemarktkade 8, NL 5222 Ae 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. The telephone number is: 31 73 6 222 705 and the e-mail is: info@scoubidou.nl

And for anyone who’s recently visited our website via a Google search and been disappointed to find that we don’t have any, you’ll find lots of bargain Scoubidous on eBay and for other spellings, the Search eBay UK site will also find you lots of information and goodies.

Search eBay UK Item Archive Launched

Just one extra bit of information today – we’ve launched a categorised archive of eBay items that shows the description and selling price for completed items (no houses yet!).

Why are we doing this? Well, as regular buyers (and sellers) on eBay, we quite often want to find a “benchmark” price for items to see if a currently listed item is a good bargain. But if you’re not already a registered eBay user, you can’t access the eBay search facility to look up what price completed items were sold for.

So for those of you who haven’t got around to joining eBay yet (it’s free), you can search our archives using Google to find comparison prices for completed eBay items at Value an eBay Item.

Don’t forget – you can register on eBay at no charge and get access to all the facilities of the world’s largest online auction.

Sell your Home on eBay?

There isn’t yet an eBay category for house sales, but maybe it’s not long before one appears. There seems to be an increasing amount of business being done on eBay in the property and real estate area. Here is a recent press release to illustrate what’s going on in the US.

“Royster is selling the Villa South Motel and restaurant in Georgia and stated he is ready to retire to his small farm and to help promote his family’s candle business, Wicks and Wonders Candles (georgiacandle.com).

Royster’s eBay effort even landed him coverage in the Atlanta Constitution and the Chicago Tribune about the site’s increasing number of real estate listings.It appears to be generating considerable interest in the in the motel complex. Royster said the listing has generated numerous questions and some bids at the auction site. Royster further stated that he believes the site will sell on eBay and that the high bid so far has been $2,200,000, which was rather close to his minimum asking price and that people have contacted him from California to India.

Further information or contacts can be found at the Villa South web-site villasouth.com

Kim Royster the owner of Wicks and Wonders and Royster’s wife said that her candle business at Wicks and Wonders Candles has been consuming more of her time and she could use her husband’s help. She said that her premium highly scented candles and candle accessories just opened up their web store at georgiacandle.com and that business has been increasing at a steady pace.”

Here in the UK, there aren’t yet many house sales on eBay but you can search eBay UK here to have a look at what is available.

Monitor eBay Auctions as You Watch TV

Ever get bored with having to stay at your PC to see how your eBay auction bids are doing? Well, apparently Time Warner has just launched a pilot project in Texas for around 50,000 of its digital cable television subscribers.

The system is being provided free to viewers and they don't need any new equipment or remote controls to access eBay on their TVs. The initiative has been titled "eBay on TV," and the cable company hopes the service will help it combat strong competition from the satellite TV providers

eBay bidders first have to place bids using their PCs in the usual way, but can then relax while watching television. A flashing symbol along the bottom of the TV screen will let them know if they are being outbid or if they have won the auction. Using the TV remote control, the viewer can increase the bid, without needing to leave the comfort of their armchair.

The trial is scheduled to last for 12 months, so don’t expect to see this feature available on your own TV anytime soon. But you can bet that if viewer feedback is good the program will be rolled out on a national and global basis before too long.

Meantime, you can still search eBay UK or visit eBay shopping UK and eBay auction UK the old fashioned way on your PC!

eBay Auction in Aid of The Pentagon Memorial Fund

A 1979 Mercedes-Benz is being auctioned off on eBay this week. The owner, Lillian Champion, is donating 100% of the proceeds to the Pentagon Memorial Fund. Mrs. Champion is donating the proceeds because on September 11, 2001 she suffered the loss of only daughter, Marjorie Champion Salamone, who was working in the Pentagon that fateful morning.

The Pentagon Memorial Fund is a non-profit organization established by the families of the 184 victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in Washington, DC. The Memorial Fund's mission is to provide for the construction and permanent maintenance of the Pentagon Memorial, a beautiful park located at the grounds of the attack that will provide a place for reflection, remembrance and renewal.

The construction cost of the Pentagon Memorial is estimated to be $18 million dollars along with a lifetime endowment of $10 million for maintenance and care. The target for beginning construction of the Pentagon memorial is fall, 2006 with a completion date in 2008. The memorial will consist of 184 individual memorial units next to the Pentagon displaying the name of each victim.

You can search eBay here to view this charitable auction – just copy and paste the item number 4551554262 into the search box.

eBay Tip - Why Looking at Bid History is so Important

Recently, we noticed an unusual item on the eBay "featured items" homepage section (this is the scrolling window that you can pay £50 to get seen in). The item was described as being the remains of something that the seller’s dog had chewed up.

Curious to see what was behind this weird item title, we clicked through to the listing and found that the item was apparently genuinely for sale, but was really a “pointer” to the seller’s other items for sale (which is perfectly within eBay policy guidelines).

These other items consisted of “get rich quick” schemes which are not usually viewed with great favour by eBay since they can sometimes infringe copywrite or be otherwise misleading.

So we took a look at the seller’s feedback and found similar items that had been sold previously. With one exception, all feedback was positive. Intrigued by this, we took a look at the bid history for the current items and found that the same four or five user IDs appeared across all 7 items for sale. Even more curious was that on clicking for details of previously sold items, around 60% had been removed by eBay.

Possibly this is an example of “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is”. To keep things in context, the vast majority of items for sale on eBay are from genuine sellers, but it can be quite difficult to check the price of an item whose listing has finished so you can see if the current item you want to bid on is a real bargain. So we’ve introduced the “What’s it Worth” archive to help you asses the real value of an eBay item.

eBay to Launch Alpha Test of “New Way to Shop on eBay”

The eBay Community is in a state of continuous expansion, diversification and evolution and the company is perpetually seeking innovative ways to enhance the experience of using the world’s largest online auction and shopping site.

Over the last 12 months, eBay has done much to improve the ways of finding what you are looking for – from refinements to the structure of categories, through to introducing the “Item Specifics” facility; and enhanced searching and browsing functions too. But one of the key inputs from the community of buyers and sellers has been a request for a more simple-to-use eBay – particularly in the area of finding items.

An alpha-test version of an eBay initiative which introduces a “New Way to Shop on eBay” will shortly be available. This different approach to finding items is aimed at making keyword searches more intuitive by combining and parsing existing data from listings including the item’s title, “Item Specifics” and the category, as well as attributes such as size, colour, type and brand identity.

eBay takes input from its’ community of sellers and buyers very seriously and is therefore inviting community members to take part in the alpha testing. This initiative is being led by eBay.com, but no matter where in the world you live, you can visit your local eBay site through the eBay Auction and eBay Shopping portal.

PayPal Seeks Market Outside of eBay

eBay acquired PayPal in 2002 for around $1.5 billion to form the backbone of it’s electronic payments system for auctions.

Since then, PayPal has grown to be a major player in the e-payments industry with over 70 million customers and some $6 billion turnover through its internet money transmission systems. This makes PayPal larger than many of the traditional banks in the e-payments sector and positions the company for growth and diversification.

Traditionally the province of major card companies such as Mastercard and Visa, the provision of services for larger merchants is an area that PayPal now seems to be eying up. In a recent announcement to analysts, Chief executive of eBay, Meg Whitman is reported as saying, "We feel confident that PayPal can become the online wallet for an entire global generation of Internet shoppers,''

Three quarters of all global eBay Auction and Shopping transactions use PayPal – and that customer base is where PayPal’s strength and aspirations for growth should perhaps be centred. The increasing globalisation of eBay has provided a firm consumer-driven base that could be groomed to demand the familiarity and convenience of PayPal in purchasing transactions outside of eBay. In effect, eBay would be PayPal’s “Trojan Horse” to enter the still-emerging e-funds markets in places such as India and China – two of eBay’s main targets for major growth.

eBay Charity Auction for Celebrity Jeans

A star-studded collection of celebrities are decorating jeans as part of a bid to raise funds in an eBay charity auction.

It’s reported that amongst the celebrities are Queen Latifah, Angelina Jolie and Katie Couric. Apparently, the stars are decorating the Levi jeans personally and these will be auctioned in aid of Girls Inc – a non-profit group.

Warner Brothers Pictures, Levi’s and eBay are jointly organising the charity auction which runs through to early June. The film "The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" is based on a book about four girls who share a pair of jeans and is due for release on 1 June.

There are many good causes using eBay Charity Auctions to raise funds. It’s a great way for you to find bargains as well as celebrity items. Like many small commercial High Street shops, Charities are now starting to make more and more use of eBay to provide a high volume retail outlet and to reduce overhead costs.

Just one extra bit of information today – we’re launching a categorised archive of eBay items that shows description and selling price and can be searched using Google. Why are we doing this? Well, as regular buyers (and sellers) on eBay, we quite often want to find a “benchmark” price for items (to see if it’s a good bargain).

But after a sale has finished on eBay it’s quite hard to find any search facility where you can enter keywords to discover what price completed items were selling for. It will take a while for the archive to build up, but you can take a look at what we’ve got now at Value an eBay Item or our first What’s it Worth category – Antiques & Art.

eBay Focuses China for Major Growth

At a recent meeting in Beijing, China, eBay president Meg Whitman is reported as stating 'China could be eBay's largest local market in a five to ten year period' - provided the current growth strategy comes to fruition.

But according to some industry sources, eBay's problem in China is that a local player called Taobao.com is experiencing much faster growth than eBay. Recent reports are forecasting the volume of online transactions in China to increase by around 75 percent to reach over 3 billion yuan in 2005 and eBay claims to have the majority share of this market.

One of the keys to eBay being able to successfully execute its strategy for China is PayPal, eBay’s online payments system. The PayPal system has been instrumental in largely removing the financial risk for both buyers and sellers in online auction transactions.

When eBay took over BaaZee in India, the introduction of PayPal on a wider basis has been vitally important in reducing the perceived risk of online trading that previously existed, particularly for buyers and sellers trading globally on eBay. If the same approach works well in China, then eBay seems more likely to achieve its long-term aspirations.

The increasing globalisation of eBay will permit sellers in low-cost countries including India and China to sell their goods to the higher cost US and Western European countries. But that is potentially bad news for eBay shops and stores in the UK, US and Europe since they will face more competition.

Joining the externally promoted directory of eBay shops is one way to gain additional publicity and differentiation from the emerging global competition.

eBay UK Buying Gumtree.com?

As yet unconfirmed reports indicate that eBay, the world’s largest online auction site may be acquiring the online classified advertising company Gumtree.com to further boost its local country sites network.

Gumtree was established in London early in 2000 and was initially designed as a community site to help people planning a move to the Capital to find accommodation, and employment.

Over the last 5 years, Gumtree.com has expanded enormously both in terms of it’s geographic coverage and also the range of services, which now include tax and financial advice, “stuff for sale” and partner-finding.

There are local UK Gumtree.com sites focused on Brighton, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Guildford, Manchester, and Reading along with other international sites in Australia, Eire, France, New Zealand and South Africa.

It’s quite easy to see the principal business synergies between eBay Auction UK , eBay Shopping UK and the Gumtree.com operation in terms of market reach and complimentary service portfolios. The entrepreneurial nature of eBay and Gumtree should make for a harmonious integration of the businesses – and that’s got to be good news for all those of us who use eBay on a regular basis and love to see continued expansion.

Is eBay the Place to Find Xbox 360?

The Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming console hasn’t been released yet, but even so, items are beginning to appear on the world’s largest online marketplace - eBay.

Shortly after a major launch party for the Xbox 360, an E3 faceplate which was made especially for the unveiling ceremony at Electronics Entertainment Expo in the US, was listed on eBay and attracting bids. It will, however, be several months yet before the Xbox 360 becomes generally available.

Apparently some 5,000 of the white, silver and green faceplates were handed out to attendees at the event. The standard Xbox has been designed so that the plain faceplate can be replaced with a variety of other colours and designs.

In an unrelated news item, it seems that eBay’s new reverse auction “Want it Now” feature is starting to become a favourite with buyers who are looking for rare items. The following ad was placed recently on eBay.com –

“I am willing to pay basically whatever it takes to get two Xbox 360 systems. Submit whatever offer you think is reasonable and I'll contact you. I am very serious about getting this system before it hits the market. I need them for a gift for my brother who will be 16 and for my best friend who will be 21 before the system is available in stores. I would like to have them as soon as possible. Thank you for your time!”

For anyone interested in this, the Post number is 8192208435 and you can search eBay UK and other eBay sites for Xbox 360 related items at the eBay Auction and eBay Shopping portal.

eBay Auction UK – 5p Listing Day 19 May 2005

Periodically, eBay offers specially reduced fee auction days to promote various initiatives and activities. The next of these is scheduled for Thursday 19 May.

Not everyone always includes all of the essential information about items they are listing and eBay is promoting the use of their “Item Specifics” feature which provides an easy way to make sure all the important item details are available to buyers and helps the seller to get more bids and more sales.

So, on Thursday 19th May 2005, sellers will qualify for a 5p insertion fee provided “Item Specifics” is used for listings in any of 42 categories in which “Item Specifics” functionality is available.

Any sellers using “Item Specifics” in eBay auction UK or eBay UK “Buy It Now” listings on 19th May 2005 will qualify for the reduced fee of just 5p per item inserted in listings.The slight catch is that the normal insertion fee will be charged at the time of listing and sellers with qualifying listings using “Item Specifics” will get a credit back to their eBay accounts by 30th June 2005.

Please take a look at eBay Auction UK for free buyers and sellers guides, together with links through to eBay.co.uk for more details about the 5p listing day.

eBay Tips & Techniques - Feedback

Every time you buy or sell something on eBay, you can expect to give and receive feedback comments and ratings. This feedback is important since it provides a valuable indication of your reputation as an eBay buyer or seller. Together with an overall feedback score and positive feedback percentage, these comments are permanently recorded in every Member’s Profile.

For each positive rating, you receive 1 point on your feedback score. For each neutral rating you receive 0 points on your feedback score and for each negative comment and rating, 1 point is deducted from your feedback score. When you have received 10 or more comments and ratings a feedback “star” is given by eBay.

So before you bid on an item, you can check the seller's Member Profile by clicking on the feedback score next to their User ID. Similarly, sellers can look at feedback ratings and comments for buyers to make sure they have been reliable in other transactions.

Some Feedback Tips:-

Feedback can’t normally be removed after it has been left, so please be careful to make only fair and factual comments. Ratings should also relate to a specific transaction.

It’s important to always leave feedback for your buyer or seller so that other eBay members may benefit from your own experience.

Typically, you can take a high feedback score and high positive feedback percentage as a good indication of the buyer or seller’s reputation, but it’s always a good idea to check the comments in the Member’s Profile too.

You can keep your Member Profile private so that other people cannot see your feedback, but this option should be used cautiously since most buyers or sellers will regard a private Profile with suspicion.

Communication between buyer and seller is very important if there is a problem so that ideally the issue is resolved on a mutually satisfactory basis before leaving negative feedback.

eBay also has a dispute resolution process which can be very useful in the event that buyer and seller are unable to agree. But to keep things in context, the vast majority of transactions on eBay are completed to everyone’s satisfaction and it is largely due to the Feedback system that eBay is one of the best and safest places to trade online.

For more eBay tips, please take a look at the free eBay Buyer and Seller Guides.

eBay Transforms Shopping across the World

eBay started in 1995 and the online auction and shopping site now has over 100 million active users across the globe who buy and sell just about everything you can think of. Today, it isn’t just collectibles and cast offs that are sold on eBay. Rare antiques, cars, houses, boats and even aeroplanes have been sold in the online auction.

Sales are increasing at around 40% annually, with close to 1.5 billion items listed and auction revenues of over $30 billion in 2004. Perhaps the most striking fact of all is that eBay is the site on which people spend more time than any other site on the Internet.

But it’s not just on occasional buyers and sellers that eBay has an effect. More than 400,000 people now make a part-time or full-time living selling on eBay with some making large amounts of money by auctioning items online.

For entrepreneurs, eBay offers a way to get a business off the ground without having to invest in infrastructure, software and systems that would be required for a stand-alone online sales operation. And the eBay brand name provides the mechanism to drive interested visitors to the items for sale, so overcoming the main problem of establishing an internet business – how to get people to visit your site in the first place.

In August 2004, eBay bought the India-based auction site BaaZee and is now close to fully integrating its’ operations into global eBay. With prices of goods in India so much lower that the US and Western Europe, many India-based sellers are now channelling their items for sale through eBay.com and eBay.co.uk so that even with shipping costs added, some remarkable bargains are available.

What does this globalisation and continuing growth of eBay mean for existing eBay shops and stores? Well, certainly, more access to world markets, but also increasing competition within the internal eBay marketplace. Many eBay shops and stores have now started to join externally promoted directories so they can gain added visibility and steal a lead over their competition who continue to rely solely on the eBay brand to bring in their business.

eBay Featured Item - Samsung SGH-E800 Mobile Phone

This month, we will be featuring examples of some great bargains for sale on eBay Auction UK to whet your appetite. Item number 6394881618 is a Samsung SGH-E800 mobile phone from a reputable seller with 100% positive feedback.

Sliding phones have become increasingly more popular since the hype of the Nokia 7110 and the introduction of more compact models like the Siemens SL55. As usual, Samsung are showing the flair and ingenuity that has made them one of the biggest mobile phone manufacturers in the world with the launch of their first sliding phone, the E800. This little beauty combines a 128 x 160 pixel 65536 colour screen with a semi-automatic sliding mechanism (translation - its got a spring in it, so it slides easily) housed in a sleek silver body complete with an internal aerial.

However, the E800 isn't just about looks as it has the features to go with it. You've got a VGA resolution camera complete with 4 x digital zoom and a built-in flash to boot. Send pictures you've taken to friends and family via MMS or you can even use the pictures you've taken with the photo CLI (Call Line Identification) feature in your phonebook so their picture comes up on the screen when they ring.

Built-in to the E800 are Samsung’s latest 64 sound polyphonic ringtones that are a world away from older phones. With the capability of playing 32 sounds and 32 voices at one time, these are exceptionally realistic ringtones. The dual band E800 is lightweight at only 86g as well as compact (87mm x 43mm x 23.5mm), with a stylish colourful two-tone finish.

All the other regulars are also available such as calendar, polyphonic ringtones, Java games, WAP browser, etc. and with 24Mb of dynamic memory, whether it's for photos or ringtones, you can choose how you use it. The phone looks pretty trendy too! No doubt about it, the Samsung E800 is a great little phone. It’s no surprise that Samsung are the fastest growing mobile phone manufacturer in the world when they are producing phones as good as this.

Take a look at the other great bargains for sale on eBay Auction UK and eBay Shopping UK or search eBay UK for this item.

Eminem in eBay Charity Auction for “Gold” Bricks

Eminem is known around the world as an Oscar-winning rapper. Now Eminem is using his famous name to help provide benefits for the famous road that was his inspiration for the film title "8 Mile"

Born Marshall Mathers III, and known as the "Yellow Brick Road" rapper, Eminem has placed his autograph on some 30 gold-painted bricks and intends to auction these on eBay. Money from the sale will go to the Marshall Mathers Foundation for troubled youths and also the 8 Mile Boulevard Association.

Apparently, the bricks had been salvaged following the recent demolition of the Detroit Artillery Armoury on 8 Mile in Oak Park, Michigan. In addition to the bricks, each auction will include a DVD - the "8 Mile" movie.

Eminem's early life provided the main theme for the film "8 Mile", set in the area where he grew up. In 2003, Eminem won an Oscar for best original song. “Lose Yourself," was featured in the film “8 Mile”.

Take a look at eBay Charity Auctions and make a bid – it’s all in a good cause.

eBay Tip – How to Save Searches

One of the most essential things to learn about if you are going to get the best out of eBay is how to perform and repeat searches so you can find the bargains you are looking for not just once, but time after time.

eBay provides “My Favourite Searches” which allows up to 100 searches to be saved for use and viewing at a later time or date. It’s even possible for eBay to run those searches automatically for you and you can be notified by email when newly listed items are found that match the search criteria you have given.

At the top of any eBay page you will find a search box - just click the Search button to begin. Then enter words that describe the item you are looking for in the search box.

When the search has completed and the results have been listed, just click the "Add to Favourites" link, which will be at the top right hand side of the item list. This will then store the search words you used in the “My Favourite Searches” area of “My eBay”, so the next time you want to search for the same item keywords again, all you do is click on the name of the search to see the latest items.

You need to register on eBay to use “My Favourite Searches” but you can access Search eBay UK without having to sign up first.

Search eBay UK Facility Changed

Until recently, the default “local option” for searching and browsing on eBay UK used to list only items which were located in the UK. But on March 7th 2005, this was changed so that regardless of the actual location of the item or seller, any item listed on eBay.co.uk will be shown.

eBay’s intention in making these changes is to open up eBay.co.uk to overseas sellers in line with the “globalisation” of eBay. One consequence of this change is that eBay Auction UK sellers will inevitably see increased competition from overseas.

However, sellers from outside the UK are not allowed to misrepresent their items by claiming that they are located in the UK if they will, in fact, be shipped from overseas.

This new approach will allow UK buyers to distinguish between sellers who are located in the UK and those who are overseas but are members of eBay.co.uk with listings shown on the search eBay UK facility

Man Gets “Burned” as eBay Toast Auction Falls Through

A slice of toast carved with a drawing of runaway US bride-to-be, Jennifer Wilbanks was sold on eBay for over $15,000.

But now the seller feels “burned” because the buyer is refusing to pay up. The auction, which drew national attention in the US, opened with a bid of just over $1.00 on 1 May and rapidly climbed to a winning bid of $15,400 from a California man.

Apparently, the seller was planning to hand over the toast on national television, but was shocked to find that the buyer had gone back on the deal and could no longer be contacted.

Where it not for the fact that the seller was intending to donate money from the auction to charity, I guess not many people would feel very sympathetic. If you take a look at the photo of the toast, the carving was not even a very good likeness, so the term “value for money” is not one that springs to mind in this case.

The story does illustrate a point though. It can sometimes be tempting to go over the top on price in the heat of bidding on eBay. If you take a little time to properly research market prices and use search eBay UK or your local eBay country site thoroughly then you will find great bargains on eBay.

eBay Auction UK – one of the Safest Places for Online Trading.

eBay frequently reinforces its commitment to making your buying and selling experience safe as well as fun.

So you can rest assured that an eBay auction UK is a great place to trade provided you follow eBay’s simple guidelines. eBay shopping UK, using the many thousands of registered eBay shops is also a safe place to make purchases and even if it’s a car you’re interested in on eBay motors UK a few simple checks on the seller’s information will help make sure the deal is a good one for all concerned.

eBay’s Feedback system and Buyer Protection programme, together with dispute resolution services and a Safety Centre are there to help you buy and sell without worrying. Always look at the seller’s feedback. Is it 98% positive or above? Check out the feedback on individual items and make sure the eBay IDs are not all from the same person!

Use Paypal to make and receive payments for eBay sales and purchases. That way, if anything does go wrong you will have much better protection than if it’s a cash transaction or bank cheque. For more tips and free guides take a look at eBay Auction UK and World Community

Carmen in eBay Charity Auction

Carmen Electra, famous as an ex Baywatch babe is auctioning herself on eBay.

Well actually, the gorgeous lady is auctioning off a date with her to raise money for a major US cancer charity. Bidding had reached over $20,000 and was tipped to rise still further.

The winning bidder will receive a one night date with Carmen, although her rock star husband, Dave Navarro, will be collecting her at the end of the evening.

It’s reported that the auction reads as follows; ‘New TAG body spray is giving guys an opportunity that they could have only fantasized about before now - a "dream date" with Carmen Electra. Guys ages 15-20 [huh! that rules me out] are eligible for this chance of a lifetime. The "dream date" will take place in Los Angeles. The prize package includes travel and hotel accommodations for two people.’

The text continues, ‘One hundred percent of the bid payment will go to The National Prostate Cancer Coalition. The National Prostate Cancer Coalition (NPCC) sets the standard for rapidly reducing the burden of prostate cancer on American men and their families through awareness, outreach, and advocacy.’

By the time you read this the auction will probably have ended, but there are lots of other celebrity items (and everyday articles too) which are all in a good cause on eBay Charity Auctions.

eBay UK Launches Major New Marketing Campaign

eBay.co.uk is part of the world’s largest online auction group and is launching a new UK advertising campaign to attract even more buyers and sellers. The advertising programme is also aimed at encouraging the growth of new product categories.

Last year’s TV advertising campaign is said to have been a huge success for eBay, with more than 1 million new users added to the world total of over 135 million.

DLKW is eBay’s chosen partner for the campaign which focuses on building additional trust and awareness of the online auction and shopping website.

The campaign will be seen on around 40 satellite and cable TV programs and will include advertising and sponsorship in such well known favourites as ‘Time Team’, 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy', ‘American Shopper’ and 'Room Raiders'.

Last year’s advertising program saw a significant trading increase in categories including clothing and accessories, sport and fitness, bicycles, cars, home & garden, baby, technology, entertainment and collectibles, DIY, golf, and fishing.

eBay buyers, sellers, shops and stores are likely to benefit enormously from this investment by eBay.

eBay Auctions Available Via Wireless Device

A leading solutions provider for wireless handheld devices and mobile phones has announced its 3G (third generation) wireless applications specifically for eBay.

Abidia is a leader in the field of wireless application solutions and its’ software for online auctions enables real-time access to eBay information, auctions, listings and accounts around the globe on mobile devices.

This next generation technology enables users to search, bid, browse, and keep watch on live listings on the eBay site while on the move.

Those of us who have had WI FI connections on our laptops for some time are used to being able to access eBay even when we are away from home, but WI FI coverage is still restricted in many countries to places like airports and major cities. Abidia’s applications on handheld devices will make access to eBay much more convenient and readily available.

Easy access to eBay sites across the world can be found at the eBay Auction World Community portal.

eBay Community Manager - Dan Wilson

Community Manager at eBay.co.uk, Dan Wilson, has worked for the company since it was established. Dan is also an eBay University Tutor.

Make Money on eBay UK is a recent book by Dan and is a superb example of a simple step-by-step manual that really helps people new to eBay understand how the whole thing works and how to avoid the many pitfalls. Dan uses a “how to do it” style and without giving any of his secrets away, he includes features on: –

‘Register on eBay and find items to buy with confidence’

‘Hunt for bargains and save money on everyday purchases’

‘Construct the perfect eBay listing to attract buyers and maximise your sales’

For those who are more experienced with eBay, Dan's book provides valuable insights and tips on ramping up sales and becoming an eBay PowerSeller

Make Money on eBay UK has a normal RRP of £9.99. The ISBN number is 1-85788-352-7

Free eBay buyers and sellers guides are also available.

eBay Drop-Off Store Opens in Canada

There is an increasing trend amongst the eBay community towards opening local drop-off stores that act as agents for the seller and take a commission in exchange for their services.

The first eBay drop-off store franchise in Canada is operated by Imagine This Sold (www.imaginethissold.com) which provides online auction services through eBay.

Peter Wohl, CEO of the company is reported as saying "The typical garage sale starts with an ad in the local paper, takes up an entire day of haggling with friends, neighbours and strangers and ends with tired sellers giving in on low prices.”

Wohl continued "Imagine This Sold makes selling quality items as easy as 1-2-3: 1, stop at our store - 2, drop off your items - 3, collect your cheque. We also enable sellers to market their items to 147 million registered users in the global eBay retail community."

Many long-established eBay shops are now examining a variety of new ways to do business and to attract potential buyers in the increasingly competitive eBay marketplace. Some shops and stores are joining externally promoted directories so they gain not only from general eBay brand recognition, but also steal a lead over their direct competitors.

eBay provides a good environment in which to trade both locally and internationally, but as the number of sellers increases and eBay’s globalisation continues, evolution of new methods will be necessary for eBay shops and stores who want to stay in front.

Record eBay Interest in Pope’s Old Car

The Volkswagen car that used to be owned by Pope Benedict XVI is for sale on eBay and has broken all records for the auction site by recording almost four million hits.

eBay is reported as commenting, "It was viewed more often than any other item we have ever had on eBay Germany."

The start price for the 1999 Golf was Euros 9,999 but by Monday, bidding had reached over Euros 62,000 and had received more than 130 offers. The auction does not finish until Thursday so the bid price is expected to increase even further.

Apparently, the seller bought the car early this year but did not know at the time that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was the former owner.

Due to the extremely unusual nature of the item, eBay is said to be taking extra precautions to guard against any possibly fraudulent offer, including having all bidders supply their phone number and a copy of their identification card in addition to their eBay ID.

Not many of us could afford the price of this particular vehicle, but you will find thousands of cars for sale on eBay

Recommended Book – “The Silent Sales Machine Hiding on eBay”

Jim Cockrum is an expert eBayer and has many years of success selling profitably on eBay. His eBook – “The Silent Sales Machine Hiding on eBay” is thoroughly recommended not just for the techniques he teaches but also the proven practicality of his methods.

Jim introduces his book with the following background information:-

“What a wild ride it’s been. I wrote the original version of this book and sold about 10 copies of it to customers of mine on eBay in early 2002. At that time I had very few readers to give me feedback and even fewer that put my ideas into practice. It was about forty pages long at that time. You are now reading the 4th major revision.

Since 2002 my Internet marketing career has exploded. I won’t go into full detail here about my current situation because that information would be obsolete by the time you read it!

The best way to sum it all up is to say that thanks to eBay and the implementation of the very ideas contained in this book I have been able to quit my full-time corporate job and stay home with my wife and kids. I’ll earn far more money and work far fewer hours this year than I ever could have at ANY corporate job.

Even better than that is the fact that hundreds if not thousands of others have also benefited from these ideas and are able to achieve financial goals that would not have been obtainable otherwise. That’s my proudest career achievement.

If you have a similar goal to quit your job and work the Internet part-time with a full-time income then I hope to help you get there. The book you are now reading is one of the all time best selling eBooks about eBay success. It’s different from any other book on the topic and as a result its popularity continues to astound even me.

Currently the top eBook sales site on the Internet is ClickBank.com. I am happy to say that this book has spent several months at the #1 sales position on ClickBank.com in the Money & Employment category among thousands of other titles.

I am grateful for the loyalty and support of those that have also joined my newsletter mailing list. That mailing list is now the largest (or nearly the largest) list of eBay marketing enthusiasts in existence.

I say all that not to boast, but to build credibility and also to put a dream in your heart if it’s not already there.

What’s in it for you? Like so many others I hope you’ll find new streams of income for you and your family. I hope you’ll find more free time and less stress to go along with the new income.

This book is a detailed journey into specifics. You will look at eBay differently after reading this book.”

Having purchased and read Jim’s book myself, I can promise you won’t be disappointed – it helped me change from a start-up eBay seller in late 2004 to an eBay shop doing more than £6,000 a month in February 2005. Take a look at the eBay Auction World Community for the link to Jim’s great book.

New Pope’s Old Car for Sale on eBay

The new Pope Benedict XVI apparently used to drive around in a Volkswagen Golf car. The Golf, which is said to have been registered in the name of Joseph Ratzinger, is now up for sale on eBay.

The car is a 1999 model in metallic grey and was originally listed on eBay auctions a few days ago with a minimum price of Euros 9,900. With five days left to run, bidding had reached over Euros 40,000 and looked set to attain even more lofty heights.

The seller, located in Olpe, Germany, apparently bought the car from a local dealer early this year. It isn’t reported whether the seller purchased the car with a view to being an investment, or whether this was just a heaven-sent opportunity to capitalise on a piece of good luck.

Either way, eBay turned out to be the ideal place to sell this unusual collectable, so even if you don’t have anything as rare as an ex “Popemobile” to sell, or are just looking for bargain memorabilia, see what great bargains you can find in the eBay Shops and Stores Directory.