Category Archives: Trading Assistant

Trading Assistant Jobs – Business Owner Offers Full Time TA Employment

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Maybe we should start a job board for Trading Assistants ? 

It does not come up real often, but listings like the one seen below are posted all over the country from time to time. 

Business owners really do not have the time to learn all of the ins and outs of listing merchandise on eBay or elsewhere on the internet (although they should take the time). Hiring a Trading Assistant full time could be a good move.

Think about it... the deal is good for both parties, the TA gets the satisfaction of selling stuff on eBay and a regular pay check, and the business owner gets years of experience dealing with the ins and outs of a very confusing marketplace.  One caveat however, the TA in question should be a specialist with experience in the types of products the business owner is marketing. 

At famousfashionsfound.com we are looking for someone to write and manage ebay listings for our products.  Take a look at the website to see the kinds of products we sell.  If you have experience selling on ebay and have an interest in fashion, we could use your help.

If you have experience with multiple language auction sites, even better.  Leave a comment with some information about your experience and a contact method.  (These comments will not be published.)

Please email us at:
     info@famousfashionsfound.com

Famous Fashions Found
     869 E. 4500 South, Ste. 302
     Salt Lake City, UT  84107
     USA

How to become a eBay Trading Assistant – Is it Really That E-asy?

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e-how (How to do just about everything) published an article "By ***amylaine" touting these 7 easy steps to fame and fortune as an eBay Trading Assistant.

Huh? Is it really this easy?

I can certainly attest that the process and the challenges facing eBay Trading Assistants are much more complicated and more labor intensive than this article suggests.

Lets review the e-How list... Continue reading “How to become a eBay Trading Assistant – Is it Really That E-asy?” »

Auction Format Dead on eBay – Long Live The Auction

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Today a landmark change in listing fees for fixed price format "Buy it Now" items on the original auction Internet site eBay was announced. 

Starting September 17th eBay will charge 35 cents to list any number of the same types of fixed-price items each fixed price item listing will now run for 30 days just as store listings and continue to be included in core search. 

UPDATE: eBay special web page explaining changes here: eBay

Is this move an indicator of the death of auctions on eBay?

Lorrie Norrington, eBay's president of global marketplaces says no, but .... Continue reading “Auction Format Dead on eBay – Long Live The Auction” »

Zippi Networks – eBay Consignment – Late to the Party

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Zippi- Networks Affiliate, MLM or Franchise, what's the difference?

eBay Live 2008 held many surprises... low attendance, minimal exhibitors and a subdued atmosphere...

Not what anyone who has attended any prior eBay Live would ever expect.

One of the biggest surprises (to those in the know), was the presence on the eBay Live 2008 solutions floor of yet another eBay based consignment franchise opportunity (Or Affiliate/MLM - Call it what you will). 

Past eBay Live events had been virtually packed with eBay drop stores and mobile consignment business opportunities / franchises.  Yet since the recent and severe decline of eBay drop stores like Quick Drop and Snappy, it was a little odd to see a new franchise trying to sell the same style of business opportunity.

For those who are not yet acquainted with the history of eBay consignment franchises, please read this post: eBay Franchise Drop Stores.

Zippi Networks is a publicly traded company, Zippi[TM] Networks, Inc. (Pink Sheets:ZPNW) and has a very clean flashy website. The content on the site is eerily similar to what other eBay based business opportunities have offered, without the actual overhead of a retail store. 

Clutter into Cash - Sound Familiar? Continue reading “Zippi Networks – eBay Consignment – Late to the Party” »

Trading Assistant Journal, Skip McGrath, & iBusinessLogic – Solutions Providers in the Renewed ConsignmentPal Directory

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Consignment Pal Logo

ConsignmentPal - The little big directory for eBay consignment sellers is growing fast!

Regular readers here will be aware that I have helped Linda Miller and her ConsignmentPal directory with the redesign and reinvigoration of this amazing directory. And I am sure glad I did...

ConsignmentPal has not only become the best place to list your consignment or Trading Assistant business (even better than the Trading Assistant Directory, in my opinion) but is now a great place to find real honest to goodness solutions providers, consultants, designers, web developers, and eBay gurus like Skip McGrath (Not an affiliate link).

The press release below is a good indication of the forward thinking and bright outlook Linda Miller brings to the industry with ConsignmentPal (Not an affiliate link). Providing a free directory for all of the eBay consignment, resale and eCommerce marketplace is a very laudable achievement and I think everyone attending eBay Live 2008 should stop by the booth and shake Linda's hand, thank her for all of her hard work and sign up for ConsignmentPal. Tell her Scott Pooler sent you... if you don't happen to catch me manning the booth myself (I think Linda wants me to fill in during the best speeches...huh, not likely! LOL)

See You at eBay LIVE!

Google Standings - Consignment Pal

Continue reading “Trading Assistant Journal, Skip McGrath, & iBusinessLogic – Solutions Providers in the Renewed ConsignmentPal Directory” »

Updated Consignment Pal Directory – eBay Trading Assistants and Consignment Specialist – Get Found in Search Here

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ConsignmentPal LogoConsignment Pal - Re-designed for Consignment Specialists and Clients with ease of use & exposure in mind.

The only online directory of consignment sellers & Drop Off Stores that allows eBay Businesses to:

  • Link to an off eBay Web Site - Get traffic to your site!
  • Show current list of eBay Items For Sale - Automatically - in the Business Profile
  • Describe Your Business as you prefer - With your own keywords
  • Includes your business in a searchable database

Read the Official Press Release Here

Linda Miller of Consignment Pal has worked long and hard to provide a directory service to the consignment industry. Her efforts have been rewarded with a very efficient and usable directory for both consignment shops and eBay Trading Assistants / REDOLS (formerly Trading Posts) and the clientele of these establishments.

The eBay version "Trading Assistant Directory" is widely regarded as being difficult to use and nearly impossible for any end user to find in an online search. If a Trading Assistant or Drop store wants to be found on the Internet, being listed in the Trading Assistant directory will not really help much. Now that Linda Miller has updated the Consignment Pal Directory, the chances of having your listing found online have gone up significantly.

Just a quick search for the words "Consignment Directory" in Google brings up the following results: Continue reading “Updated Consignment Pal Directory – eBay Trading Assistants and Consignment Specialist – Get Found in Search Here” »

Finding eBay Consignment Help – New eBay Trading Assistant Directory – Not So New

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The eBay Trading Assistant program was re-engineered several months ago.  eBay, in fact, started the recent round of controversial announcements (Fees, Feedback, DSRs tied to fee discounts, No more digital delivery, etc) with the summary and unexpected changes to the Trading Assistant system.  REDOL

  • Trading Posts had been renamed as REDOL's (?).
  • REDOL (Drop Stores and TA's with actual business locations) were saddled with increased insurance requirements that initially contained unattainable coverage requirements.
  • The word "Auction" has been banned by eBay as part of any private business name, signage or included in advertising...except, strangely enough, for use as an eBay account name.
  • Legal liability shifted completely onto the small business owners selling consignment items in the eBay system.

We reviewed the terms of the new program here at the Trading Assistant Journal.  Continue reading “Finding eBay Consignment Help – New eBay Trading Assistant Directory – Not So New” »

eBay Franchise Drop Stores – Why they failed

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As a former official eBay Trading Assistant, Trading Post owner and master franchise representative for an eBay drop store franchise chain. I would like to weigh in on the subject of franchising and stand alone eBay drop stores or consignment locations.

My experience on both sides of the fence has revealed certain truths, and since I was at one time a proponent of the franchise model, I believe my views could be helpful to anyone considering the purchase of a new franchise eBay drop store. These views are my own opinion and do not reflect upon eBay any eBay franchise drop store chain in particular or upon eBay consignment as an addition to any other type of business. I am simply expressing my views regarding the stand alone drop store franchise model and why it has failed. Continue reading “eBay Franchise Drop Stores – Why they failed” »

eBay Trading Assistant Directory Google Search and Consignment Sellers

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A great deal of turmoil has been raised recently in the eBay Trading Assistant community.

Reader Please Note: This post is over 1900 words in length. I feel it is worth the time to read the entire article. If you think this post is just too long after reading the entire article please leave a comment and tell me what you think - Thanks - Scott

eBay has decided to change the existing system in regards to Trading Assistants and Trading Posts. In doing so eBay completely revised the way they qualify participants for the program(s). This change has been presented as a way to clean up the "old" directory and provide more relevant results for people looking for help in selling merchandise on eBay. Some think the real reason for the change is to allow eBay to extend the legal distance between itself and anyone listed as a eBay Trading Assistant because of certain active cases against Trading Assistants and Drop off Store owners in States like Pennsylvania.

The terms and conditions eBay requires to be placed in the eBay "official" Trading Assistant directory are extensive. To be included in the directory as what is now termed REDOL (Registered eBay Drop Off Location) or Drop Store, the extensive terms of the TA agreement become even more so. Choosing to be included in either directory at this time is a more important issue than many may be aware. Diligent business owners will read all of the terms of the agreement(s) before making a quick choice to join the directory. 

There were many promises made to the existing members of eBay's TA & Drop Store or Trading Post (Now REDOL) community when this massive change was announced. Essentially eBay promised a massive advertising campaign to 50,000 businesses in the USA promoting TA's and REDOLS, they also promised a new, easy to find, and less spam filled directory. eBay said that with the "reduction in competition" after the directory was switched over to the new version and every TA & Drop store re-registered, each registered member would receive more business from the directory.

The results so far have been less than promised.

Consider the first promise: "Massive" direct mail advertising campaign to 50,000 businesses. This boils down to a single letter sent to 1000 businesses in each State. Continue reading “eBay Trading Assistant Directory Google Search and Consignment Sellers” »

New Trading Assistant Directory – Listing Promotes NOT using a Trading Assistant

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I found the listing below (in italics) in the "New" TA Directory this morning.  I was looking at whom in my area had signed up for the new directory with an eye to see if any of my former local colleagues in the industry had joined up. If they had, I was going to stop in or call and see if they were getting any leads from the new system.

The first listing in my area (Largo, Florida) I came across had the following information listed as the description of services (Please note, this name is not listed as an education specialist). Continue reading “New Trading Assistant Directory – Listing Promotes NOT using a Trading Assistant” »