I picked this book out of a stack of "how to get RICHRICHRICH on eBay!!!" titles -- you know, the usual dreck -- because I thought it might be amusing to read over lunch.

Well, imagine my surprise. Eighteen in-depth interviews with some of the all-time bigest eBay sellers (circa 2004, anyway), conducted in a professional manner, by an author who actually knows something about... selling on eBay.

And Joyner's understanding of the subject does show through. She digs & pokes & comes up with scads of nuggets of very useful information & advice for anyone who's serious about eBay selling, online auctions in general, & for that matter online selling overall.

I cannot agree with some other Amazon reviews. For instance, nobody in their right mind is going to freely give away the contact information for a reliable drop-shipper!! To do so would simply mean giving up market share to a horde of beginners who'd cut into the business & likely muck up the perceived reliability of that niche. And (to address another) anyone who expects one book to hand them a turnkey road to wealth really needs to look into buying a franchise or some other Real World turnkey system to understand how much such a thing would cost.

It's not for the raw beginner, really, or for someone who just wants to put up a handful of items to clear the attic. But, if you're serious about starting (or expanding) your eBay presence, I'd have to put this on the Top Ten of titles I'd recommend.

It's not perfect. There are plenty of editing niggles scattered throughout that might require you to reread a sentence. And I found at least two bits of advice that might get a newbie in trouble: Joyner suggests putting outside links into listings (last I noted, this was firmly discouraged by eBay) & putting keywords into your titles of similar brand names to draw in buyers (again, discouraged not only by eBay, but I think ICANN gets cranky about this practice on your own websites).

Finally, while it's a GREAT one-time read, I'm not certain that you'll need to go through it more than once or twice, so unless you plan to resell it or otherwise pass it along, the $22.95 retail might be too steep for practicality. (If it ever comes out in paperback, I could change my mind.) If you're expecting $23 worth of advice, you'll probably be disappointed.

But if you tread carefully, the good advice to be had far outweighs the bumps.

This is a concisely written book of case studies of bigtime sellers on ebay and how they do it.
Any secrets you can steal? Not really, but lots of insight into how others did it.
This is not a how-to-sell step-by-step manual of the basics of selling on ebay.
Instead it is a compilation of stories of and interviews with the people who have started successful and profitable, they say, businesses on the auction site. It includes nice boxes of helpful pointers on most every page.
I found this book entertaining and helpful.
Am a now rich because I read it? No, but maybe someday.

Readers should apply critical thinking to book titles and contents. Lots of books that aim to be informative or instructional are going to have "secrets" in the title. This is how a publisher entices consumers. They are trying to sell books. It doesn't mean you are actually getting the benefit of "secrets." If thousands or even millions of copies are printed, how "secret" is the information?

The book is a collection of 18 profiles of Titanium Power Sellers. The profiles are followed by Q and A "Titanium Talk." There are "power pointers" scattered through the text. Power Pointers emphasize key concepts, such as "Before setting your starting bids, consult eBay's listing fees. Sometimes you can save a significant amount by starting an auction for just a penny less."

The book is packed with useful information. For example, one of the "Titanium Talk" segments recounts how a rogue buyer tried to bring down a seller's business. The book ends with 50 Strategies that distill the widsom found in the text.

The book delivers an essential message: You have to be a savvy business person. You need to have your act together. All of the PowerSellers profiled were already established in the business world before getting involved with eBay. They have MBAs and other impressive credentials. There are no stories about people who started by picking up bargains at garage sales. It is a realistic look at what it takes to make a good living on eBay.

If, like me, you are a person who has never been in business, if you have no idea what you might sell, and you have no product sources, what chance do you really think you have? This book will give you a lot to consider.

I read this book and hoped to find several new ideas but I was very disappointed. I could not find a lot of new information in the book. Certainly the price tag is too high too.

This is a great resource if you already sell on eBay, and are looking for a quick read. This book will NOT be helpful if you are just starting out on eBay, looking for product sources, or need a how-to manual of any sort. The author spoke with several Titanium Powersellers (the highest grossing sellers on eBay) about how they got started and what their business is like currently.

Personally, I thought the book was helpful for my own use. There were quite a few good ideas that helped us streamline our own business. We took an extra-hard look at sellers whose product line matched ours (small, light-weight commodity items) and tried to see if any of their ideas would benefit our business. There weren't any huge changes to our business, but the book helps us tweak our practice with small changes either taken directly from the stories, or inspired by the stores.

Here's the catch:
eBay is stagnating. Since the book was released, many of the Titanium Powersellers in the book have either closed down, moved off of eBay, or cut back drastically on their eBay listings. The successful sellers don't stay on just eBay, but diversify as much as possible, and the book doesn't mention cross-selling at all.


There isn't a whole lot of information in the book, but I do think it's worth the $15. But the true secret to becoming a top online seller? Start preparing to move away from eBay.

Another great book to add to collection of reference material.

I purchased this book in hopes of understanding what I need to do in order to move from casual ebay seller to powerseller. I did find ways to increase efficiency and the names and websites for the companies that provide the software but I did not find how to join buying groups, which ones are best or anything else that gives me a "Turn Key" ebay business. I work on computers, build custom systems, and occasionally take a trade in. I found that there is a company that uses this as a business model and was able to get some limited ideas from this book. This is not the book that answers "Where do I get product at a price that will make a profit on ebay".

I am looking for the mother of all ebay books, something that gives me the sources to create a truly turn-key ebay store. I am buying all the ebay books I can find because I am dead set on becomming a power seller by September, 2006. This book has been a big help but it is not the holy grail.

I purchased this book in hopes of understanding what I need to do in order to move from casual ebay seller to powerseller. I did find ways to increase efficiency and the names and websites for the companies that provide the software but I did not find how to join buying groups, which ones are best or anything else that gives me a "Turn Key" ebay business. I work on computers, build custom systems, and occasionally take a trade in. I found that there is a company that uses this as a business model and was able to get some limited ideas from this book. This is not the book that answers "Where do I get product at a price that will make a profit on ebay".

I am looking for the mother of all ebay books, something that gives me the sources to create a truly turn-key ebay store. I am buying all the ebay books I can find because I am dead set on becomming a power seller by September, 2006. This book has been a big help but it is not the holy grail.

Not sure what I expected. Ive never read much about doing business on eBay but thought it was time. Interesting stories. The format is to give you pointers by telling the stories of successful folks using eBay and the Author does that. I didnt find it terribly helpful for someone starting out and that maybe wasnt the intent but it was informative. I found that you had to dig a little for the secrets, maybe as it should be who knows? But an okay read, worth the price.

Not sure what I expected. Ive never read much about doing business on eBay but thought it was time. Interesting stories. The format is to give you pointers by telling the stories of successful folks using eBay and the Author does that. I didnt find it terribly helpful for someone starting out and that maybe wasnt the intent but it was informative. I found that you had to dig a little for the secrets, maybe as it should be who knows? But an okay read, worth the price.

This is a fascinating "behind the scenes" look in to what makes some of eBay's top sellers who they are. And...they've each taken a different path to get there. I read this cover to cover, and have referred back to it several times. A great read.

Jack Waddick
eBay University Instructor, [...]

Some say do business on ebay can make great profit, after reading the book, you'll probably rethink this statement. I always want to know how people make their great profit on ebay, but most the titanium powersellers in the book are cooperate with the dropshipper, which is not easy for most people without business connection before. If the book can reveal more different kind of sucessful ebayer instead of focusing mainly who work with dropshipper, it will be my great reference book.

This is a pretty good "how to" book. However, if you've been selling at all on ebay, there's not a whole lot of "secret" left to much of the text - a lot of it I had figured out on my own through trial and error. If you haven't sold much on ebay, the PowerSellers success stories will definitely be inspiring. For more advanced ebay sellers, I'd suggest "The 7 essential steps to successful ebay marketing"- I picked up a copy the other day, and read it in a night! It's more of a strategy book than a "tip" book and I'm confident that it's going to help me earn more money with my ebay business.

This is a pretty good "how to" book. However, if you've been selling at all on ebay, there's not a whole lot of "secret" left to much of the text - a lot of it I had figured out on my own through trial and error. If you haven't sold much on ebay, the PowerSellers success stories will definitely be inspiring. For more advanced ebay sellers, I'd suggest "The 7 essential steps to successful ebay marketing"- I picked up a copy the other day, and read it in a night! It's more of a strategy book than a "tip" book and I'm confident that it's going to help me earn more money with my ebay business.

I like the practical, useful advise from several titanium power seller.

This is a great book and very inspirational. What a marvel the internet is.

The book could use more advice about how to deal with eBay's horrid "customer service" and policies.

Items made by Nazis to glorify Nazism are allowed on eBay for auction. Ebay openly posts an example in its policies that abet the sale of Nazi coins and stamps. Any review of Nazi coins and stamps on eBay shows that they are offensive items that were made by Nazis to glorify Nazism, Hitler, hatred, violence, and racial and religious intolerance.

EBay claims that it "will deem inappropriate and remove listings of items whose primary value is that they are from or promote organizations that glorify hatred, violence, racial or religious intolerance, such as the Aryan Nation, Hitler Youth, Nazis, neo-Nazis, etc." That is a glaring contradiction of the special exception that Ebay makes for Nazi items that glorify Nazism.

A review of Nazi items on eBay suggests that eBay's removal of items to which eBay objects is inconsistent or selective. In addition to Nazi items that eBay policy openly abets, there appear to be many items that violate ebay's remaining polices, and many of those items are not removed.

At the same time that eBay aids Nazi items that glorify Nazis, Ebay also removes items that denounce Nazism. Thus, whether eBay intends the outcome or not, eBay's behavior gives the appearance that eBay is included in "organizations that glorify hatred, violence, racial or religious intolerance, such as the Aryan Nation, Hitler Youth, Nazis, neo-Nazis, etc." It leaves the appearance that eBay is an organization that removes and censors opposition to Nazism.

Even more bizarre is that Ebay has removed items that denounce Nazism and then Ebay claimed in canned emails that the items that denounced Nazism "violated eBay's Hateful or Discriminatory policy..." (sic).

Ebay's "hateful or discriminatory policy" is one of many reasons why Ebay's competitors (e.g. Yahoo Auctions) are replacing Ebay and its "hateful or discriminatory" policy of hypocrisy.

A photograph of the original pledge of allegiance to the flag of the USA was banned in a sale on Ebay. As explanation for the ban of America's heritage, Ebay cited it's policy against items related to Nazism. The eye-popping photo and the Ebay letter are available on the internet.

Questions raised by Ebay's actions include the following (and any answers are not clear from Ebay's letter):

Is Ebay acknowledging that the USA's original pledge of allegiance (which used a straight-arm salute) was the origin of the Nazi salute? That historic discovery was exposed by the historian Rex Curry.

Does Ebay believe that historic photographs of America's original pledge violate laws in countries that ban Nazi depictions? (Selling or displaying Nazi artifacts is illegal in France. Germany is similar. In other words, is the U.S. pledge a Nazi artifact? Is it illegal to display / sell historic photographs of the original USA pledge in France and/or Germany?)

Another recent disturbing act of suppression of historical truths on ebay involved a person who tries to remain semi-anonymous on eBay while also refusing to converse or answer questions about his, or eBay's policies. That person goes by the name "Shea" at eBay. There have been other incidences in which eBay has tried to suppress America's heritage concerning the pledge of allegiance, including actions by Shea of the Community Watch Team with eBay Trust & Safety. A search of the internet shows Shea otherwise identified as acting on behalf of Bill Cobb of ebay. It is not clear what relationship there is between Shea and Oscar or Kimbal or Jake or Murphie who are also identified on the internet as acting on behalf of Bill Cobb and Community Watch Team at eBay Trust & Safety.

Ebay's self-described "hateful and discriminatory policy" suppressed a book about historical information from WWII and information criticizing Nazis. The removal occurred even though Ebay policy specifically allows books about WWII or Nazi Germany. Ebay policy also specifically allowed the item as a War documentary or documentary photos about victims of war or violence.

When asked for a comment, customer service at eBay clammed up. Ebay customer service is notoriously bad, and the website is designed to prevent emailing, or phone calls. Ebay's website seems designed to force customers to use webpage forms that can then be easily ignored and even prevented from reaching higher-ups with complaints about Ebay employees who are rude, hateful, disciminatory and who need to be fired because they are destroying eBay.

Whether eBay customer service intended it or not, the effect of the hateful and discriminatory policies at eBay is to cover-up for Nazism, racism, aryanism and totalitarianism. It even gives the appearance of trying to rehabilitate Nazism, racism and Aryanism by suppressing critics of those horrid dogmas.

Any simple search of eBay under the words "Hitler" or "Nazi" or "swastika" will show thousands of items that bear the marks of hateful organizations that eBay allows. Consider the fact that any simple search of eBay under the words "Hitler" or "Nazi" or "swastika" will show thousands of items that are evidence of eBya's hateful and discriminatory behavior toward some critics of Nazism. Coins, stamps, books, etc that were created by Nazis for the purpose of glorifying Nazism are allowed by ebay. Books that attempt to counteract those items have been suppressed by eBay.

Ebay also has a shocking practice that involves suspending accounts in such a way that eBay interferes with transactions that have been paid for but not completed. Their system can sabotage agreements that have already been made, and interfere with communications between the buyer and seller in their efforts to wrap up the matters. Ebay does this without giving explanation to all parties involved, so it leaves a misimpression of what is happening, and eBay does not honestly state to the parties that eBay is the cause of the interference and of the inability to finish the transaction or the inability to even communicate. That is why eBay is becoming such a bad place to do business and why their competition is growing by leaps and bounds.

I found this to be the most helpful of the eBay "how to" books. It's packed with tips from the site's top sellers. While these are all big league players, their strategies and advice can be applied by sellers of all levels. Far better than the advice from other books written by people who don't even sell on eBay. I found the book to be a great value for the money, and came away with dozens of tips to help grow my business.

I eagerly bought this book since I'm looking for ways to grow my eBay business. While it includes a smattering of tips, they didn't make the book worth the investment. The tips are mostly included within profiles of "Titanium" PowerSellers--these are the folks making something like $150,000 a month. While they have something of value to say, they really don't speak to the vast majority of eBay sellers who now sell on eBay on the side, and want to make this sideline their fulltime work. What we really need is a comprehensive book that takes you step-by-step through the selling process, and that quotes and profiles people like you and me--not just the Donald Trumps of the eBay world! In other words, sellers who have graduated to the low-mid PowerSeller ranks, but who remember clearly what it's like to be just starting out.

Also this book is only about 260 pages, and at $22.95 (or even $16.00 on Amazon), I didn't feeel I was getting enough for my money.

In short there are better books out there and unless you have the money for an extensive eBay book collection, you're better off with any number of those (the listmania lists here are pretty helpful for a quick review).

I outlined this book and have an almost complete Ebay business guide. I needed to know why big sellers used 3 day auctions vs 10 day auctions. I found out what large sellers thought of various service providers, why they preferred Channel Advisor,Meridian, Andale,Vendio or Marketworks. I learned that it is possible to set up a system where anyone in an office can take a photograph from a photobox by clicking the mouse on their PC, then I searched the internet and found the manufacturer of that product. One powerseller profiled operates a chain of pawnshops in at least 4 states and I have found a source of used equipment that I needed. I now know why I may not want to use Ebays multilisting tools for certain auctions. Don't be naive and expect any Titanium powerseller to paint a target on their backs for competitors by revealing their sources. Even if they did, they may purchase in so much bulk the average joe would not be able to get the same price or they have made exclusive dropshipping agreements that cannot be breached by the manufacturer. If you know all of the tips in this book, then you probably arent going to find useful information in any Ebay book. This one is a Keeper!

Don't expect too much from this book. This book is merely an advertising tool for ebay powersellers. You get to know their history, their ebay IDs, their products and a sales pitch on how great they are. Sure they gave some tips here and there but don't expect any secrets. One seller said that the most important part of a sucessful ebay business is the source of product, but he doesn't reveal his source. Another seller said that drop shipping is an important part of his business. You don't have to touch the product and you can save storage space. Great, did he tell us which company he uses to drop ship? Nope.

Again, don't expect any secrets. If you like motivational books and want to read success stories, then I suppose this book might do; but if you're looking for secrets to start or enhance your current business, get another book. Try Marsha Collier and her various ebay books.

This is the book that provides needed information if you wish to sell on eBay as a business. This book gives you specific business models of real people who are making money on eBay. This book gives you a true and real sense of what it is like to make money on eBay, perhaps as a full-time millionaire seller.

In my plight to learn more about making money on eBay, I'd purchased several books on the subject. This was the best one out of the four that I had bought. It gives specific business models of real people making money on eBay instead of listings of what to do/not to do or theories like in other eBay books. This book gives you a real sense in exactly what needs to be done if you want to become a Million-Dollar Power Seller on eBay. The rest of the "get rich on eBay" books pale in comparison! If you want to make money on eBay, this book is a MUST HAVE, MUST READ!

This book will assist you in crafting optimal strategies for making money on Ebay. For instance, the author describes how old inventory items can sell for big profits. There are strategies to drop ship directly from manufacturers without ever handling the merchandise. The drop ship directly from the manufacturer to the
customer obviates the necessity for carrying inventory and incurring large storage costs. Customarily, the manufacturer
sends out the order under your name so that your customers
believe that they are buying from you.

Auction feedback is an invaluable tool for Ebay sellers. Perhaps,
the best source of permanent customers is the group you have sold
to already. People who have bought from you are the best source of future sales because they are familiar with the quality product delivered and the particulars of the selling experience. This book is not a cure-all; however, it will assist you in maximizing the Ebay selling experience. My experience in selling tells me that it is to your advantage to answer customer questions on a timely basis and to deliver a product on time
and in good condition. This work also covers masse selling to
large groups of customers. It is a solid value for the price
charged. There is a word of advice. The million doesn't come over
a single night. Much work is required to start up the operation,
identify/service customers and manage the enterprise. Ebay
selling ( as any selling) requires constant attention and
nurturing.

Ever wondered how to get rich by selling on eBay? Well, this book is filled with real-life business success stories of people who literally have made millions selling on eBay.

You may not join them after reading this book, but you can get some valuable online selling advice, even if you just use eBay to clean out your closet.

The book is divided into separate vignettes, each focusing on a different Titanium PowerSeller. These are well-researched and are interesting stories of risk and reward, even for readers who don't know how to turn on a computer. I'd definitely recommend "The eBay Millionaire."