I found this informatino on the web and thought it might be helpful to people!

Rather than guess, I called in an expert on the world of online auctions, Ina Steiner of AuctionBytes and asked her for help. Here's her response:

"To start, I have to say that I think the question should be re-framed. Selling the most popular items on eBay sounds good, but that's also where you're going to have the most competition and downward pricing pressure. When people ask me what they should sell on eBay, I ask them what their interests and competencies are. This is particularly good for beginners who have to start selling items to see if they like it in the first place.

Many of our readers started out selling collectibles, books, clothing, things they knew something about and could research and describe easily, and didn't have to take a big risk in inventory acquisition. Once people have experience, they can look around their area and see if there are unique sources of inventory - outlet stores/factories or things that are hard to get in other parts of the country/world. Experienced sellers often become consignment sellers (eBay Trading Assistants).

But, in terms of finding out what's popular on eBay, you can use the market-data tools profiled in my forthcoming book (The eBay Seller's Guide to Sales Research and Analysis), like Andale, Terapeak, Hammertap, and eBay Pulse.

I hope that helps you make a smart entry into the world of online auctions. there's risk, but it's also exciting and there's lots of potential upside."