What is the most effective way of listing? Should I insert a border, use the bold, pay for the front page feature etc...? What books should I read?

I am what some would call a newbie and what some would call a rising star. I personally prefer the latter. When one gets into the eBay selling arena, he/she is entering one of the most competitive markets with unlimited possibilities. Sure, those possibilities include losing your shirt, but they also include becoming a millionaire a few times over.

My experience thus far has taught me that, it's not the border or the bold or the subtitle or the front page picture or any of these other advertisements that costs exorbitant amounts of money once one adds them up at the end of the month. No sir, it's quality marketing that seems to produce a powerseller. Yes, I study my competition diligently. Why not? The most interesting thing about 99% of all major players on eBay is that, these guys don't spend their moneys on the extras. No Powerseller has ever reached Titanium status without cutting costs at every possible corner that is available.

I hate to break it to you, but the most successful players, don't look at the hot lists produced by eBay, nor do they subscribe to the Marketplace Research. First, the research produced there will tell you nothing with any merit, let alone will it provide you with information that would allow one to make a reasonable decision. One has to dig far deeper than topwater statistics to achieve Powerseller and Titanium status.  

Your major players on eBay are just like the major players in the stock market. They have the ability to think independently and perform effective research in their sleep. Paying attention to the latest trends is like listening to the latest hot stock tip that turns into Enron or Worldcom. More effective research would be to ask your daughter or son, what they would like for christmas, or better yet take them to the mall and let them go while you stand back smile, and take notes. This will tell you more than you know. My personal favorite is researching items that are more boring that horse races. How about them baby diapers or those little knobs on doors or paint brushes? Will these items sell, you better believe they will. Not only will they sell, they will sell consistently. Take toilet paper for example. Now that is consistent.

Please understand this is where the research begins, but there is much more homework to do if you are to turn profit with these items, and this discussion is beyond the scope of this guide other than the two basic business principles set forth below.  

There only two ways, commonly referred to as a competitive advantages, for one to win consistently in this market and this is just like any other market:

1.) Barriers to Entry: Offer a product that no one else can offer. Think of this as a toll bridge. Now you know you cannot get across that toll bridge without paying the fee. Well, same thing applies, the consumer cannot get your product unless, they buy it through you. A few examples of barriers to entry are as follows: patents, trademarks, products that are available to you and no one else simply because the world is not perfect and you have a special talent or you know someone. Then there are times when a company (make no mistake, this is your company), will achieve a size where it precludes competitors from entering the market because it's simply not financially feasible.  

2.) Low Price Leader: If you are the low price leader, it stands to reason that you will sell more than your competitor, assuming all else is equal i.e. reasonable shipping terms, quality products (whatever they are) that are in demand, and good customer service to name a few. 

By the way, if your not listing, your not eating. So while you may have not found your competitive advantage just yet, cash is king and always will be, so list and then list some more, and then review your list of listings and decide how you can cut cost without sacrificing revenue, and then list some more. Once you do this, profit margins increase and this is the bottom line in finance. Nothing else matters. When you cut a cost, you just made that much more money, it's simple logic and it's so often overlooked.

I admit candidly, did this time and time again with my first 50 listings or so. Do not fall into the trap of thinking the extras move listings. Consumers are smart just like you. They won't to become very intimate with the product before a purchase is made. There is no better way to provide this intimacy than by providing professional photographs (12 pictures is a good number to start with excepting items like "wrapping paper" or "non-illustrated books" in which case, your words will be your tool).

One Story: I know nothing about Sewing, Sergers, Pfaff, Singer, Thread, Needle and neither did my partner, so we spent hours researching a machine made by Pfaff that they no longer make before we even thought about placing it on the market. If I am wrong, well it won't be the first time, but if what I have learned thus far and in fact what I've learned is accurate. It is details via pictures and words (aside: keywords are critical, correctly spelled keywords are even more critical to your success) that convey information, both positive and negative that will turn you into the Powerseller; it's not the bold titles nor the borders nor the highlights.

Final thought: These ideas stand to simple logic - You get what you put in. Garbage in garbage out and the reverse. Yes, I agree, writing a detailed description about something you know absolutely nothing about is work, but then again anything worth doing takes work, so enjoy the process and make sure to celebrate the small achievements and never stray from the course.