A Simple Way To Get Higher Bids

Posted by admin on October 1st, 2007

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Terry Gibbs is a highly respected eBay expert and author of The Auction Revolution. Here he shares with us some very useful information on a simple way to get higher bids …

“I sold some interesting things on eBay recently and think there are lessons to be learned. One of the items was a boxed set of figures. A little lead farmer and some cows pigs and sheep. It was a boxed set.

When I was looking on eBay to make sure I used the right categories, I saw completed auctions for the same set of figures in the 6-8 dollar price range. If I’d seen that before I took the pictures I wouldn’t have offered them on eBay.

Since I’d already taken the pictures and it only costs 30 cents to list the set, I went ahead and listed it. But instead of listing the set in the lead figures category, I listed it in a toy train category and included the words “USE WITH MAKERNAME”
in the title. I also put the line “these will look great with your MAKERNAME trains” in the description.

Smart choice as the set went for $39.00. That’s 4 -6 times what I saw others getting for the same item.

I also had an old battery operated toy. Just junk that I found cleaning out the garage. It sold on eBay for my opening bid of $9.99.

The real money in the toy was inside it. There were four old 1960 era D cell batteries in it. Once a battery is used, it starts the chemical reaction and will not only go dead, but leak and destroy itself.

These four batteries had never leaked. While they were 40-something years old, they looked brand new. Figuring there might be a buyer for a 40 year old battery, I sold them on eBay.

This time I used the word “FOR MAKERNAME” and listed them in a toy category along with a few words in my description saying these batteries were originally packaged with toys made by MAKERNAME.

They sold for $15 each!

Here’s the lesson. . .

By associating my items with desirable items, I got better results.

This fits eBay’s keyword rules as long as you use the words works with, use with, for or something along those lines.

I recently listed an item and used the words LIKE MAKERNAME. That auction was cancelled by eBay for improper keyword use. I relisted the auction with “USE w/ MAKERNAME” in the title and it sold.

So don’t be lazy like I was and use the word LIKE. You need to use the word WITH.

Great advice! Always love to hear your comments …

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