You come to Auctiva EDU for news, helpful tips and seller highlights because we're here to help online sellers stay current and informed.
We do this because we want you to grow and succeed. We like to learn about you when we write our featured seller spotlights, and we love staying engaged with you on our Facebook page.
In this article we share with you a few of our personal favorite sources for news and inspiration.
Money in the Garage
Rebecca Miller is Auctiva.com's product manager and has been a Top-rated Seller on eBay. As she's been selling on the marketplace for more than a decade, Miller is one of our favorite go-to people for eBay-selling advice.
One of her favorite blogs is Money in the Garage. The blogger, known as Dude, has a lifetime of practice picking through yard sales and flea markets, and reselling his finds.
"Dude is by far my personal favorite blogger out there, not to mention one of the most entertaining writers," Miller says. "The way he tells a story about a great thrift store find or how he flipped a curbside freebie into cold hard cash on Craigslist is mesmerizing."
The way he tells a story about a great thrift store find or how he flipped a curbside freebie into cold hard cash on Craigslist is mesmerizing
Product analyst Michael Gomez also prefers to read Money in the Garage over other blogs. He says Dude is funny, and both entertaining and informative.
As he shares about his latest treasure hunting experience, Dude gives his audience a first-hand glimpse into his sales from start to finish. It seems in every blog post you learn about a new item to keep an eye out for so you can follow his success.
The eBay Life Blog
Miller also follows successful eBayer and blogger Miriam Otto on The eBay Life Blog. Not only does Otto reside in the same city as Auctiva, but she's also written for our online publications and has been a guest on eBay Radio twice.
"Because we are both in the same town, I love hearing about Miriam's yard sale scores," Miller reports. "I often think to myself, 'What if I had stopped at that same yard sale she did—would I have had the keen eye to spot some of the things that would turn a tidy profit?'"
In her blog, Otto shares tips and tricks for selling on eBay. Among other things, there is a fun Score of the Day page, where sellers share items they found at low prices and flipped for huge profits. In Yard Sale Roundups, Otto presents a video presentation of her best yard sale finds and shares other sellers' yard sale discoveries, too.
In short, The eBay Life Blog is a resource for learning which items sellers across the nation are finding and successfully reselling on eBay. If you stay with Otto, you'll start knowing what to look for when you're at yard sales and thrift shops.
"This is just a good read for people who are doing this out of home and starting a new business," notes another fan, Auctiva sales representative Jason Hair.
Ina's been covering eBay for more than 10 years and seems to have a great relationship with eBay
National Retail Federation
From the perspective of marketing and e-commerce trends, Auctiva's content manager Olga Munoz-Moore likes to peruse sites like the National Retail Federation and Internet Retailer.
The NRF helps you see what shoppers are expected to buy during peak seasons, Munoz-Moore says.
"You can see what costumes people will choose, what supplies they'll get, when they'll start shopping, how much they're projected to spend, etc.," she says.
As for Internet Retailer, it's packed with tips that help online sellers fine-tune their marketing strategies for better results, Munoz-Moore adds.
Honorable mentions
While Auctiva EDU aims to be the best go-to resource for online sellers, none of us can overlook the fact that eCommerceBytes is a leading publisher for online merchants. Founded by Ina Steiner in 1999, it covers a broad spectrum of e-commerce-related news, Miller notes. It's also a place for people to have open discussions.
"Ina's been covering eBay for more than 10 years and seems to have a great relationship with eBay," Munoz-Moore says.
Some other notable blogs worth checking out include:
eBay Selling Coach — eBay and Amazon selling tips
Goodwill Haunting — thrift-shopping scores and selling tips from an eBay and Etsy seller
Sir Thrift A Lot — thrifting finds from a collector of vintage items
Tamebay — eBay and e-commerce news for U.K. merchants
eBay Main Street News — updates from eBay's government relations department
eBay U.K. Press Center — press releases from eBay U.K.
EZbob — funding and business tips from U.K. small-business lender
What are your favorite online selling blogs?
Sarah Brown is a freelance writer who writes about e-commerce and small businesses. She recently graduated from Chico State with a journalism degree and is also a budding online entrepreneur, having launched two Web businesses and her own line of handmade products.
Opinions expressed here may not be shared by Auctiva Corp. and/or its principals.
Other Entries by this Author