eBay Hacks, 2nd Edition

eBay Hacks, 2nd Edition

by David A. Karp
Released June 2005
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9780596100681

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Book description

Whatever you call it--an online auction house, the world's largest flea market, or a vast social experiment--no metaphor completely describes the huge trading community that is eBay. Underneath it all, eBay is also a computer program and a complex socio-economic system, requiring experience, finesse, and the right tools to master.

eBay Hacks, 2nd Edition has been completely revised and updated to make use of an array of new tools and features, as well as to reflect the changes in the eBay API, eBay's policies, and general practices of its increasingly sophisticated users. In all, the new edition of eBay Hacks sports 30 brand-new hacks plus dozens of hacks that have been expanded, deepened, or otherwise completely rewritten.

eBay Hacks shows you how to become a more efficient buyer and seller with clever tricks and shortcuts that will surprise even the most experienced eBayers. The book's wide range of topics covers all aspects of using eBay, such as advanced searching techniques, sniping tools, selling strategies, photography tips, and even research techniques for PowerSellers. But eBay Hacks doesn't just cover the basics; you willl learn how to write scripts to automate tedious tasks, take better photos, and tap into the eBay API to develop your own custom tools. Unlike any other book, eBay Hacks, 2nd Edition also provides insight into the social aspects of the eBay community, with diplomatic tools to help to get what you want with the least hassle and risk of negative feedback.

This bestseller supplies you with the tools you need to master eBay, whether as a buyer or seller, casual surfer or serious collector, novice or seasoned expert. With this guide, you will become a savvy power user who trades smarter and safer, makes more money, enjoys successes, and has fun doing it.

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Table of contents

  1. eBay Hacks, 2nd Edition
  2. Copyright
  3. Credits
    1. About the Author
    2. Contributors
    3. Best eBay Pop-Culture References
        1. This is Spinal Tap.
        2. The Simpsons (episode BABF22).
        3. Spider-Man 2.
    4. Acknowledgments
  4. Preface
    1. Origins
    2. What This Book Is…and Isn’t
    3. Hacking a Dynamic System
    4. Practical Matters
        1. Recent web browser.
        2. Email account.
        3. Email application.
        4. Control over your spam filter.
        5. The ability to tilt your head to the left.
        6. A digital camera.
        7. A credit card.
        8. Fun.
    5. Getting Started with the Code in This Book
      1. HTML
      2. JavaScript
      3. Perl
    6. Using Code Examples
    7. How This Book Is Organized
      1. Hacks for All
      2. Hacks for Buyers
      3. Hacks for Sellers
      4. Hacks for Developers
    8. How to Use This Book
    9. Conventions Used in This Book
    10. How to Contact Us
    11. Safari Enabled
    12. Got a Hack?
  5. 1. Diplomacy and Feedback
    1. 1.1. Hacks 1–9
      1. 1.1.1. Leaving Feedback
        1. 1.1.1.1. Positive.
        2. 1.1.1.2. Negative.
        3. 1.1.1.3. Neutral.
    2. 1. Appraise an eBayer’s Reputation
      1. 1.2.1. Digging Deeper
      2. 1.2.2. Search for Specific Comments
      3. 1.2.3. Distill Negative and Neutral Comments
      4. 1.2.4. See Also
    3. 2. Use Prefabricated Feedback
      1. 1.3.1. Feedback for Multiple Auctions
      2. 1.3.2. Right-Click-o-Rama
      3. 1.3.3. Feedback for International Users
      4. 1.3.4.
    4. 3. Avoid Negative Feedback
      1. 1.4.1.
        1. 1.4.1.1. A buyer’s expectations weren’t met.
        2. 1.4.1.2. Deadbeat bidder.
        3. 1.4.1.3. Communication breakdown.
        4. 1.4.1.4. Retaliation.
      2. 1.4.2. Etiquette and Netiquette
      3. 1.4.3.
    5. 4. Receive Feedback Notifications
    6. 5. Reply and Follow Up to Feedback
      1. 1.6.1. First Reply to Feedback
      2. 1.6.2. Follow Up to Feedback
        1. 1.6.2.1. Damage control.
        2. 1.6.2.2. Correct a mistake.
        3. 1.6.2.3. Continue the conversation.
    7. 6. Withhold Feedback
      1. 1.7.1. Who Goes First
      2. 1.7.2. If There’s Doubt
      3. 1.7.3. Just in Case
    8. 7. Remove Unwanted Feedback
      1. 1.8.1. Mutual Feedback Withdrawal
      2. 1.8.2. SquareTrade
    9. 8. Improve Your Trustworthiness Quickly
      1. 1.9.1. Newbie Buyers
      2. 1.9.2. Newbie Sellers
      3. 1.9.3. ID Verify
      4. 1.9.4. Negative Feedback
    10. 9. What to Do When Your Email Doesn’t Get Through
      1. 1.10.1.
        1. 1.10.1.1. Contact an eBay Member form.
        2. 1.10.1.2. Use a different ISP.
        3. 1.10.1.3. Look in the auction description
        4. 1.10.1.4. See where the member’s photos are hosted.
        5. 1.10.1.5. About Me.
        6. 1.10.1.6. Modify your own photos.
        7. 1.10.1.7. Piggyback on PayPal.
        8. 1.10.1.8. Alternate PayPal email address.
        9. 1.10.1.9. File a dispute.
        10. 1.10.1.10. Additional contact information.
      2. 1.10.2.
  6. 2. Searching
    1. 2.1. Hacks 10–24
    2. 10. Focus Your Searches with eBay’s Advanced Search Syntax
      1. 2.2.1. Excluding Unwanted Results
      2. 2.2.2. Save Time and Typing with Wildcards
      3. 2.2.3. Performing OR Searches
      4. 2.2.4. Looking for Phrases
    3. 11. Control Fuzzy Searches
      1. 2.3.1. Search, Literally
      2. 2.3.2. Punctuation
    4. 12. Jump In and Out of Categories While Searching
      1. 2.4.1. Search Within a Category
      2. 2.4.2. Categorize Your Search
        1. 2.4.2.1. Up.
        2. 2.4.2.2. Down.
        3. 2.4.2.3. Anywhere.
      3. 2.4.3. Bookmark a Category
      4. 2.4.4. See Also
    5. 13. Tweak Search URLs
      1. 2.5.1. Auction/Listing Pages
      2. 2.5.2. Feedback/Member Profile pages
      3. 2.5.3. Search Results and Category Listings
      4. 2.5.4. View a Seller’s Other Items
      5. 2.5.5.
    6. 14. Find Similar Items
      1. 2.6.1. How It Works
      2. 2.6.2. Hacking the Hack
    7. 15. Search for Selected Text
      1. 2.7.1.
      2. 2.7.2.
    8. 16. Open Search Results in a New Window
      1. 2.8.1. The Hack
      2. 2.8.2.
      3. 2.8.3.
      4. 2.8.4. The Greasemonkey Approach
      5. 2.8.5.
    9. 17. Decipher Title Acronyms
      1. 2.9.1. Interpreting Condition
      2. 2.9.2. Look It Up
    10. 18. Search by Seller
      1. 2.10.1. View Seller’s Other Items
      2. 2.10.2. Expand Your Search
      3. 2.10.3. eBay Stores
      4. 2.10.4. The Obvious
      5. 2.10.5.
    11. 19. Search Internationally
      1. 2.11.1. Expanding Your Search
        1. 2.11.1.1. Within your own localization
        2. 2.11.1.2. All items available to your country
        3. 2.11.1.3. All items, everywhere
      2. 2.11.2. Making Sure the Seller Will Ship to You
      3. 2.11.3. Viewing Foreign Categories
      4. 2.11.4. Excluding Foreign Items
    12. 20. Save Your Searches
      1. 2.12.1. Favorite Searches
      2. 2.12.2. Quick and Dirty
      3. 2.12.3. A Little Spit and Polish
      4. 2.12.4.
    13. 21. Create a Search Robot
      1. 2.13.1. Constructing the Robot
      2. 2.13.2. The Code
      3. 2.13.3.
      4. 2.13.4. Running the Hack
      5. 2.13.5.
        1. 2.13.5.1. Search titles and descriptions.
        2. 2.13.5.2. Add more information.
        3. 2.13.5.3. Add gallery thumbnails.
        4. 2.13.5.4. Send mail on Linux, Unix, Mac OS X
        5. 2.13.5.5. Consolidate multiple searches
        6. 2.13.5.6. Automatically watch new listings
    14. 22. Find Items by Shadowing
      1. 2.14.1. Prevent Bidders from Shadowing You
    15. 23. Keep Tabs on eBay with the eBay Toolbar
      1. 2.15.1.
        1. 2.15.1.1. Search.
        2. 2.15.1.2. Bid Alerts.
        3. 2.15.1.3. Watch Alerts.
        4. 2.15.1.4. Outbid Alerts.
        5. 2.15.1.5. Account Guard.
        6. 2.15.1.6. Maybe you just like toolbars.
    16. 24. Post a Want Ad
      1. 2.16.1.
        1. 2.16.1.1. Sell something.
        2. 2.16.1.2. Use your About Me page.
        3. 2.16.1.3. Advertise off-eBay.
  7. 3. Bidding
    1. 3.1. Hacks 25–41
      1. 3.1.1. Proxy Bidding
    2. 25. Sniff Out Dishonest Sellers
      1. 3.2.1. If It Sounds Too Good to Be True…
      2. 3.2.2. The Inflated Shipping Scam
      3. 3.2.3. Quick to Unload?
      4. 3.2.4. There’s Less Than Meets the Eye
      5. 3.2.5. Hostile Takeover
        1. 3.2.5.1. Private Auction.
        2. 3.2.5.2. Restrictive payment methods.
        3. 3.2.5.3. Unspecified or mismatched item location.
        4. 3.2.5.4. Eager to sell.
      6. 3.2.6. Taking Matters into Your Own Hands
    3. 26. Snipe It Manually
      1. 3.3.1. With Seconds to Spare…
      2. 3.3.2. Contingency Plans
      3. 3.3.3. See Also
    4. 27. Snipe It Automatically
      1. 3.4.1. The Catch
      2. 3.4.2. Put eSnipe on Your Toolbar
      3. 3.4.3. Alternatives to eSnipe
        1. 3.4.3.1. Bidnapper.com.
        2. 3.4.3.2. JustSnipe.com.
        3. 3.4.3.3. StealthBid.com.
      4. 3.4.4.
    5. 28. Snipe It Conditionally
      1. 3.5.1. Contingency Sniping
    6. 29. Keep Track of Auctions Outside of eBay
      1. 3.6.1. Using eBay’s Tracking Tools
      2. 3.6.2. If You Want It Done Right…
        1. 3.6.2.1. Limited number.
        2. 3.6.2.2. No long-term history.
        3. 3.6.2.3. Can’t watch closed items.
        4. 3.6.2.4. No prioritization.
        5. 3.6.2.5. No customization.
      3. 3.6.3. The Link
      4. 3.6.4. The Code
      5. 3.6.5. Running the Hack
      6. 3.6.6. Hacking the Hack
        1. 3.6.6.1. Add some spice.
        2. 3.6.6.2. Add more levels.
        3. 3.6.6.3. Add more links.
        4. 3.6.6.4. Add more users.
        5. 3.6.6.5. Add more information.
        6. 3.6.6.6. Speed things up.
        7. 3.6.6.7. Customize the pop up.
    7. 30. Take Advantage of Bid Increments
      1. 3.7.1. Outbidding the High Bidder
      2. 3.7.2. Taking It One Step Further
    8. 31. Manipulate Buy It Now Auctions
      1. 3.8.1. Start with the Obvious
      2. 3.8.2. Undercut the Buy It Now Feature
      3. 3.8.3. Let’s Make a Deal
        1. 3.8.3.1. “Do you have a Buy It Now price for this item?”
        2. 3.8.3.2. “Would you consider adding a Buy It Now price to this auction?”
        3. 3.8.3.3. “Would you be willing to end the auction early for $250?”
        4. 3.8.3.4. “Would you sell me the item for the current bid price?”
        5. 3.8.3.5. “I’ll give you 50 bucks for it.”
        6. 3.8.3.6. “What would it take to end the auction early?”
        7. 3.8.3.7. By the book.
        8. 3.8.3.8. Become the high bidder.
        9. 3.8.3.9. Under the table.
      4. 3.8.4.
    9. 32. Retract Your Bid Without Retracting Your Bid
      1. 3.9.1. By the Book
      2. 3.9.2. Getting Help from the Seller
      3. 3.9.3. Getting Out of Your Obligation
    10. 33. Send Payment Quickly and Safely
      1. 3.10.1. PayPal
      2. 3.10.2. Credit Cards
      3. 3.10.3. BidPay
      4. 3.10.4.
    11. 34. Pay PayPal’s Seller Fees
      1. 3.11.1. A Little Light Math
      2. 3.11.2. Let PayPal Do It
    12. 35. Use PayPal Without Depleting Your PayPal Balance
      1. 3.12.1.
        1. 3.12.1.1. PayPal Balance.
        2. 3.12.1.2. Instant Transfer.
        3. 3.12.1.3. Credit Card.
        4. 3.12.1.4. eCheck.
      2. 3.12.2. Paying Without Using Your Balance
    13. 36. Access eBay from a Cell Phone or PDA
      1. 3.13.1. Let eBay Know You’re on the Road
      2. 3.13.2. Send a PayPal Payment from the Road
    14. 37. Smooth Out International Transactions
      1. 3.14.1. View Auctions on Your Native eBay
      2. 3.14.2. Enter the Babel Fish
      3. 3.14.3. Paying and Shipping over Great Distances
    15. 38. Save Money on Shipping
      1. 3.15.1. A Little Knowledge Can Be Dangerous
      2. 3.15.2. Excuse Me While I Take Over
    16. 39. Estimate Transit Times
      1. 3.16.1.
        1. 3.16.1.1. Payment instructions.
        2. 3.16.1.2. Sales tax.
        3. 3.16.1.3. eBay Shipping Calculator.
        4. 3.16.1.4. Ask.
      2. 3.16.2. Get Transit Times
      3. 3.16.3. Search for Local Listings
    17. 40. Deal with Disappointment: Getting Refunds
      1. 3.17.1. Diplomacy Tactics
      2. 3.17.2. Sending Things Back
        1. 3.17.2.1. Send it to the right place.
        2. 3.17.2.2. Don’t dawdle.
        3. 3.17.2.3. Use a tracking number.
        4. 3.17.2.4. Communicate clearly.
      3. 3.17.3. If All Else Fails…
    18. 41. File a Dispute
      1. 3.18.1.
        1. 3.18.1.1. PayPal buyer complaint.
        2. 3.18.1.2. eBay Dispute Console.
        3. 3.18.1.3. eBay fraud claim.
        4. 3.18.1.4. Dispute the credit card charge.
        5. 3.18.1.5. Squaretrade.
      2. 3.18.2. Sleuthing Tools at Your Disposal
        1. 3.18.2.1. Start with the obvious.
        2. 3.18.2.2. Find contact information.
        3. 3.18.2.3. Whois search.
        4. 3.18.2.4. IP address.
        5. 3.18.2.5. Google.
        6. 3.18.2.6. eBay forums.
  8. 4. Selling
    1. 4.1. Hacks 42–69
    2. 42. What’s It Worth?
      1. 4.2.1. Investigate the Market
      2. 4.2.2. The Empty Restaurant
        1. 4.2.2.1. Limited appeal?
        2. 4.2.2.2. Use Buy It Now.
        3. 4.2.2.3. Listing fee considerations.
        4. 4.2.2.4. Be a little devious.
    3. 43. Create a Listing
      1. 4.3.1.
        1. 4.3.1.1. Online Auction.
        2. 4.3.1.2. Fixed Price.
        3. 4.3.1.3. Store Inventory.
        4. 4.3.1.4. Real Estate.
        5. 4.3.1.5. Category.
        6. 4.3.1.6. Title & Description.
        7. 4.3.1.7. Pictures & Details.
        8. 4.3.1.8. Payment & Shipping.
        9. 4.3.1.9. Review & Submit.
    4. 44. To Bundle or Not to Bundle
      1. 4.4.1. Leveraging Dutch Auctions
      2. 4.4.2. Multiple Listings of Identical Items
        1. 4.4.2.1. Spread it around.
        2. 4.4.2.2. Use shorter durations.
        3. 4.4.2.3. Add some variety.
        4. 4.4.2.4. Make it someone else’s problem.
      3. 4.4.3. See Also
    5. 45. Reserve Judgment
      1. 4.5.1.
        1. 4.5.1.1. No guesswork.
        2. 4.5.1.2. Limited appeal.
        3. 4.5.1.3. Artificial ranking.
        4. 4.5.1.4. Buy It Now preservation.
    6. 46. The Strategy of Listing Upgrades
      1. 4.6.1. Statistics and Research
      2. 4.6.2. Off-Site Research
      3. 4.6.3. Upgrade Analysis
        1. 4.6.3.1. Buy It Now.
        2. 4.6.3.2. Gallery.
        3. 4.6.3.3. 10-Day Listing.
        4. 4.6.3.4. Subtitle
        5. 4.6.3.5. Additional Pictures.
        6. 4.6.3.6. List in Two Categories.
        7. 4.6.3.7. Scheduled Listings.
        8. 4.6.3.8. Bold.
        9. 4.6.3.9. Picture Show.
        10. 4.6.3.10. Supersize Picture.
        11. 4.6.3.11. Gift Services.
        12. 4.6.3.12. Reserve Price.
        13. 4.6.3.13. Picture Pack
        14. 4.6.3.14. Listing Designer.
        15. 4.6.3.15. Border.
        16. 4.6.3.16. Highlight.
        17. 4.6.3.17. Featured Plus!
        18. 4.6.3.18. Gallery Featured.
        19. 4.6.3.19. Home Page Featured.
      4. 4.6.4.
    7. 47. Use Keywords Effectively
      1. 4.7.1. Title Don’ts
      2. 4.7.2. Make Space with a Subtitle
      3. 4.7.3. The Description
      4. 4.7.4. Item Specifics
    8. 48. Schedule Your Listing for Optimal Exposure
      1. 4.8.1. Choosing a Duration
      2. 4.8.2. The Best Day to End Your Listing
        1. 4.8.2.1. Sunday.
        2. 4.8.2.2. Monday.
        3. 4.8.2.3. Wednesday.
      3. 4.8.3. Choosing a Start Time
      4. 4.8.4. A Little Research Goes a Long Way
        1. 4.8.4.1. Successful Listing Duration Lengths
        2. 4.8.4.2. Hourly Analysis
        3. 4.8.4.3. Search Trends tab.
    9. 49. Track Your Exposure
      1. 4.9.1. Where Is an Item?
      2. 4.9.2. Count Traffic
      3. 4.9.3. Analyze Your Own Traffic
      4. 4.9.4. Watch the Watchers
    10. 50. Master Expectation Management
      1. 4.10.1.
        1. 4.10.1.1. How new is it?
        2. 4.10.1.2. Is it used?
        3. 4.10.1.3. How used is it?
        4. 4.10.1.4. Where has it been?
        5. 4.10.1.5. Is it broken?
        6. 4.10.1.6. If it’s dirty, clean it
        7. 4.10.1.7. Smoker?
        8. 4.10.1.8. Measuring tapes are cheap and plentiful
        9. 4.10.1.9. NWT, MIB
        10. 4.10.1.10. Focus, please?
        11. 4.10.1.11. Don’t say “the photo says it all.”
        12. 4.10.1.12. Be clear
        13. 4.10.1.13. Be nice
    11. 51. Sell a Broken VCR on eBay
      1. 4.11.1. A Case in Point
      2. 4.11.2. Why Bother?
    12. 52. Format the Description with HTML
      1. 4.12.1. Rapid HTML Primer
      2. 4.12.2. HTML Quick Reference
      3. 4.12.3. Images
      4. 4.12.4. Links
      5. 4.12.5. Tables
    13. 53. Prepare Your Listings with a Web Page Editor
      1. 4.13.1. Fixing Broken Images
      2. 4.13.2. Unclogging Microsoft Pages
    14. 54. Clarify Your Payment and Shipping Terms
      1. 4.14.1. Getting into the Heads of Your Customers
      2. 4.14.2. The Solution
      3. 4.14.3. Jump to the Description
    15. 55. Customize Auction Page Backgrounds
    16. 56. Frame Your Listings
      1. 4.16.1. The Table
      2. 4.16.2. The Images
      3. 4.16.3. Putting It Together
    17. 57. Override eBay’s Fonts and Styles
      1. 4.17.1. Override Other Sellers’ Hacks
      2. 4.17.2.
    18. 58. Use Media in Your Listings
      1. 4.18.1. Video Killed the Radio Star
      2. 4.18.2. Some Call It Elevator Music
    19. 59. Put a Shipping Cost Calculator in Your Listing
      1. 4.19.1. eBay’s Calculated Shipping
      2. 4.19.2. Third-Party Shipping Calculators
        1. 4.19.2.1. Zonalyzer.
        2. 4.19.2.2. Paid ShipCalc.
        3. 4.19.2.3. ShipScript.
        4. 4.19.2.4. FreightQuote.
        5. 4.19.2.5. .netShip.
      3. 4.19.3. Pre-Filling Calculator Forms
    20. 60. Advertise Your Other Listings in Your Description
      1. 4.20.1. Specific Product Links
      2. 4.20.2. Cross-Promotion
        1. 4.20.2.1. eBay Stores.
        2. 4.20.2.2. Checkout.
      3. 4.20.3. Java-Based Galleries
      4. 4.20.4. Advertise Your Listings Elsewhere
    21. 61. Allow Visitors to Search Through Your Listings
      1. 4.21.1. The Code
      2. 4.21.2. Hacking the Hack
        1. 4.21.2.1. Custom table.
        2. 4.21.2.2. Right-justify
        3. 4.21.2.3. Open in a new window.
        4. 4.21.2.4. Enable descriptions by default.
        5. 4.21.2.5. Default search
    22. 62. Put a Floating Contact Link in Your Listings
      1. 4.22.1.
      2. 4.22.2.
    23. 63. Make Good Use of the About Me Page
      1. 4.23.1. Just Say No to Templates
      2. 4.23.2. Referencing the About Me Page
    24. 64. Customize the Checkout Process
      1. 4.24.1. Checkout Options
        1. 4.24.1.1. Use Checkout.
        2. 4.24.1.2. Offer PayPal as a payment method in all my listings.
        3. 4.24.1.3. Tell buyers that I prefer PayPal payments
        4. 4.24.1.4. Show my buyers low monthly payments.
        5. 4.24.1.5. Include my items when buyers pay all their sellers at once.
        6. 4.24.1.6. Allow buyer to edit total.
        7. 4.24.1.7. Payment Address.
        8. 4.24.1.8. UPS Shipping Rates.
      2. 4.24.2. Disabling PayPal
      3. 4.24.3. Other Settings That Affect Checkout
        1. 4.24.3.1. Buyers in countries to which I don’t ship.
        2. 4.24.3.2. Buyers with a negative feedback score.
        3. 4.24.3.3. Buyers with Unpaid Item strikes.
        4. 4.24.3.4. Buyers without a PayPal account.
      4. 4.24.4. Payment Instructions
    25. 65. Make Changes to Running Auctions
      1. 4.25.1. Sneaking in Changes
        1. 4.25.1.1. Photos
        2. 4.25.1.2. Text.
        3. 4.25.1.3. About Me.
        4. 4.25.1.4. Answer questions.
      2. 4.25.2. Ending Your Listing in the Last 12 Hours
    26. 66. Let’s Make a Deal
      1. 4.26.1.
        1. 4.26.1.1. Forget it.
        2. 4.26.1.2. Cancel bids.
        3. 4.26.1.3. Wink, wink.
        4. 4.26.1.4. Second Listing.
        5. 4.26.1.5. Best Offer.
    27. 67. Diplomacy 101: Answer Dumb Questions
      1. 4.27.1.
        1. 4.27.1.1. Revise the description.
        2. 4.27.1.2. Respond publicly.
        3. 4.27.1.3. Respond privately.
    28. 68. Keep Out Deadbeat Bidders
      1. 4.28.1. An Ounce of Prevention
      2. 4.28.2. Being Proactive Behind the Scenes
      3. 4.28.3. Canceling Bids and Blocking Bidders
    29. 69. Avoid Buyer Scams
      1. 4.29.1.
        1. 4.29.1.1. Beware bidders offering to overpay.
        2. 4.29.1.2. Hello seller.
        3. 4.29.1.3. It arrived damaged, did it?
      2. 4.29.2. Check Out Your Customers
  9. 5. Working with Photos
    1. 5.1. Hacks 70–82
    2. 70. Keep Your Item from Looking Pathetic
      1. 5.2.1. Background
      2. 5.2.2. Composition
      3. 5.2.3. Photographing Collections
      4. 5.2.4. Lighting
    3. 71. Master Close-up Photography
      1. 5.3.1.
        1. 5.3.1.1. Distance from the object.
        2. 5.3.1.2. Focal length.
        3. 5.3.1.3. Aperture.
        4. 5.3.1.4. Extension tube.
    4. 72. Construct an Auction Photo Studio
      1. 5.4.1. Backdrop
        1. 5.4.1.1. Jewelry.
        2. 5.4.1.2. Dolls.
        3. 5.4.1.3. Electronics.
        4. 5.4.1.4. Toys.
        5. 5.4.1.5. Clothing.
      2. 5.4.2.
      3. 5.4.3. The Whole Megillah
    5. 73. Get Photos into Your Computer
      1. 5.5.1.
        1. 5.5.1.1. Digital camera.
        2. 5.5.1.2. Video-conferencing camera.
        3. 5.5.1.3. Film camera.
      2. 5.5.2. Downloading Images into Your PC
      3. 5.5.3. Preparing Images for eBay
      4. 5.5.4. Image File Formats
        1. 5.5.4.1. GIF.
        2. 5.5.4.2. BMP.
        3. 5.5.4.3. TIF (or TIFF).
        4. 5.5.4.4. PNG.
    6. 74. Doctor Your Photos
      1. 5.6.1. Image Editors
        1. 5.6.1.1. Adobe Photoshop (www.adobe.com).
        2. 5.6.1.2. Adobe Photoshop Elements (www.adobe.com).
        3. 5.6.1.3. Jasc Paint Shop Pro (www.jasc.com).
        4. 5.6.1.4. The Gimp (mmmaybe.gimp.org).
        5. 5.6.1.5. VicMan’s Photo Editor (vicman.net/vcwphoto).
        6. 5.6.1.6. IrfanView (www.irfanview.com).
        7. 5.6.1.7. iPhoto and MS Paint.
      2. 5.6.2. Tools
        1. 5.6.2.1. Crop.
        2. 5.6.2.2. Clone tool.
        3. 5.6.2.3. Skew, Distort, and Perspective tools.
        4. 5.6.2.4. Drop shadows.
        5. 5.6.2.5. Auto levels.
    7. 75. Protect Your Copyright
      1. 5.7.1. Protecting Your Image
      2. 5.7.2. Disabling Right-Click
      3. 5.7.3. Other Ways to Protect Your Copyright
        1. 5.7.3.1. Take ‘em down.
        2. 5.7.3.2. CopySafe Pro.
        3. 5.7.3.3. Watermark.
      4. 5.7.4. Reporting Image Thieves
    8. 76. Host Your Own Photos
      1. 5.8.1.
        1. 5.8.1.1. More photos.
        2. 5.8.1.2. Larger photos.
        3. 5.8.1.3. More photos at once.
        4. 5.8.1.4. Better quality photos.
        5. 5.8.1.5. Different shape photos.
        6. 5.8.1.6. More flexible photos.
        7. 5.8.1.7. Photos that can be changed.
        8. 5.8.1.8. Photos that can be recycled.
        9. 5.8.1.9. Photos that aren’t necessarily photos.
      2. 5.8.2. Sending Photos to the Server
      3. 5.8.3. Filename Requirements
      4. 5.8.4. Placing Photos in Your Listings
      5. 5.8.5. The Preview Photo
    9. 77. Make Clickable Thumbnails
      1. 5.9.1. Preparing the Images
      2. 5.9.2. Putting Thumbnails in Your Listings
      3. 5.9.3. Hacking the Hack
        1. 5.9.3.1. Pop-up windows.
        2. 5.9.3.2. No windows.
        3. 5.9.3.3. Custom borders.
        4. 5.9.3.4. Whitespace.
        5. 5.9.3.5. Window dressing.
    10. 78. Customize Pop-up Image Windows
      1. 5.10.1. The Code
      2. 5.10.2. Running the Hack
      3. 5.10.3. How It Works
      4. 5.10.4.
        1. 5.10.4.1. Make it fool-proof.
        2. 5.10.4.2. Title the window.
    11. 79. Construct an Interactive Photo Album
      1. 5.11.1.
      2. 5.11.2.
    12. 80. Show a 360-Degree View of Your Item
      1. 5.12.1. Taking the Photos
        1. 5.12.1.1. Stationary camera.
        2. 5.12.1.2. Stationary object.
      2. 5.12.2.
      3. 5.12.3.
      4. 5.12.4.
      5. 5.12.5.
    13. 81. Create a Photo Collage
      1. 5.13.1. Photoshop Shortcuts
    14. 82. Create a Good Gallery Photo
  10. 6. Completing Transactions
    1. 6.1. Hacks 83–90
    2. 83. Keep Track of Items You’ve Sold
      1. 6.2.1. My eBay
        1. 6.2.1.1. Dollar sign.
        2. 6.2.1.2. Box.
        3. 6.2.1.3. Star.
        4. 6.2.1.4. Bubble.
      2. 6.2.2. Building the Tracking System
      3. 6.2.3. How to Use It
      4. 6.2.4. Automation
    3. 84. Send Payment Instructions
      1. 6.3.1.
        1. 6.3.1.1. Thanks.
        2. 6.3.1.2. Shipping cost.
        3. 6.3.1.3. Total to pay.
        4. 6.3.1.4. Payment methods.
        5. 6.3.1.5. Your contact information.
      2. 6.3.2. Customize eBay Notifications
      3. 6.3.3. Customizing the Notification Email
    4. 85. Protect Yourself While Accepting Payments
      1. 6.4.1. PayPal
        1. 6.4.1.1. Get a Business account.
        2. 6.4.1.2. Verify your account.
        3. 6.4.1.3. Send only tangible products.
        4. 6.4.1.4. Use tracking numbers.
        5. 6.4.1.5. Ship to the right address.
        6. 6.4.1.6. Ship only to confirmed addresses.
        7. 6.4.1.7. Accept only eligible payments.
    5. 6.5. Personal and Business Checks
      1. 6.5.1. Money Orders and Cashier’s Checks
      2. 6.5.2. Western Union Money Order
        1. 6.5.2.1. The old-fashioned kind.
        2. 6.5.2.2. BidPay.
      3. 6.5.3. Credit Cards
        1. 6.5.3.1. Ship only to the cardholder’s billing address.
        2. 6.5.3.2. Always ship with a tracking number.
        3. 6.5.3.3. Ask for the CVV code.
        4. 6.5.3.4. Be wary of international customers.
        5. 6.5.3.5. Don’t accept credit cards from newbies.
      4. 6.5.4. See Also
    6. 86. Ship Cheaply Without Waiting in Line
      1. 6.6.1. Courier Notes
        1. 6.6.1.1. United States Postal Service (USPS).
        2. 6.6.1.2. Federal Express (FedEx).
        3. 6.6.1.3. United Parcel Service (UPS).
      2. 6.6.2. Shipping on the Cheap
        1. 6.6.2.1. Save the planet.
        2. 6.6.2.2. Hot air.
        3. 6.6.2.3. Free boxes.
        4. 6.6.2.4. Lots of tape.
        5. 6.6.2.5. To label or not to label.
    7. 87. Sell and Ship Internationally
      1. 6.7.1. Accepting International Payments
        1. 6.7.1.1. PayPal.
        2. 6.7.1.2. Credit cards.
        3. 6.7.1.3. Electronic transfers.
        4. 6.7.1.4. Payments by mail.
      2. 6.7.2. Shipping to Other Countries
        1. 6.7.2.1. United States Postal Service (USPS).
        2. 6.7.2.2. FedEx and UPS.
      3. 6.7.3. Denied Parties
      4. 6.7.4. Expectation Management
    8. 88. Damage Control Before and After You Ship
      1. 6.8.1.
        1. 6.8.1.1. The proactive approach.
        2. 6.8.1.2. The compulsive approach.
        3. 6.8.1.3. The “I’ll make it up to you” approach.
        4. 6.8.1.4. The “nevermind” approach.
      2. 6.8.2. After the Fact
      3. 6.8.3. Fine Print
    9. 89. Deal with Stragglers, Deadbeats, and Returns
      1. 6.9.1. Report an Unpaid Item
      2. 6.9.2. Concerning Feedback
      3. 6.9.3. Final Value Fee Credits
        1. 6.9.3.1. We’ve completed the transaction and we’re both satisfied.
        2. 6.9.3.2. We’ve agreed not to complete the transaction.
        3. 6.9.3.3. I no longer wish to communicate with or wait for the buyer.
    10. 90. Issue a Refund
      1. 6.10.1.
        1. 6.10.1.1.
        2. 6.10.1.2. Credit cards.
        3. 6.10.1.3. Payments by postal mail.
        4. 6.10.1.4.
      2. 6.10.2. Relisting and Other Options
        1. 6.10.2.1. It’s already done.
        2. 6.10.2.2. It’s advertised.
        3. 6.10.2.3. It’s free.
      3. 6.10.3. Silver Lining Clause
  11. 7. Running a Business on eBay
    1. 7.1. Hacks 91–101
      1. 7.1.1. PowerSellers and the Role of Numbers on eBay
        1. 7.1.1.1. Better customer support.
        2. 7.1.1.2. More education.
        3. 7.1.1.3. Free stuff.
        4. 7.1.1.4. Finally, the recognition you deserve.
      2. 7.1.2. Staying Connected to the eBay Community.
        1. 7.1.2.1. General Announcements board.
        2. 7.1.2.2. System Announcements board.
        3. 7.1.2.3. My eBay My Messages.
        4. 7.1.2.4. eBay Community Newsletter.
        5. 7.1.2.5. PowerUp Seller Newsletter.
        6. 7.1.2.6. Calendar.
        7. 7.1.2.7. Discussion Forums.
        8. 7.1.2.8. API forums.
        9. 7.1.2.9. eBay Live!
    2. 91. Open an eBay Store
      1. 7.2.1.
        1. 7.2.1.1. Longer-lasting listings.
        2. 7.2.1.2. Lower insertion fees.
        3. 7.2.1.3. Private search for your store.
        4. 7.2.1.4. Create your own categories.
        5. 7.2.1.5. Cross-promotion.
        6. 7.2.1.6. Advertising credits.
        7. 7.2.1.7. Vacation hold.
        8. 7.2.1.8. Build a stable presence on eBay.
      2. 7.2.2. How Customers Will Find You
      3. 7.2.3. Alternatives
    3. 92. Find a Market
      1. 7.3.1. Find Out What’s Hot
      2. 7.3.2. Now What?
        1. 7.3.2.1. Arbitrage.
        2. 7.3.2.2. Wholesale lots.
      3. 7.3.3. Become a Trading Assistant
    4. 93. Streamline Listings with Turbo Lister
      1. 7.4.1. Setting Up Turbo Lister
      2. 7.4.2. Creating Listings
        1. 7.4.2.1. Categories.
        2. 7.4.2.2. HTML preview.
        3. 7.4.2.3. Photos.
        4. 7.4.2.4. Quick duplicate.
      3. 7.4.3. Uploading Listings
      4. 7.4.4. Using Folders
      5. 7.4.5. Seller’s Assistant Pro
    5. 94. Boost Sales with Rebates, Incentives, and Discounts
      1. 7.5.1. Offer Anything Points
      2. 7.5.2. Offer Shipping Discounts
      3. 7.5.3. PayPal Buyer Credit
    6. 95. Streamline Payment Instructions
      1. 7.6.1. The Simple Approach
        1. 7.6.1.1. Eudora (eudora.com).
        2. 7.6.1.2. Outlook or Outlook Express (microsoft.com).
        3. 7.6.1.3. eBay/PayPal automatic notifications.
      2. 7.6.2. The Hacker’s Approach
      3. 7.6.3. The Business Approach
    7. 96. Use an Off-eBay Checkout System
      1. 7.7.1. Accepting Credit Card Payments
      2. 7.7.2. How to Use It
      3. 7.7.3. Checkout Providers
        1. 7.7.3.1. Andale Checkout.
        2. 7.7.3.2. Vendio Checkout.
        3. 7.7.3.3. Marketworks.
        4. 7.7.3.4. Selling Manager.
    8. 97. Obtain Sales Records
      1. 7.8.1. Quick and Dirty Spreadsheet Import
      2. 7.8.2. Sales Reports & Sales Reports Plus
        1. 7.8.2.1. Sales Reports.
        2. 7.8.2.2. Sales Reports Plus.
      3. 7.8.3. Step Up to Selling Manager
      4. 7.8.4.
    9. 98. Make Money by Linking to eBay
      1. 7.9.1. Creating Links with Commission Junction
      2. 7.9.2. Hacking the Links
      3. 7.9.3. A Simplified Search Box
      4. 7.9.4. See Also
    10. 99. Advertise Your eBay Listings
      1. 7.10.1. The Editor Kit
      2. 7.10.2. Hacking the Editor Kit
      3. 7.10.3. The Merchant Kit
      4. 7.10.4. Advertise Your eBay Store
    11. 100. Accept PayPal Payments from Your Own Site
      1. 7.11.1. Just a Link
      2. 7.11.2. The Form
      3. 7.11.3. Shopping Cart
      4. 7.11.4.
    12. 101. Process PayPal Payments Automatically
      1. 7.12.1. Setting Up IPN
      2. 7.12.2. The Code
      3. 7.12.3. Hacking the Hack
      4. 7.12.4.
  12. 8. The eBay API
    1. 8.1. Hacks 102–125
      1. 8.1.1. How the eBay API Works
      2. 8.1.2. Getting Started
        1. 8.1.2.1. Individual.
        2. 8.1.2.2. Basic.
        3. 8.1.2.3. Professional.
        4. 8.1.2.4. Enterprise.
      3. 8.1.3. Using the Scripts in This Chapter
      4. 8.1.4. ebay.pl
      5. 8.1.5. config.pl
      6. 8.1.6. Why Perl?
    2. 102. Climb Out of the Sandbox
      1. 8.2.1. Certification
      2. 8.2.2. Certification Requirements
        1. 8.2.2.1. Error handling.
        2. 8.2.2.2. Efficiency.
        3. 8.2.2.3. Compatibility levels.
        4. 8.2.2.4. Specific call requirements.
        5. 8.2.2.5. License requirements.
      3. 8.2.3. Validating Users
    3. 103. Authenticate Users
    4. 104. Search eBay Listings
      1. 8.4.1. A Simple Search
      2. 8.4.2. Performing a Search
      3. 8.4.3. Revising the Robot
    5. 105. Create a Split-Pane Search Tool
      1. 8.5.1. The Code
      2. 8.5.2. Running the Hack
    6. 106. Receive Search Results via RSS
      1. 8.6.1.
      2. 8.6.2.
    7. 107. Create Custom-Formatted eBay Search Results with the REST API
    8. 108. Search with PHP 5 and a Web Services Interface to the XML API
      1. 8.8.1. Installation and Configuration
      2. 8.8.2. Searching
    9. 109. Retrieve Details About a Listing
      1. 8.9.1.
      2. 8.9.2.
      3. 8.9.3. Hacking the Hack
    10. 110. Automatically Keep Track of Auctions You’ve Won
    11. 111. Track Items in Your Watching List
      1. 8.11.1. See Also
    12. 112. Automatically Keep Track of Items You’ve Sold
    13. 113. Submit an Auction Listing
      1. 8.13.1.
      2. 8.13.2.
      3. 8.13.3.
      4. 8.13.4.
    14. 114. List Your Entire Inventory on eBay
      1. 8.14.1.
      2. 8.14.2.
      3. 8.14.3.
    15. 115. Automate Auction Revisions
      1. 8.15.1. ReviseItem
      2. 8.15.2. AddToItemDescription
      3. 8.15.3. Let’s Automate
    16. 116. Spellcheck All Your Listings
      1. 8.16.1.
      2. 8.16.2.
    17. 117. Automatically Relist Unsuccessful Listings
      1. 8.17.1.
    18. 118. Send Automatic Emails to High Bidders
      1. 8.18.1. AuctionEndOfAuction Notifications
    19. 119. Leave Feedback with the API
      1. 8.19.1.
      2. 8.19.2.
      3. 8.19.3.
    20. 120. Negative Feedback Bidder Alert
      1. 8.20.1.
      2. 8.20.2.
      3. 8.20.3.
    21. 121. Negative Feedback Notification
      1. 8.21.1.
      2. 8.21.2.
      3. 8.21.3.
    22. 122. Automatic Reciprocal Feedback
    23. 123. Make a Feedback Search Tool
      1. 8.23.1.
      2. 8.23.2.
    24. 124. Queue API Calls
    25. 125. Cache Listing Data to Improve API Efficiency
  13. Index
  14. About the Author
  15. Colophon
  16. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: eBay Hacks, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): David A. Karp
  • Release date: June 2005
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9780596100681