Edge Out the Competition: My Top 5 Sites for eBay News and Why I Read Them Daily

Written by John Comments
Last Updated September 28, 2008

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Edge Out the Competition: My Top 5 Sites for eBay News and Why I Read Them Daily

You know things this year have been moving rapidly. Changes on eBay, the economy and the ecommerce marketplace have been moving in rapid fire succession and sometimes it is hard to keep up. As a business owner and entrepreneur you MUST try to keep up with the latest news and movements in the market.

Many of you read my ColderICE .com blog, but I am NOT a news source. What I do at ColderICE.com is simply give you what I found elsewhere or what ever crazy topic is in my twisted mental at the time, LOL. So where should you and I go to get tips that will keep us ahead of the competition? That is the question I ask myself daily!

What I did is went back to the “Morning Papers and Coffee”, what is that you ask? Well, for those of you not yet on Twitter.com I would suggest you sign up (it is totally FREE). On most business days, Monday – Friday, I will post some of the more interesting blogs, news stories, and ecommerce related posts that I have come across in the last 24 hours. I post them on my Twitter feed which is available to you FREE at www.Twitter.com/ColderICE.

So what I did this weekend is combed through the last few weeks of the Morning Papers and Coffee links and found out which news sources had the MOST reportable and informative news stories for eBay sellers. The results of the top 5 sites for eBay seller news is below:

#1) TameBay (www.TameBay.com)

TameBay is owned and written by Chris Dawson and Sue Bailey, two British PowerSellers. Between us we have been trading on eBay for nearly two decades, and have more than 50,000 positive feedback comments (and just 2 negs!).

Chris and Sue met on eBay UK’s PowerSeller forum longer ago than either of them like to admit. By October 2006, both had become frustrated with eBay’s inability to keep their users informed of new features on the site, with the impenetrability of eBay’s Help pages, and with the lack of a UK- and Europe-centered news site for all things ecommercial. In a moment between classes at eBay University, Dan Wilson said what were to be fatal words: “you need a blog”. TameBay is the result.

Why I like it?

How in the world two UK eBayers get the scoop on US eBay reports amazes me. This is a testament to the genuine care and concern Chris and Sue have about their eBay endeavors. So they are not only keeping tabs on what is going on in the UK, but they have “hawk eyes” in the US eBay goings on as well. These guys are the 007’s of the eBay world of news and happenings.

Things that happen on eBay UK can somewhat shape changes in the US and that gives ME an edge on the competition.

#2) eBay Strategies Blog (ebaystrategies.blogs.com)

My Photo scot Edge Out the Competition: My Top 5 Sites for eBay News and Why I Read Them Daily Scot Wingo’s eBay Blog In addition to discussing eBay strategies, Scot will provide his take on the latest eBay related news. As President and CEO of ChannelAdvisor, Scot Wingo leads the company in its mission to provide retailers and manufacturers with the tools and services they need to successfully utilize consumer marketplaces as a sales channel. Prior to launching ChannelAdvisor, Wingo played a role as the General Manager of GoTo Auctions, CEO and co-founder of AuctionRover.com and CEO and co-founder of Stingray Software.

Why I like it?

There are several reasons to like this blog, but the #1 reason this blog is important is that Scot has information from THOUSANDS of eBay sellers to look at when he makes his comments or thoughts. It is one thing for me and you to sit in our singular businesses and make assumptions on trends at eBay. But it is an entirely different view point when you get to sit above the data of thousands of eBay sellers and watch trending in that data. What Scot may say, might not be what you and I see today. But ultimately, the numbers don’t lie and that means what he sees today could be what you and I see tomorrow! And that my friends gives us an edge on the competition.

#3) My Blog Utopia (http://rksmythe.blogspot.com)

Written by Randy Smythe on his About Me page:

I write about ecommerce from the perspective of the online seller. I do tend to concentrate on the top two marketplaces, eBay and Amazon, but I’ll write about anything I find of interest in the ecommerce business. I also, consult for companies like (Amazon, BuyBak, Riders Discount, Reuters) and advise analysts from major brokerages and investment banks. I do not own
any shares in either eBay or Amazon. Randy Smythe by you.

Why I like it?

When you come up in this eBay business world, back when I started, there are not many people that you could actually find to mentor you in the world of eBay. The book that changed my world and how I looked at my eBay business was Scot Wingo’s eBay Strategies book. In that book Randy Smythe was heavily featured as one of the top, if not the top, eBay sellers during that time. I immediately connected with the philosophy contained in that book by both the author and the featured sellers. To think that I communicate one on one with both Scot and Randy today was absolutely UNTHINKABLE back then. I am amazed that they even talk to lil ‘ol me!

But what Randy has to say and what his perspectives are on both eBay and Amazon selling is vitally important and will most defiantly be and edge on the competition!

#4) AuctionBytes News (http://www.auctionbytes.com)

project auctionbytes 150x75 Edge Out the Competition: My Top 5 Sites for eBay News and Why I Read Them Daily Steiner Associates LLC launched AuctionBytes in 1999 and is the leading publisher and number one source of news for ecommerce and the online-auction industry. AuctionBytes publishes email newsletters and the AuctionBytes Web site, which provides resources for online auction buyers and sellers, including “Cool Tools” and Discussion Forums. AuctionBytes publishers David and Ina Steiner are frequently quoted by major news organizations about eBay, online trading and Internet fraud including such publications as Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Smart Money Magazine, and Fortune Small Business.

The AuctionBytes Web site is a portal to the world of ecommerce and online auctions. New features are added to the site as the industry changes.

Why I like it?

Arguably this is where is ALL began. Long before others were blogging about eBay….NO scratch that, Ina Steiner was blogging BEFORE blogging was even “cool”! She was doing this in email newsletters first and then with blogs and video clips. She is like the Dr J. of eBay blogs, she was the first one to dunk

While many come and go, AuctionBytes have stood the test of time, controversy and scrutiny and they have been a rock for the eBay seller for nearly 10 years. That kind of edge, experience and longevity makes Ina Steiner the Walter Cronkite of eBay reporting. Hate it or love it, none of this would even be possible if not for the efforts of Ina making eBay reporting a legitimate endeavor. THANK YOU INA!

#5) Skip McGrath eBay Power Seller’s Amazon Blog (http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/AVPPJONZYHJAY/ref=cm_blog_blog)

Who is Skip McGrath?

I am not one of these guys who just sells books, we really do practice what we preach. My wife and I are eBay Power Sellers and we still sell on eBay every day. Our eBay username is McGrrrrr (Look us up)

Here are my credentials:

* eBay Gold Power Seller since 1999
* Contributing editor to eBay Radio
* Only information seller allowed to exhibit at eBay Live
* My books are used in community college adult education classes
* Publish the largest newsletter for professional eBay sellers
* Invited to teach consignment selling by eBay
* Author of seven books about eBay and web marketing

Seven years ago after losing my job for the second time in my life, I decided to quit playing the J.O.B. lottery and go into business for myself. My wife took a deep breath and said: “Well there isn’t much security in that, but I’m willing to try it for a while.” We had just started learning how to sell on eBay so that is where we focused our efforts. We haven’t looked back since.

Why I like it?

Now I have never met the guy, or maybe I have and don’t know it since I do go to several eBay conferences annually, but Skip McGrath has been in the eBay “game” along time. He sells books, tapes, coaching, sourcing blah blah blah…I can go on and on about where you can find Skip on the net. I have not ventured into all the systems and methods that this one man has but together. However, I was searching the book shelves for a good eBay book one day and came across this fat ass book called “Titanium eBay” by Skip McGrath.

I picked it up that book and took it home. I found it both fascination and confirming, because many of the strategies and techniques that I was currently doing or were planning on implementing were in the book! And on top of that, he had fleshed out many plans and strategies I never though of. To this day, I still use that book as a sort of reference material that still works even though many things have changed on eBay.

That was enough for me to sta
rt following the comments and insight of an eBay seller that knows how to eBay…Skip McGrath is not just writing about it, he does eBay everyday and in everyway. Skip has a way with words and makes complex strategies accessible to the lay seller, both large and small, and I simply love that. So you get the meat on this link, without all the fluff. Check it out, cause this will give you an edge on the competition!

colderice

Hi Patricia, thanks for the clarity and sorry I do not know about special blogs for "small" sellers, but I am sure there are plenty.

I gravite to blogs that are for just for "sellers" and have info for people that sell on eBay. Not sure there is a difference between a regular seller and a "small" seller, but I see that word pushed around alot and personally I just don't get it.

I run several business ID's on eBay and some are large FB, and others are few. I also train and mentor businesses on eBay from fresh startups to powersellers and all GOOD information is not partial to size.

One ID I just started and it has very few FB and it seems all the information works across all those ID's. So please excuse me if I do not understand the special needs of a "small" seller verses everybody else?

I think seller information is like OXYGEN, we all need it and none of use have special doses necessary to survive on eBay. That is my 2 cents on it and I could be 100% wrong and stand corrected if necessary.

Thanks,
John

P.S. Excellent blog you have there, I just added it to my favs! http://www.grannygoodpaint.blogspot.com/

colderice

Hey TipHut thanks for the link and I will check out the blog! And stay tuned to the Morning Papers and Coffee, you might show up on there too.

John

Sue @ TameBay

Thanks John :-)

Patricia013

Speak TO us - we can use some help because just about every small seller I know has either left Ebay or is selling nada! We're being buried by Best Match. I can't even find my listings and yet I have a 10 year feedback record of 100 percent and 5.0 DSRs! Far as I can see this Best Match search is baloney! I see tips for big sellers - never anything to help us small fry. So there, I clarified it for you :-) If you think we don't matter - we also BUY on ebay and that's something ebay can't afford to lose...its buyers!

tiphut

Make sure to check out my new blog.

Credentials:
Titanium Power Seller 400 sells/day 400K/monthly

http://tiphut.wordpress.com

The downfalls I see from many (Other than Ina on AB because shes so into what shes on top of her game) is the following:

How can someone such as Skip write a book about being a Titanium powerseller, when he himself is not a titanium powerseller? Sure he's got skills but the level to pump out 50 orders a day and 400 is a huge difference.

Scot Wingo is passionate, I like his blog.

Tamebay, they have experience.

I hope to bring insight to those wanting to take their business to the next level which includes solid ebay knowledge but so much more (order management, automation software for reports, warehouse management with conveyer belts, pick pack pull systems etc).

I'm still learning everyday, in fact it's not a successful day unless you learn dozens of new things. Hopefully I'm able to do so with some articles in the future.

Nice blog!

colderice

Hello,

Did you want ones that speak "FOR" the small seller or speaks "TO" the small seller?

Please clarify?

thanks,
John

Patricia013

All the blogs you mentioned are wonderful...but I wonder if there is a blog anywhere on the net (besides my own little unknown blog) that speaks for the small seller? We are the forgotten who just happened to build the monster site powersellers are now profitting on...and now we are being ignored and pushed aside...and taking our business, both selling AND buying elsewhere!