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3 Unusual Formats For Auctions on eBay

eBay users are accustomed to only two "standard" formats for 
sales on eBay: either the 'regular' auction which involves 
bidding and waiting; and the Buy It Now, which is an instant 
purchase. 

But there are three other formats that are less well known. 

1. Live Auctions 

Before eBay, the traditional auction included live bodies in 
chairs and an auctioneer up front (talking so fast he was 
frequently unintelligible). Any buyer can still participate 
in these live auctions via eBay. Live auctions are a hybrid 
- a buyer is 'sort of' present in a live setting yet is at 
home using an Internet connection. 

The products for sale are usually expensive and unusual. 
There are such items as expensive and unique coins, Asian 
art, native American artifacts, incredible jewelry, costly 
furniture, memorabilia from major sports stars and even 
history. Today, for instance, there are documents signed by 
John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, James Madison and Ulysses 
Grant (he confides that he was strenuously opposed to the 
"wicked" war with Mexico). 

If you choose to participate in a live auction, be certain 
that you register first because you can't just drop in on a 
whim. 

You can find all the details here: 
http://www.ebayliveauctions.com 

2. Private Auctions 

Private auctions are similar to the typical auction that 
we're all familiar with except for one detail - the 
identities of the bidders are kept secret. Only the seller 
has access to the names. 

Why would anyone create a private auction? It's usually for 
one of three reasons: 

* The item is quite expensive and buyers might be 
uncomfortable having others know they can afford such 
merchandise. Their concern about their financial status is 
most likely misplaced because it is quite possible to 
distance yourself from eBay contact information, but much of 
selling is about perception. 

* The buyers might be embarrassed by the nature of the 
merchandise. 

* Some sellers habitually use private auctions to make it 
harder for their competition to snoop on them. 

3. Restricted Access Auctions 

This is usually for sales of "adult" items. The main purpose 
is to prevent children from seeing this kind of merchandise, 
and is similar to having covers on racy magazines at store 
checkouts. 

To bid on these items, the buyer must: 

* Be 18 years old 

* Must have supplied credit card information to eBay.The 
theory is that no one under 18 can get a credit card and 
therefore cannot get into these sections. 

* Agree that he is voluntarily accessing restricted access 
auctions 

In addition, restricted auctions are excluded from the 
Featured pages. So if you are a seller using this format, 
your listing will be harder to find. 

Even though they are less well known, these three formats 
for auctions on eBay still account for tens of millions of 
dollars in sales each year. If they suit your business 
model, you might consider them. 

About the author:
Learn how to sell on eBay with 16 hours of online instruction taught by a 10 year eBay veteran. Own an eBay business instead of an eBay hobby. 

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