GenuineSeller

eBay Ends Blogs on Anniversary of Houdini’s Death

October 31 - On this date in 1926, magician extraordinaire Harry Houdini died in Detroit, Michigan. He had been punched in the stomach by a young man twelve days earlier, after bragging about the strength of his abdominal muscles. That blow evidently ruptured his appendix, and he died from peritonitis. Ironically, ...

Start Selling on Amazon – Five Selling Basics

Are you Selling on “the River”? Have you begun selling on Amazon yet? eBayers have affectionately dubbed the site “the river” when chatting on the eBay discussion boards. Why the nick name? Well, eBay monitors their discussion boards. When they found people talking about selling on Amazon, and ...

The Key to Failure

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby As eBay marches toward the bargain basement, I can't help but think back to a conversation I had with Kevin Pursglove when we worked together at eBay. Kevin was eBay's spokesman ...

Straight from the John Donahoe Guide to Disruptive Innovation…

Just a quick thought on last week's marketing fiasco presided over by KFC. In case you missed it, well, you missed it - no chicken for you. Kentucky Fried Chicken unveiled their new UNTHINK KFC marketing campaign to promote their new - grilled - chicken. (In which case I think ...

Opening Day – Chicago Cubs’ “Friendly Confines”

April 20, 1916 - The Chicago Cubs played their first game in what is now known as Wrigley Field. The ballpark was built in 1914, and until 1920 was known as Weeghman Park. The name was changed to Wrigley Field after then owner William Wrigley, Jr. of chewing gum fame. The ...

PayPal Shipping Labels – In Danger?

eBay announced last week that they would be moving the entire shipping process for eBay items within eBay. Currently, when a sale is made on eBay, sellers are transferred to PayPal to create their prepaid shipping label. What will this mean for people who use PayPal to create shipping labels ...

Imagining eBay Live! 2009 – Atlanta

At this time last year, I was, along with many of my colleagues, preparing presentations for eBay Live! in Chicago. That has been my experience for the past six years as a speaker at the annual event. So this year seems odd. Last year, eBay's Lorrie Norrington announced that there ...

Stand Out by Standing Still – Frozen Grand Central Video

Selling next to millions of other eBay and Amazon sellers can get you lost in the crowd. Buyers ignore the mundane, same old thing, which requires constant reinvention to keep their attention. In this video, over 200 people freeze in place on cue in Grand Central Station in New York. The ...

We need to talk – brother can you spare a couple of years?

The big eBay analyst day is over. As usual I don't claim to understand all their jargon. But as the dust settles a few things are becoming more clear. "2011 is going to be a huge year for sellers. Can you just hang out till then?" is the basic message ...

12 Dumb Things eBay Has Done

Here are a dozen dumb things eBay has done. I feel these twelve things have contributed most to eBay's fall from grace in the eyes of a public that once adored them. Feel free to add your own, I'm sure I've forgotten several more. Hired people that don't use eBay to run ...