10 Ebay Alternatives

Ebay Alternatives that work . . . some sellers find the concept scary, but with Ebay sell through at an all-time low and fees at an all-time high, self-employed sellers who want to stay in the business of online sales are looking for Ebay alternatives much like rats on a sinking ship are scanning for a nice piece of driftwood. So close to the holidays, Ebay sellers are jumping ship. These often-seasoned Ebay sellers are usually replaced by inexperienced sellers who put a drag on the entire system, but take heart; Ebay is definitely wounded, but it's not down for the count. Until Ebay gets its over-priveledged act back together, however, Ebay users must find an alternative to the auction giant or return to the world of the working wounded.

Ebay alternatives can be found readily on the sites Powersellersunite and Pheebay, but there isn't a lot of data yet collected on which Ebay alternatives actually work for sellers. This definitely makes for a trial and error market of sellers who may be wounding the communities they are attempting by flitting from site to site. This is great news for Ebay but bad news for the sellers who are beginning to get frustrated with the lack of sales and tempted to return to the site that shooed them away in the first place. And, make no mistake, Ebay raising fees, empowering fraud, and alienating sellers is definitely shooing them away. Here are some Ebay alternatives that are working for many sellers:

1. Craigslist and other free ad sites - Craigslist and other free classified advertisement sites are Ebay alternatives that put more money in the seller's pocket. Ebay alternatives like classified ads allow sellers to add pictures, communicate with buyers, and collect money without the interruptions caused by a third party butting in for a handout for dismal performance. If you plan to sell on Craigslist, be sure to follow a few simple guidelines. A. Never take a check for items, and take a money order only if it's something you can afford to lose. Never, ever take Paypal on a Craigslist transaction. Paypal requires an online-trackable official record of shipment! B. Never meet a Craigslister at night. If you're not sure about a buyer, meet them at an alternate location to your home like a busy shopping center during the daytime. C. Do not let buyers come into your home. They may be there to buy a couple of books and turn around and case your home or worse, your kids. D. When possible, sell in pairs. In other words, have a buddy and a cell phone with you if you are meeting with a buyer. Most buyers are good people looking for a bargain, but use your wits to make sure you don't sacrifice safety for a quick buck.

2. Specialty Sites - If you are a crafter, Etsy is one of the best Ebay alternatives for selling your wares. If you sell books, you might try Alibris, swapbooks, or Abebooks. Specialty sites usually have a stronger buyer base than Ebay, where buyers can be fickle depending on traffic and sales. One of Ebay's definite handicaps is the fact that its buyers are quite often sellers, and if sellers have a bad week, they aren't buying as much. Specialty sites by nature often offer more buyer loyalty.

3. Yahoo Groups - If you have a hobby, there's probably a yahoo group for it. If there isn't one made yet, you can even start your own Yahoo group. The cool thing about Yahoo Groups as Ebay alternatives is the fact that you can specialize by hobby, location, or even demographic. Have baby clothes to sell? Perhaps there is a mom trading site available to you. Want to sell you son's old bike in Indianapolis? There are Yahoo trading groups for the area and for just parents. Homeschool or text books filling your closet? Find a homeschool group for your area or demographic and get chatty. Maybe someone there would be interested in buying your old curriculum. Currently Ebay had rules against selling teacher's solutions to another homeschooling mom.

4. Myspace and other Social Networking Sites - Not only does Myspace provide Ebay alternatives in the form of generous space for you to post bulletins about stuff you have to sell or services you provide, they also offer a classified ads section. Be sure you follow all the Craigslist safety guidelines.

5. Forums - If you frequent forums in your niche, maybe there is space available to offer things you have for sale. For example, a doll forum might have an area for members to post ads about dolls they have for sale. Remember, follow all rules of the forums before posting an ad. These Ebay alternatives are not for abusing, but they make a great tool for those looking to leave Ebay.

6. Live Auctions - Before there was Ebay, there was the live auction, one of the Ebay alternatives that has proven itself to be time proof. Live auctions are one of the most exciting Ebay alternatives, but you need to be sure you know the rules of the auction house before you participate. Watch a few auctions and see if you approve of the methods used. If you don't like that house, check out a different one. No one auction house is perfect for everyone.

7. Flea Market - Ebay alternatives like the flea market make it possible for lower hassles and often higher profits. Ebay requires packaging and shipping. With a flea market situation, you can budget fees apropriately, you don't have to package things for shipment, and you can say goodbye to answering most customer questions if the flea market site is monitored. There is, however, a higher incidence of theft at many flea market sites. In addition, several of them require sellers to be present during running hours. Be sure to investigate a flea market fully prior to committing to opening a booth.

8. Alternative auction sites - Though still babes in the world of ecommerce, new auction and storefront sites are cropping up all over. Plunderhere is one alternative that offers similar services to giant Ebay at a fraction of the cost. Recently, Ebay alternatives like Plunderhere, Auctionquests, and SpecialistAuctions in the auction ring have decided to join forces in a bid to make the auction giant take notice and change its ever-wavering policies. Almost all alternative auction sites upload to Google product search (Froogle) to allow potential buyers the freedom similar to original Ebay's search system.

9. Amazon - Known to Ebay refugees as "the River", Amazon is one of the Ebay alternatives that shows the most promise. Best as a seller of new goods or books, Amazon isn't the answer for everyone, but the trend of tearing away from Ebay for Amazon is becoming more and more frequent.

10. Reverse - Looking for want ads is one of the best ebay alternatives because you can find customers who want what you are looking to sell. The only drawback is the fact that this is one of the ebay alternatives that requires a lot of research.

Best of luck in finding Ebay alternatives to suit your selling needs. It's always best to test several methods of selling before settling with just one. With any luck, Ebay will rethink its alienation of small sellers and bring them back to the fold of the community. Of course, Im not holding my breath. After all, there's more out there than Ebay.