And eBay is more than just oddities and collectibles - it is huge, huge business. In the first quarter of 2006, eBay members sold around $12.5 billion dollars worth of goods and services to over 193 million registered users.
What I find difficult to understand is why businesses of all sizes don't use eBay more as an additional channel to sell their wares.
If you own a business which doesn't use eBay, maybe you can put your eBay skills to god use. Or if you work for a company, why not offer an eBay service to your employer in return for a commission or other payment?
This doesn't mean that anyone should neglect their current marketing and sales methods and transfer everything to eBay, but it does mean that with a receptive market which is that large, there are many ways to make it work for your business or your employer's company.
If you're involved in a bricks-and-mortar business, eBay can be a great source of extra sales.
Since you're already buying wholesale for your local market, it doesn't take a lot of extra effort to offer your goods online as well. This is especially effective for locally made, unique, or specialty items.
If you can ship your items for a reasonable price to customers who can't find it anywhere else, it would be quite easy to make additional profits.
And whether you have an online OR offline business, eBay is a great place to clear out old stock, and overstocks.
The same goes for returns or damaged stock. As long as you're honest about the condition and pay attention to your customer service, you can start building a reputation in the community that will lead to more sales down the road.
No matter what kind of business you have (even if you don't have your own business yet!), with a market of 193 million eager buyers just waiting for your offer, eBay is one of the easiest ways to develop an extra revenue stream and boost your sales and profits in 2006!
For more information about how you can use eBay to start a new business or explode your sales from your existing business, go to: www.AuctionTips.com