Don’t even think about placing an order without first asking these 5 crucial questions:

1. Are the prices advertised on your site the prices I will pay when bulk-buying?
   All too often, buyers are put off by suppliers because the prices quoted on their site don’t add up with what the same items are being sold for on auction sites. The problem is the majority of suppliers do not advertise their wholesale prices on their websites.

   I know it seems strange that they would do this; after all, wouldn’t they want to attract new clients by showing their lowest prices possible? But suppliers operate purely on a volume basis; they rely on their clients to buy in large quantities to make a profit. Therefore, they price all their orders individually based on how much their client is spending on their order.

   So before you go deciding that supplier’s prices aren’t viable, email them and get a personalized quote.

2. Do you require a Reseller’s License/Sales Tax ID?
   Many US based wholesalers will ask to see your Reseller License before they will deal with you. This is because suppliers need to know that you are registered to collect sales tax, and may record your tax ID.

   Also, suppliers get enquires from many new and aspiring eBay sellers every day. Quite often, these clients will set up an account with the supplier, then fail to ever place an order. By asking for a Reseller License, a supplier can determine whether you are a serious business owner.

   If you are based outside of the US, and importing from a US supplier, you won’t need to worry about a Reseller License, as no sales tax will be paid.

   If you don’t have a tax ID, or if you aren’t quite sure if you need one, I wrote a really useful blog on how to get a tax ID. Check it out as tells you everything you need to know about how and what you need to get one.

3. Do you offer drop shipping services?
   Suppliers offering drop shipping services can come in very handy. You can either use it as your primary or secondary sourcing method, or use this service to check out new niche markets without having to risk investing in a new item or product line which may not sell very well. One thing drop shipping allows you to do very well is complete market research, risk free!

   Make sure you talk with your supplier about any extra charges that you will incur when you use their drop shipping service.  There are plenty of drop ship suppliers out there who will not charge you an account set-up fee or something similar, but some do.

   Also ask your supplier what drop shipping extras they can offer such as item photos and descriptions that you can use in your listings.

4. Do you have a MOQ?
   MOQ stands for minimum order quantity, and represents the minimum order a supplier will accept. Suppliers have MOQs because they make very little profit per item, and therefore rely heavily on volume sales.

   Some suppliers have no or very low MOQs which require you to spend only $100, for example. While this is great for many newer sellers who do not have a huge amount of capital to invest, it does mean that you will be paying more per item than you would if you were dealing with a supplier with a $1,000+ MOQ.

   Sometimes MOQs are quoted in units, so for example, you must buy 20 handbags, or 50 T shirts to meet the supplier’s MOQ.

5. What is your returns policy?
   Before you go placing your order, make sure you find out about your supplier’s return policy. It can be a bit of a nightmare when you order 150 units of something that shows up and is defective, or the suppliers gives you the wrong colors or sizes. Most suppliers will have fair returns policies that work in your favor, but some suppliers such as liquidators have a no-returns policy.

   Which question have you skipped when approaching new suppliers?

   About the author: Alice Delore is a copywriter for SaleHoo Wholesale Directory. She also regularly publishes on the SaleHoo Blog.

Each auction features a countdown clock. If this is allowed to reach zero, the auction is finished and the last person who placed a bid is the winner. However, every time a bid is placed the countdown clock is reset – either by 30 seconds or a few minutes depending on the auction. If an item is in demand I imagine that some auctions will go on for hours, with the countdown clock being reset constantly.

Countdown auctions at Redbread

The great thing about Redbread is you get ten free bids just for registering. Unfortunately it’s not clear what to do with them as Redbread offers several different auction types – but I struggled to easily find a clear explanation of each auction type. Of course bidding is easy enough, just hit the bid button and your away but it would help new users a lot if they could find a clear reference to each auction type as soon as they registered. Eventually I did find a brief explanation of the auction types within the help system. These are:

Penny: In a penny auction, each bid pushes the auction up by a penny. For example, if 184 members bid for the item the cost would by £1.84

Regular: In a regular auction, the bids are pushed up by seven pence per bid. If three users bid the item would go for 21 pence.

Fixed Price Auctions: Some items come with a fixed price so it doesn’t matter what the bid amount is pushed up to, the item will always sell at a fixed price. Again, the last person to bid when the countdown is allowed to reach zero is the winner.

Nailbitter: During a nail bitter auction, sellers are not allowed to use BidBuilder – the Redbread snipping system.

100% Discounted Auctions: These seem to be the best to me. If your lucky enough to win a 100% discounted auction, all you pay for is the postage and your bids. You do not have to pay the price the auction finished at.

Bids cost just fifty pence each (this is how the site makes any money) and are available in different packages up to the 500 bids package for £250. Personally I’d hope for the price of bids to drop below fifty pence if I spent more than £100 but instead Redbread rewards it’s members by including free bonus bids on the larger bid packages.

I love the concept and styling of Redbread, and am certainly going to have some fun this weekend using my ten free bids. Here at AuctionCut we’d love to know your experiences with the site. Your comments are welcome. Visit Redbread by clicking here.

Play.com (PlayTrade)

Play.com is the forth biggest online retailing site in the UK (ranked by visits) after eBay, Amazon and Argos. Play is strongest in media categories (i.e. music, books, DVD) but in total sells across 12 categories including clothing, electronics and tickets. Play is predominately a UK based site with a small US presence which sells DVDs only (playusa.com).

PlayTrade is Play.com’s fixed price marketplace. It works in a very similar way to Amazon with retailers adding offers to existing Play.com catalogue items and paying a commission on sales (15%). PlayTrade products can be sold across all Play categories in either new or used condition. All products on Play, including marketplace products, are offered with free shipping, so this must be factored into the price.

PixPlace (Pixmania.com)

Again modelled very much on the Amazon model, PixPlace is the online marketplace run by Pixmania.com. Pixmania is an online retailer owned by the Dixons group which sells across 26 different European countries. The background of Pixmania is in digital cameras and so the platform is particularly strong in this area. PixPlace allows sellers to sell across all of its 11 categories in either new or used condition and charges 15% commission.

PriceMinister

PriceMinister is the second biggest eCommerce site in France and has recently opened up a UK site (www.priceminister.co.uk). Like Pixmania the platform is pan-European and available to residents from 18 European countries and territories. Unlike Play and Pixmania, PriceMinister does not sell any of its own products with all products sold by individual and business sellers. Most items on the site are at a fixed price, although sellers can opt to accept offers, and can be in new or used condition. Listing an item is free of charge but naturally there is a commission on sales.

Etsy

Launched in 2005, Etsy is a fixed price marketplace for handmade items which must be made by the seller. Vintage items and craft supplies are also allowed. This is a niche which is not well served by eBay and not at all by Amazon. As might be expected from a craft and design focused site the site’s design and usability is great and there is a vibrant community of artisans.

On Etsy, commission listing fees are very low (3.5%) and there is a nominal $0.20 to list an item for four months. On the downside the service is very US centric

Abebooks

Abebooks is an online marketplace specifically for books, both new and used. The service is open only to professional sellers and has a presence in 7 countries. Booksellers pay a monthly fee dependent the number of listings and a sales commission of 8% (plus card a processing fee of 3.5% – 5.5%)

Alibris

On Alibris, professional or individual sellers can sell books, music and films either in new or used condition. The service has US and UK sites but also allows international sales. Like Amazon, Alibris has is own stock alongside which it allows third party sales. Sales commision is 15% and there is also a monthly fixed fee dependent on the number of listings.

MyShoppingBank

MyShoppingBank is a fixed price marketplace previously known as eDirectory. The site charges a commission on each sale and a fairly hefty annual fee (several hundred pounds). All products are sold at a fixed price and the platform is only open to professional sellers. MyShoppingBank differentiates itself from the other marketplaces by offering cashback, sharing some of its commission with its users.

Other Marketplaces

* eBid (www.ebid.net). An auction site with a presence in 18 countries.
* CQout (www.cqout.com). Online auction site with a UK and Irish presence.
* Specialist Auctions (www.specialistauctions.com). A collectables focused auction site.
* Toymart (www.toymart.com). A specialist toy auctions site.
* Wigix. (www.wigix.com). Catalogue based fixed price marketplace.
* Aroxo (www.aroxo.com) Reverse auction marketplace

Trevor Ginn runs the online baby store Hello Baby and is a consultant at Vendlab. He blogs at www.trevorginn.com and you can follow him on twitter @trevorginn

I hope you like what you see so far, but there’s plenty more exciting changes to come.

This is just the start.

1) How did RedBread Auctions start and what inspired it?

I stumbled across a well known German penny auction website and found the business model to be extraordinary. I know that us British are always on the lookout for shopping bargains and we are a gambling nation so putting these two together with the knowledge that the UK penny auction market was relatively unexposed I immediately commissioned a programmer to design a website for us. With a long and successful customer services background I believed from day one that there was an opportunity to have a slice of the UK ‘cake’ so RedBread was born in May 2008 with a six figure self-funded capital injection. From late in 2008 until April 2009 we were actively marketing and beta-testing the Redbread website and we finally went live on 1st May 2009.

2) Can you tell us about the RedBread Auction Format?

We use a variation of auction formats to offer our members variety. Our 100% Discounted Auctions allow members to pick up an auction and pay for just postage and of course the cost of the bids that enabled them to win the auction. Our Nailbiter auctions allow members to participate in auctions without the worry of competing against huge Bid Builders that some members place to try and ensure an auction win. With our bid packages costing a maximum of 25p per bid our members outlay in winning an auction is significantly less than that of our competitors.

3) What kind of team run RedBread Auctions?

We have a relatively small but growing proactive team at Redbread consisting of customer services staff who are only too happy to handle members calls and emails. Our policy is to reply to all enquiries within one working day of the enquiry being received. We also have marketing and IT specialists who provide important and continual operational support. Our marketing and IT staff all have many years experience within their own fields working alongside famous global brands. In addition we are also contracted to a number of specialist agencies working on our behalf.

4) What’s the best tactic for bidding on RedBread?

It is hard to establish what is the best tactic for bidding on RedBread as our auctions do kick up some strange results. Take for example one of our recent lucky Scottish winners who, with only 3 bids (75p) managed to win himself a 10 night all inclusive holiday for two in Barbados worth over £4000. There are other members who place Bid Builders that seem to run all day yet still get pipped by an eagle eyed member who is just waiting for that Bid Builder to finish. On the other hand there are many members who are successful with Bid Builders. Having said that there as many people if not more, who win auctions with single bids. There is no ideal time to start bidding on auctions as we have auctions that literally end after just a few bids whilst there are also auctions that seem to run and run. One tip I would give is to keep an eye on the volume of bidders on any particular auction. Once the volume of bidders starts to dilute then perhaps this is the time to get involved but DO NOT wait until the last second to bid or indeed rely on another member to bid at the last second as they may not bid and the auction will end with neither you or your co-conspirator not winning at all.

5) How could the auction format be made better & would you ever allow members to auction their own items on RedBread?

We are happy with our current auction format. We believe that we offer terrific value with our bid packages, we offer a fantastic range of products for auction on a daily basis and most importantly our members enjoy playing on a level playing field. Our auctions are tangible and within reach of everyone. As you can see from our website we are currently developing a sister website called Bluebread that will allow visitors to auction off their own goods for a minimal one-off fee. Although I cannot give you a definitive figure just yet, you can assume that this fee will be a standard charge of between 25p and 35p per item listed. There will definitely be no commission payment on items sold. I believe people are getting a little cheesed off with the extortionate fee’s that some websites charge their members to sell their goods and in recession fuelled times there is an opportunity for an alternative channel that will offer good exposure of the items being sold for a no-brainer fee.

6) What other developments does RedBread have planned for the future?

We do have expansion plans that involve the US market but we are still relatively young and want to concentrate on our own territory initially. We will be advertising for potential partners in the USA in due course so please watch this space.

AuctionCUT thanks Jane Taylor-Morris of RedBread Auctions for the interview and you can see a review of RedBread Auctions published on Thursday. You can visit RedBread by clicking here.

(Image of Etsy Homepage)

Selling on Etsy is easy and the fees are virtually nothing. There’s no complicated fee structure unlike other auction sites – it costs just 20c to list an item for up to four months, with a final sales fee of 3.5%. There are no featured upgrades, or gallery fees and Etsy staff pick to three lucky sellers each week and feature their items on the home page for no additional cost.

For buyers it’s even easier than eBay. No bidding, No offers. Etsy is a Buy It Now zone only, so the seller sets the price for the item and you simply agree to buy it or not. Shipping is also displayed on most item descriptions worldwide, so nothing will be left tonegotiate afteryou’ve bought the item.

With a massive range of categories from Accessories such as Belts and Watches to Wedding which includes sub categories like Invitations and Jewelry, you’ll find items that you never even knew existed.

For me what really sticks out at Etsy is that buyers have the ability to request custom items which they would like made. This is perfect if you have an idea for an item, but are unable to make it yourself. You simply list what the description of the item your after, the ideal price you’d like to pay and sellers and your deadline. Sellers then bid at your item if they are able to fulfill the request. Never before has it been so easy to get custom items made and having sellers compete to make them. At the time of writing, they’re is a request for sunglasses made out of razor blades (as seen in Lady Gaga’s music video) amongst other bizarre requests.

There’s no doubt that Etsy is here as an permanent fixture, and with some of the low start up costs of selling on the site it’s probably the most ideal venue to for any startup. Signing up as a seller is easy, you just need to verify a credit card with Etsy, although once you’ve done this you can pay your seller fees via paypal.  I’d love to here your opinion of Etsy especially if your a seller on the site. How does it compare to other Internet auction sites? Your comments are most welcome, as always please take the time to read our comments policy first.

Starting with basic information such as registering for an ebay and paypal account the book takes you hand in hand though the ebya essentials. The book is simple to read and follow and even if you have never used ebay before in your life, by following the steps and working your way though the chapters you will quickly become familiar and competent with the ebay in no time.

As with a lot of internet marketing books, there is a small section on setting goals and positive thinking which for me briefly distracts the reader from the main subject and purpose of the book. However I understand why the author has choosen to include this and for many readers it will be an essential step in the building up an online business.

Advanced chapters include help on abbreviations used on eBay, a detailed and helpful explanation of Detailed seller ratings and also what tools you can use to enhance and automate your ebay sales such as Feedback Analyser Pro. It includes important information on registering yourself with HMRC (in the UK) for when your ebay hobby turns into an eBay business – one thing that many ebay sellers conveniently forget about.

Being a book as oppose to an ebook or pdf, I was concerned the information contained within it would be outdated or unreliable. This can easily happen with so many web sites changing or a simply shakeup in ebay policy can render the best selling methods useless. However I needn’t of worried, even as I write this review Amanda has emailed me an additional chapter of the book she has written purely based on feedback from existing readers.

By reading and using the book, you’ll learn to master techniques and concepts which have taken most people years to learn, also saving yourself the expensive trial and error which most ebay sellers encounter when trying to start their ebay business. If your new to eBay and want to save yourself a lot of heartache this book is defiantly for you. I’d even consider this the eBay bible for new users, no other book will get you up to scratch with the site as quickly as this. Intermediate or advanced users of ebay will already be familiar with some of the contents but may still pick up the several tips from the book so it’s defiantly worth considering. Purchase the book or find out more here.

With eighteen different worldwide editions Ebid.net offers local auction sites to the United Kingdom, United States, France and Ireland amongst others. All ran from the same domain, using sub domains such as nl.ebid.net for the Netherlands and fr.ebid.net for France this makes navigating the different versions very simple and hassle free.

The site still has a way to go rival eBay, personally I feel the presentation of the site somehow takes away distraction from the auction listings and although a support system is in place any queries must be posted in a public forum before you can submit them to the support team. Obviously this is designed as a measure to prevent customer care answering the same questions repeatedly and although this route may give a faster response to the member, I found it quite annoying this method was mandatory. I’d also love to read about how the site started, considering it is ten years old but I failed to find any information about the sites history and how it grew into a success.

On the positive side, registration is quick and easy – it took me less than one minute to register as a member and like eBay there is a huge range of categories to list your auctions in. Over 1,800,000 live auctions are listed on Ebid at the time of this review, with just over 4000 Ebid stores offered by sellers.

The fee structure varies enormously from eBay and this is what has helped Ebid succeed and grow. With no listing fee and no final value fee for the seller+ account, members just pay a single subscription for either 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, 1 year or a lifetime subscription. Currently the lifetime subscription offers the best value as a one fee of just £49.99 but members may want to try the 7 day subscription first to see what success they have selling on Ebid.

Overall, for an alterative marketplace to eBay I was impressed at the sheer size of the site and I’m sure it will continue to grow and offer it’s members great value. Ebid.net supports many payment options including eBays own Paypal so there’s really no reason not to try it as an alterative venue or in addition to your eBay listings.  As always, your feedback on Ebid.net is welcome – click here to visit Ebid.net

The membership area contains information and tips that all eBay users will benefit from, irrelevant of your experience. Fourty-Nine lessons each containing a camtasia video and accompanying article make up the main bulk of the membership area, along with templates to use on eBay, interviews with expert sellers such as Lee McIntyre and John Thornhill, and in an unadvertised bonus you also gain 30 days free access to Auction Selling 101.

Lessons 1-15 are aimed at beginners to eBay and feature on items such as pricing, the latest feedback changes, photo editing, and packaging. Advanced lessons include topics such as How to import from China, Fraud on eBay, Tax Basics for UK Sellers, and even trade shows.

Full Details of SkyHigh Auctions here.

Refreshing, easy to use and a sharp contrast to using eBay though the web, eBay desktop first starts with video introductry running you though the various options and a short tour of the product. Initially you have to login with your eBay username and password and then it imports your information such as favourite searches, sellers, messages and your watch list.

Ebay Desktop works on the majority of eBay sites, although you may want to set it to your local version of eBay via the settings menu. One of the best features I found is it allows you to set yourself reminders before auctions end, of either 1 hour, 30 minutes or 10 minutes for a last minute snipe.

Only version 1 is currently released so they’re are some known issues, however these should hopefully be ironed out soon. However, from what I’ve seen so far it’s found a permanent icon on my desktop. You can download eBay desktop & find out more information from: http://dogpuss.com/ebaydesktop