Few people realize how much information can be gleaned from snooping around on eBay.

Sure, the average eBayer knows how to call up a group of products with a click of the mouse, or scour the site for individual items that might not fall under any one specific category. But when it comes to retrieving hard-and-fast data that might be of real use, many sellers seem to be overlooking some valuable fact-filled nuggets buried beneath the surface.

Drilling Down

If you're familiar with eBay then you're probably aware that you can find just about anything on the virtual auction block using their handy category listings. In many cases you can find an item by simply drilling down through the site until you reach the proper subcategory. Unfortunately, many sellers don't seem to bother doing any research when it comes time to choosing a listing category.

Time and again, sellers have been known to put up items for sale in categories with little or no traffic, or in areas where their prospective bidders would never think to look. Moreover, eBay has been creating an ever-growing array of subcategories. While this strategy might help you place products in the appropriate section, it also might prevent general-interest browsers from ever finding your listings.

The first thing you should do before you even begin to compile a listing is to check out where your competition hangs out. Generally, all you need to do is go to eBay search, type in a suitable keyword or phrase, and see what pops up. (To ensure you get enough results, search for both auction titles and descriptions; after all, you never know whether a seller might have poorly titled an auction or left out a significant keyword.)

Of course, there's always the possibility that your search will uncover some pretty bizarre listings that have nothing to do with the item you plan to sell. More often than not, however, a search will locate a wide range of similar merchandise, in some instances turning up the exact same item you intend to list at online auction.

At this point, it might be a good idea to actually peruse each listing to learn more about the item in question. Make sure to examine the way it was listed and who put it up for sale, including the seller's feedback rating. In addition, you might want to note where the item has been listed throughout the site and see whether you agree with the product placement.

Finally, you should examine the auction page's counter--that is, if the seller has included one--to determine how many people actually have viewed the listing. If the number is high, then you know this particular seller has done his or her homework and placed the item where it likely will generate the most traffic and interest.

If the auction has received multiple bids or the current bid price exceeds the minimum asking price by a wide margin, then you've got a good idea where to pitch your own sales tent and how to proceed with your own listing.

Dredging up the Past

Now, let's say you've peered into every conceivable category but still couldn't locate anything remotely similar to your item. Think you're done? Not by a long shot. One of the nice things about eBay's search tool is that in addition to accessing "live" auctions, it also can bring up a list of auctions that ended recently.

In fact, you only need to go to the main eBay search page and click on the "Completed Items" link. Then type in the keyword in the search field, and away you go. Within seconds, you'll have at your disposal a list of keyword-enabled auctions that ended within the past three weeks.

And what can you do with that information? Well, for starters, you can conduct some free market research--review the closing price for each individual auction and see whether the auction actually attracted any bidders.

Secondly, you can search for additional completed auctions for other unrelated items that you might have considered listing at one time or another but decided against it. By calling up closed auctions, you quickly can determine whether your decision was sound or perhaps hasty; and best of all, it didn't cost you a dime to find out the results.

Where, What, How

As an online seller, there are several distinct advantages that come with regularly perusing eBay. Unlike e-commerce sites, outside sellers can see what's hot in the marketplace and whether things are trending up or down. Remember, there's lots of useful information tucked away within the highly trafficked eBay--all you need to know is where to look, what to look for, and how to look for it.

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