ebaygoldmine.org - Free guide to what's hot on eBayhttp://www.ebaygoldmine.org/Copyright ebaygoldmine.org - Free guide to what's hot on eBaysNewsThe RRP in the shops is £69.99 for these at the moment but they are currently going for over £120 on eBay... Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:38:30 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/wii-fit/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/wii-fit/We have added a 2008 calendar of Sample Sales, which can be a great source of brand new clothing at up 90% off the RRP for resale on eBay. We have also added some Police Auction info - the same information that people charge for on eBay. We've never been to one of these auctions but by all accounts they can be a good source of cheap items to resell on eBay Please check the links on the right, under CategoriesThu, 03 Apr 2008 12:35:06 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/new-sample-sale-and-police-auction-info-added/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/new-sample-sale-and-police-auction-info-added/Designer sample sales should be on every savvy shopper's must-remember list. They are a great place to pick up stock to sell on eBay as some of them will sell for up to 90% off the original RRP. Here's our calendar of the best sales up to the end of 2008 around London April 2-3 Ted Baker This sale will have menswear, womenswear and children’s clothing all with up to 70 per cent off. The Camden Centre, Bidborough St, WC1 (020 7255 4800/ www.camden.gov.uk/camdencentre) King’s Cross tube/rail. Wed 8am-8pm, Thur 8am-7pm. 4-6 Secret Sample Sale The sale, held six times a year, has a host of brands including Belstaff, Blumarine, Missoni, Celine and Carolyn Massey reduced by up to 80 per cent. T2, F Block, Old Truman Brewery, 87 Brick Lane, EC1 (www.secretsamplesale.co.uk) Liverpool St tube/rail or Aldgate East tube. Fri (members only, register online) Sat, Sun 12noon-7pm. Adm £1. 13 Frock Me Vintage Fashion Lanuched five years ago by Matthew Adams, this is now one of London’s best vintage fashion fairs . Chelsea Town Hall, Kings Rd, SW3 (020 7254 4054/ www.frockmevintagefashion.com) Sloane Square tube. Sun 11am-5.30pm. Adm £3, students with ID £1.50, accompanied under-16s free. 17-20 Ghost sample sale Look out for huge discounts off this feminine clothing line, whmich has a soft silhouette and delicate colours. 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, W11. Thur, Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm. 24-27 Designer Sales UK Discounts of 60-90 per cent on labels Vivienne Westwood, Valentino, Stella McCartney and more. The Old Truman Brewery, 85 Brick Lane, E1 (01273 470880/ www.designersales.co.uk) Liverpool St tube/rail or Aldgate East tube. Thur (preview day, featuring catwalk shows at 2pm, 4pm and 5.30pm) 12noon-10pm, Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 11am-5pm. Adm £2, concs £1. 27 Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fair The fair has been running for five years and has grown into the one of London’s best vintage fairs. Attended by fashion editors and designers, this is a great place to pick up vintage designer brands like Biba and Westwood. Battersea Arts Centre Grand Hall, Lavender Hill, SW11 (020 8325 5789/ www.vintagefashionfairs.com) Clapham Junction rail. Sun 10am-4.30pm. Adm £5, concs £2.50. May 14-17 Junior Style sale Started five years ago by Romaine Coonghe, a wide range of children’s clothes can be found at the sale, including designer brands like Ralph Lauren and D&G, with up to 70 per cent off. Chelsea Town Hall, Kings Rd, SW3 (020 7689 3925) Sloane Square tube. Wed 10am-6pm, Thur 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm. Adm £1. 18 Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fair Selection of vintage designer names from Biba to Westwood. 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, W11 (020 8325 5789/ www.vintagefashionfairs.com) Notting Hill Gate tube. Sun 10am-4.30pm. Adm £5, concs £2.50. 21-23 Paul & Joe French designer Sophie Albou is renowned for adding a twist to classic French tailoring. The sample sale has a range of designers – names include J Brand and True Religion alongside her Paul & Joe label. Paul & Joe, 33 Floral St, WC2 (020 7221 2866) Covent Garden tube. Wed-Fri 11am-7pm. 30-31 Secret Sample sale 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, W11 (www.secretsamplesale.co.uk) Fri (members only, register online), Sat, Sun 12noon-7pm. Adm £1. June 6-7 Designer Sales UK The Music Room, 26 South Molton Lane, W1 (01273 470 880/ www.designersales.co.uk) Bond St tube. Fri (preview day) 12noon-10pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Adm £2, concs £1. 13-15 Designer Warehouse Sale (women’s) At a new location from June. 5-6 Islington Studios, N7 (020 7697 9888/ www.designerwarehousesales.com). 15 Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fair Battersea Arts Centre Grand Hall, Lavender Hill, SW11 (020 8325 5789/ www.vintagefashionfairs.com) Clapham Junction rail. Sun 10am-4.30pm. Adm £5 ,concs £2.50. 18 Frock Me Chelsea Town Hall, Kings Rd, SW3 (020 7254 4054/ www.frockmevintagefashion.com) Sloane Square tube. Sun 11am-5.30pm. Adm £3, students with ID £1.50, accompanied under-16s free. 20-22 Designer Warehouse Sale (men’s) 5-6 Islington Studios, N7 (020 7697 9888/ www.designerwarehousesales.com) Holloway Rd tube or Drayton Park rail. July 11-12 Billion Dollar Babes Each two-day sale has more than 40 designer labels sold at up to 80 per cent off. Chelsea Town Hall, Kings Rd, SW3 (020 7361 2220) Sloane Square tube. Fri, Sat 9am-6pm. Adm £2. 13 Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fair 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, W11 (020 8325 5789/ www.vintagefashionfairs.com) Notting Hill Gate tube. Sun 10am-4.30pm. Adm £5, concs £2.50. 18-19 DSUK Biba Exclusive current-season samples and stock available with 60-80 per cent off. The Music Room, South Molton Lane, W1 (01273 470880/ www.designersales.co.uk) Bond St tube. Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 11am-5pm. Adm £2, concs £1. September 4-7 Designer Sales UK Stock and samples at 80-90 per cent off retail prices on famous labels for men and women. The Old Truman Brewery, 85 Brick Lane, E1 (01273 470 880/ www.designersales.co.uk) Liverpool St tube/rail or Aldgate East tube. Thur 12noon-9pm (preview day), Fri 11am-8pm, Sat 11am-5pm. Adm £2, concs £1. 7 Frock Me Chelsea Town Hall, Kings Rd, SW3 (020 7254 4054/ www.frockmevintagefashion.com) Sloane Square tube. Sun 11am-5.30pm. Adm £3, students with ID £1.50, accompanied under-16s free. 19-21 Designer Warehouse Sale (women’s) 5-6 Islington Studios, N7 (020 7697 9888/ www.designerwarehousesales.com) Holloway Rd tube or Drayton Park rail. 21 Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fair Another opportunity to pick up fabulous vintage fashion. Battersea Arts Centre Grand Hall, Lavender Hill, SW11 (020 8325 5789/ www.vintagefashionfairs.com) Clapham Junction rail. Sun 10am-4.30pm. Adm £5, concs £2.50. 26-28 Designer Warehouse Sale (men’s) 5-6 Islington Studios, N7 (020 7697 9888/ www.designerwarehousesales.com) Holloway Rd tube or Drayton Park rail. October 2-5 Designer Sales UK The Old Truman Brewery, 85 Brick Lane, E1 (01273 470 880/ www.designersales.co.uk) Liverpool St tube/rail or Aldgate East tube. Thur 12noon-9pm (preview day), Fri 11am-8pm, Sat 11am-5pm. Adm £2, concs £1. 10-12 Nicole Farhi At a new location from June. Please check the website from May onwards for details (www.designerwarehousesales.com). 12 Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fair 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, W11 (020 8325 5789/ www.vintagefashionfairs.com) Notting Hill Gate tube. Sun 10am-4.30pm. Adm £5, concs £2.50. 26 Frock Me Chelsea Town Hall, Kings Rd, SW3 (020 7254 4054/ www.frockmevintagefashion.com) Sloane Square tube. Sun 11am-5.30pm. Adm £3, students with ID £1.50 , accompanied under-16s free. 30-Nov 2 Designer Sales UK The Old Truman Brewery, 85 Brick Lane, E1 (01273 470880/ www.designersales.co.uk) Liverpool St tube/rail or Aldgate East tube. Thur 12noon-9pm (preview day), Fri 11am-8pm, Sat 11am-5pm. Adm £2, concs £1. November 7-8 Billion Dollar Babes Each two-day sale has more than 40 designer labels sold at up to 80 per cent off. Lindley Hall, 80 Vincent Square, SW1 Victoria tube/rail (020 7384 1110/ www.billiondollarbabes.com). Adm £2. 19-21 Paul & Joe Paul & Joe, Floral Street, WC2 (020 7221 2866) Covent Garden tube. Wed-Fri 11am-7pm. 30 Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fair Battersea Arts Centre Grand Hall, Lavender Hill, SW11 (020 8325 5789/ www.vintagefashionfairs.com) Clapham Junction rail. Sun 10am-4.30pm. Adm £5, concs £2.50. December 5-7 Designer Warehouse Sales (women’s) 5-6 Islington Studios, N7 (020 7697 9888/ www.designerwarehousesales.com) Holloway Rd tube or Drayton Park rail. 7 Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fair 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, W11 (020 8325 5789/ www.vintagefashionfairs.com) Notting Hill Gate tube. Sun 10am-4.30pm. Adm £5, concs £2.50. 11-13 DSUK Biba The Music Room, South Molton Lane, E1 (01273 470 880/ www.designersales.co.uk) Bond St tube. Thur 11am-9pm, Fri 11am-8pm, Sat 11am-5pm. Adm £2, concs £1. 12-14 Designer Warehouse Sales (men’s) 5-6 Islington Studios, N7 (020 7697 9888/ www.designerwarehousesales.com) Holloway Rd tube or Drayton Park rail. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:15:05 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/sample-sales/sample-sales-calendar-2008/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/sample-sales/sample-sales-calendar-2008/A guy in Canada had his car stolen, he posts the details on a message board, someone spots the car and takes a photo of the criminal... cue plotting by forum members until the hapless thief is brought down. For added comedy value the thief is missing two fingers and quickly becomes known as the "The Claw". It all happened here http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php? ...before finally ending up on eBayMon, 31 Mar 2008 10:05:20 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/car-thief-pwned-by-forum/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/car-thief-pwned-by-forum/Police Auction information is still one of the most searched for info or eBook items on eBay. The sellers that list these auctions will entice buyers with promises of 'secret information' on where Police forces accross the UK sell recovered goods, lost property and items that have already been paid out for by insurance companies. They are usually listed next to pictures of X-Box's and Playstations. There is no need to pay for this information we have it all here for free... The main link that people sell on eBay is http://www.bumblebeeauctions.co.uk/ and also http://www.auction.u-net.com/ Sellers may also offer the following slightly more detailed information for specific forces (this information originated from the following site Police Auctions)   Scottish Police Force Name Date of Auction/Sale Description Location   Grampian Police Contact for Dates Items from Police Lost & Found Property. The ANM Group Ltd, Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, AB51 5XZ. Scotland Telephone +44 (0) 1467 623700 http://www.goanm.co.uk/ Email:enquiries@goanm.co.uk   Tayside Police Contact for Dates Items from Police Lost & Found Property. Curr & Dewar Auction Rooms, Ward Road, Dundee. DD1 1LX. 01382 224185.Email: derek@curranddewar-auction.totalserve.co.uk     English Police Force Name Date of Auction/Sale Description Location   Avon and Somerset Police Contact for Dates Electrical and household goods, tools, gardening equipment and pedal cycles. Greenslade, Taylor & Hunt, Magdalene House, Magdalene Street, Taunton. Somerset. TA1 1SB. Phone: 01823 332525. Fax: 01823 353120 Email: fine.art@gth.net  http://www.gth.net   Cambridgeshire Police Contact for Dates General property and effects. Ramsay Auction Rooms, Units 9 & 10, The Northern Mill, Field Road, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire,  PE26 1AJ. Tel: 01487 710104, Fax: 01487 711833. E-mail: cambsauctions@yahoo.com http://www.auctions.freeserve.co.uk/calendar.htm   Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Continuous online auctions. Online UK Police Property Disposal site. http://www.bumblebeeauctions.co.uk/     Merseyside Police Contact for Dates Electrical and household goods, tools, gardening equipment and pedal cycles. Hartleys, 12-14 Moss Street, Low Hill, Liverpool. L6 1HF. 0151-2631865.   Surrey Police Continuous online auctions. Online UK Police Property Disposal site. http://www.bumblebeeauctions.co.uk/     Warwickshire Police May and November. Mountain, ladies and childrens cycles in a variety of sizes, jewellery, watches, prams, CDs, DVDs and videos. Philip Brothers Auction House, The Sale Room, Bearley Road Snitterfield Stratford-on-avon Warwickshire CV37 0EZ Tel: 01789 731114 Fax: 01789 731114   West Midlands Police Sales normally monthly. Electrical and household goods, tools, gardening equipment and pedal cycles. Biddle & Webb, Ladywood Middleway, Birmingham. B16 OPP. Tel: 0121 4558042 http://www.biddleandwebb.co.uk/     Bailiff Auctions are listed here http://www.alandee.co.uk/downloads/bailiff/bail2.htmWed, 26 Mar 2008 11:17:55 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/police-auctions/police-auctions-free-information/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/police-auctions/police-auctions-free-information/If you have ever wondered what buyers search for the most on eBay here are the current top 100 search terms from the UK site in order or popularity. Click 'Continue Reading' for full list... 1. wii 2. nintendo wii 3. xbox 360 4. psp 5. ps3 6. ipod 7. e bay 8. nintendo ds 9. laptop 10. high school musical 11. ipod nano 12. nintendo wii console 13. ugg boots 14. fancy dress 15. cars 16. christmas 17. halloween 18. sat nav 19. nokia n95 20. ps2 21. wii console 22. lcd tv 23. boots 24. tv 25. dvd 26. iphone 27. playstation 3 28. next 29. mobile phone 30. lego 31. nintendo ds lite 32. nokia 33. caravan 34. bratz 35. digital camera 36. psp games 37. shoes 38. wii games 39. nintendo ds games 40. ps2 games 41. mini 42. ikea 43. xbox 44. ghd 45. lacoste 46. gucci 47. bmx 48. ds games 49. radley 50. chanel 51. mini moto 52. nintendo ds console 53. star wars 54. sony ericsson 55. n95 56. perfume 57. transformers 58. diesel 59. bmw 60. river island 61. wardrobe 62. toys 63. prada 64. xbox 360 console 65. topshop 66. in the night garden 67. laura ashley 68. adidas 69. playstation 3 console 70. curtains 71. snap on 72. trainers 73. ds 74. free to good home 75. golf 76. karen millen 77. nike 78. xbox 360 games 79. jeans 80. psp console 81. bikes 82. ps3 console 83. lambretta 84. peppa pig 85. christmas decorations 86. car 87. ipod touch 88. monsoon 89. tom tom 90. mp3 91. watches 92. ann summers 93. pit bike 94. me to you 95. ferrari 96. tickets 97. armani 98. bench 99. timberland 100. north face Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:44:42 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/what-are-the-most-popular-searches-on-ebay/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/what-are-the-most-popular-searches-on-ebay/There are a few hundreds of people making money on eBay by selling software and firmware to unlock the iPhone. If you have a look at some of these auctions they can go for up to £10 each but as usual what they are selling can be downloaded for FREE elsewhere on the internet. Here is one such place www.ziphone.org "If you don't have a brand new iPhone it's best to run Restore under iTunes using v1.1.3 firmware. Make sure to back up all your contacts/settings/music etc before doing this. When you've done this or if you have a brand new iPhone straight out of the box, all you need to do is download the latest version, extract all the files to a new folder, connect the iPhone by USB and run "FULL AUTOMATIC.bat" In under 5 minutes you will have an activated, unlocked and jailbroken (able to run homebrew software) iPhone. This is the very latest, simplest and best solution for unlocking the iPhone. It'll work on any iPhone in the shops right now. IMPORTANT: This won't work on the iPod Touch, don't try it!" So if you are looking for the software, help yourself or if you want to start selling it on eBay - good luck! Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:42:36 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/iphone-unlocking-software-free-to-unlock-your-phone-from-ebay/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/iphone-unlocking-software-free-to-unlock-your-phone-from-ebay/Despite a number of Manchester United fans bemoaning the fact that their club has become over commercialised and exploited by sponsors and shareholders out to do nothing more than make money from it’s loyal fans, it seems that many of them have been quick to jump on the bandwagon themselves. On Sunday at Old Trafford in the game against Manchester City fans were given a commemorative pack containing a letter of remembrance from David Gill, a reprinted matchday programme from 19th Feb 1958 between Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday and a commemorative scarf with a label noting the occasion. A collectors item for fans of the Busby Babes around the world for sure... and where better to reach their fellow fans in the Far East and beyond than eBay? If you happen to have one of these packs opened or not they have been selling for anything up to £290 on eBay. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:46:58 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/manchester-united-commemorative-munich-scarf-and-programme/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/manchester-united-commemorative-munich-scarf-and-programme/To promote the 2005 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s famous children’s book Nestlé produced some real Wonka Bars. We hadn’t taken much notice of them thinking they were probably as bad as the film but we’ve just seen a box of 15 sell for £250 on eBay. We have got no idea where you can get these now but it might be worth taking a look in that sweetshop if you happen to be passing one... and if nothing else it shows how quickly promotional items for new films can rocket in value. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/15-Wonka-Bars-in-Box Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:29:47 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/nestl-wonka-bars/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/nestl-wonka-bars/This is bound to get removed by eBay so here is a screenshot of an eBay seller who has probably made his last listing. And judging by the replies it looks like he has a fair bit of sympathy. If you have ever lost money through PayPal or eBay to scammers, cheats or chancers you will probably know how he feels... Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:48:08 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/fed-up-with-ebay-and-paypal/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/fed-up-with-ebay-and-paypal/Following on from the that discussion on the Old Toys we had a quick look at Mego toys. For anyone who hasn't heard of this company they sold action figures related to TV shows and movies mostly in the 70s. The went bankrupt not long after rejecting the deal to produce Star Wars toys Anyway, some of these figures are worth huge amounts now. So if you happen to see one in a charity shop or a carboot sale or something snap it up. Here's a few recent prices Zorro - £800 Superman - £600 Star Trek - various figures - £100 - £150 Dr Who - £100 Space 1999 - £100 Planet of The Apes - £50 Dracula - £35 There is more information here http://www.megomuseum.com/index.html Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:22:35 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/mego-toys/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/mego-toys/There is an interesting discussion here on the MoneySavingExpert site about which old toys sell for good money on eBay these days. He-Man, My Little Pony, Original Cabbage Dolls, Transformers, Star Wars, Grolier, Mego and many more are mentioned. We'll have a more detailed look at some of them over the next few days Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:47:36 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/old-toys-that-sell-for-a-lot-on-ebay-/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/old-toys-that-sell-for-a-lot-on-ebay-/From Sue Bailey @ TameBay The Nintendo Wii and related items were the biggest success story on eBay UK this year, with 644,874 consoles, accessories and games sold. Also hot in the technology stakes was the iPhone, with 40,389 sold since the phone’s November release. Amongst celebrity items, Kate Moss came top, with sales of 30,481 items boosted by her range of clothes for Top Shop. The Spice Girls, and US favourite Britney Spears sold 26,458 and 19,996 items respectively. And the 16,052 Amy Winehouse items sold included dozens of beehive wigs. However, top eBay personality of 2007 was Harry Potter, with 202,081 items sold. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 11:36:46 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/best-selling-items-on-ebay-2007/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/best-selling-items-on-ebay-2007/It's the quietest time for eBay at the moment but a few bargains can be had by searching for "Unwanted Christmas Gift"Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:09:09 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/unwanted-christmas-gifts/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/unwanted-christmas-gifts/Have you ever wondered what would make you enough money on ebay so that you wouldn’t havee to work full time? Here are three examples of sellers, the niche products they sell and how they have built up their turnover on eBay... Oliver Goehler: rare advertising books When Oliver Goehler completed his masters in management at Cambridge last summer, his intention was to get a job in advertising, but he found it more difficult than he had expected. "I was flat broke, with huge student debts, and I needed to make some money fast," says the 23-year-old from Cheshire. He remembered that, while at university, he had sold a few of his advertising text books on eBay to fund nights out. So he dug out another book - which he had bought for £50 - put it on eBay, and sold it for £135. "And I suddenly realised you could make real money from auctioning items on the site." Goehler now makes about £1,000 a week selling rare advertising books on eBay, and only works for around two hours a day. "I think my friends are envious, although I don't really like to boast to them. It would seem a bit rude to suddenly announce: 'I only bothered to work for five hours last week and I raked in a grand'." He puts his success down to trading in a niche market that he knows well. "I source general booksellers and they have no idea that this old marketing book they are selling for £3 is worth £40." His most successful sale was a book he bought for £21 and sold on for £366. Sneakily, he scours eBay itself for clueless sellers auctioning books without any idea of their real value - people who may have found them in a garage and stuck them on the site to make some extra money. "I'll buy them for the asking price and then sell them on again for their proper worth." Does he have any tips for potential powersellers? "Concentrate on something you have knowledge of, because you need to know your market in order to get good prices. And list your products effectively with key words to make sure that they are seen by a wider audience." He says that, despite this all-encompassing knowledge of eBay, he is not addicted. "I don't think about it constantly and I can easily go without it for a day," he says. And will he, perhaps, be looking for a proper job at some point? "I sometimes think about it, but why would I work a nine to five day for a fraction of the money I'm making now? With eBay, I can make a big chunk of cash without having to make a big amount of effort." George Crudgington: toy soldiers and figurines George Crudgington and his partner, Joyce Bailey, describe themselves as "mature citizens" (Crudgington admits to being 69, but Bailey would rather not divulge her age). They are not, perhaps, the sort of people you would expect to be running a business on the worldwide web, and yet, by selling ceramic figurines, toy soldiers and stamps solely through eBay, they have built up a company with an annual turnover of £150,000. Crudgington and Bailey's eBay adventure started about five years ago, when they were both made redundant. Without pensions, money was tight. "I had heard about eBay and decided to sell some of my old first-day cover stamps that I had lying around in my drawers," says George. "They sold really easily, especially some Princess Diana ones which went like hotcakes to the States. So I dug out some of my old toy soldiers and they, too, flew off the site. Joyce had an interest in ceramics, so we began to sell them. We realised how easy it was, and from there, it progressed." The couple, who live in Derbyshire, are now official stockists of Royal Doulton and Wedgwood, despite the fact that their company, Spiderweb, trades only through the auction site. They make a 28 per cent net profit and host seminars for other mature citizens, giving them advice on how to get into online business. "When I'm in Tesco and I see a senior citizen sweeping the floors for money, it makes me angry – I know they could be doing better if they had a bit of help," says George. "It's no idle boast when I say that people could be running a business within 10 days of starting trading on eBay. "You don't need vast sums of money - just an interest in whatever you are selling - and there aren't any real overheads. We have a couple of stockrooms, and we don't have to spend money on packaging. With eBay, you can send items off in boxes from the supermarket." But what would they do if eBay went bust? "In the unlikely event of that happening," smiles George, "we would retire to the second home in France we have just bought thanks to the money we have earned ." Catherine Gilbert: clothes to the US and UK Catherine Gilbert admits that she is more than a little addicted to eBay. "I look at it every day, and then I have to limit myself, otherwise I'd spend all day on it," says the 33-year-old from Watford. "When I go on holiday, I miss it." She first looked at eBay a year and a half ago: "I am a real shopaholic. I logged on and couldn't believe how much stuff there was on there to buy. Then I realised that if I bought things I didn't actually want, I could sell them on again on the site and people would often pay more for them as they got carried away with the excitement of bidding." Shortly afterwards, she was browsing eBay for Harry Potter merchandise to buy for her children, and noticed that American users were bidding big money for a Marks & Spencer scarf featuring the character. "So I went out and bought a few, put them on eBay, and was doubling my money every time. One man even offered to pay £50 more to get one shipped to the States extra quick." Gilbert soon realised the potential of selling things to one country that were only available in another - most notably, the hip American fashion brand Abercrombie and Fitch. "I would buy their T-shirts from eBay.com and then sell them on eBay.co.uk for twice the price. I had people bidding £50 for what is a £20 T-shirt, and £20 for some £6 hats. "I don't trade on eBay full time, but saying that, I have to work only two days a week in a bank thanks to my earnings on the site. It more than covers all the extras like clothes shopping." Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:20:10 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/ebay-niche-products-books-toy-soldiers-and-clothes/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/ebay-niche-products-books-toy-soldiers-and-clothes/A really easy one this... Just over a month ago Cadbury's re-released the Wispa for a limited time. They are selling for about 40p in the shops but such is the demand across the UK they are going for double that on eBay. Not a massive amount to be made but if your local newsagent will sell you a box of 48 they are going for about £45. Even better if you live near a cash and carry...Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:41:47 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/cadburys-wispa-bars/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/cadburys-wispa-bars/Anyone would think that Nintendo are deliberately holding back stock to beef up interest before Christmas! First the Wii and now the DS lite is in short supply so prices are eBay are reaching up to £100 above the RRP especially for the Pink version. Might be worth look in your local shops... Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:40:04 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/nintendo-ds-lite-christmas-stock/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/nintendo-ds-lite-christmas-stock/Just a quick one - the latest Optimus Prime toy by Hasbro which currently retails for £29.99 in places like Woolworths and Toys R Us or $39.99 in the States is currently selling on eBay for up to £60, presumably to parents who haven't got the time to traipse round the shops looking for one this Christmas. If you move fast this will be well worth buying a few and selling on if you live near a toy shop.Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:20:33 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/optimus-prime-transformer-movie-leader/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/optimus-prime-transformer-movie-leader/The perfect game for wiling away the hours on school coach trips, which is about as far as this game goes for most people but a quick look on eBay sees that there is a thriving collectors market for these. So if you have got a few old sets at the back of a drawer at home they might be worth a couple of quid. Recently sold sets include: TV SERIES 24 with Gunmetal Holder - £250 1980's HEROES & VILLAINS - £50 1977 Marvel Top Trumps - Super Heroes - £38 Top Trumps, Turbo Cars. Inc Gun Metal Holder - £36 TOP TRUMPS MYSTERIES - £35 VINTAGE HORROR TOP TRUMPS 1970'S - £35 WINNING MOVES PORSCHE TOP TRUMPS - £29 Top Trumps Creepy Crawlies - £21 Crystal Ski Peak Trumps - £20 Super Heroes - £20 Top Trumps Horror Set - £20 Fantasy Heroes and Warriors - £20 Devils Priest = £20 Anything else from the 1970's and 80's usually goes for at least £10 if the set is complete A number of recent packs have also featured Super Top Trump (STT) cards. These additional cards are not available with the original pack, but can usually be found in related merchandise on their own. Some are particularly rare and don't come up very often but the following have all sold on eBay recently. These are for ONE card, not the whole pack, just a single playing card...!! Super Top Trump African Penguin - £107 Super Top Trump AFRICAN LION White Border - £104 Super Top Trump Broad nose Seven gill Shark - £87 Super Top Trump Napoleon Wrasse - £77 Super Top Trump CAPE FUR SEAL – £57 DR WHO JOTASTAR 1978 Single card - £31 Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:53:35 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/top-trumps/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/top-trumps/Do you sell fake goods on eBay? Are you thinking of selling counterfeit brands? Here is an instersting post and a word or warning from 'Stolt' on the MoneySavingExpert webiste... "I actually did this , made a bit of money but i got more hassle than it was worth, i figured that the people that wanted the fakes would never by or could never buy the real deal and therefore i was offering a service. The trouble was if i put fake in the auction then it would get pulled if i put genuine i always ended up getting someone bidding when they actually thought the item was genuine that they were then upset because they were duped and wanted refunds etc etc, the threat of the police or ebay never bothered me. I use to sell the lot; bags, clothes, watches etc etc all very good fakes, the irony was that i would sell fakes to buy the real stuff!! I got lucky i actually bought aload of evisu jeans (can easily sell upto 300-400 pounds in shops) and i had my auctions pulled and contacted by evisu and threatend with court etc etc, i then got another call and promised that no further action would be taken if i give up my evisu items, the stupid thing is i actually went to the office with all my items and handed them in and talk to a regional manager about fakes etc and two weeks later i was offered a job!! (couldn't make it up could you) and my job is spotting fakes on ebay, market stalls, boot sales in and around London for evisu. I've successfully put 3 people through court this year and 15 last year just for selling evisu fake clothes. evisu protect their copyright very heavily but there are other brands that don't do so, and i originally latched onto this idea that there were brands that could be sold without the hassle. i could go on ebay now and spot probably 30 odd bags from a well known brand going for 50.00 pound when we all know they sell for 900 pound in the shops. at the end of the day its your choice, but trust me there are legal things out there that you can make decent money on, fakes are not the way forward. the money you give to your supplier goes much deeper than a chinnese guy in a factory, the money is fed into other areas of crime and abuse. and if you decide to sell evisu items.... i'll be on your case... and with my job i can get a court order to force ebay to hand your details over to me, although I usually only have to sign a statement declaring what you could be doing and i can have your details just like that, and i don't always make myself known straight away, sometimes i like to watch what you do for a while and determine if your a big fish or just small fry (either way i take pride in ensuring that there are no fakes of evisu items on ebay), ebay wont remove items on there own, its only when the brand owner notifies them or another ebay member reports it. I hope i've managed to persuade you not to go down this route, i was lucky but i think i had the gift of the gab and managed to talk my way out of trouble." Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:40:15 +0000http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/selling-fakes-on-ebay/http://www.ebaygoldmine.org/home/selling-fakes-on-ebay/