The following is our recent interview with Ebay:

Ebay Motors In The Field
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How One eBay Seller Keeps on Truckin'
Texas seems a good place to get a truck; perhaps it's the size thing. David Nichols is an eBay PowerSeller who lives in the big state but sells across the country--and around the world--thanks to eBay. Dealing in unique and hard-to-find trucks and cars, the staff of four sells some 20 to 30 cars each month, without a car lot. "It's great for us because we have such freedom. As long as there's a computer and a phone, I'm in business," says David.

"I've been in the car business for a long time," says David who registered on eBay in 2001. "eBay seemed to be the way of the future. Over the year and half that followed, I kept moving more business there. Now, all of our stuff is in a 18,000-square-foot warehouse, and we do all of our business through eBay."

Only on eBay!
David was among the first users of CARad , an eBay Certified Developer for automotive listings and listing management. "It's extremely easy," David reports.  He values CARad for their user-friendly, straightforward listings. "Keep it simple," is his watchword.  "I also like CARad because you can include a lot of pictures, and that's something you want to do. Being able to include 35 pictures makes a big difference."

David's preferred listing format is an auction with a reserve and Buy It Now . "I keep the Buy It Now prices reasonable," David emphasizes. "If people see a high Buy It Now, they assume that's also the reserve price." David encourages bids by starting auctions low, but he isn't overly concerned with the number of bids so long as he gets an acceptable price for the cars he sells. With his combination of reserve prices, auctions and Buy It Now, sales usually work out to his satisfaction.

"I'm a member of every group eBay has," says David. Participating in credentialing programs increases buyer trust in his experience, so he includes logos in each listing for Condition Guarantee and Square Trade Verified Seller along with his company logo. He also includes links for his preferred shipping providers, eBay Motor's Financing Center  among others. "It has to be a scary feeling to mail $15,000 to someone. People sometimes won't read the whole listing, but they will read the stuff about me to see that we're for real.

Best Practices
Helping customers feel comfortable bidding and buying is key to David's success. "My average buyer has bought very little on eBay," he notes. "I often help them sign up. Keeping things as simple as I can seems to help, too. For listings, I include 35 pictures, but they're small photos that you can pull up on at a time. That's good for people who are on dial-up connections. I'm all for helping everybody who tries to use eBay. The more people I can help succeed, the more it grows as a way for me to do business."

In addition, careful research and attention to the market are important. "The market is constantly changing. You have to keep an eye on what's selling and figure out what your customers want."