Seminar teaches how to use eBay

No one around here plans to sell Virgin Mary cheese toast, tissue used by Paul McCartney or a wad of gum chewed by Britney Spears.

But they definitely want a piece of the action on eBay.

More than 400 people with stuff to sell gathered at the Spokane Convention Center on Saturday to attend eBay University, a traveling seminar designed to teach people how to sell items and even expand their businesses by using the world’s largest online shopping site.

“This is really exciting for us,” said Patty Pomeroy, who traveled from Richland to attend the class. As the owner of Pet Care Specialties, a store specializing in holistic pet supplies, Pomeroy was looking to reach a larger market by offering her products online.

Last year, eBay had more than 125 million registered users in 29 countries, said Jack Waddick, an instructor for eBay University. That’s up by 30 million people from 2003. The site also had 1 billion listings last year.

Every minute, a digital camera sells on eBay, he said, and a forklift is sold every four hours.

“People want things in our drawers, closets, trunks … and they will pay for these things,” said Waddick, as he stood on stage in front of a giant screen that said, “Welcome to the World of eBay Selling.”

People shelled out $69 to attend one of two daylong courses: Selling Basics, which offered tips and detailed instructions on how to list items for sale; and Beyond the Basics, for those who want to embark on an eBay business.

The classes are offered throughout the country by teachers who also make a living selling on eBay, said Steve Lindhorst, a Michigan-based eBay University instructor who has sold posters, car parts and even a pickup truck on eBay. This was eBay University’s second visit to Spokane.

Most of the people in the beginner’s class had experience buying things on eBay, but only a few had sold items online. When Waddick asked if some in the audience had never used eBay, about 10 people raised their hands.

So they listened as Waddick told them about some of his garage sale finds and how he made a killing reselling them on eBay. He talked about security, starting a seller’s account and the need to do some research before listing an item for sale. He highlighted the components of a good listing and how to use digital photographs. He also gave pointers on how to avoid negative feedback and how to earn “stars” that show you have a good reputation and that buyers can trust you.

The courses are designed to help eBay users feel more comfortable selling items online, Lindhorst said. Over the years, he has seen all kinds of people taking the classes – from entrepreneurial 20-year-olds and moms who want more time to stay at home with their kids to seniors looking for a new hobby.

And for some, the hobby becomes a career. Lindhorst said as many as 430,000 people in the United States earn at least half or as much as their entire income through eBay sales.

Many who came to eBay University on Saturday were looking to clean out their closets and make a little extra cash. Some needed a job or had dreams of becoming their own boss. Others wanted to sell their products to clients beyond the Inland Northwest.

“I believe this will change my business,” said Roger Lindblom, owner of PCTune, a computer company in North Idaho. “EBay will let me compete globally instead of just sitting in my store in Post Falls.”

Judi Vogel – who sells jewelry, appliqués and other “bling bling” specific to belly dancing and Middle Eastern dance – said she, too, needed another outlet for her wares. Proceeds from her sales benefit the Nah’Joom Dancers, a belly dancing group in Spokane that performs at a variety of cultural events.

“We needed to learn how to sell on eBay,” she said. “We had no choice.”