Amazon Salon

If you are running an Internet business and you use eBay as your auction site, you may be surprised to know that both buyers and sellers are boycotting the site and moving to alternate places to do business

2008 was a difficult year for eBay with sellers leaving in droves because of complaints against this auction giant.

But what can the thousands of people who have turned their tiny cottage industries into profitable businesses using eBay do? If you are one of the multitude of people who are getting frustrated with trying to build a profitable business using eBay, there are other places you can go.

—Amazon.com has a marketplace, aptly called Amazon Marketplace that allows sellers to list items for free. Unlike doing business with eBay, sellers at Amazon only pay commissions on actual sales made. Items that Amazon allows are limited to the items it already sells, but Amazon seems to be expanding this list daily. However, you are competing not only with others also trying to sell their items, but with Amazon itself. Still, it is an alternative if you are one of the small business owners who have decided that eBay is not for you.

—Bidville is another site that allows sellers to list any item they have for sale. Depending on the actual final sale price, sellers will pay a commission of 5 percent or less.

—If you make your own items, such as jewelry or other craft-time products, Etsy.com might be a good alternative. It’s “the place to sell all things homemade,” according to the site. Etsy charges a 20 cent listing fee, as well as a 3.5 percent sales commission.

—Overstock.com also has an auction area with listings for almost any kind of product. Overstock charges fees that are based the percentage of the selling price and also offers a way for buyers to purchase an item outright without bidding.

—There are also online classified sites such as Craigslist which have become very popular. Though most people use these sites to get rid of things around the house, they are becoming more popular with home-based business owners. The listings are free, you don’t pay fees, but you do have to deal directly with customers.

In your search for a new auction site, there are things to consider before you begin to sell:

—Research price. Make sure you’re not the highest-priced item. See what others are charging for the same item. If you are selling via an auction, setting a reserve price that is too high will only discourage bidding.

—Take the time to thoroughly research your product. Although all business carries an element of risk, the last thing you want is to be stuck with a garage full of some product that is not selling any longer. —Sell stuff that sells. Sell hot items that continue to be hot! Women’s plus size clothing is a solid seller, and on the other side of the coin, exercise equipment and weight loss aids also do well. Designer clothing, sunglasses, handbags and other items also do consistently well—even if they’re knock-offs (which should be disclosed).