Review: eBay for Dummies

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A Book Review
by Linda McNeil

eBay4D Title: eBay for Dummies

Author: Marsha Collier

Price: $21.99

Publisher:
Wiley Publishing, 2004 (reprint of 2002)

ISBN: 0-7645-5654-1

Media: Book, with no CD

Interest Level: anyone interested

Overall Rating: Average (3 out of 5)

Content:
The book is divided into several sections to make understanding the eBay complexities easier. In the first section the author presents the benefits of online buying, all about auctions, setting up your own private page, and eBay's role in the action.

Section II helps the readers understand the hows and whys of doing research, shopping ebay, placing bids, power-bidding strategies, and how to pay for it all.

Section III helps the eBay users evaluate what they are buying and selling. There are hints on timing your auction, choosing categories, closing the deal, eBay fees, troubleshooting your auction, and using pictures to the best advantage for your auction.

Section IV covers the special features such as privacy, spam, the rules and protection set up by eBay.

In the last section you will find a list of "Golden Rules for eBay buyers and sellers" as well as some programs and services to make it easier to use Bay .

The appendices included provide additional information of interest to the eBay user.

Strengths:
The chapters are highly structured and designed to meet the needs of beginners and intermediate users. The advanced user is not left out because the chapter is structured so that the advanced procedures or extra techniques are identified with icons such as "Tips", "Warning", and "Remember".

The author presents the information in such a way that the reader will understand what to do, how to do it, and why it is done. The reader's ease of use will also be facilitated by a good index, clear crisp b/w graphics, and a book whose size is easy to hold.

Another strength is the availability of eTips at dummies.com. This provides the reader with a way to stay abreast of the changes pertaining to eBay.

Weaknesses: :
After reading several chapters, I realized that I had already read the book. I retrieved my 2002 version of the book only to discover that almost every chapter was word for word , the same as this latest edition. The new edition had the screen shots updated but the same comments. The layout person added more white space and bigger graphics to change the page count. The 2004 edition cut out the 2002 Appendix A explaining how to use eBay on the cheap by going to the local library and they added an Appendix that explained "Ramping up your eBay Business."

Comments:
After serious consideration I have to say I was very disappointed with this book. Had I bought it, I would have felt cheated since it has so little new information. I personally got more out of reading Jim Heid and Tony Malina's book, Sell it on eBay: TechTV's Guide to Creating Successful eBay Auctions (Paperback, $24.99). If the reader wants something more on the light side Christopher Cihlar's The Grilled Cheese Madonna and 99 Other of the Weirdest, Wackiest, Most Famous eBay Auctions Ever (2006, $9.95) will do the job.

However, if you do not already have reading material about eBay, it is not such a bad deal. Just keep in mind that the copyright date is 2004 (already two years old) and nothing major was changed from the 2002 edition. In a world where things are changing so rapidly you begin to wonder what you have missed.

Reviewer: Linda McNeil is a Pa. media specialist. She has a master's degree in Library/Media and Curriculum development. For the past 30+ years she has reviewed books and audiovisual materials for a TriState YA Reviewing group in Southeast PA. In addition, Linda teaches several online and classroom courses to adults/teachers for the PA Dept. of Education. Linda is also a professional artist.

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