shopgoodwill.com

Shopgoodwill.com is one of the first online auction sites created for a nonprofit organization. Even though it is based out of Santa Ana, California its goods come from goodwills across the United States. It offer everything you would find in your local goodwill plus more! Not only can you find some really cool new or used items it also benefits a great cause through a reputable organization.

How to navigate through the vast array of items:

If your like me you probably can not stand to dig through all the racks of random items at your local goodwill to find exactly what your looking for. Shopgoodwill.com brings every goodwill across the country straight to your computer!

Source: http://www.shopgoodwill.com/help/AboutShopgoodwill.asp

Top 10 Online Auctions

http://online-auction-sites.toptenreviews.com/

1. eBay
2. WebStore
3. eBid
4. OnlineAuction
5. OZtion
6. Overstock
7. WeBidz
8. CQout
9. uBid
10. ePier

This site gives a ton of information about each of the top 10 online auction sites. It also gives a breakdown of fees, selling, buying, reliability/security, and help/support. Each site varies drastically. I had never heard of some of these sites, although I have participated in online auctions multiple times. The reviews give the pros and cons of each auction, which was really informative for me. This is a great resource for anyone who has currently uses online auctions or is thinking about trying one out. I just always assumed eBay was the best one to use which it is in terms of ratings, but I learned they have higher fees than most online auctions sites. This site helps find the best online auction site for each particular person.

Source: http://online-auction-sites.toptenreviews.com/

Online Auctions Benefiting Charities

An interesting way charities and nonprofits can raise mega bucks is through online auctions.
Some charities have started to auction services and items with celebrity status as a quick way of raising large amounts of money. For example, TV channel American Movie Classics hosted a both online and traditional auction on July 12, 2013 where they raised money for the Film Foundation. At this auction, one of the surviving Cowardly Lion suits from the film The Wizard of Oz was sold. This suit's approximate value is $434,000!

http://www.trbimg.com/img-513a63d3/turbine/la-la-et-cowardly-lion-costume-jpg-20130308/600/600x500
Another example includes, It's A Wrap Production Wardrobe Sales in conjunction with Yahoo! auctions and actress Lucy Lawless raising money by selling memorabilia from the Xena Warrior Princess tv show. Together they raised roughly $240,000 for the Childhelp USA National child Abuse Hotline in two weeks.
A last example is, Apple CEO Tim Cook auctioning coffee and conversation with him at Apple's campus in Cupertino in order to raise money for Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. The auction held in May 2013, concluded with a bid of $610,000.


Posted by: Diana Ritchie
Sources:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/14/4331304/coffee-with-tim-cook-fetches-610000-charity-auction
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/t/story?id=98417&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Online art auctions

In class and through our  blog, we have covered online auctions and the items you can buy on them. We mentioned houses, collectibles, movie costumes and props, and some other things, for this blog post, however I want to focus on the art market. Companies like Artnet are making this possible. Online art auctions are becoming a thing as more people are collecting works of art and as more people make purchases online. Art auctions are a plus because they allow people to enter a generally prestigious group with barriers to entry. The article "A Resurgence in Art Buying Over the Web" mentions Ronald Sledge, an unlikely art collector who is gaining an impressive collection through online auctions.
Posted below is the link to Artnet's website if you want to check it out.
https://www.artnet.com/price-database/?1&gclid=CKr74fDiq7oCFRGi4AodmSEAYg

Posted by: Diana Ritchie
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/arts/design/artnet-has-online-art-sales-success.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Bid4Homes

 You can buy anything online in today's time, even a house!



http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Embracing-Young-Couple-Who-Have-Just-Bought-a-House-Posters_i3724738_.htm


There is a great website Bid4homes.com that sells things from real estate to cars and even jewelry. The website gives you several different categories to choose from including residential and commercial real estate. Online auctions provide investors with the opportunity to find undervalued properties or properties than can be an ongoing asset.




http://www.allmyfaves.com/blog/shopping/bidkat-an-online-auction-thats-actually-better-than-ebay/

The site makes it easy for buyers to communicate with sellers. Sellers love these auctions because it makes the process relatively quick. It is also a plus that managers of this site work with the sellers to help negotiate prices with the bidders. The managers have the ability to satisfy both buyer and seller.

Bid4Homes, and its sister website Bid4Assets.com, has sold more than 50,000 properties since 1999.


Source
http://www.realtytrac.com/content/news-and-opinion/online-auctions-good-for-buyers-and-sellers-3959

How to Start Selling through Online Auctions

There are eight steps to follow when you think about selling on an online auction. The competition is serious and your product can get lost in thousands of other listings.

Step 1: Select the site that is best for your product. You shouldn't choose an auction that already sells your same product or something similar. It's all about making the most profit!

Step 2: Choose your product. Will it be a one-of-a-kind product or something you can sell in bulk? You have to consider the demand for your product.

Step 3: Choose a listing option. Your product can be shown in a regular listing which is the most common. You can do reserve price listing, which means you have reserved the item at the price that you think it should sell for. You can also use "Dutch auctions" or get your item featured through the site's homepage.

Step 4: Choose a category. It should be specific enough that your item can be easily found.

Step 5: Create your ad. Be specific and try to motivate your bidders. Don't forget photos! People don't want to buy what they can't see.

Step 6: Establish trust. Keep a good feedback rating by delivering exactly what you advertised in a timely manner. Answer questions immediately and be honest.

Step 7: Get exposure. Post your ad in other places and give good customer service because word of mouth is powerful.

Step 8: Test it! Always keep your listing updated and see what works best.



Source:
 http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/online-auctions