the IRS ruled that third-party payment processors such as EBay’s PayPal service do not need to collect taxpayer identification numbers or withhold taxes from sellers who have 200 or fewer transactions in a year.

Here’s the IRS notification…

A large number Ebay sales folks were about to have to try to unload their products on another platform like Craigslist as a result of this ruling and, of course, that could hurt their business and Ebay’s. If the items were personal use items, they might not have even been subject to tax, but the broad ruling made no such distinction (how could Ebay know for sure anyway?).

At 200 transactions a year, you’re selling about one item per business day on average. Unless y0u’re making $500 to $1,000 profit per item, it’s probably a nice little side income or part of a larger business mix. It may not be “net income” at all actually but the law made no distinction. Having to move from Ebay to Craigslist would have definitely reduced the odds of linking to customers in my opinion and hurt these businesses. Thankfully everyone got a reprieve!

Related Item (affiliate link): Want to sell your ebay items on Facebook? Here’s how….

It’s about what they consider their “Accepted Business Model”. The things that stood out for me were:

*Publishers may only place links and/or promotional content on sites they own. Affiliate links on third party sites such as Craigslist, MySpace, etc. are not allowed.

*You will not redirect any traffic to middle servers for the sole purpose of masking your referring source of traffic. This includes the use of URL shortening services (including but not limited to tinyurl.com, short.to and cloakedlink.com).

Ok, I understand the concept in general.

But why on earth would they stop someone with an affiliate account from seeking traffic from MySpace or another third party site? I can see how posting Ebay affiliate links on Craigslist would probably violate Craigslist’s terms of service, but bands and local businesses could have a presence on MySpace (the site seems pretty well ranked for some local search keywords). Why not link to items they don’t sell on Ebay?

I can see why you wouldn’t from the affiliate’s point of view… hand posting individual links that may constantly change would be a time consuming nightmare. But I don’t see Ebay’s complaint on the surface of things.

How do you react to these new changes? Will they affect your ebay business?

Have you recently learned that you can make money with mini storage auctions? If so, you may be excited. Yes, storage unit auctions are a relatively easy way to make money, but there are some risks involved. You may walk away with a pile of “junk,” instead of valuables. Speaking of junk, you may be curious what you could do with it.

Before outlining a few of the many ways that you can deal with junk you acquire from a mini storage auction, it is important to look at the meaning. What do you think “junk,” is? It is a word that has many different meanings and these meanings may have an impact on your actions.

If your find boxes filled with personal information, such as financial documents, this is something that you may classify as junk. Why? Because you cannot resell it for a profit. Your first step should be to turn it over to the storage company. If they do not accept these documents or if you do not notice them until later on, properly discard of them or return them to their rightful owner if a current address is available on them.

Stained clothes are another item that is commonly referred to as trash or junk. Yes, but can you use them? Do you or someone you know sew? Cut out the good parts of the clothes and save them. You can give them away or even sell them. If you end up with a box full of fabric scraps, someone who is crafty may pay for them.

Donating to charity is another option. Most think of junk as things that are broken, but do you just have something that you cannot resell for a profit? Like a used rake. This can be sold at a yard sale, but are you having one? If you opt to resell online, you may not have use for this item. That doesn’t mean that it should be thrown away. Instead, donate to a charity.

Directly following a mini storage auction, you may start storing through your newly acquired merchandise. If you can create a trash pile right away, do so. See if you can dump it onsite. This typically isn’t allowed, but ask. Some storage owners will let you dispose of small things in their dumpster for a fee. This may be cheaper than visiting your local junkyard.

Speaking of junkyards, this is an option. Anything that is broken, cannot be fixed, cannot be resold for a profit, or cannot be donated to a charity, should be thrown away. When possible, visit the dumpsite for your local city or county. This can reduce your fees, as some charge non-residents more money for dumping.

Finally, you always have the option of giving items away for free. Are you hosting a yard sale? If so have a section for your free stuff. Many people like to fix and resell broken furniture and appliances. Those who enjoy gardening or who have active kids may take free clothes, even with small stains. For large items, like a broken piece of furniture, leave by the road with a free sign if your town allows.

If you try to give away items that you refer to as junk, it is best to do so at a yard sale. You can, however, try Craigslist.org. It is free for you to make a listing. Take a picture of your free stuff and let people set up appointments to see it. This will cost you time, but it will save you money in garbage disposal fees, which can be high for large items. When giving away free stuff, never offer to delivery it yourself.

As highlighted above, you have a number of different options when looking to dispose of items that you cannot profit from. However, keep in mind that how you dispose of those items can dip into your profits as well. That is why it is usually recommended that you try to dispose of these items free of charge first.

For more information check out Amazon.com

Do you want to make money buying and reselling items bought from a storage unit auction? If so, you are not alone. Many are finding self-storage actions to be an easy way to make a profit.

If you have never attended a storage unit auction before, you may be curious what you need to do in preparation. Please continue reading on for a few helpful tips.

The day before or the morning of the auction, contact the company. You will want make sure that auction is still set as scheduled. If you have to travel far, this will save you a wasted trip. Some people will make good on their overdue bill to save their stuff, even at the last minute. This may result in an auction cancellation.

Most importantly, get cash and have plenty of it. Once you attend your first mini storage auction, you will see how much great stuff is available for bidding. Yes, you don’t always get to see or inspect those items up-close and personal, but you may get caught up in the moment of bidding. You may want to place multiple bids. Rarely are credit cards or checks accepted

It is also important to plan on winning. Yes, you may not, but always have a plan set in place. You only get a set number of hours, which may be less than 24, to remove your winnings. If you don’t already own a truck or van, can you gain access to one? Additional moving supplies are recommended as well, including work gloves, plastic tarps, and cushions.

As previously stated, you will want to plan on placing a winning bid. This means creating a plan of action, in terms of what to do with your recently purchased merchandise. Although this plan can wait until after you win, it is best to have a generalized idea. Why? Because the sooner you can resell the items, the sooner you can make a profit. It also reduces the clutter around your home, as you won’t need a place to store it if it is already gone.

If you win the contents of a whole store unit at an auction, start sorting right away. You will end up with “junk,” that you just want to throw away. Stop by the junkyard on your way home. In some rare cases, the storage company may have a dumpster onsite. If you use it, be prepared to pay a small fee, but it is a convenient way to quickly get rid of garbage.

In addition to items that are considered junk, in terms of quality, you may come across personal items. They are useless to you. Turn them over to storage company. If they do not accept them, you should properly dispose of them in a quick, yet safe matter. Contacting the original renters is possible, but you may run into problems. If you offer to give back their family photographs, they may try to get everything else back too.

Once you get all of the items home, resort them again. This is best done as soon as you unload. Create three different piles. What do you want to keep? What do you want to resell? What can you donate to charity?

You will also want to determine ahead of time how you plan to resell these goods. This is important, as it can have an impact on your storage or where you unload them to. If you plan to sell on eBay, take the items into your home so that you can clean them and take pictures. If you intend to sell at a yard sale, leave them in a convenient location, such as your garage.

As previously stated, you can make money reselling merchandise you bought at a mini storage auction, but it can be risky. There is always a chance that you will walk away disappointed. If and when that times comes, try again. Remember, the more merchandise you buy at mini storage auctions, the more your chances of profiting increase.

For more information check out Amazon.com:

Let’s face it… at most Mini Storage Auctions, you might be buying a pig in a poke since you can’t check everything out thoroughly in advance usually. How do you know what to bid? Here are some more tips on doing that which I consider helpful for the beginner. Remember because you are getting a variety of items from books to clothes to TV’s you will have to have a clue how to evaluate the worth of everything you find. Having X ray vision to look into boxes would help too! I’m not sure how you get that! Let’s get started with what we DO know…

With a small amount of investigative work on your part, you can increase your chances of buying items that you can resell for a profit.

Most importantly, choose your auctions wisely. Many will outright state in newspaper classified ads if they are selling sealed bins. Sealed bins mean you do not get to see what is inside, usually you aren’t even given a peek. However, some storage companies auction off whole storage bays. These bays are usually open when you arrive. Although you may not be able to step inside and look around, you can get a good idea of what you would be buying just by standing outside.

First and foremost, look for name brands. You may assume this is difficult as most clothes are packed away. Remember that furniture and household appliances have name brands as well. Do you see a vacuum? Is it a brand you don’t recognize or a Dyson? Dyson vacuum cleaners can fetch up to $500 or more when new!

In addition to outright being able to profit from the resale of name brand products, you can also use them to estimate the other contents inside, especially those in boxes. Someone who purchases a Dyson vacuum cleaner tends to concentrate more on quality than costs. Quality products, especially those in good shape, usually generate the biggest profits when resold.

When using self-storage unit auctions to make money, you are typically told to avoid personal items, but you can also use them to your advantage. Do you see a wedding dress or a tuxedo hanging in the unit? These two items are nice because they can be sold if in good condition, but it is also a sign. You may have found someone who likes to save their family treasures, some of which could be valuable.

Many will also recommend avoiding storage units that are filled with boxes. Yes, they can be risky, but there are a few signs that you can and should look for. Are the boxes small or large in size? Smaller boxes are likely to hold family photographs and important financial documents, but they can also house jewelry and other small valuables. Look for boxes with moving company names and logos.

If you can get a good view of the boxes inside the unit, examine their seals. Have the boxes been left taped? If so, it is a sign that the items inside were not needed. This may signify a situation where two households were combined into one. As for boxes that are opened and then resealed, use your best judgment. The opening and resealing may signify need. In these types of boxes, you are more likely to find financial documents than valuables.

You will also want to rely heavily on your best judgment. In situations that involve a small amount of risk, like bidding at a public storage auction, your gut instincts can tell you a lot. If you suspect that you may walk away from an auction feeling disappointed, hold off on bidding. As the economy struggles, more consumers are falling behind on their bills. As unfortunate as this is, it means that you should have many more chances to walk away a winner at a mini storage auction.

The above mentioned points are all points that you will want to take into consideration. Unless you are bidding on a sealed bin or a closed storage unit, you should be able to get a feel for the items that are inside. Remember, your goal is to resell those items for a profit. Always be on the lookout for valuables, items that are in need, and name brand products.

For more information check out Amazon.com:

With the economy tanking, people are going to let their mini storage rents go. The owners will have no choice but to auction off the contents to collect the rents they’ve lost and get new renters. This is a way for people in the “know” to profit.

Are you looking to make money with storage unit auctions? If you are, your goal is to make money with the reselling of bought goods. Although anyone can make a profit this way, you may want to familiarize yourself with some helpful tips and tricks. Start with expenses and chances of making a sale, as they are two very important points that you must take into consideration.

As for limiting your expenses, remember your goal is to make a profit. You stand to make money when you spend less of it. To get started, save money at mini storage auctions. Know that not all units are going to have $100,000 worth of merchandise inside. In fact, very few will. That is why you will want to bid accordingly. Bring a flashlight and quickly look inside. Do you see anything valuable, any antiques or name brand products? These items are worth more, so you can bid higher.

Next, it is important to limit your expenses during the reselling process. Selling on eBay is nice, but you are charged fees. These fees get larger and accumulate with the more items you list. Therefore, you may only want to sell certain items on eBay. Items that may only sell for a dollar or two may be the perfect fit for a yard sale. In fact, a yard sale is nice, as the biggest expense is your time. A newspaper classified ad is required, but they usually cost less than $5. Of course, there is Craigslist.org where you can list items for sale free of charge!

As highlighted above, yard sales, eBay, and Craigslist are just a few of the many ways that you can resell items you bought at a storage unit auction. To determine what your chances of making a sale are, you need to look at popularity. If you live in a high trafficked location and advertise your yard sale, you can get hundreds of shoppers. Craigslist is increasing in popularity, so your listings may receive the same number of views.

In keeping with gaining access to shoppers, eBay is often your best bet. This is because eBay is known as the best online marketplace. Millions of consumers use the website to buy and sell goods. Also, note that buyers pay to have their items shipped, unless a pickup has been arranged. Due to shipping and its popularity, you not only get to target local shoppers, but those all across the country. This is what, usually, makes the eBay fees worth it for certain items.

Before you resell any of your winnings from a mini storage auction, closely examine everything. Check the pockets of all clothing to look for money or small pieces of jewelry. Next, examine antiques or anything that looks old. Check online to see if these items are valuable. Remember, you want to make a profit. You can’t do this if you unknowingly sell a vase worth $300 for $5 at a yard sale.

If you believe you have an antique on your hands, you may wish to have it appraised. Generally, you are urged against visiting antique dealers. Not all, but some will give you a low appraisal, but then turn around and offer to the buy item for you. This is a huge sign that you may be taken advantage of. If you live in or around a large city, your major auction houses may have certain days where they appraise goods, sometimes free of charge. Yes, they may want you to sell your item at one of their auctions, but if you do they want you to get the highest amount as it means a bigger fee for them.

Whatever step you take, concerning mini storage auctions, remember your main goal is to make money. This involves making your purchases wisely and choosing the best method of reselling. If you are just getting started, this may involve trial and error, but know there are ways for you to make a profit. You can easily make $1,000 or more on the contents of each storage unit you purchase.

For more information check out Amazon.com:

Do you want to use mini storage auctions as a way to make money? If so, money is made with the reselling of merchandise won at an auction. How you resell your merchandise can have an impact on your profits, but your biggest potential for making money starts at mini storage auctions. To increase your chances of making money, avoid these common mistakes.

Traveling too far. It is said that the more storage unit auctions you attend, the better your chances are for making a profit. Yes, this is true, but you shouldn’t have to travel two or more hours to attend these auctions, unless you know they will be large in size. With the high cost of gasoline, you may find the best luck staying local. The good news is that if you live in a large city, you may hear of a different mini storage auction taking place every weekend!

Arriving late. If you seriously want to make money with mini storage auctions, arrive early. At the very least, arrive ten minutes before the auction is scheduled to start. Although you may not be able to inspect the items up for bid, you can still improve your chances of getting a sale. You can scout out the competition.

Not asking questions. Not asking questions is something that can hurt you. As previously stated, only travel two hours or more to attend auctions that are large in size. Unfortunately, you may not know without first asking. Also, call ahead to verify that the auction has not been cancelled. Ask what the accepted methods of payment are and how the bidding process works. Are you bidding on sealed storage bins or whole storage bays?

Bidding too high on blind bids. As previously stated, you may either bid on a sealed bin or a whole storage bay. Many times, the units are opened, giving you a quick look inside. When it comes to closed storage units or sealed bins, bid, but keep the risk in mind. While most storage units are packed full, some may only hold one box in the corner. This is particularly true if the renters had the chance to remove items before the auction.

Not bringing a flashlight. If the storage units you are bidding on will be opened, you may be granted a quick peek inside. This peek may only last 10 seconds. So, bring a flashlight so that you can see.

Not knowing what to look for. If you want to make money with mini storage auctions, it is important to know what you can profit from reselling. You are always taking a gamble, but you can make that gamble less risky. Furniture and household appliances are good items to resell and they are easy to spot. Look for name brand products. Look for boxes that are labeled with their destinations, like kitchen, bedroom, or living room.

Thinking you will get rich right away. Since mini storage auctions do rely on a lot of luck, there is a possibility that you will make a profit with your first auction, but that doesn’t always happen. Remember, the more items you buy, the better your chances of making a profit are. If you lose money the first time around, know you can make a huge profit the next time.

For more information check out Amazon.com:

You can read her sales page here (affiliate link): Summer Toy Guide

I’ll let her describe it in her own words, but I think the logic is sound. Toys sell at the best prices during the upcoming holiday season. NOW is the time to get inventory from yard sales and thrift stores that go for pennies and can be resold for significant markups when there is a more active, hungry market for the items as Christmas approaches and the bargain hunters come out of the woodwork:

EBay sellers are frustrated this time of year because many markets go into a summer slump. Used toys ARE SELLING right now with huge profit margins!

Look at this email I just got from Heather – she just made over $200 on ONE USED TOY AUCTION a couple
of weeks ago!

“I just wanted to drop you a note and let you know, just how much you have helped me. I bought your
Holiday Toy Guide and did very well with the information that you supplied. After the new toy market
dropped in January, I was at a loss.

Thanks to your persistance in sending me new information about selling used toys, I have found my niche.
I have started garage selling and am absolutely hooked! Now, if I could just get enough time in the day to
list all the great deals I have gotten. I bought a Playmobil house with lots of accessories at a garage sale for $20. It just sold Sunday for $238.50. Woohoo! I have bought the Summer Toy selling guide and hope to find lots more great deals.

Thanks so much! – Heather”

The Summer Toy Guide comes with a downloadable ebook with strategies and tips for selling used toys -
but, honestly, the real value is in e weekly report that is emailed out.

The regular price for 3 month’s of weekly reports is $45… but, the Summer Toy Guide includes 3 months
and is only $27. Not to mention all of the other goodies in the Summer Toy Guide package.

You can read her sales page here (affiliate link): Summer Toy Guide Check it out if this sounds like a market you want to tap into!

You can go to the site right now and see a list of current sellers.

It’s a legitimate $70 value for $27!

You can read her sales page here (affiliate link): Summer Toy Guide

I’ll let her describe it in her own words, but I think the logic is sound. Toys sell at the best prices during the upcoming holiday season. NOW is the time to get inventory from yard sales and thrift stores that go for pennies and can be resold for significant markups when there is a more active, hungry market for the items as Christmas approaches and the bargain hunters come out of the woodwork:

EBay sellers are frustrated this time of year because many markets go into a summer slump. Used toys ARE SELLING right now with huge profit margins!

Look at this email I just got from Heather – she just made over $200 on ONE USED TOY AUCTION a couple
of weeks ago!

“I just wanted to drop you a note and let you know, just how much you have helped me. I bought your
Holiday Toy Guide and did very well with the information that you supplied. After the new toy market
dropped in January, I was at a loss.

Thanks to your persistance in sending me new information about selling used toys, I have found my niche.
I have started garage selling and am absolutely hooked! Now, if I could just get enough time in the day to
list all the great deals I have gotten. I bought a Playmobil house with lots of accessories at a garage sale for $20. It just sold Sunday for $238.50. Woohoo! I have bought the Summer Toy selling guide and hope to find lots more great deals.

Thanks so much! – Heather”

The Summer Toy Guide comes with a downloadable ebook with strategies and tips for selling used toys -
but, honestly, the real value is in e weekly report that is emailed out.

The regular price for 3 month’s of weekly reports is $45… but, the Summer Toy Guide includes 3 months
and is only $27. Not to mention all of the other goodies in the Summer Toy Guide package.

You can read her sales page here (affiliate link): Summer Toy Guide Check it out if this sounds like a market you want to tap into!

You can go to the site right now and see a list of current sellers!

This one caught my eye because it’s from an Ebay powerseller sporting this kind of feedback (see image). You don’t run across that potential help just everyday.

Planet SMS Digital Monthly Membership

The first thing I noted from reading his site is that John Thornhill, known on ebay as planetsms, isn’t just promoting it as another ‘make money from ebay’ type of product. He does use his ebay id as part of his credentials as a person qualified to teach others, as well as the fact that he has authored some best selling ebooks, and is an ebay powerseller.

What he says about ‘the secret to success’ being to follow someone who is successful at internet marketing can’t be argued with, provided they are teaching what they know and do to make money on the internet. And because things always CHANGE on the net, it’s crucial that you learn how to THINK about making money so you can adapt with these changes. I for one would rather be learning from someone who is teaching me how to sell products to real people on the internet instead of basically telling me to 1. Build a list of suckers 2. Send them a new get rick quick scheme monthly to keep the suckers paying.  That’s how most “internet marketing” products strike me these days so I tend to go with products from people who can show me how to sell to real people “on the street” not gullible wannabes who are so desperate they’ll buy any junky old product that promises they can get rich quick.

This monthly membership goes a lot further than just the mention of selling on ebay though. It claims to teach exactly what John does to generate multiple streams of income from the internet marketing arena in general.

The claims made on the sales page include:

A Digital Newsletter Delivered to Your Inbox Each Month.
In which he claims to reveal methods he actually uses to make money, and admits many of them are not just from ebay.

Audio/Video Training
Which will show and ‘walk us through’ what he does and the strategies he employs.

The Tools Required to Help You Succeed.
He includes in the package the tools and private label/ brandable material he says will be needed for some one to start their own online income.

The Opportunity to Get Personal Help.
Offering to have direct contact with subscribers/members to help them where needed (but only on a limited number basis) – so I would assume this may be removed at some point?

A Monthly Question and Answer session.
Promising to answer any marketing related questions

Further ‘undefined’ help
Offering to be flexible and help as needed with other avenues of making money online such as list building, product creation, sales page building and help with ebay listings.

And Also -
Almost Guaranteed Income.
Where he is offering to promote members products to his subscriber base, in order to help generate them some sale. (I note he does have some small print in there – only promising to promote appropriate products) This presumably covers him against any obligation to promote poor quality or non related products?

Finally his price for membership is set at $10 per month. (this is where I believe he differentiates himself from many mentoring programs I have seen – most go for the higher end price ticket – this does seem exceptional value if he lives up to his claims)

For which he also offers a money back guarantee. (With it being a clickbank product – he will have had to offer such a guarantee) Nevertheless it is comforting that one can ‘Try’ him out without risk or fear of loss, knowing that if he doesn’t provide quality and value he would soon be out of pocket.

Planet SMS Digital Monthly Membership

So that’s the sales page and claims outlined, with a few comments from myself where appropriate. He has content going back to 2007.  For $10 to get in the door (less if you pay quarterly or buy a “lifetime subscription”) it’s worth $10 just to look at it!

I have had access to his first Video Newsletter and can confirm that he does go into great detail of a strategy he is currently using. He gives details of exactly how to set it up for maximum profit, with a step by step follow along video that any new marketer could easily follow. Clear and simple and with a full explanation of where he did what he did, how to do the same etc.

He then went further than expected and showed exactly how much income and sales this strategy provided from his own business and also for comparison, a new marketer with a smaller list and less experience and no product of his own.

I do believe this will help many and was sufficient to justify the first months subscription without any of the other benefits quoted.

My recommendation would be to join and try it out. with the money back guarantee the small $10 risk is removed.
I believe new and intermediate marketers will find value and benefit in the first issue.

And surprisingly – even many of the more experienced marketers are not using this particular strategy!
So I wouldn’t rule it out assuming the low price would mean there was nothing a successful marketer couldn’t learn.

Do come back and post your comments if you find this material  useful.

Planet SMS Digital Monthly Membership