The concept behind eBay is simple - it’s a global marketplace where people can buy or sell practically anything, from prized collectibles to faux designer handbags, a salvaged engine for a 1986 Honda scooter, even a piece of toast emblazoned with the image of Elvis. However, the vast reality of eBay - with some 135 million active eBayers and $32 billion worth of merchandise bought and sold annually - can be daunting for beginner and “professional” alike.

As author Nancy Conner puts it, “What began as a small site for individuals to trade collectibles has exploded into an international marketplace where everyone, from the lady down the street to large corporations, sells millions of items in thousands of categories.” In fact, increasing numbers of eBayers are supplementing their incomes - or starting new careers - buying and selling on eBay. Connor gathers the tips and tricks she’s learned since becoming a member of the eBay community in 1998 into one must-have guide, eBay: The Missing Manual.

Like many other things in life, being a successful eBayer, whether buying or selling, depends on learning and perfecting certain skills. With “eBay: The Missing Manual,” new users can quickly get up to speed, while longtime users will pick up pointers to sharpen their skills. Designed to show readers “how to find bargains, make money, avoid scams and have fun,” the book shares eBayers’ experiences and stories of what they love about eBay and what drives them crazy.

More than “the most popular shopping destination on the Internet,” eBay is a community with its own culture. When you read “eBay: The Missing Manual,” you’ll feel like a savvy member of that community. Buyers and collectors learn how to find the things they want at prices that will thrill them. Sellers can use tips from others to make their own auctions more successful, by attracting more shoppers, getting more bids, and pricing things right. As with any community, problems and disputes arise, but readers will learn from the anecdotes and advice of eBayers themselves how to resolve such troubles or work around them.

eBay: The Missing Manual is free of jargon or nerd terminology and packed with insider info, such as:

• Why experienced eBayers rarely work with someone whose positive feedback score ranks below 98 percent

• How to use sellers’ spelling mistakes to find great bargains
• How to recognize and avoid common scams directed at buyers and sellers
• Marketing strategies to get your listings noticed and garner more bids
• Tools to save you time by automating searching, bidding, listing, market analysis, email and feedback -How you can check up on another eBayer’s negative and neutral - as well as positive - feedback

A terrific addition to O’Reilly’s Missing Manual series, eBay: The Missing Manual ends with a trio of appendixes that provide additional resources for more information, the basics of HTML for eBayers, and other Internet auction sites.

So, if you want to find it, buy it or sell it, you’ve got to get “eBay: The Missing Manual.” It’s your ticket to “the biggest and most entertaining marketplace the world has ever seen.”

[tags]ebay,ebay: the missing manual,nancy conner,o’reilly’s missing manual series[/tags]