eBay Hacks - Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions
What are 'Hacks?'

O'Reilly's Hacks Series reclaims the term "hacking" for the good guys - innovators who explore and experiment, unearth shortcuts, create useful tools, and come up with fun things to try on your own.
See What's a Hack? for more information.

What kind of hacks will I find in eBay Hacks?

The topics in eBay Hacks range from simple search tips and diplomacy advice to more-involved bidding and selling strategies. For hard-core eBay users, there are hacks to help you run a business on eBay and develop custom applications and scripts by tapping into the eBay API. There's something for everyone; see the Hacks Index for a complete listing.

I already know how to use eBay. What can you teach me?

Every eBay seller wants to get more money for his or her items, and with less effort. Likewise, every buyer on eBay wants to improve his or her win rate while spending less money.
The hacks in eBay Hacks will help you achieve those goals by providing strategies, tools, and tips covering a wide range of eBay tasks, such as searching, bidding, selling, and running a business on eBay. Whether you're an eBay newbie, an experienced eBayer, a hacker with an eye on the API, or a power seller looking for a way to improve business, you'll find something to improve your eBay experience.

I've never used eBay before - will this book show me how to bid on or sell my first item?

For the most part, eBay Hacks has been designed to provide tools, strategies, and information for those who already use eBay. If you need help getting started with eBay, you'd probably be better off with the upcoming book, eBay PowerSeller: The Missing Manual [O'Reilly]. But if you're comfortable with the hands-on approach, you can probably get up to speed and begin trading like the pros in no time at all.

I'm not a developer; will eBay Hacks be useful to me?

Although programming is fun, it's not for everybody. About 20% of eBay Hacks is concerned with programming and the eBay API; that leaves the other 80% for hacks relating to strategy, diplomacy, tips & tricks, power tools, and straight-forward instruction. Simply skip over the programming hacks, and perhaps give them a try later on when you feel ready.

Is eBay Hacks available in languages other than English?

Yes! You can get eBay Hacks in French and German, as well as the original English.

What is the mass of Earth multiplied by the square of the speed of light?

The answer is 5.36934319 × 10⁴¹ Joules, as reported by Google. For more Google tricks, check out Google Hacks.

What is the object on the cover of the book?

It's a concertina (or "compound lever") corkscrew. If you're lucky, you might be able to find one like it on eBay!

More questions? See the Help page.