In recent years eBay has been a godsend to the everyday Joe looking to make a quick buck. Moreover it has allowed people to fashion a business around the ability to easily sell products online without the need to invest in a web site. Those that otherwise would be without any marketable skills, save the ability to murder the English language, no longer have to worry about wasting their lives away flipping burgers at their local "Mickey D's." Finally the ability to rip people off has become an art. It is now possible for everyone to make a fortune doing nothing at all.

Before beginning, a short history and math lesson is very important. Largely attributed to P.T. Barnum and perhaps one of the most famous quotes of all times, there's a sucker born every minute. Careful examination of past events has shown that the quote was actually spoken by a competitor of Barnum, David Hannum. Though the truth behind the quote is largely unimportant, the content is of much concern. If a sucker is in fact born every minute, this means that every day there are 1440 suckers born, and in a year there are 525,600 suckers to take advantage of. Assuming an average lifespan of 80 years, this means that there are currently 42,048,000 suckers alive. Further assuming a sucker can be convinced to part with $50 per year, a figure that is most certainly low, taking advantage of suckers is a greater then $2 billion yearly market. There is much room for debate in this figure, and the general consensus is that the true figure is much, much higher.

There are a number of simple steps that a successful eBay seller follows to insure maximum profitability and a minimum of accountability. In this business accountability is the enemy of the seller, causing the loss of potential sales, and in turn reducing profits.

To begin, a successful seller must first identify the product or products that they will be selling. The goal of this phase is to identify that which can be obtained for a minimum amount of money and resold under a false pretense for a much greater amount. Though these items can be found everywhere, perhaps none are as prevalent, and as simple to produce, as automotive products. It is well known that the average person knows little or nothing about cars. There is virtually no better market to exploit then that of the ignorant automotive fanatic.

One of the greatest examples of an automotive product, which preys on the ignorance of the buyer, is the "timing advance kit." The premise behind this product is that by installing a "magic module" which "tricks" a vehicle's computer, the car will have an immense gain in power and fuel economy, lower emissions, bake potatoes and in 5 years grow wings and fly; the possibilities are endless. A recent search for this product on eBay produced over 1100 results, showing how popular this item has become. It can now be purchased for any make and model of vehicle, and even some that never existed. For the enlightened few, namely the seller, the reality of this product is quite simple. The recipe includes a resistor which can be purchased at any Radio Shack store at 5 for $.69 and an instruction sheet telling the customer where they can stick it. Though it is true that the part will not work on hundreds of the vehicles it is advertised for, the master seller realizes that his true market is the sucker, and carries on. For an investment of pennies, this item regularly produces returns between $3 and $30 per unit.

Once a seller finds his niche, and successfully begins to market a product with the wildest claims imaginable, a number of steps must be taken to shuck responsibility and accountability. It is in this area that eBay provides much needed support for sellers. The most important feature for selling a product with unreasonable claims is a "private auction." This backbone of the seller's arsenal of tools insures that the helpful and enlightened hooligans can not attempt to persuade a sucker from parting with his hard earned money.

The hooligan is relentless, and at some point will likely attempt to purchase a product for the sole reason of leaving negative feedback for the seller. Negative feedback can be detrimental for a successful money making program. It can serve to warn those that are only semi-suckers. eBay provides sellers with the ability to respond to feedback. A master seller will use this opportunity to make it clear that he is in fact the victim. Once again no claim can possibly be too extravagant.

On occasion the amount of negative feedback a seller receives can grow too large. A seller must judge when the time comes to move on. A program which has flourished and produced a great return for a seller must never be abandoned, however. A seller must only open a new account to once again begin selling the same falsified claims to the masses on a clean slate.

With a little bit of work, as little as possible, anyone can make their fortune preying on the simple minds of the masses. eBay has provided a wonderful tool to allow even the most linguistically challenged to get away with everything short of murder to sell unreasonable claims. Many have joined the ranks, and will never need to flip another burger again.