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PayPal will not prevent you from getting ripped off of CASH, but imagine if a customer ripped you off and had your credit card number...or your bank account...That's one reason why PayPal is the only way to go. Further, my business is an LLC, so there are no personal account numbers or credit cards associated with my PayPal account. Again, I am speaking from perspective of a business, not an individual. Either way, you must always accept that a professional thief will rip you off. This is akin to protecting yourself in a home, for example. The best perps can penetrate any alarm system (see "Blane Nordahl" - MASTER thief), so what you need to do is put in precautions that deter 99% - you build layers. Protecting a house would be: Layer 1 - motion detection lights; Layer 2- a dog (barking will alert you); Layer 3 - an alarm system; Layer 4 - a firearm (LAST and WORST case scenario). So using that example, you protect yourself in a similar fashion - Layer 1 - incoporate the business (LLC or S-corp); Layer 2 - use a business checking account and credit card; Layer 3 - keep good and accurate records (this includes using tracking to ship and insisting on tracking when receiving; as a point, I keep evrey single receipt, document, payment, you name it- archive at least 5 years); and so on...you get the point. PayPal on it's own CAN'T prevent theft of monies, but it does protect your privacy, your credit, any collateral or follow on damages, etc. While these are business related tips, but they can be applicable to personal use as well.

RAZ1 - One more question - I purchased the Summer issue, I assume that I won't get that but I will get the Fall issue? Thx

RAZ1 - I never got a positive confirmation you wouldn't use the picture. Let me know how the vote goes first, and if they say no, I'll try to get another pic to you. IMHO - just my opinion - you should be fine with the pic I submitted. The whole goal I had in mind was to simulate something you might see in "Lowrider Magazine". It's racy, but no more revealing than a girl in a bathing suit. I realize that might not be the clientele you want to reach, but I do believe there is demographic overlap. I respect whatever decision your team comes up with. Please PM privately with positive confirmation one way or the other, I work a full time job as well as run a side business, so it's harder for me to scroll the threads.

One more thing - When starting bids low it's really tough to get past that mental wall. However, I've seen ton of people that start major goods at $0.00!! At first, I thought that would be a turn off to a potential buyer as it smells funny. However, there's a psychology associated with auctions - it's the thrill of bidding up with anticipation of winning. It's almost always the case that your item should start well below the actual value. You can protect with the reserve to ensure the item isn't lost too cheap, but as you pointed out, more bidders will be attracted to a lower starting bid... More excellent input!

Alfadog, Yep, excellent input, I totally agree with your points, especially when to list and to keep trying if it doesn't sell. EBay takes time to get the feel for it, but once you get it, it's great. Also, sorry to hear you got scammed. Almost everyone has a story. That's why I stick to PayPal to pay and get paid - NEVER pay or receive wired funds (e.g., Western Union) and always make sure my buyers have decent feedback. You'll never completely be safe, but as you said - "if it smells like a rat...."

First off, sorry to hear about this. While not a subscriber, I admired what you tried to do. I always thought the Z thing was too much of a niche to support an ongoing mag, but you withstood 5+ years, that's commendable. Ok, now to my selfish part - the summer version was supposed to have the pic of my wife/car from the "Best Pose" contest - I placed an order for the summer issue (hasn't been received yet). Can I get a confirmation that 1) I'll receive the issue and 2) I get my 2 minutes of fame? As I said, I am being purely selfish, so withhold flames. I really only ordered this issue to see my wife/car picture...If it's in there, I'll purchase 10 more.

Dude, you are crazy! You will regret selling it. Let me tell you, I have a '72 240 that I take out occasionally, and a 1966 Jag E-type that I take out about never - I will sell NEITHER of them. The Z is running, so I can tool around in it, but without air, I barely do. Jag needs some minor engine work, but both of them just make me smile looking at them. I have owned 5 Harleys, each one I've sold I regretted, until the last one which I sold to purchase the Jag. Gogriz - I too long for a VW Bus. It's a strange attraction I have with them...I got a kick out of your post since I thought I was the only one that liked those...

No problem. I think it's safe to say these are just for guidance - others may have different tips that are as effective or better, but I have been selling on eBay since 2001, and these have worked well for me thus far.

350Z33, What kind of car are you looking for? A low VIN number? All original? A resto project? All of the above? From the few posts you've made, you sound like you know what you are doing, but I ask because there are some nice cars available here, notably Rick Saia's car. It's more a "resto-mod", it's not numbers matching, but it's an awesome car. As a point to note, I purchased my car from this site, no complaints whatsoever. There are good people here and there's never a lack of help or advice. Good luck!

Well a few of you asked about selling your car on eBay - I sent some info to ricksaia with tips on how to do it. I am starting this thread as I was asked by a few to share with them: ============================================================ First things first - you need to register to sell on eBay. It's a simple process, but you will need a credit card for eBay to bill you for listing fees amongst other things. I'd also STRONGLY suggest getting a PayPal account - I was a skeptic at first, but now a big believer of PayPal. It's an extra level of insurance, especially when selling a car, as funds must be verified. The down side is that there is a charge with using it. Once you register to sell, you can post the car. As others have suggested, take a ton of photos. In fact, browse other ads to get a feel for what is good and what isn't. Think about what you would want see as a prospective BUYER and use that to guide how you SELL the car. Also, be as descriptive as possible, which can only help. Even so, you will get a bunch of questions from serious and not so serious buyers. Now, there are a few other things to consider. Set your "reserve" price as the absolute minimum you'll take for the car. So you understand, if you set a reserve, and the auction fails to generate a high enough bid to MATCH the reserve, you don't have to sell the car, it remains in your possession. That's key, especially given the wide range of valuations on Z cars. The other suggestion I would add is set the initial bid price LOW. Not .01 cents but start it at like $1,000 or $2,000. This is the psychology of the auction - it's tough to grasp, even I have a hard time starting bids this low, but it attracts bidders. The hope here is that you get 2-3 people really interested in driving the price up (sort of what you might see on the Barrett-Jackson Auctions on SpeedTV). As long as you have a reserve price set, you are covered - the car WON'T sell unless that reserve is met or exceeded. Another thing to note - take note of the day you start the auction and the length of the auction. It sounds silly, but some goods sell better on weekdays than on weekends. In your case, as this is a collectible car, I'd suggest that you have the auction END on a weekend (preferably late Saturday). That gives working-class people a shot to bid on the car rather than during the week (when working or coming home to family). It's the total opposite for enterprise related goods like industrial ovens or phone systems, where a small business/company may want to buy these for their business. Usually an auction runs 5, 7, or 10 days. I like 5 or 7 days, but again, try to calculate it to end on a weekend. Now, once the bidding starts, you may not see ANY action. Again, don't worry about this - it's natural. You will see in the "My eBay" section when you login how many WATCHERS you have - that's a truer indication of how much interest you are generating. A good eBay buyer/bidder won't bid until the very end, MAYBE they will enter an initial bid to get it going, but the "pros" usually bid snipe (more on that in a bit). The time when bidding gets hot is a day or two before the end of auction, and REALLY hot within the last 1/2 hour through last MINUTE (yes MINUTE) of the auction. This is what is known as "bid sniping". Bid sniping essentially allows a prospective buyer to enter the highest bid they are willing to pay and the software will auto bid (snipe) on the bidder's behalf. It basically counters any higher bid with an even higher bid within a fraction of a second. If you click bid history on a high profile item, you will see how that works - it's pretty cool, but a little disorienting the first few times you do it...it helps you out again that you have a reserve price. While on that, some people may ask your reserve price. It's etiquette to provide that if asked, but that's YOUR judgment. If you feel that would adversely affect your auction, then politely tell the prospective bidder "I would prefer not to divulge that". There is another option you have in eBay called "Buy It Now"...I don't really like this feature and rarely use it as it automatically puts a stated value on the goods you are selling. As an auction is primarily someone a) looking for a deal and interested in the "chase", the "Buy It Now" is more appropriate for someone that is selling multiple, repetitive goods. For a special car like this, I'd avoid that UNLESS someone asks you privately to purchase it (and it's higher than your reserve). My personal requirement however, is that you state in the description that the car is listed locally and you reserve the right to end the auction should someone outside of eBay make an offer you accept. This is "CYA" as well, and protects you. This is a lot to take in, and I am really scratching the surface. However, this will get the car more eyeballs and more potential buyers than you might otherwise get advertising locally. Finally, if the car sells and you get your price, I cannot stress enough to watch out for SCAMS. Even I got scammed and I've been doing eBay for 5 years. Thing is, if it smells like a rat, it is a rat. Do not respond to emails outside of eBay, and anyone interested in buying the car from an email, ask them for THEIR number and you will call them. I once tried to buy an old Triumph chopper, and I was sniped in the bid (lost at the last minute) - I received an email stating that the owner offered a "second chance offer" - and for me to wire the money. I wisely responded asking for THEIR number, but I also emailed the person auctioning the chopper. He confirmed he actually sold the bike and there was no second chance offer, so the email was a fraud. Lesson learned - NEVER NEVER NEVER send any money unless you confirm the id of the person. There are similar scams for people selling, you can actually see them in eBay, but as a seller you are naturally better protected since you own the item. A car would be difficult to scam, so you should be ok. Then the obvious will kick in as if selling this locally - you want cash or a certified check or (preferably, in my case) PayPal. You probably have a ton of questions; by all means let me know. There's a lot to take in and it can be daunting for a first timer. Familiarize yourself with the site and look at current auctions to get an idea. My guess is that you won't sell it on eBay, but you may generate some seriously interested parties that might want to speak to you after the fact. This is what happened with the Saturn I just sold (for WAY more than everyone told me it would), so eBay can be very valuable. Other option might be Hemmings Motor News, but there's less immediacy than eBay.

Well it certainly violates eBay's TOS. Don't do that ever - it will get you banned, and it's not really in good faith.

If you need quick funds, eBay fits the bill - tons of eyeballs, quick turn. I sent you a LARGE e-mail on what to do, let me know if you have any questions.

Rick, I run a side business on eBay - it can't hurt to get multiple eyeballs. Key here is make sure you set a reserve price to cover yourself in the event that the bids don't go as high as you expect. Keep in mind that people are pre-programmed to expect a "bargain" on eBay, but I have seen things like 280 GTO rebodies for $40 grand, so nothing is out of the ordinary. If you want more detail, PM me - there are other things to do to protect yourself, but I just sold a car that many told me was "too high" and I got what I wanted Rich

Gotcha - well judging from your Z, you do OUTSTANDING work! Good luck to you in the future, I've been there -- you'll land on your feet...

Nice car - sorry to hear your business failed...what was it?

Cool - that's the kind of feedback I want to hear!

Double funny you should post this...after the "Best Pose" contest, I convinced my wife to do another round on the Z...I am thinking of creating a poster or something. This should come in handy!

I see it now - says it should ship out first week of June, so if anyone gets it let me know.

Will do - it wasn't clear from the site last I checked...

Yes, that would be my wife...it will be essentially the same pic per the contest rules. Unfortunately, you'll get more pics of my car than her!

Does anyone know if the new Sport Z Magazine is out? I wanted to see if the pic of my car and wife was inside....

You guys are onto it -- never buy from an eBayer that hides feedback. I also run an eBay business, that's the kiss of death.

Just make sure you factor in shipping when buying via eBay. The size/weight can bump this up somewhat - get a quote from then seller prior to making a bid on something that seems reasonably priced. MSA does huge volumes, so their shipping is going to be ultra-cheap in comparison to a smaller eBay type. I will check out the "ru gellis" guy - see what I find and let you guys know.

Arne, Yes, I am interested in hearing how you make out, this might be an avenue I'll look into shortly as well. 5 angle job = real...extrudehone = questionable. Somewhere I have an article that refutes the benefits of "extrude honing". Again, I am in Marketing/Product Management - there are multiple analyses you can execute to determine the value or the ROI of any product/service. "Extrude honing" is one that you will see minimal results for the investment provided. I also possess an SCCA racing license, and I do understand that when it comes to racing, even micro tuning yields an edge, which is where something like this has more value. On the street it means bupkus. In any event, you didn't start the thread for this purpose, I did not intend to debate, my apologies...I AM obviously suffering from brain fade (maybe even damage) from my previous post!

Actually, I knew that (see one of my first posts on this board)....I suppose I get caught up in having an original piece, but alas that's being idealistic. I am actually bummed my car doesn't have the original cam grind, but practically no one could tell by looking at it and few could probably tell when it's running - that's kind of the the thrust of my comment. Personally, I could give a hoot about 5 angle seats and extrude hone too, that's BS to me - but as a Marketing guy, that's also business. Under that guise I can't see why you wouldn't go with MSA...they've been around quite a while, so there should be some good references.