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Amazing ways to earn extra money.

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Sell for Others

These days, there are an amazing number of ways to earn extra money -- we're talking big bucks. You could be an eBay assistant, do some mystery shopping, give parties or twist balloons. Here's how:

Forget about selling your own stuff on eBay. The real money is in selling other people's stuff. Christopher Spencer, author of The eBay Entrepreneur and an instructor with the company's training program, had a job as a celebrity manager when he started selling on eBay as a hobby in 1998. By 2001, he had opened a store where people could drop off their items. Now he's a full-timer and forecasts he will handle at least $500,000 to $750,000 in sales this year.

Spencer's company charges a fee of 38 percent per sale. Assistants set their own rates, which can vary from 5 percent for selling a vehicle to as much as 50 percent for selling low-priced merchandise like housewares. To find out what others in your city are getting, go to ebay.com/tahub.

You don't have to start big. You do have to network and promote yourself. Try selling your own items first (you'll need a digital camera to photograph them). Write detailed descriptions and add a little razzle-dazzle.

Spencer says a person working at home could eventually list 25 or more items a day, generating $2,000 or more in monthly income, depending on how much time is invested. The key, he believes, is the ability to find high-quality products to sell, whether it's Gucci handbags or farm equipment.

Illustrated by Harry Campbell