How To Use Horse Training Thinking To Solve Dang Near Any Problem With A Horse

Horse training can be a relatively mysterious subject to people who have not studied it. Even more mysterious is a behavioral problem a horse has that causes his owner stress and frustration.

What many horse owners don't understand is often the handler, not the horse, is causing the problem.

That being said, that is the first consideration in unscrambling the horse's ill behavior.

For instance, a common problem riders have is a horse being spooky. In layman's terms, that means a horse is nervous and afraid something is going to "get him". Thus, whenever the horse and owner go for a ride it's not usually a relaxing moment.

As a matter of fact, both horse and rider are on edge.

So if we take the premise that the rider is causing the horse to spook, then we must ask, "How is the rider causing this."

An uninformed rider may not be aware that perhaps he is sitting tensely in the saddle. Also, maybe he's stiff as a board and has a white-knuckle hold on the reins.

Believe it or not, the horse can sense and feel this tense. When the horse is in the habit of feeling it then the horse's spookiness is also the rider's.

Picture it like this. Two deathly scared kids are walking home at night. They both hear sounds and see things. One kid thinks he saw something and nervously asks, "D-d-d-did you see that?" Seconds later the other kid hears something and cries, "D-d-did you h-h-hear that?" Together they intensify each other's fears and their anxiety grows leaps and bounds.

So it is with the rider and horse. Maybe not to that extent, but still it happens.

And since the rider is human and capable of reasoning, then he or she must be the one to interrupt the pattern of behavior. The rider must loosen up while in the saddle. Relax. Have fun. Learn to watch the horse's signals that he has spotted something - and then talk to the horse and start giving him confidence.

Soon, the horse's demeanor will change and the result will be a more relaxed, fun to ride horse.

Whether the rider realizes it or not, he or she is training the horse by just riding. The horse simply reacts to the stimuli he gets. If the stimuli is consistent, the horse's reaction will become a habit until changed. If the stimuli is tense, causes fear reactions, and so on, the result is a spooky horse.

This is but one example of how us humans can actually be the reason the horse does or does not do something we ask of him. Although it's true that the rider is not the cause 100% of the time, it's a good place to start untangling the problem because it's often where it begins.

How To Use Horse Training Thinking To Solve Dang Near Any Problem With A Horse   Rider Fitness - Targeted for Equestrians   How To Use Horse Training Thinking To Solve Dang Near Any Problem With A Horse   

How To Use Horse Training Thinking To Solve Dang Near Any Problem With A Horse

Horse training can be a relatively mysterious subject to people who have not studied it. Even more mysterious is a behavioral problem a horse has that causes his owner stress and frustration.

What many horse owners don't understand is often the handler, not the horse, is causing the problem.

That being said, that is the first consideration in unscrambling the horse's ill behavior.

For instance, a common problem riders have is a horse being spooky. In layman's terms, that means a horse is nervous and afraid something is going to "get him". Thus, whenever the horse and owner go for a ride it's not usually a relaxing moment.

As a matter of fact, both horse and rider are on edge.

So if we take the premise that the rider is causing the horse to spook, then we must ask, "How is the rider causing this."

An uninformed rider may not be aware that perhaps he is sitting tensely in the saddle. Also, maybe he's stiff as a board and has a white-knuckle hold on the reins.

Believe it or not, the horse can sense and feel this tense. When the horse is in the habit of feeling it then the horse's spookiness is also the rider's.

Picture it like this. Two deathly scared kids are walking home at night. They both hear sounds and see things. One kid thinks he saw something and nervously asks, "D-d-d-did you see that?" Seconds later the other kid hears something and cries, "D-d-did you h-h-hear that?" Together they intensify each other's fears and their anxiety grows leaps and bounds.

So it is with the rider and horse. Maybe not to that extent, but still it happens.

And since the rider is human and capable of reasoning, then he or she must be the one to interrupt the pattern of behavior. The rider must loosen up while in the saddle. Relax. Have fun. Learn to watch the horse's signals that he has spotted something - and then talk to the horse and start giving him confidence.

Soon, the horse's demeanor will change and the result will be a more relaxed, fun to ride horse.

Whether the rider realizes it or not, he or she is training the horse by just riding. The horse simply reacts to the stimuli he gets. If the stimuli is consistent, the horse's reaction will become a habit until changed. If the stimuli is tense, causes fear reactions, and so on, the result is a spooky horse.

This is but one example of how us humans can actually be the reason the horse does or does not do something we ask of him. Although it's true that the rider is not the cause 100% of the time, it's a good place to start untangling the problem because it's often where it begins.

How To Use Horse Training Thinking To Solve Dang Near Any Problem With A Horse   Rider Fitness - Targeted for Equestrians   How To Use Horse Training Thinking To Solve Dang Near Any Problem With A Horse   

The History and Meaning of Festivals

A community festival is an event that is more often than not organised and staged by a local community to celebrate or highlight a unique aspect of that self same community. These unique aspects include the celebration of historical, social and religious festivals such as:

Historical Fests: These festivals include the celebration of major historical events such as the end of a war or the overthrowing of a particularly cruel government. Examples of this type of festival would include Armistice Day in the UK and Commonwealth Countries and Freedom Day in South Africa.

Social Fests: Social festivals include celebrations of art and music such as the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and the Grahamstown Festival in South Africa.

Religious Fests: Religious festivals are held in areas all around the world in honour of a God or Gods specific to that areas religious belief. These festivals include the Christian festivals of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord (also known as Christmas) and the Feast of the Resurrection (also known as Easter).

The History of the word "Festival"

The word festival comes from the Middle English word fest, which in turn is derived from Middle French word festivus, which was adopted into the French language from Latin. The first use of the word festival as a noun can be traced back to 1589, but before then it was used as an adjective and meant "to celebrate a church or religious holiday".

Different festivals for different reasons

Festivals around the world are there to meet specific needs of specific communities, groups and countries while provide entertainment and a break from everyday life. However, there are also cultural and ethnic festivals that are used to educate people about traditions and pastimes.

Types of Modern Festivals

Although festivals have a connection to our human religious past, the modern version is based more on common interest than spiritual glory. These festivals include (but are most certainly not limited to):

• Arts festival • Beer fest • Comedy fest • Film fest • Food fest • Literary fest • Music fest • Science fest • Wine fest

Did you know? I past ages many of the festivals that were held were to celebrate the changes of the seasons. This was done because they seasonal changes played a large part in the production of food and animal breeding. Examples of this can be seen in the history of the Egyptians, who celebrated the seasonal flooding of the Nile River banks.

What Everybody Ought to Know About Cable Television Bundles   

Parks in Sydney

Planning a day out with the family? If you're looking to escape the bustling noise, traffic and crowds of the Sydney CBD, the grounds of Sydney Olympic Park offers families, couples, pets and exercise enthusiasts some of the best parks in Sydney.

Bicentennial Park One of the largest and most popular parks in Sydney, Bicentennial Park is set just 16km west of Sydney city and features 40 hectares of beautiful parklands. A combination of grassy hills, sweeping, green vistas, mangrove wetlands and lovely lakes, Bicentennial Park is great for picnics, BBQs and kids, with playgrounds, sandpits and water play areas on offer. Cafes, shelters and public toilets can also be found at the park, as can extensive cycling and jogging tracks (bicycle hire is also located nearby).

A trip up to the Treillage Tower - the highest point in the park at 17m - will allow you to take in the spectacular high-rise views over the park, the Parramatta River and the city skyline.

Blaxland Riverside Park Blaxland Riverside Park runs, as the name suggests, alongside the gorgeous strip of the Parramatta River. Once part of the Newington Estate and owned by pioneer John Blaxland, Blaxland Riverside Park is one of the most attractive parks in Sydney and is a hub of lunch-goers, picnickers, walkers and cyclists, all looking to share the open beauty of this prime, riverside location.

Activities for kids are encouraged here and aside from running and bike tracks, children can have a go at the climbing walls, rope nets, slides and flying fox, all located in the park's 'play space.' For those interested in a spot of alfresco dining, the Armory Wharf Café and a Kiosk are also close by. Dogs are welcome here too, but must be on a leash at all times.

Cathy Freeman Park We all know (and cherish) Olympic gold medal runner Cathy Freeman, and her namesake park is now located on the grounds adjacent to Sydney's famous Olympic Stadium (now known as ANZ Stadium).

This beautiful, tree-lined park in Sydney is ideal for those who are keen to picnic, walk their dogs, entertain kids at the playground or indulge in a game of oversized chess! Cafes, bars and public toilets are easily accessible and during school holidays, and some 'Kids in the Park' school holiday activities areas held here (which includes events like circus classes, kite-making and sports camps). Visitors will also find the Cauldron here, which is now both a flowing waterfall for children to play in and a homage to the Australian medallists who participated in the Sydney Olympic Games.

Wentworth Common Perhaps one of the lesser-known parks in Sydney, Wentworth Common is a gorgeous, open grassland adjacent to Haslams Creek and the Waterbird Refuge. Sausage sizzles and picnics can be perfect here and the park features a large range of outdoor art and sculpture, as well as various playgrounds for the kids. Wentworth Common is one of the better parks in Sydney to visit if you're after something a bit less crowded and a little more peaceful.

What Everybody Ought to Know About Cable Television Bundles   

What Did You Just Call My Daughter?

On the benefits of having an open mind about one's child called a "retard", or having intellectual deficits, being mentally deficient, and other interesting and ridiculous things...

When I was just starting out as a child and school psychologist in Syracuse, NY almost 35 years ago, I administered batteries of tests to children to determine their eligibility for programs designed to remediate their learning disabilities, what were termed their "handicaps" at that time. I thought I knew so much. Armed with the best that Syracuse University's school and clinical programs taught, I offered parents a clear and cogent understanding (using of course the best practice efforts at that time) of their child's diagnosis and needs in clinical terms.

I was so impossibly wrong about how to go about sharing this information, not having the slightest clue about how to impart this information mindfully and with humility. I cringe at the thought of my arrogance then at those parent interpretives. At remembering how the parents bravely fought not to crack open, break down, cry with shame. And I was so proud of myself: laying out their child's disabilities and deficiencies with devastating clarity.

I became one of those parents 20 years ago.

I sat, holding back my sobs, my fears, my heart and body slammed and split open by the devastating words, the mountain of words, that inadequately described our beloved and struggling daughter. We listened, as professional after professional mounted, with devastating clarity of their own, a campaign designed to convince my husband and myself of her inadequacies, her deficits, her inability, her other-ness.

When we finally found a school community in another state which offered her a chance at a life filled with purpose, with laughter, with opportunity, I cried with joy. For the first time in her life and our lives with her, her new teacher asked us, "What does she need from us?" and told us that the community could learn as much from her as she could learn from them.

Recently, over a Skype conversation with our daughter, she proudly held up a stunningly multi-colored handmade card. She had delighted in making it for our 29th anniversary this year. It is a tribute to her resourcefulness, her determination - and to the love which flows between all of us.

About 10 years ago, we were told by a sorry excuse for a teacher (my daughter's name for the woman was "That Witch") at a public school meeting that included over 15 school staff and four of us (my husband, myself, our amazing Occupational Therapist Jo Teachman and our friend Dr. Gail Rodin, neuropsychologist extraordinaire) that our daughter would never learn to read or write, or tie her shoes. The absolute truth is: if someone can imagine it, they can find a way to do it. And our daughter wanted to read and write. She now acts in plays, writes in her storybooks, and reads at a fifth grade level. Her level of generosity and compassion is quite something. She has, however, never learned to tie her shoes.

As my mother (the teacher who retired after 43 years) once remarked about the way my daughter is put together: "The cloth is whole (it's cloth of gold). There are just some holes in the cloth."

In closing, I'll submit this poem for your consideration by Laura Davies Foley, a most sensitive poet and mother of three wonderful young people.

Parents of Children with special needs are blessed. Their hearts grow every day larger, softer. There is no armor, no shell hard enough but it cracks and in comes the painful sun. There is no forgetful cave of sleep for them, no loud gestures from mountaintops, no scaling trees, no surety but a growing, steady wakefulness, an attention to simple leaves and how they gently hold the morning light, holding and not breaking.

(reprinted with permission from the author from her book of poetry: (2007) Syringa. Rowe, MA: Star Meadow Press, p. 32.)

Speech Delay   Asperger's Syndrome Concerns   

Individualized Family Service Plan - Help for Families of Young Children With Developmental Delays

Individualized family service plans (IFSPs) are a tool to assist parents of children with disabilities from birth through the age of two. They are created collaboratively by multi-agency teams of professionals and the family of the child with a suspected developmental delay. IFSPs revolve around helping the family to facilitate the child's development. The guidelines for IFSPs are spelled out in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and all states in the United States have laws and processes for providing early intervention services.

Children are usually referred to early intervention services through their doctor or through child find services available from your local school district. In some states, IFSPs are coordinated through the Department of Education and in other states, IFSPs are coordinated through the Department of Human Services. If you Google your state's name and IFSP you should be able to find the resources you need. If you have a child who exhibits developmental delays in their physical, cognitive, communicative, social and emotional and/or adaptive skills areas they may qualify for an IFSP.

IFSPs may include screenings, providing a range of therapies to the child, providing family training, providing financial assistance, providing important medical and educational information and providing emotional support to the families of children with developmental delays in one or more areas. Services are not based on financial need and service fees are usually based on a sliding fee scale and vary from state-to-state. There is a strong emphasis on providing support to families of underserved populations, which include; children of color, children living in poverty, homeless children, children living in rural communities and children who are wards of the state

IFSPs are generally revised annually and reviewed every six months or sooner if the parents put in a request for an earlier review. IFSPs are focused on the family as a whole rather than just the individual child because the environment that the child is developing in strongly correlates with their development. Services from agencies are not forced upon parents but are offered to assist the parents in helping their child to reach developmental milestones. The child find team usually includes professionals from the field of education, the medical field, the social services field, the pediatric therapy field and the counseling field.

This diverse team usually screens and assesses the child and then works with the family based on their level of need in different areas to access services their child may need. Whenever possible, therapies are provided in the natural environment of the home or community to enhance the families ability to help their child develop the skills they need and to foster independence. If the team determines that services and support are no longer needed the IFSP may be closed. Usually a few months prior to a child's 3rd birthday, children with developmental delays will be reassessed to determine their eligibility for special education services, which may begin on a child's 3rd birthday if he or she is deemed to be a child with a disability as defined in Part B of IDEA.

Speech Delay   Asperger's Syndrome Concerns   

How to Become a Product Launch Manager - Where to Find Clients

Have you successfully launched your own product? If so, you know what it takes from the very beginning of having an idea and seeing it through to the end of launching your product. It takes a lot of work and heavy lifting to create a successful product launch.

If you've been through a successful launch, you may be wondering if you could help other people launch their products. Knowing how difficult and time consuming the process is, there's probably people out there looking for a product launch manager that can assist them in launching their product.

This can be a huge opportunity for you if you like doing that sort of work. Since you have the knowledge and background on marketing, finding work as a product launch manager should come relatively easy. You'll have to market yourself and the skills that you have, convincing people that you can and will provide them with a successful launch of their product.

The easiest way to find potential clients that are looking for product launch managers is to set up a website or blog that talks about what you do and what experiences you have with launching products. With a little marketing and advertising and getting involved in forums and social network sites, you should be able to find some work.

Another option to find clients is to joint venture with big name marketers who consistently launch new products. Your JV's can mention you and what you do, which will not only get you some business but also boost your credibility and trustworthiness.

No matter how you go about finding potential clients for your product launch manager business, more and more people are launching their own products and looking for help. You can be the one they come to, but you have to get your name out there first.

How to Do a Proper Product Launch   There Advanced Product Launch Secrets That Will Sell Products Like Crazy   Product Launch Tree - Are You Just a Few Tweaks Away From Earning an Extra 456% in Profits?   Secrets of Seminar Marketing During Hard Economic Times   Product Launching 101 - How to Keep People's Attention With Your Ecourses   

What's the Secret of a Successful Internet Business Product?

When you are in a place where you are thinking about launching a product online, you may find that there are a number of things that surprise you. One thing that can frustrate you when you are looking to find prospective buyers is the fact that products with launch pages that are much less interesting and attractive than yours can gain market success instantly, while you are lagging behind! The truth is that if you want to generate traffic and sales, you are going to need to learn to probe. The more you know about your audience and your industry, the better off you are going to be.

One thing that you need to keep in mind when you are looking to drive massive traffic to your website is that it is not necessarily the best product out there that prospers. There are lots of great products out there that languish due to lack of attention while products that are very similar flourish. What is happening here, and why can't you get the numbers that you need? The problem is that if you don't have the attention of new prospects coming in all the time and when you do not put yourself out there, you are going to be having some real problems.

The first thing that you need to consider is putting together a product definition blueprint. It sounds simple and straightforward, but the truth of the matter is that there are very few companies that do this. Essentially, with a product definition blueprint, you state what your product is, what kind of problem it solves and who wants it. Take some time and really consider what your options are going to be and what your product is all about. Unless you know for sure yourself, you'll find that you simply cannot help anyone else! Consider what you can do to make sure that your product is well defined.

Then you need to consider what magical marketing techniques will work for you. Where your strengths are and what can you focus on? Are you going to benefit from a soft launch or do you find that you are going to need to hit the market hard and get started with how to generate traffic and sales? Make sure that you develop the solution to the needs and problems of your audience. Get to know your audience and make sure that you learn from your customers. Unless you listen to them, you are going to find that there are many different things that you can fumble the ball on. Remember that your target audience has a lot to offer you.

Unless you come into the business ready to learn and unless you can offer something that will let you stand out from the rest, you are going to get run over. Figure out what your product launch strategy is going to be, and remember that you need to know about the industry as well as just your single product! This can make all the difference when you want good results.

How to Do a Proper Product Launch   There Advanced Product Launch Secrets That Will Sell Products Like Crazy   Product Launch Tree - Are You Just a Few Tweaks Away From Earning an Extra 456% in Profits?   Secrets of Seminar Marketing During Hard Economic Times   Adding $1 Million to Your Business   

How Do Penny Auctions Work and Make Their Money?

A penny auction is an auction that is held online where people bid against each other to win items at a discounted price. There is a timer on the auction and the winner of the item is the last person to bid when the timer runs out.

Penny auctions work differently from eBay and other auction sites, in the sense that the products being sold, are being sold by the website owners. This varies from many other auction sites where it is normally third parties doing the selling, who are not affiliated to the website in any way.

This all sounds straightforward enough; however, another difference with penny auctions to an auction site like eBay is that every time a bid is placed on the item, more time is added to the auction. So the trick is letting the timer run down and then placing your (hopefully) winning bid.

Bidding fees vary depending on the product you are bidding for on the penny auction sites but generally you can be sure it will be between fifty cents and one dollar per bid. Usually product auctions will start very low, sometimes at zero and then increase by a small fraction each time a bid is placed, normally this small amount is a penny, explaining the name penny auction.

The majority of the time, buyers will purchase packages so that they can bid again and again quickly without having to worry about entering payment details, for instance fifty bids for twenty dollars. Bidding fee auction sites run many auctions at the same time and it is always worth checking that terms and conditions for the bids.

People often wonder how the penny auction sites make their money and simply put, they make money from all the bids, which can add up really quickly.

Maybe you've have heard about the amazing deals that people have managed to get on penny auctions. However, it is still good to be aware of the fact that despite paying money, you will not always win. The winner of course is normally very pleased with their purchase, often getting an item like an iPad for less than 95% of the actual retail cost meanwhile all the other bidders have bid, paid and won nothing.

The key to actually saving money is to have a strategy in place. Bidding fee auction sites get criticized for being too addicting, so limit the amount of items you bid on. Experienced bidders know how a particular penny auction site works and can win consistently.

eBay - Understanding the "Buy It Now" Function   Saving Money With Penny Auctions   Things to Think About Before You Start Selling on eBay   Viral Drop Shipping - Generating More Income From Online Business   How Do I Start an eBay Business?   

Beginners Tips for Buying and Selling Books On Amazon

If I said that you can switch on your PC now and almost immediately grab a share of a five billion dollar business with over 35 million active customers - that's also one of the world's best- known brands, would you believe me? Probably not. But I have to tell you - with a bit of work and effort - you can.

Amazon's bookselling site is one of the world's most successful e-commerce businesses, accounting for over 5% of all online sales. And the staggering truth is that Amazon will gladly let you share in their success story. Are they crazy? No. It's a testament to founder Jeff Bezos's mission to be 'the most customer-focussed business ever'. Are there any catches? Not really. Of course, nothing is ever that easy but if you know how and are determined it is an opportunity worth your serious consideration.

In this article you will discover how Amazon will help you set up your own Internet business. A business that will sell for you worldwide 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with virtually no overheads and none of the risks or hassles normally associated with e-commerce.

Why on earth should I sell books?

Well, you don't have to sell books. You can sell all sorts of other goods on Amazon today - including electronics and photographic equipment, music, DVD's, videos, software, PC and video games, home and garden items and toys and games.

But books satisfy almost every requirement of the ideal mail order product. They're compact, light and easy to ship, easy to describe, enjoy a high profit margin and a high selling price relative to their size - they have a worldwide market and are something that almost everyone buys at some time. Books are still Amazon's core business, their biggest seller and, to cap it all, there is no better known global market for books than Amazon.

But doesn't eBay do it better? I'm sometimes asked why anyone would prefer to sell books (or anything else) on Amazon rather than on that monster of e-commerce eBay. The answer is simple: Amazon has certain unique advantages over eBay, and for certain products it knocks its bigger brother into a cocked hat. First of all, selling on Amazon isn't (usually) an auction. You get the selling price you want, and you don't have to wait seven days to get it. It's simpler and faster to list products for sale on Amazon and you don't have keep relisting, so you can sell much more (some sellers have over a thousand product lines). Most times, it's much cheaper to sell goods so you can sell for less yet make more. Lastly, unlike eBay Amazon's administrative and payment systems are a breeze - when you sell a book all you need to do is post it to the buyer.

OK, there are a few snags: Amazon's procedures and rules are a bit daunting at first. But stick with it. It all slots into place once you're up and running. There can also be a fair bit of competition in some subject areas (more about how to outdo your competitors later).

How Amazon lets you share their success

There are actually quite a few ways you can join in Amazon's success story. Amazon Auctions is much the same as eBay. Amazon Advantage is for authors and publishers. Amazon Alliances are special working relationships with large companies. But if you're a private-seller-cum-small-trader or a small-mediumish sized business I think you'll find Amazon's Marketplace and zShops are the best ways to get involved.

Marketplace: Marketplace offers you an opportunity to sell books on the exact same page on Amazon's website where Amazon sell the book themselves. So you get to compete with them head-on, and even get to undercut them on price (in fact you're expected to!). Marketplace is for any new or used books, but not really rare or collectable ones. Selling prices are fixed - Marketplace isn't an auction. You can list an unlimited number of items for free. A closing fee of 86p (on Amazon.co.uk) per item plus 17.25% of your sale price is charged on each sale but you don't pay anything if your books don't sell.

Marketplace is suitable whether you just want to make some spare cash, but also if you want to start a 'proper' small business.

zShops: zShops is an area of the Amazon website that enables you to sell books that are not currently being sold by Amazon. You can sell new and used books but it's especially suitable for selling anything unusual, different, rare, collectable or valuable that might appeal to Amazon's millions of customers. Again, zShops are not an auction and prices are fixed.

zShops is most suitable for higher-volume sellers. To sell most items at zShops you must have what is called a 'Pro-merchant Subscription' - more about that later. Because of it's different charging structure zShops works out much cheaper than Marketplace for volume sellers - there's a £28.75 monthly sub. to become a Pro-merchant but closing fees start at only 2.875% per item. (Check with Amazon for exact details as these fees are a bit complicated!)

You can operate both Marketplace and zShops, but experts I've talked to suggest it is better to start with Marketplace and think about getting involved in zShops later. (Although when you list items on Marketplace Amazon's software will automatically list anything that isn't already sold by Amazon on zShops.)

So now you're a bookseller - what types of books sell best? You don't really need to be interested in books to sell them successfully. Although you can sell almost any books on Amazon experienced sellers have found that certain books sell much better than others. They tell us that they have a lot of success selling books that don't sell well on eBay. eBay is good for collectibles and very specialist or unusual books. Amazon is good for new and newish popular and other mainstream books. Many experienced sellers use both Amazon and eBay on the basis that what sells badly on one will sell well on the other!

Amazon is great for selling cheaper books - in the £7 to £20 price range. (As any eBayer will tell you, it's tricky to make money selling cheap books there.)

Another good thing about Amazon is that the strong sellers there are books that are strong sellers everywhere else, so you don't need to do lots of research to find good ideas. Look at Amazon's '100 Hot Books' section to find current bestsellers. You can also search for 'Hot Books' by subject. One slight disadvantage of using this method is that every seller wants to sell these books. You might be able to find some little-known 'hot subjects' by asking in bookshops and libraries as to what books are becoming popular, and then trying to second-guess the demand on Amazon.

I asked some Amazonians what sells best for them. Here's what they said: 'Classic fiction', 'famous authors', 'children's books', 'heavily illustrated/coffee table books that are too expensive brand new', 'books that make good gifts', ' text, academic and reference books' and 'books connected to TV/film'. Several also told us that hardback editions seem to sell particularly well, although most books produced today are paperback.

Good Tip: Test the market to find your own personal successes. You can afford to do this on Marketplace because no sale = no pay.

What you can't sell? You can't sell anything that is a copy, a free promotional version, a foreign product not licensed for sale in the UK or anything that is unsafe (unlikely to apply to books).

Finding books to resell at a profit: Once you've decided what sort of books to sell you'll need to find sources of them. There are many different sources, and it's a good idea to try them all to maximise the quantity and range of your stock.

Good Tip: Try to use sources that both are regular and repeatable, so that once you find a book that sells well you can go back and restock. You can make money selling one-time-only books but it's far better to find a book that will sell and keep selling. Here are some sources to try:

- Trade Sources. You can buy all the new books you need in the book trade either from the publishers themselves, their distributors or their wholesalers. If you want just a small number of books it's best to go to a wholesaler as you can mix books from different publishers. A wholesaler will give you a trade discount if you tell them that you are 'in the trade' (which you are) - expect 30% up to 50% or more if you place a large order.

- Auctions. Keep an eye out for any auctions where books make up all or part of the stock. Auction stocks can include bankrupt stocks, salvage books (not all necessarily damaged), remainder books, shop-soiled and ex-library stocks. (Check what type of books are being sold before attending an auction.) Auctions are a good source if you want to sell valuable and collectable books,

- Book fairs, jumble sales, charity shops etc. These are good if you are starting in a small way, and a good source of very cheap books. (But be careful, some of the big name charity shops tend to overprice used books.) Only buy books in good condition, unless they're unusual in some way.

- Private individuals. Look in the small ads. for 'Books for Sale' or place a 'Books Wanted' ad. The main advantage of this source is that because there isn't much of a local market for used books you can pick up books for pennies.

- Remainder books. Remainder books are new books which publishers have published and which have failed to sell. So, they're withdrawn and sold off very cheaply - often at 90% or more discount. The advantage of remainder books is that you can get job lots of hundreds or thousands. The easiest way to buy remainder books is from a specialist remainder supplier.

The disadvantage with remainder books is that if they didn't sell well in the shops they might not sell well on Amazon either, so it's a good idea to test them before buying a large stock. (But: Remainder books which were overpriced when new often sell very well at lower prices on Amazon.)

Lastly, don't forget that you can also buy books for your stock on Amazon, as well as sell them there, and turn them round quickly for a profit. A word of warning though: This isn't really for mainstream books that lots of Marketplace sellers have. It can, however, work well for rare, valuable and collectable books where another seller has priced them too cheaply and which you're pretty sure someone else will pay a lot more for.

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Do Thrift Stores Have The Best Things To Sell On eBay?

People are always asking about the best things to sell on eBay. That is certainly understandable considering how many buyers and sellers there are on eBay these days, and how quickly the market changes for online sales.

Let's get one thing out of the way right off the bat. Yes, you CAN buy at thrift stores and resell the goods you purchase on eBay. Or, you can resell them on Craigslist. Or, you can resell them at your own yard sale.

The point is, you can resell things that you purchase at a thrift store. Just like you can resell something you buy at a department store when you're done with it.

The question, of course, is, "But how do I actually make money by reselling something that has already been relegated to the thrift store?"

The answer is, "By being a careful shopper and knowing what to look for."

The bad news is this: Not everything you buy will be a winner.

The good new is this: Even if you buy a "dud" you won't have lost a lot of money. That's because you bought the item at a thrift store, and it didn't cost you much!

So, with that said, what, exactly are some of the best things to sell on eBay from a thrift store?

First, examine your interests and passions. I say this because there is a funny little quirky trick that our minds play on us when we are out shopping.

Consider this little exercise: If you happen to be interested in buying a certain car, for example, a Honda Accord, and you're travelling down the highway, what cars do you think you will be noticing? Probably all the Honda Accords that are driving by!

So, now let's say you are passionate about vintage or muscle cars. And now you find yourself in a thrift store. As you browse around this store, with clothes and books and household items piled to the rafters, and you are glancing around the store, if there happened to be a stack of vintage or muscle car magazines, do you think you would notice them?

I would be willing to bet that you would notice them indeed!

Now, however, it is time to put on your "buyer's antennae" and start looking more carefully, past your own obvious interests and see what else is in that store!

If your eye notices an old Army jacket; that is, one from the 1970's and not something made by some brand name to LOOK like an Army jacket, have a look. People love Army and other military surplus! And many people, once they are back home or no longer in the Service, may discard some of their used military items.

A basic rule of thumb is to look for items that don't "fit" in with some of the other items on the rack.

For example, let's say you are browsing through the ladies' shirt section. You'll undoubtedly see many "Faded Glory" or "Wrangler" or "Old Navy" brands, among others. But, you just might happen upon an old, "hippie" print shirt with belled sleeves. Do you suppose someone might like to have that particular item? Chances are good that if it is a very unusual shirt with definite age, someone will want it.

Please keep one very important thing in mind. Even though a thrift store might sometimes have the best things to sell on eBay, you must be vigilant about the item's condition. With clothing, for example, if it has lots of "pulls" or "pilling" of the fabric, you may want to pass.

If you are looking at an old piece of Fire King or Pyrex ware, does it have any chips or cracks? If so, the value is minimal. Think about it this way: If you had the interest in this type of item, would YOU buy it in the condition that you are finding it? If the answer is "No," then you may want to pass it by.

Don't worry! Due to the nature of thrift stores, there are always going to be plenty of other items to choose from!

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