Computers

Editor's note: These are reviews of programs for Windows computers. The programs are available from software stores and this column at www.washingtoncd.net.

You can buy or sell everything from first editions of obscure romances to baby rattles on eBay. I can honestly say that everything I ever bought on eBay was honestly advertised stuff I didn't need. Fortunately, I was able to re-sell the stuff I didn't need, including the clunky Palm Pilot modem I bought a decade ago. It's probably still making the rounds somewhere on the auction Web site.

I had never met anyone who made a living selling on eBay until a few days ago, when I bumped into a young friend whom I had encouraged to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. Alas, he dropped out of medical school because he didn't have the time and money for his wife and two babies. He told me he was selling stuff on eBay and netting 40 grand a year. Not quite a doctor's wage, but not bad, either, considering he has no overhead.

So, when I saw a program for Windows PCs called Sell Now! that helps eBay sellers list and manage their eBay listings, I spent a beautiful spring day rounding up all the unopened stuff I had bought impulsively on Woot, along with excess software boxes that were one step away from the Dumpster.

Sell Now! which works on Windows PCs, starts with helpful tutorials about how to sell stuff on eBay. You learn how to list your items for faster sales, how to do your homework (is that leaded vase really worth $500? Are you shipping charges too high?). If you don't have an eBay account, you're directed to the eBay Web site to register and open a PayPal account, which can be done in less than 10 minutes.

From within Sell Now! you create your listings, choose your photos, price your merchandise and upload it all, using your eBay sign-in. Listing fees are displayed as you design your auction. You could do all this at the eBay site, but Sell Now!'s real strength is how it organizes your auction items, and lets you keep track of when they sell. When you're ready to ship, it helps you create mailing labels and. If you decide to revise your item, however, you have to go to the eBay site, and if you change the price, Sell Now! won't know until it's actually sold. Minor annoyances, but software is supposed to make life easier (anyone who believes that bit of nonsense gets a chance on a free copy of Windows Me).

Auction items can be classified into categories (software, cockapoo collars, and the like). You can duplicate listings, which is handy when you have tons of the same stuff, and export all this into Excel or other spreadsheet programs, print reports (Palm Pilot modems sold briskly in the first quarter) and keep track of auction winners. If you're an occasional seller, you probably don't need Sell Now! But if, like me, you found a couple dozen things you don't need any more, or you plan to sell lots of things after you've cleaned your closet, Sell Now! will help you organize your auctions and make invoicing easier. The program also comes with two months of free backup from Carbonite, an online service that stores your files on remote servers.

Sell Now! will run on Windows Vista and XP. To order, send $20, plus $6 for shipping, to WashingtonCD, PO Box 351531, Los Angeles, CA 90035, or online at www.washingtoncd.net.