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08.10

10:50

Terapeak Predicts the Shelf Life of Traditional Books

Marketing genius and noted author Seth Godin recently blogged that he would no longer be publishing his books the old fashioned way. Godin stated that traditional publishing techniques are built around a business model that is horribly outdated and out of touch with the way modern authors interact with their readers.

So, is traditional print on its way out? Terapeak is poised to stick a fork in eBay’s book sales to see if they’re done yet. Below is a trend of Non-Fiction book sales on eBay over the last year, and the pattern of decline is hard to deny. The e-reader market, previously occupied by the Kindle alone, has recently experienced a rise in competition with the introduction of the iPad and Sony models. This has caused prices to fall and Amazon.com reported that Kindle e-books have been outselling hardcover books by 70 percent over the last three months. Coincidentally, Terapeak shows an increase in e-reader sales over the last three months with nearly $300,000 in revenue in that short time.

In the blog age, many writers build their readerships by communicating with readers on a regular basis and with a constant stream of content. Traditional publishing requires coordinating a number of layers of bureaucracy such as an agent, a publishing house, and then distribution to media outlets and retail stores. All this creates more separation between author and reader, an impractical alternative to simply discovering stuff you enjoy using only a computer and a couch. If Terapeak is any indication, and it is, maybe we’ll all be packing digital books sooner than we thought.

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08.10

9:10

Terapeak Celebrity Heat Meter: Jesse James V. Kat Von D

Bike-building bad boy Jesse James and inked-up TV personality Kat Von D have been spotted getting cozy over dinner in a Las Vegas hotel. Despite James being 13 years her senior, Kat admits she’s just his type. So, the biggest question (of the many that remain) is: who’s hotter? Terapeak understands that the only way to settle this dispute is to go straight to eBay to find out which of the two is moving more merchandise. To decide a winner we’ll look at Sell-Through rates, the percentage of successful sales for both individuals.

Terapeak recorded that James made over $118,000 dollars from sales of his personal belongings on eBay. Still fresh off his divorce from Sandra Bullock, the former Mr. Oscar Winner posted approximately 110 items on the internet’s largest auction site including a slew of clothing, collectibles, and even some of his beloved bikes. Over the last year on eBay James’ Sell-Through rate is 33.92%, not exactly impressive but keep in mind the TV show that brought him fame has been off the air since 2006.

Kat Von D is a tattoo-clad artist and star of her own reality TV series LA Ink, which chronicles the trials and tribulations of running a tattoo shop while remaining hip at all times. While Von D is extremely talented she is also quite fetching and the combination can only be described in marketing terms as cha-ching. Terapeak shows a 43% Sell-Through rating for Kat over the last year on eBay, more than inching out James in the popularity department.

Despite being in and out of rehab and battling a messy divorce, you have to hand it to a guy who can sell soap on a rope for $76.95, one of James’ stranger listings. Based on appearance alone, James and Von D are the perfect couple to keep Hollywood headlines interesting. And if James continues his habit of infidelity and going into hock, there should be no shortage of scoops. Anybody want to buy an autographed West Coast Choppers egg timer?

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08.10

1:44

Terapeak Top 5: Music

Terapeak is like the Billboard of eBay thanks to its Hot Media search feature. Above is this month’s Top 5 Music list which you may find either outrageous or validating. That’s the beauty of this list, it’s based entirely on pure, unbridled sales without dwelling for a moment on what some hipster might consider “good.”

Rounding out the number five spot is arguably the most talented individual ever to wear a lampshade for a hat, the one and only Lady Gaga. She probably should have gone on Dr. Phil long ago but she sure can belt out a tune. In fourth, Susan Boyle is the 49 year old contest winner who dreamed big and put on a jaw-dropping performance for British television. She sang her way to stardom without the typical sexuality angle played by most. Seriously, like none whatsoever.

Kidz Bop Kids sing their little hearts out in 3^rd, and if that surprises you keep in mind that child singers have had a firm place in our world since The Jackson 5. The boys from Sgt. Pepper’s are staying legendary in the number two spot and it should also be noted that they never drop below the top five. So if you ever swing by and don’t see The Beatles on our list you should look up – the sky might be falling.

Finally at number one is the incorrigible Eminem. You may find his subject matter to be in the absolute poorest of taste, but you can’t deny his success. Retail store sales are one thing, but eBay is the biggest, broadest online marketplace on the planet and Terapeak is the score keeper. Items that are in high demand here are truly selling above the rest.

Tera-Speak: We want to know your Top 5 artists, leave a comment with your list!

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08.10

3:18

Terapeak confirms Android as industry leader

Android has finally conquered the smartphone market in the United States. Smartphones running Google’s Android operating system accounted for one-third of all smartphones purchased in the April-June period. Terapeak Market Research confirms this and drills deeper into the smartphone market.

The average eBay sale price for an Android phone is $305 dollars and the rate of successful sales is 70%. Compare this to the average price of a Blackberry device, $103 dollars with a successful sales rate of only 33.5%, and it’s easy to see how Android has edged its way to the top. The graph below compares the sales trends of the two brands over a 90 day period.

Terapeak can also provide insight into consumer interest. By examining the top searches on eBay we find that the iPhone is the third most-popular search overall. Despite this high ranking, Apple still lags behind Android and Blackberry in phone sales. But with eBay and every brick and mortar electronics retailer selling premium-priced iPhone accessories by the truckload, and the booming app store, it’s clear that Apple is interested in more than just selling phones.

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07.10

2:05

eBay’s Top-Selling Athletes

The highest-paid professional athletes of today earn more than the GDPs of some countries, but what is their resale value? Certainly in these high-profile lines of work one’s salary should reflect their value both on and off the field of play – that’s where Terapeak can show a lot.

The best way to judge a player’s marketability is to look at the amount of merchandise they’re selling. We’ve taken the ten highest-paid athletes and compared their massive salaries to the total value of their swag that has sold on eBay over the last year using Terapeak’s 365 days of data search function. You might be quite shocked at who isn’t earning their keep.

Rank	Athlete	Salary	Year Sales on eBay
1	Tiger Woods	$90.5 million	$5,199,263
2	Phil Mickelson	$61.6 million	$252,823
3	Floyd Mayweather Jr.	$60.2 million	$95,513
4	LeBron James	$45.7 million	$5,127,286
5	Alex Rodriguez	$37 million	$2,211,284
6	Shaquille O’Neal	$36 million	$557,303
7	Kobe Bryant	$33 million	$4,414,802
8	Derek Jeter	$31 million	$3,911,532
9	Peyton Manning	$30.8 Million	$3,085,069
10	Dwyane Wade	$27.8 million	$437.898

At least we can say the top dog is worth his salt. Tiger Woods is both the best paid and best-selling athlete in the world. Not bad considering he did a belly flop into a PR nightmare a year ago. Even more surprising are the lackluster sales from boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. Despite being the acclaimed king of pay per views, the welterweight moves very little merchandise. But what can you expect when you have to compete without a jersey and wearing impractical shoes.

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07.10

3:13

All hail, King James is Changing Colours

After an incredibly successful 7 year career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James announced he would be changing teams. On July 1^st James effectively became unemployed and held millions of basketball fans in suspense while he deliberated over which team – of the handful that were courting him – he would move to. On July 8^th people finally got their answer, James will join the Miami Heat for the 2010-11 season.

For us, the effect of the decision is just as interesting as the decision itself. So how has the team change affected merchandise sales? Above is a trend of all the Lebron James eBay listings over the last 30 days – taken from Terapeak Marketplace Research. All seems normal until the day the news breaks and listings more than double in the aftermath.

It’s fascinating to watch the market after a major event – and as the NBA raked in about $4 billion dollars this year – it’s safe to say this is big. In less than a decade LeBron has become one of the most prominent players of his time – and he is certainly among the biggest player franchises.

According to Terapeak, eBay has sold nearly $5 million dollars worth of LeBron James merchandise over the last year. That’s a whole lot of jerseys, hats, and action figures. A trading card from 2003, James’ rookie year, sold one week ago for $30,000 dollars. Not bad for a little piece of cardboard.

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07.10

11:24

Vuvuzela: Selling Like Hotcakes

The 2010 World Cup is entering its final round, and the hot topic of the tournament has nothing to do with the players. The Vuvuzela is a long plastic horn that has been the cause of some serious waves. It produces a loud, monotone sound that is a big part of any South African soccer match.

Above is the sales trend for the Vuvuzela – taken from Terapeak eBay Market Research. The tournament’s June 11th start date has understandably caused sales to sky-rocket. In late 2009, FIFA – the governing body in professional soccer – considered a ban on the Vuvuzela for the forthcoming World Cup, they called it a potential weapon for soccer hooligans (rowdy, violent fans). The ban was never passed.

There are legitimate concerns surrounding the instrument, as it can cause permanent hearing loss if blown close to someone’s ears. One South African columnist even described it as “the horn from hell.” Nevertheless, the Vuvuzela is considered essential to the South African soccer experience.

Many c oaches and players have complained that the noise caused by the thousands of fans blowing their horns wreaks havoc on team concentration; the sound is very similar to a giant swarm of bees. It’s understandable, when a match lasts for 90 minutes or longer we imagine that anyone would want the controversial horn to buzz off.

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06.10

2:25

eBay auctions $2.6 million dollar lunch

Terapeak is the reigning king of averages, and we love to scour eBay for quirky items. A million-dollar lunch isn’t the craziest listing ever – that prestigious honor is saved for things like a UFO detector or a ghost in a jar – but it’s definitely ridiculous.

The meal includes more than just a free appetizer; billionaire investor Warren Buffet will dine with the winner – who wishes to remain anonymous. The proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Glide Foundation – which provides social services to the homeless in San Francisco.

Robert Chatwani – director of global citizenship for eBay – confirmed this as the largest single auction for charity that’s been held on eBay.

It’s not difficult to imagine why people are dying to get face time with Buffet – he’s the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and one of the world’s most successful investors. Previous lunch dates with the mogul have gone for $1.68 and $2.11 million dollars.

One has to wonder about the etiquette for tipping on a lunch tab like this. Even staying conservative at 10% means you’re looking at the value of a small house – we doubt the waiter will be donating that kind of gratuity.

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05.10

2:09

From Beatles to Bieber

How can two musical styles be separated by over four decades and yet offer almost no variation in the hair styles of the musicians? That’s just the question we ask ourselves when we look at teen pop sensation Justin Bieber and the most loveable of the Fab Four, Paul McCartney.

Bieber melts the hearts of many, his doe eyes playing peakaboo with the audience behind the sweeping locks of his McCartney mop cut. For those who are unaware of Justin Bieber, he’s the current flavour of the month super-teen heartthrob (enough said). And for those unaware of Paul McCartney, we wouldn’t know where to begin. Aside from their stylists these two individuals share another important trait: they’re in high demand.

Terapeak’s top 5 list of the most popular music on eBay shows that we can’t seem to get enough of our shaggy-haired singers. Perhaps this should prompt music lovers everywhere to take heart (don’t worry, The Beatles are at no.1). Maybe the kids today who go crazy for Bieber on MTV share a special bond with their parents who once grew their hair to an unacceptable length to be more like Lennon. It is said that individuals identify themselves by the music they listen to. And if you ask any musician you’ll know that popular music is all about the image. Therefore, can the listeners be so different when the hair-do is so similar? We’re inclined to believe not; after all, pop music is meant to make you feel good. And what could be better than a new reason to feel closer to your folks? If nothing else it’s proof that Bieber is picking up where McCartney left off; working tirelessly to help us all stop worrying about how big the generation gap is between parents and children and teaching us to just “let it be”.

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01.10

2:39

Halfway Hockey: Bruins, Blackhawks soar to top of Terapeak NHL index

We’re more than halfway through the 2009-10 NHL season, and there’s been a pretty significant shake-up at the top of the Terapeak NHL Index.

When we reported on the index at the beginning of the season, Pittsburgh and Detroit (last year’s Cup finalists) were leading their respective conferences in total eBay sales. A few months into the season, however, both have been overtaken: in the East, Boston has jumped out to number one, while in the West, Chicago is dominating ($320K to second-place Detroit’s $176K).

So what’s triggered the movement? Well, in Chicago’s case, you’ve got a first-place team in a first-rate hockey market, with a host of young superstars… That’s a pretty good recipe for eBay success.

Boston, meanwhile, hasn’t had the same kind of hot start on the ice, but hosting the 2010 Winter Classic was great for merchandise sales. The game’s other participant, the Philadelphia Flyers, have also seen a big jump in total sales — all the way up to fourth in the NHL!

Pittsburgh continues to sell well (if only every franchise had a Sidney Crosby!), and the Sabres have been surprisingly profitable as well. Poor on-ice performances from a pair of Original 6 teams, the Maple Leafs and Canadiens, have led to disappointing merchandise sales, and subsequent drops in the Terapeak NHL Index standings.

With the league set to break for a few weeks when next month’s Winter Olympics begin, it’ll be interesting to see how the Games affect NHL sales. For many of the league’s superstars, the Olympics in Vancouver will be the biggest stage they’ve ever played on. And where legends are born… jerseys are bought!

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I used Terapeak to evaluate my competitors' marketing and found strategies that worked and was surprised how many sellers lose money due to poor pricing and marketing.
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