Running a Broker Business
by Adam Hersh
eBay Member

Adam Hersh is currently an eBay Trading Assistant, and has been interviewed by several print, radio and television sources about his experiences on eBay. The following article was published in our Seller's Newsletter in September 2003 about Adam's experiences as a Trading Assistant.

Even before becoming an eBay Trading Assistant, PowerSeller Adam Hersh recognized the value of selling other people's property on eBay. Hersh has operated a successful consignment business on eBay for the last four years, one that is only getting bigger and better with the help of the Trading Assistant program.

Today, his company, Adam Hersh Auctions, boasts four employees, 16 to 18 selling agents, and a feedback rating above 7,000. His eBay Store averages 1,000-plus listings per day. Not bad for a 24-year-old who got his start selling his and his friends' old belongings on eBay.

"We currently receive approximately 20 calls a day, all of which want help selling their items on eBay," says Hersh of his New York City-based business. "Our major Trading Assistant client is a poster wholesaler, but we really do sell anything and everything."

Retaining a large, diverse staff of sales agents, who specialize in specific categories, has been an important factor in the company's success, says Hersh. The strategy helps the company achieve high prices for its consignors' property every time, and that encourages repeat business.

"Even after our fee is taken," he explains, "the client is normally just happy that they didn't have to deal with the hassle."

Hersh keeps closely involved with the Trading Assistant program for the health of his company and other broker businesses. "I frequent the TA message boards, help out beginner TAs, regularly keep in touch with the TA department, and offer my opinions and ideas," he says. "I was also the first eBay member to run a co-op advertisement with the Trading Assistant program."

While Hersh remains extremely busy, and his company continues to expand, he still takes the time to reflect on what he's accomplished in only a few short years. "I look at what I do and what I have and smile," Hersh concludes.

"Every month, I help thousands of people get exactly what they are looking for. I help tons of New Yorkers sell items that they would have been stuck with. I am my own boss and come to work in jeans and a t-shirt every day. I have taken weeklong vacations with a laptop and a cell phone and still kept my cash flow. Who has it better than I?"

For more information about the Trading Assistant program, or to go to the Trading Assistant Discussion board.